Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

They didn’t know if they existed or not. 

There was no awareness, no spark to signal an ember of a being. There was only a sentience that never knew they existed. A haze of blackness, a fog that felt natural to sink into, smothering any will of their own. Not that they even knew they had an intention, to begin with. 

A blank being, having known nothing else than the smog, incapable of traversing the gloom. A haze covered their existence, never controlling or unnatural, with no reason to fight against the mists.

They didn’t think, only existing without a worry, having known nothing to worry about. They had instincts that never came to the surface for some time. And even then, it was only jerks in the being's nonexistent form, leaving them with barely a spark of curiosity, then being doused in the fog once again. 

Over time, the fog became thinner, something that didn’t want to make them move, but once the haze over the being’s mind thinned, flashes of awareness assaulted them. 

It was nothing more than a few milliseconds of memories they had no recollection of, familiarity only barely there. They came as quickly as they came, but they were always the same, or at least similar. 

They saw blurry images, something that struck them deep in the center of his being. It was the color blue on the face of someone they couldn’t see, white covering their face, but couldn’t stop them from hearing a phantom laugh in the depths of their mind. 

The blue was vivid as if staring at the sky with the stars shining. They held the world in all its beauty, and when the flashes came by, they hoped it would last longer so they could appreciate the beauty that blue held. As if staring at the universe in a starry night held by the ocean's embrace, full of life and the pressure of power that could crush but cradle. 

Somehow warm, especially when they could feel the laughter shaking their mind, feeling safe at the sound. 

The white framing that blue they didn’t want to call blue because it was so much more, was as soft as snow, stark against the darkness, a pure beacon in the fog that was their existence. The flashes came every so often, creating a sun in their dreary world, and they only hoped for it to return, as the moon did the sun every dawn.

Unable to coexist, but could see the other for a moment, then disappear over the skyline, waiting for another day to dawn or dusk. 

But they desired to reach the sun, hoping for a moment more to bask in the warm rays of the blue that struck them deeply. They didn’t know how cold they were until the sun warmed their frozen core, now wanting nothing more than to be warm. 

The absence of the fragments of warmth made them try to reach out more, for the first time fighting against the haze of their consciousness. The smog felt natural, but something told them they couldn’t see their sun if they stayed in the darkness. 

It felt as if a part of their being was ripped apart from them every time their sun left, leaving them freezing and desolate, numb to everything else. 

They didn’t know why they saw the cerulean in their mind since he knew nothing else except the yearning to reach out and touch. Something told them they couldn’t touch the sun if they didn’t want to be burned, cremated by the heat. But they didn’t care. If they ceased to exist because they flew too close to the sun, they would fall with melted wings, satisfied with dying while gazing at the object of their desires. 

A celestial body was never meant to be touched, but they would do anything to see their brilliant form. 

They struggled against the fog, trying to claw their way through, to see more of the center of their being, which caused them to be filled with such yearning it felt almost painful. It felt as if someone was reaching into his core and pulling harshly, trying to devoid them of a key part of them, knowing if they succeeded, they would cease to exist. 

The more they fought against the haze, they could see more, more radiant warmth, more brilliance that lit them up from the core of their being. The white and blue shone like a beacon, calling them from their hibernation. 

They had no idea what this meant but knew enough to know the luminous blue was the cardinal nucleus of their wants. 

They wanted to see the blue in the flesh. Wanted to know why the blue was so important.

Wanted to bask in their rays like a lizard in the sun, warm to the core and content. 

The mists got weaker, with more echoes sounding throughout their consciousness. It wasn’t just one flash of remembrance, but multiple, each showing the sun in different areas, unable to focus on the surroundings, focused on the luminescent being, becoming warm at the echoes of what they distantly recognized as words they couldn’t understand.

It only served to show them that they could get more, to battle against the sensation that would return them to their unknowing state. 

They wanted more.  

They were greedy and selfish in want. They wanted to reach through to fog and remember who this being was and why they were so important to them. 

They continued to navigate the dark mists, moving in a direction they instinctively knew was the shortest path to their goal. The closer they got to their end goal, the echoes rumbled through their being, causing them to shiver, their piercing frigid being was almost always warm, more desperate than ever to keep warm, cradling the echoes for however long they could. 

It was during those times when they were cradling an echo they heard the rumble that caused them to be soothed in the most primal way. 

Suguru

They didn’t know what that meant but knew it was them.  

The rumbles were calling out to them. They didn’t know what Suguru meant, didn’t know why the brightest celestial being would call out to them, but the warmth was nothing compared to the past instances. It scorched through them, almost too warm to exist, but grasped onto the feeling with everything they had. It could burn them from the inside, but if it did, they would return to the darkness with contentedness.  

The echoes came more frequently, making Suguru( Suguru, they didn’t know how odd it felt to call themselves other than themselves, unaware they had something to call themselves. An identity, something that was novel compared to the nothingness they came from. It was odd to know they were something, not the nothing they thought. To have something that told them they existed in any meaning of the word.) fight with more insistence, to reminisce in what the echoes showed. 

They heard the celestial call them Suguru in the echoes, somehow familiar in its tone. As if they were being called to them with an inhale of a breath.

As if the being was breathing them in, something Suguru didn’t understand because they were the ones to be fond of. To be treated with fondness and devotion. 

The want only magnified, causing a fervor that was unmatched, wanting more. 

Suguru didn’t know why or how, but the mists were deterring them from continuing, from seeing their one and only(That felt right in ways they couldn’t understand). Suguru could only claw their way through, taking a step forward and three steps back, but continued to persist. 

With every step, they could hear and see more, the echoes becoming tangible in their conscious, not yet touchable, but could be observed in confidence. Most of the echoes never had anything more than white and blue, but some called to them by their name.

Then they finally got an echo that caused an implosion in their being. It was not just the being that called out to them.

Suguru called out to them.  

Calling them by name,

Satoru   

That is what the celestial was called. Satoru. 

Suguru grasped onto the name with devotion, grasp desperate and with enough strength for it never to be lost. The name struck through the fog, the last key to clear the majority of the fog.

Suguru didn’t know much, but he(He felt right, felt natural) could see with more clarity than ever before. Suguru still couldn't remember Satoru’s face but could see the eyes he loved with enough clarity to make everything else be forgotten. 

Suguru could remember that Satoru was his best friend, only barely knowing what that meant and that it was downplaying their relationship. 

Suguru could only remember bits and pieces of their past, knowing there should be more, but it was still held captive by the haze in the back of his subconscious.   

But he knew he wasn’t always like this. He used to be tangible, able to hold Satoru without fearing burning up. Suguru shouldn’t be in a fog, where he couldn’t return to Satoru. 

He realized he knew things, more than what the fog always held back. He knew the information he had no way of knowing, belatedly realizing he only forgot this information. Common knowledge from when he and Satoru were together. 

It hurt to realize he ever forgot his one and only, but he could fix that. Suguru might not know anything except what is probably common knowledge, but he knew enough that he had to return. 

He knew this was probably a cursed technique, a power he had but nothing like this. Muscle memory fought with him to escape this place, to return to where he belonged. 

He used to be a person. 

A person with memories and power, something that could leave this realm of darkness he found himself in. He had no idea where he was; the knowledge that came easily couldn’t help him, not knowing where he was. 

Suguru didn’t know who he was, what happened to him, nothing except that Satoru was more than important to him.   

His past was blank as freshly fallen snow. He had no idea about his childhood, teenage years, or adulthood. The part of his mind that held his memories seemed to be wiped clean. He could only vaguely remember Satoru, but that was already pushing it.

But remembering Satoru, how they met, what they were to each other was enough to keep going. 

Suguru didn’t know how long he was fighting for air when a tremor ran threw him with the force of a thousand curses, trembling as if it affected his very being. It echoed through the space, waking up the part of his being he didn’t know was sleeping.   

“Your body and cursed energy are the same as Suguru Getou’s, but my soul knows otherwise! Tell me! Who the hell are you!?”

Suguru jerked, subconsciously pushing aside the mist that trapped him with enough force for it all to clear. He saw through hazy vision a man with white hair and blue, blue, eyes staring angrily at him, eyes filled with masked despair after a moment. 

He moved but without his permission, feeling his body distantly but having no control. The words his body spoke with were distant, sounding as if they were spoken underwater, only the man, Satoru’s, words could reach him. The rage, disgust, along with hidden grief, on his face made Suguru clamor inside his mind. 

This was his body, but someone was using it against his will. Someone, this… imposter, was the one that kept him chained away, away from controlling his body the way he wanted. 

He was hurting Satoru.  

“Are you going to let him use you like this, Suguru?”

Suguru didn’t think at all, hand moving to try and grab the imposter's neck, using all of his strength to try and crush the imposter's esophagus. Satoru called out to him, and he had to respond, showing Satoru that he was there and he wanted to return. 

Wanted to protect Satoru, the being that made him desire more.  

Satoru was held in place, and before his eyes, he saw Satoru get sealed in a box the size of his palm. The imposter picked it up, and Suguru could feel the dark satisfaction distantly, along with curiosity that changed to smug self-confidence. 

Suguru felt hatred for the first time he could remember. This bastard used his body to seal his one and only, and that could not stand. 

He didn’t know why, but he knew from the depths of his core that he had to find a way to get this bastard out of his body, to free Satoru from his prison. He knew he could use his body parts with enough force of will, but the mental exhaustion the action caused told him he couldn’t do it continuously. He was also aware that the imposter piloting his body would take measures if they knew Suguru could control his body even a little. 

From what he was feeling, the imposter must think it was a one-off, and Suguru wanted them to think that was the case, waiting for the right time to strike. He bided his time with a wave of stewing anger, fury raging, only kept it in check because it would be useless to let the imposter know something was up. 

All he could think about was how dare this imposter take over his body to hurt his sun, to seal them because Satoru was too strong. He knew instinctually that Satoru was the strongest person Suguru knew, mentally and physically, and that the imposter would never be able to win against Satoru. 

Cursed technique or not, Suguru might not have many memories but knew he had power, a power he couldn’t grasp, the imposter taking it away from him, using it for himself. His cursed technique can’t do anything if he couldn’t access it.

Suguru watched as the imposter gaze over a city, watching people fight on both sides, a smug silent observer, not bothering to join the carnage. Suguru watched the proceedings with cold determination, waiting for a perfect time to strike. He didn’t recognize any of the people fighting, only some of them causing Suguru to have muted feelings as if they were people he vaguely passed by on the street. 

The imposter made his move when a fight was almost over, when all the fights were practically over, swooping in at the last moment to steal a kill from two sorcerers that had seemed to win the battle if the imposter didn’t show up. 

Then the imposter took the kill from them, absorbing the curse that Suguru understood instinctually. 

Oh, he could use this.

A few days after the day Satoru was sealed, Kenjaku, the imposter, was in a safe house of his, feeling satisfied with his actions. 

Suguru was waiting for the right moment, and he found it when Kenjaku was fixing the stitches on Suguru’s body’s head. The moment Kenjaku touched his brain, Suguru used all of the energy he had to reach deep inside him, accessing the curse Kenjaku absorbed that day and breaking through the control Kenjaku had over him. 

He reached into the void his technique caused, taking advantage of his mental form, moving towards where he stores his curses, grasping the energy of the soul-transforming curse.

It struggled desperately, reaching out to damage Suguru, but Suguru’s will was stronger. No curse that was conquered by his technique could harm the user. Suguru used instincts he never knew he had when he had control of his body, ripping apart the curse at the seams and boldly grabbing the center of the curse, immediately bringing that power into himself. 

Suguru felt world-ending agony, trying to tear his soul apart, but Suguru conquered it, crafting the power for his uses, ordering that it was his power now, no one else's. He molded it, etching the technique into his soul with the very soul-transforming power he conquered. 

Suguru achieved what he needed. 

Suguru, in a millisecond, took the curse's power as his own and took control of the hand touching Kenjaku’s brain. Kenjaku immediately tried to stop Suguru, a maddened scowl on Suguru’s face, but Suguru was one step ahead of the imposter. 

Suguru sent the technique he acquired for himself, not using it as a minion he was supposed to, into Kenjaku’s brain. 

Using his technique like this was as if he was using acid to gouge out paths in metal. He wasn’t supposed to be able to do this. The only reason he could was that Suguru was nonexistent, only a fragment of a soul, aware that he had a way to control the curses without taking them out of storage, incapable to do so since he didn’t have a flesh and blood body to reside in. The only way to use the power was to take it into his soul, uncaring for the side effects. 

Another reason was because of the technique he conquered because it involved the soul, healing his soul while Suguru damaged it with the use of the power that wasn’t supposed to be possible. 

If this didn’t work, the technique would rip him apart by the seams, his soul was not supposed to contain this technique. But that technique was the only reason he could heal the damage. 

Suguru touched Kenjaku’s brain, immediately activating the technique, basically causing brain death, with how he was ripping apart the brain from the inside out.

Before the brain shut down, Suguru used the form his soul remembered, since he was listening when Kenjaku said the body was the soul and the soul was the body, so, of course, Suguru immediately used the form of his soul to form Kenjaku’s brain into something of his and his alone. 

Suguru felt Kenjaku’s influence leave, like a leech taken from his skin, half anemic and half exhausted. 

His knees buckled, brain unused to actually having a body to pilot. He sagged against the cold wall, and wasn’t that a novel, actually feeling anything? The world was louder than he thought, bringing a shaking hand to his face, seeing it tremble.

Everything was muddled, but it was getting clearer every second. Suguru jerked his head to the side, bones creaking at his movement. He wasn’t sure if his impromptu lobotomy damaged his new brain, but he grabbed the top part of his skull and scalp, feeling distantly disturbed he even had to. 

Seeing his bloody scalp in front of his eyes would do that to people. 

He put it back over his new brain, now feeling the gushing blood escaping from the wound. He put his shaking thumb on where Kenjaku would sew it with blackened stitches, activating his newly acquired cursed technique. 

“Idle Transfiguration.”

He felt more than saw his head heal, blood stopping. It was a relief to have his skull back on, his body back under his control. Suguru put a hand on his chest, activating Idle Transfiguration, searching for a sign of the body invader. 

He found Kenjaku in a jagged edge of his soul, noticeable with its pungent smell, Kenjaku trying to rot away his soul just by existing in a soul space that didn’t belong to them.

Suguru crushed Kenjaku’s soul with all the fury he held for days, making sure every speck of his soul could never appear again. 

Suguru felt the adrenaline leave his body, making him collapse into the wall instead of sag. It took everything he had to escape and purge the invader from his body. He could tell that his soul was not in good shape, breaking at its edges when a gentle hit could shatter it. He would have to take some time to heal it fully with Idle Transfiguration, but the time he didn’t want to wait for. 

Kenjaku was trying to make Culling Games around the world, using his techniques, and while he didn’t care much about everyone else, Satoru was still sealed, with the Prison Realm now at the bottom of the ocean. 

And Satoru shouldn’t be sealed. He didn’t care if his soul was close to shattering. He only cared if he could free Satoru before it breaks. 

Suguru took in a deep breath, feeling his lungs inflate and deflate. He would have to get used to having a body again, even though he didn’t remember ever using it. Suguru grabbed the sink, pulling himself up with shaking limbs, legs almost unable to hold his weight. 

He jerked, with only his grasp on the sink keeping himself from falling back down. He looked blearily into the mirror, seeing violet eyes peaking through a blood-soaked face. He didn’t notice it before, but blood got into his mouth. He spits it out into the sink, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

His black hair was matted with blood, and only the skin on top of his head was spared from the crimson. Water left the faucet after trying a few times to turn it on, not caring if it was warm, splashing water on his face to wipe at least some of the blood off. 

After a minute, he looked back into the mirror, absentmindedly touching his forehead, seeing a jagged scar where Kenjaku sawed his skull open. It hurt with phantom pain, but nothing he couldn't take, but it was a reminder of what happened to him, or at least what probably happened because he didn’t remember shit.

Suguru took a deep breath and made a plan. 

Step one, order the curses under his control to retrieve Satoru. 

Okay, he could do that without moving. He was afraid his body would give out if he moved much more, so he didn’t and collapsed onto the ground, blinking lethargically at the ceiling. He mentally ordered his curses to retrieve the Prison Realm from the depths of the sea, more grateful than ever that ordering his cruses didn’t need to use curse energy once summoned.

They will take a while before they get back to him, so Suguru, against his will, closed his eyes, trying to stay awake, but the darkness claimed him once more.  

Suguru woke to exhaustion but was slightly better than before he passed out. His mouth was dry, stomach rumbling. 

Suguru groaned, rolling over to push himself up. He walked shakily to a chair nearby, dropping into it with his whole weight. He checked in with his curses, happy to see they were carrying the Prison Realm to him and would arrive soon. Suguru wanted nothing more than to go to them but knew it would make no difference. 

Suguru, with some time on his hands, activated Idle Transfiguration, starting to heal his soul. It was a mess, his soul fragmented and torn apart, but with the technique, the healing process started. It helped that he was in his body, so he could use it as a reference. It was slow going, but his work made his migraine abate slightly, notifying him that until his soul was in working order, he would not be able to fight as he should be. 

Knowing only a fraction of the violence outside these walls, he knew he would need to be in fighting order. 

He was able to heal his soul faster with some experience under his belt, so it moved more quickly than before, with only a few more kinks to work out before he could fight without worry. But before he could heal himself fully, unaware that multiple hours had passed, his curses reached him.

Suguru observed his surroundings after he passed out, seeing that this was an abandoned building that luckily had running water. Clean water was another thing. It made it easy for his curses to get to him, Prison Realm in hand.

When the curse that looked like a cross between an octopus and a sparrow dropped the Prison Realm in his hand, Suguru dismissed it and glanced at the box with shaking hands. The eyes in the box were an exact match for Satoru’s, full of light and the stars. 

Satoru was in his hands, and Suguru’s heart beat faster with every passing second. He would be able to see the man he had wanted to see for who knows how long in that darkness, searching for his light like a man searching for his next fix. 

He whispered the words, eyes softening unconsciously at the Prison Realm. His thumb caressed the box with affection, unable to hold himself back.

“Gate open.”    

The Prison Realm shook, vibrating and floating upwards, escaping his hands. Suguru let it, watching the Realm shift and stretch, a smile on his lips. He started to feel a Cursed Energy that was so familiar yet not. It pressed on him like the ocean but gave him fresh air into his lungs. He breathed it in, held it in as long as he could. It caused the cells in his body to shake from the power but didn’t move away because it was Satoru.   

The Prison Realm opened fully, causing an implosion of energy, making Suguru squint, setting his feet so he wouldn’t move. 

The implosion stopped, letting Suguru see a man with white hair and blue eyes touch the ground, black fabric around his shoulders, wearing a black t-shirt and pants. 

For the first time since Suguru woke, blue eyes met violet ones. Suguru grinned, eyes curling. He opened his mouth, not in control of his words, but not caring this time, since they felt right.  

“You’re late, Satoru.”      

Chapter Text

Satoru was used to skeletons trying to pull him down into the void that was the Prison Realm. 

Time didn’t move normally in the Prison Realm, with no accurate way to tell how long it had been since he had been sealed. 

It could have been an hour. 

Or it could have been a hundred years. 

Satoru had no idea, and that was weird enough. He had excellent senses, his internal clock was seldom wrong, and now it was spinning like a knockoff spinner that thought it gained sentience to give shit to the user only to have a damaged point. 

Meaning, it was full of shit and shouldn’t be relied upon.  

So he was surprised when he felt a new sensation, a suction that simultaneously pulled at him while making the center of his being crush together. The space around him shuddered and trembled as if collapsing in on itself. Satoru watched it happen, unable to do anything since Limitless couldn't do much more than block the rampant shift in space. 

Satoru could only close his six eyes and hope this wasn’t how the Prison Realm killed its occupants instead of driving them insane. 

He felt the shift and pull of space, rampant cursed energy swirling around him, clawing their way to try to affect Satoru when Limitless blocked it. The cursed energy caused a localized implosion, the pressure of the outside affecting the small space of the Prison Realm, acting like a faulty vessel under the heavy weight of the sea. 

Satoru was untouched since he had Limitless, but if it was any other sorcerer, they would have been torn to pieces, becoming a red goo that would have had no chance of surviving. 

Satoru opened his eyes once he realized he was unsealed, observing where he was and who could have unsealed him. There was no way that it unsealed over time. He could sense life around him, the exact frequency of cursed energy he was used to, even though it was thicker and darker than it should be. 

A presence near him made him pause, the breath freezing in his throat, immediately snapping his head to where the cursed energy he found so familiar. But he shook his head, considering that the being that used the cursed energy sealed him in the Prison Realm, to begin with.

The implosion stopped, and Satoru floated to the ground and looked into violet eyes, crinkling at the corners, exactly like he remembered them. 

Satoru felt his soul shake, six eyes wide and coming to terms(and denying) with who stood in front of him. 

Suguru smiled, specks of blood on his face, a vivid pink scar on his forehead, and monk robes he last saw him in. There was no hidden cruelty the imposter held, nothing telling him that this was anything but Suguru Getou.

“You’re late, Satoru.”

His six eyes told him he was Suguru Geto, and his soul agreed.

Satoru stepped forward, surprisingly unaffected by his stay in the Prison Realm. Suguru stayed where he was, the smile never leaving his face the closer Satoru got. Satoru brought up a hand and touched Suguru’s cheek with his fingertips, ghosting over his skin to feel the heat that the skin held. 

Satoru spoke, voice thick with disbelief and hidden hope. 

“Suguru?”

Suguru’s grin grew wider, “Who else?”  

Satoru choked on thick emotions and burst forward and hugged Suguru with force. Suguru grunted but returned the hug without hesitating. Satoru exhaled shakily, mind moving at thousands a mile per hour, trying to figure out how this happened. Suguru was warm in his embrace, not the body snatcher who sealed him. 

Satoru knew that he had to go to his students and allies, wanting to know what happened in his absence, but he had to know. Suguru was alive when he shouldn’t be. Satoru knew better than anyone that people couldn't come back from the dead, but in their line of work, Satoru wouldn’t question it. Heavily, at least.

Satoru pulled back slightly, bringing a hand to cup Suguru’s cheek, taking in Suguru’s new appearance. He could see that Suguru was slightly different, a few new additions to his cursed energy cycle, something he would take more time to observe, but wanted answers more.

“How? How are you alive?”

Suguru tried to hide a grimace, but Satoru saw through it. Suguru brought up a hand to his head, touching his temple. 

“I was always in my mind when the imposter used my body. You made me react, causing me to be aware of what was happening. Picked the best moment to get my body back. I purged the bastard from my body. Killed him. My body is truly my own again.”

Satoru nodded with deep satisfaction, slightly unhappy that he wasn’t the one to kill the bastard who used Suguru’s body for their gain. But whatever. Suguru had more rights to kill the bastard than him. 

“Good.” 

Satoru observed his surroundings, a frown settling on his face when he noticed the veils and curtains placed around the area, along with the rest of Japan, with his quick scan of the country. He saw blood and violence, cursed energy running rampant, dousing the sorry victims in enough cursed energy to create a thick blanket in the air. 

It felt as if Japan was in a state of panic, non-sorcerers creating enough excess cursed energy to make the cursed energy levels rise by the second. He could feel Special Grade Curses form that second, frown getting deeper at the state the country was in. He could feel a rise of Cursed Energy from across the ocean and didn’t believe Japan was the only place to be in this state.  

The world itself was becoming deeply entrenched with cursed energy, rising to a level not even World War Two and his birth caused. The cursed energy was more… tangible to his eyes, and that was never a good observation. It had the potential to affect the humans that weren’t born as sorcerers, somehow transforming them into sorcerers. He could see the effects in the said transformed in their brain if taken hold. It allowed them to use cursed techniques, and the bloodshed was only boosting the effects. 

Satoru studied the cursed energy, finding it deeply familiar. 

It was the Curse Manipulation and the soul-transforming technique of that Special Grade Curse he fought shortly in Shibuya. It threatened to kill and transform the humans there with a touch of a finger. Satoru studied it, then looked back at Suguru, who shrugged and, as usual, could read his thoughts without difficulty. 

“The imposter had some time to kickstart their plan. It’s called the Culling Games. Apparently, Kenjaku, the bastard himself, wanted to see what they could create if they forced a free-for-all, with only a few survivors. The strong stay alive, but the weak die. And as you can see, he was slightly successful with setting up potential sights. I freed myself before he could set up many of the same veils in other countries and before he could activate them.”

Satoru narrowed his eyes, and looked back at the ten curtains, mentally going through all the potential participants in the surrounding areas. He mentally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Itadori and Megumi were alive, with Nobara with Shoko at a safehouse Satoru created for a rainy day. Satoru frowned harder when he noticed Yaga was in a cell in one of the Higher-Ups strongholds. 

Oddly enough, Itadori was with the death painting he fought, but it seemed they were working together. Odd, but he could tell by their cursed energy they were getting along. It didn’t seem as dangerous as Yaga’s situation, but it was concerning.  

He mentally put that on his to-do list after he got more information. He glanced at Suguru, who was smiling to himself, flicking some blood off his fingernails. Suguru looked slightly different, dare he say it… lighter. His hair wasn’t even pulled into a bun, his black hair down and slightly matted with blood. It was as long as he last saw it, flowing down his back. His monk robes had seen better days, the black and green reddish with blood. 

Honestly, Satoru didn’t know how to feel.

For the most part, Satoru was a second away from bearhugging Suguru again, to feel his heartbeat, feel his warmth, hold onto him, and never let go. When Suguru died, part of Satoru dead with him. It took months for Satoru to even start the grieving process. Satoru didn’t want to believe Suguru was dead. 

For months, he defaulted back into the state after Suguru defected from the college. Heart full of despair and loneliness. Feeling crippled by the abandonment he felt towards the one person he never thought would abandon him. The one person who saw him not as Gojo Satoru, the Chosen One, but as Satoru, the teenager that was too full of himself. Full of himself to not notice that his best friend was struggling for so long and didn’t notice. 

Satoru knew it was bad. 

He saw how Suguru lost weight, how the bags under his eyes got deeper. How he would try to be subtle when he could barely hold down a meal, always ending up in his bathroom, hacking up his stomach. 

Maybe it was the trust in Suguru assuring him that Suguru would come to him if it got worse. That Suguru would know that Satoru would always be by his side to reassure him in the form of cracking a joke while steading him.

Satoru thought they were closer than they were, since Suguru left, without a word to Satoru, leaving him with a wounded heart, that was eventually gouged out with his death. 

Satoru smiled like usual, a bane to the Higher-ups, taught his cute little students while they treated him with… not more respect, but became more comfortable with him. His life should have been looking up, moving toward the future he envisioned. 

But one thing was wrong with that future.   

Suguru wasn’t in it.

Satoru sometimes thought of how Suguru could have been by his side teaching the younger generation with a gentle hand and a firm voice, a reassuring smile ready to be worn at all times. Living in the teacher's dorms, with his black coffee on the counter and favorite mug on the table, half filled and not a speck of sugar, just how he liked it. 

Even after Suguru defected, Satoru never gave up that little flame of hope that Suguru would come back. He knew that was only hopeful thinking since he knew Suguru best(or at least, he thought he did), and that he was as stubborn as Satoru. He was the immovable object to Satoru’s unstoppable force, both equal but in different ways. Suguru wouldn’t take back the choices he had made, and that was why Satoru couldn’t argue against him that day in Shinjuku. Suguru made a choice, as did Satoru. 

They couldn't go back on them, their pride couldn’t allow it.

But that didn’t mean when Satoru was tired, that he didn’t fantasize, about what could have happened all those years ago if Satoru noticed.  

He was born with the Six Eyes, one of the most treasured innate techniques in the Jujutsu World, infamous for their ability to see.   

What good were these eyes if they couldn’t see what they had, losing them in front of their eyes?

He was powerful, the strongest, but what use was that power when even that was too weak to protect what he cared about? 

After Suguru’s passing, Satoru drifted through life, taking care of his students and annoying the elders with more glee than usual. He ignored the hole that became his heart that was bleeding like an open wound, untreated and festering with time. It was only time until he couldn’t ignore it anymore.

After the moment he killed his best friend, he placed a mask on his face, masking the pain he felt. He didn’t want to show that side of him to his students, who wouldn’t understand why he was mourning for a man that just tried to kill them.

They only saw the cruel and spiteful Special Grade Curse User that betrayed the high school they held dear. 

They didn't see the kind, playful, insightful man Satoru met at fifteen. They didn’t see the black-haired teen that bought them pineapple soda even though he hated it but knew Satoru loved it. They didn’t see the teen that was loyal to his friends, willing to die for them if it meant they were safe. 

They didn’t see Suguru, who would stay at his side even when his eyes were overwhelming him, his silence comfortable, not even close to the disdain his clan gave him if he was anything less than perfect. 

They didn't see the person who would share sweets with him after a difficult mission, laughing themselves hoarse after hearing a particularly juicy piece of gossip Satoru heard when people didn’t think he was listening. 

That mask became his armor after the months Suguru died. Only shattering after Satoru realized he missed Suguru’s birthday, having forgotten it because of a mission, did he break down. 

He didn’t leave his apartment for days, only barely gaining the energy to shower and eat. 

Shoko showed up at his apartment with a knowing look, silently giving Satoru a bag of tissues and five tubs of ice cream. Also, two bottles of spiced rum Satoru hated, but Suguru enjoyed. Those bottles were empty by the next morning. They didn’t speak at all during that time, Satoru was not in the state to even vocalize a sound, and Shoko not needing to speak to get her part across.

They were both mourning a best friend.

But Satoru was mourning the person who was something more. Something Satoru never had the option to explore with Suguru, too nervous to say, and then impossible to have.

Satoru felt like shit afterward, but he had to keep up the facade that the Strongest was fine, despite taking a few days off. Satoru was knocked off balance for the longest time, only recently becoming familiar with the idea that Suguru could never become part of his future.

Until now.

With Suguru in front of him, with only a scar on his forehead to show what he went through, Satoru swallowed thickly. Hope became rooted in his chest, and he knew this was a chance. A chance that Satoru thought he would ever have. 

There was no such thing and miracles in the Jujutsu World, only curses disguised in pretty packaging. But this time, Satoru wanted it to be a miracle. He wanted a miracle that was without strings, without more capability to harm. He knew that was a hope that would be better off crushing, but it was too fragile, too sore. He couldn’t destroy the hope he had wanted since Suguru left his life. 

Satoru took a closer look at Suguru’s cursed energy flow, slightly surprised to see the soul-transforming technique alongside his innate one, making room for it in his body, focused around his hands and brain. It wasn’t like how Suguru usually used his curses, storing them in a mist centered in his cursed energy pool. His curses always held onto their power. They didn’t use Suguru as a conduit, more frozen in stasis until Suguru needed them. 

This was odd since Satoru could tell he acquired this technique recently, or most likely Kenjaku(he’ll have to look up that name in the archives), did. It was still settling in his body, but from what he could see, it wasn’t harming Suguru.

Satoru chirped, knowing he had to say something sooner or later, despite how much his voice wanted to break. He gave a smug smirk to Suguru, who crossed his arms into his sleeves, paying attention to Satoru. 

Satoru never wanted anything more than those violet eyes to focus on him. They were cat-like, holding hidden mirth and sly plans. Satoru called him a shady character when they first met, and Suguru snapped back that Satoru looked like a melted ice cream cone. 

That started one of their first fights. 

“Figured you would fuck up everyone’s plans just by existing. Glad to see nothing’s changed!” 

“Pot says kettle.”

Suguru smirked, eyes glinting in amusement, then grimaced, putting a hand to his head, face twisted in pain. Satoru immediately went to his side, concerned that his best friend was swaying side to side, struggling to stay up. Suguru let out a huff, an eye squinting to see while the other one was closed. He messaged his head, trying to soothe it.

“What’s wrong?”

Suguru waved Satoru off, “Nothing.”

Satoru hummed accusingly, knowing it wasn’t nothing. Suguru had a more than decent pain tolerance and if he was reacting, it was at least debilitating. Satoru kept a smile on his face while staring down Suguru, who grunted and looked away, breaking down after a minute.”

“Nothing that won’t heal. My soul needs some time to… readjust.”

Satoru frowned, looking Suguru over, “That doesn’t sound good, Suguru.”

Satoru knew how much the soul affected the body and vice versa. If Suguru’s soul was damaged, it would create problems not even Shoko could heal. It was a new field to study since the soul-manipulating curse was discovered only a few months ago. It was dangerous to have a soul changed, and Satoru didn’t want Suguru to be harmed by something like that after he returned. 

Satoru… couldn’t risk losing Suguru for a third time.  

Suguru was in his arms, and he held him slightly tighter, desperate to remind himself he wouldn’t let that happen. Suguru left his life twice.

Once, out of betrayal.

Second, out of death.

There better not be a third time or so help him, he was going to go fucking feral.  

Satoru observed his surroundings, searching again for the familiar cursed signatures, Shoko especially.

Satoru spoke, voice chipper and high, making Suguru focus on the white-haired man. 

“Not like I dislike getting up to date, but I think we should get you checked over by Shoko. Complications and all that.”

Suguru squinted at Satoru, head tilting to the side in confusion.

“Who’s Shoko?”

Satoru felt his body freeze, the air escaping his lungs. He searched Suguru’s purple eyes, only seeing confusion and curiosity at the name. Ice traveled through his veins, cooling his body to unknown levels. It created a frozen emotion, but his voice held his usual upbeat personality, not wanting to jump to the wrong conclusions.

“You know, Shoko, our old classmate, that has two ashtrays for lungs? Ring any bells?”

No matter how much Satoru spoke, Suguru’s eyes never changed from confused and unsure, blinking as if Satoru was the crazy one. 

Which was, you know, not possible because only one person here had mass murder on their rap sheet. 

There was no recognition in his eyes, and Satoru smiled wide, but there was hidden tension at the corners of his mouth. He didn’t like this, at all. Satoru flickered his eyes over Suguru’s face, searching for a hint of recognition, but only saw the face of a man who had no idea who Satoru was talking about. Which wasn’t possible. 

He knew with his eyes and soul that this was his best friend, his one and only. When his soul shrieked in anger at the sight of Kenjaku inhabiting Suguru’s body, he trusted it. And now, with his soul and six eyes in agreement, he was never so sure that this was Suguru Geto. But that didn’t explain why, despite knowing Suguru never would forget Shoko, their best friend, Suguru had no idea who he was talking about. 

It didn’t make sense.      

An inkling of an idea appeared, and Satoru studied Suguru, who was letting Satoru take his time, which was something that was off on its own. Suguru didn’t talk as much as Satoru, but he filled in the pauses Satoru left, their conversations always in motion, never in a lull. Always something to say, no matter how much time passed, that was always true. 

“Suguru, can you tell me who you saw while Kenjaku had you trapped?”

Suguru’s brows furrowed, the arm around his back keeping him steady even if Suguru had gotten his balance back. Suguru put his thumb to his forehead and twisted, something that caused Satoru to remember when he used to do that back in Jujutsu High. 

“I can’t give you much, only appearances. There was one being that was weirder than the others. I think it was a panda, but even that’s something I can’t wrap my head around. It had odd cursed energy cores.”

Satoru felt himself pale, face losing warmth.

“That was Panda, my student. You have met before.”

Suguru hummed, tilting his head side to side in apparent contemplation. 

“Really? Hmm, doesn’t ring a bell. Are you sure?”

Satoru nodded, mentally remembering the states his students were in after Suguru fought them. Alive, nothing a week in the infirmary wouldn't fix, despite knowing that if Suguru was serious, they would have never stood a chance. Suguru had earned his status, being one of the most powerful sorcerers in the age, no student would have been able to beat him. Even Yuuta wouldn’t have won if Suguru was at his full battle potential, there was no way first-year students would have won against him if he hadn’t gone easy on them. 

Satoru heard his students complain about how Suguru berated their fighting while simultaneously kicking their asses. Satoru didn’t have the emotional capacity at the time to dwell on that, seeing a potential future that Suguru could have been a teacher like him, teaching the next generation.    

Suguru was picking out their flaws mid-battle, a sly reminder of what they needed to fix. 

Suguru would have remembered Panda, the most visibly noteworthy sorcerer he fought against the day he died. There was no way Suguru would forget one of Satoru’s students. 

Not without outside factors. 

“Absolutely positive.”

“Huh.”

Suguru shrugged, visibly not caring about the revelation. Satoru felt his heart beat faster, holding back any expression Suguru could see. Suguru raised an eyebrow at him anyway. 

“What is it?”

Satoru sighed quietly, not a big gesture, but he needed an outlet before he asked. 

Satoru kept his six eyes on his best friend, whose body was seemingly healthy, but he had no idea what was dwelling in his head. Wasn’t that always?

“Suguru… what do you remember from before?”

Suguru wrinkled his nose, “Blackness, didn’t want me to escape.”

Satoru made a continued gesture, inwardly impatient but fearful of the answer. He wasn’t used to feeling fear. The last time he did was when he was almost bisected. 

“I mean before Kenjaku took your body.”

Suguru put a fist in his palm, saying ah as if he realized something.

“You don’t know.”

Satoru frowned, “Know what?”

Suguru tucked some of his hair behind his ear, face calm but seemingly slightly annoyed. He pointed to his head, tapping it a couple of times. 

“Minds blank. I don't have any memories from before I came to. And even that is debatable.”

Satoru’s face fell but quickly hid it. He never wanted an idea to come to fruition, especially not this.

He knew there was a catch somewhere. 

Satoru subtly swallowed, feeling the ice freeze in his heart. 

“Nothing?”

Suguru spoke, emphasizing the end of the word.

“Yep. The only things I know are probably well-known knowledge and probably stuff I figured out in the past. Don’t remember anything aside from that.”

Satoru dragged a hand down his face, inwardly unsure what to do. Guess that was the reason why Suguru was lighter than the last time Satoru saw him. The weight of his memories was taken off his shoulders, leaving him unburdened with their weight. 

Suguru had no idea what he had done, what he did. No reason to not unseal Satoru, no fear of Satoru’s reaction, as if Suguru wasn’t killed by him. He doesn’t know that he was public enemy one for a decade with a kill order on his head.

He didn’t know that he and Satoru used to be enemies, or were supposed to since Satoru never thought of Suguru as an enemy. 

He doesn’t know the crimes he committed and the enemies he created from them.

Satoru knew dying and coming back without a price was impossible, but for once, he had hoped that there was. Now, Satoru was unsure how to go about this. Even if Suguru had his memories, what was Satoru going to say? Stay with him despite Satoru having killed him and would be ordered to kill him again?

No, he could imagine the debate easily.

Satoru would try his best, but the best outcome he probably would have gotten was staying in touch, hoping to never meet in battle again. Their friendship would never be the same, but they would be together again.      

Now, Suguru would have to readjust to a world that hated him in a chaotic time. Suguru could take care of himself, but Satoru would never leave his back open in his weakened and altered state. And Suguru would need medical attention, and getting in touch with Shoko skyrocketed on his to-do list. Before it was a want, not a need, but now it was. 

He needed to know Suguru’s condition, getting to a professional Satoru trusted. Luckily he knew the perfect choice. 

Satoru spoke, still churning over the new information. But he needed to know why.

“If you don’t remember Shoko, why do you remember me?”

Suguru looked to Satoru and grinned, eyes closed, and smiled carefreely. It created a pang in his heart.

“Because you’re Satoru. I don’t need to remember anything to know you.” 

Shoko turned her head when her front door was kicked in, a tall form she knew better than she wanted, burst through with spread arms and an aggravating smile on his face. His voice was grating, and she mourned the time she didn’t treasure when she didn’t have to hear it.

“I’m back, bitches! No need for a standing applause.”

A shoe was thrown at Satoru’s head and a groan came from the bed Shoko set up. Nobara glared at her teacher with her one eye, despite being all but tied to the bed. 

All of Satoru’s students were little shits that didn’t listen to authority. 

Students like teacher.

Satoru put a hand over his heart, jerking back as if he was mortally offended.

“Kugisaki, you didn’t miss me?”

Nobara glared, pointing a finger at him, and if she was up, Shoko knew she would be poking it in Satoru’s chest. 

“I can’t keep up my pretty looks if I don’t get beauty sleep.”

“I’ll give you my card for an hour.”

Nobara immediately changed her tune, eyes sparkling and grin wide, hands clasped together. 

“You’re the best, Teach!”

Satoru preened, putting a hand on his hip, smug as ever.

“I know.”

Shoko sighed and lit a cigarette. She had a feeling she would need the nicotine for the shit show that was about to go down. She pointed it at Satoru after she took a drag. 

She looked over Satoru, only seeing that he was divested of the jacket he usually wore, a black t-shirt in plain view. He looked alright, not injured or appearing to be exhausted. He looked better than ever, and it would be a shock to anyone that he was sealed at all.

There was a tension in his shoulders, eyes more luminescent, as if being actively used, observing a specific area. 

Satoru was hiding something. 

Shoko could feel a headache forming already. But she was used to it, so her calm demeanor never faltered. Even though she didn’t show it, a well of relief flooded her veins, seeing her friend was okay despite the worst being a possibility. 

“If you’re going to be loud, I’m going to kick you out.”

Satoru aimed his best puppy eyes at Shoko, “Not even for me, your good friend.”

Shoko was distinctly unimpressed, raising an eyebrow while she smoked. Satoru deflated, pouting at Shoko, “You’re no fun.”

Shoko shrugged, sitting down on her chair, crossing her legs. It was a decent-sized safe house in the suburbs of Tokyo, only known to a trusted few. Satoru set it up a few years ago, off the books, not trusting the elders to know every card of his. It was good enough for an emergency clinic, having moved her equipment from Jujutsu High, knowing the higher-ups would find her technique useful. They wouldn’t let her go without a fight, so she didn’t give them one. 

She took her patients and left without looking back. 

It was freeing.   

“What’s the damage?”

Satoru smiled as if he didn't know what she was getting at. Shoko huffed, white smoke escaping her mouth.

“I know I wouldn’t be your first stop if you weren’t injured. Maybe the second to get the lay of the land. So, who’s dying?”

Satoru laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Shoko raised her other eyebrow in genuine curiosity. This wasn’t normal Satoru behavior. 

Shoko narrowed her eyes. 

What did the idiot do now?

Satoru put his hands in front of him in surrender, head titled as if he was innocent. 

“Not unless you get cool with a lot of shit really quickly.”

Shoko leaned forward, head leaning on her fist, elbow on her knee. Her eyes were focused on Satoru, searching for whatever he was about to lay on her. 

“What kind of shit?”

“Yo.”

Shoko almost jumped out of her skin, only barely keeping her calm facade, turning towards the open door with slightly widened eyes. 

There, at the doorway, stood Suguru Geto, waving a hand in greeting. He was covered in blood, not unusual but definitely worrying, considering she heard his body was taken over by an ancient sorcerer hellbent on killing them all. A vivid pink scar was on his forehead, most likely around his skull. 

He grinned at her, stepping into the house without hesitation. 

Satoru grimaced, then immediately looked back to Suguru, and in his sing-song voice, spoke. 

“I was going to create a dramatic entrance for you, you know. But no, you had to ruin it.”

Suguru smirked, winking at Satoru.

“That’s what you think. I’m not going to trust a man to come up with a good entrance when you shouted “I’m back, bitches!” as if it hadn’t been used too many times to count. Have some class.”

Satoru gapped, “Class?! Did you just say I didn’t have class?!”

Suguru shrugged, a smarmy smirk on his face, “You said it, not me.”

Satoru’s indignant screeching and Suguru’s chuckles were enough to give her everything she needed to know. 

This was Suguru.

Well… now that she thinks about it…

This wasn’t going to be a shitshow, this was going to be a bloodbath. 

Not like Shoko would change it. She saw how Satoru got after his death, having killed him himself. This was the most animated she had seen him in a year. 

Everything else was faked before. This was genuine.

A deep-seated happiness settled in her chest, seeing the two grown men argue. An image from the past overlaid the present with the past, and she smiled slightly, making it disappear quickly.

Suguru was her friend too.

To hell and back. 

Shoko interrupted the argument before it would come to blows, not wanting to deal with the attention a fight would bring. She saw Nobara stay quiet, watching the two with narrowed eyes, visibly trying to get a handle on the situation. 

Good luck with that.

“I assume it’s Suguru that needs damage control?”

The two special-grade sorcerers, technically one curse user, looked at her. Suguru blinked, while Satoru kept his silence. 

Shoko sighed, knowing his reactions well enough.

“I’m not going to like this, aren’t I?” 

Satoru chirped, “Nope!”

“Fucking great.”      

Chapter Text

Shoko wrote notes on her clipboard, Satoru trying not to shift in his chair with Suguru next to him, throwing up his feet on the coffee table. 

Satoru wasn’t sure if this was what people felt while getting a check-up from the doctor, some measure of tension, slight reluctance to say anything was wrong, or if it was just him. He only got checked up on by his clan's specialized and semi-trusted physicians, and they only looked him over and said he was good without even asking him. 

This was different because it was for Suguru, who only looked around the room, visibly noting it down to store away.

Shoko stopped writing, clicking her pen, flickering her eyes between the two men. 

“So, let’s get this straight.”

Shoko crossed her legs, narrowing her eyes at Satoru, who averted his gaze as if they were back in high school and he just got caught doing something that shouldn’t be done. 

“One, Suguru managed to free you after fighting for control, purging the imposter from his system. Two, Suguru’s amnesiac, most likely retrograde or dissociative amnesia.”

“And that means?”

Shoko sighed, poking Suguru on the forehead with her pen, Suguru swatting it away with a palm, slightly frowning at the action. He was curious about Shoko’s professional opinion, by the dim glint in his eyes. 

Shoko settled back on her chair, the three in the office Shoko revamped into a makeshift doctor’s office. She went through the motions, Suguru allowing to be poked and prodded, Shoko trying to find anything out of order. 

Shoko was frowning when she said there was nothing physically wrong with him, but that didn’t mean nothing else was wrong. 

“Retrograde amnesia is a form of amnesia formed after a traumatic brain injury. It affects memories before the said traumatic brain injury. Dissociative amnesia is caused by intense trauma or stress, causing a disconnect between memories, surroundings, and personality. There are three subsets of DA, and the most likely one in Suguru’s case is Generilzaed DA. It’s very rare, a complete loss of memory. I don’t think it's fully in that category because Suguru acts as he did before when most Generalized amnesiacs have a loss of identity.”

Shoko tapped her pen on her clipboard, “I am not sure which type of amnesia is more likely, only to be backed up if Suguru shows side effects. He might not, and that would be retrograde.”

Suguru hummed, the information only added to what he knew, but couldn’t do anything about, but Satoru frowned. Shoko met his eyes and pursed her lip.

“If it’s Generalized DA, that would be the best option, since Retrograde Amnesia has recorded instances of never getting their memories back. With DA, the memories are most likely to come back shortly. It depends on the case.”

Suguru shrugged, head leaning back to look at the ceiling. 

“So, what I am hearing, is that I only have to wait for my memories to magically come back.”

Shoko huffed, drawling, “You sum up the situation perfectly. I give you a clean bill of health despite the head trauma, so only come into my office for a check-up. If I find that you ignore my checkups, nothing in the world will stop me from hunting you two down.”

Satoru squawked, “What did I do?!”

Shoko glared, throwing Suguru a lollipop that somehow came off as demeaning. Suguru didn't mind, unwrapping the sucker and plopping it into his mouth, humming at the taste. 

“Satoru, I have known you for thirteen years. Don’t insult me.”

Satoru curled into himself, pouting, despite not showing how much that meant Shoko understood that Satoru wouldn’t leave Suguru by himself. 

Shoko then aimed her glare at Suguru, who froze at the look.

“You, get out. If I have to clean more blood I will lose it. Go take a fucking shower.”

Suguru spoke around the sucker, taking his feet off the coffee table. 

“I don’t know where that is.”

Shoko pointed to the door, “A few doors to the right. And wash those damn robes. Steal some of Satoru’s clothes while you’re at it. You both are around the same size anyway.”

Suguru raised an eyebrow, looking between Satoru and Shoko. Satoru saw Suguru look more towards Satoru, and he nodded, giving his okay. Suguru shrugged again and stood up, stretching his arms above his head and moving out of the doorway, only paying a second to look back into the room and then moving to where Shoko directed him.  

Satoru watched Suguru move through the house, confident he would be fine, he met Shoko’s eyes. Shoko watched Satoru, brows slightly furrowed. 

“What?”

Shoko sighed, her eye bags gaining weight with every second that passed. 

“If I say don’t get your hopes up, would you listen to me?”

Satoru smiled, a plastic smile panned his face, and Shoko shook her head, knowing it was an impossible task. She knew how close the two were, having seen the aftereffects of his betrayal and death. There was no way she didn’t know where Satoru was coming from.

“I didn’t mention this before, but I lean more toward the Generalized DA verdict.”

Satoru tilted his head, waiting for Shoko to explain.

“DA relates to losing the memories associated with the trauma that made the patient generate DA in the first place. It is more of a mental illness than a traumatic injury, even though I can’t cross that out considering that his brain was replaced and then changed back. It doesn’t take away common knowledge with its diagnosis. DA is the brain’s way of coping with a traumatic experience or experience. And considering what he has gone through, I wouldn’t be surprised if he develops other mental health disorders.”

Shoko scoffs, combing a hand through her hair, “More than he already had.”

Satoru sighed. Suguru died, but from what they found out, Suguru didn’t remember dying. Didn’t know it was Satoru who gave him the killing blow. Along with every other trauma they shared.

Shoko straightened up, mulling over what to say. 

“There are ways to help him.”

Shoko gained his attention. She was frowning, absentmindedly looking towards the direction Suguru left in.  

“Help reconnect with his surroundings and environment. Try to go through his trauma in a safe way. Keep him active if all else fails.”

Satoru raised his eyebrows at the “working through his trauma in a safe way” sentence. The last time Suguru dealt with his trauma, he committed mass murder. And killed his parents. Satoru may not have great coping mechanisms, burying his trauma so deep no one could touch it, but Suguru was worse. 

Shoko noticed his expression, keeping her face calm and reliable. 

“Ease him into this, don’t overwhelm him. Keep him away from the front lines. At least. Not that I think you would.”

Satoru tapped his finger on his knee, not looking into Shoko’s eyes. 

“Do I tell him that he died?”

Shoko settled, body shifting.

“Not right away, but don’t wait too long. It would be a shock for him but don’t try and protect him from it. It happened, and it was most likely the cause of his memory loss. And all else, if Suguru finds out he died and you didn’t tell him… That might create more problems than it is worth.”

Shoko leaned on her palm, head tilting to the side when Satoru heard the water run through the house. Satoru saw Suguru’s cursed energy in the shower. 

“My advice is to be honest. If he asks, you answer, no matter how bad the answer is. You can’t protect him from the past.”

Shoko met his eyes with a determined and serious gaze.

“This is your second chance. Don’t fuck it up.”

Satoru gave her a little smile, glancing at Suguru’s distant form, observing how his energy circled his body. 

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

“How is it?”

“You want the good or bad news first?”

“Bad.”

“Nanami was killed.”

Satoru sucked in a subtle breath, breathing out slightly. He rubbed his chin and cheek with absent motions. 

“Well, damn. I thought he would be the one to outlive us all.”  

Satoru put his knuckles against his forehead, head bowed, elbows on his knees. He took a shuttering breath, calming his erratic heartbeat. 

Satoru would be the first one to say he and Nanami weren’t the closest people in the world, but Satoru had known him for a long time. He was one of his longest-lasting friends, one of his oldest decent relationships. There was a time when only Nanami and Shoko were his only support pillars. Nanami was always distant, ever since Haibara died, and Shoko poured more work into her studies. 

Satoru would have been alone without them after Suguru defected, and now Nanami was dead. 

Satoru didn’t expect this. Nanami was one of the most powerful First Grade Sorcerers they had, survival instincts and experience served him well over his years of working as a sorcerer. His stint as an average salaryman didn’t dull them, and Satoru had faith in his ability to stay alive. 

Satoru dragged a hand down his face, stopping over his eyes.

“What else?” 

“Sukuna made an appearance. He killed the majority of the Shibuya civilians. Along with Mimiko and Nanako Hasaba.”

Shit. 

That was going to bite them in the ass. Satoru may not have known those girls, but Suguru looked at them as if they were his sole candles in the dark. Satoru knew that Suguru considered them his daughters, even if they were not related or said it, but Satoru knew that look as good as the next person. 

He saw it in the mirror every day. 

Satoru had no idea how to break that news to Suguru, considering he had no idea they existed at the moment. 

Something to think about another time. 

“How’s Yuji?”

Shoko scoffed, “He didn’t take it well. Has major survivors and a guilt complex. Only allowed me to heal him before he went off and started exorcising curses with one of the Cursed Womb Death Paintings. That man seemed to be attached to Yuji for some reason, but it didn’t seem dangerous for Yuji, so I didn’t say anything. Would have been worse mentally if Nobara was hurt worse, or god forbid, killed. He managed to get her before the soul-transforming curse could fully get her.”

Not good, but it could be worse. He would have to talk to Yuji himself to get an accurate read, but he trusted Shoko’s judgment. Yuji would need a support system, and Satoru wouldn’t hesitate at this stage. 

“What about the elders?”

Shoko shrugged, “What do you expect? They ordered a kill-on-sight order for him. They don’t care about Yuji eating all of Sukuna’s fingers anymore. They just want him gone.”

The corner of Satoru’s lips lowered when Shoko chuckled slightly. Satoru glanced at his friend, who had a sparkle of mirth in her eyes. 

“Did you know they labeled you a curse user after you were sealed? I don’t think they were expecting you to be freed anytime soon and decided it was a good time to throw you out.”

“Really? Somehow I don’t doubt it. Sounds like something those old assholes would do. Anything more?”

“Inumaki lost an arm. Megumi was named the next head of the Zen’in clan since Naobito kicked it in Shibuya. Mai was killed, and Maki killed the rest of the Zen’in Clan in revenge before Megumi took control. Yaga is being held on treason orders. He is ordered to be executed in a few days.”

Satoru rubbed his temples, “What’s the good news?”

Shoko, in her deadpan voice, spoke. 

“None of your students were killed.”

Satoru sighed, hand waving in Shoko’s direction, “There’s that.”

Satoru grunted and stood up, stretching his arms and legs. He would have to teleport all over Japan to collect his wayward students, make sure they were safe. Satoru frowned, slightly unsure how to explain Suguru’s presence without any of them freaking out. Especially the ones that fought him before. That was not a conversation he was looking forward to. 

He would have to speak with Suguru first and give him the overall plan. Satoru wasn’t a big enough asshole to leave an amnesiac alone who didn’t know anyone other than him. 

Before he left the room, Shoko spoke.

“Oh, by the way. Yuuta was called by the Higher-Ups recently. You should be able to get to him before they do, just so you know.”

“Thanks for the heads up.”

He waved back without looking at his best friend, shoving his hands in his pockets, tugging his blindfold on, and moving towards the room Suguru commandeered.

Satoru kept his hands in his pockets while he moved throughout the house. He watched Nobara click through the tv stations, probably trying to find a good rom-com to watch and complain over. He noticed even with Shoko’s technique, Nobara sustained a grievous injury. From the residual cursed energy, it looked like Nobara barely dodged a death blow. From what the six eyes told him, her eye would never be healed, but that was it. He would have to talk to her before he left since she had been staring suspiciously in Suguru’s direction. 

He was counting his lucky stars she hadn’t accosted him yet, but from how agitated her cursed energy was, it was only time before she would explode. 

He moved to the second story, finding small items he didn’t have before. He could see the house was steadily gaining character, unlike how he left it. Bare of anything but necessities. It started to look like a home when before, it was devoid of any personal artifacts. It looked lived in.  

The bathroom was empty, clearly used by the slight precipitation on the mirror, air humid from the hot water. He strode to the room Suguru seemed to have claimed as his own.   

Satoru knocked on the door frame and didn’t give Suguru a chance to say anything when he entered without warning. 

Suguru sat up from where he lay in the bed, wearing a tank top and sweatpants, black hair wet. He raised an eyebrow at Satoru, a small smile crinkling his lips. His hair was long enough to reach the middle of his back, darker than ever, with water darkening the forever pitch-black color. 

He was clean, with no dried blood to be seen. Satoru noticed the dirty robes in a pile on the bare dresser, the only personal things Suguru had on him. 

Satoru leaned on the doorway, an easy smile on his face. 

“Getting comfortable?”

Suguru shrugged with a thin, sly smile, “The bed’s decent, and I was just getting sleepy. It would be a shame not to use it.”

Satoru tapped down the warmth in his chest, knowing multiple moving parts to this new dynamic were oh-so-familiar but different. It hurt not to see the eyes he was familiar with, no recollection of their past. Satoru figured it was good enough for now that Suguru even knew him, if only barely. 

If Suguru looked at him with those eyes that were aimed at Shoko, no remembrance in those purple eyes, it would have been a different type of pain. 

What would be worse?

Losing one of the most important people in their life, if not the most important?

Or finding your most important person, but them not remembering you?

Satoru was grateful he wouldn’t need to find out.

“So you’re fine with staying with me?”

Suguru put his arms at the back of his head and fell back on the bed, hair splayed around his head like a halo. He splayed out, crossing his legs while curling his knees aimed at the ceiling. 

“I don’t know anyone and have nowhere else to go. Why would leave? It would be dumb to leave now. Also considering I don’t know much about the current circumstances aside from the chaos the bastard saw and created. This place is good enough.”

Satoru grinned wider, and if his blindfold wasn’t over his eyes, Suguru would have seen his eyes literally sparkling. Suguru was staying.  

Of his own volition.  

Satoru had wanted this for years.  

“Plus…”

Suguru turned his head to meet his gaze, eyes curling in affection.

“You’ll be around. Why would I go anywhere else?”

Satoru felt his heart constrict, smile gaining a brittle edge. Goddamn, Suguru didn’t hold any punches, did he? If he was determined to keep Suguru here before, he was doubly so now. He knew Suguru was only saying this because Satoru was the only one he remembered, his only lead to his past, but it didn’t stop the feelings of longing in his soul. 

Satoru pushed past it, knowing there was a chance for this to continue, but he had to get Suguru to understand he wanted him here as well.

Satoru pushed himself off the doorway, moving towards the bed, sitting on it by Suguru’s legs. He glanced at Suguru, who hadn’t moved from where he was laying, a measured smile on his face. 

He looked so unburdened, freed from the depravity of the world. Satoru didn’t know how he could be so unbothered by the absence of his memories, never seeming to allow it to bring him down. Satoru knew this was only temporary, but some part of him never wanted Suguru to be burdened again, to keep him this carefree and keep the capability to smile like that. 

As if there was something to smile for, when before Suguru said he would never truly smile in this world. 

“All good arguments, since no one would give up the opportunity to be with me.”

Satoru smirked, and Suguru scoffed, playfully kicking Satoru on the back. Satoru allowed it, allowing an oomph to escape his lungs. Suguru rolled his eyes. 

“I may not have my memories Satoru, but I know enough that is such bullshit.”

“Maybe~”

Suguru huffed, allowing his head to fall on the pillows that seemed to be damp at this point, the water from his hair soaking into the cotton. Satoru pouted, while absently rubbing his back. He let his hands drop, the air around them getting more serious. 

“Suguru, I want to repeat my question. Are you sure you want to stay with me?”

Suguru raised his eyebrow, looking unimpressed but curious. 

“What’s this about?”

Satoru scratched his cheek, knowing this was a needed conversation, especially since Suguru would most likely meet some of his students. He was planning on using this house as a base of operations. Satoru could move Suguru to another one of his safe houses, but that would be a moot point because Nobara already knew about Suguru, and it wouldn't be a secret for long. Better to rip the bandaid right off than let it fester. 

And Satoru would have less time with Suguru. Less time to acclimate him to his new/old circumstances. He wanted to create a less stressful environment for Suguru’s healing period. At this point, this was probably the least stressful place in Japan, which wasn’t saying much. Satoru didn’t want to be separated when Suguru was at his most vulnerable. 

That was something he would never do again. 

“I’m going to go get my students and our old teacher. They need my help and want to bring them here.”

Suguru let his unimpressed look grow. 

“And?”

Satoru quirked up a corner of his mouth. 

“Never could hide anything from you.”

He sighed, hand going through his white hair. He made sure to drop his blindfold, looking Satoru directly in the eyes. Suguru focused his attention on his eyes, almost on instinct. Satoru could tell. Suguru would always do that in high school too. Suguru could never take his eyes off Satoru’s eyes. 

“They might not take kindly to your presence.”

Suguru frowned, tilting his head while looking up at Satoru. 

“Why?”

Satoru gave a sad smile, allowing some of his sadness to come through, making Suguru narrow his eyes. 

“You betrayed Jujutsu High, labeled as a Curse User. You’re kind of infamous these days.”

Suguru frowned harder, but Satoru broke the atmosphere and jumped to his feet, giving Suguru a patented Gojo Satoru Smile, white teeth flashing while he gave him a thumbs up and pulled his blindfold back over his eyes. 

“But don’t worry! I’ll take care of it! I won’t let them try and hurt you. Not as if they could, anyway.”

Suguru seemed to want to say something but closed his mouth after a moment. Satoru could see something dwelling in Suguru’s brain that wanted to be told, but Suguru shook his head and met Satoru’s eyes. 

“If I’m that infamous, shouldn’t I not be here?”

Satoru immediately refuted that, because he finally achieved getting the knowledge Suguru was more than good with staying, and this would not stand.  

“You’re fine. The only ones that would seriously take offense are the higher-ups, and I was given the titled Curse User after getting sealed, so technically, we’re in the same situation, you and I.”

Suguru’s eyebrows twitched at the words, and a swirling annoyance, not directed at Satoru, gained light. 

“Do you want me to kill them for you?”

Satoru tilted his head, a wide smirk on his face. He would say he was touched, but that might be slightly concerning if he said that out loud, even for him. So that meant he did it anyway. 

“Aw, Suguru~ Angry on my behalf? I’m touched.”

Suguru tsked, rolling his eyes, and crossing his legs. Satoru tried not to notice how Suguru’s thighs could be observed by the fabric tightening. 

Satoru was well muscled, his physique amorphous if he wore certain clothing. Not many people had the opportunity to see him without his usual outfit, something that left many things to the imagination. Even his casual outfits(If they could be called casual. They cost more than a month of the average citizen's salary.) didn’t show much. 

And well, Suguru always had bigger thighs than him.

“From the annoyance I felt when you mentioned those people, I could tell I never liked them. From what I can tell, no one would miss them.”

Satoru grinned, “I agree, but I don’t care much about them right now. But I do have some ground rules when you stay here.”

Suguru narrows his eyes at Satoru, who only smiled innocently. 

“Nothing much. Basically common sense, you know? Don’t hurt my students and allies. That’s it.”

Suguru’s lips were pressed into a thin line. 

“That’s it?”

Satoru hummed, an easy smile on his face.

“Well, I know that if I try to make you do things you don’t want to do, it won’t end well for anyone. I can’t stop you if you set your mind to something. Well, I could if I tried really hard, but I know that is one step away from you fucking off somewhere I wouldn’t find you.” 

Suguru smirked, “You’re self-aware, how rare.”

“What’s the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing~”

Satoru moved closer to the bed and put a hand on Suguru’s shoulder, a gentle press, nothing more than to make Suguru focus on him. Satoru felt his warmth through his touch, touching his tan skin. It still didn’t feel real that Suguru was here, but he knew he would be able to fully appreciate it once his mind caught up. 

“Suguru, can you give me your word that you won’t try and make fights with my students? There is a line that even I have, and that’s my students. Even if it’s you that crossed it.”

Suguru smiled with hidden affection. Satoru could see it in how his dimples appeared, how the smile wasn’t faked or forced.

“You must like them.”

“Suguru.”

Suguru huffed, moving his arms so they pillowed his head. When he moved, Satoru could see his shirt move and the scars they hid. There were scars he recognized, the X Toji created all those years ago. They were faded in color, but they were apparent when there weren’t many discrepancies in Suguru’s skin.

“If that is your deal breaker, then fine. I won’t hurt the kids. Good enough, Satoru?”

Satoru patted his shoulder, standing straight and heading back to the door. 

“Yep! I’m going to get them, so be on your best behavior when they get here.”

“Well, now I just want to do the opposite.”  

“Asshole.”

Suguru’s cackles made Satoru smile, leaving the room with a light heart. He spotted Suguru activate his new technique after he left the room hallway, using it on himself. Satoru frowned slightly, but Suguru’s cursed energy was smooth and void of agitation, so Satoru figured it was on purpose. Suguru mentioned earlier that his soul was still not fully healed in Shoko’s checkup. He said he only needed time to heal it himself, and Shoko and he couldn’t refute them because they didn’t have the knowledge to dissuade him. 

Satoru hoped Suguru knew what he was doing.

He walked through the house, making his way to the living room. 

Nobara immediately set her eye on him, a maniac sort of energy coming from her and some slight agitation and concern. She hid it well, but her cursed energy told the whole story. She glared at the second floor, then back at Satoru in a span of a second, pointing an accusing finger in his direction. Satoru placed a shit-eating smile on his face. 

“Does my little student want to say something?”

Nobabara gritted her teeth, “What’s he doing here? He sealed you and is our enemy.”

Ah, that’s why.

RIghtous anger layered in concern and uncertainty. She only knew rumors about Suguru Geto, nothing more than what he had done and the propaganda circled by the higher-ups. She only knew that Suguru Geto betrayed Jujutsu Society and was a cult leader for a decade, nothing more. And recently, his dead body was piloted by a sorcerer they didn’t know anything about and caused enough death and destruction to be put in the history books. Well, Satoru wasn’t sure if she knew that. For all he knew, they thought Suguru rose from the dead to kill everyone.

Satoru cooed, “Aw, are you worried about me?”

Nobara crinkled her nose in disgust. 

“Absolutely not. I don’t know why he’s here, and I don’t want to be around him. He’s a Curse User, someone who tried to kill us all. It’s dangerous for everyone if he’s alive.”

Satoru sighed and pulled off his blindfold, sitting on a couch next to her makeshift bed. Nobara met his eyes, most likely seeing the no-nonsense look on her face.

“If I thought he would harm you or anyone of the people I am in charge of, I wouldn’t have brought him here. He’s no threat to you or any of your friends, only to the ones who seek to harm me or himself.”

Satoru looked to the ceiling, then shook his head, meeting Nobara’s eye again.

“Do you trust me?”

Nobara gained the look of disgust again, huffing and looking away, “Enough.”

Satoru smiled, “Then trust my judgment. If all else, know that Suguru isn’t in the shape to start a war against the Jujutsu world. Not yet, at least. And just so you know, the person in Shibuya wasn’t Suguru in the spiritual sense.”

Nobara squinted at him, “What does that mean?”

Satoru smirked and stood up, moving towards the entryway.

“What I meant. If it wasn’t for him, I would still be in the Prison Realm. Wait for a bit, and I’ll explain. It would be troublesome to explain multiple times, so wait until I get your classmates.”

Satoru could see Nobara open her mouth, but he teleported before she could say anything. 

He appeared on the roof of a building that looked over the Shibuya area, seeing the destruction Sukuna caused. 

Satoru took a deep breath and all but collapsed onto the ledge, putting a face over his face. It was the first time he was alone since he was unsealed. He took in a shuddering breath. He didn’t want anyone to see him break down.

He exhaled a shaky breath, feeling the tears escape his eyes. He pulled off his blindfold, allowing his hands to hide his tears. There was a stone in his throat, chest hurting from the force that stopped him from the instinctual feeling to sob. 

He didn’t know what to feel, grief, relief, and fuck who knows what else warring in his chest. He knew it would be a fucking mess once he was sealed, but he didn’t know it would have been this bad. He knew logically that if it wasn’t for him, the increased strength of curses and their enemies would have taken over the world, but he thought that he had compensated enough for the worst outcome. He was true somewhat, but it wasn’t enough. 

Anything he did was never enough. 

The only thing that caused him relief was that Suguru was back, but not at the same time. He wanted to be relieved, but Suguru’s health made it hard for him to have confidence he would have all of his best friend back. It hurt to think that Suguru had no idea what they had gone through together, but another part of him was glad he didn’t. He didn’t want Suguru to leave again because of it. 

Satoru took comfort that he had a second chance and that they could create new memories together, even if he didn’t remember their past. Suguru was still Suguru, and that was enough for Satoru.

A second chance was all that Satoru wanted, and nothing could make him give it up. He’d kill anyone that would try and take it away from him. 

Satoru stood up, whipping away the tears on his face. He covered his eyes again with the dark cloth, cracking his knuckles and neck. 

Time to get back to work and create chaos. 

He grinned. He wondered how many heart attacks he could cause in the next hour. 

Satoru was aiming for thirty. 

Masamachi sat in his cell, hands bound in seals and talismans. 

He didn’t want to think about how much death and destruction was being caused outside of these walls and how he couldn’t stop it without being able to do a single thing. He didn’t dwell on what he could have done, but on what he can do right now. But he can’t since his execution will be in a couple of days, even if he could manage to escape. He knew he was strong, but there will always be someone stronger than him. 

It was the way of the world, and he didn’t dare forget.

“Now here’s a sight I thought I would never see.”

The light and confident voice broke him out of his rumination, causing his eyes to widen and jerk to look over to his cell door. A full head of white fluffy hair met his eyes, along with a wide annoying grin. 

Satoru Gojo stood in front of him, with his hands in his pockets. Satoru took a hand out of his pockets, putting it over the lock of his cell, and it was gone the next second. Satoru strolled into the cell as if he owned it, and Masamachi blinked, opened his mouth, and closed it, for once lost for words.  

“Satoru?”

Satoru smirked and posed, hands under his chin, “Miss me? I know, no need to tell me. I’m just that great.”

“You smug little shit.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, want to leave this place? Honestly, it’s so dreary. Zero out of ten. Not even a refreshment bar.”

Masamachi sighed and shook his head. He didn’t think he had any prospects left, but it turned out he was wrong. He thought he would never see his former student again and was glad he was wrong.

Masamachi shook his hands when Satoru destroyed the seals with a wave of his hand. They walked out from his cell, Satoru humming happily. He heard the alarms start to alarm with his freedom achieved. He saw the guards start to converge, visibly pausing when they saw Satoru, fear starting to form on their faces. 

Satoru was visibly gleeful at their fear, waving without a worry, a shit-eating smile on his face. 

Masamachi frowned disapprovingly at his actions. Satoru was too unworried about his actions. Masamachi would have thought Satoru would have threatened the higher-ups with his power instead of breaking him out. If Satrou did this without even considering getting back into their “good graces”, he wasn’t aiming to return to his previous situation. He was seemingly embracing his newfound freedom as a Curse User, which was worrying because this wasn’t like Satoru.   

“You realize that you’re throwing away you’re right to teach the new generation.”

Satoru shrugged, flicking a hand and pushing back the still-frozen guards. They flew back without being able to fight back, and the loud thumps of bodies hitting concrete filled the air. 

“That’s not what I think. And it’s not like I want to return to what I had to do to get them to stop threatening my students. I can do it as a Curse User, and their time is coming soon enough. It’s not as if they would allow me to return my position when they hear how I got unsealed anyway.”

Masamachi frowned, brows furrowed.

“How did you get unsealed?”

Masamachi knew the reputation the Prison Realm held. It was almost impossible, if not impossible, to release it. Not even debating if they could find it in the first place. The last time he heard, the Prison Realm was in the hands of the sorcerer who took over Suguru’s body.

Satoru grinned wide, and if Masamachi could see his eyes, they would glow in mirth.

“You’ll see.”

Masamachi had a sense of foreboding he hadn’t felt since he taught Satoru in Jujutsu High. It was a sign of chaos and headaches, the distant need for a pot of coffee just to get through the day.

Masamachi hoped he wouldn’t have to punch some sense into Satoru’s head, but he didn’t hold out hope.

Chapter Text

Suguru woke from his nap with a raging headache. 

He wondered if this would become a regular occurrence, but then he remembered he hadn’t drunk much water in the past twenty-four hours. Or ate, either. He got out of bed, stumbling for a second, getting hit by a dizzy spell. 

He moved to the first floor, instinctually sensing any threats when he did so. He only felt Shoko and one of Satoru’s students, so he deemed it safe enough. He might not remember Shoko, but he knew she was anything but weak and could feel distant fondness. Suguru didn’t know much about Satoru’s student, holding no distant feelings about the girl aside from some goodwill since she was Satoru’s student. 

Looking outside one of the windows, he saw the sun going down and night emerge over the skyline. He had made headway in healing his soul, taking a nap once the strain got too much for him to work without making a fatal mistake. He knew with the state of his soul at the moment, a single stone thrown would put back his progress enough to be bothersome. It seemed he had slept for a few hours, just enough for his migraine to abate. 

He rubbed his head, trying to soothe the pounding of his head. It was a novel experience after returning from the mists, barely existing, then returning to corporeal existence. His limbs felt numb, slightly disjointed in their movement. His skin felt oversensitive, neurons unused to firing. Even in this quiet house with only a few noises, it was almost too loud for him. Existing was a different existence than he was used to. 

It was to the extent that he genuinely forgot that he had to eat. To sustain himself and then leave it be and be fine. Living was something he had only had hints to achieve. Suguru didn’t want to waste away because he didn’t know what to do. Feeling time pass and a different space did wonders for the knowledge that he did exist and wasn’t a fragment of a being. 

Satoru’s being helped, knowing that there was someone that was important to him to return to. Suguru didn’t know why Satoru was so important, but the ever-present need to stay-protect-help-need-keep told him enough. Speaking to Satoru, using his tongue in ways he didn’t remember, was freeing. He felt his soul lighten, almost bursting with joy at even being in his vicinity. Being held by him was a magnitude better, so relaxed and content Suguru never wanted to leave. 

In the mists, he was only aware of himself in the lightest sense. While cradled in Satoru’s space, he felt as if he existed only in the eyes of Satoru, and it never failed to give him contentedness. If he never felt it again, he debated if anything was worth staying, but figured there was always a chance to have it again since Satoru did say he was coming back. 

Suguru felt confident in Satoru’s ability to keep his word, so he didn’t dare ask Satoru to stay with him since he was coming back. But a part of him wanted to fight the decision, almost panicking that he would let Satoru leave his sight. That if Satoru did, he would be in danger. Suguru called that part of him unlogical since Satoru was strong. Satoru was stronger than him and could keep himself safe. 

That same part of him that didn’t want Satoru to leave told him that it didn’t matter, that they were stronger together, to protect Satoru’s back and keep it from being run through. So, Suguru made a promise to himself. He would get back into fighting shape so he wouldn’t have to be left behind, to not be a weak link. And that meant he had to eat and heal his soul and maybe get his memories back. 

To be honest with himself, he didn’t much care about retaining his memories, but Satoru seemed disappointed that he didn’t, so Suguru deemed it important enough to attain. Suguru was content with the memories he had since the void, the distant laugh, and the brilliant blue that had shown like a luminescent jewel. He only needed that, but attaining more memories of Satoru and their shared past was a good enough reason to try and remember. To have more memories to look back on and treasure was almost too good to be true, but since Satoru wanted it, it was good enough for him. 

Satoru was the center of his being, and Suguru wouldn’t disparage his wants. He was the reason Suguru existed, and he doubted there was a time he wasn’t. 

So it confused Suguru greatly when Satoru said Suguru was a Curse User, that he betrayed the Jujutsu world. Suguru didn’t care for the Jujutsu world, but knowing Satoru was the strongest sorcerer, an enemy of all Curse Users, it didn’t make sense to him. Why would his past self leave Satoru when Suguru knew how much Satoru meant to him? Why would he cause Satoru, the light in his twilight, sadness?

Suguru saw a deep void of sadness and grief when Satoru was looking at Suguru as if Suguru couldn’t be there. That he wasn’t real and tried to find evidence that he was. It hurt greatly, his soul trembling at the look. Why would Satoru look like that? Why he looked at him like that when Suguru knew he was the reason for his life? What did his past self do to make Satoru so mournful and despondent? 

If Suguru could, he would speak to his past self and smack him around for making Satoru sad. Suguru would do anything to make that look go away, replacing it with a bright smile and sparkling eyes that looked at him with glee and bliss. To make him smile without worry. 

Suguru went into the kitchen area, grabbed a glass from the bar area, and put it under the tap, turning it on and drinking from it when he moved to the fridge, opening it. He shifted through the contents, brows furrowed, trying to remember what was what. He sifted through the contents, mouthing the words and searching through his knowledge, which was becoming more spotty the more he realized the holes in his knowledge. He had a distant feeling of warm metal and sizzling, making him look at the stove with consideration. 

He pushed that at the back of his head for something to experiment with later, not feeling the motivation to know if he could cook or not. He looked through the cabinets and found some fillings and bread, making a simple sandwich that didn’t require much. 

He ate it, chewing slowly to get used to the feeling. When it passed the back of his throat, he tried not to gag, swallowing it thickly. He ate slower, not wanting to throw up the first substance he had for days. He absently wondered if the body snatcher ate and then realized he didn’t, aside from absorbing curses. Kenjaku seemed to survive off cursed energy but knew instinctually that Suguru couldn’t do the same. Not like he wanted to. 

There was something freeing about eating something, something he hadn’t done in recent memory. Aside, he didn’t want to be anything like the brain that puppeteered his body and caused Satoru to be sealed. If Suguru hadn’t already killed him, he would do it again and again and again until Suguru was confident that not even Kenjaku would want to exist. But whatever. Kenjaku was dead, and Suguru had his body back and could do whatever he so pleased. 

Which at the moment, was simple enough to achieve. 

Stay by Satoru and not leave until Satoru wants him gone. Then he would go gracefully because Suguru would never ignore Satoru’s wants. 

Suguru washed down the finished sandwich with water, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He refilled his cup, drinking another glass since he didn’t realize how thirsty he was until he had gotten water in his system. He eyed the fridge again, debating whether to make another sandwich. His stomach had settled, nowhere near full but wasn’t angry with him either. 

He shrugged to himself, making himself another sandwich. He needed sustenance if he wanted to get back to what he was or what he knew he should be. 

He got through the second sandwich before he had to stop, his stomach rolling to warn if Suguru ate anymore, it would end up with him throwing up. His stomach wasn’t used to digesting food since Kenjaku didn’t eat. Suguru didn’t know how long Kenjaku had his body(something to ask Satoru later), but it was enough time for his body to get used to not eating. 

Suguru looked through the cabinets, grabbed some plastic wrap, and stored his half-finished sandwich in the fridge for later meals. He cleaned up his area, something in his head telling him not to leave a mess. 

While he started washing his glass, footfalls came into the kitchen, with clicks in response. He glanced to see Satoru’s student enter the kitchen with crutches, half her head bandage, over her left eye specifically. She was wearing a T-shirt and leggings, pausing at his appearance, then scowling when she pushed past him to open the fridge, grabbing a cup of yogurt and the carton of strawberries he had seen before. 

Suguru raised an eyebrow, making the girl scowl heavily at him. 

“What?”

Suguru shrugged, a muscle memory of a smile coming to his face. 

“Nothing.”

Suguru moved, putting the glass back in the cabinet where he found it, moving past Satoru’s student. He headed back to the stairs, ever so aware of eyes drilling him in the back of his head.

“I don’t trust you.”

Suguru looked back, the girl glaring at him while leaning on the counter. She held her spoon like a weapon as if she wasn’t sure whether to stab him or not. Her cursed energy was emanating from her, somehow having a fluid motion that spoke of change or something similar. He chuckled, making the girl bristle. 

“Wow, I could have never guessed. Is it my sparkling personality?”

The girl crinkled her nose in disgust, looking like she ate a sour lemon. 

“Don’t insult me.”

Suguru turned around and crossed his arms, leaning back on the stair railing. He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head in consideration. He spoke drily, purposefully ambiguous in his tone.

“What made you think that? I don’t think I have ever met you before, kid.”

“Nobara Kugisaki, not kid.”

Suguru nodded, mentally remembering the name. She was one of Satoru’s students, automatically putting her on the list to remember. 

“Still a kid. You are, what, fourteen?” 

“Sixteen, asshole.”

Suguru ignored the last part, the picture of nonchalance that settled over his body like a second skin.

“Whatever. I have other things to worry about than insulting you, and frankly, I could care less about how you think of me.”

Kugisaki narrowed her eyes at him, and if she wasn’t in crutches and clearly not in the state to fight, Suguru had the feeling she would try and hit him regardless. She seemed to be the type of person to beat someone up for annoying her.

“That doesn’t mean you’re dangerous to us.”

Suguru drawled, rolling his eyes, “Really, is this what this is about? Me being dangerous?”

Kugisaki bristled again, expression shifting to one of anger.

“You’re a Special Grade Curse User. Can you tell me you’re not dangerous?”

Suguru hummed, mentally storing the information. He knew the ranks of sorcerers and wasn’t surprised that he was at the apex. 

Somehow it didn’t feel like an accomplishment. 

He smirked, “The question is if I am dangerous to you, and I’m not. Everyone else, sure. I don’t particularly care about them, but you’re Satoru’s student, so you get a free pass.”

That seemed to confuse Kugisaki greatly, eyes searching Suguru to see if he was bullshiting her. He shrugged when she said nothing else, moving to the second floor and his room. The headache was abating slightly with eating and drinking water, but he could tell it wouldn’t go away until he was fully rested.  

“If you’re lying, I will kill you in your sleep.”

Suguru barked out a laugh, not bothering to look back at her. 

“Good luck with that. Take comfort in the fact Satoru would probably get to me before you, kid.”

He could hear Kugisaki’s annoyed grumbling about being called a kid, and it caused him to smile slightly. 

It seemed Satoru had some feisty students. At least Satoru wasn’t bored with them around. 

Suguru hummed happily at the thought, moving towards his room with more energy in his step.

He couldn’t wait to see Satoru again, it felt empty without him, but he took comfort in the fact that Satoru wouldn’t leave his students for long. That thought was enough to lull Suguru into sleep once he fell into bed. 

The skin Satoru touched before he left had a phantom of touch, giving Suguru comfort even when Satoru wasn’t there. 

A smile could be found on his face, even in sleep, if one looked closely. 

Satoru debated on whether to bring Yaga back to the safe house while he got his students, but since he knew Yaga was the best one after he and Shoko at sensing Suguru’s residuals, it would be better to save it for later when everyone could hear the same story. 

He got Panda and Inumaki first since they were together. Watching Panda and Yaga reunite caused him to smile wide. He observed Inumaki, seeing he was fine aside from the missing arm, which didn’t seem to have gotten him down. He got Maki next, who happily reunited with her classmates. Maki had a different atmosphere, sharp edges, and hardened metal. He could sense that she had awakened, becoming a fighter on par with Toji Fushiguro. 

Satoru knew Maki had the worst interaction with Suguru out of everyone and knew she would still probably have some major reservations about the man. He couldn’t solve it, only making sure she didn’t try and kill him when they inevitably met again. They would have to sort out their problem first, and that would require them to talk it out and not come to blows. 

He had a lot of work cut out for him. 

Next was Megumi, who was gathering allies without bringing attention to himself. Satoru was proud of his actions. 

It didn’t stop him from teasing Megumi when he appeared, scaring the shit out of the surrounding Sorcerers. 

Then when he was finished with that, he headed towards Yuuta, who just returned to Japan. Yuuta was over the moon at his appearance, relief visible. Satoru was told Yuuta was ordered to report to the higher-ups, and they had a top-secret mission for him. From where Satoru read between the lines, they would probably order Yuuta to kill Yuji. Yuuta told Satoru that he would go to the meeting to get some intel, and then Satoru would pick him up again. 

Satoru was more than good with that because he left the most difficult(or second most) conversation for last. 

Satoru teleported using Limitless to where Yuji and the Death Womb Painting was. He didn’t teleport directly to them, but sat on a destroyed building’s roof, watching his student fight a curse. Satoru could see he improved immensely, along with gaining a scar at the corner of his lip. The Death Womb Painting offered advice from the sidelines, clearly ready to jump in if Yuji would be in danger. Satoru still didn’t know what to do with that man, but he figured he might as well hear him out for why he was helping his student. 

Satoru leaned on his palm, an easy smile on his, becoming genuine when Yuji exorcised the curse without damage, cursed energy control well above what he could when Satoru got sealed. The threat of death certainly caused a jump in power.  

Satoru clapped, smiling wide, “Good job, Itadori! I give you 97 points out of 100!”

Yuji stumbled over his feet, eyes widening in surprise and shock, looking up at Satoru. The Death Womb Painting tensed when he saw Satoru, which made sense, considering they were on opposite sides when Satoru was sealed. The curse-human hybrid looked ready to run, but kept his stance, looking between Yuji and Satoru. Satoru grinned wider, jumping down from his perch. 

He walked up to Yuji and ruffled his air, making Yuji gap at him. 

“Mr. Gojo?”

Satoru smirked, bringing his hand to his chin, “Who else looks this good? Yeah, it’s me, kiddo.”

Itadori opened his mouth, then closed it. Yuji inched forward hesitantly, and when he realized Satoru didn’t move back, Yuji’s eyes started watering, and immediately launched himself at Satoru. Satoru didn’t move an inch from the force of Yuji’s body slam, wrapping his arms around his student, who was silently crying from relief and helplessness in equal measure. 

Satoru wasn’t used to comforting people, more likely to call them out for crying, but his students were different, and Yuji had been through the wringer from what everyone had told him. Without allies and hunted, Yuji had a rough couple of days. He gave Yuji a few head pats that only made him sob harder. 

Yuji sniffed once he was all cried out, whipping his eyes.

“But how? You were sealed.”

Satoru grinned knowingly, winking at his student, “I’ll tell you soon. I’m going to give you guys the whole story when we join up with the others.”

Yuji visibly hesitated at his words, turning his head to not look Satoru in the eyes. Yuji wrung his hands, guilt plain on his face. Satoru frowned at his expression. 

“I don’t…”

Satoru pursed his lips, nudging Yuji to speak. The Death Womb Painting got closer, most likely taking the risk that Satoru wasn’t there for him. Satoru did eye the man, who tensed when he noticed that Satoru was paying attention to him, but after a moment, moved towards Yuji and patted him on the shoulder, trying to comfort Satoru’s student. Another point towards not killing the guy.

That finally got Yuji to speak, a measure of trust in the gesture. It looks like even Yuji likes the man to a certain point. 

“I don’t deserve to go back to everyone. It’s my fault. Everything’s my fault.”

“Well, that’s bullshit.”

Satoru flicked Yuji’s head when Yuji tried to argue, a light in his eyes that tried to tell Satoru to blame Yuji, a child. Satoru refused. The Death Womb Painting nodded in agreement, and Satoru sensed this was not the first conversation on this subject. 

Yuji had tears in his eyes, but this time it was from pain, holding his forehead in pain. Satoru poked Yuji again, making his student focus on him. 

“You have no reason to feel guilt over Sukuna’s actions. I know what happened, and it is no way you’re fault. It’s all Sukuna’s. You had no way to stop Sukuna, so throw that idea out of your head. Got it?”

Yuji looked down, visibly fighting the instinct of self-hatred. Satoru sighed, knowing there was no way his self-guilt complex would be solved with a few words.

“Now, onto the next issue of the day. What are you doing with a Death Womb Painting? Especially one who tried to kill me only a few days ago.”

There was no hatred or annoyance in his words, but the Death Womb Painting seemed to take it as the beginning of a fight, shifting into a fighting stance. There was a bead of sweat on the man’s face, knowing full well if Satoru wanted, he would be a splatter of blood in a matter of milliseconds. Yuji scratched the back of his head, seemingly sheepish. He gestured to the black-haired man with a hand. 

“He’s um…”

“I’m his older brother.”

Satoru’s eyebrow was raised high, an ounce of surprise in his mind. He looked at Yuji, who shrugged, visibly unsure of that statement. The Death Womb Painting, on the other hand, was completely serious, with eyes showing his determination.  

Satoru angled his body towards the hybrid, who visibly wanted to be as far away from Satoru as possible, but stayed where he stood, dead set on staying exactly where he stood. Satoru tilted his head, patting Yuji’s head another time.

“And what makes you say that?” 

The Death Painting stood steadfast, and Satoru had to give him points for guts. Not many would look Satoru in the eye when they were one step away from certain death. His eyes flicked to Yuji, who was looking between them, concern on his face. 

“In Shibuya, I felt Yuji near death.”

Satoru was unimpressed, voice mirroring that feeling. 

“Is that all?” 

The Death Painting shook his head, gesturing towards Yuji. 

“I can only sense my brothers when near death. I am the eldest brother of the Cursed Womb Paintings, the only one who can tell if my brothers have died or not. When Yuji was dying, I felt him. I am certain he is my little brother. And as a big brother, I will protect him with all I have. Even if I have to die.”

“Hm.”

Yuji was taken back, and then immediately tried to get the man to take back his words, the guilt coming back in full force that another person was willing to die for him. The Death Painting didn’t respond to Yuji, keeping eye contact with Satoru. Satoru stepped forward to loom over the man, who continually stood his ground. 

“And how can I believe your word?”

The Cursed Womb hesitated, then with confidence spoke, eyes hardened in a way that showed they made up their mind. 

“I am willing to make a Binding Vow.” 

Satoru whistled, seeing that the man was serious. After a few more seconds, Satoru grinned and stepped back, his easy-going nature visible again. 

“No need for that. I can tell you’re serious. How refreshing.”

He tilted his head, looking towards Yuji and then back at the Cursed Womb Painting. 

“How can Itadori be your brother? Death Paintings were created a hundred and fifty years ago.”

The hybrid gritted his teeth, hatred in his eyes, “It’s Noritoshi Kamo. That bastard is still alive. I bet he had a hand in Yuji’s existence.”

Satoru frowned, “The sorcerer that gave the Kamo clan their bad reputation? But he died a century and a half ago.”

The Cursed Womb Painting nodded seriously, “But what we found out is that Noritoshi Kamo wasn’t the being's true name. He is the being that sealed you. The one with the stitches.”

Satoru blinked, then immediately laughed. He knew that bastard had their hands in different aspects of the Jujutsu world, but he wasn’t expecting this. The most worrying thing was the connection to Yuji. Satoru always had a sinking suspicion that Yuji was too perfect of a vessel for Sukuna, but never had enough evidence to back it up. He would have to look into it, but that was for later. 

Satoru pointed to the Death Painting, “You, what’s your name?”

The Death Womb Painting wasn’t expecting the question, along with his laughter. Even Yuji was slightly confused. The man blinked, a tired expression returning to his face. 

“My name is Choso.”

“Choso, huh? Well, I think I should thank you for taking care of my student. He’s gotten better.”

Choso stared at Satoru, “...Sure.”

Satoru smiled brilliantly, looking at the two, “With that over with, ready to go, you two? Everyone’s gathered, and you two are the only ones left.”

Yuji looked up at Satoru, indecision on his face along with slight fear, “Is Kugisaki…?”

Satoru grinned softly, emanating comforting cursed energy. 

“She’s there too.”

Yuji’s mouth wobbled, voice wet when he spoke, “She better be.”

Satoru put a hand on Yuji's and Choso’s shoulders, pausing for a second before warping through space. 

“Don’t worry about that guy. He’s taken care of.”

“What’s that supposed to-”

Satoru teleported them before Yuji could speak, laughing internally at the expression the two had. 

God, he loved messing with his student and brother(?).

Shoko knew her peace wouldn’t last, but she thought it would last a bit longer when she was woken by multiple voices entering the house. She got up with a robe and entered the living room to see nine people mingling, looking around with curiosity. 

She saw Itadori hug Kugasaki with enough force for her to go red while simultaneously crying his heart out. Kugasaki punched Itadori, making him yelp, but it didn’t stop the present trail of tears. Megumi was at their side, visibly trying to distance himself from his year while looking glassy-eyed himself. The second years were together in a huddle, Yuuta alongside them, looking visibly overwhelmed by how many people were in the living room. The Death Painting and Yaga were eyeing each other warily, and Satoru with his ever-present Glasgow smile looked over the group. He waved happily at Shoko, who ignored her friend with familiarity. 

She moved to the group, who noticed her in varying degrees and welcomed her with “Hi, Ms. Ieri!”, “Hello, Shoko.”, and “Healer.” with a respectful nod. She looked at Satoru reproachfully. 

“This couldn’t have waited to morning?”

Satoru, ever unrepentant, “Nope! Figured it’s better to get it over with.”

Shoko shrugged, falling onto a couch cushion, and crossing her legs. 

“Then what’s stopping you?”

Satoru gestured wide to the room, “I had to give everyone a chance to catch up. What type of man do you think I am?”

“An annoying one.”

Satoru gracefully ignored that comment, clapping to get everyone’s attention, grinning wide when he gained it. 

“So, you guys wanted answers, right?”

Yaga nodded, his no-nonsense for Satoru’s shit activating.

“You have managed to dodge our questions for too long. How were you unsealed?”

Satoru brightened, holding up a finger, when Shoko interrupted him. She inwardly was looking forward to this. She might not be the main instigator in the trio, but she was an enabler. She loved creating some measure of chaos every once in a while, and this was a prime opportunity. 

“Satoru, shouldn’t you wake him up if they want answers?”

Satoru put a fist in his hands as if he got enlightenment, “You’re so right. I’ll be back.”

Satoru teleported away, and Shoko hummed, “This’ll be fun.”

As if it was a signal there was a loud noise on the second floor. She could hear Satoru shout, loud and playful.

“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty! It’s a brand new day!”

She heard a distant thump as if someone had fallen onto the floor.

“You asshole! It’s the middle of the fucking night!”

There were a couple more thumps, and Shoko watched the confusion grow on the group's faces. She hid a smile, inwardly laughing at their expressions. Then there was the sound of a door slamming and something being dragged above them. The words the two were saying got progressively clearer, with a few “Don’t be such a baby.” and “Let me go, you knock off Shonen character.”

Shoko watched the entryway of the stairs and saw Satoru holding onto Suguru’s ankles, dragging their old classmate to the stairs. Suguru tried to jerk out of Satoru’s hold, long black hair over his face. His shirt was riding up from being dragged across the carpet and the struggle to get out of Satoru’s grip. 

To be honest, it didn’t look like he was fighting too hard since he hadn’t summoned any of his curses, but the scowl on his face showed how much he enjoyed being dragged out of his room in the middle of the night. 

“You could have just told me we’re having company, Satoru.”

Satoru cackled, dropping Suguru’s ankles, which Suguru rubbed while still sitting on the floor with a twitch in his eyebrow. Satoru warped to where he was before, looking towards Suguru, who was still at the height of the stairs, uncaring for how many people were staring at him in shock. 

“What’s the fun in that, Suguru?”

Suguru gave Satoru the middle finger, making Satoru cackle even more. Suguru stood up and moved down the stairs, carding a hand through his hair to put on some semblance of put-togetherness. It only made him look semi-put together, hair down and slightly out of place when usually it was impeccable. 

Satoru clapped, grinning wide and gesturing to Suguru, who only rolled his eyes at the action. No one aside from Satoru, who wasn’t paying attention, would have missed the hidden affection in Suguru’s action, but Shoko did. She had seen the two interact for over a decade now, there was no way she couldn’t recognize the fondness between the two, even if Suguru didn’t know why it was there, to begin with. 

“I introduce you all to Suguru Geto! Don’t worry, he’s on our side now.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth.”

Satoru ignored him, a brilliant grin on his face, “He’s free of the influence of the imposter, and he’s the one who freed me from the Prison Realm. So get along, yeah?”

There was a beat of silence. Yaga looked shell-shocked and disbelieving while staring at Suguru. Maki had a hand on her sword, looking ready for a fight, eyes narrowed. It was the same with Inumaki and Panda. Yuuta looked between Satoru and Suguru, trying to get a read on the situation and missing the mark every time he tried to understand their mess. Yuji looked confused and Megumi stared distrustfully at Suguru, with Nobara only rolling her eyes. Choso was on the most guard, visibly confused and unsure.

Satoru smiled wide, basking in the chaos he just created. Suguru looked over the group and shrugged, uncaring. He made his way to Satoru’s side and stayed there, unaffected by the atmosphere. 

Yaga pinched the bridge of his nose, voice aggrieved, “Satoru.”  

Satoru tilted his head as if he didn’t know why Yaga was reacting like that, “What?”

Yaga took in a deep breath, visibly trying to calm himself. 

Shoko only smirked slightly. She made herself a comfortable spot, waiting for the shoe to drop. She was getting bored recently, and this was excellent entertainment. 

She wished she had popcorn.

Chapter Text

Satoru knew he should calm everyone down, but it was too amusing to watch their faces move from one expression to the next. 

Maki scowled, glaring at Suguru, who only raised an eyebrow at her anger-filled glare. 

“How can you be so sure? He tried to kill us and attacked Okkostu!”

“Tuna tuna!”

Inumaki nodded empathically, with Panda readying his fists. Yuuta was wary, searching for a sign that Suguru would attack, a hand on the handle of his katana. Megumi was tense, knowing Suguru’s reputation, and Nobara didn’t seem to care. How curious, Satoru would think she would react with more vitriol but from her reaction, it seemed like Suguru and his student spoke at some point. And without fighting at that! It’s already going better than he thought it would. 

Suguru leaned into his space, Satoru not moving, but his students tensed, ready for the other shoe to drop, ready to fight for their teacher. He was touched by their concern for his well-being. Suguru whispered, just loud enough for only Satoru to hear him. 

“Did I try to kill them?”

Satoru wasn’t sure what emotion Suguru’s voice held, but it was out of place, a little bit jarring. Satoru didn’t directly answer his question, but he spoke to his students with a peace sign aimed at them. 

“Ah, it wasn’t that bad. He wasn’t trying that hard to kill you all. And besides that, he already gave my word he won’t hurt you guys, right, Suguru?”

Satoru made sure to look at Suguru, who huffed, “There goes one of my hobbies. Damn, how could you do this to me?”

Satoru patted his shoulder condescendingly, voice sickly sweet, “I know, how cruel of me. You will just have to find another group of people to terrorize.”

Suguru drawled, a quirk of a smile on his lips, eyes curled in amusement, “Oh, how fun. I’ll look forward to it.”

Yaga stepped forward, eyes going through so many emotions that it was hard to classify them. He looked between the two, trying hard to keep up his facade, but Satoru saw a flame of hope and guilt in them when he was specifically looking at Suguru.

“Is it really you, Suguru?”

Suguru looked to Yaga, eyes subtly squinting at the man, but Satoru saw the lack of recognition. Suguru was trying hard to discover if he remembered the man, but was coming up with a blank. The expression hurt his soul every time he saw it, so Satoru gave Suguru a hint. 

Satoru made sure to keep his voice low, but he expected everyone to be able to hear it. 

“That’s Yaga, our old teacher.”

Suguru gained a light of understanding, nodding. 

“Yeah, it’s me. I have the scar to prove it.”

Suguru tapped the scar on his forehead with a thumb, a smirk on his face.

“No bodysnatcher in here.”

Yaga grimaced at the reminder, but valiantly continued with his questionnaire. Satoru could tell everyone noticed Satoru’s words, a sense of confusion and suspicion at his words. 

“But how? You died a year ago.”

Suguru tensed, immediately looking to Satoru, who grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. He would find out sooner or later, but Satoru would have preferred that he would have broken that news. He didn’t want Suguru to find out this way, but he had to throw himself under the bus because he should have seen it coming. It would be one of the first questions someone would ask if they knew anything about Suguru. 

Satoru took off his blindfold and met Suguru’s accusing glare. A silent conversation happened, Satoru not fighting the accusation in Suguru’s eyes. Suguru broke the eye contact and sighed.

“Well, that explains some things.”

Satoru smiled slightly, slightly saddened. 

“I was going to tell you.”

Suguru pursed his lips, then shook his head in acceptance, “I don’t doubt that.”

Suguru then tilted his head, looking at Satoru at the corner of his slitted eye.

“Was-?”

It you who killed me?

Satoru could hear the unspoken words, a thin smile plastered on his face.

“Yeah.”

Suguru hummed, looking away, “There’s that.”

Satoru heard the unsaid words.

I’m glad it was you at my end. 

Satoru swallowed the stone in his throat, having to look away from his friend. There were things he just couldn’t stomach, and that was one of them. Time to move on from that conversation. Satoru coughed, gesturing to Yaga. Suguru was distinctly unimpressed but took the cue. 

Suguru spoke to Yaga, but everyone was listening. He leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, black hair cascading over his shoulders.  

“A part of my soul still existed when the imposter took over my body. I came to in Shibuya, but I only gained back control a day or so ago. Then I freed Satoru. It was such a pain because that bastard threw the Prison Realm in the deepest trench offshore. Paranoid bastard. It didn’t stop me from killing the asshole, though.”

“He did?”

Satoru didn’t know that the Prison Realm was at the bottom of the ocean. Not like it would have mattered anyway. If the unsealing in itself didn’t kill him, a little bit of water pressure wouldn’t either. 

Suguru nodded, scrunching his eyes in annoyance. 

“It took hours for me to get the Prison Realm. It was such a drag.”

Satoru clasped his hands together, eyes sparkling playfully. Suguru pushed his face away with a disgusted expression. 

“You did that all for me?”

“See if I do it again, asshole.”

“Aw, I knew you cared!”

Satoru threw himself at Suguru, whose face fell and tried to escape Satoru’s affection. Suguru’s first mistake was that he turned his back on Satoru. Suguru only made it a few steps when Satoru jumped on Suguru’s back like a koala, making Suguru bend forward, knees not even buckling at handling Satoru’s weight. Satoru chuckled, chin on Suguru’s shoulder, smile bright. His arms were crossed in front of Suguru’s neck, using his strength to not fall off Suguru’s back. 

His ankles were hooked together around Suguru’s waist, close enough to feel Suguru’s warmth. Suguru grunted, eyebrows twitching in aggravation, but he didn’t throw Satoru off, and that meant Satoru knew he was all but saying that it was all good for Satoru to continue. Satoru tightened his grip, smiling wide in Suguru’s personal space.  

Satoru wasn’t a small man, all six feet three inches of muscle and lanky limbs, but Suguru also wasn’t small, the same height as him. Suguru was the only person who could look him in the eyes, and he was glad that still held true. 

A polite cough from Shoko made Satoru aware that they weren’t the only people in the room. Suguru growled a warning, his chest rumbling with the sound. 

“Get off.”

Satoru held on tighter, voice petulant and whiny, “Nope, not happening. You’re comfortable.”

Suguru groaned, “Oh my god. You’re such a child.”

Satoru only grinned, and Suguru rolled his eyes but didn’t try to shake Satoru off again, making Satoru glow with satisfaction. Satoru grinned, poking Suguru in the cheek, making Suguru scowl. 

“So yeah, Suguru’s all good. It’s not like he can fight all that well right now.”

“Wanna try me?”

Satoru rolled his eyes, distantly remembering he didn’t have his blindfold on and everyone could see it. He readjusted the cloth over his eyes again, returning to the conversation. 

“Yeah, right. You’re the poster child for traumatic brain injury, Suguru. And how’s your soul?”

Suguru scrunched his nose, “It’s… better.”

“That’s what I thought. No fighting for Suguru until he’s all healed.”

“Oi, Satoru, I ain’t invalid.”

Satoru tilted his head, “I know, but I would rather you not go brain-dead because you decided it was a bright idea to jump into a fight. We still don’t know if you have more side effects from, what did you call it? “A self-performed lobotomy”?”

Satoru could see the other occupants of the room looking between them with curiosity and undisguised confusion. 

Suguru opened his mouth, but Satoru interrupted him with an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“If you're trying to argue with me, can you tell me at least name three of my students?”

Suguru’s mouth clicked shut, looking as if he had eaten something sour, “That’s a low blow, and you know it.”

Satoru smirked, finally letting go of Suguru, feet landing on the ground. He turned to his students and poked Suguru in the shoulder, and Suguru huffed. 

“Suguru has a bit of a memory problem, so if he doesn’t know you’re name, it’s because of that.”

Yaga gained a look of understanding, most likely remembering that Suguru didn’t seem to know him, while his students, especially the second years, looked dumbstruck as if they couldn’t understand how Suguru forgot. Yuji didn’t have much reaction, but Nobara was wary, narrowing her eye at Suguru. Megumi masked his expression, but there was still some healthy suspicion in his gaze.  

Shoko coughed, subtly implying a larger issue, “Only a bit.”

Suguru gave Shoko a middle finger, and Shoko gave him one right back. His students were confused, but they didn’t give anything more. Satoru did give them one thing, bumping shoulders with Suguru. 

“Well, besides that, I’m sure Choso will be happy to hear Suguru killed Kenjaku.”

Choso’s dead eyes focused on Satoru, “Kenjaku?”

Satoru smirked, tapping Suguru’s head scar, “The imposter, the sorcerer you called Noritoshi Kamo. Kenjaku was their name. You guys don’t have to worry about his meddling anymore.”

Yaga rubbed his temples, seemingly acquiring a headache that was normal with them. 

“That’s good news. We still need to make a game plan since you aren’t going to be welcomed back into Jujutsu society. Satoru, they’re really going to try to kill you now.”

Satoru chirped, “They can try!”

Yaga dragged a hand down his face, eyes staring down Satoru’s unrepentant attitude. Suguru’s eyebrow twitched at the news but shrugged it off easily enough. 

Satoru moved to collapse into an armchair, arm on the armrest, his face leaning against his fist. Suguru moved almost silently and positioned his back to Satoru, arms crossed, leaning against the back of Satoru’s chair. 

“Come on people, let’s think of ideas to not get assassinated.”

Suguru yawned in response, already checking out of the conversation, and Satoru grinned inwardly at his student's expressions. This might be the most fun he had in years. 

Guess there were upsides in gaining the title of Curse User. The freedom was borderline addicting, to not have to listen to the elders driveling every time they had a complaint. He could see the upsides and wondered if this was what being free was like. 

Novel.

Shoko listened in when everything inevitably dissolved into chaos. 

Surprisingly, Satoru didn’t contribute actively, watching the show with a sly grin. Suguru was falling asleep on his feet, thin eyes shut enough to give him the illusion of being asleep. Shoko knew Suguru better than that, knowing Suguru was still listening and getting the lay of the land. Shoko noticed that Suguru didn’t seem that worried about his missing memories, but Suguru, at his core, was a man who wanted to know everything to keep control of the situation. Even if he was tired, Suguru wouldn’t give up an opportunity to learn more. 

Shoko sipped her drink, watching Yaga try to control the students, who were debating heavily on what to do. Satoru watched, probably deeming this a teaching moment as if they weren’t all potentially on the elders' kill lists. Shoko knew Satoru was always on the list, but they never gained a decent chance of doing so without society collapsing all around them. They knew better than anyone it was only with Satoru’s strength that they were still in power. It would only take a few minutes for Satoru to kill them all, and that was if Satoru played around.                

Megumi and Maki were speaking lowly, ignoring how Yuji and Nobara were arguing loudly, Yuuta and Panda interrupting now and then. Choso stayed out of it, only paying attention once Yuji spoke, then nodded proudly. The consensus was that they should try and help clean up Japan with all the freed Curses Kenjaku released, but they also knew that would give the higher-ups their general location unless Satoru teleported them around. On the other hand, they were still under the impression that Yuuta was under their influence, reminded of when Yuuta said they ordered him to kill Yuji.

But that might not last long, considering even they knew Yuuta held more loyalty to Satoru than them, and with him free, they would only hold suspicion towards Yuuta. Unable to do anything until Yuuta showed his hand, but couldn’t do anything to him since that would mean they would lose the last Special Grade they had access to. Yuki Tsukumo was in Japan, but the higher-ups didn’t have the power to order her around either. They probably should get in contact with the woman since she would be open to an alliance, most likely. 

Honestly, Shoko didn’t see any way for the elders to even try and attack them, but she knew they used underhanded methods and probably had a few hidden aces to threaten them with. They held power over the Jujutsu world for centuries; there was no way they didn’t have something squirreled away.  

But that might not be something to worry about, looking over the room. They had three Special Grades and sorcerers that could be considered in the same power level as first grades. 

The conversation died down, Panda speaking up. Satoru straightened up with a wide grin, an enthusiastic gesture to get Panda to speak to the class. Suguru opened an eye slightly, paying attention to what Panda was saying. 

“We won’t declare war on the higher-ups, but we won’t back down either. Either try to disengage or win the fight if all else fails. We also want to exorcise the curses to get stronger. And if we get in over our head, we will call you or Yuuta to get us out of trouble.”

Satoru tilted his head, not arguing the conclusion.

“How will you contact us? Phone lines aren’t that reliable these days.”

“Salmon.”

Inumaki took a few seals from his jacket pocket, and Shoko saw they were SOS talismans. Most sorcerers didn’t use them these days since phones were easy to use and less labor intensive.  A single talisman was placed on an individual and was capable of sensing the sorcerers' health. If they were injured to a certain level or were taken off, the master talisman would be alerted. 

Satoru grinned, “That’ll do.”

Satoru used Blue to take a single master talisman from Inumaki’s grasp, causing an annoyed grumble from the white-haired boy. Yuuta took another one, stuffing it in his pocket. Satoru waved it around, projecting his voice to make his words to make sure everyone heard him. 

“Before my cute little students go and get ideas, I want you all to rest for a few days.”

There was noise of disagreement, but Satoru didn’t care. 

“You all have had a rough couple of days and that means rest. No need to tire yourself out at the beginning of the marathon. Take time to wine and dine, and I know some of you should get checked over by Shoko. Don’t make me ground you.”

Yuji sputtered, voice disbelieving, “You can’t do that!”

Satoru grinned menacingly, “Want to bet?” 

From the faces of the underclassmen, they didn’t want to take that bet. They knew how eccentric and unpredictable Satoru was and didn’t want to spend more time fiddling their thumbs than necessary.  

Yaga didn’t seem to know how to react, so he let it go on, not disagreeing with the plan since he most likely found it the best path as well. At this point, there was no way to put off the fact that they weren’t going to sit back and let the higher-ups walk over them, but Yaga most likely didn’t like the fact. Yaga spent most of his life abiding by their rules, and to be thrown away would be a blow. Shoko would give him two weeks to figure out what he wanted to do with his life now. 

Choso didn’t seem to have any disagreements. His unspoken desire to keep Yuji company was enough for him to agree with the plan. 

Satoru smirked, standing up, Suguru opening his eyes at the movement. 

“Now, with that out of the way, it’s bedtime for the kiddos. There aren’t enough rooms for you all to have separate rooms, so some of you will have to bunk up. Or sleep on the couch. Pick your poison, I don’t care unless you become rowdy, and you don’t want that.”

Satoru grinned in a way that spoke how much no one wanted to know what he would do. The spectrums were finding your socks were filled with maple syrup or getting woken up by being dropped in the ocean. 

“With that warning, I’m off. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Satoru didn’t even pause at his abrupt end of the conversation, simply touching Suguru’s shoulder and teleporting them away to who knows where. Shoko didn’t even blink, but the students probably felt whiplash.

Yaga moved to Shoko, a frown on his face, looking at where Satoru and Suguru stood before. Shoko didn’t speak, allowing Yaga time to organize his thoughts. The students got quiet, knowing some of the questions they wanted to ask could be answered. They just weren’t confident enough to speak to Satoru about it, even warier to ask with Suguru still there. Satoru himself said that Suguru wasn’t in fighting shape, but Suguru was still a Special Grade. His weakest might be their strongest, and they had no way of knowing. They didn’t want to piss him off just yet without any answers, especially considering some of them had lost to him before. 

Yaga didn’t spare any pleasantries, both having known each other long enough to know it was a useless formality. 

“How are they?”

Shoko shrugged, “With what they went through, not that bad. Satoru is perfectly healthy and doesn't seem to have any problems stemming from the Prison Realm.”

Shoko paused, inwardly debating how to speak about the next. Shoko was aware of how Suguru seemed to skirt away from questions about his physical and mental state, Satoru only enabling the behavior. She understood it to a level, not wanting to be upfront with what was plaguing him. He hated being seen as weak, even while injured, but at a certain point, he couldn’t hide it. Satoru may have hinted at what happened to Suguru, but none of the students or Yaga knew. Choso was wary of Suguru for obvious reasons but gradually became less on guard around the man. Satoru being there helped, the students aware that Satoru would stop him if Suguru made any threatening moves. 

Shoko saw the bewildered and borderline shocked reaction when Satoru literally hung off Suguru, and Suguru allowed it with only a huff. Satoru was generally an affectionate man with people he deemed good enough to protect, head pats and shoulder hugs common, but no one had seen him react to someone else as he did Suguru. It also didn’t help that Suguru had a reputation for being callous and uncaring, more likely to kill someone than let them breathe his air. To see the big bad Special Grade Curse User deliberately allow someone to touch him so casually and affectionately would make anyone question who he was. 

Shoko and Yaga weren’t surprised in the slightest, since they knew each other for a long time and had seen them do it multiple times to an almost sickening degree, but Satoru’s students were different. Yuuta seemed like his head was imploding, trying to connect Suguru to the man he fought to the death with, and the other second years were much the same, in different degrees. Megumi didn’t seem to know whether to act sullen or wary. Nobara seemed to be connecting the dots, and when she did, she gained a look of bleak acceptance, knowing it was going to be her life from now on to see the idiots act like ones. 

Yuji didn’t seem to know what to think since he was the one who didn’t know who Suguru Geto was.  

Shoko sighed, moving a strand of her hair behind her ear. 

“Suguru… Well, let’s just say that returning from the dead didn’t come without side effects. He’s physically healthy if that’s what you’re asking.”

Yaga gave her a no-nonsense look and didn’t appreciate her answer.

“He didn’t know me, Shoko.”

Shoko slowly uncrossed her legs, lips thinned. She didn’t like the thought either, and not being recognized by Suguru was a different type of betrayal. She only knew hints of what Yaga felt at that realization, but the gut punch of that realization was bad enough. 

“No, he didn’t.”

She knew the students were paying attention now without hiding it, wanting to know what was happening. Shoko lit a cigarette, knowing she shouldn't, but she deserved it. She took a drag and blew it out, waving away the cloud of grey smoke. 

“I shouldn’t tell you this, patient confidentiality and all that, but I doubt it will take long for you all to find out. From what Satoru tells you or putting together the clues yourself. When Satoru said that Suguru had a bit of memory problems, he was understating it.”

Yaga frowned heavily, voice taking the tone that he didn’t want to know but had to. 

“How much of an understatement?”

Shoko lightly bumped her head, allowing it to jerk slightly to the side, “Total memory loss. Told me that he didn’t even know his name for the longest time. He can’t remember the last few years, never mind before that.”

“That's-”

Shoko continued after a second, letting the realization soak in. 

“Thanks for telling him he died. We wanted to wait until he was settled in before we dropped that bomb on him. He didn’t react as badly as I thought he would have, but I think it was luck more than anything. If Satoru wasn’t here to back it up, it might have turned out worse.”

Yaga frowned heavily, unsure.

“If what you say is true, why did he unseal Satoru?”

Shoko knew that was coming. Why would Suguru free someone he had no idea existed, if Suguru somehow could see what was going on when he was possessed. 

Shoko lowered her cigarette, observing how the ashes fell to the ground.

“That’s the thing. Suguru doesn’t remember anything else, but he does remember, at least to a point, Satoru. Don’t know how much, but Suguru knows him well enough to take the effort to unseal the Prison Realm.”

Shoko took another drag, “That’s why you guys shouldn’t be too suspicious of him, at least until his memories come back. Suguru isn’t in the mental state to leave Satoru’s side. I won’t tell you guys to get along, but just know Suguru has no reason to get on Satoru’s bad side.”

That got the students to think, or at least try and figure out what they should do about Suguru. Shoko let it be, knowing it was out of her hands. She glanced to the window, seeing it was still black outside, the light pollution from Tokyo bright enough for the night sky to never truly darken the world. 

She did what she could, and Shoko only hoped Satoru appreciated the effort she put into this. 

Satoru warped him and Suguru to a distant beach on the other side of Japan. He came to this area a few years ago when a Special Grade Curse terrorized the locals. It wasn’t anything difficult, not for him, but it allowed him to take a slight break from the constant missions. 

“Figured you wanted some peace and quiet.”

Suguru observed the area, feeling the sea breeze and the sounds of waves lapping at the shore. It smelt faintly of salt and wet sand, but it was peaceful, and that was what Satoru was aiming for. He knew introducing Suguru to his students all at once would be an ordeal, an overload of information to retain, but Suguru didn’t seem affected. 

At least on the outside. 

Satoru could tell Suguru got tenser the longer the get-together went on. Suguru wouldn’t speak if he felt uncomfortable, so Satoru made the executive decision to shut it down once everything important was brought to the table. 

He felt slightly bad for Shoko, most likely being bombarded with questions, but Satoru knew she would be alright with answering some of them. She knew discretion when it was needed, and he had trust in her skills. 

Suguru shrugged, and Satoru moved to where the grass transitioned into the sand, sitting on a park bench that was placed there for tourists and general beachgoers. Satoru patted the spot next to him, and Suguru took the invitation, sitting at his side. They were silent, watching the waves in the dark, no one else but them near. 

Satoru leaned back, arm around the back of the bench. He took a deep breath, muscles relaxing. He hadn’t had a minute to breathe in what seemed like forever. Satoru took off his blindfold and stuffed it in his pants pocket, allowing the fresh air to soothe the tired skin around his eyes. Satoru would exchange the blindfold for glasses, but he didn’t have any on him.

He let his legs stretch to their full length, lounging without shame. Suguru didn’t do the same, but did let his head fall back, eyes closed. He took a deep breath, sucking in the fresh air of the countryside. It was a warm night for November, with no chill in the air, even at night. It was comfortable.  

After a few minutes of this, just taking in the other's presence, Suguru spoke quietly, as if to not disturb the atmosphere. 

“Cute kids. Seem like troublemakers, though.”

Satoru smiled, allowing some of his pride to shine through, “They are.”

Suguru hummed. His hair fell over his face, and Satoru was brought to the last time his hair was down. Before everything happened when they were still each other's safe space. A time when Satoru could laze around, his only time frame was to go to school. He remembered that time as the first time he could act like a normal teenager, no one worshipping the ground he walked on. It was a formative time for him; to truly separate some part of himself from the Gojo name, to be just Satoru. He knew he would not have thought the same if Suguru wasn’t there. Shoko and Yaga always knew who he was, the chosen one and next head of the Gojo Clan. Suguru wasn’t originally from the Jujutsu world, unaware of the inner workings, and didn’t know how big of a deal Satoru’s existence was. 

Suguru treated him as just another annoying teenager, one that was the same as him and could treat him like any other. Sometimes Satoru thought of their meeting as fate, but Satoru quite disliked the word fate. That everything was predestined, and no one could change what was already foretold. Not even him. 

The way something clicked between them even all those years ago, fast friends in a way that still gave Satoru whiplash. Even Suguru’s betrayal couldn’t break that connection. 

“I did some fucked up shit, didn’t I?”

Satoru knew this was coming. Satoru angled his head, back, “What makes you say that?”

Suguru pulls his hair back, blowing a strand out of his face. 

“I tried to kill your students, and I’m sure I didn’t get the Curse User designation from that occurrence. And you look at me like you can’t believe I’m here. And not because I died. It looks like you want to be kept close, and it seems deep-seated, years old.” 

Satoru put a hand over his eyes, not denying it, “You always knew how to read me. Didn’t think I was that transparent.”

Suguru raised a hand and gently took Satoru’s hand away from his eyes. Satoru let it happen and tracked the movement with his blue eyes. Suguru studied Satoru’s hand, uncalloused by the use of the Reverse Cursed Technique, but Satoru could feel Suguru’s. Suguru always had hands that showed how hard he worked to master his craft. Suguru was gentle with his touches, ghosting over the knuckles and veins. 

“You’re not. Transparent, that is.”

Suguru smirked, meeting Satoru’s eyes. Suguru sitting next to him in the flesh wearing Satoru’s clothes was a dream he didn’t want to wake from. Suguru was wearing a smile that Satoru didn’t appreciate when they were teens, but he wouldn’t take it for granted again. Sea breeze swept hair, and at peace, Suguru was a sight to behold, worthy of being painted and admired by others. But this sight was just for him, and warmth gathered in his chest. 

“I just think that no one else can read you well. It doesn’t help that you hide those eyes since they show exactly what you’re thinking.”

Satoru smiled slightly, looking away from Suguru to track the shoreline. 

“Maybe.”

Suguru shook his head and let go of Satoru’s hand. Satoru missed Suguru’s warmth already. 

“I won’t ask why I did things that I did.”

Satoru side-eyed him, which he noticed immediately. Suguru smirked slightly at the look but continued. Suguru leaned forward, both arms on his knees, hands clasped, and leaned onto them.  

“No matter what unpleasant reasoning I had, I know I probably had a good reason, or at least, I thought I did. Something to aim for at the end of the day. I think that’s all I need to know for now. It’s not like I achieved it, by the fact I died.”

Satoru stayed silent, putting a reassuring hand on Suguru’s shoulder. Satoru rubbed circles into his skin with his thumb, Suguru leaning into the gesture. 

“You sure you don’t want the whole story?”

Suguru shook his head, unclasping his hands, and stared at one, tightening and then loosing it.

“I won’t understand it. There is something here,” Suguru tapped his head, “that I need to remember before I understand why I did what I did. I don't want to sully it before I even know what it is.”

Satoru nodded, “Respectable. Just know that I am here if you’re curious.”

Suguru drawled drily, “Oh, I’m curious. But I figured this is a case of curiosity killing the cat.”

Satoru let go of Suguru’s shoulder, raising an index finger in his face. 

“But did you know satisfaction brought it back?” 

Suguru rolled his eyes and swatted the offending finger away. Suguru opened his mouth to talk back, but a yawn interrupted him. Suguru blinked, then rubbed his tired eyes. Satoru murmured, hand on the opposite shoulder, furthest from him. 

“Want to go back?”

Suguru paused, silent for moments, and Satoru nodded understandably. Suguru was okay with resting with Shoko and Nobara around, one healer who showed only consideration to him, with the other too injured to attack him anyway. With more people in the house that showed the willingness to attack if threatened, Suguru wouldn’t be able to rest completely. He would have to get used to Satoru’s students and the two new adults. And they all knew Suguru was in a weakened state, so sleeping by veritable strangers/potential enemies didn’t sound like a good time to even Satoru.

Suguru would be fine sleeping in the same house with a few more interactions with his students, but it wasn’t there yet. Suguru might not remember his past, but the instinct to keep watch and not trust anyone was deeply ingrained in any sorcerer worth their salt.

“That’s fine. We can rest here.”

Suguru hesitated, inwardly counting the pros and cons, then huffed tiredly. It seemed like Suguru really didn’t want to go back just yet. 

Satoru got his confirmation and gently nudged Suguru into his space. Suguru let out a surprised breath when Satoru did so, his face in the crook of Satoru’s neck. Suguru was tense for a moment, then relaxed, body untensing. Satoru brought a hand to Suguru's head, strands of hair going through his fingers. 

“Sleep. You deserve it.”

Satoru could feel Suguru roll his eyes, but Suguru’s breathing evened out shortly after. Suguru’s body was warm next to him, a human heater. Satoru leaned into it, his cheek cushioned by the top of Suguru’s head. Satoru closed his eyes, knowing that, even in sleep, nothing would get past his eyes. Satoru’s arm snaked around Suguru’s waist and took a deep breath. Satoru ignored how his lungs stuttered as if he was breathing for the first time in years.

Satoru moved the hand on Suguru’s head to the back of his neck, feeling the heat emanating there. Satoru could kill him, and Suguru trusted him enough not to. Satoru didn’t know that trust could have been given again, but he didn’t dare forget it. 

The body heat, expansion of lungs, and rhythmic beat of Suguru’s heart caused him to sleep deeper than he had in years.      

Chapter Text

Satoru woke up with a crick in his neck, surprisingly having slept through the night without much problem. Satoru tried to think of why he was awake at the crack of dawn, by how the sun shone down at them. Satoru felt movement on his chest, and he looked down and was surprised to see Suguru somehow transitioning from sleeping on his shoulder to his lap. Suguru was frowning in his sleep, brows creased, hair somehow less tangled than he thought it would be in the morning. 

Satoru frowned, carding a hand through Suguru’s hair, making Suguru shift in his sleep, eyelids moving. Suguru mumbled, then squinted his eyes, opening them and blinking a few times. Suguru squinted at Satoru, who grinned wide, “Good morning.”

Suguru groaned and immediately turned his face away from the light, which made him burrow back into Satoru’s lap. Satoru smirked, ruffling Suguru’s hair in a way Satou knew would annoy the man. Suguru glared at Satoru, and Satoru was unrepentant. 

“We have a busy day today. And that means we have to you have to get up.”

Suguru grumbled low enough for Satoru not to hear him, but Suguru did sit up, cracking his neck loudly. No matter how deep they slept, sleeping on a hard bench was not that fun. 

Satoru smirked, “What was that?”

Suguru gave Satoru the evil eye, eye bags slightly lighter than the night before.

“You’re a bitch.”

Satoru gasped, hand over his heart. 

“Is this how you reward me for my selfless actions?!”

Suguru rolled his eyes and stood up, hands on his hips and leaning back to crack his back, grunting when they did. 

“Selfless? Yeah right. I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Satoru pouted, jumping to his feet, “You’re so mean to me.” 

Suguru rolled his eyes, dusting off his clothes with any stray sand from the breeze. Satoru looked Suguru over, who raised an eyebrow at the look. 

“What?”

Satoru put a hand on his chin, eyes narrowed beneath his blindfold. He then grinned, angling his fingers to make a makeshift picture frame.

“First order of business, get you some new clothes.”

Suguru looked down at himself, seeing the sweats and shirt he had worn for the past twenty hours. He angled his head in agreement. Suguru didn’t mind dressing casually, but wearing pajama clothes for multiple days would annoy him to no end. Suguru always had a thing for dressing well, traditional or not. Not that Satoru thought that was bad.

Suguru frowned suddenly, thinking.

“I don’t remember my account information. I can’t pay for it.”

Satoru waved his wallet with a smug grin, “Ah, come on, Suguru. Do you know who you’re talking to?”

Suguru narrowed his eyes at Satoru, “I don’t want to be in your debt.”

Satoru smirked, “Then think of it as a “Welcome back to the living realm” gift. It’s not like it would even make a dent in my finances. I am a clan head, you know.”

Suguru gained a resigned expression, “I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?”

Satoru chirped, “Not at all! And if it makes you feel better, I need to buy things for myself. Can’t return to my apartment without someone seeing me.”

Suguru’s shoulders sagged, “Fine, do what you want.”

Satoru fist pumped, “Fuck yeah!”

Satoru put his hands on Suguru’s shoulders, Suguru gaining a long-suffering face at his antics. Satoru grinned widely, “This is going to be so much fun!”

Suguru stared at the brand name store sign and then back at Satoru, who was already opening the doors as if he owned the place.

“Satoru, what are you doing-Satoru!”

Satoru only cackled. 

Satoru dumped a pile of clothes in Suguru’s hands. Suguru looked blankly at the clothes, then tried to look at the price tags. Suguru stared blankly at the cardboard/paper and then looked back at the shameless man. 

“Did you really put seals over the price tags?”

Satoru grinned wide, throwing up a peace sign, “I knew you would pick the cheapest ones in the bunch if I didn’t.”

Suguru stared at the pile of clothes, visibly deciding if it was worth it. 

“I could just take the seals off.”

Satoru shrugged, “You could, but that would take more time than you would want.”

Satoru grabbed Suguru by the shoulders and turned him around, pushing him toward the changing rooms. Suguru tried to dig his heels in, but the sandals Suguru snatched someplace were not giving him any leverage. Satoru pushed him forward, causing Suguru to stumble forward, immediately glaring at Satoru over his shoulder. Satoru waved happily. 

“Go on, Suguru, try some on. And don’t try and run, I want to see you in them.”

Suguru bore into Satoru, who didn’t back down an inch. Suguru gave in after a moment, shaking his head and entering a changing room. Satoru sat on a waiting chair, immediately making the space his own. He already had clothes picked out for himself at his side, having taken the initiative to make the best of his time. 

Satoru leaned against his hand, a smile on his face. Satoru was ever so proud of his past self for making an independent savings account that didn’t go through the Gojo clan. Even going on a shopping spree wouldn’t make a lick of difference. He was set for life a thousand times over, even if he spent every day in high-end establishments.

Hooray for being born as the next head of a clan that had more money than they knew what to do with.

Satoru paid quickly, distracting Suguru long enough for him to pay without the man seeing the overall price. Satoru saw the cashier’s eyes almost pop out from the total, and Satoru only paid with a confident smile, angling his head in thanks to them. 

Suguru came back soon after, highly suspicious of Satoru. He had two pastries from the high-class bakery across the street, with Satoru making grabby hands for the one absolutely covered in powdered sugar, already salivating at the sight of all that sugar. Suguru tilted up his chin at the sight, more than happy with his plain strawberry tart, taking one of the bags wordlessly when Satoru dropped it without hesitation to eat the sugar monstrosity.

Suguru peered at Satoru, “What did you do?”

Satoru smiled, a bit of powdered sugar around the corner of his mouth, “Nothing!”

Suguru nodded slowly, “That does not fill me with confidence.”

Satoru didn’t answer him, throwing his arm out and pointing to the other stores, “Off to the shoe store, Suguru! More shopping is to be had!”

Suguru was resigned, but that didn’t stop him from speaking, “You’re incorrigible.” 

The white-haired man only laughed, and Suguru followed despite his grievances. 

“No.”

“But they’re perfect, Suguru!”

“Satoru, they are knee-high. I am not walking around looking like a knockoff cowboy.” 

“Then what about these!”

“Those are six-inch heels.” 

“What, not confident enough to pull them off?”

“You know what-pass ‘em over.”

Satoru's cackle was demented, sounding like a hyena. Everyone at the store edged away from them in fear. 

“I can’t believe you talked me into that.”

Satoru was smug with a cat that got the cream smile, walking out with a few more bags. Suguru carried the majority, Satoru taking point of where they were going, running off every which way. Suguru took charge of the bags because if Satoru had some, they would have lost a few already with his erratic movements.

“Ye of little faith. I am very charming when I need to be.”

Suguru glared at him under shopping bags, “Your personality is a bedazzled trash bag.”

Satoru batted his eyelashes at him, “But that means I’m sparkly. Everyone loves a sparkle.”

“You know, I wonder how you even managed to make it to your twenties.”

Satoru flipped imaginary hair over his shoulder, “Through the power of friendship and good looks.”

Suguru mused, “Does that mean pretty boys live longer?”

Satoru aimed finger guns at Suguru, walking backward, winking at him. 

“Exactly. I’m too gorgeous to die. How would the world turn without me?”

Suguru coughed into his elbow, “Narcissist.”

Satoru brazenly ignored that comment, smiling happily. 

“The next thing on our itinerary,” “There was an itinerary?”, “Is food! Can’t leave the little ones to starve after all.”

Suguru seemed to relax a little, already drained from fighting Satoru over what to buy and that he didn’t need twenty different types of shoes. Satoru got a look in the fridge before he left, and it was more than enough food for two people for a few weeks, but with more people, it wouldn’t last long. 

Satoru grinned, “Time to go raid a grocery store. You ready?”

Suguru raised an eyebrow, and Satoru too that as a yes.

Satoru pushed a cart, and Suguru went through the shelves, throwing in anything they thought they would need. With Satoru’s budget, they could buy the whole store without worry, but that was too much even for Satoru. At the moment. 

Satoru watched Suguru squint at the labels of a cereal box, tilting his head in thought. Suguru changed into a new outfit, wearing a black long-sleeved tailored shirt and black fitted pants. He wore dark loafers to complete the look. Suguru always looked put together, even in workout clothes and sandals, but with his new look, he looked like an off-duty lawyer or businessman. His atmosphere became more sophisticated but still casual to a point. With Satoru by him, directly contrasting his quiet atmosphere with energetic words and personality, it created an odd scene to observe. 

He had seen a few groups of people stare at them, quietly discussing with themselves if they should try and approach one or both, but were scared off by their dual presence. One was already intimidating, but no one had the guts to proposition one of them with the other in talking distance. It reminded him of when he and Suguru went down the mountain and goofed around until Yaga inevitably came down and dragged them back to the college. They were both popular because of their looks but even with Satoru’s self-confidence, he knew Suguru was slightly, slightly more popular with average citizens. 

It turned out that people were more attracted to traditional looks instead of his demeanor. Or maybe Suguru emanated that gentlemanly aura people were into.  

Satoru was brought out of his head when Suguru looked at the baking aisle, head cocked in a way that showed Suguru was slightly confused.

Suguru grabbed a premade cake mix, looking it over with slight confusion and apprehension. 

“Did I… make this before? I think I made this before.”

Satoru moved to his side, leaning over his shoulder to look at the label. He tried to remember where he saw it before and then figured it out. Satoru chuckled, plucking the box from Suguru’s hands, and dropped it in the rapidly stuffed cart. Suguru frowned at his actions, but Satoru spoke. 

“I’m pretty sure it was when you tried to teach me how to bake. When you used to bake, you usually made it from scratch, but since you were trying to teach me, you used the premade cake mix. As you imagine, it ended horribly. I think we both were covered in flour by night's end, eggs in our hair and everything. You bitched for days. About how you could still find eggshells for a week.”  

Suguru chuckled, and Satoru smiled at the memory of when they were stupid kids and didn’t have many worries. They would never be normal teenagers, going on missions every week or so, both with the potential to reach the top, and were pushed harder because of it. But they still had moments when everything was normal. When they had time to do dumb shit, to have a childhood. It was bittersweet to look back at the time after Suguru left, but now, it started to gain a sweet flavor again. 

“So I baked a lot?”

Satoru smiled softly, not looking at Suguru but felt Suguru’s eyes on him. 

“Cooked too. I swear the only time you weren’t in the kitchen was when we had missions, training, homework, or it was too hot out. We never were without food with you around.”

“Hm.”

Suguru looked contemplative, and Satoru grinned, leaning on the cart with both arms. He was tempted to go fast and ride the cart but didn’t because Suguru gave him a silent warning. That it would not end well. It had been a while since he grocery shopped himself, most of the time ordering online from the remote service. Satoru could cook, but some days it was too much effort when Satoru could just go out and eat whatever he wanted.   

Watching Suguru canvas the shelves, checking the quality, and then nodding confidently with his choice was disgustingly domestic in a way Satoru could never imagine. Satoru never had the best frame of mind when it came to average citizen life, having been raised as the next head of the Gojo clan since he could walk and knew he would never be in the “commoners”, but watching Suguru sift through the options gave him a warm feeling. 

“What are you smiling about?”

Satoru didn’t realize he was smiling, soft and affectionate in a way he rarely was. Satoru purred, “Oh, nothing.”

Suguru didn’t seem to believe him but didn’t try to squirrel it out of him. He returned to the shelves, hands in his pockets while he surveyed the area for good finds.

He did allow Satoru to unsubtly keep the two boxes of mixed variety donuts from the bakery section with barely a glance. And a few bags of the most sugary candies in the candy section. He was humble enough to throw in a less sugary candy knowing Suguru didn’t appreciate most of what Satoru ate, preferring less sugar and more savory. 

When they were done, ready to checkout, the cashier looked like they wanted to cry. 

Shoko had been up for a few hours, looking over some of the kids for subtle injuries they were trying to hide. Young and old sorcerers all had the same problem of undermining their injuries. It makes her job ever so harder. They got moving soon enough when they were stared down by her tired and unsympathetic gaze. 

Everyone had gone to bed soon after Shoko spoke to them, unable to get anything of sustenance from her once she gave them the overall situation. Nobara and her exchanged a look of understanding, Nobara flabbergasted by Gojo’s decision-making skills, and Shoko could only nod emphatically. The other kids were too tired to keep trying to question her, but she had gotten a few pointed questions during their checkups, but she didn’t give them much aside from what she had previously said. She didn’t have the right to say anything else about the shared past with Suguru. That was something to ask Satoru since Suguru wouldn’t know either.

And speak of the devil.

Satoru opened the door in a whirlwind, with a massive amount of food being carried by Blue, landing on the kitchen island. Suguru came in behind him, sharing a nod with Shoko, carrying a few bags around his arms, arms full of more bags of food. 

Shoko whistled over their bounty, “That’s a lot of food.”

Satoru smiled, “We figured it was better to stock up.”

With Satoru’s entrance, the kids came out of the walls, brightening at the sight of their teacher and gaining apprehension at Suguru’s appearance. Satoru didn’t care for the atmosphere, setting down boxes of probably something sugary in the emptiest place on the kitchen island. 

“We got some donuts for you all, be sure to dig in!”

Suguru raised a judgmental eyebrow, “Satoru, are you sure you should be encouraging unhealthy habits?”

Satoru gave Suguru a thumbs down and stuck out his tongue at him.

“Oh, don’t give me that, Suguru. No need to be a fun sucker.”

Suguru raised his hands, still carrying multiple bags, “They’re your students.”

Shoko noticed it before, but Suguru was wearing a different outfit than he left in. She spotted the similarities with Satoru’s clothes and stared at Satoru. Satoru met her eyes with a smug grin and Shoko decided it wasn’t her problem if Satoru wanted to spoil Suguru. She wondered how Satoru managed to win Suguru over, convincing him that Satoru would buy things for him. It was always a fight in high school for buying for the other, saying they would use their money instead. No mind that Satoru was loaded and Suguru had his Special Grade paycheck.

Satoru did look a bit smugger as if he won a bet that lasted for a long time. Shoko rolled her eyes at their antics, moved towards the fridge, and started putting things away. Suguru went upstairs, probably to drop off the bags of clothes Satoru most certainly bought for him. 

With Suguru’s exit, the students were less on guard. Yuuta looked at Suguru with unreadable eyes but shook his head. The second years were sitting in the living room, trying to set up a gaming system. The first years were watching. Megumi was reading a book, and Nobara yelled advice from her medical bed. Yuji was poking around the box of donuts, trying to determine which one he would eat. 

During the chaos, Choso slinked in, looking over the food with an unsure face, probably seeing food stuff that he had never seen before. 

Yaga was out, connecting with some of his contacts, but would be back soon. 

Shoko threw a candy bag at Satoru that was caught in Infinity before Satoru grabbed it out of thin air. 

“What did you do when you left last night?”

Satoru opened the bag and all but poured the sugary convections down his throat. Shoko was used to it, but Maki’s and Nobara’s face of disgust was the normal reaction. Satoru chewed it slightly and gulped it down without hesitation, wiping his mouth with a thumb for any stray sugar and then putting it in his mouth so as to not leave a speck of glucose behind. 

“Nothing much. Talked a little. Think we have an understanding. How to go forward.”

Shoko was almost impressed.

She didn’t think they had it in them.

“Well, not totally, but Suguru told me he doesn’t want to know why… everything. He wants his memories back before we talk about it.”

Shoko figured there was a catch, but it was more than she expected, so she took it. She grabbed a bag of suckers in the candy pile, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth. It was healthier than a cigarette. Lemon. 

Not bad. 

“There’s a set amount of problems with that.”

Satoru paused at the island, then moved again, grabbing a carton of milk and putting it in the fridge.

“You don’t think I know that? I didn’t want to push it, Shoko. And it’s not like we have all the information either. The only ones who know are Suguru or dead. I don’t think we can give an accurate reason why Suguru did the things he did and why he killed everyone in that village. It might just be better if Suguru regains his memories first.”

Shoko wouldn’t argue with Satoru since she could see where he came from. As a friend and medical professional. She just didn’t want to see the two separate for another dumb reason, like not speaking to each other, not communicating when they should have. Shoko would have to keep an eye on the situation, and if she had to, she would find a cursed tool to keep Satoru and Suguru in place and throw them in a closet if that was what it took.

Not like they weren’t already stuck in a closet. 

Shoko subtly looked around to see that the kids weren’t paying much attention to them, Yuji and Choso migrating to the couches, not paying attention to their conversation. She didn’t want to explain what they were discussing, even if it would come out sooner or later. It was best to smooth everything over before they spoke of the crimes Suguru had committed in the past ten years. It would be counterproductive when they wanted them to not be so guarded against the amnesiac curse user. 

They wanted the students to understand that Suguru wouldn’t attack them without reason and that they were safe around him. Shoko knew they would be more up in arms if Satoru wasn’t around, the faith in his skills backing them up. They already knew Satoru had killed Suguru once and probably thought he would do it again if he had to. They wouldn’t dissuade them, even though Shoko highly doubted it. Satoru was a fucking mess after Suguru’s death, and Shoko doubted he would want to go through that again. 

Shoko turned to see Suguru come down the stairs, gaining a few looks as he did so. He raised an eyebrow at them, but Shoko smiled placidly, not saying anything. 

“Gossiping without me?”

Satoru responded without taking his face from the fridge, organizing for the most space.

“You bet. We were just saying how the lady across the street is pregnant with a baby that’s not her husbands.”

“Scandalous.”

Suguru plucked a few items from the pile that still covered the kitchen area, put them by the stove, and searched the cupboards for whatever he was looking for. He grabbed a cutting board, opening the chicken they bought. Shoko blinked in surprise.

“You’re cooking?”

Suguru shrugged, scrunching his nose at the state of chicken breasts, but decided it was decent enough. Satoru probably threw it in the cart, uncaring that it would leak if the plastic was broken. 

“Wanted to. I’m not going to eat takeout if I can help it.”

Suguru glanced disapprovingly at the takeout containers in the trash. Shoko was not complaining.

Shoko stared at Satoru in slight awe, who only returned her look with an absolute happy glow, oh so proud of his best friend. He looked like Suguru just solved all the problems in the world with his words.

“Housewife Suguru is back.”

Suguru shot her a halfhearted glare, cutting the chicken with more force than necessary.

“Go fuck yourself, Shoko.”

Shoko gave Suguru a mock solute, “Gladly.”

Shoko traveled to her office, passed the living room, and took Megumi by the collar. Megumi tried to twist out of her hold, but she had experience wrangling some of the most dumb fucking sorcerers of the time. Megumi didn’t stand a chance. He was lucky it took as long as it did to get a health checkup, but his time was up. 

She didn’t need to glance back to see the two putt around the kitchen, the atmosphere peaceful. She would take what she could get with those two involved. 

Once all the groceries were put away, Satoru jumped onto the counter, swinging his feet while watching Suguru cook. Satoru had to nudge Suguru in the correct direction whenever he got a blank look in his eyes, struggling to remember what he should do next, but it wasn’t often. Suguru relied on muscle memory and distant knowledge. It worked well enough, with the chicken sizzling in the pan on the stove. 

There was a large amount of food Suguru was cooking, having to cook for eleven people, but Suguru held up without issue. He seemed calm while cooking, reinforcing Satoru’s thoughts that Suguru liked to cook to relax. It certainly made sense in hindsight, when after Suguru left, there were leftovers to last them a month without issue.

Satoru pushed the thought out of his head, focusing on how Suguru had flicked his hair behind his shoulder for the nth time in the past thirty minutes. Satoru hummed, making Suguru glance at him over his shoulder, his gauges barely visible through his mane.

“Something bothering you?”

Satoru’s shit-eating grin was enough of a hint, and Suguru grunted, “No.”

Satoru jibed, “You sure?”

Suguru didn’t dine to answer, focusing on cooking the food. Satoru jumped off the counter, feet hitting the tile with barely a thump. He moved to the living area, hand in a waving motion.

“Kugisaki, do you have a ponytail?”

Nobara looked up from the instructions for the gaming system, suspicion on her face. 

“Why do you want to know?”

Satoru smiled easily, “I need it.”

Nobara squinted at him, distrust visible, even though she took a ponytail from her large pocket. She flicked it at Satoru, who caught it easily. She pointed at him, warning in her eyes. 

“I better get that back. If I don’t, I’m poisoning your mochi.” 

Satoru cupped it and acted like a slighted maiden.

“Why I would never."  

Nobara clearly didn’t trust him but returned to her argument with Panda, arguing why the HDMI cable wasn’t needed. Satoru blinked and went on his way, not wanting to butt in. Yet. If it came to blows, he would after a few minutes. Satoru may have told them to rest, but he knew how impossible it was to get Jujutsu sorcerers to keep the violence down. 

Satoru moved to the kitchen, which wasn’t far since the house was an open concept, the kitchen was hidden behind a wall, but with no need to use a door to get there. It was easy to see into the living room in the right spot but impossible in other areas. 

Suguru didn’t glance at his arrival but did raise a hand to catch what Satoru passed to him. Suguru glanced down at the ponytail, then back at Satoru. Satoru jumped back onto the counter, looking slightly down at Suguru from the added height. 

“That’s Kugisaki’s. I don’t suggest losing it. She’s real handy with a hammer.”

Suguru hummed, “I’ll consider it.”

Suguru patted Satoru’s leg and then pointed at the pan. 

“Stir.”

“No please?”

“Stir.” 

Satoru whined, “Fine~ What I do for you.”

Suguru didn't comment, backing away while Satoru took his spot, stirring the pan-fried chicken that was slowly gaining a golden brown color. The water was almost boiling on the side, and a few boxes of pasta were ready on the side once it did start to boil. Satoru moved the wooden spoon, keeping the chicken from sticking to the pan or burning. 

Suguru took his hair and twirled it, making a bun, the ponytail in his mouth when he got it to acceptable levels. One hand held the bun, and the other grabbed the ponytail, tying his hair back securely. A bang fell into his face, and Satoru had to breathe manually once he recognized the hairstyle. 

Suguru took his original place with Satoru getting out of the way, hair up, and out of the way. Satoru took a calming breath and smirked playfully. 

“You know, I always wondered how that bun stores all your hair. It’s like magic. Tell me all your secrets, wizard.”

Suguru snorted, “You must acquire three more items to complete the quest. Come back with them, and I’ll tell you, Adventurer.”

Satoru sulked playfully, “But master wizard, I lost the list.”

Suguru retorted with a slight smile, “Then suffer.”

Suguru pulled the pan off the heat, grabbed the jars of fettuccine sauce from the side, and poured the contents into the pan, using milk to get all the sauce from the glass storage. He set it back on the heat, but this time at low heat, and then poured the fettuccine noodles into the boiling water, stirring slightly. 

Once he was satisfied the noodles were cooking, he started to clean up the area, Satoru helping every now and then, using blue to flick some of the waste in the garbage can. It was certainly a change to Satoru’s old normal, peacefully watching Suguru be at home in any meaning of the world. He didn’t realize how much he missed it. Sure, he was more than aware he missed Suguru in the overall sense, but the little things managed to make it hit harder. Closer to home.

How he focused, unlike how he was in a fight. In a fight, Suguru was all razor sharp, slitted eyes able to see and observe his surroundings, master of his surroundings. While relaxed, his cat-like eyes were calm but ever so present. 

How he tapped his foot while waiting for the food to finish, mentally humming a tune only he could hear. 

Suguru took the noodles off the stove after sampling a noodle. He strained the noodles, grabbed a washcloth, and threw it over his shoulder after using it. 

He glanced over to Satoru, informing Satoru.

“Tell everyone the food’s ready.”

Satoru grinned, and Suguru ignored him, setting the food on the stove so everyone could pick out their portions. Satoru mentally scanned the house and saw that everyone was in a good state, with only Yaga not here. Satoru specifically looked for the man and saw that he was almost back. Satoru tilted his head, recognizing the cursed energy that was with him. He saw the signature was returning with Yaga and smirked.

Suguru paused, seeing the expression. Satoru smiled wider and pointed at the food.

“Do we have enough for another person?”

Suguru glanced at what he made and shrugged, uncaring.

“Yeah, I made enough to have leftovers. Another person wouldn’t matter.”

Satoru grinned and without another word, popped his head out from the wall that separated the kitchen.

“Lunch is ready! Come and get your grub.”

That gained their attention, and all had a decent appetite for how much exercise they get daily. 

Satoru smiled slightly and grabbed a plate for himself. 

He had missed Suguru’s cooking. 

Masamachi wasn’t sure what he should do with the woman smiling next to him. 

Yuki Tsukumo had somehow found him, greeting him with a quick, “Hello, Mr. Ex-Death Row!”. She said she was in the area because of the chaos and wanted to see what was going on, with the main reason of checking on her pupil. Todo had lost a hand, which meant he lost access to his technique for the moment. No one could say if he would forever lose his technique, since it was a wide world, and no one could guess how many techniques were out there. Masamachi knew there must be some sorcerer out there with a subset of the Cursed Reversed Technique that specialized in regrowing limbs. 

Yuki was even more curious when she heard through the grapevine that Satoru had finally said fuck it and bailed, causing a shockwave of dissent through the Jujutsu world. Apparently, Yuki saw it as Satoru becoming like her, unaffiliated with the college and its problems. She didn’t seem to care about why, only showing interest in meeting Satoru.

(The higher ups were trying to keep a lid on that information, but it would take time to see what came of it.) 

Masamachi fought with himself, debating whether he could trust Yuki, but from her past history, power, and character, it was safe to say that she wouldn’t snitch on them. If anything, she would keep it a secret just to annoy the elders. 

“Where are we going, Principal.”

Masamachi gruffly replied, “I’m not the principal anymore. Just call me Yaga.”

Yuki replied with a wide grin, blonde hair bouncing with the swaying of her body. 

“Well, Yaga, where are we going?”

Yaga turned onto the street, having walked from the meeting place a decent distance away from the safe house. He jerked his head in that direction, with Yuki most likely sensing the higher-than-average cursed energy in one of the houses.

“There.”

Masamachi frowned, sourly realizing that they weren’t expecting anyone else. Satoru probably already told Shoko about the extra guest, with Suguru knowing as well. But Masamachi knew he had the bad habit of trying to knock his students off-guard when it was harmless. Masamachi debated internally and then warned Yuki.

“Don’t be too surprised at what you see.”

Yuki curled her lips, “Oh, how mysterious. My curiosity is growing.”

Masamachi ignored her words, moving up the steps to open the door, having walked fast to the house. Masamachi wished they had a car, but he counted his blessings. 

He opened the front door to loud conversation and the smell of a homemade meal. He vaguely recognized it and moved further into the house. Yuki looked around curiously, blinking in surprise when she sensed a familiar cursed energy. 

Masamachi warned her quietly, not wanting it to be a big deal in the coming conversation. 

“He has amnesia. Don’t try anything.”

Yuki raised an eyebrow, “Really? Hm, I’ll be gentle.”

“That’s not reassuring.”

Yuki only put a finger to her lips and winked. Masamachi wondered why all Special Grades were so eccentric. He was grateful that Yuuta wasn’t like them. He was a good kid, unlike the other three. 

Masamachi went ahead of her, looking into the kitchen to see the students in similar amounts of hunger, eating from plates at the table or stools by the kitchen island. He coughed into his fist, gaining a few waves of hello from the students, Choso staying silent. Masamachi saw the food on the stove, ready and warm, and felt a pang from his stomach, making him realize he hadn’t eaten since early morning, but ignored it, waving Yuki in.

He could see Suguru was sitting straight, eyes narrowed at the newcomer, and Satoru had a subtle hand on his elbow, calming down the curse user. That seemed to be the only reason Suguru needed to not summon his curses, but he still looked suspicious at the user of immense strength equal to him. 

“We have a guest. I want all of you to meet Yuki Tsukumo, the unaffiliated Special Grade Sorcerer.”

Yuki chirped, giving everyone a smile and salute, “Happy to meet the new generation. You’re all so cute! And Geto! You look better than the last time I saw you! You’re more put together than the last time we saw each other! Less eye bag and teenage angst and more successful criminal.”

Suguru drawled, “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

Yuki clicked her mouth and grinned, throwing him a thumbs up, “It is!”

Suguru paused, tilting his head, pointing his fork at her, “I have the distant feeling we have a complicated relationship.”

Yuki nodded with understanding, the smile still on her face. 

“You would be correct.”            

Then Yuki pointed to Yuuta, who froze at becoming the spotlight, “And you!”

Yuuta tried to hunch in on himself, the hardened exterior in a fight nowhere to be found, looking like the insecure boy Masamachi met only a year and some months before. 

“Me?”

Yuki nodded excitedly, “I heard there was a new Special Grade, and I wanted to meet you since your promotion! There are only so many of us, and I thought Geto had died last year. Good to meet you, kid.”

Yuuta scratched the back of his head, meeting Yuki’s eyes. Masamachi saw the growth of Yuuta’s mindsight.

“You too, Ms. Tsukumo.”

Yuki smiled brilliantly, satisfied that Yuuta didn’t seem to mind her. Then her grin grew, and Yuuta tried to escape her gaze but failed. 

“Hey, tell me your type.”

Megumi seemed to have a grim realization, eyes going distant at the question, and Satoru barked out a laugh. Yuji had the same realization, the opposite of Megumi, and grinned, already more excited at the prospect of talking to the Special Grade. 

Masamachi only shook his head and moved to the stove. He was too hungry for this. He was almost able to peacefully get to a spare seat when Yuki turned and pointed aggressively at Suguru, who only raised an eyebrow at her actions. 

“The same question to you! I wasn’t able to get your answer the last time!”

Suguru stabbed his noodles, waving a hand in her direction. 

“Why do you want to know?”

Yuki shook her fist at him, “Because you can tell a lot about a person by their type. You escaped me once, but you won’t again!”

Suguru’s disinterested expression, along with slurping noodles in response, was not what Yuki was going for, by how she shook her fist at him. 

“I’ll get an answer from you, mark my words.”

Suguru slurped more noodles, causing Yuki to badger Yuuta instead, sensing a weaker target that was more likely to break under her questioning. Masamachi put it out of his mind, knowing there was no harm in allowing it to continue. 

He had food to eat.

Chapter Text

It was getting loud since everyone was starting to finish their meal. Yuki weaseled her way in easily, making small talk with some of his students, with Nobara looking at her with admiration. Yuki was the strongest woman sorcerer, so Satoru understood where his student came from. Yuji attained self-preservation instincts while the two were talking, edging away from them in case Nobara got some bright ideas with the advice Yuki handed out freely. 

Satoru waved his hand, taking away the empty plates, no one unsatisfied with a homemade meal, ignoring who cooked it. Satoru ignored the curious looks since he didn’t tend to show off regularly with his precise control with technique. Suguru kicked his foot, Satoru jerking and looking at Suguru tearily, his eyes seen behind his new glasses. Suguru glared at him, displeasure visible to his eyes, flicking his eyes to the now full sink. Suguru kicked him again, Satoru trying to edge away from the shoes. 

He was slightly regretting buying the shoes that had thick soles. 

Suguru seemed to like them by the way Suguru test-kicked with them. That should have been a glaring sign. It wasn’t Suguru to not test anything without finding out if they would be useful in a fight. 

Satoru raised his hands in surrender, “Fine, fine. I’ll fix it.”

Satoru waved his hand again, the dishwasher opening and the plates landing in the tray. Suguru nodded, satisfied, returning to eat the last of his food. He was eating slowly, more focused on the conversations than his food. His eyes roved the kitchen, cataloging everything, stuffing away every tidbit of information. 

Yuki sighed, patting her stomach in satisfaction, smiling brightly.

“That was good! I didn’t think I would eat fettuccine in Japan! Compliments to the chef.”

Suguru was aloof, not caring for the compliment, “Thanks.”

Yuki grinned disbelieving, eyes sparkling when she spoke to Suguru.

“You made this? That’s surprising.”

Suguru raised an eyebrow, a slight irritation in his eyes that only Satoru and Shoko saw, with everyone else seeing the same aloofness. 

“What? Can a man have a hobby other than homicide?”

The kids stared at Suguru while Satoru just laughed, almost falling out of his chair with his laughter. Satoru saw Shoko try and hide her chuckles but was failing. Yaga only looked disappointed in them, but Satoru was used to that. 

Suguru clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes at the students' faces. He ignored the still-laughing Satoru, and Satoru didn’t think he had seen Suguru so unimpressed. 

“I ain’t brainless. Having amnesia doesn't make me not notice how unsubtle you all are when you talk about “unaliving.” Dear god, Satoru, teach your students to at least have a poker face, for fuck’s sake.”

Suguru used his fingers to make air quotes, and Satoru had to choke back another round of laughter. Satoru tried to tap down his amused smile but didn’t think he achieved it.

“I’ll work on it.”

Yuki crossed her legs, putting her face in her palm.

“Of course, you can. Just wasn’t expecting a scary man like yourself to cook.”

Satoru piped up, chiming in brightly.

“And bake!”

Suguru glared at Satoru, “No more food for you.”

Satoru gasped. A dangerous threat had been made.

“You wouldn’t do that to me!”

Suguru nodded as if agreeing with Satoru, which was the first sign he was planning something. 

“No, I can’t. But I can also never make dessert for you.”

Satoru was dead, deceased, not living anymore. Satoru shook Suguru rapidly, who only went with it with a smug expression. 

“No, anything but that!”

Suguru was even smugger after that, “Then know you’re on thin fucking ice, Satoru.”

Satoru muttered under his breath, letting go of his friend, “Sneak.”

“Want to say that louder?” 

Suguru had a hand cupped around his ear, tilting his head as if to try and hear him more clearly. Satoru decided the best option was to click his mouth shut, crossing his arms and not looking at Suguru, pouting like a child.

“It was nothing.”

Suguru leaned back into his chair, a smirk on full display, “That’s what I thought.”

Yuki laughed loudly, highly amused by the little show. She wiped her tears, flicking delighted eyes between the two men. 

“Are you Satoru Gojo? I don’t think I have ever heard someone have the last word on you. You two really are best friends.”

Satoru shrugged and flicked Suguru’s shoulder, who didn’t react.

“Since we were fifteen.”

Yuki smiled softly into her palm, “That’s nice.”

After a moment of silence, his students watched the conversation like a tennis match, Nobara eating her pasta like it was popcorn while Shoko ignored the whole thing, checking out from the social interaction. 

“Well, as nice as this is, I’m not here for a social call. Maybe. It depends on what you call a social call.”

The light-hearted mood disappeared from the room, everyone becoming deadly serious. Yuki uncrossed her legs and clasped her hands together, chin on her hands. 

“The higher-ups are losing their goddamn minds. With your “departure” from their control, they have been doing everything and anything to salvage their reputation. I think they’re a day or two away from ordering execution orders for everyone in this room, even for the ones that had the sole sin of being your student. Yuuta is only semi-spared because he’s a special grade, but at this point, they’re considering executing him as well.”

The air became frigid, and the room was blanketed by two monstrous cursed energy outputs. The air was almost warping near Satoru and Suguru. Satoru was still in his fury, but Suguru bent the fork in his hand, face smiling wide with a plastic grin, unable to hide the animosity transforming into a bonfire of rage behind his eyes. 

Suguru spoke pleasantly, but the second years went on guard, most likely remembering what happened the last time Suguru smiled as he did. Fake and paper thin, hiding behind it was tempered violence only waiting to be enacted.

“Satoru, my offer still stands.”

Satoru smiled just as pleasantly, “No, Suguru. You are not killing all the higher-ups.”

Suguru smiled thinner, but before he could speak more, most likely trying to convince Satoru it was a good idea, Satoru declared a counteroffer.

“We can do it together.”

Suguru smiled wide, slightly deranged and maniac, “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

Satoru brought out a fist, and Suguru didn’t pause, fist bumping him, grins identical. Yuki looked between them, not reacting, even though his students started to understand what was agreed upon, the systemic murder of the most influential people in their society. 

Yuki leaned back with an easy smile, “With that covered, you should know that Master Tengen has chosen to stay neutral in the power struggle.”

Satoru nodded. He figured that was the case. Tengen has only stepped up a few times in history, and those could be counted on one hand. There were multiple instances when multiple heads of the Jujustu world were killed, and Tengen didn’t even peep. 

Yuki continued, uncaring that Satoru and Suguru still had the aftereffects of their cursed energy in the air. Satoru tapped it down, tapping Suguru’s foot with his own, reminding him to keep his cursed energy under control. Some of his students were pale, hit by their cursed energy, even if they weren’t aiming it at them. Suguru rolled his eyes but did as asked, bringing the flood back to a background simmer. 

“My advice is to wait before you two start chopping off heads. Let them clean up some of the messes and then take ‘em all out when they're tired. I doubt you want to take control of Jujutsu society.”

Satoru faked gagged at the thought, and Suguru's pure disgust was answer enough. Suguru shuddered in revulsion, and Satoru hugged his chest in consequence.

“Don’t joke about that. I think I just threw up in my mouth.”

Suguru nodded, “Gives me hives.”

Yuki snapped her fingers, “That’s what I thought. If that doesn’t convince you, wouldn’t it be better to strike when they’re unprepared? Imagine those old coots' faces when you show up at the last moment they expect.” 

Suguru angled his head in consideration, while Satoru just grinned wide, voice airy and happy.

“It’s not like they could win against us.”

Suguru hummed in agreement, “Probably haven’t fought in decades. Easy prey.”

Satoru nodded in like-mindedness, “They’re so weak. Should probably fatten them up more so it would be more fun.”

Suguru gave Satoru a sly grin, almost vibrating with delight, “Maybe we should throw them a bone. Give the higher-ups a false sense of security. Oh! What about making them think you’re weakened from the Prison Realm?”

Satoru was on cloud nine, the shared wavelength between the two bouncing between the two at high speeds. The effortless communication between them, encouraging ideas and schemes was like crack to Satoru, brain firing off at light speed.

Satoru gave more meat to the conversation, not stopping the evil grin from appearing on his face.

“And make them think you’re still Kenjaku since they don’t know you’re alive. They wouldn’t think we’re together again. You can raid the headquarters, act evil, and everything. Evil mastermind type shit.”

Suguru eyes were sparkling with a malicious light, “Like this?”

Suguru put a hand over his face and pulled it back. His previous expression was gone, a sly smile on his face, and an all-knowing look was in his eyes, tilting his face and closing his eyes. Suguru went further, bringing his hand to his head, swiping with force, black-looking stitches appearing. Satoru could see it was fake, but anyone else wouldn’t think so. It was only at skin depth, not the whole way through it looked like to anyone else. 

Suguru spoke, voice not carrying any of the precious familiarity, cold and uncaring, dark and forbidding.  

“How sad that you’re all unneeded for my great design. Your cursed techniques are useless in the new world and a stain on this world. Maybe when you all get reincarnated, you can become useful. I’ll look forward to it.”

Choso almost fell off his chair, and Yuji wheezed, “Holy shit, that’s terrifying.” 

Satoru pointed an excited finger at Suguru, excited and over the moon, “That’s exactly it!”

Suguru smiled, breaking the impression, and carded a hand over his forehead and then to his hair, the black stitches disappearing under his fingers. 

“How about making them think you’re under my control?”

Satoru put a hand over his mouth, glee almost tangible, “Brilliantly evil. I like how you think.”

They both started to laugh evilly, matching the other's intensity. They laughed like demented loons, cackling with disturbed glee.  

Satoru heard Panda whisper to Yuuta, probably not thinking Satoru could hear him.

“I always wondered how they got along, but I can see it now.”

Yuuta nodded faintly, and Inumaki patted Yuuta’s shoulder, “Onigiri salmon.” 

Once the two were over their shared fits of maniac glee, Satoru leaned back, kicking his feet up on the table.

“We’ll put that on the back burner, but if the higher-ups don’t see me around frequently, they would have the impression I am weakened anyway. So that’s half the plan already. Just have to wait ‘em out. And what about you, Tsukumo?”

Yuki was enjoying the show and helped herself to a second serving, plopping back into her seat. 

“I’m only here to sightsee. You said his name was Kenjaku? Well, I found some of his machinations overseas and wanted to see what he was doing here. Even looking at his seals and such would be able to jump me ahead years at a time. It’s crazy to see his residual experiments, like the Death Womb Painting over there. He was a brilliant scientist, even if he was majorly messed up in the head.”   

Yuki twirled her fingers at the side of her head, the universal sign of crazy. Suguru pursed his lips, probably unsure how to classify how to feel about Yuki’s backhanded compliment. Kenjaku was the one who took his corpse and semi-succeeded in making it his. No one should like the parasite that was in his head for some time.

Tsukumo pointed her fork at Suguru, who angled his head in response. 

“Do you know anything about him?”

Suguru stayed silent, considering what he should say, the center of attention for everyone in the room. Satoru knew they were itching to ask Suguru about the sorcerer that took over his body, but no one worked up the courage. Satoru had wanted to ask for a while, as well, but couldn’t find the right time. It was important but not important enough to ask out of the blue. 

Suguru mulled it over some more but spoke, “I know he’s old. Millenia kind of old. I wouldn’t doubt that Sukuna and Kenjaku knew each other. Saying that-they definitely do. Kenjaku tended to speak to himself when alone, and he didn’t know I was listening. He didn’t give me much to go on, but he mentioned how the vessel he created for Sukuna was perfect and did its job well.”

Suguru made eye contact with Yuji, who was tense, eyes wide. Satoru gritted his teeth, a burst of anger making its home in his chest. Satoru didn’t enjoy getting confirmation that his hypothesis was correct. He wondered how much of the coming age had been orchestrated by Kenjaku and how much death could have been prevented if anyone noticed. If Satoru noticed. 

Choso had a tight grip on Yuji, and everyone had connected the dots. Satoru knew that the others didn’t truly believe Choso was Yuji’s older brother, but Suguru’s words shattered the notion. It hurt to find out a person’s existence was created for the sole purpose of holding an ancient curse. Yuji had a hint of fear while looking at Suguru, who waved him off. 

“I don’t hate you, kid. I, in fact, like you. You were the one who tried the hardest to free Satoru from Kenjaku, and I was rooting for you to succeed. But Kenjaku’s a paranoid control freak, so I know he was out of your league. Relax, I am not going to shank you.”

Yuji nodded hesitantly, and Satoru glowed, smiling wide. Satoru thought that Suguru was only playing nice with his students, but finding out that one of them was actually in his good graces was rewarding in a brand new way. 

He pointed two fingers at Yuji and Choso, looking between them, “I have the right idea that you two were the ones exorcising curses in the Shibuya area, right?”

Choso gave his confirmation, “We were.”

Suguru nodded to himself, having solved a question in his mind, “I don’t know how, but Kenjaku was watching you two, saying his sons were working hard. He was being creepy, so I paid attention.”

Satoru chirped, derailing the overall atmosphere, “That’s so weird. On to other news, did he say anything about his next move?”

Suguru shrugged, “He was going to set up the Culling Games in ten places in Japan, then create more in different countries. I killed him before he could activate them, but the groundwork is still in those areas. They shouldn't be working without his or mine cursed energy signal, but no one could be too careful with this guy. You should look into those areas first, Tsukumo.”

Tsukumo leaned forward, an excited grin on her face, “Where?”

Suguru listed the areas, and Tsukumo brought out a hand-held writing pad, noting the locations. Tsukumo grinned in satisfaction, snapping the pad closed, “Anything else?”

Suguru looked to Satoru, a mental question in his eyes. Satoru quirked an eyebrow, and Suguru flicked his eyes to Tsukumo and back at him, tapping a few times on his thigh. Satoru gained an understanding and gave him a quick nod. Suguru met the woman Special Grade’s eyes, leaning forward on the table, hands clasped.  

“How about we make a deal?”

Tsukumo was interested in how her eyes twinkled, “What kind of deal?”

Suguru smiled placidly, a stone wall without anything being able to get through it.

“I will give you the location of Kenjaku’s main safe house, and in exchange, you can help us out if we call for you. How does that sound?”

Tsukumo put her hand on her chin, visibly thinking over the offer. She tapped her fingers against her cheek and gave a counteroffer.

“That sounds like a good deal, but I have lines. I won’t be called for your war against the higher-ups and will have nothing to do with the killing of people who are not involved.”

Suguru grinned, “We wouldn’t think of it. The higher-ups are ours. You have a deal.”

Tsukumo clapped, satisfied, and stood up, “Good! I’ll take the hint that you two want to investigate Kenjaku’s safe house yourself, so in three weeks at the same time?”

Satoru gave his confirmation, “Works for us! Don’t be late, or we’ll leave without you.” 

Tsukumo walked to the front door, shooting them a grin over her shoulder, “I won’t. Goodbye everyone, and it was nice meeting you all. And Nobara, remember to go for the Frankenstein bolts.”

Nobara gave her an energetic goodbye, “I’ll remember!”

Tsukumo gave her a small smile and left just as fast as she came. Satoru turned to look at Suguru when he huffed. 

“She’s not easy to figure out.”

Satoru nodded, stealing a piece of chicken from Suguru’s plate, “Scary scientist ladies are like that. She tried to convince me a few years ago to use my Six Eyes to see if their any cursed energy in algae and was sad that I said no. She gave up after a few months, but at that point, I was just bothering her on purpose.”

“You’re messed up.”

Satoru smirked, “I prefer the term eccentric.”  

Suguru chuckled and stood up, taking Satoru’s plate while he was at it. The students and adults had things to think about, Yuji especially. Satoru gave them time to digest the information, standing up and making his way to Suguru, who was already starting to clean the pots and pans. 

Satoru went to his side and muttered quietly, “You good?”

Suguru didn’t answer, washing the dishes with slightly more fervor. He slowed down after a moment, letting out a quiet annoyed sigh, dropping a clean pot in the side of the sink. 

“Suguru.”

“I don’t like it. Talking about him. Makes me irrationally angry.”

Satoru leaned against the countertop, crossing his arms, “I get that. Who wouldn’t be? He used your body for his own gain.”

Suguru hissed under his breath, “That’s not it. It’s something else, and I don’t know why.”  

Suguru took a deep breath, gently putting down the sponge he almost eviscerated in his grip.

“I don’t know a lot of shit. But I have a lot of questions about my past self. Even without Kenjaku fucking with me beyond the grave, I want to know what was so important that I left. Left you. And I know I’m going to be fucking pissed. At who, I don’t know, but I’m going to lose my shit. I don’t know why.”

Suguru didn’t look at Satoru, both hands on the counter, hunched over. 

“Do you know why?”

Satoru hesitated, seeing two girls in his mind's eye. Before he could speak, Suguru interrupted him with a shake of his head. 

“No. Don’t answer that. I just want to know what my past self was thinking. And without all of this,” Suguru gestured widely to his head, “I don’t even have an idea. It’s only been two days, and I am already questioning my motivations. And I’m not sure if I want my memories back, but I have to know.”  

Satoru set a hand on Suguru’s shoulder, tightening the grip until Suguru grunted, glancing at Suguru through his bang. Satoru smiled slightly, reassuringly. 

“Whether your memories come back or not is out of our control. We can only live with what we have, and Suguru… If they never come back, that’s fine too. I can always answer your questions and tell you stories of our teenage years. I’m the first to say that I don’t know why you defected, only having some information and educated guesses, but I know I’m your best friend. Memories or not. It doesn’t change anything between us. We support each other, always have, and that won’t change.”

Satoru couldn’t help but add on a sentence he hadn’t said since he was seventeen, familiar on his tongue but unfamiliar with his voice. 

 “After all, we’re the strongest.”

Suguru jerked to look at Satoru, eyes wide and a strong emotion. Suguru’s eyes went distant, looking down at the sink. 

“I…remember that. You saying that. Probably. Could never hear what you were saying though, only your appearance.”

Satoru let go of Suguru’s shoulder, voice thick, “What did I look like?”

Suguru tilted his head, eyes scrunched in concentration.

“Not small. Smaller. Round glasses and wore different clothes, similar to your students. Your hair is the same. And-” Suguru gestured to his eyes, a little out of control with the gesture, “Your eyes. I could always see your eyes. Can’t mistake them.”

Satoru laughed lightly after swallowing the stone in his throat, “Yeah, they’re a little special.”

Suguru nodded, eyes confused and slightly disoriented. Satoru frowned at the sight and shook Suguru slightly, snapping him out of the state. 

“You holding up okay.”

Suguru nodded, voice dry, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Just-”

Suguru grimaced, Satoru not needing him to vocalize his discomfort. Satoru patted his shoulder, lingering a few seconds too long. 

“Go. I can take care of this.”

Suguru looked ready to fight Suguru over it, but Satoru shook his head, speaking. 

“I know you didn’t get much sleep last night. You’re still recuperating. Don’t make me sic Shoko on you.”

Suguru sighed, ruffling his hair, and undoing the bun. It fell over his shoulder like a black curtain. Suguru flicked the ponytail at Satoru, Satoru letting it hit his forehead, Infinity deactivated, catching it before it fell to the floor. 

“Give that back to your student.”

Suguru turned and walked to the stairs.

“You could give it to her yourself.”

“But you’re right there.”

“I knew it, you’re just lazy.”

“Just an equal opportunist.”

Satoru huffed, and Suguru was out of his eyesight quickly, but could still see his cursed energy through the walls. It was agitated, showing more emotions than Suguru did. To Satoru, it looked as if Suguru was confused at himself without knowing why, and it would solve nothing for Suguru to think about something he would never figure out. 

Satoru studied his hand, the same hand Suguru studied last night. He was out of his depth, trying to balance giving Suguru comfort, and not tipping the scales and causing a meltdown. Suguru didn’t seem to be on the edge from an outside view while Satoru knew how unstable Suguru was at the moment. Right now, he was a river bank, solid with the water and unchanging if the river flow stayed constant, but with one heavy rainfall, the landscape would change. 

Satoru had to be the person to see if there was a downpour coming and prepare the river bank with reinforced gates and sandbags, preparing against a flood that would devastate the landscape. He knew Suguru wouldn’t attack his students, but if he lost control, there would be collateral damage. And more importantly, he wanted Suguru to be okay. To realize that he wanted to be here and not think it was the only place he could go. There was a stark difference between the two. 

Satoru didn’t want Suguru to feel trapped, to have his wings clipped as the Jujutsu world did to him. 

Satoru found out after he graduated that the higher-ups were purposefully giving Suguru the missions where there were more lower-grade curses, while Satoru got the higher-ranked singular curses. The higher-ups were afraid of Suguru’s technique, and the potential it had. There was a reason why Satoru saw him as an equal. The possibility of unlimited curse techniques only held back the available curses in the area. 

The higher-ups wouldn’t ignore it, its power and adaptability, but they also couldn’t control Suguru. They didn’t want Suguru to attain the more powerful techniques higher grade curses had, so they gave him equal missions as Suguru, only focusing on the mass fodder. They used the excuse that Satoru was strong enough by himself so that Suguru couldn’t gain more powerful curses. 

They couldn’t control Satoru, but he was from a clan and knew nothing else than the Jujutsu world, but Suguru came from an ordinary family. They didn’t have any power over him, no loyalty, and it scared them. 

They tried to break him down, to show Suguru that he should only listen to them, not realizing that they should have been more apprehensive of Suguru instead of his technique. Satoru realized they were trying to tire Suguru out, spreading him in too many directions, hoping he would snap and beg them to lighten his load. They should have looked into Suguru more before they tried that, knowing that Suguru would never kneel to anyone. He was full of pride and self-confidence, the same as Satoru, and they would never let themselves cower to people who had no respect for their ideology.     

Suguru snapped alright, but in a different way than the higher-ups wanted, only magnifying the situation. 

When Satoru found this out, he was filled with enough wrath that he was only a second away from killing the elders. Only the thought that he would throw away his chance for a better generation held him back but only caused more ire toward the people who controlled the Jujutsu world. 

Satoru realized that when he was getting stronger, Suguru was held back by petty excuses and a fear that he would be too powerful. That Suguru had an exponential scale of growth. Get one strong curse, and Suguru could fight at a higher level, able to fight stronger curses, and then add that curse to his collection. At a point, Suguru’s Cursed Spirit Manipulation could equal Limitless. A technique without a strength limit(Granted if one had the Six Eyes) and a technique with no solid walls for power, only held back by the curses themselves. 

But by the time he fully realized how they could have stayed the strongest, Suguru already betrayed the Jujutsu world, waging a war against non-sorcerers. Instead of wallowing in the past, Satoru became a teacher who never got in the way of the potential of his students. Allowing his students to flourish in the ways they would excel in. Allowing them to be the kids they were.  

How Suguru should have been treated. Not held back because of selfish reasons. 

Satoru thought this while he cleaned the dishes, and when he was done, he set them on the drying rack. He turned on the dishwasher, seeing that his students had all gathered their plates. He allowed the conversation to flow over him, calmed by how their cursed energies were stable, not content but safe. 

Satoru was inwardly gnashing at the bit at the thought of killing all the higher-ups that plagued him for his entire existence but calmed that part of himself with the thought they would get their just do’s, only after confirming Suguru was up to the task. He knew Suguru was more than ready to kill them, but his health was more important to Satoru than killing them. 

And they would have to make the higher-ups regret ever being born before they killed them. 

It was the classy way to go about it. Satoru had to give them back every ounce of misery they gifted them with their sticky fingers. Satoru wanted them to know exactly where they fucked up and how they could have pushed away the fate that hurtled at them at the speed of light. He would have to discuss the finer details with Suguru, what he thinks are the appropriate punishments, but that was in the future. 

Now, he only had to keep his students safe and alive. Making sure his people are out of the splash zone when the wave hits the shore. He didn’t want to be like the higher-ups, sacrificing the surrounding people for their gain. Satoru would achieve his goal without sacrificing something else because he had already sacrificed too much of his life for those bigots. 

It stopped now. 

Satoru flicked the ponytail onto Nobara’s bed without being noticed.

Satoru clasped his hands, teleporting to the second floor. He didn’t want to deal with walking past Shoko, who was eyeing him with the unspoken want to talk. Satoru didn’t want to deal with that now, especially not after the emotionally charged conversation with Suguru that felt like his heart was being squeezed in his chest. It hurt to see Suguru so confused, uncertain of what was happening to him.

He knocked on the door, opening it after a moment, seeing Suguru’s calm cursed energy on the other side. He moved quietly, kicking off his shoes at the door next to Suguru’s. Satoru set his glasses on the bedside table with a click. Satoru spotted the shopping bags empty in the corner, ready to be thrown away. Satoru strained his head to look at the used-to-be bare closet, now used, with shirts and pants hung and the less expensive clothes folded and in the small cubbies of the closet. The shoes Satoru made Suguru get were at the bottom, organized, and orderly.

Satoru smiled softly, quietly padding to the bed, leaning over Suguru, who was under the blankets, and in his old outfit of a tank top and sweatpants. He was breathing deeply, his body relaxed and curled in the blanket. 

Satoru whispered with a smile, “You asleep?”  

Suguru grumbled without irritation, shifting to look up at Satoru, one eye open to glare at him. 

“I was.”

Satoru cooed, “So sleepy. I’m wondering if you're going to start hibernating with all your naps.” 

Suguru rolled his eyes, turning his back to Satoru. 

“You’re the one that said I should heal up.”

Satoru nodded with a hum, brushing his fingertips over Suguru’s hair.

“And I am glad you’re listening to my advice.”

Suguru mumbled lowly, sleep in his voice, “Not yours, Shoko’s. She scarier.”

Satoru agreed with an emphatic nod, “You’re right. She’s scary when she needs to be. Honestly, I think she would stab me in my sleep if she could. She has the scalpels to do it.”

Suguru chuckled tiredly, “Death by a thousand scalpels. What a way to go.”

Satoru smiled and backed away but was stopped by a quick hand, trapping Satoru’s wrist in a death grip. Suguru lightened the grip once he realized how hard he was holding Satoru. Satoru blinked at Suguru, who angled his face away from Satoru, muttering quietly. 

“...Don’t go.” 

Satoru smiled softly, then chirped, “Move over then.”

Suguru did, without looking at Satoru the whole time. Satoru collapsed onto the full-sized bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling Suguru’s warmth in the sheets. Satoru unashamedly snuggled into Suguru’s blankets, making him grunt in annoyance. Suguru didn’t fight Satoru over the blankets. 

Once Satoru was settled, he turned back, grumbling when wrapping an arm around Satoru, pulling closer to Satoru until his head was cushioned on Satoru’s shoulder.

Before Satoru could speak, itching to tease him, Suguru murmured in a hushed tone, “You’re comfortable. Shut up.”

Satoru snickered, “Whatever you say.”

Suguru rolled his eyes, but when he closed his eyes, his body started to relax, all but melting into Satoru. His muscles untensed, the edge to his eyes smoothing out, and allowed his expression to melt away, slipping into blessed sleep. 

Satoru studied Suguru for longer than he would like to admit, then brought a hand to caress Suguru's face, putting a strand of hair behind his ear, almost an afterthought. He put a hand over his eyes, sighing deeply. He readjusted carefully, keeping an eye on Suguru so he doesn’t wake up. Satoru was on his side, staring at Suguru’s face, his arm now around his back like a cage, but it was warm and comfortable. 

Satoru closed his eyes, allowing a hand to drift to rest comfortably on Suguru’s hip, not thinking about what this reminded him of. Suguru wasn’t the only one who needed sleep, Satoru having gone a day without sleep, ignoring the short nap at the beach. Satoru didn’t account for the time in the Prison Realm.

Satoru allowed himself to relax, confident in his students’ and allies' ability to fight back even in a sneak attack. He didn’t need to be constantly aware and took the opportunity to sleep, Suguru’s warmth lulling him into unconsciousness. 

Satoru didn’t fight it, ever so aware of Suguru, but that made his confidence gain more strength. He didn’t need to worry about his back when Suguru was here. 

He never had to.

Chapter Text

Shoko noticed that it was quiet, all the kids in the living room playing a game on the new gaming system they finally figured out how to connect to the TV. Yaga was off in his new area, the corner of the kitchen table, trying to make heads or tails of the total scope of the situation. Choso was with the students, Yuji trying to explain to the hybrid how to play a video game and failing spectacularly.

Shoko moved upstairs without bothering the students, walking towards Suguru’s room. She carefully opened the door, seeing the lights were off and quiet. She popped her head in and spotted two heads, one white and black, under a blanket on the bed. She saw the blanket move up and down, breathing calmly. Shoko smiled slightly, then removed it from her face. She wasn’t used to seeing two grown men cuddling, but two teenagers on movie nights were different. 

Shoko closed the door without a sound, not disturbing their sleep. Suguru needed more rest. The blowback from getting possessed was seemingly being more tired than usual, while Satoru probably needed a break as well—two birds, one stone. Shoko would wake them in a few hours if they weren’t up already, knowing Suguru needed a better sleeping schedule and Satoru, the same. 

Having a good sleeping schedule was a wonder for a person's health. Shoko didn’t dwell on the fact she ignored that advice. 

It was good progress that Suguru was even cordial and not combative, and anyone else would think someone would be in this situation. In these tense times and right in the center of it, Suguru was taking it impossibly well. 

It made her afraid of when the shoe would drop. 

Shoko dismissed the thought, knowing they would be by Suguru’s side. They wouldn’t stand aside when Suguru was struggling. They wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

She wasn’t sure if Satoru’s and Suguru’s plan for the elders was good for Suguru’s recovery, but who knows? Maybe it would cause Suguru to be more motivated to get better, to have something to aim for. Especially with Satoru around. Shoko had seen him cave easier than a wet paper tower under a boulder when Satoru only asked. He did the same thing at the college, complaining and admonishing Satoru but made up his mind, ready to do whatever Satoru asked of him. He only did so to keep up his reputation, retaining the more “logical” of the two when Suguru was as bad as Satoru, even if no one else knew it. 

Shoko was sure Yaga had an idea that was the case, and Shoko had seen it happen more times than she could count. It was funny before it got frustrating. Watching the two pine was hell on earth once it stopped being cute. 

Satoru wasn’t as bad as Suguru when caving to Suguru’s wants, but it was close. Satoru had a different way of showing his affection, and that usually was gift-giving or something similar. Satoru always had money and was never afraid to spend it, especially on his friends and Suguru. They just learned to accept what he gave, but he always paid more attention to Suguru’s reactions than hers. Shoko didn’t mind, only enjoying the luxury goods when it appeared on her lap. 

Shoko was confident that hadn’t changed. Exhibit A. The entire fucking day. It was like nothing had changed from ten years ago, the two falling back into orbit as if it was second nature. They were no longer being seen as Satoru Gojo, the Head of the Gojo Clan, the Strongest Sorcerer of the Modern Age, or Suguru Geto, The Betrayer of the Jujutsu World, The Worst and most powerful Special Grade Curse User. They, in the eyes of everyone who had seen them, started to become Satoru and Suguru, two best friends that had never wanted to be seen without each other. 

They were becoming the Strongest Duo again, and Shoko was afraid of the consequences. 

When they were in their first year at Jujutsu College, they created waves, all three of them. They were called the Year of Prodigies, once in centuries type talent in the same year. Satoru was the inheritor of the Six Eyes and Limitless Technique, destined to lead the time at the moment he was born. Suguru was the user of the Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique. A technique that was more infamous than some of the inherited techniques of the main clans, with how its potential was second only to Limitless. And Shoko was the first person to be born with the Cursed Reversed Technique in decades, and the first one in two hundred years to heal others as effortlessly as she could herself.

Any of them would have been sought over at any time during history, but the fact they were all in the same year and were classmates had the odds of being close to none. It was mindboggling, thinking of the chances of each of these occurrences. 

And it was clear to anyone that their year would make waves, no matter what they did. Satoru and Suguru were potential Special Grades the minute they were enrolled in the college, but no one doubted they would become ones in due time. And they could fight as hard as they wanted with Shoko there to patch them up as good as new.  Satoru and Suguru at the front and Shoko at the back, a team with different roles, but a team that worked well. 

It did until it all came crashing down. 

Shoko still didn’t know why Suguru did the things he did. Shoko knew Suguru wasn’t the type of person to snap without reason, especially when he had things to lose, specifically not being able to be around Satoru, but there had to be a reason. 

Shoko knew he was tired, everyone was, but Shoko understood there were times in a sorcerer's life when they wondered why they were all doing this. Why they had to fight. Every sorcerer went through that period, beaten down and wondering why their life had meaning. Most picked for their clan, reputation, or upholding their values and came out stronger for it. 

But some, like Nanami, didn't find meaning in the fight and didn’t know why they were fighting in the first place. Why should they get up in the morning and continue a battle that would never end? That was not as common for most sorcerers, never knowing anything else, but it happened, and Shoko never faulted them.  

Shoko thought that was happening, that Suguru was trying to find a reason, confident that Suguru would find a reason in Satoru, or at least to keep sorcerers safe with his technique, and would come out with more confidence. 

She saw that confidence in eyes that had lost their spark in a busy street in Shinjuku, Suguru finding a reason that didn’t involve them. 

It hurt, more than Shoko ever showed. She knew she wasn’t as close to Suguru as he was with Satoru, but they were still close. Those two were just abnormally close. Shoko was the one Suguru went to if he had a problem with a curse or when his stomach got too bad to ignore, never wanting to show weakness. 

She was the one he would go to if he found a good book, knowing Satoru wouldn’t sit down for a time longer than thirty minutes. They had inside jokes Satoru didn’t know about, something that pissed Satoru off to no end but laughed at him when he still didn’t get it. 

Shoko, sounding callous and uncaring, didn’t care about Suguru’s actions in that village. Sure, he should have never killed every man, woman, and child, but Shoko knew Suguru. She knew that Suguru, the person who spoke of protecting the weak, would have either a good reason(or he thought he did) or something made his last thread snap, irreversibly changing their lives. 

Satoru, the same as her, probably didn’t think of it as something they couldn’t get past. Her evidence is how Satoru was treating Suguru presently when anyone else would have locked Suguru up for his crimes, not caring for his amnesia. 

It was the blatant knowledge that Suguru betrayed them that hurt. 

Betray wasn’t the right word. Betrayal only happened with a person went against a person to seek harm. Shoko had never got the notion that Suguru wanted to harm them. If anything, Shoko knew he still held a deep affection for them, having seen him when he declared war a year ago. Suguru’s eyes, when he looked at Satoru, eyes covered in white bandages, and Suguru wearing monk robes that were different yet similar to his Jujutsu High uniform, held a melancholic yearning that Shoko understood at an instinctual level. Suguru still cared deeply for Satoru, no matter how long they had last seen each other.

Suguru had(there still wasn’t a correct word to describe the situation) moved onto a different path from them, only crossing when he would die. Shoko had thought she had gotten used to being a duo after Suguru left, but a spot was still for him after his departure. After his death, his place became cold, and the duo never gained back their third. It wasn’t the Three Musketeers without Aramis, mysterious and pious. 

And now he was back, and Shoko knew there were still troubles ahead of them. A person returning from the dead would be a happy ending in any fairy tale, but this wasn’t fiction. There is no happy ending, only life, and life tends to kick anyone in the nuts when their guard’s down. Not everything gets solved with Suguru alive and kicking. A guillotine was still hanging over their heads, lowering with each passing day without being brought up. To destroy the blade, they would have to clear up everything that happened in the past, and Shoko knew that was an almost impossible task. There was too much, and Shoko was worried they would lose Suguru again. 

They were too close to see clearly, but Shoko wanted to keep what they had just gotten back, not caring for the misty lenses. Shoko had to tell herself it had only been two days or so, that it was okay to take things slow. That Suguru needed time, but Shoko had gotten used to the world that didn’t allow them to take things slow. There was always something that needed to be finished, a surgery to be done or a body to prepare for cremation. Shoko wasn’t used to having time to take things slow. She knew it was doubly worse for Satoru. 

He had the weirdest sense of patience to ever exist on Earth. He could plan ahead, years at a time, even multiple decades(Shoko had seen him scheming a few years ago about replacing some higher-ups with his own bought people once the others died), but could also not wait a minute because he wanted to eat now and not later. 

With Suguru literally in his grasp, he would want Suguru to get better that moment but held back because even he knew that was a stupid hope. Shoko had seen him waiting for Suguru to return to him for nine years, and with Suguru finally returning to Satoru’s side, the notion would probably be even more powerful. Satoru would be satisfied with just being by Suguru, but Shoko wondered when that would change. When he would start to get more touchy and impatient. It could be weeks, or it could be decades. Shoko had no way of knowing, but when, or if, it happened, Suguru would notice. 

Because Shoko knew Satoru well, better than Yaga, better than his students, better than the Gojo Clan, better than the higher-ups, but not better than Suguru. Suguru would notice right away, and it could very well push him away once again. 

Shoko sighed, putting a hand on her head to rub her temples. 

There were so many things that could go wrong that Shoko had to remind herself there were good things too. That Suguru had access to the care he needed, wasn’t in critical condition, and was in a mostly good mood. He had no signs of leaving again, and Shoko had to understand that fundamentally. She knew she attained some trust issues all those years ago, and it made this whole “Suguru’s back and here to stay” thing challenging to accept. She couldn’t be pessimistic without any evidence. And even if there were, there would be signs they could look out for. 

It wasn’t going to be a repeat of ten years ago. 

It couldn’t be. 

Shoko paused by the upstairs bathroom, seeing Megumi lean against the wall near the door, looking down until she came near, meeting her eyes with a suspicious look. Shoko’s expression didn’t change, but she did stop moving. 

“What is it?”

Megumi narrowed his eyes, looking at where she came from. Shoko hummed in understanding, knowing Megumi would be the most cautious of them. Even with Satoru’s visible affection for Suguru, no one else would be that reassured, especially not Megumi, who had kept an ear on the ground for everything that happened in the Jujutsu world. He knew precisely who Suguru was, and likely knew he defected from the college, but not that Satoru and Suguru were that close. No one would expect it, even themselves, in the past. They were both pieces of work when they met each other, Satoru uncaring and ego inflated, having not been taken down a peg, and Suguru, a cautious teen that didn’t let anyone in. 

Honestly, if they didn’t become best friends, they would have been mortal enemies. 

Well, look how that turned out.

“How certain of you of Geto’s story?”

Shoko hummed, gesturing for Megumi to follow her. Megumi did, looking back one more time to Suguru’s bedroom, which Shoko thought would be Satoru’s and Suguru’s bedroom now. Shoko went to her office, Megumi following with his hands in his pockets, waving off his friends' looks when they passed them on the couches. Yuji and Nobara only shared a glance and a shrug and returned to their game.  

Shoko closed the door when they got in, sitting on her chair and crossing her legs. Megumi sat on one of the spare chairs in the room, laying his determined eyes on her without hesitation. She grabbed a file and flipped through it, twirling a pen and speaking. 

“What are you confused about?”

Megumi’s face became clouded, lips turning down, “Everything. I don’t believe that it’s easy as Gojo’s saying. He has to have an angle. Geto Suguru isn’t the type of man, even if Kenjaku is gone, that would do nothing.”

Shoko sternly reminded him, “He doesn’t have his memories.”

Megumi’s expression darkened, “I don’t believe that. He could be faking.”

Shoko chuckled, causing Megumi to glare at her, almost insulted at her reaction. Shoko stopped, but her amusement wasn't as hidden as it should be. Shoko leaned back, file on her lap. 

“If you had seen those two in the past, you would know, for a fact, that Suguru lost his memories.”

Megumi soured, “Then-”

Shoko interrupted without caring, “He’s not Kenjaku either. He wouldn’t have made it past Satoru, especially not considering that Kenjaku was the one who sealed him. Satoru would not mistake Suguru for Kenjaku. I can tell you that with full confidence.”

Megumi grimaced, Shoko knowingly using his trust in Satoru, who Megumi claims to dislike more times than not. No matter what Megumi claims to feel about the man, he practically raised and supported Megumi for most of his life. When Megumi had no one else, Satoru was there, even if it was to tease or embarrass him, but Satoru always came. Out of his students, Megumi was the one who had the most faith in Satoru, even if he was annoyed by the white-haired man.

The Ten Shadows user frowned, “I still think he has something to get out of this.”

Shoko drawled, “Oh, he does. It’s just not what you’re thinking.”

Megumi frowned harder, meeting her eyes with a piercing gaze.

“What do you mean?”

Shoko shrugged, speaking purposefully monotone, “Most of it’s not my business, not my right to say anything, but I knew them for a long time. I know what I am talking about. I can tell you, without a doubt, that Suguru’s purpose will not harm or cause physical harm to Satoru. From what I can tell, Suguru only wants to stay, more or less, by Satoru. And before you ask why he wants that without his memories, it seems more instinctual than anything else. And no, it’s not because Satoru is powerful. Well, maybe, but not for the reason you’re thinking of.”

Megumi didn’t seem to understand the logic, and Shoko wasn’t expecting him to. It was something Shoko only understood since she had known them for a long time. Satoru’s gravity was hard to escape, most wanting to get close to take advantage of his strength, but with Suguru was different. He would get close without fear that he would get burned. Even back at the college, Shoko could see it in his eyes. The loyalty and devotion to Satoru, somehow blind to what it meant. 

Looking back at it now, Shoko wondered how she stomached it without telling them to get a room. 

It seemed without his memories, Suguru went to basic default settings, not burdened by past choices to make different decisions. And his basic setting was to return to Satoru and never leave, his anchor in the most powerful storm and light to his darkest night.   

Megumi hissed, “What does that mean?”    

Shoko huffed, “It doesn’t mean anything to you. To them, it means more than you could imagine. They’re both complicated and have more issues than the sinking Titanic, but you have no need to fear. Especially from Suguru. As long as you are Satoru’s student, you’re safe from him. Could even be protected by him if the mood strikes him.”

Megumi gained an angered light, “Then explain why he attacked the second years. He almost killed Maki.”

Shoko raised an eyebrow, “But is she dead?”

“What does that have anything to do with it?”

Shoko lightly swatted Megumi on the head with her folder, making Megumi grumble, trying to readjust his hair. 

“It means everything. Remember what Satoru said when that was asked only last night? That Suguru wasn’t trying hard to kill them. I can tell you in full confidence if Suguru wanted those four dead, they would be dead.”

Megumi opened his mouth, “But Okkostu-”

Shoko cut him off with a hand, “Okkostu is talented, a damn prodigy, but you got to remember, Suguru is also a prodigy and had decade-plus years of experience. Okkostu only had a few months of training and missions under his belt and had barely any fine control over his massive amounts of cursed energy. No matter how talented he was, how strong he got, or strong Rika is, Suguru could have killed him if he went all out, not holding some part of himself back in that fight.”

Shoko sighed, leaning back, asking her question this time, “Fushiguro, do you want to know how many sorcerers Suguru killed after he betrayed the college?”  

Megumi didn’t know why Shoko was asking but spoke, “Forty?”  

Shoko answered, “Ten. However through internal investigations into their backgrounds, it was discovered they had hands in either human trafficking or had a history of child abuse or sexual assault. I’m not saying I am ignoring his actions, but it is something to mull over.”

She pursed her lips and continued, “What I am saying, is that Suguru would not kill someone without reason. Especially not people who Satoru placed under his care. I am not going to go into his motivations and will let you draw your own conclusions, but I can tell you with a hundred percent certainty that Suguru is no danger to you or your friends. I’m pretty sure Satoru said the same to Nobara yesterday, and you can ask her, but you have to know if we weren’t confident, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Megumi seemed to mull it over, and Shoko turned around, giving Megumi an out if he wanted to leave. Megumi stood up after a minute and moved to the door but paused, glancing back to Shoko. 

“You didn’t answer about what Geto was getting out of all this.”

Shoko tapped her pen onto the paper, “Didn’t I tell you?”

Megumi grumbled with frustration, “You did, but it doesn’t make sense.”   

Shoko thought over her answer and figured, since it was Megumi, he wouldn’t spread it around much. And she needed to get her quota of amusement today. 

“Ask Kugisaki. I think she is on the right track. But don’t spread it around. Satoru and Suguru don’t even have it figured out. I would hate to give them a hint when they need to figure it out themselves.”

Shoko shooed Megumi out of her office, visibly confused, not knowing what her cryptic words meant. Shoko smiled to herself, not feeling guilty about creating drama. Everyone would figure it out eventually, and she wanted someone other than Utahime to complain to about it. And it wasn’t even if Shoko could complain to her since that would probably give them away. She knew spies would be surrounding Utahime, hoping to get a glimpse of Satoru.

Shoko still hoped the betting pool for when they would confess was still active. She would hate to lose thirty thousand yen. 

Megumi was in a bad mood. 

The talk with Ieiri only left him confused and pissed. The entire situation made Megumi feel like he was walking on eggshells and wasn’t the only one who felt so. Suguru Geto was a dangerous man, no matter what he remembered, and Megumi couldn’t relax with the man around. He was waiting for the moment he showed any signs of switching sides. Geto had defected before, and once a betrayer, always a betrayer. 

The Jujutsu world was cut-throat, but there were lines people shouldn’t cross, lines that people grew up understanding. That it was socially unacceptable to do. That no matter who it was, most, if not all, sorcerers would despise sorcerers who broke their oaths. 

And Suguru Geto was an oath breaker. 

No self-respecting sorcerer would affiliate with a sorcerer who broke their word and betrayed the institution they swore themselves to. To knowingly go against what they fought for. How could you trust someone with a known history of stabbing people in the back?

It didn’t make sense to Megumi why Gojo welcomed Geto back with open arms considering everything he had done. Even more to that, Megumi had seen on multiple occasions that Gojo let down Infinity, letting Geto touch him without difficulty. Gojo hadn’t let that happen with Megumi until he was thirteen, and even now, it would take a split second for it to disappear. From what Megumi saw, it was a subconscious gesture to let Geto in, and it pissed Megumi off. Gojo was letting a known Sorcerer Killer touch him without questioning his motives. 

Megumi didn’t care that Geto may have lost his memories. Geto was still dangerous and was a risk that Megumi didn’t think would pay off. What would happen if Geto got his memories back and decided to finish what he started on the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons? Megumi knew Gojo was strong enough to stop Geto, but it was still a risk that Megumi despised. 

And another thing he didn’t understand. If Gojo and Geto were so close, why didn’t Gojo say anything? Megumi knew from experience that Gojo could never hold himself back from poking fun at any of the older sorcerers, especially the ones he was semi-close to. He had seen Gojo and Ieiri gossip in the morgue more than once. Nanami had made it a habit to avoid Gojo in casual situations so he didn’t have to deal with Gojo and his brand of humor. Megumi had seen Gojo aggravate Utahime so much she attempted to kill him, and Gojo had only laughed. That was with the people he was closest to, so Megumi couldn’t believe that Gojo hadn’t said a word about Geto in the years after he betrayed Jujustu College. 

Megumi knew, logically, that Gojo was a private person when he wanted to be, so it shouldn’t be so surprising that he didn’t want to talk about Geto, but not a word about him? There was something wrong with that equation, and not even Ieiri had given him the correct numbers to solve it. 

She gave him one thing, but it was cryptic and made less sense than anything else she said during the conversation. How would Nobara know and not him? Megumi knew she had at least one conversation with Geto, so maybe she got it from that since she didn’t seem as on guard around the man as the rest of them, but that wasn’t saying much. 

Megumi scowled and made a beeline to Nobara and Yuji, who spoke in hushed tones in the corner of an empty room, probably talking about what happened during the time they were separated. Being in a large group was tiring sometimes, even for extroverts like Nobara and Yuji. Megumi was glad for the respite of the other students and adults. He wanted to talk in private and not get into an elaborate discussion about Geto with other people just yet. Maki already made her stance clear with narrowed eyes and angry mumbles, but they weren’t strong since she had other things to worry about. 

Yuji perked up when he saw Megumi, “Fushiguro! We were wondering where you went!”

Nobara scoffed, flipping her hair in response, “It was only Itadori. Don’t tell him any differently.”

Megumi sat on the floor with them, readjusting Nobara's crutches slightly behind her. Nobara didn’t seem to care, so Megumi didn’t care either. Nobara’s head bandages had been replaced with a medical eyepatch and a bandage over her left eye. It would leave a nasty scar but nothing else, so Megumi wasn’t worried as he had been after Shibuya. Considering he didn’t know if she was alive or not, it only made sense. It was a stressful time, and Megumi could scarcely believe it was only a few days ago. It felt so peaceful here he could barely comprehend it.    

“Kugisaki, don’t tell me you didn’t wonder where he went.”

Nobara waved off Yuji, “He’s fine. He tends to go into the shadows anyway, and it’s not like he left the house. Don’t be an idiot.”

Yuji pouted, crossing his feet, “It’s just that he was there one second and gone the next. I don’t know how you do it, Fushiguro.”

Megumi grunted, “Not announcing my presence like you guys. It’s not hard.”

Nobara and Yuji seemed offended, but Megumi cut them off, not wanting to deal with their tag team idiocy. He just got rid of his frequent headache from the days past; he didn’t want it to return because of his friends.  

“I asked Ms. Ieiri about Geto, and she didn’t give me much.”

Nobara scooted into a more comfortable position, and Yuji seemed interested. 

“What did she say?”

Megumi grumbled, flicking a piece of lint off his pants. 

“Nothing much. Only we don’t have to worry about him because he won’t kill us. After all, we’re Gojo’s students. And he purposefully didn’t kill the second years, even Okkostu, last year. Still don’t completely believe that, by the way. And that he wouldn’t dream of harming Gojo. She tried to explain that he had his morals or some shit, but I don’t take stock in it.”

Yuji looked between them, and hesitantly spoke, “Is he that big of a deal? I mean, he doesn’t seem that big of a deal without Kenjaku.”

Nobara and Megumi shared a look of exasperation, and Megumi dragged a hand down his face in annoyance. It was times like these he forgot that Yuji barely knew anything about the inner workings of Jujutsu society. If Nobara had her hammer in hand, Megumi would fear for Yuji’s cranium.  

“Itadori, do you know how rare Special Grade sorcerers are?”

Yuji looked confused and tilted his head, “Not really. But isn’t there a small margin of sorcerers that could get the designation?”

Megumi rolled his eyes but explained, “Special Grade Sorcerers are the apex of Jujutsu, and it is lucky to have a single Special Grade sorcerer in a lifetime. You can see how this era is different because we had four, not even considering how Gojo is in that spectrum. In all honesty, Gojo should have a specification just for himself because no one can fight against him. If you take into account that most generations only have one Special Grade or none at all, having one go rogue and becoming a Curse User would usually mean that the Jujutsu world would be on the edge of collapse or already had been destroyed. And with Geto’s technique, it would have been a massacre if Okkustu and Gojo weren’t around. You understand now?”

Yuji gave a so-so motion, and Megumi sighed, knowing that was as good as he would get. 

“It’s because you are used to Gojo and being next to other Special Grades that you don’t fully understand the significance of Geto’s previous actions. He had killed hundreds of non-sorcerers and multiple sorcerers. He’s dangerous. Which is why I don’t believe what he’s selling. Why would a man like that not do anything?”

Yuji raised an unsure hand, “Because he doesn’t have his memories?”

Megumi clicked his tongue, “Irrelevant. You see how he acts. That isn’t a man who doesn’t know anything.”

Yuji didn’t have anything to respond to that, and Nobara only rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. 

“Of course, you would think that.”

Megumi and Yuji stared at Nobara, not understanding what she was talking about. Nobara met their eyes and pointed at them, “You both are blind fools.”

Megumi spoke, eyes narrowed, “Ieiri told me something. She said to ask you for Geto’s angle because you apparently were getting close. And that we shouldn’t spread it around because she doesn’t want to give Gojo and Geto a hint and to figure it out themselves.”

Nobara widened her eyes, and her expression transformed into exasperation and faint disbelief. 

“Is that what she said? Word for word?” 

Megumi grunted, “Close enough.”

Nobara put her head in her hands and almost seemed to rock back and forth, muttering under her breath.  

“They’re idiots. I had a spark of faith in Gojo, but no, he’s just as much of an idiot as you two. Goddamit. This is going to be hell.” 

Megumi and Yuji shared another clueless look, then back at their friend.  

“What are you talking about?”

Yuji took the risk, and Nobara glared at him with so much vitriol Yuji flinched. She looked between them, an irritable look on her face.  

“Do I have to spell it out to you numbskulls?”

Their faces must have been a good enough answer, and Nobara sighed hard and long. She readjusted, putting her hands in a praying notion, touching her nose. She breathed in deeply and then glared at the two teenagers. 

“Okay, let’s start easy. What do you guys see when Gojo and Geto interact? Basic habits and anything that stands out. Discussion-start.”

Yuji frowned, putting a hand on his chin, “Uhhhh, they’re comfortable together. Like, really comfortable.”

Megumi added with reluctance when Nobara glared at him to add to the discussion. 

“Say each other's first names without hesitation. But good friends do that.”

Nobara irritably threw her shoe at his head, “Yeah, but you guys don’t even do that when Itadori literally died in front of you. Continue.”

Yuji shared a nervous look with Megumi and spoke again with an audible question, “They never seem to get angry with each other. But maybe they do, but we don’t hear it?”

Megumi grumbled, “Gojo bought Geto clothes from the expensive clothing store he always wears.”

Yuji gasped, “The expansive brand that created the shirt we spilled coffee on?”

Megumi nodded with despair, knowing how expensive that shirt was and how lucky Gojo didn’t try to make them pay back the damages. Nobara hissed at the statement.

“It’s annoying because even when I ask him for clothes, he never gets me any. You’re on the right track. Go on.”

Yuji was visibly unsure but continued, “They seem to talk without speaking. Like some sort of telepathy.”

Nobara nodded, “Good, not what I was going for, but good.”

Megumi thought about it some more, going over every interaction he had seen between the two.

“Geto lets Gojo hang off him without throwing him off. He doesn’t mind if Gojo touches him.”

Nobara snapped excitedly at Megumi, a grin forming, “Yes! And what does that mean? How about the way they look at each other?”

Yuji frowned, looking up in thought, “They look at each other like best friends.” 

Nobara gained a disgusted look and seemed ready to pound their heads in, “No! If that’s the look best friends share, I’m gonna gag. If either of you look at me like that, I am going to throw you in a crematorium and lock it behind me.”

Yuji and Megumi shared clueless looks, and Nobara groaned, covering her face with her hands. 

“My god. You’re both clueless. Luckily you have me to straighten it out for you dumbassess.”

Megumi felt vaguely insulted while Nobara mumbled in annoyance. 

“I always remember at the oddest times that you two are orphans and didn’t live a normal childhood. Jeez, okay. I’ll give it you guys simple.”

Nobara was without nonsense when she looked into their eyes and spoke slowly as if to talk to toddlers. 

“Gojo and Geto look at each other like a long-since-divorced couple who still love each other.”

Megumi froze, and Yuji fell over. They both stared at Nobara, who had a raised eyebrow and was waiting for a response. Megumi leaned forward, slight sweat on the back of his neck. 

“So it’s like that?”

Nobara nodded seriously, “It’s like that.”

Megumi looked over the past interactions again with new eyes and had a sinking stone in his stomach after realizing everything he had missed with his tinted glasses. Once Nobara had said it, it became clear how much it made sense. The actions that made slightly less sense regarding best friends became easy to understand, and Megumi didn’t know how to feel. It was like watching one of their parents flirt in front of you, and you could only feel disgusted. 

Megumi had the distant revelation that it was exactly like that since Gojo had been his parental/brother figure for a long time.                   

Nobara shivered in disgust, eyes haunted, “They’re so touchy with each other I wonder how neither had stuck their hands down their pants yet. The heart eyes.” 

Itadori was unsure, speaking to Nobara, “So…They’re exes?”

Nobara crossed her arms in refusal, “No way. That isn’t how exes act. And by Ieiri’s words, it seems they have always been like this and haven’t done anything about it. Or even maybe, and I find this annoying to the highest degree, they don’t even know they love each other.”

Nobara took a calm breath, and Megumi wanted to have a break from the revelation breaking his brain. 

Gojo loving someone? Not possible. He knew Gojo enjoyed certain people’s company, but loving someone was different. Gojo was so distant that the thought of him getting close enough to someone to love them fully was not computing in Megumi’s brain. Megumi had seen Gojo go on many dates. People go up to him in the street to give him their phone numbers he never calls. Even during the rare times, he did go on dates, there was never a second date. Gojo never seemed interested in getting a partner, and Megumi never thought it was odd. He just thought that was how Gojo was. 

Megumi put his head in his hands when he had a revelation. He had only seen a few of Gojo’s rare dates, but he remembered they mostly had the same characteristics. Taller than average and had long black hair. 

Damn. Nobara’s words gained more credibility. 

“I think the situation is that Geto, to Gojo, at least, is the one that got away. I don’t know about Geto because he doesn’t have his memories, and if he feels the same, but considering that I have caught the man staring at Gojo with these love-sick eyes, I wouldn’t hold my breath.” 

A silence permeated the room, and Yuji spoke, distinctly unsure of what to do, “So…What does that mean? Should we do anything about it?”

Nobara grunted with disgust, “Fuck no. As Ieri said, we shouldn’t interfere. It’s their life, and it’s messy right now. I bet Gojo won’t do anything until Geto gets his memories back. But who knows, I’m not Gojo. I would hate to be in his head, and maybe he thinks it’s his only chance to be with Geto, but as I said, I’m not sure what he’s thinking. Maybe we should get more confirmation about the situation, but that’s it.”

Megumi scrunched his nose, not liking the situation at all. Somehow this was less and more complicated than before. Less because it made sense why Geto would stay at Gojo’s side, but more because love and attraction were messy even in non-sorcerer life. And the love between two Special Grades was bound to be a shit show.  

Megumi blinked, realizing that it was already messy. Going over the past few days, the motivation for Geto to free Gojo may be more involved than he thought. 

“Not even to give them heart-shaped cupcakes?”

This time Nobara did smack Yuji on the back of the head, “What, are you a middle schooler?!”

Megumi ignored their squabble until he had to drag Nobara from strangling Yuji with her crutch strap, unable to focus and understand the relationship between his teacher and a curse user. 

Megumi didn’t want to understand it. It made him feel weird and sick to his stomach. 

Gojo getting with Geto?

Not possible. Megumi only hoped Geto had better standards for a significant other, but Megumi had a sinking feeling that ship had already sailed.  

Suguru woke up to soft breathing and something tickling his nose. 

He blinked lethargically, sleep dragging him down, but looked down at what was touching his nose. He saw fluffy white hair and a face squished against his neck and collar bones, in a deep sleep and peaceful. Suguru tightened his grip from where he must have moved in his sleep. His arm was around Satoru’s back and held him tight to his chest, and Satoru had around his waist, holding just as tight. 

It was warm and comfortable, and it took everything he had to stay awake, the siren call of sleep ever-present. He wanted to stay in this moment when Suguru didn’t have to fight the urge to touch and hold Satoru securely next to him. The wants in the back of his head were calm and content with the contact, the need to have Satoru in his grasp satisfied. 

No matter what happened in the past days, Suguru still felt as if he was in the mists, that no matter how much he struggled to grab anything, it would dissolve in his hand, having not existed in the first place. He never wanted this to disappear. He never wanted to touch Satoru and find that he wasn’t there. 

Suguru looked fondly at the time the two spent together alone after leaving the safe house. It was a breath of fresh air, and something unraveled his chest, able to relax without feeling caged in a place he didn’t know. It wasn’t as bad now, getting more okay by the hour but being next to Satoru, doing normal activities, somehow made Suguru feel more at home than cooking. Suguru felt relaxed when cooking, but being alone with Satoru and not having to hide his expressions was freeing. 

Suguru knew he would be at the stove more than not now that he discovered how therapeutic it was to make food he and other people enjoyed. Seeing the faces of people who ate his food and enjoyed it was something he appreciated. And since Satoru’s students didn't seem to mind eating his food, there was nothing to stop him from cooking as much as he wanted. 

Suguru knew Satoru didn’t want him to fight until healed, so cooking was a good enough trade-off. 

Suguru activated Idle Transfiguration, pausing to see if Satoru reacted. Satoru only twitched an eyebrow but smoothed out just as fast. Suguru sensed his soul with the technique, observing the damage. 

His soul was still frail around the edges, not as strong as the center of his soul. Suguru knew if he left it alone, it would deteriorate again, ignoring all of his work on the task. He sent more cursed energy into the technique, smoothing out wrinkles and mending tears. Some parts of his soul didn’t want to cooperate, but he coaxed the troublesome parts into forming a stable foundation to heal from. 

It would take a few more days, maybe a week if unlucky before his soul would finally fully heal. Suguru didn’t rush it, knowing slow and steady won the race. Once he was done healing his soul for the day, he raised his hand and moved Idle Transfiguration into the appendage and formed a webbed hand.

Suguru frowned, clenching his fist and letting it go. He undid the transfiguration, not used to modifications to his body. It felt unnatural, something he shouldn’t do with his own body. Through Kenjaku’s eyes that the curse the technique came from freely transfigured its body to its heart’s desire, but Suguru wasn’t a curse. His body wasn’t meant for such things without extensive experimentation with what he could and should not do. He didn’t want to transfigure his skin into being hard and find out he couldn’t move because it became rock-like. 

He would have to know the ins and outs of the technique before he fought with it, but he knew it would be a death blow to almost anyone. A single touch and death would be assured. 

No one would expect Suguru to have two techniques, more worried about his curses instead of him. 

He was almost looking forward to it. 

Suguru let his hand fall to where it was, focusing on Satoru. Satoru looked at peace when asleep, with no hidden sadness and want in his eyes. Suguru enjoyed it but knew this was not Satoru. There were unspoken words in that mind of his, and Suguru would be there when they were said. Suguru meant it when he said there was no way he was leaving Satoru. That want was only magnified earlier. 

Meeting Yuki Tsukumo brought up rampant emotions. Neither good or bad, but a mix of the two. Suguru knew instinctually that the woman herself wasn’t a horrible person. In fact, Suguru felt as if they could get along, even with some tension. But there was something different. Her appearance caused a maelstrom of rampant emotions, regret, hatred, disgust, and even hope. Suguru didn’t know why that woman would cause such sentiment, but he knew those feelings weren’t caused by the woman but only brought forward the feelings he hid. Suguru knew the woman was a clue to the past he didn’t remember but held back from asking her since he already told Satoru that he would wait for his memories to get the reasons. 

If he hadn’t already given his word, he would have somehow managed to get her by herself and ask what their past was. What happened all those years ago?

Satoru didn’t seem to know by how he tried to subtly look between the two. It made something sink in his soul; knowing what had happened was probably something that set a path for him to follow. 

A wave of anger came over him out of nowhere, something he couldn’t understand. It didn’t stem from Tsukumo or their past. It seemed to be something different but connected all the same. It wasn’t an anger aimed at anyone but himself. He knew less about that anger than the emotions about Tsukumo, so it thoroughly confused him. It was the type of anger that a person felt when they did something, and it turned out wrong, so wrong that it caused self-hatred and disappointment.

It only disappeared, or abated, when Satoru spoke to him. Satoru gave him something more, something else to try and understand. The sentence, “We’re the strongest.”, caused all the anger to disappear.  

It felt as if a light was shown on the memory he had treasured ever since he started to exist in the haze. The distant laughter, echoes of a name, and unclear features of Satoru were the only thing he had until Satoru spoke. It made the memory shine like gold, becoming ever so more precious. The words caused a mix of hope, contentment, and satisfaction. It also caused more dark emotions. It wasn’t envy or jealousy but wanting to keep up, no matter what. He wanted to stay the strongest with Satoru, and an overpowering disappointment and despair came over him at the realization. 

It felt as if a crack formed in his soul, incomplete and never could be again. It was agonizing, and Suguru, who wasn’t used to such emotions, reacted badly. A migraine bloomed in his head, and it was all he could do to not react badly.

When Satoru came to the room to check on Suguru, something in Suguru’s soul rampaged at the thought of Satoru leaving. That if Satoru left, he would never come back. It made him feel weak, asking Satoru to stay, but Satoru did without hesitation.

Now Suguru felt settled again, gazing at Satoru. He was warm, and his one and only was in his arms, everything he wanted. 

Suguru closed his eyes but didn’t fall asleep, treasuring every rise and fall of Satoru’s chest, placing a cheek against his white hair. 

He wanted to stay like this for eternity.

Chapter Text

Satoru kicked his feet and lazed around, feeling content while leaning back. 

He had just dropped off the kids at their chosen areas, clearing the areas of interest. The kids had gotten a bit twitchy after a few days of relaxation, and Satoru figured it was best for everyone if they used up all that energy without destroying the house.  

Satoru didn’t want the higher-ups to have any clues about his existence because he knew they would treat him like a toddler out of sight. When a toddler was quiet, they were up to no good. 

And Satoru was up to no good.

Well, he would be once they were suitably terrified by his absence. 

Satoru purposefully had no pattern when dropping off his students, sure to leave no residuals behind. The only thing he did was take stock of the area and make sure there were curses of his students' average abilities and if they would be challenging but not out of their skill range. The good thing in the past week was that the average abilities of his students shot up, so the only curses that would serve to be above their level would be Special grades. Satoru would confirm Yuuta would be in the group if there was a Special Grade in the area. 

Or Satoru would take care of it himself(Obviously leaving no trace that it was he who exorcized the curse).

No one could say that he didn’t care for his students. 

It had worked well the past couple of days, with nothing sticking out aside from the time Yuuta had to be called in, the higher-ups giving his student a scathing report about not finding Yuji yet. From what Yuuta told him, they didn’t tell his student that Satoru was back and good as ever. It seems they were shutting down communication, ensuring his freedom wasn’t widespread knowledge. Satoru knew the high-level sorcerers would have some idea of his situation, or at least his status, but without Satoru showing up, no one could have a definite answer.

Tsukumo was one such person who didn’t believe in any of the higher-ups' attempts to block the information. 

His absence didn’t matter since his strength was still the backbone of modern Jujutsu society, so the higher-ups were scrambling, and Satoru was giddy at the thought of yanking the carpet from under them.  

So when he wasn’t ferrying his students around, he was at the safehouse watching trashy movies and TV shows, bugging Shoko and Yaga, and making Suguru grow grey hairs. Satoru had already been banned from the kitchen since he tried to snatch a bowl of uncooked batter from the counter, Suguru catching him before he could escape with his stolen bounty. He had been kicked out quite unfairly after that, and no matter how much Satoru whined and pouted, Suguru only threatened to hit him with a wooden spoon if he tried anything else. 

So Satoru had to be tortured knowing Suguru was making sweets in the other room, uncaring that he was being deprived of the substance that gave Satoru life. Suguru did have some mercy within him, allowing him to have the first bite of whatever he made, but after that, it was his game. Suguru, the unfair jerk, said that he had to wait to eat dinner or lunch first before sweets, and Satoru only listened because Suguru’s sweets were the best, and Satoru couldn't risk the man banning him from his baked goods forever. 

That- sounded like hell.

Satoru would voluntarily return to the Prison Realm before he allowed that to happen. 

In other good news, his students were finally warming up to Suguru!

No one was glaring at the man with suspicion anymore, probably only because he made their food and didn’t want to return to fast food and ramen. Inumaki seemed to have warmed up to him only because Suguru made mean onigiri and purposefully made his favorite filling when Satoru subtly informed him it was his favorite.

People could call it cheating, but Satoru only classified it as using every tool available. If Suguru could be more of a friendly face rather than a potential enemy, Satoru would do anything short of… Satoru couldn’t think of a line he wouldn’t cross. He would have said homicide, but Satoru feels at least semi-homicidal on any given day(depends on how many hours he’s slept and if his week was busy with more missions. He was chomping at the bit to see some blood those days). He wasn’t above bribery and other underhanded means. Maybe blackmail, but it depends on the blackmail. 

Anyway, Suguru was less of a worrying factor for his students, and Panda even asked for a spar the other day. Of course, Suguru wiped the floor with the Cursed Corpse, but that didn’t stop Suguru from pointing out the flaws in Panda’s form, and it seemed Panda took the advice at face value despite the grumbling from the panda. Suguru didn’t even seem to break a sweat from the spar, and Satoru was glad to see his skills hadn’t gotten rusty from the nonconsenting body snatch. 

Yuji was curious about Suguru despite his friends' advice to at least stay away from the man. Megumi seemed to think that Suguru was one second away from snapping at all times, and Nobara liked to take any chance to call her friend an idiot. 

Yuji(during a time when Satoru was out fetching his wayward students) accosted Suguru and asked how he fought. Suguru had told him after, seemingly amused by the teenager's request. Satoru knew it would happen sooner or later since Yuji fought hand to hand, with no cursed technique in sight, and discovering someone who could teach him more on the subject was a godsend. Especially someone of Suguru’s caliber.

Suguru had to fight opponents that were stronger and/or bigger than him, using his human-level strength and speed, and without a technique that aided in direct combat(officially, at least. Satoru knew that Suguru was sly and conniving and would have no qualms with playing underhanded.). And that meant something because Suguru came out as the undisputed victor numerous times. With a technique that most people thought would be long-range, Suguru could fight most sorcerers without his technique aiding him. It was what most of his opponents fell to, having the preconceived notion that Suguru couldn’t fight hand-to-hand. 

Their faces made Satoru cackle.   

People tended to forget that Satoru should be the same case. Blue and Red, with their long-range capabilities, and Infinity, with its invincible barrier, most didn’t think Satoru needed to know how to fight. Most just thought his power made up for it, that he was already invincible. Why should he need to learn how to fight in close combat? 

Satoru, at some point, thought the same. A young and arrogant youth who thought they were already invincible.

The first time Suguru threw his face into the dirt required Satoru to forget all of that shit.

At that point in his life, Satoru mostly learned how to master hand-to-hand (which came easy to him because he was Gojo Satoru and was good at everything) to not let Suguru be smug as fuck. He was way too happy when he made Satoru yield. His eyes got all curled and were filled with satisfied light, smiling wide, and loved to laugh at him. 

How the great Satoru Gojo was bested by a random village boy.

Satoru, at the time, was filled with indignation, pride wounded. At the end of the day, they were rolling around the ground, pulling hair, and biting each other like children. After all was said and done, posturing over and the “I won!” and “No, you didn’t!” tapered off, they laughed so hard, Suguru cried, and Satoru was rolling on the ground for a different reason, gut hurting from laughing so hard. 

Satoru thinks that was the day he started to think of Suguru as his equal, or at least someone who could be. No one before had looked at Satoru Gojo and found something lacking. 

No one had seen him as a human being, filled with imperfections and not a godling in human skin. 

People still don’t. Only a few people, like Shoko, Yaga, Nanami, and maybe even Utahime, saw him as just Gojo Satoru. His students looked up to him, treating him as a teacher, but that wasn’t the same. Looking up to him for a different reason still meant they had expectations of him(Not that he minded. They were supposed to have expectations for any teacher, and he was proud to be looked up to. That meant they found something to respect. Not that many showed it, the ungrateful little shits.).

Anyone in the Jujutsu world, even remotely related, knew of him. They knew his reputation since birth, his unspoken destiny, and the certainty he would achieve it. They knew of his power and personality since they were hand in hand in Jujutsu. 

Every sorcerer has to be a bit crazy to be a good one, and Satoru was the strongest. 

If he wasn’t the fucking craziest of the bunch, he was doing something wrong. 

But Suguru was far removed from the Jujutsu world, being born of average parents, having only learned what he had been seeing for his whole life were curses by Yaga, only a few months before the two met. He didn’t have an inkling of who Satoru was or what he meant to the world at large. 

He didn’t know his very birth caused the balance to shift, creating stronger curses to keep up with the power his prime held. 

Suguru had met a boy and found a human, not giving a second thought about his past and who he would be. He only saw an arrogant brat but somehow found him good enough to be his best friend. 

Suguru was the first to see Satoru as Satoru, not anything else. 

Sure, it didn’t take long for Suguru to catch up with the common sense of the Jujutsu world, making the library his home for the first few months of their first semester, wanting to know everything about this world. Suguru treated him the same, even after realizing how Satoru’s existence was to society and the world, in its entirety. 

To Suguru, Satoru was just the kid who would eat twenty pounds of candy if he wasn’t stopped, not the future head of the Gojo Clan and Jujutsu world, depending on who you asked. 

They were an unlikely pair, but it was the thing that made them so powerful. Two teenagers who went against the conventional ideas of power, but came out on top no matter what anyone said. 

Suguru was strong despite his “apparent” weaknesses, making it his strength, mastering them so nothing could get the jump on him. 

Satoru was satisfied with Yuji’s decision to ask Suguru for advice because he was the best one to go to. Satoru was a genius, born and bred. He couldn’t explain what anyone else needed to do to get the same result as him. So, Suguru was the best option. Suguru was a genius in another area but not in close combat. That was all Suguru’s hard work and some talent that helped to get the ball rolling. 

From what Satoru had gleaned from Suguru’s past, Suguru had learned martial arts for most of his life and probably had been on a foam mat since he was a toddler. And when he was done with one style, or at least as good as he could get with the resources he had, he learned another style until he came to the college. And the cycle continued with more fervor since he had more teachers to teach him. 

Most would say that made him a genius, learning multiple martial arts, but Satoru didn’t. He only saw that as hard work and a genuine love for the sport(Or, it used to be. It wasn’t a sport for them anymore). 

So, Suguru was the best one to teach Yuji fighting. Satoru said so to Suguru the other night, and Suguru rolled his eyes and said he would think about it. 

Satoru may have bribed the man with more cooking ingredients, but it got the ball rolling, Satoru seeing Suguru coach Yuji on forms of marital arts the morning after his offer. Megumi watched with suspicion, looking out for his friend, but Satoru saw a genuine glint of curiosity and want at the scene, wanting to take advantage of the opportunity of being taught by the Special Grade.

Suguru had mentioned before he liked Yuji well enough, making a giddy smile bloom whenever he thought of it. Satoru never thought he would get the opportunity to show his students to Suguru without death on the line, and he was happier than he thought he would be that Suguru seemed to like one of them. It made him satisfied in a way he couldn’t understand. 

Satoru saw Yuji take his lessons to heart, and when he came back that day, tired and sweaty but smiling, he immediately regaled the fight to Suguru, telling him how he used what he was taught to exorcise the curse. Suguru seemed to smile without realizing it, and Satoru saw Suguru’s hand twitch as if to raise it. Almost on instinct, but Suguru didn’t do anything, stopping the gesture before Yuji could see. 

That was only a few days ago, not enough time for a solid relationship to form, but Satoru wanted the begrudging friendship to become a reality. Satoru didn’t know if it would be possible in the future, with his memories intact, with Satoru breaking the news that his daughters were killed at Sukuna’s hands, to keep the mentee-mentor relationship intact, but Satoru hoped so. 

He wanted more good to come of this situation, and Suguru having more people in his corner would do wonders. 

Suguru snapped when he had no one around to stop his spiral, no one noticing. With more people, that would help with the issue. As if Satoru was going to let that happen again. 

Satoru’s head snapped forward, Suguru smacking the back of his head, making Satoru start whining. 

“Suguru~ Why did you do that? It was just getting to the good part!”

The good part was the couple getting into drama with some in-laws. Suguru raised an eyebrow and pointedly looked at the level of skill in the actors’ performance. Okay, Satoru saw where he was coming from since the actress tried to look like she would faint. Satoru had seen that happen too often to forget what it looked like and was pretty sure no one fainted with their eyes open. 

Satoru only batted his lashes, purposefully not showing he understood Suguru’s point. 

“Dinner’s almost ready. Get the brats,” Suguru huffed, moving back to the kitchen in the apron Satoru got him as a joke in the last grocery run the day before. It was bright pink and said, “Your opinion wasn’t in the recipe”. Satoru laughed himself hoarse at Suguru’s exasperated expression but steeled his face as if to spite Satoru’s horrible taste. He wore it stone-faced, no matter how much his students goggled at it. Satoru was pretty sure he only wore it because he wanted to make a point. 

Satoru shouted, knowing Suguru would be able to hear him, “You can’t order me around!”

Suguru yelled back, voice deceptively light, “Sure can! If you can get them all back within twenty minutes, you get the first piece of cake! And if you are longer than twenty-five, you won’t get shit!”

Satoru was gone the next second. 

Satoru returned in record time with all the kids, popping into existence in the living room. Satoru skidded into the kitchen, his students looking at him with confusion and exasperation. Satoru threw up a peace sign, a proud smirk on his face. 

“Eighteen minutes and twenty seconds! Kneel and weep in my greatness.”

Suguru rolled his eyes, carrying a pot of zaru soba to the table, where the sauce was already set out. 

“You are the last person I would get on my knees for.”

Satoru put a hand on his heart, acting as if he had a heart attack, “Are you trying to tell me something?” 

Suguru winked at Satoru and could tell he was laughing internally at Satoru, the bastard.

“I’m saying I wouldn’t be the one on their knees.”

Satoru pouted, hands on his hips, “What are you implying, Suguru?”

Suguru shrugged with a sly smile, “I don’t know. What do you think?”

A loud screech of a chair came from behind them, making the two special grades glance back and see Nobara move a chair to sit down. Her face was unrepentant, waving a hand at them. 

“Did I interrupt or something?”

Satoru opened his mouth, but Suguru cut him off, “Nah, just Satoru being an idiot and dumbass.”

Satoru sputtered, “I’m not a dumbass!”

The black-haired man gave Satoru a side eye, “You didn’t fight the idea you were an idiot. Do you want to tell us something, Satoru?”

Satoru responded sweetly, “You’re a bitch.”

Suguru dryly drawled, “Revolutionary. No wonder everyone looks up to your power when you say such brilliance. Truly inspirational.”

Satoru nodded confidently, “As anyone told you are a piece of work?”

The Curse User smiled innocently, “I’m a goddamn delight, and anyone that tells you differently has an agenda.” 

He was about to shoot back when Shoko came up behind them, wrapping her arms around their throats and tightening until they had to go lower. Satoru tried to tap out, blood rushing to his face. Shoko let go, making Satoru and Suguru gasp for air, staring at Shoko, who moved to her seat at the table. She raised an eyebrow at them, highly judgmental. 

“Are you boys going to stop flirting so we can eat?”

Satoru scrunched up his nose, “We weren’t flirting.”

Suguru nodded in agreement, rubbing his neck. Shoko was about five feet five inches, but she had more strength than people would think. Cutting through bones, especially the collar bones, for autopsies was hard, even for big guys. And Shoko probably had completed hundreds. 

Shoko rolled her eyes again and didn’t say anything more but gestured for them to sit. They grumbled but followed her lead. They knew it was best to listen to Shoko when she was in this mood unless they wanted the next cleaning duty in her morgue.  

They might not have a morgue here, but Satoru didn’t doubt she could find something equally horrendous. Satoru could still smell the leftover bleach from the last time he “helped” her clean the morgue. 

Satoru started to dig in, slurping up the noodles with gusto. Satoru could taste the care Suguru put into making the food, wanting to get it right. Satoru may have mentioned that Suguru’s favorite food was Zaru Soba and wanted to make it after he found out. Satoru didn’t stop him. Encouraging him was what he did. It was a rare day when Suguru would cook solely for his taste and not someone else's. Satoru could count the number of times he had seen Suguru making something for himself, and that was because Suguru had thought everyone else was out for a mission and wasn’t expecting anyone else in the dorms.  

Suguru didn’t start as enthusiastic as Satoru but after he took a bite and dipped it in the sauce, his eyes lit up in a way only someone close to him could see, and started to eat quickly, probably realizing why it was his favorite in the past. 

“Thanks for the food, Geto.”

Satoru blinked in surprise, looking up to see who spoke. Yuuta was looking into his food, not looking at anyone. Suguru blinked slowly, knowing what occurred between them in the past. The SparkNotes version, at least. Satoru knew Yuuta wasn’t the one who would have the most animosity towards Suguru, but he was still high up there on the list of people who didn't like Suguru. 

Yuuta shrank at the looks, muttering but could still be heard over the table. 

“It tastes good. And I haven’t eaten this well in months.”

The kids looked at each other, probably mentally agreeing. Satoru knew from his teenage years that if it wasn’t for Suguru’s cooking, he would have been up to his chest in fast food wrappers and sweets from the places he went to on missions. His students didn’t have anyone who could cook like Suguru in their year, so Satoru could only imagine their diet. 

Satoru should probably look into better options for that. 

No student of his would get sick because of the food they ate.  

Suguru studied Yuuta, the silence was almost deafening, but Suguru broke it. 

“No problem, kid.”

Yuuta nodded, and Satoru returned to eating, his students and the adults, as well. Choso didn’t seem to be held back by the atmosphere, either unaware or uncaring about the undercurrent of tension. Choso figured that he didn’t have anything to say and chose not to, aware that as long as he didn’t make problems for the ex-possessed curse user, Suguru would have no reason to kill him. 

Satoru smiled into his soba, knowing this would be a turning point going forward. With Yuuta’s silent input that Suguru wasn’t that bad, it wouldn't take long for the rest of his students to arrive at the same realization. Yuji didn’t seem disagreeable about Suguru, but that could be because he wasn’t around when Suguru was in his prime criminal era. Satoru couldn’t go without a week without hearing something of Suguru’s exploits. Good and bad, and well- only Satoru would call it good that he was still alive and kicking. 

If Suguru had enough energy to create chaos and mayhem, he had enough energy to live another day. And at that time, that was all Satoru could hope for. 

“Satoru.”

Satoru slurped down the last of his noodles and looked to see Suguru with a plate of cake, placing it gently in front of Satoru, and taking his dirty plate. Satoru looked at it, all decorated nicely, a two-tiered cake slice exactly how he liked it. Meaning there was a large frosting-to-cake ratio. It looked to have strawberry in the filling, and Satoru was almost drooling at the sight. 

Suguru smiled at Satoru, “I figured you did achieve what I told you to do, so have at it.”

Satoru smiled so wide it hurt, meeting Suguru’s gaze, a quirk of a grin on his face that only highlighted the twinkle in his eyes. 

“Don’t mind if I do.”

Satoru absently saw Megumi look vaguely nauseous. At what, Satoru didn’t know, but Yuji and Nobara shared identical looks, then looked back at Satoru. Satoru didn’t care, almost moaning at the taste. He would be crying if he had any less shame. Scratch that, he had no shame, and everyone knew it. Satoru sniffed, Suguru rolling his eyes at him, bringing slices of cake to everyone. 

“This is so good.”    

Satoru shoveled the cake into his mouth, soul ascending high above. Suguru’s baking was on the level of high-class bakers, and Satoru had missed it so much.

Between bites Satoru spoke after swallowing, pointing his fork at Suguru, who only hummed at the attention. 

“Suguru, do you want me to kill anyone for you?”

Suguru put his hand on his hand on his chin as if he was thinking about it. He shrugged, taking a bite of his slice of heavenly goodness. He made a satisfied noise, nodding as if proud of his creation, which he should, because it’s a goddamn masterpiece.

“Can’t think of anyone. Can I get a rain check?”

Satoru made a nonsensical agreement, mouth full, but the idea came across. 

The rest of the dinner went normally, despite the weird looks the first years aimed at him and Suguru. Satoru had no idea what that was about but didn’t particularly care. It wasn’t harmful, and as long as his students were healthy and moderately happy, they could do what they wanted. Weird looks included.       

“Hey, Gojo!”

Satoru turned to look at his students, Yuji at the front with a jaunty wave, Megumi on the couch looking disgruntled, and Nobara slightly confused about what Yuji was doing. He, Suguru, and Shoko were speaking quietly in the corner, catching the woman up on Suguru’s state. 

Suguru said his soul would be healed in a day or two, and Shoko was glad for the information. He would have a checkup once he healed his soul, but that was in a few days.

Satoru walked to the kids, a smile on his face. 

“What is it, Itadori? No, don’t tell me. It’s about a girl, and you have fallen deep in love with her, so you have to move to the West to be with her.”

Yuji blinked but shook his head, already used to his eccentric ways, even though Megumi had rolled his eyes so far back into his head Satoru didn’t think they would return. 

“Nope! I wanted to know a funny story from when you were our age! Ms. Ieiri said that you and Geto were delinquents!”

The unabashed face of his student stared at him with pure curiosity, and Satoru pointed at Shoko, “Lies! She speaks lies! I was a model student!”

Everyone stared at Satoru, knowing full well he was full of shit and there was no way Satoru was a model student. Suguru didn’t seem to care about the effect on his reputation, but he did perk up at the possibility of a story. 

Shoko scoffed and didn’t give Satoru the time of day, and Satoru jerked, holding his stomach and falling into Suguru, who held him up, not playing into his dramatics. A slight smirk at the corner of Suguru’s lips showed that he was amused at his antics, so Satoru felt pacified. 

“Satoru was a delinquent, but Suguru was the model student. Very responsible, always on time, and never missed turning in his homework. Then became a problem when they teamed up to be dumbasses together. They bring out the worst in each other. Seriously, the shit they got up to the minute anyone looked away.”

Satoru gasped, jerking back a second time, falling more into Suguru’s broad chest. 

“Slander! Give one example!” 

Shoko stared at him, eyes unsympathetic, and Satoru swore he could see the beginning of a shit-eating grin on her face.  

“Remember when we were tasked with killing a Grade 2 curse in that candy factory in our first year? I went to tell the assistant manager we were done, and what did I come back to? I returned to Suguru trying to drag you out of one of those candy barrel containers, twenty by twenty feet, filled with sugar. You were trying to swim in it and eat the candy. Suguru-literally-had to drag you out by the scruff of your neck.”

Satoru opened his mouth to defend himself, but Shoko continued, without hesitation, talking to the unabashedly interested students.

“And there was another time they dared each other that the one who could kill the more curses while balancing ten books on their head and the one who lost would have to wear what the other one wanted. And on an unrelated subject, do you kids want to see Satoru in a Princess Peach cosplay while wearing lobster claws and head?”

Satoru sputtered, making an aborted jump to grab Shoko’s phone, but Suguru, the traitor, held him back with a smirk. Satoru mouthed traitor at him, but Suguru only smirked wider. Satoru gaped at Shoko, who opened her photo app on her phone. 

“Why do you have that on your phone?! And why do you still have it?!”

Shoko didn’t let her emotions on her face, but the amused twinkle didn’t leave her eyes. 

“You never know when blackmail on the strongest sorcerer comes in handy.”

“Snake.”    

Shoko didn’t look at him, as if he didn’t say a thing, and showed the kids, who crowded around the phone with clear interest. Nobara and Yuji were in a fit of laughter at the picture, clutching onto each other with glee. Megumi even broke out a smile! A smile! Satoru knew how rare that was, with the eternally grumpy youth, and Satoru couldn’t believe it was because Megumi was laughing at him! How dare he!

Maybe it wasn’t that unbelievable.

The laughter ebbed and flowed, the two students of his laughing their asses off whenever they saw the picture again. Shoko put her phone away, and Yuji was laughing still, but it was tapering off. Satoru scrunched his nose at the sight, but they were laughing, and Satoru knew what Yuji was like only a week or so ago. This was certainly better than that. Laughing and happy with people he trusted enough to laugh with. It was rewarding to see it, and Satoru couldn’t find it too annoying to be the punchline. 

The atmosphere was broken by Megumi, who was narrowing his eyes at Suguru.

“What are you staring at?”  

Satoru turned to Suguru, still in his space, but didn’t notice that he was staring at Yuji with glazed-over eyes, only clearing at being spoken to. Suguru looked oddly at Yuji, brows scrunched, confused. He tilted his head and then looked at Satoru. 

“Satoru, did I know Itadori from before?”

Satoru frowned and shook his head, “No. You died before Itadori entered the Jujutsu World.”

Suguru frowned harder, squinting at Yuji, “Then why does he seem familiar.”

Satoru stood on his own two feet, mind whirring. The white-haired man spoke, unsure what Suguru was feeling. 

“What’s familiar?”

Suguru put his fingers at the corner of his mouth, “Smile and laugh. I feel as if I heard it before. It’s uncanny.”

Satoru was coming up a blank, but Shoko came to Suguru’s side, face serious. She let the silence stew for a moment before she spoke. 

“Suguru, does the name Yu Haibara sound familiar.”

It felt as if electricity went up his spine, the hair on the back of his neck standing on its end. Suguru blinked, eyes going blank for a moment, then gave a so-so motion. 

“Maybe?”

Shoko nodded with a sigh, his students watching with curiosity and some apprehension. Shoko glanced behind her, spotting Yuji, then meeting Suguru’s eyes again. 

“I’m sure Itadori reminds you of Haibara. They’re very similar. How they acted, and their general atmosphere was the same.”

Shoko paused, noticing Suguru’s wanting eyes. To know more about the past. 

“He looked up to you, and you took him under your wing when he came to the college. He was a year under us, the same class as Nanami.”

Yuji straightened at the name, a measure of grief at the reminder of the man Satoru was sure he looked up to the most. Nanami seemed to have gotten attached to the boy, and Satoru wondered if he saw his old best friend in the boy. Maybe so. 

Suguru furrowed his brows, “What happened?”

Shoko sighed again, “He was killed in our third year. A quasi-Grade 1.”

Suguru frowned, eyes dark, struggling to remember but failing. Suguru gritted his teeth, visibly trying to get through the block of his memories. 

Shoko let Suguru mull it over until she continued, “Well, that’s all in the past. Can’t do anything about it now.”

“Hm.”

Suguru gave his affirmation, eyes still not present when he returned to the kitchen. Satoru moved to follow him when Shoko grabbed his arm, shaking her head.

“You can’t do anything. Let him figure it out himself.”

Satoru all but spat at her, “That’s what you said last time.”

Satoru took in a deep breath, putting a hand over his eyes. He didn’t want to see what her expression would be. 

“My bad. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Shoko let go of his arm, face purposefully blank. 

“I know. But this time, he isn’t pulling away. Give him a few minutes until you fuss over him.”

Satoru looked over to where Suguru was, seeing his cursed energy agitated, but not to a point where it would be worrying. Satoru breathed out from his nose, nodding absently. 

“Yeah, I can do that.”

Satoru wanted to be a pillar to Suguru, for him to be leaned on when he was struggling, not to what he was in the past. 

Satoru only hoped that Suguru realized it was an option.

Chapter Text

“Don’t leave your arms wide. Keep them close.”

Suguru flicked an arm while Yuji attempted to punch him, smoothly dodging with a hairsbreadth of space between them. He went in and patted twice on Yuji’s chest. Yuji tried to dodge but failed. Suguru, when Yuji was distracted, swept his feet from under him.

Yuji fell onto the grass, and Suguru straightened. He didn’t mind the audience of the first years, knowing they rarely went anywhere without the others. Suguru brought out a hand, Yuji grabbed it, and Suguru pulled him up. 

Yuji crossed his arms, visibly confused, “Why can’t I get a hit on you?”

Suguru shrugged, tapping his forehead. 

“Experience. If you were fighting seriously, I would be pressed way harder. Sure, I would also use my cursed technique, but I would still want you nowhere near me. And you can’t get a hit on me because you can’t hide your movements just yet.”

Suguru picked up a rock and passed it to Yuji, who looked at it with confusion. Suguru gestured for him to throw it back to him. 

“Throw it as hard as you can at me.”

Suguru backed up ten feet, gesturing for Yuji to get on with it. Yuji blinked but held the rock like a baseball. Yuji whipped the rock at Suguru, who had to summon a curse to block the shot, and black mist came into existence. The curse disappeared after the rock fell, Suguru undoing the summoning. Suguru brought out another curse, the arm appearing and grabbing the rock, and threw the rock at the same speed Yuji did. 

Yuji yelped, ducking the shot. Yuji looked at him with alarm, and Suguru had to fight a smirk at the look. 

Suguru walked to him calmly, hands in his pockets. 

“The reason why you can’t land a hit is because I predict your movements. I see your stance, where you’re tensing, and how you breathe. Most fighters take a big breath before throwing the first punch, and when you know what to look out for, it gets maddeningly easy to figure out where your opponent will strike next.”

Suguru gestured at the rock, summoning a curse below it to toss it back to Suguru, who caught it with ease. He waved it at Yuji, tossing it hand to hand. 

“I could barely see this when you threw it, but I knew enough to know where it would go, so I blocked it. But I want to ask you a question. Could you see it when I threw it back?”

Yuji nodded without understanding where Suguru was going. Suguru hummed, tossing it back to Yuji, who caught it with a blank look. 

“I bet you saw more than me, but you ducked instead of stepping out of the way. You have better physical characteristics than me, and logically, you should be able to beat me, considering the gap in our stats.”

Suguru flicked Yuji’s head, causing the boy to blink in surprise. 

“But if I predict your actions, it doesn’t matter how fast or strong you are. You will always be dancing in the palm of my hand. Control your environment, something I think you learned to do but haven't made it a habit just yet. Use it, even if you think it doesn’t matter. Make it habitual to look out for anything like a weakness. It just might get you the win. You’ll be a monster, or more of a  monster, once you get more experience under your belt, so don’t get caught up about it.”

Yuji nodded, mentally trying to remember what Suguru said. Suguru hummed, giving him time for Yuji to ask any more questions, but it seemed like Suguru gave him a lot to think about, so he moved back to the door, only glancing at the other kids. They didn’t seem to give him a second glance, a normal sight, and Suguru was satisfied. 

He knew Satoru enjoyed that he and his students were on good terms, getting this little smile that never failed to make Suguru feel light. If getting along with his students made Satoru smile at him like that, Suguru would do everything he could to make it happen. 

Satoru was in a lighter mood these days, less of the heavy worry he had after he was sealed. 

Suguru moved into the house, looking to see where everyone was. He knew the older kids were out doing self-imposed missions, keeping the curse population down. Suguru knew it was the second years that Satoru was worried about, or more accurately, worried about how he tried to kill them in the past. Suguru could feel the gazes on his back whenever he was around them and had to fight back the instincts to look, knowing it would solve nothing. Suguru allowed their suspicions, not making a big deal of it. 

As long as they didn’t try to make him leave Satoru, they could do anything they wanted. Having a good relationship with Satoru’s students only bolstered his spot in this house, and didn't want anything to get in between him and Satoru. Suguru didn’t know what he would do if he was kicked out, never able to be in Satoru’s light. He would become a husk of the barely human he was, without purpose and drive to be anything else. 

Satoru was the center of his life, and without something to rally around, he would become nothing but flesh and bones.

Suguru stopped at the entryway of the living room, seeing Satoru sit with Shoko, shit-talking a movie. He crossed his arms, a slight smirk on his lips. It felt the most natural, and Suguru didn’t want to change the muscle memory. 

“Who’s cheating on whom?”

Suguru knew Satoru loved the most dramatic and cringeworthy entertainment, something tickling his fancy. The more ridiculous, the more Satoru enjoys it. 

Satoru brightened when Suguru came, gesturing to come over. Shoko only nodded a greeting, paying more attention to the screen. 

“The female lead and the second male lead. They are going behind the first male leads back to have an affair, but I think the original pair will get together anyway.”

Suguru drawled, “Sounds messy.”

Suguru sat next to Satoru, throwing a hand around the back of the couch. They sat in silence, Suguru tucking back a strand of hair that got in his face. He loved his long hair, but sometimes it got more annoying than it was worth. The sweat on the back of his neck when it was warm out was hell. 

The Curse User tilted his head in consideration. 

Suguru didn’t know where that thought came from, but he did notice these past couple of days that knowledge he didn’t originally know was coming back to him. Suguru had an idea why. His soul was close to being fully healed, and the closer he got, he started to get more flashes of memory. It seems his memory problem came from a soul-related issue instead of a physical or mental one. The memory of Satoru when they were younger became clearer, and more started to pop up. He even started to remember Shoko. Only barely, a flash of brown, short hair was all he got, but it was something. 

He mentioned it to Shoko, not Satoru because he knew Satoru would be enthusiastic but would create more problems than it was worth for a few new memories. Shoko was happy to hear it, mentioning it shouldn’t be long until more memories would crop up. Suguru wanted them. A part of him still didn’t care, but that part was getting smaller over time. 

Suguru wanted to know everything. 

He wanted to know when Suguru and Satoru met. He wanted to know what brought them apart and how to make that not happen again. He wanted to know every good time they had, to see why Satoru was so happy at his existence when Satoru should know it was him that was important. 

He wanted to understand everything unsaid and make sure that Satoru never had to worry about Suguru leaving again, even with his memory. Suguru doesn’t know if there could be anything to even make him want to leave when he has everything he needs right here. 

“Your hair bothering you again?”

Suguru glanced to his side, Satoru looking knowingly at him. Suguru shrugged, looking at the TV.

“Not really.”

Satoru hummed, gesturing for something from Shoko. Shoko, with a deadpan stare, passed a hair tie to Satoru, who smiled happily. Satoru tapped his foot on the floor, “Sit here.”

Suguru raised an eyebrow but did, curious about what Satoru was about to do. Suguru fought the jerk his body wanted to do when Satoru dragged his fingers through his hair. Satoru scratched his scalp, and Suguru fought the instinct to melt into a puddle. Suguru leaned his head back, allowing Satoru more access. Suguru could feel Satoru’s smile and only made the warmth in his chest move to the rest of his body. He felt as if his body was in a fight or flight response but chose to freeze because it felt the best. 

Satoru’s dexterous long fingers separated his hair in segments, deftly starting to braid the black hair at the front of his forehead, the pull and binding of his hair somehow comforting. There were times when Satoru pulled a bit too hard but was gone the next second, purposefully gentle after as if in apology. 

Suguru was in such a state of contentedness that he barely heard the entrance of some of Satoru’s students, eyes closed and comfortable between Satoru’s long legs, back against the bottom of the couch. His body heat was enough for higher brain function to jump ship. The scratch of his nails gently braiding his hair was almost too much of a comfort that Suguru had to make sure not to fall asleep. Suguru was confident this was the best thing to ever happen to him. Satoru touched him with such care and gentleness as if he was the one to be treasured. 

“You have so much hair, Suguru.”

Suguru blinked, fighting the exhaustion, “Hm.”

He didn’t have the brain function to say anything more and didn’t have faith in himself to not say something foolish. Like his undying loyalty. That would be slightly harder to take back since he meant every word. Satoru asked him at dinner the other day about who Suguru wanted him to kill as a joke, but Suguru didn’t have anyone like that, at least, that he could remember. It should be the other way around because if Satoru wanted someone killed, Suguru would do it without even knowing why. He didn’t need to know anything aside from Satoru wanted them gone. It was all he needed to carry out a death sentence. 

How anyone said no to Satoru was baffling to Suguru. Did no one else see his reasonings and wants? Suguru would do anything to keep Satoru happy. Good for him, it seemed that having hands in Suguru’s hair was enough to make Satoru happy by the way Suguru could still feel his smile while braiding his hair. 

“You’re hair in Jujutsu High was shorter than this. It was below your shoulders but not to your waist like now. Wonder why.”

Suguru didn’t know why he spoke, almost as if something possessed him to mumble out a phrase, brain still fuzzy at the edges. 

“Hair holds memories. Didn’t want to cut it.”

Satoru’s hands in his hair froze, and Suguru almost balked, wanting them to move again. They did, but it was slower than before, the confident fingers taking more time. Satoru’s voice was heavier as if something was stuck in his throat. 

“They do say that. I didn’t know you were a person to take stock in that type of stuff.”

Suguru hummed, eyes closed, “I don’t.”

Suguru didn’t explain his reasoning because he didn’t remember his reasoning in the first place but the air was heavier with unspoken words, blanketing everyone in the room. Satoru’s hands moved lower, braiding the black strands further from his head. Suguru already missed the fingers at his head, but he figured it was good enough that Satoru was still touching his hair, pulling on the strands now and then. 

Suguru leaned back, head hitting the edge of the couch, resting when Satoru continued to go down his strands to braid them. It took a while to complete since Suguru did have a large amount of hair to go through, but sooner than Suguru was hoping for, Satoru finished the braid. Suguru leaned forward, looking over his shoulder to see the braid stopping at the middle of his back. He touched it, holding it in front of him. Suguru could tell Satoru was well-practiced in braiding hair and didn’t know how to feel about it. 

“Nice work, Satoru.”

Satoru hmphed, crossing his arms, “It better be.”

Suguru smiled slightly and stood up, his legs disagreeing with him, slightly numb from sitting in that position for so long. He turned to Shoko, who was on her phone, flicking through something. 

“Hey Shoko, do you have another hair tie?”

Shoko didn't look up from her phone when she reached into her pocket and flicked the black elastic at Suguru. Suguru caught it and created a bun from the braid, making Satoru squawk. 

“You won’t even show off my hard work! Let me guess, you’re going to take it down later today, too.”

Satoru poked Suguru angrily in the chest, and Suguru could only snicker, quirking his lips.

“Maybe, but you can just do it again, right?”

Satoru sputtered, kicking his feet like a child, “That isn’t the point.”

Suguru turned around, not replying, but his smirk was plain to see. Suguru gave Satoru a mocking salute, and walked backward into the kitchen, watching Satoru go through several different emotions, never settling on one before he left his eyesight.

Suguru touched his braided hair, a smile coming to his face, soft and affectionate towards a man who couldn’t see it. 

The curse user hummed when cooking that night's dinner, noticeably happy to even the students. Not even the news of a manhunt for Yuji could dim his mood.

Once Megumi had his eyes opened about Gojo’s and Geto’s… relationship, he couldn’t unsee it. 

How Gojo always followed Geto around with his eyes, even while blindfolded, and how Geto always seemed to look for Gojo’s approval with how his food tasted. And when Gojo gave a shining endorsement, Geto’s eyes would sparkle something fierce, then went on to eat his own food with satisfaction Megumi thought was pride in his skill as a chef. 

They were touchy, always lingering with casual touches, shoulder hugs lasting far longer than normal, and took every chance they took to touch the other. 

It went way past a high school crush, and Megumi still didn’t know whether to feel nauseous or shell-shocked. Gojo had the personality that he had to have what he wanted, with money or his reputation. He got what he wanted, no matter how long he waited. If he wanted sweets, he got it. If he wanted his students to have a break for a week(even before getting cast out as a Curse User), the higher-ups had to allow it, knowing full well Gojo would make their life hell until they broke down. 

Gojo was, at the center, a selfish man. He did have the qualities to be selfless, but most of his actions stemmed from his wants. And it caused even more bewilderment to see Gojo act like this. 

Megumi didn’t know Suguru Geto at all, only through rumors and facts, but he didn’t seem to be a man who didn’t get what he wanted. With the week Megumi has lived in the same area as Geto, Megumi had seen the way he didn’t care for the majority of what happened, unflappable and perfectly calm, aside from when Gojo spoke. Then would always react in some way. 

So seeing two men with the reputation(and personal knowledge) to get whatever they wanted through any means, to tiptoe around each other, clearly infatuated with each other, was something Megumi didn’t know how to classify. 

Megumi never wondered what Gojo would do if he had a crush since it never occurred to him Gojo could have a crush. And even then, Megumi would think that Gojo would go up to the person he had an eye for and confess in a Gojo-like way, fully aware he would get what he wanted since there weren’t many people who would say no to Gojo. 

But Megumi knew for a fact(since he witnessed it multiple times) that Geto was one of the people who had no hesitation in saying no to Gojo. But Megumi also knew that Geto seemed to feel the same and didn’t know why Gojo didn’t realize it. 

Especially with the scene they, Yuji, Nobara, and he walked into while returning from the nearby konbini. Geto was comfortably sitting between Gojo’s legs when Gojo braided his hair, perfectly fine with being so close to the person who killed him. 

And that was another thing. 

Megumi knew Gojo was the one to kill Geto a year ago, not Yuuta, as many people thought. He heard from Yuuta afterward that Gojo told him to not feel guilty about killing Geto since Gojo was the one who struck the last blow.

Watching the two sit in comfortable silence, Gojo wearing a peaceful smile while braiding the hair of the man he killed, was another type of fucked up. 

Megumi saw how close the two were, how much they still cared for each other even when Suguru had defected a decade before. They still cared for each other even though Geto betrayed them (him) and still didn’t seem to carry any maliciousness toward him. Not even Ieri, who was the most levelheaded of the trio. She welcomed Geto back with open arms, or how much she could, and didn’t look back. 

Megumi remembered the time after the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, how Gojo didn’t seem to be any different, the same aggravating self. If Gojo still felt the same for Geto, Megumi would think he would see something, but he didn’t.

And that made a cold feeling erupt in his chest. If Megumi, one of the people who had known Gojo the longest, couldn’t tell what he felt, no one else would. Megumi didn’t know how Gojo processed grief or how he mourned, but by how Gojo looked at Geto, it wouldn’t have been good. By his own hand, too. 

Megumi, since he knew Yuji, knew that he would die someday, being Sukuna’s vessel, he didn’t dare think of killing Yuji himself, even if it would save lives. Megumi couldn’t give the killing blow to his best friend, no matter how much time had passed.

Gojo did. To someone he probably felt was more than just a best friend to him. 

Maybe it was that knowledge that Megumi inwardly acknowledged that Geto was here to stay. Gojo wouldn’t let Geto go away without a fight, and he was the strongest. Megumi has to get used to the man sooner or later, and he figured it would be out of the equation to place the odds of Geto leaving. 

If Gojo wanted him to stay, then he would stay. No use complaining about it. 

That didn’t mean Megumi couldn’t look at the two lovebirds with disgust, especially when Geto was all but falling asleep in Gojo. 

Shoko met his eyes with understanding, but it was deep-seated, and she seemed to have given up. She mouthed words to him, and Megumi could only feel a shiver of disgust at them.

‘Get used to it.’     

No thanks. Megumi may have rationalized it, knowing logically that Gojo and Geto were so whipped for each other that it was more likely for Gojo to give up sweets than let Geto leave his grasp but the more emotional part of himself still couldn’t believe it. 

Gojo was like the forever bachelor in his mind, Megumi not thinking anyone would ever look at the man and think “Husband material”. Sure, he was handsome and had money, knowing that people looked for that, but he didn’t think anyone could get past his personality to achieve it. Megumi wanted to kill the man at least once every week, or at least punch him, and he hadn’t seen Gojo every day before this, he wouldn’t even imagine being in a relationship with him would be. 

But Geto seemed to want that, or at least, he didn’t mind Gojo’s personality and all his quirks, taking them in stride without even a twitch of an eyebrow. Either Geto was so infatuated with the man he didn’t care about them, or he was just amused by his antics. Megumi didn’t know which was worse. 

Before all this, Megumi thought Geto was logical and could cut off his emotions without a single thought, but now? Megumi only thought that Geto had more screws loose than he thought. Anyone who could look at Gojo and see someone to shack up was automatically insane. 

Another thing, what did Nobara say after he and Yuji figured out the two special grades deals?

That Geto was out of Gojo’s league?

Megumi didn’t know how Geto was out of Gojo’s league, but Nobara seemed to think so. But Megumi did know that Geto should be more logical and see that Gojo wasn’t the best person to go for. Or Gojo was just his type.

Maybe that was the reason. 

Megumi almost gagged at the thought. 

Megumi shook his head, not wanting to think about this anymore. He had no skin in the game of whether they got together and didn’t want to. If it happened, it happened, and at least they would stop their heart eyes.

Or maybe they would only get worse.

If Megumi had to see more PDA, he would fucking lose it and really try to stab them in their sleep.  

Suguru walked to his room, his body still damped from the shower. His hair was dry since Shoko did have a hair dryer he used without asking, but if it saved him from a wet pillow, he would take her annoyance. 

He walked into his room and saw Satoru get ready for bed, back turned to him, searching for a shirt to sleep in. Suguru smiled at the sight, not saying anything while passing by him without a sound. 

They went through their nightly ritual, laid in stone ever since the first time they fell asleep together. They didn’t mention it, the unspoken agreement to sleep together was one they didn’t need to vocalize. They slept better with the other close, the trust strong enough to settle even Suguru’s racing tension. Being next to his one and only was the best thing Suguru had ever felt, and it felt electrifying on his skin, feeling alive in a way that Suguru couldn’t feel anywhere else. 

Satoru brought out everything in Suguru’s chest and was an anchor in his state. 

Suguru wormed into the blankets, getting comfortable. The blankets smelled of them, and it caused something to purr in his chest, the evidence that they were close enough that their space smelled of them. Of something sweet and fresh, mixed with spices and something heavy, making the perfect mix of them. Suguru was laser-focused on Satoru’s cursed energy, comforting him even when it pressured him from all sides, inescapable. It felt like a weighted blanket, keeping him settled in his skin.

Satoru nudged his way into the bed, Suguru shifting to give him more space. Satoru hummed, wrapping his arms around Suguru and pulling Suguru into his chest, his heat making Suguru go limp. If Suguru was a cat, Satoru was his catnip. He wanted anything to get close to him, and the high it gave him was something addictive. 

Suguru didn’t know why his past self gave this up. It was everything he wanted. His past self was certainly more determined than him to let this go, but Suguru wasn’t all of that person. He could have this without anything souring it. 

“What are you thinking about?”

Satoru mumbled from behind him, nosing his way at Suguru’s neck, uncaring how his hair got in the way. Satoru’s breath on his neck made his skin tingle as if he was shocked. Suguru had to fight not to react, but he couldn’t stop the slight jump of his heart. 

Suguru murmured back, the atmosphere comfortable and warm, not wanting to shatter it.

“Nothing.”

Satoru didn’t seem to think so.

“Really? You had this smile on your face that said something different.”

Suguru shot back with an easy grin, “You must be seeing things. It’s your age finally getting to you.”

Satoru huffed a quiet laugh, “I’m twenty-eight, you dick. We’re the same age.”

Suguru shrugged, purposefully not throwing off Satoru, “Does it matter? You’re the one with white hair, old man.”

Suguru jerked when Satoru bit him on his shoulder in response, “Did you just bite me?”

Satoru only smiled smugly, clicking his teeth in response.

“You’re just imagining things in your old age.”

Suguru smirked wide and reversed their positions, pinning Satoru to the bed and straddling him. Satoru only smirked up at him, not fighting that hard with his hands above his head. Suguru knew it would be child's play for him to activate Infinity and throw Suguru off without even a twitch, but with Satoru letting him through, it felt like flying. Suguru leaned down, hair brushing Satoru’s fair skin. 

“Those are fighting words, Satoru. Are you sure you want to go through with them?”

Satoru smirked, blue eyes swirling and luminescent with his amusement. Suguru had to fight the breathless feeling those eyes always brought out in him. They held the stars, and every time Suguru wanted to study their constellations and connect their existence to the man who contained the entire universe in his eyes.

“Shouldn’t I be saying that,” Satoru leaned forward, face close to his, close enough to feel his breath on his lips, “old man?”    

Suguru only pressed harder on the pinned limbs, “That’s it.”

Satoru laughed loud and bright, the two grown men wrestling on the bed, trying to one-up the other. Suguru put Satoru in a hold, but Satoru immediately shimmied out of it like a weasel, as if he didn’t have any bones. 

They stopped when Satoru finally managed to get Suguru into a choke hold, not tight but tightened playfully when Suguru tried to wiggle his way out. Satoru was sitting on his back and placed his feet on his wrists, leaning over to keep his arm around Suguru’s neck. Suguru sagged into the bed, giving up. 

“Get off me, asshole.”

“What do you say, Suguru.”

Satoru whispered in Suguru’s ear, and Suguru fought off the tremble, “...Please.”

Satoru hummed, satisfied, and released Suguru from his hold. Suguru turned his back to the mattress, rubbing his neck with a playful frown. Satoru laughed at his expression, elbow on the pillow, leaning on his hand, on his side. He poked Suguru’s frown with a chuckle.

“What’s got you so annoyed?”

Suguru didn’t dine to answer him, huffing and turning to his side, making Satoru not see his face. Satoru laughed again, and they returned to where they started but more relaxed than before. They didn’t say anything else, a silent understanding going through them. They didn’t need words to understand each other. 

Satoru’s arms started to slack in a way that meant he was a minute or so away from sleep. Suguru didn’t sleep, waiting for Satoru to go to sleep before he started healing his soul. Satoru was always curious about how he used his new technique. Suguru knew he would get no sleep if he saw Suguru using it. Satoru was like a kid with a new toy, unable to let it go without satisfying his curiosity. Suguru didn’t mind it, but he would rather Satoru go to sleep than ask questions about the technique. 

Suguru studied the internal image of his soul, going through every millimeter of his soul. He fixed the early errors he made, patching up parts that would deteriorate in the future, sending more cursed energy to reinforce the foundations of his soul. He smoothed out the edges, lining up his soul with his body as if carefully setting down the last puzzle piece in a puzzle. 

He looked everything over, trying to see any faults or cracks, any signs of damage. Suguru took a deep breath, eyes closed, and made the changes, fully healing his soul. 

For a second, he felt his cursed energy click, everything becoming smoother, and the numbness that plagued his limbs seemed to disappear. It was like he was running with a broken engine, and when it was fixed, he started to run better and with more efficiency.

Then his breath was knocked out of his chest, skin almost too small for his body, bones feeling as if they were going to break through his muscles and skin. His guts rolled, his eyes unfocusing, his brain trying to understand what was happening. His blood boiled, and his heart pumped harder than ever before. Images flashed across his mind, the mists in his mind dispersing, but they only let in the light he couldn’t hide from, burning through everything they touched.

Suguru tried to breathe, but his body didn’t want to listen to him, jerking without his input. He felt something wet on his face but didn’t have the presence of mind to care. All Suguru could do was try and curl up, but even that failed when his muscles failed to constrict.

Suguru absently felt something shaking his shoulder, ears unable to pick up anything aside from a warm voice and presence. 

Satoru.          

Suguru tried to speak, but the only thing that escaped was a whimper, something that he would never let loose in the right mental space, but he lost all the facilities to care. He let his head fall on Satoru, conscious but not. He felt distant fear, not knowing what was happening to him(Or knew but to out of it to understand), but couldn't do anything about it. He felt Satoru touch him but couldn’t tell where with every sensation overpowering the nerves in his body, everything becoming a jittery mess. It was overwhelming, and he wished he could just pass out.  

The black of his vision came too fast, and Suguru couldn't even see Satoru’s face, something he wanted more than anything. He took what he could, the touch and far-off concern. He went limp, brain shutting down, only hoping he wouldn’t die on Satoru a second time. 

“Shokooo!”

Shoko jerked up from her sleep. The tangible fear and desperation in Satoru’s voice made Shoko go into a flight-or-fight response. There were only a few times when Satoru had gotten that loud and emotional, and all of them were for Suguru. 

Her mind was instantly awake, jumping up and only barely remembering to pull in a sweater over her sleep shirt. She sprinted out of her room, passing the students who were also awoken by Satoru’s shout. They were stunned and confused, but Shoko had no time to comfort them. She sped to Satoru’s voice, but Satoru came to her, bright eyes wild and worried. He skidded to a stop, ever so gentle with the being in his arms. 

Suguru was in his arms, shivering and trembling out of his damn skin, blood pouring from his nose, coating the lower half of his face and part of his chest. There was blood on Satoru’s shirt, vivid against the white of the cloth. Suguru was making noises of pain, teeth gritted, and his chest stuttered as if struggling to breathe. His head was on Satoru’s shoulder, and that didn’t make the scene any better, blood soaking himself along with Satoru.

Satoru was trying to comfort Suguru, hand cradling Suguru’s head, but Suguru either didn’t feel it or was already passed out from the pain. Shoko was going for the second. 

Shoko immediately looked over Suguru, “What happened?” 

Satoru shrugged, not looking as nonchalant as he probably wished, concern and tension highlighting his face.  

“I don’t know. I was asleep but woke up to this. There was nothing wrong before.”

Shoko nodded and jerked her head to her office, uncaring how the students looked at them. They stared at Suguru, even with some concern, not used to seeing someone so powerful at their worst. They all knew that Suguru was injured in some way, but they didn’t seem to understand it before. Yaga ran up the stairs, locking onto Suguru’s form, eyes wide with dark surprise and concern. Choso was only frowning, but even he didn’t know how to feel about one of their strongest so painfully injured. 

“Let’s go.”

Satoru nodded, not taking his eyes off Suguru, blue eyes clear to see. They looked at Suguru with enough emotion that even Shoko felt as if she was intruding but ignored it for the bigger issue. They bounded down the stairs, Satoru careful not to jostle Suguru. 

Shoko threw open the door and pulled out a metal table, throwing a throw pillow onto it. Satoru set Suguru down on the table, fingers jerking, wanting to keep him in his grasp. Shoko didn’t even bother trying to kick Satoru out, knowing it was a losing battle. Shoko put her hands on Suguru’s chest, activating her technique. 

“Come on, Suguru. You’re not dying again. Not if I can help it.”  

Suguru didn’t answer, head tilted to the side, head pillowed by the throw pillow. Blood started to trickle onto the metal, casting a garish scene to anyone else. His skin was pale and clammy, hair sticking to his forehead where the sweat gathered. His eyes rolled behind his eyelids, breathing unpredictably. Satoru had a hand on Suguru’s head, mouth murmuring words Shoko couldn’t hear. Satoru carded through his hair with a shaking hand, uncaring for the blood he was covered in. 

If anything else, she would give it her all to not let Satoru see Suguru die again. Not like she wanted to see it either, but Satoru’s meltdown would be way worse than hers. 

Suguru better survive because if he didn’t, Shoko didn’t think Japan would have an East coast in the future.

Shoko gave one last look at Satoru before she started, concentrating on Suguru, and his failing body cursed energy all over the place. Satoru leaned his forehead against Suguru’s, Shoko thinking she saw Suguru lean into the gesture, but it was probably unrelated. Satoru whispered, voice raw and scared, more fragile than Shoko had ever heard him speak. 

“You gave me your word. Don’t make yourself a liar, Suguru.”

Chapter Text

Suguru’s body was failing.

His cursed energy was rampaging through his body, almost like it was attacking unseen pathogens in his body tissue. His brain was overheating because it was the center of his cursed energy output, and Shoko could only direct his cursed energy in less harmful ways. It was why Satoru was reacting the way he was, fully aware of how Suguru’s body was lashing against Suguru’s own energy. He could see it in 40/20 vision, unable to do anything. 

He could use the Reverse Cursed Technique, but only for himself. He still couldn’t figure out how to do it with other people since he could control it almost perfectly with the help of Six Eyes. It was an instinct for him, how to use a cursed technique without much of the effort other people had to do, the Six Eyes a cheat key for most everything involving Jujutsu. But not with healing other people. Shoko was the best option, so Satoru could only watch Suguru’s body try to kill itself. 

Satoru had Suguru’s hand in a death grip, and Shoko didn’t try and separate him. 

Shoko repaired the damage as it happened, but it wouldn’t solve anything until the tsunami of cursed energy stopped trying to overwhelm Suguru’s body. Shoko was careful with Suguru’s brain since she couldn’t heal everything without fear of side effects. Shoko only had to outlast Suguru’s cursed energy stores and knew that would take a while. Suguru’s cursed energy pool was almost as large as Satoru’s, and Shoko couldn’t remember a time when his cursed energy ran out. 

The Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique was famous for its low cursed energy usage. Suguru only needed cursed energy to call out his already conquered curses, and that didn’t take much, since every curse had its own stores to tap into. And added to that, Suguru was an expert in cursed energy manipulation, reinforcing his body with its application. These two things weren’t energy intensive, so Suguru never needed to dig deep for cursed energy. It was always at his fingertips, an ever-present well of power.

Shoko, when in the midst of trying to keep Suguru from imploding, felt something amiss, or more accurately, something odd. His cursed energy was almost trying to seep into his cells, as if trying to reinforce the body and missing entirely, using too much cursed energy. An idea landed in her head and didn’t doubt her gut.

“Satoru, go get me talisman arrays for accumulating cursed energy.”

Satoru stared at her like she was crazy, which she would have more words for if they weren’t watching their friend die. 

“Wha-”

Shoko cut him off without a care, voice clipped and tense. 

“Suguru’s power is killing him. I won’t ask again.”

Satoru took one glance at Suguru and nodded, teleporting away. Shoko kept Suguru as stable as she could, with Satoru getting the talismans she needed, but Suguru wasn’t making it easy for her. She kept most of her technique around his more vulnerable organs, such as his lungs, heart, and brain, and she could see Suguru breathe easier when she did so. 

Shoko put a hand on Suguru’s forehead, feeling the heat waft off him, body burning up. She knew no medication would stop this since it had nothing to do with normal physiology. She debated whether to make an ice bath to cool the man down before he burned from the inside when Satoru came back, a few different talismans in his hands. 

Shoko didn’t say anything, spotting the specific ones she wanted. She put the talismans in the correct spots to create circulation, one on his forehead, chest, wrists, and ankles. Shoko breathed out in relief, feeling his cursed energy start to dim. His cursed energy was still agitated and went through his body like a flood, but it wasn’t a tsunami like before. This was manageable, so Shoko got to heal the tissue damaged by his cursed energy. Suguru calmed down, his breathing returning to a healthy range, and his heart didn’t want to burst out of his chest anymore.  

“What’s happening to him?”

Shoko didn’t look at Satoru, who was still shaken up, eyes trained on Suguru, watching everything inside his body. Shoko would bet she saw her technique heal all the damaged tissues and Suguru’s cursed energy still trying to rampage.

“It’s a cursed energy equivalent of a fever. I don’t know what set off, but from what I see, Suguru’s cursed energy is trying to purge everything that doesn’t originally belong in his body. And with Kenjaku’s previous possession, it would mean it’s trying to purge even the slightest bit of his leftover influence in Suguru’s body. It latched onto the fact it’s unnatural and must be eliminated, even if it harms Suguru.”

Satoru lips thinned, not enjoying the answer. Satoru studied Suguru, searching for the influence Kenjaku left behind. Satoru squinted, and Shoko went back to work. She spent two hours stabilizing Suguru enough that she was no longer afraid he would die in the next second. Suguru was still pale, but he wasn’t deathly pale like before. The bleeding stopped after placing the talismans on Suguru, but it still caked his face and neck, starting to flake. Since Shoko was working on saving Suguru, Satoru cleaned off the blood with some alcohol wipes nearby.

Shoko took her hands off and sighed, carding a hand through her hair. She needed a cigarette. Shoko looked to Satoru, who was staring down at Suguru as if seeing something else. Shoko sighed, grabbing a lollipop so she wouldn’t let into the temptation of nicotine. 

“He’s going to be fine, Satoru.”

Satoru looked at Shoko, silent, but his eyes showed how much he was feeling. Shoko tapped the corner of her eyes, and Satoru flicked open his glasses and placed it over his eyes, purposefully hiding his eyes. 

“How long should he be asleep?”

Shoko shrugged, “Until his cursed energy finishes its job. We can only wait. Think of it as a coma if it makes you feel better.”

“It doesn’t.”

Satoru sighed and all but collapsed at Suguru’s side, having dragged a chair next to Suguru an hour ago. Satoru put his arms on the table, putting his head onto them, face next to Suguru’s still one. Satoru hadn’t changed out of his blood-soaked top and blood-splattered pants and didn’t seem to care enough about them to leave Suguru’s side. They would have to move Suguru to a more comfortable spot. A metal table wasn’t the best resting place, but that could wait a few more minutes. Suguru wasn’t going to wake up today, and Shoko wasn’t expecting him to in the next few days, either. She slowed the rampant purging, but it would still be hard on Suguru’s body. She wouldn’t give any estimates because those two always manage to subvert her expectations. 

“Need anything?”

Shoko asked Satoru, who she knew wouldn’t want to leave his spot in the next twenty minutes. Satoru grunted, tired, but wouldn’t sleep. 

“A shot or two.”

“You’re a lightweight.”

“That's why I’m asking.”

Shoko raised an eyebrow but shook her head and exited the room. She looked at the people who gathered in the living room, rubbing her face in consequence. Yaga walked up to her, a deep frown on her face, not hiding the look at her office. 

“How is he?”

Shoko was exhausted, entering the kitchen and returning with a few granola bars and water bottles. 

“Alive. Will continue to be, but it was touch and go in places.”

Yaga breathed out in relief, probably worried he would lose his former student a third time. 

“Do you know the cause?”

Shoko nodded, “Pretty sure that it was his body fighting the leftover of Kenjaku’s influence. He will be fine after he sweats it out. Now, if you excuse me-”

Shoko entered her office again, throwing a water bottle at Satoru’s head, which he caught without looking up. He did look at the bottle, scrunching up his nose but downing it after a second. He finished it, using blue to twist it into more negligible waste, throwing it in the trash can. Satoru returned right back to his previous spot, head down and in his arms. 

They stayed silent, watching Suguru’s chest go up and down. 

Shoko still had his blood on her hands. 

“I almost lost him again.”

Satoru’s words were muffled by his arms, and Shoko hummed in agreement. Satoru’s fists were tightening, shoulders trembling. If Satoru could, Shoko knew he would be crying but all Satoru knew was how to shake, never allowing him something as weak as tears. 

“And I couldn’t do anything.”

Shoko still didn’t say anything, knowing Satoru just wanted to say it out loud and not get comforted by Shoko. Shoko wasn’t the best with bedside manners, but she had tact. Satoru chuckled thinly. 

“It can’t be anything but dramatic with him, is there?”

Shoko smirked slightly, “Yeah, always has to be the center of attention, the drama queen.”

“Such an asshole.”

They fell quiet, the only sound in the room was Suguru’s breathing, eyes closed and head tilted to the side.

“What are you going to do now, Satoru?”

Satoru tightened his fists with more force, tight enough that Shoko thought he might draw blood. His cursed energy was gathering around him, shaking the air.

“Shoko, is that priestess person the kids talked about still at large?”

Shoko nodded, remembering the description of the person who helped Kenjaku leave Shibuya without more damage. Shoko wondered when Satoru would ask, but she figured he wouldn’t want to go for long to track her down with Suguru still wounded. Didn’t want to leave him while awake. Now, with Suguru out for the count for who knows how long, Satoru didn’t have the option to ignore the slight(to him) threat.

Or more likely, he was pissed and needed a decent outlet.

Shoko knew Satoru already made up his mind, but she tried to reach him with logic.

“You sure you want to go out there? Suguru would want you to be here when he wakes up.”

Satoru tenses, shoulders hunched over.

“You said it yourself, he isn’t going to wake up soon.”

Shoko sighed, knowing Satoru would spiral if he kept thinking like that. 

“I didn’t say that. I said he was in a coma. Some comas don’t even last a day.”

Satoru straightened, face blank, not looking at Shoko.

“Then I will be back before the day ends. It’s not like it will take long.”

Shoko studied Satoru, who reached out a hand to twirl some of Suguru’s black hair, some strands matted with his blood. She shook her head, knowing when she should stop trying. 

“Then help me set Suguru up in your guys’ room. Get him comfortable.”

Satoru nodded, standing up and taking Suguru into his arms, Suguru’s head lolling to the side, unconscious, and didn’t even stir with the touch. He was out cold. Shoko would go up there soon after she gathered all the equipment to set up an IV and heartbeat monitor, so she let Satoru help. Before Satoru left the room, probably not wanting to teleport and risk missing up the talismans and Suguru’s fragile state, Shoko spoke. 

“And take a shower before you go out. You look like a horror show.”

Satoru finally seemed to glance at himself and winced, understanding Shoko’s point. Shoko heard Satoru talk to his students, everything muddled by the distance, so she couldn’t hear any specifics, but it seemed like some of them were concerned about Suguru, at least to a degree. 

Satoru would be slightly happy at that, at least. He needs some bright emotions right now. 

Satoru was fucking pissed. 

To be more accurate, he was pissed that he could do nothing about the feeling of uselessness, and that turned into an unwavering anger that only grew hotter the longer he looked at Suguru’s still form. There was always something to take away his happiness, and he wanted to kill something to make the feeling vanish. 

Most of the time, he had a target for his anger, but now, with Suguru collapsing without reason(that he knew), he had no one to direct his ire at. He usually aimed his anger at the higher-ups or some poor curse that hurt his students, but now he had no one. So he picked the next best target. The priestess sorcerer or curse, Satoru didn’t care which, Sukuna knew and Kenjaku had a deal with, was the best target. Too dangerous to be left alone any longer and seemed strong enough to survive a few seconds more than other beings. 

Satoru would have gone for the elders first in any other situation, but he didn’t.

Suguru would be pissed when he woke up if he didn’t help, and Satoru is looking forward to killing them all with Suguru. Wouldn’t be the same without him there. 

So the priestess it was!

If he spotted any special grades, or maybe even grade ones, he would slaughter them with less care. He wanted to hurt and didn’t want his students in the crossfire. He wouldn't feel settled until some of his anger could be soothed, but with the mess of emotions in his chest, that wouldn’t be for a while. 

He did say he would be back in a day, so he would, needing that time to cool off and try not to traumatize his already traumatized students. But seeing Suguru that pale, covered in his own blood, reminded him of the last time he spoke to Suguru in that alley. He was brought back to a time when the air was chilly, the breeze calm and the sun going down, casting deep shadows. 

A true smile edged in sadness and a chuckle and words, then more blood. 

He hated to think about that time of his life, finally healing from the scar that time caused on his soul. But with Suguru all but dead on a metal table Satoru took him from, it ripped apart the scar tissue and reopened the infected wound. 

There was a nervous energy in his chest, his fingers trembling, breathing coming out in puffs, feeling close to breaking down. Satoru covered that in anger, an emotion he was more familiar with, letting the cold feeling freeze his brain. He let the frigid logical anger take the reins, knowing if he entered a fight in that state, he would make stupid mistakes he didn’t want to deal with. 

The shower helped with a fraction of what he felt, more in his skin instead of trying to escape it. He put on his uniform, something he hadn’t worn in a week, familiar over his skin. He felt less like Satoru and more like The Strongest. Something he was but didn’t feel comfortable to think about. 

He shed the light, easy-going personality, cold ruthlessness taking its place. He was not in the mood to wear a smile.

He walked into their room and saw Shoko inside. Satoru avoided his students, not in the correct mental space to try and say he was alright. He was the farthest thing from alright. He almost saw Suguru die again, and if Shoko hadn’t been there, he would most likely have died. 

Satoru could kill and overpower with only a flick of a finger, but heal? Killing was easy, but healing was anything but. 

Suguru was lying on their bed, an IV line in his arm and a heartbeat monitor on the side. The beeps would be annoying if they weren’t telling him Suguru was alive. His eyes were closed and only faintly moved with his diaphragm expanding. Shoko turned to glance at him, judgment in her eyes when she looked him over. 

Satoru knew how she felt about his coping mechanisms, but Satoru was used to it. She had seen him like this too many times to be surprised. 

“Are you going to speak to your students?”

Satoru shook his head, and Shoko’s judgment grew larger. He touched Suguru’s arm, still warm but nothing like before when he was smiling and content just hours before. His heart hurt at the thought, so he took his hand away. Something told him to not leave, keep Suguru company even if he didn’t realize it. But another part told him to kill, slaughter, massacre. To see blood and bathe in it, to satisfy the urges he never lets see the light of day. With Suguru still unable to speak to him, to tell him it was alright, the urges were harder to ignore. 

He would take a day to cool off, knowing they were unneeded when Suguru was bedbound. He didn’t want to be set off and blow everyone sky-high. The anger needed to be let out before the pressure was too much. 

“Tell them I’m going to hunt some curses.”

“Hm.”

Shoko still judged Satoru heavily but knew him too well to stop him. Satoru didn’t say what else she would say to his students, uncaring how they would take the news. He wasn’t in the mindset to care about what other people thought of him. All he wanted to do right now was to let loose. To stretch the muscles he always had to keep them locked away. He would still hide his residuals, but with the amount of damage that would be inflicted, no one would doubt it was Satoru Gojo who did the deed.

“Do try to not scare the kids too bad.”

Satoru turned his back and waved at her, “I’ll try.”

He warped away, unwilling to hear what Shoko would say next. 

Satoru’s feet touched Shibuya’s leveled ground, seeing blood and dirt. He looked at the residuals of the past, the Six Eyes seeing more than anyone else. Most thought cursed energy residuals disappeared after a few days, but that wasn’t the case. It was just that their senses were too weak to see them.

Satoru didn’t have that problem. He saw and felt the residuals as if they were grains of sand, even months old at times. 

It was why Satoru didn’t try to look too hard in the Tokyo area, in fear that he would see Suguru’s residuals. 

Being in Jujutsu High was like hell after he left, every turn reminding him of what he lost. 

Satoru let the thoughts ricochet in his head, studying the ground, seeing the residuals of a large ice attack. 

Found her.

“Come in.”

Shoko sat at Suguru’s bedside, book in hand, glasses on her face. She didn’t need to see the three heads looking through the doorway to know who they were. The first years trailed in, hesitant and quiet, as if being loud would wake Suguru. Suguru wouldn't wake up if a herd of elephants trampled the room, but Shoko appreciated the sentiment. Not everyone had the common sense to keep quiet while people were healing, especially loudmouth sorcerers. 

“Is he-?”

Shoko hummed, snapping the book closed and putting it on the bedside table. She saw a few personal artifacts of both Satoru and Suguru. A few hair ties, a pair of black-out sunglasses, a bag of candy, along with two phone chargers. Domestic as fuck, but that only made the situation hit harder. 

“He’s gonna be fine, like I said before.”

Yuji looked at Suguru with an unsure look, and Shoko could understand what he saw would make him think differently. Each limb with a talisman, half of his face covered with one and pale as death, sweating as if it would all be solved if his body dehydrated itself first. Satoru may have cleaned off all his blood, but no one could forget how Suguru was before, limp and trembling, as if in death throes in Satoru’s arms. 

Megumi looked around, trying to see any sign of his teacher. Shoko inwardly sighed, not looking forward to this conversation. 

“Where’s Gojo?”

Nobara nodded, recently not needing her crutches, and even acquired a stylized eyepatch, ready to fight after a few more days rest. Yuji wanted to know, too, by his inquisitive eyes. Shoko had already assumed they knew about Satoru’s and Suguru’s feelings, especially after she gave Megumi that hint, so Shoko knew this would be hard to speak about without crossing any lines. 

Shoko waved at the window, “Off killing things. He’ll be back sooner or later.”

Yuji was confused, gesturing to Suguru’s still form, “Wouldn’t he-you know-be here?”

Shoko grumbled under her breath, the annoyance bubbling to the surface. She knew how the two operated, but this kind of shit was the reason they still were oblivious to the other's feelings. It was because they couldn’t logically go through their emotions and figure out when something was too much and that they were only pushing the other away. She knew it wasn’t all their fault, most of it coming from how they were raised and different experiences, but at some point, they had to learn that it would only hurt in the long run. The only good thing about this situation is that Suguru was unconscious and couldn’t know that Satoru was not at his side.

It had never been this bad before, but it was a different circumstance and Satoru never had to sit on the sidelines like this. Most of the times Suguru had gotten injured in Jujutsu High, Satoru stayed by him, mostly to annoy him, but to also make sure he was alright. But then, Satoru was at his side to keep him from more fatal injuries, but now, Satoru could do nothing. It must hurt the man, knowing even his god-like power could do nothing.

“He’s… taking time to cool off.”

Yuji and Nobara didn’t understand, confused as to why Satoru would leave, but Megumi seemed to have an inkling of an idea, even if he was still as confused as his friends. Nobara spoke, face heavy with judgment. Shoko knew she was more attuned to this whole ideal, seeing how the two’s relationship was strenuous and fragile in this state. 

“And he couldn’t do that any other time? His best friend is hurt, and he’s not here to take care of him?”

Nobara seemed to take this harder than Shoko thought, Yuji trying to make excuses for their teacher, but even his voice was weak. Megumi stayed silent, but his eyes were narrowed, probably inwardly admonishing his guardian. 

Great, now Shoko had to defend her dumbass of a friend. She knew how it looked. She felt the same as well but for a different reason. 

Shoko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She took off her reading glasses, setting them on her forgotten book. 

“There are some things you kids don’t know.”

“What, like Gojo loving Geto?”

Shoko didn’t jerk her head to Nobara, who spoke with a scowl. Shoko, just to make sure, glanced at Suguru, seeing he didn’t react at all, still unaware of the conversation. She wanted the two to get together already, but there were lines she didn’t cross. She never bluntly told the boys what the others felt. She had her moral code, and one of them was that she wouldn’t interfere with other people's problems unless it personally involved her. If one of them asked for her opinion of how the other felt, she would give them more tangible proof, but they never did. She knew they should figure it out themselves, knowing if it happened any other way, there would be repercussions. Repercussions that would probably with heads rolling. 

Shoko looked between the kids, shaking her head subtly. 

“No. That’s part of it, but I think you kids figured that out already.”

Megumi spoke for the first time, “Then what?”

Shoko pursed her lips, thinning them. She jumped to a conversation that they would understand. At least, in a way, they would understand emotionally. 

“Fushiguro, how did you feel when you thought Itadori died?”

Megumi scowled, “What does that have anything to do with this?”

Shoko stared at Megumi, the boy meeting her gaze with steel.

“Answer the question.”

Megumi shrugged, distinctly uncomfortable. Shoko didn’t speak, staring the boy down, the unspoken understanding that Shoko wouldn’t continue until Megumi spoke. 

“It didn’t feel good. Sad and all that.”

Shoko gestured for more, “One word to describe it. The situation in how everything happened.”

Megumi muttered, voice low, not looking at Yuji, “Powerless.”

Shoko nodded, knowing that was the case. All sorcerers felt the same when they left a situation they had no control over. 

“Powerless is a good word. It’s also a word you can never say in the same sentence as Satoru. He isn’t used to feeling it, and that translates to anger in his mind. I told you he’s cooling off. I mean that literally. I bet he’s ripping apart Special Grades at this very moment, trying to exhaust the anger in his system.”

“He’s throwing a temper tantrum.”

Shoko chuckled without humor, “That’s another word for it. But know that if Satoru stayed still for a single more moment, feeling useless here, he… I don’t have a good word for it, but he shut down. You don’t want to see him like that. Satoru knows, too, so that’s why he left without speaking to you guys. In his mind, he probably didn’t want to traumatize you anymore.”

Shoko smiled slightly, “He’ll be back. Probably before nightfall, but don’t be surprised if he returns covered in blood. Purple or red, it’s all the same.”

Shoko shooed them away, “Suguru needs quiet. If you want to ask someone for more information, ask Yaga. He knows a lot, too.”

The three teenagers looked at each other and left without another word, aside from a goodbye from Nobara and Yuji.

Shoko leaned back into her chair, putting a hand over her eyes. She opened her fingers slightly to look at Suguru, now an adult and not the same growing teen she first met. If she knew what she did now, she would have tried her best to never get involved with those two hooligans. But now that she was in tight, she wouldn’t leave, even though it would make everything so much simpler. 

Despite everything, she was still ride or die. 

She despised her emotions even more after realizing that. 

Satoru stared at the pooling blood, red and purple mixing into a macabre painting. 

His shoes weren't stained even when he walked over the congealing liquid, darkening over time. His Infinity covered his body, an impenetrable force that even blood couldn’t get through. It didn’t stop the want to drop it just to feel the warmth leaving the liquid, to feel that he did kill all these beings with his power. Looked these beings in the eyes as he killed them without reacting, without mercy, because all mercy had left his body.

All that was left in his mind was bloodlust and cold fury. 

Satoru didn’t compress Infinity to only cover his skin, knowing that he would still have to return to his students. He didn’t want them to show how far he would go in a fit of rage. They would have an idea, but they wouldn’t know the scope. They didn’t see that Satoru had ravaged the curse and curse user population all across Japan. They didn’t need to know how many massacres Satoru had a hand in only hours. They knew he was the strongest. They didn’t need to know what that meant. 

Satoru chuckled, no humor to be found in his distant eyes. He looked down at the body parts strewn about, reminding him of the first time he activated Blue on a human being. 

There was a reason, even in childhood, assassins didn’t dare try and kill him, even with the reward. The first time an imploded assassin reached the ears of other assassins, they knew not to mess with him. 

If killing only a hundred and twelve humans labeled someone a Curse User, Satoru would have long since gained that dubious honor. 

His fury was still present, simmering in the back of his mind, but it was starting to cool, his emotions dulling. He would need to return soon since he achieved his goal of taking that priestess woman out of the picture. 

Pieces of her body would be found sooner or later, but he sorely doubted the authorities would be able to collaborate they all came from the same person. Satoru was pissed and didn’t care to keep it clean. She tried to run, but… no one could run from him for long. Her driveling about how Sukuna would kill him only annoyed him more, not helping her case in threatening him. Satoru knew he would win against Sukuna. It only made sense. 

Every generation of sorcerers had to be stronger than the other generation, even by slight differences. It was how power moved in the Jujutsu world. More power would be needed to usurp the powerful, and when they gathered their strength, the other generation would look to them and try and get more power to usurp them. It was how it worked. Sukuna may have been the King of Curses and also the strongest sorcerer a thousand years ago, but Satoru was the most powerful sorcerer since Sukuna was sealed. The power levels would have to be raised, and Satoru wouldn’t lose to a being that gathered power in a weaker time. 

Satoru tore through everything he saw, not stopping until he saw the sun start to set. He didn’t even realize it had been a day or so, mind going on pilot ever since killing that ice cursed technique user. Blast them, it, and anything between, mind going quiet until Satoru realized he should return soon. 

Everything felt numb, unfeeling. His mind was still in fight mode, reverse cursed technique going full power to keep his brain unfried. Satoru doesn't remember the last time he went on such a killing spree, the higher-ups threatening him every time he did, knowing they would lose power if he cut loose. It wasn’t cathartic to cut loose. He would much rather spar with Suguru, work up a sweat, and not show how much power he had without holding back. He wanted to work for his satisfaction, so this only felt like being overpowered in a beginner's area, slaughtering everything in sight. 

That deep feeling of uselessness came back, but instead of being replaced with anger, it stayed, a hole in his chest, hollow of feeling. 

Satoru dragged a hand through his white hair, not even moved by his rapid movement over the past twenty hours. With the reverse cursed technique, he wouldn’t feel tired, but emotionally, he felt like a raggedy shirt in a dryer. He needed to settle down.  

Satoru didn't feel like getting stared at by Shoko and the kids, so he directly teleported into Suguru’s room, feet hitting the ground with a quiet tap. Suguru was breathing, the evening sun hitting his face to shadow it. Satoru all but collapsed onto the chair nearby, the smell of Shoko’s perfume still in the air to show she was just there. 

Satoru scooted the chair closer to Suguru, hesitating, but gathered his courage to reach out and grab Suguru’s hand. Satoru put his index finger over his pulse, knowing the monitor showed his heartbeat, but he wanted to touch it himself. 

He remembered doing it with Suguru’s neck since Suguru didn’t have either arm anymore, fingers trembling, full well knowing he was gone. He watched Suguru’s cursed energy disappear and saw it evaporate and disperse into the atmosphere like a mist. He saw how the light left his eyes, the smile still on his face when his body cooled. 

Satoru grasped onto his wrist like a lifeline, telling himself Suguru was here, that he was alive. 

Satoru looked one last time around him, seeing everything in order. He took a deep breath and unraveled the reversed cursed technique, getting hit by a truck of exhaustion, brain firing too many synapses to be healthy.

He leaned his head against the sheets, knowing his back would hate him the morning, but he didn’t care. 

Satoru fell asleep by his one and only’s side, for once, not leaving his side.

He did that one too many times. He always thought it was Suguru who left him in the end, but it was him, too. He left Suguru’s life, not physically but mentally. He was the one who left first, even if he didn’t realize it. 

He wouldn’t make the same mistake. He had to. He finally got what he wanted, but this time, he would keep it. 

That was a vow.  

Chapter Text

Shoko walks into Suguru’s room, barely startled when she sees Satoru again, sleeping with his head in his arms, fluffy white hair above his blindfold. His back raised and fell with his breathing, calm but not relaxed, by the how his muscles twitch every so often. 

Shoko closed the door quietly, knowing Satoru probably hadn’t slept in over thirty hours and needed the sleep. No matter how light it was. 

She moved to the kitchen, the house atmosphere somber, quiet as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. The kids were quietly talking, as if not to raise their voices over murmuring. They were playing their video games, but even that didn’t help the overall feeling of a funeral home. 

Yaga was frowning over a map, hand on his chin, Choso at his side, collaborating on their information. They got along surprisingly well, considering Choso was held by the college for decades. Not many would not hold a grudge for that. 

“Satoru’s back.”

Yaga looked at her, relief tangible, while Choso nodded, shelving the information for later. Shoko pursed her lips, “He’s sleeping, so don’t bother him.”

“I understand, Shoko. I’ll have to grill him when he’s awake.”

Shoko tilted her head in acknowledgment, wondering if Satoru was in the mood to answer their old teacher’s questions. Probably not, but Yaga could try. Shoko moved back upstairs, knowing Yaga would inform the students. They were twitchier while Satoru was out, all white fury and rage. The students didn’t know what Satoru could do while angry, most not wanting to think of it, and Satoru didn’t want them to. Satoru wanted them to feel safe with him.

They might not feel safe with him if they saw how he could kill with ease. 

Shoko never felt jealous of Satoru’s power. It brought more problems than solutions, and she didn’t know how he did it, keeping a reign on a power so enormous it could destroy everything. The problem with having everything in the palm of your hand it was all too easy to crush it in their grasp.

Shoko opened the door a sliver, looking in to see Satoru at the same place he was before, not moved an inch. Shoko knew Satoru wouldn’t move from Suguru’s side after using special grades as a rage room. He wouldn’t be able to ignore his feelings, wanting to keep a 24/7 watch on Suguru in fear he would get worse. 

Shoko wasn’t looking forward to seeing Satoru mope again, trying to keep a brave face when all he wanted to do was eat ice cream and collapse into himself, unaware of the world and preferring it. Shoko couldn’t allow Satoru to shut down, even if Satoru could get himself out of it at any time, knowing his responsibilities. It was a matter of making Satoru realize there was still more out there and that people needed him for himself and not the The Strongest. 

Shoko glanced at Suguru and sighed. 

Suguru better wake up soon, or Shoko would have to get hands-on. Satoru was always better at taking care of other people instead of himself, and they both needed help. 

By god, they had problems. 

Satoru didn’t move from his spot, angling his face to look at Suguru's sleep. 

People would call him creepy if they spotted him, staring at the comatose form of his best friend. He took off his blindfold to see more accurately, blinking at the light, his white hair falling. He watched Suguru’s cursed energy continue its way with his body, the procession slowed but not stopped. He couldn’t help but focus on the energy, following the stream with his eyes, using them for what it was made for. 

He watched the cursed energy break down minuscule amounts of foreign cursed energy, so small that even Satoru had trouble seeing them. There were too many of those minute specks to count, and the best way to get rid of them was for Suguru’s body to do its job. 

It was just that they did their job in a shitty way. His body detected a threat and attempted to squash it with extreme prejudice, unaware that they would have doomed Suguru with its actions. 

Satoru followed the circulation of Suguru’s cursed energy, something soothing in the sight. 

Satoru glanced to his side, seeing an energy bar and another water bottle. His mouth was dry, something he had ignored for hours, enamored with Suguru’s very existence to care for something as mortal as water. Shoko dropped it off a few hours ago, not speaking, but patted Satoru on the shoulder after he dropped Infinity for a few seconds. 

Satoru downed it, his stomach rolling at nothing to digest except liquid, so Satoru took a bite of the energy bar, the most sugar as possible to be called healthy. Shoko knew him well, taking another bite of the bar. 

Satoru used blue to throw away the trash, not feeling like standing up and moving when he was perfectly happy where he was. 

Satoru collapsed back into his arms, exhaustion hanging behind his eyes but not feeling like napping. He could sleep later. Satoru angled his head on his arms, his cheek smushed against his forearm, white hair falling over his eyes, doing nothing to block his vision. 

He reached out slowly, brushing a hand against Suguru’s cheek, landing on his neck to feel his pulse, fingers calm despite his internal war. Satoru suddenly felt the inexplicable urge to speak, mouth running before he could think.

Satoru rambled a lot, but most of it was nonsense, to be purposefully annoying. He was more than aware of his reputation to be a pain in the ass. Most of it was him, but he played it up when he wanted to. He knew when to quit, but never stopped because he didn’t want to. Suguru was the only one who didn’t get annoyed when Satoru spoke, or at least, if it was amusing, then he didn’t care. 

“Hey Suguru, do you remember when we were on that mission where we had to stake out a bowling alley? Some kids made up a rumor that it was haunted to the rooftops and got so popular as an occult spot we were called in. There were no curses or hauntings, but when we were there, this group of paranormal investigators started to go through the place. It started when I was bored and used blue to throw an empty bottle behind them. They screamed like teen girls in a C-list movie. It was hilarious. Then you decided to up the ante and used your curses to make them think they were going mad.”

Satoru chuckled with humor, eyes filled with memories of the past. 

“We scared them so bad they left screaming. God, we laughed so hard I swear the neighbors heard us. That video from that group is still on the internet. There was a part where the camera spotted you and the video guy thought you were a yokai. Then we got chewed out by Yaga, somehow knowing we did something dumb. Shoko laughed at us.”

Satoru smiled, reminiscing about easier times when not everything sucked so bad. 

“Then there was that time we stole some of Shoko’s shitty beer, got drunk off our asses, and stole a cart from the local grocery store. I somehow convinced you to get in the cart and go down the steps from the college. We broke it and buried it on the college grounds. Think it’s still there.”

Satoru’s throat contracted, swallowing down the sadness attempting to escape his mouth. He moved the hand near his throat, poking Suguru’s cheek, trying to make it seem annoying and not a gesture to confirm he was still warm. 

Satoru would never have said this if Suguru was awake, unprepared for what Suguru would say. Satoru missed when he and Suguru could speak and not fear the other's reaction, afraid it would break their friendship for a second time. The easy conversation Satoru enjoyed in the past week was the first time in ten years he could speak and have someone volley back, on the same page as he was. 

“Suguru, why did you have to leave?”

Satoru took a calming breath, moving his hand to grasp Suguru’s clammy one, sweat from his fever still there. He thumbed Suguru’s calluses, something that would usually calm him but now only helped form the stone in his throat, remembering what he lost all those years ago.  

“I would have-”

Satoru closed his mouth with a click, breathing out of his nose with force, trying not to say anything he would regret.

“Do you know how many times I remember your words? How that if I killed you, there would be meaning? Wanna know?”

Satoru rubbed a circle in Suguru’s palm, “Every night. The dark reminds me of you. God, everything does. Every time I go out, I see something that would remind me of you. Your favorite book series. That chip brand you always bought. A new historical film because for some good forsaken reason, you loved that shit.”

Satoru laughs humorlessly, broken at the edges, “A few times a year, I would go to that mall we used to go to all the time. I would just walk around and see all the places we used to go. Do you know that place you love to eat at? The ramen shop? It closed down a few years ago, and I felt like it was just another thing I lost of you.”

Satoru wallowed in the memories of the time between Suguru’s defection and death, times when he was lonely despite having other people at his side. The space at his side was unnaturally cold when it used to be sweltering hot.

Satoru sat up and leaned on the bed with his elbows, looking down at Suguru’s face, peaceful. 

“After you died, I went to that crepe shop you were talking about the day you declared war. It was delicious. Gave Yuji and Megumi some, and they seemed to enjoy it. I just wanted… To know what you saw. What you must have seen after that day.”

Satoru unclasped his hands, fingers moving in Suguru’s loose hair. Suguru took out the braid to wash his hair, and Satoru pouted but was won over when Suguru gave him cookies. Satoru unconsciously started to braid Suguru’s hair, something he used to do in Jujutsu High when Suguru was getting on his last nerve, desperate to keep Satoru from bouncing off the wall in a sugar high. It started to become a thing after their first year, Suguru fashioning a different hairstyle every week and Satoru learning new ways to braid Suguru’s hair. 

It was a useful skill when Tsumiki wanted something different, but he could never braid hair without thinking of Suguru, the sole person who could make Satoru sit still. It was more of a comfort than Satoru thought, realizing he lost it after Suguru left. One more thing out of his life that brought him joy. 

Satoru’s voice was quiet, fragile at the corners. 

“Do you regret how everything went down, Suguru? Or do you regret how it came about? You never told me that day. And I was too… haaa.”

Satoru’s fingers didn’t stop moving, even when Satoru wanted to stop and sit in a corner and not speak for a week. He hadn’t spoken like this before, letting his soul out bare for someone to not realize it. There was only one way to his heart, and that spot had been filled the day he had seen purple and felt at home for the first time in his existence. 

“You chose your path, I guess. Just wished you realized I would have followed you. You were always my compass, and without you, I was lost. Or maybe you did and didn’t want me at your heels. Didn’t want the annoyance, I suppose.”

Satoru looked over Suguru’s face, dead to the world, unaware of Satoru’s words. He had contained all these words in his mind for ten years, and now they were finally escaping him. 

“We could have been the strongest together. How we always wanted. You could have taught at Jujutsu High and could have annoyed the fuck out of Shoko with me. What happened to the time when we could always speak without tension? I don’t know when you started to leave me when you started to become distant. Maybe that’s my fault for not noticing, but…” 

Satoru leaned over Suguru’s face, eyes closed, and didn’t react to Satoru being so close. Suguru might have picked up a fuss about Satoru being in his personal space, but Satoru had done so since they were teens, and Suguru had gotten used to it. 

Suguru loved his personal space, and Satoru loved Suguru’s personal space as well. 

“Could it have been so hard for you that you couldn’t tell me? I would have understood, you know. That you wanted to leave. I didn’t judge Nanami for leaving. In fact, I encouraged it. I knew how much Nanami hated sorcery after… If you wanted to leave and not look back, I would have helped you. Sure, I would be sad not to be the strongest with you, but I would rather you have stayed in my life instead of becoming a criminal out of it.”

Satoru pressed his forehead to Suguru’s, letting out a deep breath. It calmed him, being next to Suguru when, for so long, he was so far from him. Satoru chuckled, deeply sullen. 

“You know, after you left, I realized you never gave your word for long-term commitments. Never made promises you weren’t sure you could keep. When I was young, I just thought that was because you weren’t sure you would be alive then, killed by a curse or some shit. Now, I don’t know if that was what you thought. Maybe you knew, in some deep part of yourself, you wouldn’t be around to keep those promises if you made them.” 

Satoru cupped Suguru’s face, gesture gentle, skin barely brushing skin. 

“But did you know you did make a promise to me? The day you left for that mission, I managed to corner you and bothered you so much you promised to get me a souvenir. You never gave it to me, selfish bastard.”

Satoru returned, sitting in the chair, head aimed at the ceiling. The monitor continued to beep, and Satoru could feel Suguru’s cursed energy move throughout his body, but it didn’t help the overbearing feeling of silence. Satoru hated silence, and if there was no noise, he would create some of his own to drown out his thoughts with distractions. The silence made it ever so present that there was no one to break it, to make Satoru keep from the buzzing in his eyes. 

“You better wake up, Suguru. I won’t forgive you if you don’t.”

Satoru whispered to himself, small and soft, allowing himself to be honest with himself, finally letting his genuine feelings be aired. 

“I don’t want to be alone again.” 

Maki was more than aware that most didn’t know the range of her senses.

After Mai’s death and the slaughter of the Zen’in clan, Maki's senses and strength exploded exponentially. She tried not to listen to private conversations, but it was hard sometimes, especially when the house was quiet. 

She was aware of the looks Gojo and Geto shared, senses keyed into looking at any sign of weakness and exploits, but at times, she couldn’t stand it. She heard Megumi’s talk with Shoko and then with the other first years, only confirming what she thought before. Inumaki, Panda, and Yuuta were still in the dark about their teacher’s relationship with the curse user and wanted to smack them upside the head for being so oblivious but aware they weren’t observative in that case. She wasn’t sure what the Death Womb Painting thought about the situation, but she knew Yaga was more than aware of the circumstances between the special grades. 

She caught him looking at the two men with old guilt and knowing eyes. Yaga looked at the two like a father who knew what he lost and wanted to have back. Maki had known Yaga had been the two’s teacher, but it was never hammered in until now. She didn’t like to think that the man Yaga taught along with Gojo would have gone off the rails. That Yaga was guilty of it ever happening. Maki didn't know how close the three old classmates were until Geto came into their lives again. 

This Geto was the same yet different from the man who almost fatally injured her with crazed eyes and insanity in his soul. Hate clouding in his voice with every word, only unhinged confidence, and ideals powering him. 

This Geto was still an asshole but was more down-to-earth, more present and calm. He was more likely to smirk with amusement than with slyness, somehow less like a man with murder in his ledger and more like an old friend. And Maki could see him softening whenever Gojo was around, almost like the man she first met was nowhere to be found. She remembered the day Geto declared war, how he looked at Gojo with guarded eyes but still seemed fond, all the same when looking at the white-haired sorcerer. 

She heard from Yuuta the last time they met up, before the first years came to Jujutsu High, that they were best friends, Gojo and Geto. Obviously, she knew the rumors, but she wasn’t sure if they were true. Propaganda from the higher-ups mixed up the truth from the lies, and she just thought it was a tactic to demean Gojo without pushing it. She didn’t expect it to be true.

She didn’t realize there was more to the story. 

Maki should have figured that was the case because nothing was simple in this life, always something behind closed doors that most weren’t dined to be told. 

Maki should have realized there was more to the story when Gojo didn’t move, even if they were in Geto’s range. Gojo’s power didn’t have the range limit Geto had. He could have easily killed Geto when he flew away, but he didn’t. 

Maki realized it was Gojo not wanting to kill Geto, even if he threatened their lives. At that time, he was serious, grave in a way Maki hadn’t seen since, all quiet, distinctly not anything like the Satoru Gojo she came to know. 

When Geto appeared, and Gojo told everyone to get along, she didn’t believe it. A man with that sort of insanity wouldn’t change so easily. She had seen it in his eyes, the calling of destruction lighting his aura, his very existence calling to kill and destroy. All Maki remembered of Geto during her fight with him was that he wouldn’t back down until she was bleeding and wouldn’t stop until she was down for good. Crazed ideals powered him, and Maki was sure she would see that again. 

She didn’t, only seeing a calm man who liked to cook and didn’t seem bothered by Gojo’s antics, more likely to join him in them than tell him to knock it off.  After the first few days, she started to understand that Geto wouldn’t do anything, evidenced by how he hung off Gojo’s every word like it was the gospel. He tried to hide it, but Maki never saw him deny Gojo for long, playing hard to get but wanting to get caught. 

Maki wasn’t sure if this was Geto only knowing Gojo(Somehow. That still hasn’t been explained, and she doubts even Gojo knows why.) and without the rest of his memories. Or was this the true personality of the man who tried to kill them all? Was the previous persona just a facade or a piece of the puzzle that was Suguru Geto? 

She wasn’t sure what she would feel if that was the truth, but it could also just be Geto not remembering to be like he was in the past, memories poisoning the present to react in some way. She knew if she forgot everything, she would be different, not remembering the events that shaped her to be the woman she is today. 

She put aside her reservations until Geto got his memories back, to know if he was still a threat to them. If he was, Maki would kill him without hesitation, but if he wasn’t… that wasn’t her call. 

It was Gojo’s.

Maki heard everything in this house but ignored most of it, trying not to eavesdrop on conversations she had no say in hearing. But sometimes she had no choice, like now. 

She heard Gojo talking to Geto’s sleeping form from the living room, trying not to let anything on her face. Gojo probably didn’t think anyone would hear him, knowing showing weakness wasn’t something for him to reasonably do, even if he trusted them. There were some things that not even trusted people would share, and Maki thought this was one such time.

The vulnerability in Gojo’s voice was hard for her to hear, something she shouldn’t have been able to hear. Gojo was untouchable, powerful, and the strongest of them all. For him to speak that way made Maki feel like she was dropped into an alternate dimension. That wasn’t the voice of her ever-confident and annoying teacher, always having control and not letting her get through to him. 

She had only seen him frown before, but that was gone fast enough she got whiplash, Gojo immediately turning back into his annoying self. 

Maki was the first to say they didn’t know much about their teacher, aside from what she heard over the years, but the past week was enough to question everything she knew. Yuuta knew more about their teacher and had more one-on-one interactions, but there was a hard limit to that as well. They only knew so much about Gojo, and it was more apparent than ever before, seeing a side to Gojo they had never seen before. 

Gojo with Geto was like a different person. Similar to the man she knew, but… more somehow. More vulnerable and less likely to cause chaos because he was more focused on something else. Or should she say, someone else? Geto brought out Gojo to the extreme, but it wasn’t a bad change. Gojo had become more human with him around, less likely to be annoying to seem human. Gojo was still Gojo, but he wasn’t… Ugh, she couldn’t even explain it in her mind. It was just something with those two that Maki couldn’t explain, even if she knew they were more than in love with each other. 

Hearing Gojo speak about their past to an unlistening person, desperate for Geto to respond, was something heart-wrenching. She didn’t know how Gojo was feeling, but she knew what it was like for her heart to be ripped from her chest, the person who was her everything taken away from her. If it was anything even remotely similar, she could understand the feeling of not wanting to lose that person again. She would have done anything to save Mai, and if there was a chance to bring her back, she would take it. If Geto was that person to Gojo, she wouldn’t be surprised. The way the two were pulled together like magnets, even without realizing it, almost desperate to never be separated, made her chest constrict. 

She might not like Geto, despised him, in fact, but if he made her teacher happy, she would suck it up. She wouldn’t want to be in the way of two halves finally returning together. 

Maki turned on her heels, away from the living room and the conversation, walking outside to feel the cool air of autumn. It would be winter soon, but she hoped they would all be warm by then, snow not damping the warmth in the air. 

The stars were bright, but the clouds on the horizon were going to block them. She only hoped the stars would come back brighter than ever.

She heard her friends laugh, cracking a slight smile that hurt her muscles, kicking some leaves on her way back to the house. She had everything she needed to continue living, she only hoped Gojo had the same. 

No, not living. That was surviving. Maki was surviving without her heart, but Gojo got his back. 

She wanted him to thrive.       

Thrive in a way she couldn’t any longer. But that was okay, she made peace with it. Maki had her friends and a plan for the future. 

That was all she needed.

“Did you get her?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

Satoru scoffed, eyes not leaving Suguru’s sleeping form. Shoko was at his side, humming in an affirmation. She sat food next to Satoru, taken out from the nearby sushi place. He didn’t feel like eating right now, stomach rolling at the thought of food. He hadn’t had takeout since Suguru returned and didn’t want to get used to it again. 

Shoko didn’t push him to eat, but by how she tracked him with her eyes, she would make him eat, sooner or later. Satoru knew he had to sooner or later. Energy bars and sweets couldn’t keep him running if he wasn’t using his reversed cursed technique. He just didn’t want to eat, not feeling hungry. 

“No, but it’s good to have confirmation. Where was she?”

Satoru scoffed, “Hiding up in the countryside. Like a coward. Not like it did her any good.”

“Hm.”

Shoko stayed silent for a moment, Satoru not wanting to continue the conversation. In hindsight, calming down for a day since then, he could understand that he went a bit too far, but it wasn’t like he regretted his actions. She needed to die anyway, and the dead don’t have opinions. They were gone. 

“Who else?”

Satoru didn’t answer right away, “Few curse users. Some special grades. Found a coven of lesser-grade curses. They’re no more.”

“Percent wise.”

Satoru shrugged, poking Suguru’s leg as if to gode Suguru into waking up to yell at him. Suguru hated when Satoru poked him, treating him like a particularly fascinating toy. A toy that would capture his interest for a few days, then forgotten. That wasn’t the case. Satoru could never lose interest in Suguru, holding his attention when no one else could. 

“Maybe 30 to 40 percent. Wasn’t counting.”

Most sorcerers would look at Satoru like he had a screw loose. He plainly stated that he exorcised almost half of the curse population in Japan(which had the most powerful curses in the world) in barely a day, and that was when he wasn’t going for total numbers, just killing whatever poor bastard he saw. 

Shoko didn’t say anything, but Satoru felt the stare on the back of his head.

“The kids missed you yesterday.”

Satoru didn’t wince, expression blank from where he was lying on Suguru’s bed. Shoko had changed his IV when he watched, not getting in her way. The drip of the liquid was yet another noise that was all too loud when nothing was happening. 

“They’re used to it.”

This time Shoko did sigh, flicking Satoru’s head. Or tried to because Satoru didn’t let down Infinity. Shoko instead poured water into his ear, making Satoru flinch. Shoko knew that Satoru could have blocked that but didn’t put in the effort to automate the response. It wasn’t fast or strong enough to activate his autonomous response, and she knew it. 

“They miss you.”

Satoru didn’t have anything to respond to that, unused to people missing him. Shoko was the type of person who would call you up after three months, and there would be no differences in the relationship. Yaga was, first and foremost, his teacher and colleague. As long as he saw that Satoru was alive and doing “alright” it was good enough for him. Utahime actively avoided him until she no longer could. Nanami was much the same, even though he did go out drinking with him sometimes when they both didn’t have anything else to do, as long as Satoru was paying. Mei Mei only hung around him for money, probably only missing the paycheck dealing with him caused. 

The only person he ever personally missed was Suguru, and before that, they were never separated long enough to miss each other. They were only a few doors down if anything happened, longer if they were on separate missions. If Suguru missed him, he didn’t know. Satoru hoped he did because he did. 

He missed Suguru so much that he thought he saw Suguru in crowds, creaking his head so fast he nearly decapitated himself, only to find out it was a person with long black hair. 

To think his students missed him was something he couldn’t imagine. Why would they miss him? He was barely around if it wasn’t for school or missions, only sometimes going out with them just because he saw concerning movements. He was in their lives, but he wasn’t in them. He would forever be the side character in their story, the one that never got too close. 

He didn’t even think of his clan, knowing his existence was as much a blessing as it was a curse. He was the Head of the Gojo Clan, but never forgot if they found him expandable, they would throw him away without looking back, despite bringing them more power than they ever had. His logic was true since his clan allowed the designation of curse user, full well knowing it would only make them look bad. Shallow bastards. Good thing he never held any loyalty to the clan he was born into.    

“When was the last time you took the time to be with your students without Suguru?”

Satoru opened his mouth, then closed it, going over the time he returned, belatedly realizing he hadn’t spent much time with his students aside to take them all over Japan to hunt curses, meal times, and maybe getting together in the living room to watch a movie. Suguru was at his side most of the time, and Satoru blinked. 

Shoko didn’t wait for his answer, smacking him on the back of the head, this time letting Shoko get through his Infinity. She scolded him, not in words but in tone, knowing she was very unimpressed with Satoru right now. 

“Suguru isn’t going anywhere, and I know you will come back if you notice anything different, so go out with your students. Take them to the mall or whatever kids do these days.”

Satoru raised his eyebrow, “Do I get a say in this.”

Shoko snipped, “No. Get dressed. And not in those pajamas.”

Satoru took another unsure glance at Suguru, and Shoko coughed to gain his attention again. Satoru looked at Shoko, who had her hands on her hips, expression dead. 

“I’m waiting.”

Satoru grumbled, standing up. He cracked his back and neck, having not moved in a good twelve hours, even if he was awake for most of it. 

“Such a slavemaster.”

Shoko gave him the eyes that got him moving, knowing Shoko may not beat him up but could make his life hell if she wanted to. Satoru allowed her to get too much blackmail in high school and forever suffered because of it. Satoru may not have any shame to know of, but he had limits. 

Everything in Satoru fought against leaving Suguru’s side but used his logical side, knowing he was in good hands. And Shoko was right, he would have an eye specifically focused on Suguru at all times. He would know if anything happened and would teleport back in a second if anything happened.  

Didn’t mean he had to like it. 

“Say, kids! Do you want to go on an adventure?!”

Megumi jumped when Satoru appeared behind him, an ever-present cackle on his lips. Megumi snapped his head to his teacher, who was smiling wide.

Megumi had a bad feeling about this. Yuji seemingly did not, but Megumi never put much stock in his instincts when he historically swallowed a thousand-year-old finger. Nobara squinted at their teacher, suspicion clouding her gaze. 

“What kind of adventure?”

Gojo chirped, eyes once again hidden by his blindfold, “Surprise!” 

“Oh fuck.”

Megumi wholeheartedly agreed.    

Chapter Text

“Where are we going, Gojo?”

Maki stared at Satoru, who only hummed happily, a skip in his step. The group of teenagers and the sole adult walked across a busy road, the teenagers following after Satoru, who was walking to a destination only he knew. Choso decided to stay behind, visibly fighting with himself, but figured Yuji would be safe with Satoru around. He did shed a few tears at his departure, though.

Yuuta nodded as if to agree with Maki, the nervousness nowhere to be found. Panda dodged pedestrians, looking at him oddly since they must have thought it was just a guy in an oddly realistic panda costume. Inumaki murmured a mustard roe, and Satoru tsked, pointing into the distance to nothing particular. It didn’t stop Yuji from looking where he was pointing.

Satoru never wanted Yuji to change.

“To the best thing in the universe! Fun!”

Megumi stayed silent but watched Satoru with trepidation, probably recognizing his grin, knowing nothing good would come of it. Nobara was distinctly hopeful about getting free clothes, but Satoru smirked knowingly. They weren’t going to the mall if he had anything to say about it.

That would be so boring and overdone. They were going somewhere better.

They started to walk into the more rundown section of Tokyo, making their way to the countryside. It became more common to see open lots of land and run-down buildings, the atmosphere more heavy, like a cloudy day with rain on the way.

Satoru stopped in front of a rundown arch, the letters falling off the sign. It was all rusty and in disrepair, the ghost town of roller coasters and carnival buildings past the sign.

Satoru twirled on his feet and threw out his arms, a wide smile on his masked face.

“Welcome to the old Tokyo Amusement Park! Used to be filled with laughter and joy, but as you can see, that isn’t the case now.”

Nobara’s eyebrow twitched, eyes curling with not-so-amused feelings, fingers twitching as if to grab her nails.

“And why would you take us here instead of, you know, the mall?”

Satoru smiled wider and shooed the kids into the arch, all squinting at Satoru with some measure of suspicion. Not Yuji, though. He went in with naive eyes and simplicity.

The moment Satoru entered the boundary of the old property, he was all but hit with sounds and sensations, echoes of laughter, and bright lights against his blindfold. He saw the cursed energy that made up the simple domain, incomplete but still functioning. He could smell carnival food, churros, and dongo, tantalizing his sense of smell. His mouth almost started to water at the scent but ignored it to get in front of his students, who were looking around with wide eyes and narrowed eyes, aware that this was a domain of a curse.

Satoru clapped, keeping his hands together and tilting his head, smiling placidly.

“Now, I welcome you to the domain of the old Tokyo Park. Everything here is a blast from the past, and everyone you see here is a shade of some sort. The food tastes real, and the shades will act like real people.”

Satoru interrupted Maki with a chirp, who was opening her mouth to probably ask why they were there.

“This place was created by a pretty harmless curse, most of its power centered in stealth, hiding amongst the fairgoers. It may be a Semi-Grade One curse, but in all actuality, it’s closer to Grade Four in might. It just got the grade because of how elaborate its domain is. And that’s why we’re here! Enjoy the sights and rides! Even you guys can have fun on them, going much faster than your regular safety-oriented rides.”

Noabra cut in, voice thick with disbelief, “I heard the old park shut down because too many people died on the rides and grounds.”

Satoru pulled up his blindfold and winked at her, “What do you think created this curse? It had enough power to have a domain, but everyone who came through here couldn’t give the kick it would make it to Special Grade. The entire park in its domain is to entrap prey, but all of you are strong enough to worry about its machinations.”

Satoru let the blindfold drop, the smile still on his face, shooing the kids away to the park.

“Go, have fun. Go fucking nuts. Nothing here will exist when you leave, so don’t hold back. And yes, Itadori, you can bring whatever you win outside with you.”

Itadori fist-pumped with a wide grin, excitement starting to take hold. He looked around with bright eyes, uncaring for a potential enemy, taking Satoru’s words as law. If Satoru said they wouldn’t have to worry about the curse, they wouldn’t.

If the curse did start to move, since he spotted it the moment he entered the domain, he would take action. As he said before, it was fucking weak in close combat, but was a pain since it could hide so well. Most likely, it wouldn’t make a move, close enough to Special Grade to realize how to pick its battles, aware that all of them would be able to kill it. Satoru wasn’t expecting to take action since he had been here a few times, and someone of his strength would not be forgotten by a pseudo-Special Grade known for its stealth and intelligence.

For a curse, that it is.

And they weren’t there for a fight. Satoru wanted to take his students to someplace they could have fun and relax, be the kids they were, but also not let them be seen by the ones who sought them. Satoru will let them have fun, traipsing around the domain with childlike wonder and amusement in the one way he could.

Satoru walked around the domain, keeping an eye on his students, who were in one large group, exploring the park with wonder and suspicion in equal parts. They would loosen up sooner or later since it was too tantalizing to ignore the sights. He knew Yuji, Nobara, and Inumaki, would go feral for the carnival games, maybe even convince Maki into playing with them.

He would go to them in a moment, letting them explore without hovering over their shoulders. He looked around slowly, hands in his pockets, seeing carnival lights and the empty laughter of the past, watching people pass him by as if he didn’t exist.

Satoru remembered the first time he came here, thirteen years old and desperate for freedom. He managed to convince his servants and guards that he would be more than strong enough for this curse, coming into it with the idea of exorcising the curse that plagued the Jujutsu world for decades. When he said the curse was good at hiding, he was underselling it. The curse always had a different appearance and never came out when something stronger than it appeared.

Satoru found it immediately but was so taken with the sight, having never been to a carnival before. He hadn’t even been to a large city because his clan feared it was a sign of weakness. His world before Jujutsu High was his clan estate and a few countryside missions with grade ones and even some special grades once his clan elders realized he was already stronger than them before he hit his teens.

This park was the sight of grief and anger, pity and sympathy, but it was the first breath of childhood for him. He went to every stall, tried every food, and almost made himself sick by eating too much, but it was all novel for him. His clan always waited at his hand and foot, but they were strict. In the sense, Satoru didn’t even know half of the things he ate existed. He was spoiled, yes, but he was also shielded from the world, never even imagining what was outside his clan's estate.

Watching the scenes of the past, he was inflamed by the want for more. He wanted to know everything, wanted to experience what it would be like to explore the outside world he was deprived of. This place gave Satoru his first taste of something more he could have. That it wasn’t just curses and power but also sweet and joyous things.

Satoru may have come into the domain to exorcise the curse but left without doing so, figuring it was harmless. And that he wouldn’t mind coming back in the future.

Watching his students enjoy the domain as much as he did all those years ago, he was glad he did so.

“Gojo!”

Yuji waved to him, arms full of prizes, a large stuffed tiger almost hiding his body. Megumi rolled his eyes at Yuji’s action while Nobara wasn’t paying attention, trying to kill the whack-a-moles with enough rage to break the machine. Satoru watched Maki demolish the hammer hit machine game with the bell thing, only giving Yuuta a thumbs up, reaching the highest score.

Satoru waved happily back, walking to his students. Shoko’s words were ever-present in his mind, not realizing how long since he spent any quality time with his students. Satoru thought he wasn’t tunnel-focused anymore, but it seemed like he was wrong.

Suguru was always the expectation of the rule.

“Having fun?”

Yuji grinned, and Nobara yelled with excitement, finally winning a prize. It was a small Pikachu, which she immediately threw on Yuji’s pile, probably not caring about getting his opinion, using her classmate as a delivery service. Yuji didn’t seem to mind, only pouting slightly at her actions.

“Yeah, it’s been so long since I went to an amusement park!”

Nobara nodded in agreement, eyes sparkling when she found another stall to take advantage of. The second years moved to their group, seeing Satoru was there. Yuuta waved in greeting while Panda and Inumaki were arguing over the right to a toy lightsaber. It sounded very one-sided, but Satoru only grinned, not intervening.

Maki shrugged, “I’ve never been to one.”

All the other kids stared at her and simultaneously made eye contact with each other, then looked back at Maki. Nobara put both hands on her shoulders, ever so serious.

“Maki, we will show the ropes. You’re not leaving until you have ridden every ride and tried every game. By god, we’re going to make this the best damned day you have ever had.”

That went on for the next few hours, showing Maki everything in a carnival, going on every ride. Satoru was smiling next to them every step of the way, giving the kids candy and food from the stalls, cotton candy ever-present in his hand. Satoru didn’t have empty hands the whole day, always holding some type of food. He hadn’t had much fair food in his life, but it was always recognizable. Greasy, oily, sweet, and everything in between, somehow cheap but delicious and not at all healthy.

Satoru loved it.

Satoru always gave the kids well-meaning suggestions on what to do, sly in his words, a sparkle in his eyes. Maki was dragged every which way, even smiling slightly at the end. He thought it was more about watching Nobara and Yuji argue about what type of roller coaster was best, a straight drop or fast and jerky. It almost came to blows, and Panda and Yuuta had to separate them.

“Hey, Teach!”

“Hm?”

Satoru angled his head to Nobara, one of the few who called him that. Nobara was pointing at the picture booth, something he blinked at. He remembered using it a few times when he came after, not knowing how to use it when he came by himself. The memories of the times he came after started to infect his brain, Satoru knowing it would happen sooner or later.

He came with Suguru once, Suguru wanting to know where Satoru went for fun when he wasn’t bothering him or anyone else, knowing that Satoru never returned to his clan estate. Suguru was there that summer, not returning to his parents’ home for the break. Since it was summer, they had more free reign on where they could go. Suguru was curious about this domain, having heard about it in class, about how it was the largest and most elaborate domain in Japan while simultaneously being harmless. Mostly.

There had been cases of bodies being found outside its limits, mangled beyond all recognition, but they were few and far between. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

Suguru was amazed at the scope of the domain and was even tempted to take it into his technique, but didn’t for some unspoken reason Satoru never understood. Suguru only looked at him and shook his head, exciting the domain without even summoning a curse to guide him.

“Is that you?”

“Hm?”

That hum held more confusion, gliding over to the picture booth, leaning over to look closely at the pictures on the outside as if examples. There were other examples of strips, each having five pictures, holding people Satoru didn’t recognize. One strip was familiar, and Satoru’s eyes widened, and a disbelieving chuckle escaped him. The other kids came over to look at what they were looking at, all staring at the picture of the young form of their teacher.

And someone else.

Satoru remembered dragging Suguru into the picture booth, whining something fierce, and Suguru saying it was useless, that it was just a picture booth in a domain that probably didn’t even work. Satoru managed to convince him.

Satoru, young fifteen, smiling wide with dark glasses over his eyes, hair fluffier than it was now. Satoru had an arm around an equally young Suguru, who was at first looking annoyed, then gained a smile in the later pictures, even throwing an arm around Satoru’s shoulders with a peace sign, an easy smile on his face, eyes bright with amusement, looking at Satoru like he wanted to shake his head at him, but held back.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Didn’t know this domain kept track of the past.”

Satoru forgot about it, having been so long ago, but the picture booth did print the pictures, and Satoru let Suguru have them, or more like Satoru forgot to take them when they left the domain. He had too much of a sugar high to care for some pictures. Satoru didn’t know what Suguru did with the picture strip, but it wasn’t in Suguru’s room when he left.

“You came here with Geto?”

Satoru nodded with a smile, not letting anything come through. He was trying not to think about Suguru, knowing he was lying dead to the world on a bed. He came here to take his mind off his best friend but should have figured it would have been impossible. Coming here with Suguru was fun, and couldn’t forget the time they spent here, being stupid teenagers with the world at their fingertips.

Satoru figured that if they enjoyed this place at their age, his students would too, despite how much this place would bring back old memories.

“Yes, when we were your age. Shoko didn’t come because she said she needed to study, but we all knew she was going out to drink with Utahime.”

Nobara hummed, studying the pictures with more fervor than Satoru expected, eyes taking in every detail. Nobara probably could see the leftover sugar around his young self's, blue color candy staining lips. Suguru was wearing his old school uniform, something that never failed to make Satoru’s heart clench. Satoru was the same, seemingly dressed the same since the tops of their uniforms were the same.

Satoru did that in their second year, stealing Suguru’s uniform design sheet and copying his so they could match. When Suguru got his uniform for the semester, his face fell, and Satoru had to run from him in fear of getting ice poured down his back. Suguru was annoyed to high heaven but also didn’t change it when he had the chance.

Suguru had his hair up in the old style, stored in a bun, bang over the left side of his face. His eyes were softer than the Suguru of now, even with his memories gone. Less burdened and more like the kids they could never be. He didn’t have his gauges at this time, only black studs in his ears, making him look even younger.

Satoru put a hand on his chin, squishing his cheeks, humming in consideration. He made up his mind and without hesitation, put his fist through the display, grabbing the picture strip. He had many photos of all of them when they were in Jujutsu High, but they were in his old apartment, probably already combed through for anything of value. He didn’t even want to think of the state he would see them in, most likely ignored but could be destroyed since the higher-ups tried to destroy everything Suguru left behind as if to scrub him from existence. Satoru tried not to think about it since he would be filled with more rage he didn’t want to deal with after his last… incident.

Satoru looked at the strip in his hand, a secretive smile on his face while he put it in his inner jacket pocket. His students stared at him, then unanimously decided not to touch whatever that was with a twenty-foot pole.

“What are you guys waiting for?”

That got the ball rolling, the kids taking turns in the picture booth, something to take that wasn’t prizes out of there. Satoru had to stifle a laugh when they all tried to squish into the phone booth, Maki had to use her strength to hang from the ceiling with Yuuta next to her so that everyone could get in the camera, Nobara yelled out orders and tried to get the best poses. Yuji was so squished between Megumi and Panda that only his face could be seen through the fluff and grumpy teen.

“Hey, Gojo! Come get in the picture, too!”

Satoru blinked, and then a wide smile that felt more genuine came to his face, something in his chest warming at the suggestion. He cracked his neck and squirmed his way in through the teenagers, condensing Infinity to the limit over his skin. He would drop it completely but didn’t because he didn’t want to get stabbed with whatever was in the teenagers’ pockets. He knew Maki had at least three knives on her person and Megumi many more in his shadow. He did not want to risk it.

Satoru smiled wide for the picture, ruffling Yuji’s and Megumi’s hair, not caring for the black-haired boy's annoyed grumbles and hisses to get his hands off.

Satoru smiled, slightly more somber. Even with the laughter of his students, lighter than when they came, genuinely happy to get out and do something normal teenagers would do, he couldn’t help but wonder how it would be with Suguru next to him. Even when happy, there was something still aching in his soul, that something was missing from the happy moment.

Satoru was more than glad to see his students relax, doing things kids their age would do, but the picture in his jacket reminded him what was. What he didn’t get. What he never had the chance of getting.

Maybe… it would be enough for him that these kids would get what he couldn’t. He always wanted that, not stomaching to see more young baby sorcerers dying for a war they shouldn’t be in, but it was hammered in more. He wouldn’t let them be cogs in a machine destined to be destroyed.

They would have a life he couldn’t have. What they couldn’t have.

Satoru thinks Suguru would agree to that.

When Satoru noticed it was getting late, he shepherded the kids out of the domain. Even if the curse wouldn’t try and attack them, it was still tricky to get out of a domain of this magnitude. Luckily for the students, Satoru knew exactly where to go to get out.

It was jarring for the students to suddenly hear the absence of the noise they had gotten used to for the past hours. The park ruins were desolate once again, the prizes and pictures the only evidence it ever happened.

Even Yuji started to get tired, the effort of running around an amusement park tiring even for the impossible to exhaust Itadori.

Satoru was a well of energy still, a bright smile that made Maki groan. Satoru grinned wider at her reaction.

“Time to return, kiddos.”

Yuji mumbled tiredly, arms full of prizes, Panda carrying the tiger Yuji won. Maki had a decent pile as well, but that was only expected.

“Back home?”

Satoru didn’t startle, but it was a damned thing. Satoru blinked with confusion for a second, then started to smile fondly. He nodded, not imagining a house but a person in his mind.

“Yeah, back home.”

“How is he?”

Satoru came into the room, not teleporting even though he wanted to. He examined Suguru, seeing his cursed energy calming down, but didn’t stop its war just yet. He could predict what Shoko would say but wanted to hear it anyway. Shoko looked Satoru over, seeing he was moderately better than when he left, the trip doing good for him, as well as his students. There was less tension in his shoulders, and started to breathe easier.

But there was still some leftover tension that relaxed at the sight of Suguru, the illogical part of himself needing to see the man before he could ever think of sleeping.

“Better, but not out of the storm just yet. Not dangerous, but has to weather some more before his body is stable enough to take off the limiters.”

Satoru sat in the chair, a different one than the one he was sitting in before. It had more padding and better back support. Shoko must have placed it in there after Satoru left with the students. Satoru leaned on the armrest, face resting on his fist.

“That's good. Anything else?”

Shoko shook her head but spoke, “Not with Suguru, but Yaga got word that the elders are moving with more effort. They have no idea where you are exactly, but they are doubling the surveillance in the larger cities near clan territories.”

The three main clans have separate territories, covering most of Japan, but with Maki killing all of the Zen’in clan, they wouldn’t have to deal with that. Tokyo was in the Zen’in’s clan's jurisdiction, only Jujutsu High a neutral area for a few hundred miles.

“What made them move.”

Shoko didn’t take the bait, “You. Everyone noticed the change in cursed energy in the past day. Do you know Tokyo hasn’t had an air quality warning for two days? Three guesses why.”

Satoru shrugged, knowing he killed all the curses nearby, the closest things to exterminate. Shoko wasn’t degrading him, only informing him.

“That’s good.”

Shoko hummed, taking Suguru’s temperature, “Yeah, but it’s a smoking gun that says you are in the Tokyo area. It was the epicenter of your rampage, and that turns heads. I wouldn’t be surprised if the elders used all their resources to scour the city, even if they think you are somewhere else.”

Satoru leaned harder on his fist, a frown on his face. He needed to ward the house more to keep unwanted attention away from them as long as they could until Satoru and Suguru took care of the higher-ups. And he still had that meeting with Tsukumo in a week and a half. If Suguru wasn’t awake by that time, he would meet with Tsukumo regardless since Suguru did tell him the location once Satoru asked. That reminds him.

“What is Tsukumo doing?”

Shoko didn’t react, dropping the contaminated thermometer into a metal pan. Shoko was so picky with sanitization that Satoru couldn’t believe she cheated on most of her exams to be a doctor. He was sometimes afraid of his students getting healed by her when that was brought to the forefront of his mind.

“Studying what Kenjaku left behind. And also driving the higher-ups mad by ignoring their orders to track you down. Last I heard, she was last seen throwing her middle fingers at them when she walked backward out of the building.”

Satoru sighed dreamily, “That’s the dream right there.”

Shoko chuckled, “Isn’t it?”

Shoko took off her rubber gloves, throwing them in the trash. Shoko turned and looked at him, sitting at the edge of Suguru’s bed, near his feet.

“Where did you go with the students?”

Satoru smiled slightly to himself, already remembering it fondly.

“The amusement park.”

Shoko replied, “The normal one or the cursed one?”

Satoru smiled knowingly, and Shoko rolled her eyes. She hadn’t gone before since she heard the rumors about the place, not treating the domain like a tourist spot like him. It used to be a spot where older and experienced sorcerers would teach the new generation a decade or so before Satoru was born. It was a good example of simple domains more powerful curses could form and that they all had nuances, different with each curse. There have been only a few curses that could create a fully fleshed-out domain, most only being simple domains, so the amusement park was a good example. But that was only the case for a few years. After an incident with a main clan descendant's death, it was barred to everyone.

The three main clans tried to exorcise the curse but had no luck, it hiding from them, and when Satoru came to power, he told them to quit it since it was a useful teaching tool. It was fine with them since it would take too much effort to purge the area, allowing the curse to continue existing since it never left its territory and was basically harmless to any decent sorcerer.

“I’m surprised you haven’t destroyed the place already.”

Satoru smirked, emanating an innocent aura that Shoko squinted at.

“But it’s the perfect place to teach the youth, Shoko. How could I destroy such a helpful place.”

Shoko scoffed, “You just like the free food.”

Satoru clicked his tongue with an easy-going expression, “Slander.”

“Whatever. Not my problem if you get diabetes.”

“It kinda is.”

“Shush.”

Satoru chuckled, watching Shoko’s eyebrow twitch. It had been years since he had a check-up with Shoko before he was freed from the Prison Realm. He was always in the picture of health, reversed cursed technique working full time to cure him of anything that ails him. He hadn’t had something simple like a common cold since he was a teen and could remember the last time he bled. When something that rare happens, he tends to remember that.

“The kids enjoyed themselves?”

Satoru hummed, satisfied, “Yeah, I think they did. Maki was even smiling. We even have picture proof.”

Shoko smiled slightly at that, eyes softening for the woman that lost almost everything.

“That’s good to hear, but didn’t phones not work in that domain?”

Satoru nodded, letting the conversation flow naturally, the atmosphere calm and warm.

“You’re right. There is a picture booth in the place, so they used that.”

“Really? Hm.”

Shoko tilted her head, frowning, eyes unfocused as if she was trying to remember something. She snapped her fingers in realization, eyes alight.

“Didn’t Suguru have something like that in his room? I found it odd since we never went to a carnival in high school.”

Satoru blinked, feeling his inner pocket grow heavier. He took the strip with slightly cold fingers, switching the picture to show Shoko, who blinked in surprise at it. Shoko plucked it out of his fingers, Satoru letting her. Shoko narrowed her eyes at it, then back at Satoru with surprise.

“Where did you get this?”

Satoru started to close himself off, but Shoko flicked his forehead, getting back into himself.

“It turns out that for anyone who took a picture in that picture booth, a copy is created to display.”

Shoko took the hint and turned back to the picture, thumbing over the pictures before she passed it back to Satoru, who treated it with slight reverence for even having a photo from that time in his life.

“I saw that before.”

Satoru met Shoko’s eyes, who was sucking on a lollipop she acquired from one of her pockets.

“Suguru had it on his desk one time when I came in to get his notes.”

Satoru frowned, “But it wasn’t in his room when he didn’t come back.”

Satoru and Shoko stayed silent, unwilling to think of why that was. Satoru wouldn't be able to understand it. Shoko shrugged, dispersing the atmosphere.

“Maybe he got tired of having a picture of your ugly mug around. Wouldn’t blame him.”

Satoru was scandalized, mouth open aghast, “I am not ugly. If anything, I am the opposite of ugly!”

Shoko drawled, “Keep telling yourself that.”

That got Satoru to ignore the previous conversation for a time, something to bring his mind off the enigma that was Suguru Geto. People thought he was convoluted, they couldn’t even imagine Suguru. Guess they really were a pair that made everyone confused.

Satoru took joy in that.

Suguru didn’t know what was happening to him.

Suguru felt as if his soul was shaking, bombarded with scenes of the past he had no idea existed and couldn’t understand. The mists were gone, but the brightness was even more debilitating. Instead of nothingness, he had everything. His brain struggled to sort through the memories, sometimes mixing them up so severely that not even Suguru could tell they were there.

Suguru could feel nothing but overbearing sensation, memories taking him for a ride that had no end. He only got time to see flashes before they were off, but those flashes were not enough to know. Seeing people he didn’t know and trying to figure out if they were important only made him more confused.

It overstimulated him, mind and soul breaking at the seams, being stuffed with too much filling to be digestible. It didn’t hurt, per se, but it was enough for Suguru to want to curl into a ball and never come out. The only thing that made Suguru continue to fight against the current was the frequent driftwood of memories he could see and almost hear, Satoru at the core of them. Younger than in the present, less burdened by their society.

Suguru loved those memories the most, but he got other memories that made him want to retreat further into himself, to never come up for air.

The remnants of shouts and yelling, phantom hits over his limps and chest, causing him to cry out and scream for someone to stop. He didn’t know who, but the remnant feeling of betrayal and hate was enough to know he never wanted to see those memories.

When those memories drifted to him, Suguru wanted to keep his head under the water, dive so deep that nothing could touch him. But then Satoru wouldn’t be able to reach him, and that was the last thing he wanted. Suguru had to swim to the surface when those remnants tried to drown him.

After all, if he let them, there was no way to gauge how deep he was if there was no light. Suguru didn’t want to leave the light.

Suguru weathered the current, hoping it would return him to the person who lit up his soul and life.

He wanted to return to Satoru.

Chapter Text

“This is a test, so tell me what you see.”

Satoru nodded, eyes trained on Suguru’s body. Shoko got his confirmation, taking off the talismans that kept his cursed energy restrained. Shoko was ready with more, but Satoru didn’t say anything, watching how Suguru’s cursed energy moved in his body. 

Suguru had been in a coma for four days. From their observations, the remnants of Kenjaku’s influence were mostly gone. Shoko said it seemed safe enough to risk it with a safeguard. Satoru agreed after a moment, knowing nothing would change if they left it as is. 

Satoru watched Suguru’s energy traverse normally, body and internal energy no longer fighting each other for dominance. There was no flood of cursed energy, breaking the delicate balance Suguru achieved when asleep. Satoru breathed a sigh of relief, Shoko lowering the seals, glad to not have needed to use them. 

Satoru noticed the moment the seals were taken off Suguru seemed to lose tension, body sinking more into the mattress, but it could just be Satoru imagining things. 

In the end, Suguru was almost all done healing or needed more time. Satoru was satisfied that Suguru was even healing at all. Satoru would rather get stabbed in the throat a second time than watch Suguru go through that again.  

Satoru didn’t collapse into the chair, but he did sit on it with less grace than usual, hand on his temple, eyes uncovered for the occasion. Suguru had gained back most of his color, tan skin not what it used to be, but it was better than the paleness it was a few days ago. 

“He’ll wake up soon.”

Satoru didn’t look up, “How do you know?”

Shoko answered after setting aside the seals, “As of right now, he is less in a coma and more like a deep sleep. It shouldn’t be long now.”

Satoru wanted to tell Shoko to not give him hope but knew better than anyone Shoko wouldn’t say anything she wasn’t confident in. She wouldn’t give him false hope, blunt to a fault. She was the one person who never pulled punches with her words, and he was glad she was. He always had faith in her judgment to give it to him straight when everyone was too afraid of his reaction. Honestly, if he lost control every time he got bad news, everyone would have died long ago. 

He wasn’t the one to kill the messenger. 

Well, depends on his mood, but that wasn’t important. 

Satoru grunted to show he heard her. Shoko went on her way, probably returning to her office to do paperwork. 

Satoru kicked his feet on Suguru’s bed, knowing enough not to wear shoes, but was sure Suguru would throw a fit at Satoru’s actions. Honestly, it was half the reason he did the things he did. Annoying Suguru was his favorite pastime.

Satoru fondly remembered when Satoru annoyed Suguru so much in the first few months, they knew each other that Suguru threatened to stab him in his sleep. Good times. There were no threats of bodily harm after the first few months, but Suguru changed his angle, threatening his Digimon CDs and Pokémon memory cards. Now, those were precious. Satoru still annoyed him, but it never got to the point when Suguru would go through with his threats even though Satoru knew he was deadly serious. He even dangled a memory card off the side of a bridge, taunting Satoru to keep his attitude, but his Pokémon would get it. 

That was the last time Satoru messed with his pots and pans, having learned his lesson. 

Of course, Satoru got him back for that threat, deleting one of Suguru’s Zelda play-throughs. The black eye was worth it, even though Shoko mocked them for getting worked up for some video game. Then they teamed up to prank Shoko and realized very quickly there was no hell like a woman scorned and no limits she would not go through to get her revenge. 

They did not mess with Shoko again.

Let’s just say there were multiple corpses, scalpels, and bleach involved, and Satoru still got shivers thinking about it. Satoru gained healthy respect and self-preservation while dealing with Shoko. She became one of the few he could trust to be a voice of reason, a reliable person in his corner. 

Satoru straightened up and looked over Suguru, moving to the door. He could smell the takeout from the second floor, and since it was around lunchtime, he figured why not. He missed Suguru’s homecooked meals, something missing from the food he didn’t want to get used to. 

Satoru put a hand on Suguru’s shoulder, tightening his grip for a second until he let go. 

“Come on, Suguru. If you sleep anymore I really will wonder if you are Sleeping Beauty. Need a true love kiss to wake you up, Suguru~” 

Satoru waited as if Suguru would answer him, call him an idiot, and smack him upside the head. He knew that was one way to get a reaction out of his best friend. Part of him expected Suguru to fall for the dig, but the silence he heard only made that part wither. Satoru let out a subtle sigh, shaking his head. 

Satoru leaned over his face, pausing for a second, then landed a chaste kiss on Suguru’s forehead. Barely a brush of the lips, but Satoru felt as if his face was burning. Satoru knew he was impulsive, but that was something in a different category. 

That didn’t mean he regretted it. Just wished he could do that and see Suguru’s reaction. Or maybe not because that could risk the delicate balance, and there was no way Satoru would do that to an amnesiac Suguru, unaware of the majority of their friendship. He wouldn’t risk it. He couldn’t. Not even for the feelings he buried deeper than the betrayal Suguru left him with. 

Satoru whispered in Suguru’s ear as if it was a secret. 

“Please wake up, Suguru. I want to eat your cooking again. Don’t play with my heart like this, you bastard.”

Satoru backed away from the bed, not turning back. He put a hand on the door frame and took a steading breath, reaching for the doorknob and closing the door, giving Suguru false privacy. 

Hope was a dangerous thing. 

He wondered when it had left his vocabulary. 

Or if it was there, to begin with.

Suguru didn’t know when he opened his eyes.   

Memories were whirring around his mind, no connections between them. They were pieces to the puzzle that were blank and had no edges to fit with each other, blank of hints or clues. No strings to connect them with. 

Suguru felt as if a haze was over his mind, his body numb to his thoughts and wants, moving however it deemed so. His mouth felt thick. Like syrup was stuck on his tongue and throat, time moving slowly and distant. His limbs moved, pushing him up in a sitting position, eyes unfocused and hazy. 

He stumbled to his feet, the world tilting at its axis. Suguru put a hand on the side of his head, eyelids pressed tight together, trying to connect anything. All the memories floating around his brain didn’t make sense to Suguru, having gotten used to the blankness of his mind. To have more was disorienting, and Suguru didn’t know where to start. 

Suguru felt as if he blinked and found himself at the doorway, not having remembered how he got there. But there was something he wanted, there was someone he wanted to see. Someone important, and they were behind this door. Suguru raised a shaky hand and tried to turn the doorknob, but his fingers didn’t want to work, hands twitching uncontrollably. 

Suguru didn’t have the presence of mind to wonder why that was the case, determined to move forward. While he did that, the memories that were giving him so much grief made him grimace, putting his head in his hands and trying not to make a sound, back hitting the wall and sliding down, head splitting open. 

“Hey Suguru, are you losing weight?”

“Are you Satoru Gojo because you are the strongest? Or are you the strongest because you’re Satoru Gojo?”

“Kill me if you want. There would be a point to that.”

“We’re the strongest. I trust you.”

“Master Geto! We got you some ice cream? Want it?”

“You’re a disgrace! Get up! I can’t believe I sired a failure like you.”

“It’ll only be for a while. You might even make friends, ignoring your… condition.”  

“At least curse me a little at the end.”

“You’ll always be welcome.”

“Satoru, you’re late.”

Suguru took a shuttering breath, everything combining in his mind, unaware of what happened or if it was a figment of his imagination. He knew everything, yet nothing, more than what he had and less than ever. What was the use of knowledge when you didn’t understand the premise?        

Suguru dug fingers into his head scar, not hard enough to bleed but enough to give him stinging pain. When Suguru let his hands drop to stare, feeling phantom wetness, he only saw blood covering his hands, unable to see his palms through the red. 

Suguru glanced up and all he could see were phantom memories overlapping the present, walls no longer there and familiar yet not. Suguru blinked, and it was gone, seeing the walls of his room, but he flicked his eyes to every corner, seeing things in the corner of his vision, recollections of a past he didn’t understand. 

Suguru heard faint laughter, unsure if it was real, but it called to him. 

Two phantoms chased each other in the corner of his vision, somehow knowing they were important to him, but why? Why did they start small and grow bigger? Why did his heart call out for him to remember?

Suguru stood up, unsteady on his feet, but moved forward, only distantly remembering their names but unable to bring them to the forefront of his mind. The present became flimsier, no longer the majority of his vision but an add-on, only seeing enough so he didn’t trip over his face.

He had to go, but he didn’t know to where, two young voices called out to them, and felt like it was his duty to respond to them. 

Unaware those voices had already disappeared. 

Satoru snapped his head to the stairs, eyes widening, and immediately jumped from his seat. His quick movements caused the kids to stare and have the same reaction, knowing there was only one reason Satoru would move so fast. 

“Suguru!”

Satoru skidded to a stop, immediately jumping up the steps to catch Suguru, who was about to fall down the stairs. Satoru looked at his side, seeing Suguru’s long hair hide his face but not the trembling of his body. Satoru felt an instinctive wave of relief, a wide grin on his face that fell just as quickly as it came, realizing Suguru was not acting like he usually would. Suguru’s eyes were hazy and glazed over, glassy, almost as if he was feverish, but from his estimates, Suguru was in a healthy temperature range. 

Suguru turned his head to look at Satoru, but there was barely any recognition, worse than when Satoru was freed from the Prison Realm. Satoru felt the peanut gallery start to form, his students watching with bated breath. 

“Satoru.”

Suguru spoke as if it was a statement, not a question. Suguru put a hand on Satoru’s arm, blinking, fingers kneading into his skin. 

“Satoru, when did you get big?”

Satoru sucked in a breath, walking Suguru down the stairs, even though Satoru was all but carrying him, Suguru barely moved his legs, collapsing into Satoru.

“You good, Suguru?”

Suguru didn’t seem like he heard Satoru, looking blankly around the room, eyes glazing over the students as if they weren’t there. Shoko came up to them, concern in her gaze, Suguru looked at her with squinted eyes.

“Shoko. You’re Shoko. Why are you here? You’re not supposed to be here. Why are you here?”

Suguru grunted as if struck, eyes squeezed closed when he put a hand to his head, knees buckling, Satoru having to catch him. Suguru shuddered, head jerking to a noise only he could hear. Suguru then attempted to stand up on his feet but stumbled again. His eyes were still hazy, and Satoru could tell he wasn’t all there.

“I-I got to go.”

Satoru made an alarmed noise, making Suguru react barely, jerking his head in his direction. Satoru took his chances, asking Suguru a question even though he started to get the feeling he was out of his depth. 

“Go where?”

Suguru seemed to hear him but didn’t answer his question, staring into the distance with more fervor and desperation, reaching out a hand to something only he could see. 

“They’re hurting them. Oh, god-they’re so small. They’re hurting them. I can’t-they’re hurting them, Satoru. I need-I need to-”

“What do you need?”

Satoru interrupted, Suguru getting more and more confused, eyes wild and uncontrolled. 

“I don’t know. They’re in a cage and-and I need to get them out. How can I get them out? It’s so dirty in there. So dirty. They can’t stay there- nonononono. They can’t stay there. I have to free them. I can’t le-let those monkeys hurt them again.” 

Satoru felt the breath escape his lungs at the words, the edge of hatred and darkness coloring his voice again. But listening to Suguru’s words, Satoru could piece together what Suguru was seeing or what he saw that Satoru didn’t know about. 

Satoru knew it. 

He knew there was something in that village all those years ago that would set him off. Satoru just wasn’t expecting it to be the abuse of the girls he loved so much. And from what he heard, the abuse was cataclysmic. It was enough for even Suguru, the man who was the most emphatic person he had met, to kill the people he said he would protect. It was probably worse than Satoru imagined, knowing Suguru had seen a lot of fucked up shit before and didn’t react worse than a twitch of an eyebrow. 

Satoru knew why Suguru massacred that village had something to do with the girls who were always at his side afterward, but there wasn’t much evidence left after Suguru went through that place like a storm. It was burnt to the ground, and Satoru only found Suguru’s and his curses residuals, along with blood and body parts, to show what happened there. 

It was a haunting sight to his seventeen-year-old eyes, not because he wasn’t used to the sight but because Suguru caused it. The Suguru he knew wouldn't do something like that, but he came to realize Suguru could, but never let see the light of day. 

Satoru always knew something enraged Suguru that night, his residuals showing hate and disgust in its aftereffects.  

Just wasn’t sure what caused it. Now, he had an idea and hated it just as much. Satoru was reminded of the time after Riko was killed, fully willing to kill all those people and Suguru at his side telling him not to. 

Satoru wasn’t there to tell him the same. 

That hurt more in hindsight, an ache forming in his chest.  

“Satoru, what-what should I do? They’re trying to get me to kill them. They’re saying they hurt the villagers, but they’re so small. So fragile. They’re so scared. Why are they scared? Why are they scared of me? Satoru, why is there so much blood?”    

Oh boy, Satoru was not the right person to ask, Suguru breaking down in front of his eyes. Satoru made eye contact with Shoko, who gritted her teeth and nodded to Satoru, giving her agreement. Satoru teleported away from everyone, knowing Suguru would despise the weakness he had already shown. No one needed to see more.

Satoru searched for a spot far from civilization with no one around, peaceful but not silent. Satoru brought them to the middle of a forest, trees moving in the wind, cool air cutting through their clothes, but not cold enough to wear a jacket. 

Satoru changed his grip on Suguru, cupping his face with his hands, keeping himself in Suguru’s eyesight. 

“Suguru, you’re not there. You’re with me. Come on, look at me.”  

Suguru’s eyes flickered around, glazed over, but met Satoru’s eyes, Satoru having taken off his blindfold. Suguru’s eyes flicked to the side, unsure and confused. Satoru pressed his thumb underneath Suguru’s eyes, something for Suguru to feel. 

Suguru raised a hand, glancing at his hand for a second and flinching at what Suguru saw. Suguru closed his fist, muttering to himself. Satoru was sure Suguru wasn’t even aware of what he was saying. 

“Can’t touch. Can’t leave stains.”

Satoru let one of his hands drop to hold the hand Suguru transformed into a fist, cradling it gently. 

“You can. Suguru, you can.”

Suguru shook his head wildly, eyes alight frantically, “Can’t. I don’t deserve it.”

Satoru felt his heart get scooped out, leaning into Suguru’s space and pressing his forehead to Suguru’s, who tried to get away from him with jerky movements, not strength behind them, just the self-imposed need to get away. His hand tried to escape Satoru’s hold, but Satoru gripped hard. 

“Yes, you do. Come on, touch me if you want. I want you to.”

Suguru stopped his struggle, still hesitating about the whole thing, but when Satoru told him he wanted him to, the last of Suguru’s fight left. Satoru let go, Suguru raising the hand Satoru last held, brushing past Satoru’s hair to touch the left side of his forehead. Suguru muttered, eyes wide and more present. 

“No wound.”

Suguru’s thumb pressed against the skin once scarred by Toji’s blade, awe in Suguru’s voice. Suguru moved that hand to Satoru’s chest, almost desperate. Satoru touched Satoru’s neck, fingers dragging over his bare neck and then to his chest, moving Satoru’s collar to touch. Satoru’s skin felt as if it was on fire, Suguru never having touched him like this. As if he would disappear if he stopped his check-up. 

“You had scars there.”

Suguru’s voice was louder and more sure than before, still not all there, but his eyes started to get recognizable. Satoru spoke, voice even and comforting. The hand cupping his cheek moved to his neck, feeling Suguru’s fast pulse. 

“I did.”

Suguru nodded absently, tracing the past scars that used to be there. Once Satoru got more proficient with the reversed cursed technique, he went over his scars from the fight that proved he was still a mortal, even with powers like a god. He didn’t want to remember the time that started the downfall. 

“I hated them. Hated seeing you marked. Proved you lost. Proved that you died.”

Satoru didn’t know. Suguru never mentioned it, but Satoru knew there was a lot Suguru didn’t say. Satoru took Suguru’s inquisitive hand in his, tilting up Suguru’s chin to look at Satoru. Suguru’s eyes were wide and transparent, and Satoru could see everything in his violet eyes. 

Confusion, grief, sadness, and hesitation, but there was also bliss and pride. Satoru grinned softly, a small thing that felt more from the soul than before. Suguru blinked as if trying to determine if it was real. 

“I’m right here. I didn’t die.”

Suguru nodded, eyes going down to Satoru’s chest, blinking away the images in his mind. Satoru pulled Suguru into a hug, hand moving to the back of his head, holding him in the crook of his neck. Suguru all but melted in his grasp, the strings controlling his body going slack. 

“Satoru.”

Suguru spoke with relief, and Satoru wrapped his arm around Suguru, pulling him closer and holding him to his chest. Suguru’s chest stuttered, voice quiet and awefilled. 

“You’re here.”

The awe and disbelief made Satoru grimace and smile shakily but responded with a comforting murmur. 

“I am. And I’m not leaving you again.”

Suguru trembled and gripped Satoru like a lifeline. Satoru could feel a tear leave Suguru’s eye even though Satoru didn’t see it. Suguru whispered brokenly, grief tangible. 

“I thought I lost you. I thought he took you away from me.”

Satoru felt his eyes blur, burying his face into Suguru’s neck, breathing in his scent, the same undercurrent of spice he always carried no matter the stage of life. Satoru took a deep breath past the stone in his throat, close to crying in a way he had never done before. He didn’t cry the day Suguru left or the day Satoru realized he would never return since he was dead. 

Satoru tightened his grip on Suguru, hair brushing his cheek. 

“I thought I lost you too.”

Satoru calmed Suguru down, sitting against a large tree. Suguru was almost afraid to let go of Satoru, so Satoru found himself with a lap full of curse user, but Satoru was not even close to annoyed. Suguru trembled every now and then, hiding his face in Satoru’s chest, arms around his back to keep close. Satoru found his hand in Suguru’s hair, calming Suguru down with the calming motions of his fingers. 

The chill in the air couldn’t sap the warmth of the other, even though the night was coming soon. The atmosphere was calm and still, trees the silent observer of their interaction. 

“Are your memories back?”

Satoru asked, not trying to disturb the atmosphere, voice deceptively gentle but ever so desperate for the answer. Suguru’s words could only come from the fact he had gotten his memories back but was put through a trauma speed run. Satoru tried not to get his hopes up, but from what Suguru said and did, Satoru felt as if there was a good chance that Suguru had regained his memories. Satoru figured his recent sickness was the reason, but he would have to double-check that with Suguru.   

Suguru shifted, tilting his head to the side and ear pressed up against where Satoru’s heart would be. His voice was quiet, none of his self-imposed confidence audible. The confidence that was ever-present in the past and was treated like armor. 

“Yes and no. Everything’s-”

Suguru flinched and squeezed his eyes shut, breathing harshly through his nose. Satoru scratched Suguru’s scalp, and Suguru relaxed again.

“-jumbled. Out of sync. It is only time before I get everything back to where it belongs.”

Satoru hummed, leaning his head back against the tree bark, “That’s good news.”

“Is it?”

Suguru’s conflicted words made Satoru glance down. Suguru opened his eyes to gaze at the ground with unfocused eyes. Suguru glanced at Satoru, then not, not looking at his face, as if scolded. 

“Satoru, from what I remember, you shouldn’t want me around. I destroyed that village and everyone in it. And then I went on to try and commit genocide. You killed me for it, so why do you trust me? Why don’t you finish the job?”

Satoru sucked in a deep breath, angered at the very notion. Satoru made Suguru look at him, jerking his head by his head, making sure it wasn’t painful. Suguru looked at him with shocked eyes, purple burrowing deep into his soul. Satoru glared at Suguru, lighting his grip to a gentle motion. 

“Don’t ever say that. You’re my best friend and no matter what you have done in the past, that will never change. I only had to kill you because you attacked the school, to do my duty. The only reason I would do it again is if you tried to do it again. Are you?”

Satoru stared into Suguru’s eyes, deadly serious, and Suguru took a moment to respond. Suguru didn’t take his eyes off Satoru, who was more than willing to do a staring contest. Suguru thought over his answer, going through the memories he had access to, then shook his head, a sigh escaping him. His body seemed to deflate, eyes gaining an emptiness that Satoru revolted at, reminding him of when Suguru distanced himself away. When Satoru started to lose him. 

“No. There would be no point. I’m not that suicidal.”

Suguru chuckled tiredly, eyes screaming in pain. Suguru shuddered against him, forehead against Satoru’s chest. 

“What happened to my daughters?”

Satoru didn’t react aside from burying his hand in Suguru’s hair. Suguru didn’t move, and Satoru’s chest hurt. He knew this would be coming, but he was still hurt at the thought of Suguru’s pain. Suguru spoke again, voice thick with grief. 

“Don’t try to break it to me softly. I can take it.”

Satoru mused softly, “Can you?”

“Satoru.”

Satoru sighed, tightening his grip to give Suguru more of an anchor. 

“They were killed in Shibuya.”

Suguru jerked, a silent sob escaping him, chest heaving. Suguru started to cry silently, hiding his face in Satoru’s shirt. Suguru’s voice was broken, broken by grief and anger. 

“Who?”

Satoru thinned his lips, “Sukuna.”

Satoru fought the grunt that tried to escape when Suguru gripped him in a death grip, his chest trying to collapse in itself by the strength Suguru held. Suguru abruptly released one of the arms around Satoru, punching the ground hard enough to dent it.

“Damnit!!”

Suguru breathed hard, panting as if he had run a marathon. He did it again, and when he went to do it for a third time, Satoru slipped out a hand to snatch the fist out of the air, bringing it back to Suguru’s body. Satoru felt the blood drip onto his hand, Suguru’s knuckles bloody. Suguru must have hit a rock, his fist not reinforced with cursed energy. Suguru hung his head, Satoru unable to see his face. Satoru felt fear bloom in his chest, knowing this could break everything they built. It would only take so much to lose Suguru again, Suguru not wanting to be saved again. Satoru didn’t want to stand on the sidelines again when Suguru struggled. 

“Did they suffer?”

Suguru sounded defeated, a note of heartbreaking exhaustion in his voice. Satoru shook his head slowly, purposefully unconfrontational. 

“I heard it was instantaneous. They didn’t have a chance to feel the pain.”

Suguru seemed to convulse, making a soul-wrenching animalistic sound, anguish radiating from his body. Suguru swallowed visibly, hand gripping Satoru’s grip almost painfully. 

“Did they get a funeral?”

Satoru spoke somberly, “Shoko has their urns waiting to be buried where you want.”

Satoru managed to ask Shoko secretly, knowing it would be one of the questions Suguru would have once he regained his memories. Shoko hadn't gotten to burying the girls yet since no one could claim them, and she had more bodies to process. They didn’t think it was okay for them to be buried next to people they thought of as enemies. And with Suguru alive, Satoru didn’t want to take that away from him. He cared for those girls like a father, never mind that he was only a teen when he took them in. 

Suguru nodded jerkily, eyes screaming out in pain and anguish.

“I understand. I’ll speak to her about it later.”

Satoru brushed Suguru’s hair with a hand, trying to soothe at least some of the pain he was feeling. Satoru never had to bury his child, but the feeling he felt when Yuji’s body lay on an autopsy table, thinking he would have to go through the burial rights, would be close to what Suguru felt. But Suguru raised those girls, and Satoru had only known Yuji for a few weeks. The level of grief was on another level. 

“You don’t have to do it right away.”

Suguru shook his head, “No, it’s better that way. The girls… don’t deserve to be kept from eternal rest for any longer.”

Suguru then chuckled brokenly, eyes bloodshot and a second away from crying. 

“They’re dead. They’re dead, Satoru.”

Satoru rumbled comfortingly, “I know.”

Suguru sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm down, but from how his chest stuttered, breathing irregularly, he was failing. 

“They’re dead and I’m alive. They were my reason, Satoru. I don’t even have a goal anymore since you won’t allow me to kill all non-sorcerers. I don’t have a reason to continue living.”

Satoru felt panic erupt, face blanking of emotion, voice coming out harsher than he intended. 

“Don’t say that, Suguru. Don’t.”

Suguru laughed without humor, “What else do you want me to say, Satoru? My entire life, I had something to power me, to have a goal that I needed to achieve. Now I have nothing. Thinking about it, I didn’t achieve anything. I only created problems you had to solve. Fucking pathetic.” 

Satoru jerked Suguru up so they could look face to face, Suguru all but sitting on his lap with Satoru’s legs laid out in the grass. Satoru wrapped his arms around Suguru’s waist, with Suguru’s arms on his shoulders, his eyes showing how exhausted he was and the absence of a light Satoru loved. 

“You’re not pathetic, Suguru. You could never be.”

Suguru scoffed, looking away from Satoru’s face. 

“I started a crusade I knew would never be won. If that isn’t pathetic, I don’t know what would be.”

Satoru frowned. Suguru looked more exhausted than he had ever seen him, eyes showing the weight that had been absent since Satoru first saw him after Shibuya. Suguru looked haunted. Satoru never saw Suguru so despondent, always confident in his way of life and never backing down. Satoru didn’t think Suguru doubted his cause since he started it in the first place. 

Suguru spoke with broken chuckles coloring his voice, “I thought when I killed all the non-sorcerers, it would be worth it. That no one had to die for people who didn’t give a shit about us. Didn’t have to die for people who didn’t appreciate everything we did for them. Didn’t have to die for the old generation in their pursuit of keeping their authority and power.”

Suguru whispered, hanging his head on Satoru’s shoulder.  

“That you wouldn’t have to shoulder everything by yourself.”

Satoru jolted, eyes widening, glancing at Suguru, who met his side eye, expression highlighted by despair. 

“Did you know only non sorcerers can create curses? Sorcerers can’t since they can contain their cursed energy, but non-sorcerers can’t.”

Satoru felt all the air leave his body, blood chilled, and a pit of ice forming in his stomach. His mind froze and went through dozens of emotions, landing on sorrow. Satoru muttered quietly, unable to keep the regret from his voice. 

“Is that why-?”

Suugru hummed, the sound sounding wrong to Satoru. 

“I couldn’t go back to what I was, Satoru. I slaughtered that village. No one would have me back. Since I would have been banished anyway, I figured I wouldn’t even try. I had a goal to create a world where curses wouldn’t form.”

Satoru snipped, anger buried in the words, “Sorcerers can become curses too, Suguru.”

Suguru huffed tiredly, eyes buried in remorse, “You think I don’t know that? I had to try, no matter how impossible it seemed. I made a decision and had to go through with it. Even if it made us enemies.”

Satoru never understood Suguru’s mission to kill all non-sorcerers. Satoru never believed it was because Suguru thought of them as below them, that Sorcerers were the next stage of evolution. Suguru was never the type to put another race on top of the other, aghast every time people discriminated against another race. It revolted Suguru, so when Satoru heard Suguru preach it for the first time, he was in a state of stunned disbelief. 

That wasn’t the Suguru he laughed with. 

That wasn’t the Suguru he knew. 

Now, Satoru was aware of Suguru’s true motivations. It was convoluted and horrifying, but Satoru understood where Suguru came from. If Suguru thought it was the best for them, to save the young sorcerers from death he could prevent, Suguru would do it. 

Suguru always took the hard path but never buckled under its weight. It was what made them similar, two boys who always had the world on their shoulders.

Satoru muttered, voice thick with melancholy, “You damn martyr. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Suguru huffed tiredly, energy gone from his body.

“Would it have made a difference? No matter the end goal, you would still have to stop me from killing the non-sorcerers.”

“It would have made it easier to understand why you left us.” 

Left me.        

Satoru didn’t voice it, but they both heard it, loud and undeniable. Suguru shook his head, head leaning on Satoru’s shoulder. 

“It’s the past now, and we can’t change it. It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t have a reason to. I died for it once, I’m not making the same mistake.”

Satoru breathed out deeply, air rushing from his lungs, unaware that it had frozen before. 

“Are you sure?”

Suguru nodded, eyes holding deep feelings of failure, “I said it before. There is no point. The people I started my war for died, and really, what’s the point? I lost everything chasing that very purpose. I don’t want-”

Suguru sighed, closing his eyes, burying his head in Satoru’s neck so he couldn’t see Suguru’s face. Suguru didn’t speak again, and Satoru wasn’t going to break the silence, something in Suguru’s mind. 

Suguru broke the silence, moving his head to look into Satoru’s eyes. Suguru brushed a hand over the side of Satoru’s face, the corner of his eye to his hairline. Suguru whispered, broken and shamed. 

“Why do you still keep me around, Satoru? I betrayed you, betrayed everyone. I hurt your students. What says I won’t do it again when I have already shown you I am capable of it?”

Suguru’s hand dropped to Satoru’s shoulder, his touch powerful even through the fabric of his shirt. Satoru smiled, making Suguru frown, violet eyes glowing with life. 

“Didn’t I tell you already? I trust you, always have. I knew you wouldn’t kill my students. Never you’re style to kill young sorcerers. Older? Maybe. But never teenagers.”

“You still trust me around Sukuna’s vessel?”

Satoru's smile thinned but was still visible, putting more pressure where his hands were around Suguru. 

“I do. I know you want revenge on Sukuna, but you won’t kill Itadori.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Satoru hummed, nosing Suguru’s cheek, making a subtle tremor to rock Suguru’s body. 

“He reminds you of Haibara. Do I need to say more?”

Suguru tensed, then sighed, a frustrated growl escaping his mouth, “When did you get observant?” 

The white-haired man shrugged, “I learned a few things when you were gone.”

Suguru fell silent, eyes darkening at the reminder. Satoru felt the tension crackle, frisson occurring soundlessly. Suguru observed Satoru, eyes flicking over his form. Suguru stared for another moment, then sighed. 

“I still don’t understand how you can still trust me.”

Satoru tilted his head, a more genuine smile gracing his face. 

“Suguru, would you believe me when I say that I only have a few lines, and you haven’t crossed any of them?”

Suguru stared blankly at Satoru, disbelief visible in his eyes, “You’re kidding.”

Satoru smiled wider, “Suguru, tell me any time you have deliberately sought to harm me or my students, ignoring what we already have discussed. Ignore the murder after the whole village incident, too. I know about that. Most of the time, you just made trouble for the higher-ups, and I was cheering you on when you did. And extorting money from people is not a death sentence.”

Suguru gave a slight nod to that, even though he looked aggrieved at the notion of agreeing with Satoru. Satoru leaned in Suguru’s face, Suguru staring at Satoru with a subtle awe. Satoru bonked his forehead against Suguru’s, causing the man to hiss in slight pain. 

“Until you give me a truly unforgivable act I don’t know about, you’re stuck with me. And it sounds like you have nothing better to do, so what’s the problem?”

Suguru opened his mouth, then closed it. He mulled it over and became disgruntled, and Satoru smiled brightly, knowing the argument was won and in his favor. 

“I still want to have something to aim for. Having nothing to go after feels… aimless. Empty.”

Satoru smiled gently, “Do you have to figure it out right now? You have time to do that, but right now, would wrecking our enemies suffice?”

Suguru’s eyes brightened at the reminder, a savage gleam coming to his eye, and Satoru knew he had taken the bait. There was one thing he loved more than anything, and that was fucking with the higher-ups. There was a lot of bad blood between them, and Suguru probably was waiting for the chance.

“It’s good enough.”

“I’ll take it.”

Satoru hummed happily, Suguru staying silent for a time, allowing the darkening light to cover them in a comfortable silence. Suguru spoke, voice unsure. 

“Is your students going to be okay with me around? I did try to kill them.”

Satoru smirked, “They were okay with you before.”

Suguru rolled his eyes, returning to his usual behavior, but Satoru could see the grief still swimming in his eyes. Suguru would have a difficult time coming to terms with his grief but Satoru was there for him to lean on, and Satoru would have to remind him he wanted him to, not push him away when things got tough. The burden was back on his shoulders, his lightened atmosphere corrupted by his returning memories. Satoru was sad to see it go, but the present look in Suguru’s eyes made up for it. He was damaged and cracked in places people shouldn’t be cracked, but weren’t they all? Satoru had a few cracks as well, and Satoru wanted to be the one who would help Suguru patch his up.

“That was before I had my memories. They may be a bit fuzzy right now, but it is enough for them to be threatened I might attack them again.”

Satoru threw out that notion as fast as it came, “Don’t worry about it. I have it covered.”

Suguru raised an eyebrow at that, unimpressed and not confident. Satoru waved him off with a bright smile. 

“Anyway, I should probably call Shoko.”

Suguru’s face fell at that, blinking at the memories. 

“Yeah, do that.”

With Suguru’s approval(he would have done it anyway, but it was always nice), he pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked to see if he had a signal. He did. Satoru flicked open the phone and clicked on Shoko’s new phone number she gave him, putting it on speaker so Suguru could hear. Suguru looked at the phone, hearing the phone ring. 

Shoko picked up on the third ring, voice purposefully blank to give nothing away. 

“Do I need to do damage control?”

Satoru chirped, smiling wide.

“No need! I have it under control!”

When Shoko was clearly unconvinced by the silence on the other line, Satoru spoke again cheerfully. 

“Suguru! Tell her I have it under control!”

Suguru huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of his face. 

“He’s not totally horrible, so that’s something.”

Shoko sighed in relief on the other end, but they weren’t meant to hear that, so they stayed silent. 

“Suguru, you got to stop being dramatic.”

Suguru sounded disgusted, face scrunched up, “I’m not dramatic. Have you met Satoru?”

Shoko made an agreeing sound, making Satoru squawk, trying to defend his honor. 

“What are you guys trying to say?!” 

They ignored him, Shoko speaking, “Yeah, and that’s why you two got along so well. So, the main issue, Suguru, do you have your memories?”

Satoru let his expression go blank, but Suguru flicked something from his fingernails, unbothered. 

“Yes, and before you ask, I can prove it. Your favorite book in high school was-”

Shoko interrupted Suguru before he could say anymore, “Okay, I believe you. Any injuries?”

Satoru glanced at Suguru’s knuckles, but they had long since stopped bleeding. It was nothing serious, but if Shoko saw the blood and didn’t warn her, she would give them an earful. 

“Nothing to write home about.”

Shoko took that as it was, “Good enough. When are you coming back? The kids are getting antsy.”

Satoru and Suguru shared a look, communicating silently. Satoru raised an eyebrow, and Suguru shrugged, tapping his finger on the ground, and Satoru hummed in agreement. Satoru answered Shoko, looking at his phone. 

“We’ll be back in an hour or two. Don’t wait for us.”

Shoko didn’t ask why it would take that long, graceful enough to not question it. She knew how the two operated and that they beat at their drum and no one else’s.

“Understood. And for the love of God, don’t get in more trouble. We’ve had enough drama for the day.”

“We won’t!”

Shoko drawled, “Somehow, I don’t believe that. See ya, fuckers.”

With that, Shoko hung up, and they stared at the phone. Suguru started chuckling, Satoru joining in with light laughter, “She never changes.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

Satoru put away his phone, and the moment he did, Suguru all but collapsed onto Satoru, breathing in deeply. He muttered quietly, Satoru barely able to hear him. 

“Can we just stay here for a bit?”

Satoru stretched his legs and back but ultimately did not move an inch. 

“Sure.”

Suguru nodded and buried his head in Satoru’s neck, not moving to be anywhere else. Satoru almost could vibrate with happiness. Suguru wasn’t going to leave. Suguru seemed to want to stay even with his memories. Satoru never could hope for it to be true, but with Suguru unmoving, Satoru allowed it to take hold. 

Satoru started to feel his legs start to numb, taking the weight of a six-three heavily muscled man on his lap was not good for his blood circulation, but Satoru would have it no other way.

Satoru hated to break the atmosphere, but there was one other elephant in the room, even if it wasn’t actively trampling around. Satoru murmured a quiet question, making Suguru tilt his face to look at Satoru’s. 

“Suguru, why did you collapse four days ago?”

Suguru answered with an inquisitive hum, “I was asleep for four days?”

Satoru nodded, “You almost died. Your cursed energy could have killed you if we didn’t stop it.”

Suguru moved so his chin set on the corner of Satoru’s collarbone.

“Didn’t think about that.”

Satoru pursed his lips, and Suguru sighed, chest getting ever so closer to Satoru’s. 

“My soul. That night, I healed the last of the damage it accumulated. My memories must have been cut off since my soul was damaged. The soul is the center of a being, so it is logical to think memories are also included in that.”

Satoru gave Suguru that, and Satoru was glad that Suguru was all healed in the soul's regard since no one else could heal the soul except him. That brought up another conversation, but a bright smile came to his face. 

“You’re going to be a goddamned menace with that technique.”

Suguru smiled evilly, maniac energy coming to his face, “I have so many plans. Looks like close combat will be my strength, as well, don’t you think?”

Satoru groaned, throwing a hand over his face with despair, “No, don’t remind me. It’s a goddamn cheat in your hands!”

Suguru scoffed lightheartedly, flicking Satoru’s forehead, “Says you. You can’t say anything about unfair techniques.”

Satoru nodded with a grin, “True. But I am Satoru Gojo.”

Suguru rolled his eyes, used to his showboating. 

“Has anyone told you you’re an idiot?”

Satoru put a hand to his chin, miming as if he thought about it, then threw up the hand, “Nope! Everyone knows I’m great!”

Suguru gave up and turned his head so the side of his cheek was cushioned by his shirt and shoulder. He brought a finger to Satoru’s lips, touching them. 

“Shush. You’re scaring away the birds.”

Satoru scrunched his nose, “What birds?”

But Satoru went quiet, allowing them to breathe in the others' presence without worrying, the lightest atmosphere they had between them since they were teenagers, having aired out most of the troubles that plagued them. Or, more specifically, the most pertaining ones at that moment. 

They might not have bad blood, but many things went unspoken. Too fragile to be said, unwilling to break what they had going on. 

They sat under the tree leaves and dusk sky, waiting for the stars to come out, because they would, even when the clouds blocked them. 

Stars would always return, even if they didn’t see them. It doesn't mean they don’t exist.

Satoru stood up, stretching his limbs because of the position they were in. Satoru looked at the ground and outstretched a hand, Suguru grabbing it. Satoru pulled him up, but Suguru stumbled, legs almost giving out. Satoru caught him with a grunt, and Suguru grumbled with aggravation. Satoru spoke soothingly to Suguru, who only gave him an annoyed look for his discretion. 

“You shouldn’t even be out of bed right now, Suguru. You’re still weak from the coma and its after effects.”

Suguru gave Satoru a dismissive look, waving him off, trying to walk but stumbled with every attempted step.

“Don’t baby me.”

Satoru corrected him, “I’m not. Just telling the truth. Here-”

Satoru turned his back to Suguru and knelt, bringing one of his knees to the ground, the other bent. Satoru leaned forward, turning his head to look at Suguru, who was blinking at Satoru’s actions. 

“Get on. I’ll carry you back.”

Suguru scoffed, disbelief in his eyes, “You're telling me that you’re going to give me a piggyback ride? Are you serious?”

Satoru smiled and gave him a peace sign, “Deadly. So get on, or else, I will carry you in a bridal carry.”

Suguru moved quickly at the threat, grumbling all the while, even though he was shockingly quiet when he did climb on Satoru’s back, Satoru holding his thighs, and Suguru wrapped his arms around Satoru’s neck. 

“You knelt for me, Satoru.”

Satoru winked back at Suguru, “Only for you.”

Satoru turned away after he spoke, but Satoru felt more heat coming from Suguru afterward. Suguru muttered quietly, “You’re such a dick.”

Satoru stood up fully, Suguru’s weight not affecting Satoru’s gait. Satoru could carry Suguru’s weight easily, and Suguru relaxed after making sure. 

“Time to return, eh, Suguru?”

Suguru hummed his agreement, head bowed and touching Satoru’s shoulder. Satoru walked for a few seconds until he activated Limitless, teleporting back to their home. 

But Suguru was always home to Satoru, and for him, it didn't seem like home was going anywhere. 

Chapter Text

Shoko tapped her pen on the paper, her mind unable to focus. 

All she could think about was Suguru, his confusion, and what he said. She was sure Satoru made the same connections about the day those memories must have come from. Yaga, as well. Yaga had this guilt-ridden look as if he wanted to shield Suguru from the mission in the past. 

There were many fucked up things you see on missions. Shoko may not have been to as many as the boys, but sometimes she would go out into the field with Satoru and Suguru in the beginning when they had to be healed more frequently than later. She saw bodies mutilated, torn apart, and eviscerated in a way a human could never do. She knew the stories of why some of the curses came to exist. Some were a mystery or were just the accumulated cursed energy of large cities. 

Every sorcerer had come across stories that showed human cruelty, but it was different than knowing about it and then witnessing it. Suguru must have witnessed something that made his already crumbling psyche snap. Maybe it was his last straw since Haibara had been killed only a few weeks before. Shoko should have been a more present part of his life after his death since Suguru was the closest one to Haibara after Nanami. Suguru took him under his wing, specifically training him when Haibara asked. Haibara looked up to Suguru, and Suguru made sure he was okay. Suguru looked out for him as a sort of mentor, and Haibara was the enthusiastic mentee.

Something broke in Suguru the day Haibara died, and she should have ensured he wouldn’t do something stupid. But to give her past self credit, she didn’t expect what Suguru would do when he snapped. 

But with Suguru’s words and actions, borderline horror in his eyes, it seemed like Suguru wasn’t unaffected by the horror he saw and caused. Mostly about the girls he saved, but the massacre must have left its mark on Suguru, all the same. 

Shoko was glad Satoru teleported them out of there. Suguru didn’t deserve a very public breakdown, even considering his past crimes. Shoko had enough faith in Satoru that he wouldn’t make or want to make it worse. But aside from that, she could only hope since Satoru was notorious for not caring about other people's feelings. 

But Suguru is and always will be an exception.  

Shoko saw that the students wanted to ask but hadn’t, unsure, or hadn’t gathered the courage. Shoko bet they were talking amongst themselves, but aside from that, they hadn’t asked her yet. Choso was bidding his time, eyes surveying the situation, but ultimately deemed it something he didn’t have to worry about. And Yaga-

“Any word from Satoru?”

Shoko turned to the doorway, Yaga knocking on the wood there. Shoko waved her phone in lieu of an answer. Yaga entered her office, carefully closing the door behind him, and sat on one of the chairs. He clasped his hands together, face purposefully blank of any expression.  

“How are they?”

Shoko shrugged, “It seems that Satoru managed to calm Suguru down. He sounded okayish on the phone.”

There was an undercurrent of exhaustion in Suguru’s voice, but it wasn’t enough to worry about just yet. Satoru would do something about it. But Shoko thought it was just Suguru being tired from waking from a coma and immediately jumping into a mental breakdown. That would sap anyone's energy. 

“He has his memory back.”

Yaga nodded, a knot of tension loosening, but it came back at the complications of Suguru gaining his memory back. They all remembered what Suguru was before he died, a terrorist and mass murderer with an inclination to kill any who got in his way. Well, except for Satoru, Suguru would never try to kill Satoru, even if he had the means to. That was one thing Shoko never doubted, even after he was banished.

“Did Satoru say anything else?”

Shoko replied after writing some information on a sheet for a patient who wanted a second look at their diagnosis. 

“Nothing much, but did say he would be back in an hour or two. That was an hour and a half ago, so they should be back soon.”

Yaga frowned but nodded and stood up, “I’ll ask him when he comes back.”

Shoko didn’t respond, and Yaga purposefully did not say who he would talk to. Yaga took it hard, Suguru’s defection, but it was hidden enough that he could order his execution the day Suguru started the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. He must see this as a second chance like them, and Shoko could only cheer him on in spirit. 

Shoko was eating a piece of pizza when the front door opened. 

The pizza was from a nearby American restaurant that ordered out, and they had to buy a lot to feed all the people in the house. They could eat a lot when they fought that day. It was good enough, but Shoko had been spoiled by Suguru’s cooking, so it hit slightly less than before. She was reminded of the time after Suguru’s defection when she would go to the kitchen for dinner or lunch to find no one there, body using muscle memory. 

Shoko turned to see Satoru coming through the doorway with a smile, Suguru on his back, head bowed, but looked up with a scowl, eyes blinking at the light. Satoru was giving Suguru a piggyback ride, which was funny since they both weren’t small men. Shoko spotted the blood on Suguru’s knuckles, beads of blood had dried, and raised her eyebrow.

“We’re back!”

The students came out in mass, worried looks hidden but relaxed at Satoru’s appearance. They glanced at Suguru, who frowned and then shook his head.

“Satoru, can you lower your voice? I don’t need ringing in my ears.”

Satoru smiled, tilting his head to glance at Suguru even with his blindfold. 

“Oh, my bad, Princess. Didn’t think you were so delicate.”

Suguru batted his eyelashes, “I’m so delicate. I had to get my knight in shining armor to carry me. Oh, for shame, I’m so disappointed in myself.”

Suguru faked swooning, putting a hand over his forehead, and threw his head back. Satoru gasped as if offended, putting a hand over his heart. 

“Don’t be, my Liege. It’s my job to carry you wherever you wish to tread.”

Suguru put a hand over his mouth, eyes sparkling playfully.

“Satoru! You’re the only one I can count on!”

Shoko rolled her eyes, and before they could get into a full-blown comedy skit, she spoke. 

“It seems you two have no shame as usual.”

Suguru and Satoru turned to her with matching grins.

“Shame is for people that fear fun.”

Satoru nodded smugly, snapping to Suguru, who gave his full attention to Satoru. 

“Along with no confidence.”

Suguru nodded as if in agreement, leaning back onto Satoru’s shoulder. Shoko scoffed, fighting not to smile. Satoru grinned at her, and Suguru hummed, glancing over the room. His eyes landed on Yuji, eyes darkening, then shook his head, and landed on Yuuta. Suguru huffed with a sly smile. 

“You got me good with that last attack, Okkostu.”

Yuuta tensed, and Suguru huffed good-naturedly, rolling his eyes, “I ain’t coming for a rematch. Sounds like too much effort. I don’t want to lose an arm again.”

Suguru blinked and then looked at his right hand, the hand forming a fist. He muttered to himself, but Shoko heard it.  

“Huh, forgot that happened. How the fuck did that bastard create a new arm?” 

Suguru shrugged, seemingly putting it out of his mind. The kids gained expressions of understanding, realizing Suguru had gained his past memories. Maki frowned, and the other students grew tense, except Yuji, who only tilted his head. 

Satoru interrupted before anyone could say anything with a bright smile. 

“I think I should reintroduce you guys. This is Suguru Geto, memories and all.”

Suguru threw up a peace sign with a cunning smile, eyes notably darker and sly. Suguru tilted his head with his eyes closed, smiling without showing his teeth. Yuuta seemed to be fighting through the fight or flight response, the second years recognizing the expression from when they first met.   

“Stop trying to freak them out, Suguru.”

Satoru's chiding only made Suguru smile wider, opening his eyes to look at Satoru.

“But Satoru, it’s so easy. Look at them. So easy to fuck with.”

Satoru didn’t react aside from the smile that was becoming more mischievous.

“Suguru~”

Suguru rolled his eyes, playfully pouting. 

“You’re no fun. Taking away all my entertainment. Cruel.”

Satoru drawled, “Oh, don't say that. We can always figure out something.”

Suguru purred, eyes narrowed into slits, “What do you have in mind?”

Satoru opened his mouth, a shit-eating grin on his face, but before he could speak, Yaga interrupted, staring at Suguru. Suguru let his expression fall into a blank slate, but Shoko saw his eyes were screaming. Shoko knew Yaga was one of the people Suguru respected the most, but she didn't know how far that respect had gone after all these years.  

“Suguru.”

Suguru’s lips thinned, and he tapped Satoru’s shoulder. Satoru stared at Suguru, who only stared back, a silent conversation between them. Satoru, after a moment of that, knelt on the ground so Suguru could get off Satoru’s back. Suguru stood on his feet after a moment, noticeably off balance. 

Suguru turned his body to Yaga, Satoru at his side, a hand on the shoulder to right him and for silent moral support. Suguru waved him off, and Satoru let his hand drop to his side. Suguru put his hand in his pocket and scratched the back of his head with the other, not looking at Yaga. 

“Yaga. I would say it’s been a while, but that’s not really true, is it?”

Yaga gave a short answer, observing Suguru, “No, it isn’t.”

Suguru stayed silent while Yaga walked up to Suguru, who didn’t move back. Yaga looked him up and down, patting him on the shoulder, while Suguru looked knocked off guard, eyes wide. 

“You still cause trouble. You and Satoru were always partners in crime. Should have figured that would never change.”

Suguru smiled, but Shoko saw it was distinctly unsure, eyes trembling.

“I think some things have changed.”

Yaga observed Suguru and patted his shoulder again, moving so they were side to side, having to turn his head to look at Suguru. Suguru met his eyes, then broke the gaze to look at the ground. 

“Yes. I don’t see the uncertain fourteen-year-old boy I found in a countryside village. I see a grown man who gained the confidence he needed.”

Suguru didn’t look at Yaga, fist clenched at his side. 

“I thought you would say something different.”

Yaga titled his head in response, “We can do nothing about the past. We only have to move forward and not repeat our mistakes.”

Suguru’s expression soured, clicking his tongue, eyes darkening. 

“You think they were just mistakes? I knew what I was doing.”

Yaga let his hand retreat from Suguru’s shoulder, making Suguru look at him, expression closed off. Yaga met his eyes, no negative emotions to be seen, as if he was gazing at a student who needed guidance. 

“I know, but you always had your reasons. What they were and if it mattered is always up to you, and I may not agree with them, but I know you, Suguru. I still remember the young boy who would use their own body to protect innocents and friends. I still see that boy in you.”

Suguru gritted his teeth, expression twisted, “You need to get your eyes checked in your old age.”

Yaga punched Suguru on top of his head. Suguru grunted while his head was pushed down by the force. He touched the spot with a hiss. Satoru whistled while looking away, afraid to get hit as well. 

“I don’t need more head trauma, Yaga.”

Yaga scoffed, “You had brain damage when I found you. At this point, it’s already useless to try and say you could get more.”

Suguru's mouth moved to frown but didn’t get there, halfway to a tsk and humph.  

“And for what it’s worth-”

Suguru glanced at Yaga, who wore a frown, eyes showing their guilt and sorrow. Suguru blinked, straightening at the look. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t do anything all those years ago. I should have been a better teacher to you.”

Suguru cut him off, voice steadfast. He glared at Yaga, lips pursed, “Don’t. You couldn’t have done anything. Said the same thing to Satoru.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Suguru shot back without hesitation, “It was implied. I was spiraling and would have hit rock bottom sooner or later. No one could have stopped that.”

Suguru sighed, carding a hand through his hair, “And Yaga-”

Suguru ruffled his hair, sighing with more aggravation, annoyed. 

“You were the best teacher I could have asked for. You were the only adult in my life who saw something in me. You could have been better, sure, but everyone could. I never had anything against you. Same with everyone else in Jujutsu High. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Yaga took a moment, then smiled, “It’s good to have you back, Suguru.”

Suguru shrugged with a self-assured smile, “Who else is going to deal with Satoru and his bullshit.”

Shoko scoffed, “Like that’s true. You two are always on the same bullshit.”

Suguru winked and finger gunned at her, “Exactly.”

Satoru butted in with a pleased smile, throwing an arm around Suguru’s shoulders, getting a bit too close to be normal, but everyone recognized that Satoru had never cared for personal space. 

“With that out of the way, what’s for dinner? I’m starving.”   

Suguru tilted his head in agreement, then he scrunched his eyes, looking to Shoko, who twirled away so Suguru couldn't look at her face.

“Please tell me you didn’t order fast food.” 

When Suguru didn’t get an answer, he could get a hint from that, and Shoko could feel his disapproval from there. It was a novel experience to have disapproval aimed at her by a known genocidal maniac. 

“Shoko, I thought you were better than this.”

She gave him the middle finger over her shoulder.

“Not everyone is against takeout.”

“It’s so unhealthy. Cooking isn’t that hard.”

“Come on, Suguru. It won’t hurt this once.”

“The things I do for you.”

Shoko smiled, feeling the atmosphere lighten with their bickering. She missed it, even though they do give her headaches with their antics. But she was looking forward to it. 

Satoru chuckled while watching Suguru eat the pizza, glaring at it like it killed his entire family. Satoru blinked. Guess that wasn’t the best analogy, considering Suguru’s track history. Suguru scowled while he ate the pizza, but Satoru could see the spark of amusement, most of it a show he wasn’t backing down. 

Suguru aimed his glare at Satoru, who only smiled innocently. He pointed the pizza slice at him, eyes narrowed. 

“If you want me to eat this crap, you do too.”

Satoru snickered and took a bite of his pizza, and Suguru sniffed and went back to eating, ignoring the looks they had been ignoring for a while now.

“You’re a food snob.”

Suguru glared at Satoru again, “If having standards makes me a snob, then so be it. I am not the one who got food poisoning because they thought that shifty food stall in Hokkaido looked good.”

Satoru crossed his arms, looking away from Suguru’s unimpressed stare. 

“It was fried. The oil should have cooked all the germs away.”

Suguru rubbed his temples, aggrieved, closing his eyes. 

“It doesn’t work like that. I told you, but no, you didn’t listen to me.”

Satoru shrugged with an unrepentant grin, “It’s because you have no sense of adventure.”

Suguru exhaled deeply, “No, it’s not. You just tend to eat anything you think tastes good, no matter where it’s been.” 

The white-haired man pouted, “That’s not true.”

Suguru looked blankly at him, turning to Shoko, who was eating her food without paying attention. The students were watching them like a two-man comedy show, and Satoru was sure they were still on guard, half convinced Suguru was going to stab them in their backs. Suguru gracefully ignored the looks, even though Satoru could see Suguru tensed whenever looking at Yuji, visibly fighting the urge to try and kill him. Satoru was proud of his restraint. 

Satoru would have to figure out how to make it okay between them again, but that was for the future. 

“Hey Shoko, how many times did Satoru eat stuff he wasn’t supposed to?”

Shoko didn’t even look up, swallowing her pizza, “Every time he found something that activated his munchy instinct. God didn’t give him a weakness people could exploit, so it was traded off by giving him a horrible sense of self-preservation.”

Satoru winced, “I wasn’t that bad.”

Suguru rolled his eyes, “I had to tackle you once so you didn’t drink the goddamn dish soap.”

Satoru brought up a hand, raising his index finger, “That was once. And how was I supposed to know you weren’t supposed to eat it?”

“You read the fucking label before you try downing something.”

Satoru gasped and covered the nearest kid's ear, which happened to Megumi, who instantly reacted like a wet cat, trying to jerk out of Satoru’s hold. 

“Watch your fucking language, Suguru! There are kids present!” 

Suguru glowered at Satoru, fingers twitching, and Satoru could tell if there was a knife in the vicinity, it would have been thrown at him.

“You're more of a kid than them. Yaga, how did this guy get a teaching license?”

Suguru asked Yaga, who blinked at Suguru talking to him, looking between the two, and smirked. Satoru felt like he was getting gained up on. 

“He doesn’t.”

Suguru didn’t say anything, but the look he gave Yaga and then Satoru was telling enough. Suguru put his head on the table and groaned.

“I know Jujutsu High is very different than public schools, but come on! You could have made him do that online shit, at least.”

Satoru let go of Megumi after, ignoring his attempts at punching his way out of his hold, Infinity blocking him. 

“Oh, like you could do any better.”

Suguru got noticeably silent, turning away from Satoru. Satoru blinked, and a Cheshire grin grew on his face, poking Suguru on the shoulder, but Suguru ignored him. 

“Heyheyheyhey~ Suguru, come on, answer me. Do you have a teacher's license?”

Suguru scowled, not looking at Satoru. 

“It wasn’t like it was hard.”

Satoru snickered with glee. The future vision of Suguru as a teacher wasn’t that wrong after all.

“Why?”

Suguru tensed, not looking at anyone, “I homeschooled the girls.”

Satoru let the smile thin, “Ah. That makes sense.”

Satoru didn’t want to let the atmosphere turn awkward, most of the students were more than curious about Suguru’s words. That was one thing that shouldn't be spoken about until Suguru mourned at least for a few weeks or given the okay to. 

“Well, with Suguru almost back to fighting shape-”

“I can still kick your ass.”

“-we will probably start our plans to make the higher-ups' lives hell.”

Shoko butted in, flicking her eyes between the two, “I have to make sure Suguru is all good before you start.”

Satoru nodded with a smile, and Suguru scoffed but didn’t argue. Suguru smiled menacingly, eyes glittering dangerously. 

“I have wanted to take those old bastards out for so long. The only reason they were still alive was because they moved so quickly. Could never pin them down, the rat bastards.”

Satoru tapped his eyes, “That won’t be a problem.”

Suguru smirked, “Good. I have a few things I would like to get them back for.”

Satoru raised an eyebrow at him, and Suguru met his expression with an unimpressed look. 

“I noticed their little plans early on. They weren’t very subtle with my missions.”

Satoru gained a light of understanding, “You knew.”

Suguru scoffed, eyes bare of any ill will to Satoru, “It wasn’t hard to find out. And I figured you didn’t know, or you would have raised hell. Honestly, I was surprised they didn’t try to assassinate me at that point. It would have been easier than using all the loops they jumped through.”

Yaga grimaced, knowing what the two special grades were talking about. Every mission had to go through Yaga but had no power to change them. His hands were tied to the higher-ups' will, and everyone knew it. The only thing he could have done was slow the missions down, but that wasn’t a fix-all in that situation.

Satoru smirked at the notion, knowing full well what they would have done if the higher decided to get rid of Suguru despite his power. 

“They wanted your power, so killing you was out of the question.”

Suguru shrugged, seemingly not caring for the past plans against him, even though Satoru did sense anger from Suguru that they even tried. 

“Fat load that did for them.”

Megumi interrupted, expression pissed, “What are you guys talking about?”

Suguru and Satoru glanced at each other, silently affirming the other. 

Suguru leaned back in his chair, almost seemingly like it was an afterthought to answer Megumi.

“Just some schemes the higher-ups were doing when we were your age. We were the first special grades since Tsukumo, and she wasn’t affiliated with them. The higher-ups couldn't manipulate Satoru since he was the future Gojo Clan head.”

Suguru patted his chest with a smirk, “So that left me. The higher-ups wanted their personal Special Grade attack dog, and I was the last option. I think they thought I would be the easiest to control out of the two of us.”

Satoru scoffed at the notion, and Suguru rolled his eyes in disbelief. 

“I could have got them to stop if you told me.”

Suguru shrugged, dismissing it with a wave, “You couldn’t do much more than me. The only thing that would have achieved was put their ire on you too.”

“Oh, like they weren’t always trying to be on my case about every fucking thing. We could have at least punched a few of them.”

Suguru nodded as if agreeing, “That does sound great, but it’s in the past now. All they achieved was pushing me away from them in the end. And I can get all my frustrations out on them now, anyway.”

“That is true.”

Suguru hummed and moved past that conversation, even though Satoru would go over with him later, knowing there were aspects to the time they still hadn’t put to rest. Satoru wasn’t sure if they ever will. 

“I can probably start impersonating Kenjaku, make them paranoid. That reminds me, I should figure out all the curses Kenjaku gathered.”

Satoru raised a hand, waving it around with excitement, “Ohoh! I can help with that! Sound like fun.”

“Of course you would. And we do have that meeting with Tsukumo in a week to go over Kenjaku’s lair.”

“Do you have any idea what’s there?”

Suguru put his hand on his chin, thinking about Yaga’s question. 

“Don’t know. There should be something there, but I wasn’t really paying attention. I was only in the state of mind to-”

Suguru abruptly stopped, freezing, and then his face slowly went red. Suguru put his hands over his face, groaning. Satoru poked Suguru, glee highlighting his face. 

“Are you blushing, Suguru?”  

Suguru opened a space between his fingers to glare at Satoru, but Satoru could only see the pink skin under his eye. 

“No, I’m not. I only remembered something fucking embarrassing.”

Suguru banged his head on the table hard enough to shake it. He put his hands around his head, hiding his face. Suguru muttered into the table, voice thick with embarrassment.  

“Why was I brought into this world only to suffer?”

Satoru put his hands in Suguru’s hair, a smirk on his face, “Suguru~ stop being angsty and share with the class.”

“Fuck off.”

Satoru jumped in his seat, face splitting from the space his grin took up.

“Oh, is it the time when-”

Suguru interrupted Satoru with steel in his voice, glaring at Satoru from under his arms. 

“Do. Not. You will open Pandora's box, and I will have no reason not to tell your students every embarrassing moment of your life with Shoko’s help because she has evidence of all our sins.” 

Satoru crossed his arms, smug confidence radiating from him. 

“I have no shame, and there is nothing I have done I regret.”

Shoko took out her phone with a straight face, clicked on something, and shoved her phone in his face. Satoru stared at the picture, color slightly draining from his face. His voice was deceptively thin, “Shoko, why do you have a picture of that?”

Shoko just stared blankly at him, “Blackmail.”

Satoru met her gaze. Shoko was not intimidated and only drank her most likely alcoholic drink. Satoru broke the staring contest and clapped, smiling wide, “Moving on!”

Suguru rolled his eyes and returned to his sitting position, even though Satoru did see the tips of his ears were still red. Satoru was glad that was still true since they were teenagers. It was rare when Suguru would get embarrassed enough to blush. Satoru wondered what made him react that way.  

“I wasn’t really trying to understand what Kenjaku was during that time, so I only have the bare minimum of information. But it’s more than what you guys had before, so it’s helpful to a point. Probably not even useful anymore.”  

Suugur turned to Satoru, a malicious smirk in place, “Hey, Satoru. Did you know where a few of those Special Grades the Higher-ups hide are?” 

Satoru could see what Suguru was going at, and matched his grin, giving him a so-so motion, “Some.”

Suguru nodded with almost rosy cheeks, thinking about how he could go about fucking over the elders. He looked over the moon, and Satoru had to fight so his heart wouldn’t skip a beat at the sight. God, this isn’t good for his blood pressure. 

“I always wanted that kitsune curse the moment I saw it.”

Satoru knew what curse Suguru was talking about. A sorcerer under the higher-ups could control curses for thirty minutes at max, a much weaker and less adaptable version of the Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique. That sorcerer fought in front of them once(Satoru knows that man is dead. Killed by a curse above his weight class but dared to go against it anyway) using a curse the higher-ups sealed away. Satoru thought it was a power play to show Suguru that he wasn’t anything special, but he didn’t care for it, only staring at the curse with want. 

It had the power of illusions and fire and was a trickster through and through. No wonder Suguru wanted it. It would be no trouble for Satoru since he could see through the illusions, but anyone else would have a lot of trouble.  

Yaga observed Suguru, “That curse is kept in Jujutsu High. You won’t be able to get in there without triggering the barrier.”

Suguru leaned on his fist, elbow against the table, a secretive smile on his face, “I have my ways.”

Suguru got that sly glee in his eyes and was enjoying the questioning looks when he kept his mouth shut, so Satoru continued the conversation since Suguru wouldn’t reveal all of his tricks.   

“I’m guessing you want to go for the Special Grades that the higher-ups are aware of?”

Suguru nodded, cheek leaning hard on his fist so Satoru could see the skin around it gain more volume. 

“What’s better than showing Kenjaku is going around gathering his forces and couldn’t stop him? They’ll be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It feels great just thinking about it.”

Satoru snapped at him with a wide grin, “That sounds fun. I can give you the directions to other Special Grades I haven’t gotten the time for to exorcise yet.”

Suguru matched his grin, putting his hands together and angling his head with a mock thanks, “How charitable, Master Gojo! The world shall know your magnanimity!”

Satoru nodded with satisfaction, sniffing with pompous intent, “It’s better late than never for people to understand that.”

Suguru gasped, putting a hand over his mouth, but his eyes glittered with mirth.

“How horrible! How could everyone be so blind!”

Satoru hummed, “Peasants, all of them. Only you have seen right through me.”

The long black-haired man put his hand over his heart and mocked bowed, hiding his smirk Satoru could see, “I’m honored the master has complimented me as such.”

Satoru responded, the two volleying back to each other until Satoru had managed to put his arm around Suguru’s shoulders, and Suguru’s grin was wide and satisfied. It made his heart warm. Nobara whispered to Shoko, unaware Satoru could hear her. 

“Are they always like this?”

Shoko nodded, not even reacting to the display, “Better get used to it.”

Nobara’s expression became disgusted, and Shoko patted her shoulder as if comforting her. Satoru has no idea why. The only thing he needed to know was that Suguru was here.

That’s all he really needed.

Satoru collapsed into the bed that was Suguru’s medical bed only that morning. Satoru turned to see Suguru stare at the bed and then at Satoru with a hidden emotion in his eyes. Satoru patted the bed with a smile, and Suguru inched toward it as if he were being led to the chopping block. 

The curse user sat on the bed, frowning to himself. His hand touched the sheets as if testing the material. Satoru rolled his eyes, grabbed the hand, and yanked Suguru onto the bed, making him grunt. Suguru stared at him with eyes Satoru couldn’t figure out, lips pressed together hard. Satoru pouted while he dragged Suguru into his space so he could wrap his arms around him. Satoru could have sworn Suguru squeaked, but it could have also been the mattress. 

Suguru was stiff against him until he relaxed, inhaling deeply. His head was on the pillow, staring at Satoru, who only blinked innocently at him. Suguru shook his head and sighed, closing his eyes. 

“Like nothing has changed since the college.”

Satoru shrugged, knowing that if they were tired enough, they would sleep in whoever’s room was closest, not wanting to move any further. Satoru never mentioned it, but it was one of his favorite pastimes. 

“As it really changed that much?”

Suguru blankly stared at him, disbelief coloring his eyes, “Satoru-”

Satoru interrupted him, confident in what he was saying. 

“Our stations in life may have changed, but everything else? I don’t think our friendship ever changed.”

Suguru sighed, closing his eyes, “Who knew you were such an optimist.”

Satoru smirked, poking Suguru’s nose, “But am I wrong?”

Suguru stayed silent for a moment, then opened an eye a sliver, “...No.”

The white-haired man smiled with satisfaction, “Then go to sleep.”

Suguru stared at Satoru a bit longer but closed his eyes once again.

Suguru would start to question their friendship, but Satoru would be there to drag him away from that spiral. Satoru wouldn’t stop until Suguru finally understood that Satoru wouldn’t leave him for something that happened in the past.

Satoru was here to stay, and Suguru only had to realize that. As it should be.

Chapter Text

Suguru admired Satoru’s sleeping face, delicate eyelids closed, pale skin almost translucent in the early morning light. His white hair framed his face that looked oh so different under a blindfold. He was older and more robust, but when nothing covered his face, he could still see his younger self radiating the aura of youthfulness. His androgynous nature only highlighted his youth even more, a perfect blend of masculine and feminine features. 

With such a face, it’s logical to assume his taller and lean muscled body would be out of place, but it only seemed to incorporate his almost otherworldly beauty. Suguru cursed his looks almost every day in high school because staring at his luminescent eyes only made him feel flayed to the bone. Suguru could perfectly recall those eyes even after he left, no matter how long it had been. 

Most would think of those eyes as just power, the Six Eyes the most treasured innate technique the Jujutsu world had. But Suguru never thought of them like that, a power to covet. Those blue eyes were the eyes of a teenager he met on a chilly summer day, spearing him through the soul with only a glance. Suguru knew there was more to those eyes the moment they met his but only took it as a part of the white-haired teenager who acted as if the world was his oyster, nothing able to chain him down. 

That was what Suguru first knew about Satoru, and something in him wanted to latch onto that feeling. It wasn’t the power that Satoru held that made Suguru fall into his orbit, unlike everyone else. It was his personality and way of living that called to him. Satoru was annoying, borderline sociopathic, and psychopathic, with sadistic tendencies and other unwanted personality traits, but Suguru was never put off by them. In fact, they only amused him, even though Suguru never dared to mention it because it would only make Satoru worse.  

But there was still a fragile kindness to him that Satoru could never show. When they first started knowing each other, it was hidden behind Satoru’s flippant and uncaring personality, unable to bubble to the surface for survival's sake. Satoru was raised with the want that he had to be the best, be the strongest. No one ever allowed Satoru to be kind, but Suguru wanted to see it in the eyes that captivated his very being. The more time Satoru spent away from his clan, his prison, the more it came out. He showed his kindness in his actions and less so than words. It was a side to himself that he didn’t showcase to everyone, and Suguru was always so glad that he was one of those Satoru could be himself with. 

Suguru had fallen in love with him the moment he laid eyes on him, and that feeling had only gathered more steam as time went on. It hurt, the amount of love he has for Satoru, settling in his gut like a cannonball. 

First, it was a high school crush, barely anything to back up why he felt so(probably just finding him pleasing to look at if his mouth wasn't open), but the more time he spent at Satoru’s side, the more it became something that captured his soul. Suguru knew there would never be another who would capture his soul like Satoru, so when he left, Suguru never bothered to look at anyone else. He thought he would never be able to regain what he had lost when he chose his path. 

In the Jujutsu world, there is always a price. Suguru idiotically thought if he gave up Satoru, he would gain more strength in another aspect. Satoru was such an intrinsic part of Suguru that to take him away, something had to come and balance the phenomenon. 

But Suguru, even after choosing his path, even after more than a decade apart, could never truly stop Satoru’s continuing marks on his being. Sitting in that alley, seeing Satoru in the flesh without prying eyes, Satoru looking at him and only him, made Suguru realize he could have never succeeded in his plan or ideals. Give up Satoru? It was ludicrous. 

Suguru never regretted taking his path, knowing if he did, he would have given up Nanako and Mimiko, but how he went about it never sat well with him. He had friends back in Jujutsu High, Shoko, Nanami, and even Yaga, when Suguru felt introspective. 

But Satoru was always the one who was at his side.

On December 24th, losing blood and too weak to keep going, accepting his fate, he let go of the last of his hatred, not wanting to be tainted in his last moments. He could accept being killed by Satoru, the only person he would allow his last moments. It almost felt like fate that Satoru was the one who took his life, and Suguru was okay with it, even though he would curse Satoru for his passing. Suguru could see it in his eyes, the melancholic sorrow that was years old. And maybe that was his largest sin, causing Satoru, the one he loved with his entire being, such sadness. 

When Suguru only wanted him to be happy, to be free. 

Suguru wanted to create a world where Curses could no longer kill sorcerers, to stop the spread of misery. It was a pipe dream, but Suguru could never go back on a decision, he had to go through with it. He needed to do something so the people he cared for wouldn’t have to suffer anymore, even if he was part of that misery. He would sacrifice himself for a future when Satoru didn’t have to run himself ragged, didn’t have to carry the mantle all by himself. 

Suguru wanted to be the person that could share his burdens, to lighten his load. He wanted to be his equal so Satoru didn’t have to be alone. He wanted to be strong so that Satoru never had to have the title of the Strongest, the apex of power, a curse disguised as a blessing. 

Suguru fell into a despairing spiral after allowing Riko Amanai to die. He questioned his ideals, that protecting the weakest was the way to live when the same weak applauded the death of a child. He could only keep going, swallowing the waste of humanity because he thought it was worth it to save another from a horrible fate. To get stronger so Satoru never had to fight alone again. 

But when Suguru worked harder than ever, Satoru was getting further and further away. Satoru had been so close, but the stronger he got, Suguru could no longer reach him. Maybe it was always going to end like that. 

A mortal man could never rise to the heaves the gods resided in, no matter how high they built and how hard they tried. It only served to make them fall further than they started. 

Satoru was always untouchable, but Suguru could always get through to him, but with his barrier stronger than ever, Suguru felt the change, that he wasn’t needed anymore. Satoru thrived, while Suguru could only claw his way forward. His determination started to shatter before his eyes, and the ideals he had his entire life started to gain transparency, that it was never what he wanted. Suguru had always lied to himself, that he wanted to protect the weak. He needed something to reach for, to continue living, so he created one that served his purpose. 

That the weak had to be protected. 

Because he was never protected.

Suguru had been weak in his young life, knowing nothing of the world aside from pain and exhaustion, only knowing he wanted someone to protect him. He knew what it was to be weak, so he wanted to become that person. It was a fragile ideal, in hindsight. It was always fragile, breaking at the first stone throw, but Suguru needed it to be true. Because if it wasn’t, why did he exist?

When Suguru finally realized the futility of protecting people he didn’t care for, apathy became his armor, sly and malicious smirks his weapons. Suguru wasn’t weak anymore, one of the strongest in the world despite not being strong enough to share Satoru’s burdens. He could do something about the way of the world so that none of the people he saw as family could survive. 

A part of Suguru died the day he betrayed the college, a part that didn’t care if they lived or died as long as he tried to make his ideal world happen. As long as he died with that intact, he wouldn’t regret anything.

Suguru was a fool, something he didn’t grow out of. Because of him, Satoru was sealed, and more sorcerers were hurt and killed. The only reason Kenjaku could have sealed Satoru was because of his body. That was the only reason it worked. No one else could have made Satoru freeze, and Suguru felt like shit at the realization. 

Suguru had always been Satoru’s weakness when all Suguru wanted to be was his strength. 

Suguru was one of the strongest, but no matter how strong he was, all he could do was fail. He failed in every way possible, through his own actions or not. His daughters were dead, his life goal broken, and Kenjaku gained his body. 

Suguru felt revulsion that a being as repulsive as Kenjaku wore his skin and spoke in his voice, the scar on his forehead itching something fierce since he regained his memories. Suguru thought he had felt every malignant sensation that existed, but the dehumanization of feeling something else piloting your body was different. The phantom sensations of stitches pulling on his forehead made him want to pull out his hair and curl into a ball. 

Suguru never feared dying and still doesn’t, but the feeling of invisible strings puppeteering your dead body was a violation Suguru would never wish on another person. Suguru felt it was a blessing in disguise that he, who woke up in that dark place, didn’t know anything different. Suguru didn’t know what he would have done if he had his memories when he first saw out of his supposedly dead eyes. 

Suguru almost snickered that it was Satoru who woke him from that existence, but maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. Suguru, in that state, could only recognize Satoru in a way he didn’t want to think about. It felt like a blessing to even speak with him again, the part of his soul that crumbled slowly reforming. 

Suguru tucked a strand of hair behind Satoru’s ear, soft to the touch, not silky like his. As if hair could gain the qualities of the world's finest cotton. Suguru moved closer, breathing in Satoru in every way he could. He thought he threw this all away years ago, telling himself it was a necessary sacrifice to save everyone. He had to believe that because, if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have even tried to leave. If it wasn’t worth it to leave Satoru, he wouldn’t have tried. Suguru tried to tell himself it would work out in the end, but all he achieved was hurt both of them in ways that Suguru should be punished for. 

He hurt Satoru, and no amount of inner reasonings could make up for that. Suguru may have tried to believe that in the past to keep going, but now, having died once and returned to Satoru’s arms, he couldn’t try and think it again. Sacrificing Satoru to save him could have never worked out.

It only took dying to put that into perspective.     

Suguru touched Satoru’s skin above the waist where his shirt had ridden up during his sleep, still in disbelief that Satoru could still lower Infinity for Suguru when all he did was stab him in the back. Suguru rubbed circles into his skin, taking a moment to think. 

Satoru told him to take his time to figure out what he wanted to do with his life now, but the answer came easily, easier than it should be. Then, at dinner, Suguru remembered his motivations and how embarrassed it made him. He knew logically he was very far gone for Satoru without more evidence, but how Suguru thought, without his memories, was in a league above even that. Feeling as if his very existence was to serve Satoru, to make him happy and keep him safe, made Suguru blush madly. He was even more gone for Satoru than even he realized. But it felt right as well. 

Suguru still had to digest that his girls were gone, the center of his world after scrubbing Satoru from it. He would always love his girls and knew he would never replace them, the part of his heart that was just for them was forever empty. He would miss them every day and feel their absence like a lead weight shackled to his ankles in a deep sea, but he knew they wouldn’t want him to give up living because they were gone.

He never wanted to know how it felt like to lose a child, and it felt very much as the hell it was told to be, even more so than that. It felt soul-crushing, and Suguru would never be the same after. He didn’t know how to process the grief and felt like ugly crying every time he thought of them, but restrained it because that was all he knew how to do. But Suguru had to understand it logically, but it didn’t feel logical every time his heart felt like he could be crushed by his emotions.  

The balm to the hurt was in his arms, keeping him close enough that people would think they had never fought. Suguru tried to convince himself that Satoru wasn’t his best friend anymore, having betrayed his trust. To keep him in the past to move forward. Suguru should have stopped saying that when the very thought of Satoru made his heart jump. His love for him never died, and maybe that was his undoing. 

Or maybe it was his salvation. 

Suguru angled his head so it could fit perfectly in the space of Satoru’s neck, still sleeping peacefully. He found it, his future purpose. He didn’t need a complicated purpose or ideals, like in the past, to show what he wanted. It was okay to have a vague purpose, uncertain and messy. He didn't want another goal that made him claw his way through life. 

Suguru didn’t want to lose anymore. 

Suguru pressed a kiss to Satoru’s collarbone, the most he would ever hope to have. But that was fine with him. 

His purpose was clear the moment he opened his eyes again with stitches in his forehead. 

Suguru will live so Satoru won’t mourn him again. He will become what Satoru needs, and god help anyone who stands in his way. Satoru is his purpose, and Suguru wonders when that had formed in his psyche or if it had always been there since he met a teenager who pulled him in and wouldn’t let him go. 

And Suguru didn’t want to leave. He had left too many times before. This time would be different. 

Suguru would promise. To himself and Satoru. 

Suguru woke up because of movement, Satoru trying to extract himself from Suguru’s grip and failing spectacularly. Suguru squinted while he opened his eyes, blinking to get the sleep out of his eyes. Suguru groaned, causing Satoru to pause in his struggle to look down at him with a smile that Suguru hadn’t had the pleasure of recognizing before. Suguru played into the sleepy demeanor to try and pull Satoru back to the bed, wanting a little bit more time before they had to start the day. 

“I know I’m a catch, but I do have to get up.”

Suguru muttered into Satoru’s shirt, voice scratchy from sleep. 

“Don’t flatter yourself. I’m warm.”

Satoru chuckled softly, the early morning atmosphere relaxing his limbs, making everything syrupy and sweet. Satoru rocked his shoulder, making Suguru try and burrow into Satoru’s shirt harder. 

“I have to go get breakfast for the kids. Unless you want to.”

Satoru stared at him expectantly, and Suguru huffed tiredly. 

“You’re just using me for free labor.”

Satoru tittered, “But is that a no?”

Suguru really wishes he had a good reason to say no and not that he wanted to lay down with Satoru some more. His mind was waking up and wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon, so he would get up soon anyway, but he didn’t want Satoru to win so easily. 

“It’s a maybe. What’s in it for me?” 

Satoru hummed, dragging his fingers on his skin in a way that made Suguru want to melt into a puddle. Satoru had always been the one who could reduce Suguru to such a state, vulnerability easy to come across. For his girls, he had to stay strong and not show how much he was struggling, and everyone else wouldn’t understand why he was the way he was. He never had that trouble with Satoru. It was unfair, that's what it was. 

“How about this-”

Suguru made an interested sound, glancing up at Satoru’s face, Satoru sitting up with Suguru all but hanging off his waist. Suguru’s face was at his hip, arms around Satoru’s middle. Satoru grinned, a little shit smile that he only wore when he was up to something. Despite the warning signs, Suguru continued to pay attention. 

“I won’t ask you to make sweets for one day.”

Suguru raised an eyebrow playfully, a chuckle bubbling in his throat, “You drive a hard bargain.”

Satoru sulked, and Suguru snickered, letting go of Satoru to sit up himself, dragging a hand through his hair. His fingers caught on the way through. He should start brushing it more. 

“But it’s a deal. Just don’t complain to me when you get impatient.” 

Satoru grinned, “Don’t worry. I can keep myself in check.”

Suguru scoffed, throwing his legs over the bed and padding to the closet. His eyebrow ticked at the memory of where he got all his new clothes. He needs to get his accounts back up and running. He had a lot of money at the end of his life, not to toot his own horn. Making well-off non-sorcerers pay him for his services was a very lucrative business and Suguru had enough money to live comfortably for another few lifetimes. 

Suguru played with the idea of paying back Satoru for the money he spent on the clothes but knew it was a fool's errand. Satoru was more likely to burn the money than take it gracefully. He was odd like that. Honestly, it would be boring if Satoru wasn’t batshit. 

Maybe that said more about him than Satoru. But whatever. 

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Satoru squawked, trying to defend his honor, while Suguru smiled and threw off his sleep shirt, replacing it with a new brand-name shirt that must have cost at least a thousand dollars. Suguru missed his robes, less restrictive around his limbs, but this was fine for now. And he wasn’t sure if he wanted to get used to wearing robes again when they only reminded him of a time when he didn’t have anyone to lean on. 

Satoru continued despite Suguru changing in front of him, used to the sight since they used to share communal showers. You lose modesty real quick in those circumstances. Didn’t stop him from taking peeks, every once in a while, though. He cursed himself out for being a creep after, but that was in the past. Suguru didn’t much care now. Especially when Satoru had gained more muscle and length, causing Suguru to tighten the leash on his desires. 

Suguru would rather throw himself off a cliff than make this awkward.  

“I have plenty of self-control! The higher-ups continued existence is proof enough.”

Suguru scoffed, pulling on a pair of pants, not paying attention to the silence behind him. 

“That’s only because you never had a solid reason to go after them. You couldn’t rationalize their deaths before. Now you can.”

“I almost did when I found out they were hounding you with those missions. Trying to get you to beg them to stop. That pissed me off.” 

Suguru felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up at the anger in Satoru's voice, knowing how hard it was to truly piss off the white-haired man. Satoru got annoyed easily, but it took a long broil to anger him. Suguru didn’t look back but made sure his clothes fit right before speaking. 

“Would you believe me when I said I didn’t care about their power plays?”

He glanced back to see Satoru blink, visibly confused, “Why not? They were running you ragged.”

Suguru shook his head, moving to Satoru's side. He sat on the bed next to Satoru, hands clasped on his lap. He glanced at Satoru, whose attention was solely on him. 

“I didn’t much care for how many missions I was sent on, it was all the same for me. I knew they were trying to keep me from gaining more powerful curses, but the quantity they gave me allowed me to figure out my Maximum technique so that only backfired on them in the long run. It was more…”

Suguru sighed, and Satoru placed a hand over his clasped hands, warmth relaxing him to continue speaking. He had never said this before, and it felt almost wrong to say something that was solely in his mind. Suguru made a blurgh motion, tongue out in disgust.

“It was more the act of absorbing the curses that made me question anything. It would have happened even if the higher-ups gave me more difficult missions. Who knows, maybe I would have left sooner if that was the case. They still annoyed me, so I am more than glad to continue our plans.”

Satoru was frowning, hand moving to Suguru’s arm. Suguru made no move to stop the action. 

“You could have told me or Yaga to pull you off the roster for a few weeks.”

Suguru smiled shallowly, and even Satoru could tell his words were less sure than before. They both knew that the higher-ups would never allow it. Suguru was a Special Grade, a force that could defeat a country by himself. They wouldn’t have allowed Suguru to take a break.

Suguru shook his head, not continuing on Satoru’s conversation path. 

“So, breakfast?”

Satoru smiled brilliantly and jumped to his feet, skipping to change himself. 

“I want pancakes!”

Suguru pointed off the obvious, “I thought the deal was that you wouldn’t ask for sweets for a day.”   

Satoru turned his head to stick his tongue out at Suguru, eyes smiling. 

“I said a day. I didn’t say that day was today.”

“You tricked me.”

Satoru snickered, “You should have read the fine print~”

Suguru scoffed disbelievingly, an almost smile on his face. Satoru got him. Damn. Satoru was tricky when he wanted to be, and the bastard knew it by how he was humming happily when he got dressed. Suguru had to drag his eyes away from Satoru’s broad shoulders and the muscles there, trying to keep up the facade he wasn’t affected. This was harder than fighting a high-grade curse and was more likely to kill him than one. 

“Whatever. What toppings do you want?”

Satoru was bouncing on his heels, childlike delight filling his demeanor. 

“All of them! No, Nutella and chocolate. Maybe some fruits.”

Suguru rolled his eyes and left the room before Satoru could name off all the sugary possibilities. Suguru knew just how long Satoru could go on about sugar and didn’t want to be there for another hour. 

Despite his internal grumblings, he could only smile at the thought of hearing Satoru blabber on, and that was damning enough. 

He almost missed the times when he didn’t have his memories, not knowing the warmth his chest was love and affection for the man who never shut up. Never knew it was a possibility and that Satoru just wasn’t the center of his universe and left it like that, never asking for more. Now that he knew what this feeling was, he could only want more. A hell of his own making, but wasn’t the theme of his life? He should have expected it by now. 

Megumi woke up to the smell of batter being cooked and fresh food in the air. His stomach grumbled and followed his stomach to the kitchen, seeing most of his classmates already there. Yuji was on the island stools with Nobara at his side, whispering to each other with a phone between them. Inumaki and Panda were playing on a Nintendo Switch, racing each other on some game. Yuuta and Maki weren’t there yet, but by how the house was filling with the smell of food, it wouldn’t be long. 

Megumi walked to his classmates, noticing Geto at the stove, flipping a pancake with a flick of his wrist. No matter how many times he saw it, it was always surreal to see the curse user cook, looking domestic in the kitchen, and it was even worse when Gojo was around. Gojo would hover and try and steal anything left unmanned and had witnessed Geto kicking him out numerous times, only for Gojo to whine and get welcomed back with a huff. 

Megumi wasn’t expecting it, unconsciously thinking that when Geto regained his memories he wouldn’t cook for them. Who would cook for their past enemies? It only reinforced the idea that he was here to stay, and Megumi didn’t know how to feel about it. He wasn’t as against it as he was a few weeks ago, having seen more sides to the curse user he had no idea about. He still had some reservations, but they weren't as urgent as the other more important reservations. Like getting killed in their sleep. Megumi knew it wasn’t Geto’s style to kill without warning, but Megumi could never put it aside. He was the type of person who would do anything to get what they wanted. 

It was just the question of what Geto wanted. Before, it was easy to figure out, but now it wasn’t that clear cut. Megumi had some ideas, but only barebones, and it wasn’t like he had seen much of the man with his memories. He could have more reasons to be around than just because Gojo was. He probably did have more reasons, one being that this was a safe place to lay low, and they did have a plan to deal with the higher-ups. Geto wouldn’t leave before they achieved that goal. 

Megumi would have to figure it out before he accepted Geto back into the fold. He wasn’t stupid. 

“Hey, Geto! Do you like Pocky?”

Megumi dragged a hand down his face at Yuji’s question. Yuji looked enthusiastic at the question, raising a hand. Geto looked over his shoulder, and his eyes were purposefully hard to read while looking at Yuji. Geto answered, but his voice was guarded. 

“I don’t have anything against it.”

Yuji nodded as if he expected it. Geto observed Yuji in a way that got Megumi’s hackles to rise. It was like Geto was scoping out Yuji’s strength in a fight. Yuji didn’t notice or didn’t care, an easy-going smile taking place on his face. 

“Then what do you like? Me and Kugisaki are going for a snack run today. Figured to get everyone something.”

Geto observed Yuji some more, then answered without much emotion. 

“Just get me something sweet. I don’t have many preferences.”

Yuji gave Geto a thumbs up and grinned, “I don’t have many either! I can stomach most of everything!”

Nobara shivered in disgust, “Says the person who eats fingers.”

Yuji frowned at the dig, but Megumi noticed that Geto started to look at Yuji with consideration as if thinking about something. Yuji opened his mouth to respond to Nobara, but Geto spoke. 

“What does Sukuna’s fingers taste like?”

Yuji hugged himself and stuck out his tongue, “The texture is horrible, like-”

“Like a towel used to clean up old vomit over and over.”

Yuji snapped, eyes alight and pointing at Geto with excitement. 

“That’s it! How do you know?”

Geto stared at Yuji, eyes wider than before, as if he was genuinely surprised he said anything. Geto turned back to the stove, flipping a new pancake off the pan and replacing it with more batter. 

“My technique. I have to absorb the curses that I conquer to use them.”

Yuji tilted his head in confusion, and Geto sighed, turning his head back to Yuji.

“Easier explanation. I have to eat them.”

Yuji blanched, arms waving, “Like body and all?”

Geto laughed lightly, shaking his head, letting go of the pan to turn his body to Yuji, raising his hands as if to cup something. 

“No. My technique compresses curses cursed energy into orbs, and I swallow that.”

Yuji made a disgusted sound that somehow sent over his understanding, “I only have to eat twenty fingers with only four more to go. Sorry man. That’s sound like shit. I lose my appetite if I eat more than one a day. I don’t know how you do it.”

Geto stares at Yuji, something flickering in his eyes, and starts to smile and laugh, shaking his head. He returned to his cooking, but Megumi could feel his lighter mood. 

“There’s a reason I let Satoru taste test. Fucked up my taste buds a long time ago.”

Yuji raised his hand, a bright smile lighting up the room, “I can help too! I like to think I have good taste.” 

Geto chuckled, Megumi unable to see his face because of his body position.

“Sure. Anyone would be better than Satoru’s want of more sugar in everything.”

“Are you insulting me behind my back?”

Gojo swaggered into the kitchen, his ever-present smirk on his face. He was wearing one of his blackout glasses instead of his blindfold. He glanced around the kitchen and landed on Geto with a wide smile as if he knew something they didn’t. Geto smirked at Gojo, and Gojo’s grin grew wider at the look. 

“If I was insulting you, I would say it to your face.”  

“Ah, Suguru. I trusted you, and this is how you repay me?”

Geto shook his head, replacing the pancake with more batter, and scoffed while he was at it. 

“If your trust is so easy to break, you don’t want me to mention my opinion on those god-awful glasses.”

Gojo pouted, readjusting his sunglasses on his face, “What's wrong with my glasses?”

“Where do you want me to start?”

The two special-grade sorcerers started to bicker like an old married couple, and the first years watched it like a tennis match. Megumi didn’t know what he was expecting, but he thought there would be some differences in their behavior with Geto’s returned memories. That didn’t seem to be the case. The only difference was Geto using past examples to prove his point. 

Megumi was hungry and didn’t want to think about this with an empty stomach. He grabbed his coffee and watched the two over the brim, tracking the conversation with his eyes. 

He had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time he saw them like this.  

The three returned from the snack run, going to a nearby convenience store, bags filled with snacks in their arms. Or, more accurately, Yuji’s arms since Nobara forked off her portion to him to carry. 

They distributed the snacks in the living room, everyone gathering to get their favorite snacks. Yuji passed Geto a candy pack, Geto catching it with barely looking, frowning at his new phone. From what Megumi saw, Geto was trying to renew his credit card account and was having trouble getting through to them. 

Megumi returned to his snacks, listening to his friends' words go in through one ear and out the other, becoming white noise. He started to pay attention when Gojo came in, jumping from one person to another in barely a few seconds and then stopping at Geto. Gojo stood behind the couch portion Geto was sitting on, leaning over to look at what Geto was doing. 

Geto, without a word, held up his bag of candy, and Gojo made a high-pitched happy sound, grabbing a few to eat. Gojo opened the wrappers on one and dropped it, and Geto ate it out of the air without looking away from his phone. It seemed like muscle memory, and Gojo put his lower arms on Geto’s shoulders, leaning over to speak lowly to him, with Geto smiling at his words. Megumi could barely see the smile, only a quirk of the lips, but the soft look in his eyes told Megumi everything he needed to know. 

Just anything sweet, huh?

Megumi returned to his snack, mind made up. Geto still seemed to be head over heels for his teacher. If anything, it got worse by the soft look Geto had every time he looked at Satoru. Like he was the center of his universe. 

A week or so ago, he would feel nauseous at the realization, but looking at them being so relaxed around each other, sharing smiles no one else could understand, Megumi wasn’t so against it. 

Megumi didn’t want to think of why that was the case. He had a feeling he wouldn’t like the answer. 

For his peace of mind.

Chapter Text

“You’re clear.”

Suguru buttoned up his shirt, Shoko giving him the all-clear. Shoko looked him over again, eyes purposefully hidden. 

“But I do suggest not to overdo it. I don’t want to see you again in this office for at least a month.”

Suguru didn’t want to end up with a scalpel in his eye, so he agreed. 

“Can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”

Shoko nodded, “That’s all I ask. Tell the same to Satoru as well.”

“Sure, can’t say that he’ll listen.”

“He’ll listen to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Shoko shooed him out of the room, and Suguru could only blink but shrugged, not trying to understand Shoko’s words. She always said cryptic shit neither he nor Satoru understood.  

“Shoko gave you the all-clear?”

Satoru was leaning on the wall outside the room, looking at him over his glasses. His bioluminescent eyes checked him over, and Suguru had to fight the instinct to preen at the look. Jesus Christ. Satoru didn’t look at him like that. His brain was increasingly getting more delusion as time went on. 

Must be the brain trauma. 

Suguru cocked his head, an easy smile on his lips. 

“Yeah. Also told me to tell you that we are not welcome in her office for a few months.”

Satoru tilted his head with a confused look, “Why did she say that?”

Suguru shrugs, “Who knows.”

Satoru skipped over that after they couldn't figure it out, a Cheshire grin grew on his face, eyes holding expectant glee. Suguru, to his inward dismay, was interested. Satoru only looked at him like that when he wanted to do something most people thought was insane. 

“With you all good, how about we see if you have gotten rusty after all this time.”

Suguru hummed, an anticipative grin making its way to the surface. His heart started to beat with excitement, adrenaline coursing through his veins. 

His grin started to become more edged, a bloody-looking thing, but Satoru only matched his fervor. The tension was becoming more tense, looking at each other with bloodlust, knowing that the other was the only one who ever could match the other. 

And it had been so long since they traded blows. 

“Get ready to eat those words, Satoru.”

Satoru walked closer and leaned in, Suguru not backing down, Satoru grinning madly. Satoru seemed to loom over him despite them being the same height. It must be the hair.

“Hm, I’m not sure you can make me, Suguru~”

Suguru’s eyes went darker, narrowing to slits at Satoru’s words. And Suguru did the one thing he knew he had to with Satoru. He pushed back. Suguru stepped forward, leering at Satoru.

“Then let's see who’s words can be backed up.”

Satoru’s wide grin and how he was almost vibrating told Suguru he was just as worked up as Suguru. They were flame and accelerant, and the fire was only growing larger. 

Let’s see how big it got, that fire. 

Suguru stretched his arms, Satoru doing the same with his legs on the other side of the makeshift ring in the grass. Once the word had gotten around the house that the two were sparring, the kids had gotten excited. Nobara was the ringleader of the beating pool, and some kids were placing bets on who would win. The adults watched without participating, even though Shoko did look at the money pot consideringly. 

He could see that the first years were the most curious since the second years had seen him fight up close and personal last year, but the fact Suguru was sparring with Satoru, someone they rarely ever saw fight hand to hand, made it an event. 

“The usual rules?”

Suguru asked, and Satoru nodded with an almost maniac grin, the first sign that Satoru was losing his usual limits, showing the true nature of his strength. Goddamn feral and loving the fight in its entirety. Suguru always knew Satoru loved fighting at his full power, but there was rarely anyone to match him, having to chain that part of himself since his full might was cataclysmic for everyone else. Suguru was always proud to be the one who could always bring that part of him to the surface. It was never good for his bones, since he would ache something fierce after going head-to-head with Satoru. It was exhausting in the most satisfying way. 

“No techniques and only cursed energy reinforcement. Tap out when you lose, but I know you’re going to get used to that today, Suguru.”

Satoru stuck a tongue at him, and Suguru laughed mockingly at him, but his smile said something different, setting his feet to center his gravity. Suguru raised his hands, keeping them close to his chest, hands relaxed but ready. There was no use trying to expect anything with Satoru.

“Those are brave words for the guy I regularly used to dig into the dirt.”

Satoru curled his fists, feet dragging over the ground to get ready, trying to dissect Suguru with his eyes. 

“I’ve gotten better than that time, believe me. You won’t be laughing for long, Suguru.”

Suguru made a come here gesture, a smirk plain on his face, “Then why don’t you show me, Mr. Strongest Sorcerer.”

Satoru grinned nastily, “Careful what you wish for, Mr. Wickedest Curse User.”

They stared at each other for a second and at a signal only they could hear, rushed to the other, grins matching the other. 

Suguru ducked a punch from Satoru, twisting his body to dodge the punches while redirecting the ones he couldn’t dodge. He kicked at Satoru’s legs, making Satoru jump over the limb, sending his own kick at Suguru, who dropped his body, using a hand to steady a catapult around Satoru’s punch. 

Satoru is always relentless while fighting or sparring, there was no difference in the scenarios. Suguru knew that if he gave Satoru an inch, he would take it a mile, so Suguru knew he couldn’t let Satoru take the momentum. Satoru capitalizes on heavy hits and fast movements, while Suguru always prefers redirects and counters, using his opponent's strength against them. But Satoru always pulled him out of his comfort zone, making him his favorite sparring partner. No one could bring out his hundred and ten percent effort but him. 

They traded blows, brains going on autopilot because if either thought too hard, they would make a mistake. They knew each other like the back of their hands, so they could predict what the other would do, making the spar look like a deadly dance. It didn’t help Suguru was laughing manically, and Satoru’s unhinged grin did nothing to fight the notion. 

Suguru jerked his head to the side when Satoru tried to punch him there, and Satoru immediately changed the trajectory of the punch to hammer him to the side. Suguru bent his knees so the hammer fist missed his head and immediately grabbed Satoru’s wrist, foot behind Satoru’s, tripping him when Suguru rushed forward, making him trip over his own foot. 

Suguru tried to throw Satoru on the ground, but Satoru readjusted his wrist and pulled Suguru with him, body moving like a weasel, head under Suguru’s armpit and using his foot to twist so Suguru was the one whose back hit the hard ground. An oof left his mouth but didn’t distract him; the two trading grapples on the dirt. The problem with that is that every hold could be slipped out of if one knew the correct way, so it should have been expected they would separate after trying for a minute, considering what to do next. 

Satoru rushed in exactly like Suguru expected, countering a kick to the chest with one of his own. Satoru sidestepped easily, but Suguru decided this was going for too long. When Suguru went for another jab, he purposefully shut off the cursed energy reinforcement, causing Satoru to start in surprise, blinking in confusion. Satoru knew cursed energy was just a beacon to Satoru’s eyes, so without it, Satoru would have to take a fraction of a second to understand where the limb was. 

He didn’t need cursed energy to do what he did next. 

Suguru slid under Satoru’s long legs, immediately jumping up on Satoru’s back, wrapping his arm around Satoru’s neck, using the other to brace the other arm from Satoru’s attempts to get out of the hold. Suguru kicked the back of Satoru’s knee to make him drop, Satoru grunting at the strike. 

Satoru tried to get out, but Suguru only tightened the chokehold, causing Satoru to tap out frantically. Suguru did, and Satoru took in a deep breath and coughed. Suguru smiled smugly, almost glowing with satisfaction. Satoru glared at Suguru with a hand on his neck. 

“That was cheating.”

Suguru just grinned wider, “It wasn’t against the rules, Satoru.”

Satoru glared at him but couldn’t hide the amusement in his eyes. Satoru was having fun, and Suguru was as well, fashioning a more expectant grin. He didn’t care that he was breathing fast and could feel the sweat start to gather on his forehead. He was having fun, making his chest go all light. 

Satoru stood up, dusting his pants off. Satoru grinned at Suguru, who matched the grin. 

“Again?”

Suguru cracked his neck, tightening his ponytail from when it loosened. 

“Who do you think you’re talking to? Of course.”

They met each other with a shared ferocity, but Satoru's laughs made Suguru feel as if it was all worth it. Suguru would still try to win, but even if he didn’t, he would still be satisfied. 

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to knock Satoru down a few pegs. That was always a fun hobby.  

Yuuta didn’t fully believe Gojo when he said Geto was holding back during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. It didn’t make sense to him if Geto wanted Rika for his plans. Why would a man not fight at his best when he was the one who started the fight? Why would he allow himself to be beaten when his entire plan would succeed with Yuuta’s death?

But now he saw that Gojo was speaking the truth because if Geto fought Yuuta how he was fighting Gojo, Yuuta would have lost. Yuuta probably could have survived, but he wouldn’t have been in the state he was in at the end of the fight. Yuuta would probably have multiple more broken bones and internal bleeding in both lungs. Geto hit hard.    

He knew that from experience, so he wasn’t sure why Geto didn’t go all out a year ago. He heard from the other students that Geto didn’t like to kill young sorcerers, but he was going after Yuuta specifically. It didn’t make sense that Geto went easy(or easier) on him. 

Gojo told him Geto would have attacked Jujutsu Tech sooner or later, but that didn’t make Yuuta understand the enigma that was the Special Grade Curse User. He thought Geto was filled with hate for all non-sorcerers, insulting them for things they couldn’t control, even Maki on the side of his ire when they met face to face. Geto was insane, madness in every movement, powered by malice with every strike. That wasn’t the man Yuuta watched spar with his teacher, a smile that was as manic as that day but less maddened by bloodlust.

Yuuta didn’t know what brought Geto to become the man who attacked his friends and tried to kill him, but at one point, he was Gojo’s best friend, someone he trusted. Having fought side by side, Gojo would know Geto’s capabilities better than anyone. Yuuta didn’t want to believe Geto was taking it easy on him but couldn’t ignore it anymore, watching his teacher and the man fight without holding back. 

He had sparred against Gojo before but never lasted long, even without his technique up and running. The man was like water, always moving. Yuuta could barely land a hit on the man even though he tried his best, but he watched Geto land multiple in a few seconds, Gojo giving it back just as hard. 

Yuuta was shocked that Geto managed to get Gojo to yield, something he had never seen, and by the shocked faces of his classmates and underclassmen, neither had they. Gojo had always been untouchable to them, so to see someone bring him down was something they could barely imagine. 

Watching them move together, fast-paced and continual, laughing like they were having the best time of their lives, Yuuta wondered why it changed. They were clearly more than happy to be in the same space, the past not stopping them from becoming fast friends again, but that only caused Yuuta to fear that Geto would leave again. 

He wanted to kill Kenjaku so Gojo wouldn’t have to, happy he wouldn’t because Geto had returned himself, but the root of the problem still existed. What would happen to Gojo if his best friend left again?

Yuuta watched Gojo throw Geto over his shoulder, Geto righting himself in the air to touch down on the ground, and immediately rushed Gojo again, who only met the dark-haired man with a grin. Yuuta may have been punched seriously by both special grades but still flinched every time they landed a hit on the other. 

Geto was sporting a bruised cheek and probably more underneath his clothes, while Gojo had a split lip that was smudged where Gojo wiped it away. They didn’t seem to run out of energy since they had been fighting for the past hour, even though both sweaty and panting for air, but the grins they sported hadn’t dropped an inch. 

Despite watching for over an hour, no one left, watching the sparring with awe and interest. There weren’t many opportunities to see two Special Grades duke it out without their flashy techniques. It didn’t make it any less impressive. Yuuta knew he wasn’t on their level concerning hand-to-hand combat. He probably will be in a few years, but it’s humbling to say that even as a Special Grade, he wasn’t the strongest in the room. 

Yuuta started to pay attention when Yuji whooped, cheering when Gojo managed to put Geto in a hold, stepping on Geto’s wrists while sitting on his back, arm around the black-haired sorcerer's neck. Geto tapped out with a huff, and Gojo cheerfully did, Geto rolling to his feet. With the number of times they rolled around on the ground, Yuuta wasn’t surprised to see both dirty, sweat attaching to dirt, and their clothes in desperate need of a wash. 

“That’s enough, boys.”

Ieiri walked to the men, looking them over with appraising eyes. Gojo waved her off, and before their eyes, the split lip was healed without fanfare. Ieiri looked to Geto, who also shook his head. 

“I can take care of it myself.”

Geto put a hand on his cheek, touching the bruise. Yuuta blinked when it shrank and disappeared. Geto put a hand under his shirt and grimaced, giving Gojo the stink eye. 

“You didn’t have to kick my ribs so hard. You cracked some of them.”

Gojo shrugged unrepentant, rolling his shoulder. Yuuta did remember Geto twisted Gojo’s shoulder hard halfway through the spar. Must have been bothering him.

“But did you stop?”

Geto rolled his eyes, and his hand retreated, twisting his upper body to the sides and making a satisfied sound. 

“Yeah, but if I couldn’t heal it myself, Shoko would have given me hell.”

Yuuta paid attention to that, staring at Geto with confusion. When they fought, Geto didn’t heal himself. Yuuta doesn’t think he could have achieved the reverse cursed technique in such a short time. He died after they fought and only returned to his body a few weeks ago. Yuuta knew for a fact he was barred from training by order of Ieiri and Gojo for health reasons. 

Gojo smirked, “That sounds like a you problem.”

“You’re such an asshole.”

“And what does that make you? You willingly became my best friend, after all.”

Geto replied blithely, “Stockholm Syndrome.”  

Gojo twitched his nose, “I don’t like what you’re implying there.”

Geto didn’t reply but outstretched a hand for Ieiri to hold, who closed her eyes, and Yuuta sensed her use her technique. Ieiri opened her eyes and dropped Geto’s hand, eyes annoyed. 

“Suguru, you should have let me heal you. We still don’t know how that technique works and if it’s harmful.”

Geto shrugged, “I’m going to end up using it anyway. And there weren’t any problems now, right?”

Ieiri frowned, glaring at Geto, who leaned away at the look. Yuuta would have found it funny to see Geto scared of anyone, but he understood. Ieiri was scary. The way she once stared at him with a scalpel in her hand like he was one of the corpses she worked on made him shiver in fear. 

“We don’t know if your body will reject it, considering how you got that technique. Keep its usage low until we’re sure it won’t kill you.”

Geto looked away, but Ieiri glared harder, and his shoulders dropped, sighing. 

“Fine. You win. Hey, Satoru!”

Gojo hummed an interested greeting, looking at Geto curiosity. Geto grinned, “Do you want to help me figure out that new technique I told you about?”

Gojo grinned wide, “Of course I do! Shoko being weird about it again?”

Geto nodded while Ieiri scowled at them, “I’m not being weird about it. I am being cautious. You two should, too, considering what that technique has the potential to do.”

Gojo gave her a sunny smile and a thumbs up, “I know! That’s why we’re testing it! And Curses are the perfect test subject. Don’t you agree, Suguru?”

Geto nodded with a smirk, “I do. But I do want to take a shower before we go out. I feel disgusting.”

Geto looked Gojo up and down, “You should, too. There’s a leaf in your hair.”

Gojo tilted his head in confusion, put a hand through his hair, and returned with a small green leaf. He huh’ed, giving it a considering look. He flicked it, and Yuuta watched it fall to the ground. 

“How about leaving in an hour?”

Gojo nodded, brushing off dirt from his shoulder, “Works for me. Been a while since we exorcised curses together.”

Geto’s smile turned a bit more melancholic, eyes going distant, “Yeah, it has.”  

Geto shook his head subtly and passed by the students, only giving a nod in greeting, entering the house after. After he left, the students converged on Gojo, Yuji and Nobara talking excitedly to Gojo, who only nodded along with their enthusiasm. 

“You guys were so cool!”

Nobara nodded, putting a hand on her chin, “Wonder if Geto knows how to use a hammer?”

Gojo smirks, jerking his head to the house, “He does. Knows how to use every weapon under the sun. He’s a martial arts guru. You won’t find another sorcerer who knows more marital arts styles than him.”

Yuuta moved to Gojo, mulling over if he should ask. Gojo looked at him, angling his head in a way that told him he noticed Yuuta’s indecision. Yuuta bit his lip but spoke, glancing at the house to see if Geto was around. He wasn’t and didn’t know why he needed to do that anyway. Geto had let more personal information be known, even if it wasn’t his desire. It felt odd to be concerned about a past enemy if he was okay with talking about it. But Geto hadn’t been an enemy for a while, and maybe Yuuta should get used to the idea. Geto didn’t seem that bad of a guy from what he had seen recently. It was just odd. 

“How did Geto heal himself? You guys made it seem like he gained a new technique, but I don’t see how he gained the Reversed Cursed technique in such a short time.”

Gojo and Ieiri shared a look, Gojo’s expression purposefully blank, while Ieiri frowned. Yuuta raised his hands, shaking them in denial. 

“Forget I said anything! Not my place to ask.”

Gojo shook his head, disagreeing, “No, it’s fine. It’s not like Suguru minds that it’s known. It's just… Some of you might react badly to Suguru’s new technique.”

Yuuta slowly dropped his hands, his classmates looking at Gojo oddly, unsure why Gojo explained it like that. Why would they react to Geto’s new technique? Yuuta knew everyone only had one technique, and most only had one for the majority of their lives, unless they figured out how to use the Reversed Cursed Technique. Most high-grade sorcerers at least know how to use part of it, to use the reversal of their technique if it had the option. 

It was surprising that Geto had gained a new technique when he shouldn’t have another one. One that couldn’t be gained by training or like him, copied. It just didn’t make sense. 

“Why?”

Maki asked, and Gojo didn’t speak for another moment, sharing a glance with Ieiri, who only shrugged. 

“It’s not like Suguru cares if they know. I bet he already figured out that the kids would ask about it. And plus, if he didn’t want it known, he wouldn’t have used it in front of everyone.”

Gojo hummed, “You make a good point.”

Gojo looked over his students and then back at the house, eyes focusing on something specific. Gojo blinked and focused back on the students. He focused his gaze on Yuji and Nobara, who only seemed unaware of why they were being looked at. 

“Idle Transfiguration.”

Yuji and Nobara flinched, a haunted look coming to Yuji’s eyes, and Nobara subconsciously touched the skin around her missing eye. Gojo seemed to have predicated their reaction, patting their heads, giving comfort. 

“That’s his new technique. The manipulation of the soul with only a touch of his hand. Instant death if he wanted it.”

Yuuta mentally went over every time Geto touched someone and got back an answer. If Geto really wanted to, he could have killed Gojo. It was an everyday sight for everyone by now to see the two with arms over the other’s shoulders, and just a few minutes ago, they were sparring bare-handed. That technique he had only heard stories of, originating from a disaster-level curse that transmuted thousands of humans in Shibuya, was now in Geto’s experienced hands. He gained the Special Grade from his original technique but was probably even more powerful with his newly acquired technique. He would become more of a threat than before and wasn’t that terrifying. 

Yuji inhaled shakily, and Yuuta understood. He heard that the curse was the one to kill Nanami right in front of Yuji with that technique, and it was the power that took Nobara out of the fight and almost killed her.  

“But how? Kenjaku used Mahito’s power as a one-off. How does Geto have it?”

That was a good question since he was the only one who could have multiple techniques because it was only one technique. Geto’s power doesn't work like that. 

Gojo didn’t explain, but Ieiri did, flicking her hair behind her shoulder. 

“When Suguru’s body was still in Kenjaku’s control, Suguru was awake. He saw everything that day in Shibuya through Kenjaku, and he saw him absorb Mahito. Mahito’s curse was still in his technique, even though Kenjaku couldn’t access it anymore. But Suguru could, only if he took it as his own.”

Ieiri scoffed, “Honestly, I am not sure how Suguru survived that. He used Idle Transfiguration on his own soul to use the technique, then killed Kenjaku with it. He was lucky he didn’t kill himself in that crazy stunt. If you guys ever ask Suguru about how he managed it without the sugar coating, you’ll see how insane what he did was. No self-preservation in that one.”

“To defend Suguru’s honor; it was the only way to get his body back, and it worked out in the end.”

Ieiri sighed, rubbing her temples while not looking at Gojo, who didn’t react more than a slight tilt of his lips.

“And that was more luck than anything. The insanity to completely cannibalize your own technique like that, using it in such an unnatural way. I’m surprised he didn’t immediately fall dead the second he got his body back. The knockback should have been fatal.”

Gojo smiled slightly but was not humorous, “It wasn’t.”

Ieiri glared at Gojo, “Yet. So be careful. Tell Suguru not to test all of his limits. I know your guys’ track record. No dumb bullshit.”

Gojo put a hand over his heart, a smirk etched on his face, “Scouts honor.”

“What did I just say?” 

Gojo, for lack of a better word, skipped away, and Ieiri was the closest he had seen to cursing her friend out, taking a calming breath and turning to the teenagers, face blank as if nothing happened. He had noticed the trio had the best poker faces he had seen, and he wondered if they were all naturally like that or if it spread like osmosis. Ieiri turned to Yuuta, pointing a sucker at him. 

“Does that answer your question?”

It did, but at this point, he had even more questions, but that seemed to be the case for everything. It was like every answer spawned three more questions, a never-ending battle. It didn’t help that most of the time, the trio was being purposefully vague, so Yuuta had to flounder around to get on the right topic to get the answer he wanted. He didn’t get that far most of the time. 

Yuuta nodded, noticing he hadn’t responded to the woman’s question. 

“Yeah, but I don’t completely understand how Geto could get Idle Transfiguration. Your explanation was really vague.”

Ieiri nodded, popping the sucker in her mouth, rolling it around.

“It was. If you want a better answer, ask Suguru. If you catch him in the right mood, he might just humor you.” 

That did not help, but Yuji raised his hand, the atmosphere not affecting his demeanor. Yuuta was almost jealous. Anxiety was a bitch. He was fine in a fight, able to push past his emotions but when he wasn’t particularly determined on something, he couldn’t help but be hesitant, even though it wasn’t as near as bad before he came to Jujutsu Tech. It turned out that gaining a will to live could help with that. 

“When do we know if Geto is in the right mood?”

Ieiri looked consideringly at Yuji, looking up at the sky, and hummed. 

“Try early in the morning, but never in the night. That will only serve to annoy him.”

Ieiri smirked, eyes glittering playfully as if imagining something funny. 

“He enjoys his sleep.”

Yuuta felt as if he was missing something and didn’t seem to be the only one. Ieiri looked around and left with a wave, her socialization done for the day. Inumaki spoke to Panda, who only nodded.

“Salmon.”

“Yeah, I don’t know.”

Yuuta nodded, still somewhat confused, but he had gotten used to it these days. Maki looked at all of them, seemingly disappointed in them. They turned to her, and Maki only shook her head at their inquisitive looks. The look she gave them reminded him of when he first came to the college, annoyed at having to explain something that should have been common knowledge. But this time, it was aimed at all of them, and Maki didn’t want to share. 

“If you are so dense to not realize what Ms. Ieiri means, I’m not even going to try.”

Yuuta blinked and looked at Inumaki, who turned back to Maki and scrambled after her, Maki not giving them the time of day. 

“What-wait-Maki, can you please explain?”

The response they got back was as dry as expected. 

“No.”

“Mustard Leaf!!”

Reasoning did nothing, and all Yuuta could do was hope he understood someday. That day wouldn’t be today, though. 

Satoru kicked the downed form of a Special Grade Curse. 

They were in the corner of Okinawa, Suguru testing his new curses and technique. Satoru whistles at the damage a single touch caused on the curse, half of its body gone into a mist. Just a single purposeful touch could cause such destruction. He could see why the curse this technique came from was such a problem. He had seen it in use at Shibuya, unable to do shit to him with Infinity up, but could see the potential as plain as day. A way to heal and destroy hand in hand. He thought to himself during that time what it could have done in an ally's hand. 

Now he could find out, he thought, giddy.    

Suguru unsummoned his curses, holding his chin in his hand, looking at his hand, curling it into a fist. He uncurled that fist and outstretched it, the curse in its death throes crying out horribly, but they ignored it without a second thought. The blue flames from Suguru’s technique lit up the area, even in the middle of the afternoon. 

They had been Special Grade hunting for a few hours, and Suguru had gained five in just that amount of time. The state of Japan made it easy for powerful curses to be born, but the truly powerful ones had existed longer than a few years. Some of these curses would have been known by the Higher-ups, either planning to exorcise them or seal off the area. These types of powers couldn’t be extinguished by throwing bodies at them. That would only make them stronger.

“The curses Kenjaku gained are certainly powerful, clearly going for more quality than quantity.”

Satoru agreed and had to wonder how he got some of them. Kenjaku seemed to have spent the time he had Suguru’s body in Japan, but Satoru didn’t think there were so many curses that even he hadn’t seen before. Kenjaku was old, and he did say he coveted Suguru’s technique. Maybe he hid some curses away on the off chance he could get the Cursed Spirit Manipulation from Suguru or otherwise. 

Satoru detested the thought that the parasite was always watching, just waiting for a chance to strike and take Suguru and his technique. 

“How many do you have?”

Suguru gave Satoru a wait motion, bringing the orb to his lips to swallow it. Suguru gulped it down, the instinctual yuk ready to be said in his throat, but had the presence of mind to not do it, considering Suguru’s known disgust for ever having to do it. Satoru had helped push back Suguru’s hair to not dirty it too many times to not understand Suguru’s feelings about the malignant orbs.   

Suguru’s body seemed to lock up then relax, Suguru only showing a tick in his brow for a reaction. Suguru exhaled slowly and put his hands in his pockets, moving towards Satoru. 

“With that one, three thousand one hundred and eight. About half of what I had before, but I expected that. I’m more surprised that Kenjaku managed to get a thousand in only a year.”

Satoru made an impressed noise. Between Kyoto and Tokyo, they could only handle a thousand each, so Suguru’s force was nothing to scoff at. Definitely not with the new Special Grades in Suguru’s arsenal. Those could make up for the thousands of curses by themselves, but there was a quality in the quantity if one knew how to use them. 

Suguru sighed, looking at the pavement where the curse once was. They were in an abandoned hospital, the hotspot of the area. Satoru could see the seals that were placed around the building, warding civilians away. Satoru scrubbed his residuals from the area but let Suguru’s be. They wanted that, after all. Wanted them to know who was going around exorcizing and taking all the Special Grades. Well, who they thought it was. 

“It’s going to take a long time to restock my curses.”

Satoru bumped shoulders with Suguru, grinning at him. 

“Aw, come on, don’t think like that. It’s not like you had to start over. And you got a shiny new technique!”

Suguru titled his head in agreement, “Idle Transfiguration is pretty good.”

Suguru then blinked, gaining enlightenment in something. Suguru looked around and stared at Satoru with a fervor he hadn’t seen in a long time. 

“I have an idea. Satoru, take us to the nearest curse. I don’t care about the grade.”

Satoru raised an eyebrow, and usually, he would have given Suguru more grief for ordering him around, but the light in his eyes made Satoru curious about what Suguru was planning. Satoru placed a hand on Suguru’s shoulder, teleporting a mile to the south, right in the territory of a grade three curse. 

It was laughable at how fast the grade three was taken down, Suguru digging a heel into the curse’s flesh while it cried out. Suguru didn’t spend any more time and activated his innate technique, a dark orb in his hand. 

Suguru narrowed his eyes at the orb with a focused determination, Satoru seeing Suguru’s cursed energy gather in his hands. Satoru recognized it and spoke up out of obligation. 

“Didn’t Shoko tell you not to overdo it? I’m pretty sure this is overdoing it.”

Suguru muttered, eyes not leaving the orb. 

“Yeah, yeah.”

Satoru threw up his hands in surrender, knowing Suguru wouldn’t back down when he was like this. Stubborn as an ox, unwilling to back down. It was what made them similar, stubborn to high heaven. 

“Fine, but you have to tell Shoko if you mess yourself up again.”

Suguru didn’t respond, eyes solely focused on the mass of cursed energy in his hand. Satoru was starting to feel jealous when the orb began to disappear in front of his eyes, malignant energy seeping into Suguru’s skin and traveling to the area of his navel, settling there and disappearing. Suguru blinked and looked at his hand, eyes wide with shock. 

Satoru walked next to Suguru, taking off his blindfold to watch Suguru without anything blocking his sight. Suguru looked at Satoru, meeting his eyes with deep-seated shock captured into his violet pupils. 

“Suguru… What did you do?”   

In response, Suguru summoned a curse, and Satoru blinked when he saw it was the exact one Suguru just used his technique on. The implications struck Satoru like a freight train, immediately snapping to Suguru, who started to laugh hysterically, an edge of wetness coloring his laugh. Satoru could see the water begin to gather in the corner of Suguru’s eyes. Suguru hiccupped, leaning heavily on Satoru, who steadied him from purely muscle memory. 

“Curses have souls. I haven’t been taking in just their cursed energy all these years. I have been absorbing their souls, Satoru. And now I can manipulate their souls. I don’t have to taste them anymore.”

Suguru put a hand over his eyes, chuckles filled with reprieve, sadness, and grief, wet with pure relief. 

Satoru pulled Suguru into his body, wrapping his arms around him. Suguru didn’t fight him, Satoru feeling water drop onto his cheek and neck, Suguru’s body trembling against him. But this time, it wasn’t from grief and mourning but from being released from his version of hell he thought he had to bear for the rest of his life. A hell he must have felt since he was a child, chains finally released after so long. 

Satoru didn’t say anything, only tightening his hold around Suguru. Satoru whispered into Suguru’s ear, only causing him to tremble more.

“You don’t have to suffer anymore.”

And that was all Satoru wanted for Suguru. To not suffer. Such an easy thing to say but hard to achieve in reality. 

But maybe… they have an opportunity to do just that. Satoru could only focus on Suguru, how his cursed energy showed no issues, and how his use of Idle Transfiguration did not harm him. Satoru was with Shoko, agreeing not to take too many risks backed up with the infamous reputation the technique held, but thought this time, it would be understandable to not care. Even Shoko wouldn’t be able to argue with that. 

She still wouldn’t be happy about it, but Satoru was willing to take the fall for this one. 

If it made Suguru happy, he would do anything. 

Satoru set his chin on Suguru’s shoulder, more than willing to stay there as long as Suguru needed. He wasn’t there when Suguru needed a shoulder to cry on before, he was more than willing to do it now. 

He would never take that chance away from Suguru again.  

Chapter Text

Shoko didn’t hear the two come in but couldn’t help but notice the quiet in the house. Shoko knew there was no way the kids would keep quiet unless there was a reason. 

The doctor moved into the living area and spotted the kids looking over to the living room occasionally, concerned glances, more coming from specific kids than others. Shoko raised an eyebrow and poked her head around the corner to look at what the kids were so concerned about. Her eyebrow raised higher at the sight, understanding why the kids were so surprised. 

Satoru had his arms crossed, head bowed, and blindfold still on but was asleep by his calm breathing. He was sitting up on the couch while Suguru lounged across the couch, head cushioned by Satoru’s thighs, at total ease, body relaxed. Suguru was sleeping by the soft exhales from the man, long hair sprawled around his head and Satoru’s lap. 

Shoko took out her phone, making it silent, and took a picture of the two. She would send it to Satoru and hope he took the hint but wasn’t counting on it. Shoko frowned slightly, seeing the slight red around Suguru’s eyes, not enough for other people to notice, but enough for her. Shoko knew they were fine since they didn’t come to her for an extra opinion, but it was still concerning. She would ask Satoru about it later. All Suguru would do when asked is avoid the issue, knowing his track record. 

Shoko padded back to where the kids were congregating in the kitchen, unsure what to do while not wanting to wake the sleeping special grades. 

“How long have they been there?”

Nobara answered, nose twitching in annoyance, “We came back an hour ago and found them like that.”

Shoko gave a noise of affirmation, thinking. She wasn't expecting them to be back for a few more hours, wanting to hunt more Special Grades to add to Suguru’s forces and try and fine-tune Suguru’s new power. She was half expecting to call Satoru and tell him in no uncertain terms to return, or he would never get free referrals again.     

Something must have happened, and she would find out once they woke. Nobara grumbled, clenching her fist.

“They’re making it difficult for us to watch TV. My show’s on at seven, and if I miss it because of them, I am going to stab them.”

Yuji made a concerned sound, immediately turning to Nobara and trying to dissuade the already determined woman. Megumi only edged away from his classmate as if trying to not associate with her. Shoko didn’t pay it any mind, only moving back to the living room, letting the kids sort out themselves. 

Shoko quietly moved to Satoru and Suguru. Suguru was noticeably dead to the world, but this time, it wasn’t because of a coma. He seemed relaxed, the lightest she had seen since he regained his memories. Shoko wondered what happened. 

“Suguru’s not going to make dinner tonight.”

Shoko flicked her eyes to Satoru, who didn’t move a centimeter, head still bowed but mouth moving. Shoko glanced at Suguru for a millisecond but returned to meeting Satoru’s gaze, or where she most likely thought it was. It was hard sometimes, his tendency to cover his eyes making it more difficult than it should be.

“I thought you were asleep.”

Satoru shrugged slightly, noticeably making the motion small so as to not disturb Suguru, who didn’t let out a peep.

“I was. Woke up a few minutes ago.”

Shoko continued after she got that confirmation, angling her head at Suguru. 

“What happened out there?”