; Symmetry Reversed - A Life Like Wires. - Tumblr Posts

𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 —-- especially towards that of Gojo Satoru.  Or perhaps the young six eyed prodigy had given him a false sense of confidence… either way, Suguru knew exactly how to rile Satoru up with minimal effort.  

❛ Can you really be the strongest if you always have to rely on your powers to win a fight? ❜  Suguru had teased earlier with a wry smile.  That smug conviction on Satoru’s face as he so crudely addressed one of their teachers had irked Suguru a bit.  Satoru could be so rude to their superiors sometimes…

Ah, but now here he was —-- a mere result of his own instigation, standing before Satoru in the middle of their school’s training grounds after class.  His hands in his pockets, his demeanor calm, collected…

❝ …Well?  Let’s see what you’ve got, Satoru, ❞  Suguru all but croons, baiting his best friend to make the first move. The curse user wasn’t worried in the slightest about defending himself —--- martial arts had always been a passion of his; a release from all of the pressure that came with their chosen areas of study.  

Suguru ever so slightly widens his stance in anticipation of Satoru’s launch, centering his body and mind as those thin fingers of his flex within the confines of his pant pockets. 'Bring it on.' // @limitlesses

❝ Great comeback. How long did it take you to come up with that one~? ❞

❝ -- oh yeah? And that sounds like something a really big nerd would say. ❞

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌; their back and forth bickering —-- snide commentary and confidence that so easily turns into arrogance when they really get going. 

Despite their familiarity with this entire scene, Suguru can’t help but bristle at the mention of himself acting self-righteous.  Why is that always Satoru’s counter argument whenever he so much as challenges or questions him?  Now Suguru is more annoyed than anything else —- his eyebrows furrowing in frustration as he takes a few steps forward, closing some of the distance between them.

❝ —-- Is that really what you think I’m doing? ❞ Suguru speaks plainly, his head tilting slightly as he looks at his friend. ❝ Surely you don’t think so little of me. ❞

One beat passes, then two —-- … and before Satoru can even whip up some snarky reply, Suguru’s taking an impossibly fast step forward with the intention to strike. A flattened hand comes up towards Satoru’s neck, its goal to knock the air out of Satoru's windpipe before coming back in with a swift elbow upwards into the other's sharp jaw. If the first strike lands, Suguru will be able to end this session quite quickly ---- though he doubts Satoru will give him that satisfaction.

𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐅𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑, not that he needed to try any harder -- the two students could be quite hot-headed, though Satoru normally took the brunt of that reputation solely because he happened to be audibly louder during their disputes. This wasn't so bad, though, they were already off training (for the most part) when the remark on his supposed reliance on his powers came to the forefront of their bickering. To that, he scoffed obnoxiously, rolling his eyes pointedly to make the mere suggestion all the more ridiculous-sounding.

❝ That's an awfully good excuse someone weak would use to justify them not being able to beat me. Besides, I don't rely on my powers, it's like breathing to me ---- do you want me to hold my breath? It's not my fault that my default seems too powerful to you. ❞ His snide remark came easily, swift as the grin that split his expression into a more wild, riled state. Not that his pride was so easily wounded, but simply that he felt excitement at the chance to prove himself, yet again, as a formidable force to be reckoned with. He rolled his left shoulder, stepping one pace closer.

❝ But why not, I'll bite. Wanna safeword ? ❞ He chuckled, tilting his chin up, his own beckoning -- he didn't want to charge first, not with how he knew Suguru was already goading, and he'd not play into his hands so easily.

The cloaking power that typically eased around the air surrounding him ceased, draping away and inward as though a deep inhale. Satoru could decide who and what was able to touch him in the midst of daily interactions (though he rarely found reason to maintain the ability whilst on Jujutsu High's protected grounds, unless training) as well as most clear-cut fights, but in this case he deliberately cast away the entirety of Infinity for the sake of sportsmanship. He knew Suguru wouldn't be the type to fight dirty and for blood in a brawl, he trusted that much.

He didn't fall into any stance, accustomed to not needing to -- and it felt natural, his authentic immovable self.

❝ C'mon, don't be shy~ Can't turn this into one of your self-righteous lectures if you don't show me how it's done, right ? ❞

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆, especially against Satoru.  He knew fully well what hills Satoru was willing to die on, though sometimes he couldn’t help but poke and prod the other in a way that left them brawling after class  ( or, hell, even during class. )  Eventually they’d get tired enough to make peace —-- laughing it off whilst agreeing to drop the subject.  They were both headstrong and stubborn; two opposing yet interconnected forces that were unstoppable when they actually worked together.

They were the strongest, after all.

Satoru could drive Suguru crazy sometimes, yes —-- but the intensity of those feelings always came from a place of love … even if Suguru himself was unaware of that longing; of that desire that nestled itself deep within him, setting up a permanent residence in his heart and soul.

‘I don’t think little of you, just your idealogy.’  A spark of anger at that —- a flame alight in those violet eyes as Satoru blocks his first attack with his forearm.  Suguru expected as much; those six eyes of his coming in handy when analyzing all angles of a potential fight.  The curse user wouldn’t hold that against him, of course —- Satoru would never know what it was like to not have that exceptional ability.  An innate gift of the Gojo clan ; a passive yet extraordinary visual prowess that made reaching his particular level as a sorcerer impossible.  

But Suguru is, however, quite pleased with himself when he manages to connect his elbow with Satoru’s jaw. So much so, that the curled hook the young prodigy aimed at his side went unnoticed as his adrenaline kicked in —-- Suguru palming that bony knee of Satoru’s and pushing it roughly back towards the ground before he was moving back to put some distance between them.

Suguru’s lips fall into a perfect, easy smile —-- that boyish charm written all over his face as he gazes at Satoru, who’s now rubbing at his jaw and calling him a tryhard. 

Ha.

❝ Not bad, Satoru —- next time focus on your defense before trying to hit me. ❞  Suguru then walks over to where the Satoru’s sunglasses landed, and picks them up.  He extends them akin to a peace offering, not wanting his best friend to develop a migraine on top of a sore jaw.

❝ Want to go again? ❞

𝐎𝐇 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐎 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘, Suguru's own taunting swiftly flipped into a disadvantage once Satoru tapped into the good ol' trigger-phrase for most, if not all of, their typical brawls. He didn't say it because he looked down on Suguru in particular, of course, but because he had yet to get a proper comeback in response -- no denial of said self-righteousness, no deflection to hide it, nothing in any attempt to dissuade Satoru from believing that to be the truth somewhere deep down. Even if Suguru spoke like a saint, he gave off the vibe of someone that could pivot into such territories that his great heroic speeches about protecting the weak could be in complete condemnation of said weaklings. Or something like that.

That, or Satoru simply couldn't help himself if it meant making Suguru abandon his composed disposition and goodie-two-shoes act.

❝ I don't think little of you, just your ideology. ❞ He teased, but -- welllllll.... it was half-true. They'd get into it further once this was over.

Powers or no, Satoru's eyes were still keen and quick to adjust to the speed in which Suguru attacked -- he had watched Suguru practicing on dummies before, or the unfortunate first year that trickled into Jujutsu High... so he knew to expect a swift kick or two the moment the attempt to punch him fell through. So he opted to lift his forearm to block the hit to his neck, favoring not staggering his footing to dodge if it meant he could get swept off his feet in the process. In rapid succession, he jabbed his other hand out in a curled hook aimed straight for Suguru's side.

But... he was so focused on his quick block-counter that he didn't expect the fucking elbow. And so swiftly after a thrown punch made it hard to see up close and personal, stupid -- ! The jolt of his jaw getting struck made his head snap up and to the side, a grunt and subsequent loss of his sunglasses as they flew straight off the bridge of his nose and clattered off onto the ground somewhere was likely almost as satisfying to Suguru as the clean connection that had landed on Satoru about .005 seconds into their spar.

Satoru kicked out an annoyed knee-to-the-gut as a hail mary, using the motion of doing so to also step back and gain some distance. Ow.

❝ -- tch, TRYHARD. ❞ Animation-canceling bullshit, that.

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐅 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄 —- even when frustrated or angry, the boy prided himself in the control he asserted over his emotions and reactions to things.  It took a lot to break that control ; that calm, collected air of confidence he carried with him wherever he went.  Even now, whilst adrenaline surged and an amused smile tugged at his lips, his chivalrous side remained fully intact. 

A breathy laugh filled the air as Satoru snagged back his sunglasses and pouted at him. Suguru almost found it —- aaah, well … nevermind.

❝ I know, I know.  That’s why we’re doing thi—!! ❞

Whoa, that rush was unexpected!  Suguru was impressed as Satoru used the element of surprise to his advantage.  He manages to block Satoru’s jabbing punch with his forearm, but falls short of protecting his footing as Satoru sweeps out a kick meant to knock the curse user on his ass.  While Suguru knows he’s about to go down, he catches himself all the same —-- leaning into the fall by pressing his palms against the grass beneath him, and using what remains of his momentum to lunge back up with the thrust of his hips. He’s back on his feet in no time, though a bit sweaty as a result of the quick movements. 

Suguru aims a hard punch to Satoru’s nose, while at the same time, bringing his knee up to make contact with Satoru’s groin. He can feel the slight bruising now at his side from where Satoru made contact earlier, but ignores it in hopes that one of these attacks will manage to land and give him an opportunity to put the other in checkmate.

𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐀 𝐇𝐈𝐓, it just... didn't happen often, if at all, unless he intentionally allowed it (like the principle's disciplining smacks, he knew better than to negate those and make the guy more pissed off at him than he already was) ... so yes, he was going to rub at his jaw for a moment once he staggered back a step and steadied himself with a huff and puff of irked breaths.

Suguru was already retrieving his glasses like this was some game they could pause mid-punch, throwing off his flow of things almost entirely. Usually they brawled with reckless abandon, but this seemed to be a genuine training session. To think he was about to lunge at the guy -- but he reluctantly snagged his sunglasses back, sliding them back on with a noticeable pout. He didn't like, in this context, that Suguru knew that the world was a little more bearable to take in when he wore these. It felt like a weakness. It felt like a vulnerability that could easily be taken advantage of if he wasn't careful. Blinding him, if Infinity could ever be bypassed, was likely the best route to go if one wanted to really beat him -- he surmised that much ever since he was a young boy, given how everyone and their mother knew about his techniques due to his clan's fame.

In the context of a spar, he half-expected Suguru to not want to give the sunglasses back, to continue without them as though to further test him and train him for the various 'what ifs' that surrounded this particular scenario. Satoru could operate without them, of course, but the flux of overwhelming information that came rushing in was a little difficult to digest at times. Especially if nearby sorcerers were doing their own training, flares of energy igniting in his mind's eye akin to fireworks of which he could see each and every colored particle with a vividness, feel the fluttering sparks against his temples, feel the burning in his brain. Didn't matter if there were a hundred concrete walls between them, he'd see it all. But not a fucking elbow, apparently.

❝ My typical defense is down, you know. I'm adjusting. ❞ Yeah, that was his excuse. But he wouldn't admit he was reliant, hell no !

Taking in another breath, he paused, shifted his feet, then lunged for Suguru ---- this time he went for a sharp jabbing punch against the side he previously managed to land a hit on, hoping to nail some freshly bruising skin underneath with another blow. In quick succession, he hoped to cut Suguru's own potential move off with a sweeping kick to knock against the guy's ankles and upend him entirely. The best defense was a good offense, right ?!

𝐎𝐊𝐀𝐘, 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 —- 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐄.  But it was a common line of offense, aiming for areas that would incapacitate the other person!  Someone that wanted you out of the picture wouldn’t hesitate to go for the throat, eyes, or groin… he was only being thorough!

❝ Shit, Satoru! —--I didn’t think that would land… ❞  Suguru says with a wince.  He knows first-hand how bad a hit down there hurts. He’s quick to make his way over to the other, who’s now curled up in a fetal position at his feet. Suguru crouches down, and places his hand atop Satoru’s shoulder. ❝ I’m sorry — that was a low blow.  You were doing so well, too! ❞

Ahhh, Suguru was already regretting the hell out of this whole training session… he didn’t actually want to HURT Satoru. Maybe wound his ego a little, but…

❝ Let me treat you to dinner, hm?  Or maybe a few rounds of Gundam: Extreme V’s??  You choose! ❞

𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐓! A hit or two to his pride didn't mean he wasn't going to give this little spar of theirs one hundred percent of his effort, give or take the natural ebb and flow of the pacing given Suguru's brief pause to retrieve his sunglasses. The blow to Suguru's side was deterred, but not his sweeping kick ---- but fuck, the guy was flexible, nimble -- like one of those wobbly punching bags that just swung right back after taking a hit, because up he came, flinging back into Satoru's space and issuing a jab squarely at his nose. Satoru staggered backwards to avoid it connecting, jerking his head to one side to make sure he didn't miscalculate the length of Suguru's arm.

❝ -- oi, oi ! That could've broken my-- ❞ --nose, shades, pick one or both, but he didn't have time to elaborate further because Suguru managed to sneak a hit. A direct hit, to be exact -- one that immediately had him wheezing and doubling over into an extremely shameless fetal position curled on the floor. He held a breath in till it stung, figuring he might just die from this, then let out the loudest possible shout.

❝ FUCK !! ❞

What the fuck, man.

tag dump.

𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐒 ; a culmination of the seeds ive sown [ ic. ] 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐘 ; the violent caress of two natures at war [ musing. ] 𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ; the light that arrives despite everything [ satoru. ] 𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐄 ; how the moon shines because of the suns light [ reflection. ] 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀 ; sanctify —- devour [ headcanon. ]

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝟎𝟎𝟏 ; symmetry reversed —- a life like wires. 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝟎𝟎𝟐 ; shadows —- an intake of air so sharp. 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝟎𝟎𝟑 ; stomach it —- choking up old sins. 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝟎𝟎𝟒 ; take this weight —- the veil eternal.

The first time Suguru took a long drag of a stranger's cigarette was also the very first time he felt relief from the nauseating taste of a curse he had exorcised and consumed. It had been his first solo mission —-- a test of sorts, towards the very beginning of his second year at Jujutsu High.

He had been outside of a nightclub in some dimly lit alleyway; a dangerous time of night, in a dangerous part of town —--typically known for its drug pedaling and trafficking. The walls had been caked in a grime that the young curse user was sure could not be cleansed without demolishing each and every building connected via cement and stone.

The experience has been a disgusting one, in and of itself —-- the woman he had tried to save left butchered in the wake of a messy exorcism. Blood and sweat had coated his uniform, even as he held that cursed orb in his steady hand, obsidian swirling inside of it, tumultuous even on it's eventual way down his throat.

Suguru had forced down the bile that threatened its way back up in the wake of his consumption of the curse. A headache had begun to form at his temples —-- part of which was a result of the heavy bass echoing from that nearby club, conflicting with all of the other emotions surging within him. He had taken a few steps backward, before turning on his heel and approaching one of the main streets of Tokyo that housed a direct subway line back towards Jujutsu High.

It was only when he heard the sound of a thumb spinning a serrated wheel —-- that initial spark, and ignite —-- of a cheap bic lighter, that Suguru's attention turned away from his eventual trek back home, and instead, upon that very necessary distraction from the urge to vomit his guts up. The slightly older woman had taken one look at his expression ( not to mention the grotesque stains upon his uniform ) and offered him her cigarette with a sense of sympathy —-- after taking that first initial drag from it herself, of course.

Suguru had taken that cigarette from her easily —-- hoping that something, anything, could help take the edge off.

There was no going back for him after that. And no convincing him to quit the awful habit, either. No one knew the foul taste of a curse, after all —--.. and if they did, they wouldn't have ever dared to tell him how awful such a habit was for his health.

[ original banner artwork: x ]

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅-𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍 in order to fish out the vibrating phone from his pants pocket. His lips curled up into an amused smile before he started working on his reply.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : i thought you hated when people gave you shallow compliments? [ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : i'll make sure to call you prettyboy next time we're in class. Maybe even melodramatic stud muffin.

𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄, quick to shoot out a text to Suguru containing, as per usual, his latest random thought.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : it's criminal that you havent called me prettyboy even once. not even mockingly. am i ugly to you?

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : so you hate me and want me to die???

𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔'𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄, his poor flip phone vibrating across the table as he slurps a few more noodles into his mouth. Fuck, he was hungry... who knew swallowing up curses left one's stomach growling for some ACTUAL form of sustenance?

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : my apologies then, prettyboy.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : though it feels disingenuous now - i think i'll stick with melodramatic stud muffin. a bit more creative, yeah?

Suguru can't help but chuckle as he fires back another reply, however he isn't quick enough to beat Satoru's frantic clarification.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : LOL

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : looks like i didn't even have to say it. need me to bring u a binky to suck on, or will u be heading back soon? 👶🍼

𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔'𝐒 𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐇 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 of 'melodramatic stud muffin' -- he had to follow through with that now, no backing out.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : its not shallow if youre the one saying it mr deeper meaning to everything

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : i am THE melodramatic stud muffin

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : yo tho this mission is like that nuclear warhead vs coughing baby meme

He paused... then frantically added, before Suguru could beat him to it, a very important clarification.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : adn before you say itn no, im not the coughing baby, fuck you

𝐇𝐀! 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇 as he pushed the now empty ramen bowl aside, in favor of settling up the bill and excusing himself from the premises. Once outside, Suguru whipped up a few replies of his own before lighting up a fresh cigarette.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : who said anything about needing you to head back?

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : i think you're the one missing me here, prettyboy.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : maybe you should work on those teleporting skills if u want me back on my knees already

𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐀𝐑-𝐓𝐎-𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐖, 𝐃𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄, typing rapidly back. Suguru was a slower texter, meant he could get more snark in before the other shot it down. He definitely enjoyed whenever he earned a good 'LOL' response from Suguru, he didn't hand those out lightly.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : look at you mentioning sucking and then needing me to head back soon

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : i dont even need to finish the connection

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : missed me that much? ( ˘ ³˘)

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇 as he witnessed Satoru curl inwards, protecting what remained of his pride. The curse user's hand still rested comfortably atop his shoulder, waiting for any sign of the other's pain letting up. It wasn't that he found Satoru writhing around in agony funny, or anything sinister like that —- there was just something, well... adorable, really, about the way Satoru pouted up at him, those blue eyes almost glassy underneath such darkly tinted lenses.

Fuck... he'd have to unpack that one, later.

❝ You got it. How about we meet back at my dorm in an hour? That should give us enough time to wash up and eat something. ❞ Suguru smiled at him before extending his hand, fully prepared to hoist the other back up to his feet. ❝ You bring the movies, I'll bring the drinks? ❞ Luckily enough, Suguru had his connections. Drinking age be damned—-

❝ Sorry again, Satoru. I didn't want to actually hurt you. ❞

𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐄, 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇. What a dick move, really. Most people who fought Satoru wouldn't go for the low blow, they usually went for his head -- thinking that if they landed a hit, he'd not be able to cast Infinity or use his Six Eyes to retaliate during the disorientation. Somewhat correct assumptions to make, but still -- that didn't land him on the floor, Suguru's method did. And the guy was rushing over like he had just accidentally stabbed him or something, which was kind of funny if he wasn't still seeing and hearing a bunch of ringing bells around his head at the moment.

❝ Gimme a -- hooohhhhhminute. ❞ He was going to just lay there for a little while longer, this floor was now his home. No moving. Don't move him. He shot Suguru a big ol' pout from where he was curled up when the guy even mercifully offered some praise on how he had been doing so well up until he didn't do so well at all.

❝ I want -- ❞ His mind spun around a mile a second, but at least he wasn't shriveled up in a ball of pain anymore. It was just the residuals now, ringing in his ears, aching. The first five seconds were lethal, though. ❝ ... a m-movie marathon, and drinks. ❞ He moved to straighten up into a seated position, pout still full blown and his sunglasses a bit lopsided on his nose from the crumpled position on his side. He was hugging himself a little, hunched. What was that again about "fwii and fwoo" or whatever the fuck Shoko went on about when talking about healing? He needed that.

He could've asked for anything in that moment and Suguru maybe would've done it, but of course he ended up picking the whole quality time approach instead of being appeased by offerings of food. The video gaming wasn't off the table, though.

❝ -- and at least ten rounds of Gundam, you ass. ❞

𝐈𝐅 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅, 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃. He knew how hard Satoru had been working on advancing his techniques --- though last time he had tried anything like this, it had been far from successful. Suguru took another steady inhale of his cigarette and surveyed his surroundings, just in case there were any potential crowds of people that could be affected by Satoru's attempt at long-distance teleportation.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : ha! good luck. im standing outside of ginza hachigo near shintomichō station

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 六眼 ] : try not to destroy any buildings on your way over, i dont wanna deal with an angry yaga making us run laps again

𝐈𝐅 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇, it'd be how fucking ridiculously easy it was to goad him into trying to flex his power. Showing off came naturally when one had so much talent, right? Using Blue to warp himself places was a new skillset, clumsy and dangerous -- though he always downplayed both aspects to appear less weak. Suguru just activated his 'fuck it we ball' mode.

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : alright BET

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : gimme your location

[ 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 ➥ 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐰𝐮 🌺(づ￣ ³￣)づ💗] : cant wait to see the look on your face

Last day

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍’𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐌.  He was used to the other boy making an entrance —- thus was always the case in the classes they shared, whether Satoru was on time or 10 minutes late.  Suguru knew that if something was on his mind, he’d open up about it eventually.  There was never any rush, or sense of urgency between them —- especially when they weren’t on some bullshit mission.

A slight breeze tousled Suguru’s bangs as he flipped to the next page of his book —- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami absorbing the bulk of his attention during their lunch period.  There was something about this particular novel that made it hard for Suguru to put it down.  Perhaps it was a pull to the main character within the story, or the underlying narrative of it all. Reading between the lines… the symbolism, and the cruelty of people towards others, whether on purpose or through an uncaring lens. He often found himself lost in books, especially before attending Jujutsu High — though lately, it was hard to finish a book without the details of previous chapters getting hazy.  With the increase in missions and class workloads, it was rare he had enough time to read anything other than books on sorcery techniques and exorcisms.

Not that he was complaining.  Okay, maybe he was complaining a little.  The information was valuable, of course —- but for Suguru and Satoru, the strongest sorcerers Jujutsu High had seen in quite a long time, everything just felt… beneath them.  Like they were merely stuck doing busy work, while the rest of their classmates struggled to keep up.

When Satoru finally spoke up, Suguru’s gaze shifted over to the other —- taking a moment to read his body language and respond accordingly.  Suddenly his book held little to no meaning… he was quick to bend the corner of the page to mark his spot, and put the book down beside him. 

❝ Rant away.  I won’t laugh, I promise. ❞  Though the idea of Satoru kicking his ass made him almost laugh, regardless.

Suguru listened to the sounds of birds chirping at the edge of the forest whilst waiting for the other to speak.  He watched Satoru sigh again, and suddenly found himself growing concerned.  Something really was bothering him, wasn’t it?  He actually seemed reluctant to even ramble at him, which was surprising in and of itself.  It was only when Satoru brought up the subject of lineage and family bloodlines that Suguru understood the hesitance —- the lack of eye contact, even whilst those sunglasses remained tucked away.

He was an active listener — patient, and typically kind when offering any sort of advice, or feedback.  Suguru was able to read a room, and respond accordingly.  But the sudden swerve towards vulnerability left Suguru’s pulse quickening, his gaze widening ever so slightly before dropping down towards the step below where they both sat.

He kept that gaze low, if but only to hide the warmth that now spread across his cheeks.

Suguru wasn’t quite sure how to process this new information.  There was something deep inside of him that rejoiced at the news — the mere confirmation that Satoru was into boys.  Though he wasn’t quite sure why he was so elated to discover that… ah, but Suguru could unpack that another time.  Right now, the silence between them had grown almost deafening.  

❝ A-ah, Satoru —-... I’m sorry to hear that.  If I may ask… how close are you to your parents? ❞  Suguru looked over at him, then — gauging his reaction a bit before proceeding.  He folded his hands into his lap and considered his words, ultimately searching for the most genuine response he could offer.

❝ —-I only ask because, well… sometimes, the less they know, the better.  My clan isn’t nearly as high of status as yours, but… that pressure exists for me, too.  The only way I’ve been able to distance myself from it has been by distancing myself from them.  Saying I’m too busy, or working too hard to even consider dating. ❞

❝ That being said… there’s nothing wrong with liking boys, Satoru.  If there was, then we’d both be fucked. ❞  Suguru shot a smile his way, before bumping Satoru’s shoulder with his own. While Suguru wasn't necessarily hiding that information from anyone, it also wasn't something he readily expressed without feeling like he was in a safe space to do so.  Suguru's sexuality was very fluid —- though he hadn't really focused on defining it that much, as of late.

❝ And if your family truly respects you as a person and not as some prodigy only worthy of procreating to keep the Six Eyes ability going, they will respect your decision and not push it any further.  But I understand, not wanting to tell them… I haven’t figured out a way to tell my parents, either. ❞

𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇, 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐅𝐄𝐖 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐒, 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃. He rested his wrist on his knee, propping his elbow on the other leg in favor of putting his head into his hand. There was a lengthy silence between them, one that felt natural, one that didn't make him hold his breath or anything and he knew Suguru wasn't, either. Equally so, a thousand words were fresh on his tongue, and he licked his lips absently to try and wipe some of it off.

❝ -- hey, ❞ he started, and he felt suddenly silly and small. Like he was just a boy instead of fifteen years old and -- apparently in line to become the head of the Gojo clan, considering the latest news from his parents. He let out a small, light laugh.

❝ Mind if I rant a little? ❞ He chanced a glance over his shoulder, up and back at Suguru, but found he had to dart his eyes away fast -- back to the forest beyond the school grounds. He huffed, puffing his cheeks a little to chase away the vague sense of heat rising to them over the mere prospect of his rant's chosen topic. ❝ Just promise you won't laugh ---- I mean it, I'll kick your ass. ❞

Another sigh, then, and Satoru gifted Suguru with the first notable flash of vulnerability since they first met. ❝ My parents want me to marry some girl. Keep the clan going. Picked her out and everything, all talk about genetics, continuing the bloodline, yada yada. ❞ He waved the hand with his sunglasses dismissively, huffing out another breath.

❝ She's nice, I'm sure. But ---- ❞ A pause, and he shifted his posture a little, admittedly feeling a bit shy.

❝ ---- I don't know, you know? I, uh, I don't know how to -- ...I can't just, like, tell my parents "Hey mom, dad, sorry... but I can't marry and fucking impregnate the girl you picked out for me, you know, 'cause I like boys. Oops!" ❞

He hadn't really planned on just saying it outright like that, but the moment the sentence fell out from his mouth, he let out a pained laugh ---- like it hurt, but also filled him with such relief. And fear, and uncertainty -- dread, yet freeing. He tried not to overthink the silence between them. Hard not to, but he tried anyway.

❝ It's so stuuuuupid, like -- first world problem, right? But damn if it doesn't make me feel like shit. Like I'm guilty either way ---- for not wanting to do it, and for not wanting to do it for such a -- ...bad reason. Their only son, end of the fucking line, and all 'cause I'm... -- you know? You get the picture. ❞

@svgurugeto // their earlier years & a confession.

𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 —- the fear of disappointing their families merely by being themselves.  Suguru had grown accustomed to that fear, letting it dominate so much of his youth before he accepted the jujutsu sorcerer’s hand that had been extended to him.  A promise, in its own way, of finding a family that loved him for who he was —- not who he could be.  People that were like-minded; that wanted to rid the world of curses, once and for all.

Leaving home for Jujutsu High had been a way for Suguru to find himself outside of the close-minded little world he had grown up in.  It was a means of escape —- the freedom to be himself without fear of disappointing those he cared about.

He had kept his parents at arm’s length ever since his arrival in Tokyo.  Slow to reply to letters, emails… any means of communication they sought out.  Suguru just wasn’t interested in going back to the way things used to be —-- though he hadn’t quite figured out a way to articulate that to them yet.

❝ You can be their son without surrendering your entire life to them, ❞ Suguru replied earnestly, amethyst gaze lingering on Satoru’s cerulean.  His eyes held a strength of their own —-- an intense conviction to live a life one could be proud of, even if it meant having to stand alone.  Suguru placed his hand on Satoru’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly.  ❝ You have so much innate power, Satoru —- power over them, too.  Use it to build the life you want.  Everything else will fall into place as it should. ❞

With that, Suguru gave his friend a genuine smile.  It was boyish in nature, but underneath it all was a quiet admiration of the other.  An offering —--- ‘I see you, and I understand.’  

At least until he was practically hit over the head by Satoru's delayed realization.  Embarrassment left his cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink as Satoru all but thrashed around in front of him.  It wasn’t that Suguru was self-conscious of his sexuality —- he just wasn’t all that fond of the attention such a quiet reveal was suddenly garnering.  

❝ Oh please, ❞  Suguru laughed, albeit weakly, ❝ —-you might be alone with that six eyes ability of yours, but you’re hardly the only person in Japan that leans the other way. ❞

Suguru knew that wasn’t what Satoru meant by being the only one, but the guy was a bit desperate to get all of the attention off of him at the moment. It was only when Satoru started word vomiting that Suguru found himself relaxing —- suddenly finding this whole conversation hilarious.

❝ Relaaax, Satoru— I know what you meant. ❞  At least, he thought he did… there was a certain kinship in finding others that also didn’t fit the mold that society required of them.  Right…?  ❝ Though my piercings giving me away is a new one.  I’ll take it that gauged ears aren’t widely accepted by the Gojo clan~? ❞ he smirked, intent to make eye contact with Satoru now that he wasn’t the only one red in the face.

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐖 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐙𝐄, 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒, 𝐀 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃, 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐔𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐎𝐔𝐓. Satoru was always shameless whenever he used his Six Eyes to cut deeper in his stares... but somehow looking at Suguru made him need to look away after a few seconds -- especially when the other caught him looking. Becoming almost shy, mindful of his drilling eyes, was unusual for him. Satoru was abrasive, typically written off as unapproachable, and he embraced that flaw of himself and used it as a secondary shield stronger than Infinity could ever be. But ever since they first met, Suguru...

Ah, he really had him warming up to people -- at least some people. Even if he still thought the weak ones weren't worth his time, Suguru wasn't weak ---- so he was worth all the time in the world.

Already a weight was lifted from his chest, replaced with those heavy emotions of both joy and dread -- awaiting Suguru's reply, Satoru could've broken into sob-worthy laughter at himself, his heart racing in his ears... adrenaline somehow proving to be more present than any battle could provoke out of him.

❝ Not close at all, ❞ the words tumbled out from his mouth and he had to shoot his gaze ahead, then up toward the sky, passing clouds obscuring an otherwise vibrant blue. He never really felt sad over the fact that his childhood consisted of being courted around, showed off, with a few dozen assassination attempts sprinkled in. He felt a disconnect, certainly, and the absence of the bond was difficult to detect and to mourn when it was all he ever knew.

❝ But I'm still their son. I can't just... -- stop that, you know? ❞

He opened his mouth to add more, but found himself closing it again, biting his tongue, then his lower lip to stifle any reply still half up his throat. Keeping busy typically made them leave him alone, but this was an arrangement, one that had stupid clan politics involved -- it wasn't just for his parents, this was being whispered about amongst the other major clans, too. As if they were all holding their breaths, waiting to see whose bloodline was going to mix the best with his own. Satoru scrunched his nose a little at the thought.

He shut his eyes, then, only to snap them open moments later to gawk blatantly at Suguru, mouth agape, leaning obnoxiously close ----

❝ Eh !? ❞ Really, what were the odds? Suguru, the one other person he felt a connection with, being someone that... -- he wasn't alone, then? Satoru felt almost silly for being shocked, but in fairness... what were the fucking odds? Suguru hadn't ever seemed interested in girls even when they giggled and bat their eyelashes at him whenever they were out and about after a mission, but he figured that was because he found them annoying or he was too shy to make a move, too reserved.

Fuck, he felt like he was vibrating on these steps, now. Suguru was going on about telling parents, not telling parents, this and that but all Satoru could think back on was the fucking nudge of Suguru's shoulder while telling him something so simple and yet so special that he felt like a firework went off inside his stomach.

❝ Yo -- wait, pause, time out. ❞ He fumbled with his sunglasses, sliding them to hook onto the front of his uniform before he smacked the gesture together for Suguru to stop what he was talking about.

❝ -- I thought I was all alone, what the fuck, man ---- ❞ He flailed a little, not knowing what to do with his hands now that he was literally exploding with energy. Which also meant... incoming ramble;

❝ I mean, I figured with the piercings you weren't completely straight, but I thought maybe you were just going for the edgy look to get goth girls to like you ---- or, I don't know, tortured soul kind of emo boy shit ---- ace, maybe? I didn't think you ---- I mean, I'm happy that you're -- I mean, I'm not, like, happy that you're... -- it's not like, you know -- I'm ---- fuck, shut up, don't say anything ! ❞ Oh no, he rambled too much, now he was flustered and aggressively looking away.

𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. Lowering his guard around the young prodigy was his first mistake --- of course Satoru would fight dirty. This was his best friend, after all ---- a boy that always had to get the last word in every heated discussion ( much to Suguru's frustration. )

Suguru practically yelped in surprise as Satoru yanked him down, his eyes impossibly wide as gravity made sure that he landed almost directly on top of the other. He scrambled to get away before things got even worse for him, but apparently Satoru had planned his full blown sabotage exceptionally well, leaving nowhere for Suguru to go other than locked underneath Satoru's weight.

❝ H-hey! ❞ Suguru sputtered, his eyebrows furrowing as annoyance forced his lips into a frown. His hands gripped at Satoru's arms, trying to shake him off or at least knock him off balance ---- unfortunately to no avail. Suguru's bangs were now in his face, blocking some of his vision as he angrily stared up at the other. He blew them to the side, disgruntled, before reaching upward to flick Satoru's nose. ❝ Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying as hell? ❞

Now it was his turn to pout.

𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐒; "I didn't want to actually hurt you" -- pfft ! Satoru audibly scoffed, but then laughed -- he couldn't actually be mad at Suguru, though the dull ache that remained was a tempting factor to allow to tip the scales. It felt almost nice to get... not coddled, but concern(?) thrown his way, even in the lighthearted weight Suguru wielded now. he never really got into situations where him getting hurt was a possible outcome, so this exchange was certainly new.

He was less hunched inward now, reaching out to grasp onto Suguru's offered hand after a moment spent contemplating it. His more mischievous, bratty side had a flare of desire... to use the friendly gesture of sportsmanship against Suguru. And honestly? He caved to it, despite its initial spark being a 50/50 coin toss of 'play nice' and 'fight dirty' ------ so Satoru sought to yank Suguru abruptly onto the ground with a whipping grab and harsh pull, hopefully leading into a messy tumble and subsequently a pinned down Suguru. Maybe he'd manage to wind him a bit on the way down to fully make them square.

❝ ---- GOTCHA ! ❞

They could illegally drink and watch some twisted horror movie or something more up Suguru's alley after this, he just wanted some payback first.

𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍’𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒, 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 —- though he was certainly the more obvious of the two.  Suguru had grown accustomed to the sensation of the Six Eyes ability, watching him… that strange omnipresence sliding over his jawline, and the nape of his neck like the caress of a ghost.  It was an inexplicable feeling, though one he found himself oddly comforted by. 

Despite feeling Satoru studying him quite openly, Suguru never made it known that he was aware of the other’s burning gaze.  He felt the flutter of butterflies in his stomach, all the same —- his skin prickling as he forced his expression to remain neutral, to not give it all away. 

The right corner of his mouth had twitched upwards anyway, betraying that calm, collected demeanor Suguru so often hid behind. As Satoru threw an arm around him, pulling him into an excited half-embrace, Suguru left out a lighthearted chuckle, leaning into the touch without even realizing.

❝ Skipping out on the report, huh?  How unexpected of you~ ❞  the curse user replied with the slight rolling of his eyes.  The world around them carried on as usual —- crowds of people rushing into subway stations to get to their destinations while pedestrian lights blinked at intersections, vehicles frozen in time… billboards illuminating the glass windows of the buildings around them —-- the chaos of Tokyo a stark contrast to the subtleties of young love, still unspoken, unacknowledged…

❝ Fine, fine — stop that! ❞  Suguru playfully swatted at Satoru’s finger, still poking and prodding at his cheek.  ❝ You don’t have to convince me, I was on board the second you mentioned food.  Can we get soba though? It’s been a while and I have a craving…❞

He couldn’t help but smile at the mention of bubble tea. Of course Satoru wanted to stop somewhere for something sweet. A predictable pit stop, but the idea of going somewhere that made Satoru so stupidly happy made his own heart sing. 

❝ You and that sweet tooth… still on the brown sugar kick, or are you planning on switching it up? ❞

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 -- 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐀 𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐊 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐒𝐓. Geto Suguru was at his side, impressive as ever with that calculated approach to even the most mundane and boring missions... he snuck a peek over at him whilst they trudged along, glancing away the moment he figured it'd become too obvious that he was gawking at the guy while thinking things over. The little flutter in his heartbeat was wholly ignored.

They had, essentially, the entire rest of the day to themselves -- he fully intended on lying and not submitting a report that the deed was done solely to avoid getting sent off again in such short notice. Instead, Satoru grabbed onto Suguru's arm, obnoxiously pulling him closer to then throw himself onto the guy's shoulder with a half-embrace, grinning ear-to-ear, a whim inspiring him ---- or maybe he just felt good right now, like they were unstoppable and could do whatever the hell they wanted. He wasn't wrong.

❝ Hey, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving -- my treat ! ❞ There were several good restaurants in the area and Satoru had no budget in mind. Maybe he'd take Suguru somewhere really fancy, and there was enough time left in the day that they could catch a showing of one of those monster movies that came out recently. They bickered more often than not, but truthfully -- he really didn't want them to part ways just yet. Having missions with Suguru was fun, the whole idea that someone was out there in the world of sorcerers who could keep up with him was an exciting thing. Suguru didn't treat him like he was some freak.

❝ I'm thinking someplace nice -- we don't get to treat ourselves very often, right ? Shoko's not here to groan at us for slacking a little so we can go all out. Hell, we could go to an onsen too, that'd be niiiiice ~ ! ❞

Was he glowing a little ? Maybe. He felt radiant right now, eyes bright and demeanor sparkling. He couldn't help but smile, fully assuming Suguru couldn't possibly turn down his offer because obviously he made it a really good sell. His heart felt full and stupid, excited akin to a dog when 'walk' was mentioned. He poked a finger against Suguru's cheek while simultaneously smooshing his face closer, awaiting the inevitable 'fine' reply.

❝ ---- oh ! And then there was that one boba place I wanted to try... ❞

@svgurugeto is being dragged into a not-date date, pre-Hidden Inventory.

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔’𝐒 𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒, the corners of which crinkled ever so slightly as Satoru continued tripping over his words.  He felt his own pulse quicken as he watched the strongest Jujutsu sorcerer of the modern age turn an impossible shade of red, all because of the nature of their conversation.  

Ah… there was something so endearing about how flustered Satoru had become, rambling and dragging his hands down his face in what Suguru could only assume was some desperate attempt to hide.  This was definitely a side of Satoru that the curse user hadn’t seen before—--soooo very different from that egotistical side of him; that brazen, quick-witted and infuriating image he shared with the rest of the world… the implication that he was untouchable, even with his Infinity lowered.

Suguru found himself growing fond of this version of him… the real Gojo Satoru, that was—-- not the version expected of him, that society demanded of him.  A quiet curiosity worked its way into Suguru’s very heart and soul, eager to uncover more of what existed beyond that projection of strength.

Oh, he was doomed already.  

❝  Aw, you can’t stop noooow~ ❞  Suguru teased as his hands moved to rest atop Satoru’s, determined at the very least to make him stop smacking himself in the face.  His fingers coiled around the backs of Satoru’s hands, tugging them away to avoid any further damage.  ❝ —--Though you can stop hitting yourself.  Pretty sure that isn’t going to help hide the blush you’ve got going on, anyway.  Such a pretty shade, too. ❞ Suguru clicked his tongue, his amusement growing. He pulled their hands down to rest upon Satoru’s lap, though one of Suguru’s reached back up to boldly swipe a thumb across the other’s cheek.  ❝ You’re so cuuute like this, Satoru~ ❞

Well… okay, he had said it.  Suguru hadn’t planned to admit he found his classmate cute—-but the words had slipped out so easily.  And, well… truthfully, he felt zero shame in such an admission.  Suguru didn’t have it in himself to lie—- to Satoru, at least.

❝ As for the arranged marriage predicament… hm.  Maybe you should have them call me —- I can be very convincing, you know. ❞

Was he flirting? Most definitely.  Suguru was having the time of his life, now—- suddenly forgetting about the book he had been reading, or the classwork he still needed to get done.  Wait, wasn’t their lunch period almost over?

Fuck.

𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔, 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐍 -- 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒, 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐒, 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒 -- he didn't exist to be a person, that much was driven home since the moment he could walk on his own. Murmurs without any reservations fired off around his young ears about how good this would be for the clan; the faster he grew the better for them. There were a few stray audacious offers made for him potentially being sold despite no possibility presenting itself, the Gojo clan held on tightly to their precious little powerhouse much to the bidder's dismay.

Now, this was a whole other version of selling him off -- the idea of him being asked to put a child in someone was already disgusting in and of itself, but the various additional factors made it hard for him to even think of his parents as people anymore. Not like they returned the favor either.

This topic was made far easier because of Suguru's wonderful admission -- thank fuck for that, because Satoru couldn't imagine going any further in detail about the girl he was supposed to get with. Blegh. He scrunched his nose up at Suguru's implication that he somehow thought himself wholly alone in the entirety of fucking Japan, like his complex extended that vastly -- as if he was genuinely that full of himself. Suguru was being a playful bastard, huh?

❝ -- fuck you, I meant like ---- obviously that was more about -- ...at Jujutsu High, at least, not like... in all of Japan ---- ❞ Now he was really flustered, word-vomit fucking him over just a little by the way Suguru now had a fully disgruntled and blushing Satoru dragging both his hands down his bared face. Sunglasses out of the way, he could really get in there with making sure he didn't open his fucking eyes to see any sort of smug look on Suguru's face. He might die. This might be it. He just had to mention Suguru's piercings and now he had to think about Suguru's piercings. Friendly fire, there -- good going, Satoru. His mind wandered to the idea of Suguru getting a tongue piercing and proceeded to b-line to wondering what it'd feel like while kissi----oOOOKAY THAT'S ENOUGH !!

He smacked his face. Repeatedly. His forehead especially, as if to rattle those thoughts out. Then he palmed at his eyes with a groan. No eye contact for Suguru, Satoru was too busy fighting internal demons.

❝ Gauged ears aren't -- whateverthefuck, no, I'm ---- I think I'm done talking now, actually. ❞

He was so fucked, so fucked, so so so fucked ---- the instant his dumb ears heard that Suguru was ---- fucking of course, the stars aligned and his dumb brain immediately latched onto the thoughts of what was once dismissed as a one-sided never-to-be stupid fucking crush.

And the worst part was now he had a racing mind alongside his pounding and fluttery heartbeat. Now he couldn't help but to think about the fact that -- what, did Suguru date a guy before, did he have a lot of experience ? Did he date girls for a while first to try and be normal and then he had the run-in with a guy that turned his head ? What was he like, did he still have him in his life ? Were they bitter exes ? What did he look like, did he look normal ? Did Suguru like normies ? Fuck. No, maybe he liked them with tats and piercings too -- probably knew people, yeah, had his connections and friendgroup outside of Jujutsu High, honestly ---- he was likeable, adjusted to society around humans and around sorcerers alike. He probably texted them, at least ---- now he was going to be stupidly aware of whenever Suguru texted, fuck. Fuck.

He smacked his face again and then peeled one hand away in favor of mussing up his dumb abnormal hair that Suguru probably didn't even li-- Oh my God he was so fucked.

❝ ---- ANYWAY ! Still have the predicament of not knowing how to word me declining my parents' attempt at an arranged marriage. But ---- I'm so glad you got to watch me verbally sabotage myself in real time, thanks dude. Real friend material. ❞ He promptly shoved at Suguru's shoulder as payback. Somehow, this was all his fault.

𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐌, utterly transfixed by the way he glowed —- the way he knew, just by how Satoru squirmed, that his heart was racing.  Was Suguru the first person he told about his preferences?  Perhaps, judging by his reaction… but the curse user knew in every fiber of his being that there was something else going on here, too.

Once Suguru’s hands had been atop Satoru’s, grasping, and pulling them away from his perfect, porcelain skin, he knew that this wasn’t just some act —-- much less something that could be whittled down to embarrassment.  No, no… this was so much more.

…Satoru had feelings for him, didn’t he?  That would explain the heightened nerves, and a demeanor so flustered and overwrought that he worried Satoru might just straight up collapse from the shock of it all.  Suguru couldn’t have predicted this, even with the experience he had in navigating relationships; whether platonic, romantic, or even physical —-- suddenly, he wanted to kick himself for not noticing it sooner.  

Suguru let his hands fall back into his own lap as Satoru abruptly turned away from him.  Perhaps he had moved too quickly, reaching out to caress his cheek like that.  It had been such a natural reaction for Suguru, too —-- his hand practically moved on its own accord before he realized where it’s destination had been aimed.  He couldn’t help but smile to himself, his own cheeks still slightly flushed as he sat beside his classmate.

It had been so long since he felt his heart stir like this… it was almost as if Suguru had been in some sort of trance since his arrival at Jujutsu High, just going through the motions. Up until this very conversation, Suguru thought… —- well… he hadn’t even considered the idea of dating someone since moving to Tokyo, much less another sorcerer.  And for that other sorcerer to potentially be Satoru…?  His closest friend?

Now the young Gojo clan prodigy wasn’t the only one drowning in thought.

At the mention of having too much fun, though, Suguru was quick to express that all of this… well, whatever this was, wasn’t at Satoru’s expense.  He would never be so cruel as to toy with his best friend’s feelings.  ❝ Maybe… ❞  he started, as he cast his gaze back over to the line of trees in the distance, ❝ —-but having fun at your side just comes naturally.  Wouldn’t you agree? ❞  He bumped Satoru’s shoulder again with his own, hoping to pull him out of his head a bit.

❝ Oh right, your parents… ❞

Suguru knew he was entering dangerous territory, now —-- leaning over to whisper something into Satoru’s ear that was daring, and entirely too bold… but he just couldn’t help himself.

❝ —-I would tell them that their son is too preoccupied with thoughts of another boy to consider any marriage arrangements. And that if they want him to live up to his potential as the strongest sorcerer to be born in the last 400 years, they need to back off and trust him to make his own decisions. Or that same strength could very well be used against them, which would be such a shame… ❞

❝ Anyway! ❞  Suguru was suddenly moving to stand, grabbing his book from beside him and promptly placing it into his messenger bag. ❝ I think it’s about time we head to our next class.  Some of us don’t actually enjoy being late, you know. ❞

At that, Suguru offered the other boy a hand —- a peace offering of sorts, or at least a way to help get him off of the step he was currently melted into. 

❝ Come on, let’s go. ❞

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄, 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐈𝐌, 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 -- amongst all the other bubbling feelings, unnamed, that were erupting within his chest. He hadn't opened up about all of this as some kind of ploy to gain intimacy and closeness out of Suguru, and yet here he was, being shown the flirtatious side that his mind had just been imagining aimed toward others instead of himself. Some sick and twisted satisfaction was quickly buried underneath the sheer awe and shock that left him dumbfounded. Suguru wasn't pulling his leg, was he ? Well, yeah, he was teasing -- but he wasn't... doing it maliciously to make fun of him. What.

Suguru's hands found his and Satoru's throat choked on air for the briefest moment, sure he was touchy with Suguru prior to all of this, poking and prodding at him, nudges and leaning on his shoulder... but he didn't fucking grab his hand, he didn't have his hands held in general, let alone guided down onto his thighs like -- fuck, those were Suguru's hands on his, on him, this was such a stupid thing to fixate onto, but Satoru was immediately entranced. He felt so flushed he could faint, color rushing to his cheeks before he could even consider trying to stop it -- he wasn't a fucking blushy type, damn it ! Fuck --

... AND THEN SUGURU HAD TO TOUCH HIS FUCKING FACE ----

Satoru was pretty sure whatever noise croaked its way out past his lips was something of a squeak and whatever noise an animal made when wounded and dying pathetically. He barely comprehended that Suguru just called him and his dumb blush pretty because his heart was too busy doing backflips up his throat and into the empty confines of his skull like a pinball rammed at max speeds.

Satoru abruptly turned his head out of Suguru's touch -- not because he didn't like it, or didn't want it suddenly like he needed air... but because he was so strongly aware of the fact that if he looked Suguru in his eyes right now the guy would see and know how fucked he was now. How fucking criminal, making a guy swoon like this ---- Suguru and his lethally aimed flirt.

❝ I th-- ❞ Oh, his voice gave out for a second there, swallowed down -- sputtered out, a flustered stutter so unlike the confident and emboldened asshole act he exuded otherwise.

❝ ... think y-you're having too much fun with this, Suguru. ❞ Did he whine that name a little ? Or a lot. Yeah. Signature pout included, albeit it wasn't likely as effective in making the other stop given that his face felt hot enough to be fevered. Suguru liked him blushing, thought he was cute ---- oh he could've done cartwheels into the stratosphere if he wasn't also so occupied with remembering how to breathe. He couldn't look at Suguru still, though -- nope, that'd be a death sentence. Instead Satoru trained his eyes outward, past the treeline ---- not at the blurred peripheral of Suguru's cheekbone from their proximity, the way he wanted to reach out and mirror Suguru's earlier touch and run his thumb along its dipping structure.

❝ -- and what would you say to convince them? ❞ Satoru's voice was a little breathy in his whisper, eyes blipping for a half-second onto Suguru's own before flicking away again. He was grasping at straws here, trying to act like he wasn't visibly unraveling in front of Suguru -- just trying to continue their conversation as though he was totally fine, so fucking fine !