Chapter Text
~*Spring 2006*~
Satoru loved the color violet; in sunsets, in blueberry ice cream, in bloomed florals, but especially in the flecks of color in Suguru’s eyes whenever he was occupied with something. Satoru’s chin rested beneath his palm, elbow propped up on the desk. He sat with his back hunched over and head inclined in the direction of his boyfriend.
Suguru was intently focused on his homework assignment. One calloused hand flipped through the worn pages of a textbook on special grade objects while the other jotted down notes with a black inked pen.
Satoru should also be doing his homework, but the act of doing actual work was so boring it could be considered torture. He’d rather be out on the battlefield exorcizing curses, or on the couch, cuddled up against his favorite person while they watched a cheesy horror film together and threw popcorn at each other.
“Oy, Suguru. We should go on a date this weekend.”
Violet eyes glanced in his direction. “Can’t. This assignment is due Monday.”
Satoru’s arms gradually slid across the desk until the side of his cheek was pressed against the cold grain of wood. “Uggghhhh. Live a little! We’ll only be gone for a few hours at most.”
A white eraser was chucked at his head. Satoru allowed the rubber to impact his forehead and bounce against the desk. He supposed he deserved that one. He never quite understood the value of research when their livelihoods revolved around practical applications. Between the two of them, Suguru was the model student, adored by his teachers and respected by his peers. It was something that Satoru secretly admired about his companion.
It didn’t mean Satoru found him any less of a stickler though.
“SuguruuuuuUUUUUUU,” Satoru whined, his howl becoming increasingly louder.
Suguru shut the cover of his book and he pushed himself out of his seat. A moment later, Satoru felt a hand slam onto his desk, pinky nearly coming in contact with his nose. Suguru leaned in closely until his black bang tickled Satoru’s cheek.
“Satoru, I realize you enjoy screaming my name, but could you save that for after our date?”
Satoru’s entire face glowed like a burning red bulb, “So, see you at seven?”
“Sure.”
~*Carnival*~
The aroma of fried Takoyaki and yakisoba noodles filled the air. Rows of food stands lined the main entrance of the carnival. Red and white striped stalls displayed an abundant amount of sweets and desserts from rainbow colored cotton candy to sticky sweet dango. In the horizon beyond the food stands were a multitude of tall, thrilling amusement park rides and cheap game stalls. Yellow lights blinked in excitement, beckoning guests to draw near each attraction.
Satoru’s blue eyes sparkled beneath the cover of his opaque glasses. He was finally at the greatest destination on the planet camouflaged as a normie wearing a casual button up shirt with skinny jeans. Satoru felt the pull of the carnival beckoning him into its lair. His mouth salivated at the sugary scent of freshly spun cotton candy. His legs began to wander on their own volition towards the nearest food stall when a hand reached out from the abyss and grabbed hold of his wrist.
“Hold on, you can’t just eat sweets before you go on the rides. You’ll get sick,” Suguru warned.
Satoru’s head immediately twisted behind him, and eyes darted towards the hand securing his wrist before glazing over the body attached to it. Suguru was also dressed in a casual concert t-shirt and baggy pants, but that neatly secured bun hinted that he was still going to be a lousy rule follower.
“What are you, my mother?”
“Have you never been to a carnival before?” Suguru asked with furrowed brows.
“Do you honestly believe they would let the heir to the Gojo clan have ‘fun’?” Satoru returned, laying on a heavy blanket of sarcasm.
Suguru’s hand slid down Satoru’s wrist and without losing contact, he delicately laced their fingers together.
“No, they wouldn’t, would they?” Suguru muttered with a fallen expression.
Seeing the dejected look on Suguru’s handsome face brought a faint squeezing in Satoru’s heart. He hated seeing his one and only frowning that way.
Satoru squeezed Suguru’s hand, “Fine! We’ll go on a few rides first, but you owe me one of everything after!”
Suguru exhaled a laugh and Satoru grinned in return. That was his cue to proceed as planned. He guided them past the incredibly tempting forest of fried goods and through the maze of game stalls to locate the more towering thrill rides. His Six Eyes quickly scanned over the multitude of contraptions set up for the park guests.
“That one!” Satoru pointed towards the roller coaster. It was nowhere as tall as the buildings they’d freefallen from, but Satoru had never ridden a roller coaster before.
The two made their way to the very front of the line with Satoru bouncing on his front toes, impatiently waiting to get the front row seats. When they finally climbed into the cart, their knees were practically crushed against their chests. The low metal bar latched over their waists and Satoru leaned forward, gripping the bar tightly with both hands. Suguru crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, completely relaxed.
The ride activated and the roller coaster began ticking at an upward angle. Each second built an air of anticipation. The small children in the seat behind them began chattering about how they planned to raise their arms the entire ride which prompted Satoru to release the metal handle. At once, his hands shot in the air right in time for the cart to lean over the big plunge.
His smile widened and he cheered when the roller coaster dropped down a steep hill that lasted all of two seconds before resuming an upward curve. Wait, that was it? Where was the stomach twisting knots, the excitement of almost falling to your doom?
“Suguru, this roller coaster sucks!” Satoru shouted, arms flailing, and wind filling his mouth with every twist and turn.
“I know!” Suguru shouted back with a smile. “Do you want to ride something actually fun?”
“Like what?”
A minute later they were soaring through the night sky on the back of Rainbow Dragon. The carnival was a mere spec of lights below them. The moon was a brilliant giant glowing orb, but its’ shine paled in comparison to the bright yellow balls of light from the curse’s eyes. A low growl rumbled from its belly as the beast ascended higher and higher into the air.
“Is this altitude high enough for you?” Suguru asked, fighting the wind blowing his bang wildly around his face. His hands gripped into his curse’s white mane for control.
Satoru’s own hair was a jumbled mess in the breeze. His arms were wrapped around Suguru’s waist for safety. Glasses were pocketed allowing his Six Eyes a perfect view of the entire city that glowed in his own bright blue-eyed gaze. Satoru’s hands clutched Suguru’s shirt tightly, eager for whatever may come.
A wicked grin spread across Satoru’s face, “Let’s do it!”
Rainbow Dragon dove into a straight ninety-degree descent sending the two in a near freefall towards the carnival below. A shrill scream of delight ripped out of Satoru’s lungs. His cheeks puffed with air and his teeth rattled from the intensity of zero gravity. For a few split seconds, Satoru removed his arms from Suguru’s waist and felt the weightlessness that he’d missed out on the crummy roller coaster.
“This is the best!!!!!” Satoru cheered as Rainbow Dragon dipped as close to the carnival grounds as it could before rising at a sharp curve. The sudden ascent forced Satoru to wrap his arms back around Suguru’s waist and hold on for dear life. His hands clawed at familiar fabric and Suguru only chuckled at the act.
“I knew you’d like it.” Suguru laughed. He tugged sharply on the white wisps of his curse, signaling it to fly higher once more.
Despite being at a height taller than skyscrapers, Satoru felt safe. He trusted Suguru with his very life during missions and outside of missions was no exception. That knowledge warmed his heart. He loved Suguru more than anyone in the world. To express his admiration, Satoru buried his face into the back of Suguru’s neck and pressed a sloppy wet kiss into the exposed skin of his nape.
Rainbow dragon unexpectedly swerved sideways into the sky and suddenly the two Jujutsu Sorcerers were airborne without a curse beneath them.
“SATORUUuuuuuuu! What the fuuuuuuck?!” Suguru’s voice echoed followed by the ringing of Satoru’s maniacal laughter.
Eventually, the two landed on the ground unharmed, albeit disheveled and wind-blown thanks to Suguru’s quick thinking to summon his string-ray curse to catch their fall. Suguru’s face was cherry red and both hands were shoved into his pockets as he hunched over and stalked to the next attraction. Satoru rubbed at his head, unable to hold back the grin still plastered onto his face. He stared at the cloudless sky and swung his arms nonchalantly to the sides. Life was good. So good that he nearly passed a colorful stall with tiny specs of life flickering in his vision.
With one leg outstretched, Satoru forced himself to walk backwards to the stall. He looped his hand through Suguru’s arm and yanked his entire body in the direction of interest.
“Oy, Suguru! Why does that stall have all those fish but no aquarium for them? I understand that carnivals are cheap, but they shouldn’t own so many fish if they can’t afford bigger homes for them.”
Satoru squatted down to eye level with a clear cup of water containing a bright orange goldfish. The fish swam in mindless circles paying no mind to the giant observer with piercing blue eyes.
“The prize is the fish for winning the stall’s game,” Suguru explained. “Do you see those rows of stacked pins? If you hit them all in three tries, you get to take a fish home.”
Satoru’s ears perked up. He stood upright and balled his hands at his chest, “I want one.”
“I don’t think Yaga’s going to like us having fish in the dorms.” Suguru frowned. “Besides, wouldn’t you want a teddy bear or something instead.”
Satoru extended his arms in a flashy manner, giving attention to the lines of exotic fish, “Just look at them Suguru! My Six Eyes are telling me they want to come home with us.”
“We both know that’s not how your eyes work but okay, fine.” Suguru sighed. “As long as you let me win it for you, being your boyfriend and all.”
Satoru blushed openly and beamed at his one and only. Suguru paid the stall cashier in exchange for three rubber balls, one for each set of pins. He took aim and cursed energy swirled curiously around the ball, invisible to the common human eye. But why cheat?
Satoru looked further beyond the simple mechanics of the game. There was a metal bar holding up one pin on each set. As Suguru launched his first weapon at the pins, the ball immediately knocked two over but the pesky third pin wobbled and resumed position- or it would have stayed upright, were it not for the palm sized squid curse that latched onto the final pin with its tentacles.
The first obstacle had been cleared with ease leaving the cashier dumbstruck. The next two sets of pins went down just as easily using the same methods. Before the cashier could open his mouth to ask how a teen managed to beat the game in a single attempt, Suguru beat him to the punchline.
“We’ll take one of the fish please.” Suguru smiled politely.
Satoru laid a lazy elbow on top of Suguru’s shoulder and grinned wickedly. “Actually, we’ll take two. Unless you want everyone to hear how to win this rigged the game.”
“Satoru…”
“I can say it louder if you want.”
The cashier backed up a step and raised his palms in the air. “Fine, grab any two! I don’t get paid enough for this. Just take them and go.”
The two teens eyed the fish curiously until Satoru spotted the perfect one, a beautiful healthy black betta fish. He lifted it into the air and spun around in circles.
“Suguru, this one reminds me of you!” Satoru exclaimed, holding out the plastic cup containing his fish.
“Of course you didn’t pick the goldfish.” Suguru muttered. He was still smiling, but this time it was more genuine than the forced persona he’d displayed earlier to play the game. “I’ll take the white beta.”
The two walked hand in hand to enjoy the remainder of the carnival, each holding their new betta fish. Satoru was horrified to learn that both fish were male and according to Suguru, they couldn’t be in the same tank together or they’d start fighting.
“But how are they supposed to visit each other?!”
“They don’t.”
“I’m going back for a refund.”
“Saying goodbye to your fish friend already?”
“…. I think I’ll keep him after all.”
As promised, Suguru allowed Satoru to have his fill of all the fried foods he could possibly stomach. The two sat on a bench with a collection of Takoyaki, crepes held in paper cones, and cups of sweet corn; all things that should never be eaten at once on any other occasion. The carnival lights dimmed curiously, and bystanders gathered towards the center of the carnival grounds to gaze up at the sky.
Satoru leaned back against the wooden bench. His right arm slung around Suguru’s shoulder while he munched on his crepe with his left hand, spilling a dollop of crème onto the lid of his betta’s plastic cup.
“What’s going on? I don’t see any curses nearby.”
“Keep watching the sky.” Suguru said between bites of his own fried dough.
Satoru tilted his head upward, still unable to see anything but the stars that were becoming more visible from the lowered lights. That was when he heard the explosion. His crepe burst in his hand while the other squeezed Suguru’s shoulder with equal force. The same sky that Rainbow Dragon had flown them through was now lit with the dazzling lights of fireworks. Vibrant green and red spirals danced on a starry blank canvas, fizzling out into a shower of white. Satoru couldn’t help but stare in awe. He felt another gaze on him, who cared little about the fireworks lighting up the night.
Satoru turned his attention to Suguru who was smiling at him in a dreamlike state. His admiring violet eyes sparkled with flecks of red and green from the fireworks. Suguru’s cheeks reddened upon realizing he’d been caught staring. However, instead of looking away to hide his embarrassment, he only laughed with flushed cheeks and said three perfect words.
“I love you.”
Impulsively, Satoru flung the crushed crepe backwards. He grabbed hold of Suguru’s face with gentle but firm hands and brought their lips together in a sweet, savory kiss. Suguru let out a muffled yelp of surprise before melting into the kiss and deepening it with a flick of his tongue.
Suguru’s arms wound around Satoru’s neck. Sticky sauce from a Takoyaki stick dripped into the open fold of Satoru’s collar and trailed down his back. Satoru didn’t mind, having accidentally smeared creamy crepe contents on Suguru’s cheek to taste the sweetest thing in the entire carnival. Satoru could listen forever to the soft sounds that escaped Suguru’s mouth with every scrape of teeth against his bottom lip. Suguru was utterly intoxicating.
“I love you too.” Satoru breathed between peppered kisses.
He’d only said it to Suguru a hundred times prior, always knowing one day his beloved would say it back, and he would keep saying it a thousand times more.
~*August 2006 *~
Aside from the gigantic gaping hole in the wall of the building caused by an explosion, Satoru’s eyes frantically scanned the tattered room in search of his companion. He spotted Suguru lounging on a shredded couch with a delicate teacup in his hand. Strands of hair were poking out from his normally taut bun, but other than that, he appeared to be unharmed.
Satoru let out a loud sigh of relief. On the couch across from Suguru lay a girl slightly younger than them dressed in a smoke stained school uniform. She must be the Star Plasma Vessel, Amanai Riko.
“Suguru, is she alive?” Satoru asked as he walked unhurriedly to his boyfriend.
Suguru gestured an inviting hand towards a second steaming cup of tea on the table as he sipped his own drink with an elegant pinky pointed outward.
“I’m fairly certain that she’s still breathing. Oh, and I’ve put extra sugar in your cup while we wait for her to wake up.”
Satoru snatched his cup of tea off the table and he drank the sweet yet scalding peach flavored liquid all the while observing the fragile girl before him. His Six Eyes detected a unique aura about her that was in line with the energy Tengen omitted. If only his medical skills were on par with Shoko’s to conduct a full health analysis. From the faint rise and fall of her chest and the fact that all her limbs were still connected to her body, Riko was observably alive.
Satoru gently set his cup back on the table and scooped the girl into his arms. Yup, definitely not dead.
Navy blue eyes blinked open at him in a dazed manner. Before Satoru could speak, his cheek was met with the very harsh slap of a hand as the girl leapt far away from him and positioned herself into a defensive stance on the other side of the room. With good reason too. Satoru was going to absolutely obliterate the Star Plasma Vessel, Tengen be damned.
A familiar calming hand rested on his shoulder, forcing him back to reality. Suguru was wearing the mask of a smile that he normally displayed around authority figures.
“We mean you no harm. We’re here to protect you.” Suguru smiled kindly.
“Liar! And you have stupid bangs.” Riko lashed out.
Satoru’s head jerked to the side to gawp at his boyfriend and at the audacity of the child in front of them. Suguru’s face was hauntingly frozen in a deceptive smile as his hand slipped off Satoru’s shoulder. That was all the nonverbal cue Satoru needed.
The two were in the process of exacting revenge on the annoying monster that was Tengen’s vessel by twisting her body into a pretzel when her caretaker Kuroi arrived in a panic and cleared up the misunderstanding.
Satoru threw himself onto the couch with one leg crossed over the other and resumed his tea drinking. The sweetened liquid was already tepid no thanks to the time spent dealing with Riko and the added air flow from the exposed wall. Suguru leaned on the opposite side of the couch adjacent to Satoru.
Per usual as the model student, Suguru explained the situation at hand and listened to both Kuroi and Riko state their own qualms. Although, as soon as Riko began speaking, Satoru’s attention drifted towards the passing clouds. This escort mission was going to be agonizingly sucky with Riko’s pompous attitude, but at least his one and only was here to endure it with him.
He felt a hand come in contact with the back of his scalp and skilled fingers began combing rhythmically through his hair. Satoru closed his eyes and leaned into the familiar touch that was melting his tension away.
“She’s so annoying,” Satoru purred. “Are you still listening to her?”
“Not really. She’s going off on a wild tangent.” Suguru confessed.
“We should ditch her and go get ice cream.”
“Satoru, you know we can’t abandon the mission.”
Satoru turned his head around and pressed a kiss into Suguru’s open palm. “Please? She won’t even know we’re gone.”
Suguru bit down on his bottom lip as Satoru nibbled on his skin, “Why do you tempt me so?”
“Because you’re so easy to tease.”
“I am right here!” Riko shrieked with flailing arms.
“Well aware.” Suguru answered eyes never leaving Satoru’s, “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
Satoru grinned smugly, “Bet you’ll be saying more than that once we’re back at school.”
“School.” Riko repeated. “I’m late for school! We need to get going right now!”
Both teens simultaneously groaned, remembering that they were indeed mid-mission. A raise of Suguru’s brows promised they’d continue this conversation later. Confident that this mission would be done within a matter of hours, Satoru forced himself off the couch to continue their day with whatever may come.
~*A hotel in Okinawa*~
Moonlight streamed through a white sheer curtain in tiny ripples. Soft snores could be heard from the queen size mattress adjacent to the couch. A mess of navy blue hair was splayed on the pillow and a trickle of drool leaked from the fragile girl’s mouth as she slept peacefully for the first time in the entire weekend. Sharing the bed with Riko was her caretaker, Kuroi, snoring not nearly as loudly as the teen. Then again, everything was loud when your senses had to be heightened at all times.
Satoru had offered to get a room with two beds, but Suguru had been against the idea, adamant that he intended to stay up with him throughout the night. The two squeezed into the chair of a one seat sofa facing directly across the bed and off-center from the window. They initially sat in complete silence with the lights turned off while Riko and Kuroi drifted to sleep.
Satoru reached into his pocket and pulled out a white Nintendo DS containing a single cartridge of Pokémon Diamond. The game’s volume was lowered completely. The dim screen reflected a square image of the game onto Satoru’s circular glasses. He and Suguru took turns swapping the console between each other, playing for ten minutes at a time. For a few hours, they battled trainers and level grinded their shared team. No words were needed when they were able to communicate using gestures and sharp elbow nudges whenever the incorrect Pokémon was selected.
It was Satoru’s turn to take over the console. He gently pried the DS from his boyfriend’s limp fingers. Four and a half hours had passed; one longer than Satoru had expected Suguru to hold out. Suguru’s nodding head finally settled onto Satoru’s shoulder. Satoru smiled wearily to himself. He’d already been fully prepared to stay awake for however long was needed for the sake of keeping the group safe.
Within the immediate vicinity, Satoru’s Six Eyes told him that there were no threats nearby. Regardless, letting his guard down was not a luxury he could afford, and neither was the sweet relief of sleep. Satoru lifted his elbow so that he could maneuver his hand behind Suguru’s head. He looped a finger through the black hair tie that kept Suguru’s tight bun secure and pulled. Black strands tumbled freely down Suguru’s back. Satoru carded his fingers through the silky locks of hair, further coaxing his one and only deeper into sleep.
Less than 24 hours. That’s how long he had to hold out until the bounty on Riko’s head was voided. Beside him, Suguru had finally fully fallen asleep. As soon as this mission was complete, Satoru had every intention of taking Suguru somewhere nice where the two of them could just exist without the imminent threat of disaster. A place where they could have as much carefree unrestricted fun like they had at the carnival or how Riko had spent her day of enjoyment while her bodyguards kept on high alert.
He knew it was impossible to live a peaceful life as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. They could never truly run away when both were deemed, “The Strongest” by society. It was a pipe dream, but one he could still wish for as his arm wrapped tighter around his entire world. Satoru’s own mess of white hair meshed with the black atop Suguru’s head. He listened to Suguru’s breathing like a relaxing melody and savored the small moment of peace. He would keep them all safe for a few more hours and then properly sleep this whole ordeal off.
There was no way this mission could go wrong. Life couldn’t be so cruel, could it?
~*Less than 24 hours later *~
Satoru had never been more wrong in his entire life.
He stood completely still in a crowd of blurred faces and muffled applause. Numbness was the only word to describe how he was feeling as he carried Riko’s lifeless body in his arms. They were monsters, every last one of them. They couldn’t give a damn that this frail teenage girl had ambitions of her own. Her fiery personality had been snuffed out quicker than blowing a candle to a flame.
At the far end of the gymnasium, a singular red door swung open, allowing a familiar face to enter. Satoru parted through the sea of white clothed demons until he was face to face with Suguru. Both looked like they’d seen better days. Suguru’s eyes were painted with dark circular bags and his black hair was utterly disheveled in his usual tidy bun.
At least there wasn’t a spec of blood on his clothing. Satoru’s newly awakened abilities could detect no open wounds on the other’s body either. There was a suspiciously faint residual of cursed energy lingering in an ‘X’ across Suguru’s chest. The only possible explanation was that Shoko must have healed him, and he had to have changed into dry clothing. There was no way that Suguru would have allowed Riko to die without having thrown his life on the line.
While Satoru felt a wash of relief, he couldn’t help but ignore the empty feeling in chest from the last few hours. It didn’t help that Suguru was looking at him with a concerned yet horrified expression.
Satoru wasn’t the monster, they were.
“Suguru, good to see you that you’re okay,” Satoru said in a monotone voice.
“Y-Yes, I’m fine,” Suguru replied with pinched brows. “Although, that doesn’t really matter right now, does it?”
Satoru noted the way Suguru’s shoulders tensed when responding. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything he could do about it with Riko in his arms.
“It’s not your fault.” Satoru muttered with dead, hollow blue eyes.
Suguru reached an arm out to touch him, but hesitated. The motion didn’t go unnoticed, but it was hard to stay focused on the action when a thousand thoughts were continually flooding his mind. Anyone would go insane, but Satoru’s newfound mastery of the reversed curse technique kept his mind always refreshed. He was broken, but he was alive. He stared blankly at his best friend, his lover, his equal.
“Satoru, let’s go back to school.” Suguru suggested in a calm tone. “It’s been a long day.”
Tuning in on Suguru was becoming increasingly difficult as the sound of applause continued to echo around him. They were so incredibly loud as though there were thousands surrounding him instead of a mere hundred and fifty. The whispers thanking the heavens that the Star Plasma vessel had been slain did nothing to aid their cause. Satoru hated them.
“Suguru,” he began, “Should we kill them all? I would feel no remorse from doing so.”
Suguru looked downwards. His fists clenched and unclenched as if debating an answer to a morally gray question. A second later, he responded with, “No. There’s no point.”
That was all Satoru needed to hear. He brushed past Suguru with Riko in his arms. Anything else that was said was heard of deaf ears as Suguru attempted to validate his reasoning for sparing their worthless lives. They could have easily wiped the entire gymnasium devoid of life in seconds. Perhaps another day, another time. Satoru was so very tired.
“There doesn’t always have to be a point,” Satoru argued back with what little energy he still possessed.
“There should be.” Suguru returned, frozen in a crowd of monsters.
~*Later that night *~
Sleep was for those who deserved it, and Satoru was the most undeserving of them all. He’d spent an hour seated in a cold rickety chair in the medical examination room back at Jujutsu High. Yaga and a few higher-ups had attempted to interrogate him to no avail. The medical staff didn’t have luck either when their pokes and prods of medical devices were met with an invisible wall.
None could get through to him and no one was able to touch him. Not even Shoko who just wanted to help tend to his closed wounds. He didn’t need healing. Infinity was set on lock and had been activated for three days straight, reversed curse energy streaming through his body to keep his mind fresh. What was another fourth day of having his Six Eyes active in the grand scheme of things?
He maintained his silence when asked questions about what had happened. Those were answers for a later date. There was too much information processing through his mind to give a straight answer anyway. Time passed in a blur as Satoru stared blankly at the people who entered and vanished from the medical room.
The only clear figure he noticed was a shadowy person with loose black hair and shaggy clothing.
“Suguru.” He said knowingly.
“Satoru.” His companion breathed.
Suguru calmly stepped forward. With muffled words, he began ushering everyone out of the room, imploring the higher ups to handle their interrogations another day. They argued with him, called him insignificant and discredited his words because Suguru was still a teenager whose family held no political power in the Jujutsu Society. Yaga fought that he was still a teen who risked his life to protect the Star Plasma Vessel to the bitter end. More barking about failure.
Finally, Suguru had enough. He reached out for Satoru and by some miracle, broke through Infinity and grabbed his hand. Satoru’s tensed at the sudden contact. He could only stare with widened blue eyes at their held hands, noting how his cursed energy had created an exception to the Infinity rule. Suguru’s thumb gently swiped across the back of his hand in a comforting circular motion as he lowered himself to a crouch, eye level with Satoru.
Suguru looked at him with tired violet eyes. When he smiled, it was a sad thin line as he said, “It’s time to rest.”
Satoru gave a tiny nod back, “Okay.”
He allowed Suguru to haul him from the chair and guide him out of the room despite protests from everyone surrounding them. Their voices were drowned out as Satoru forced himself to focus solely on the hand leading him away from the chaos.
Once they left the chilly medical room, Satoru and Suguru walked in complete silence towards the dormitory restrooms. Suguru began digging through storage bins until he located a clean washcloth. He ran it under the sink with warm water and squeezed the excess out into the drain.
With all the care in the world, Suguru gently dabbed the damp cloth against Satoru’s bloodstained face. There would be no gaping hole beneath the blood on his forehead as Satoru had healed himself. He wasn’t even sure if the blood wiped off his skin was his.
Still, Suguru did his best to assist the empty shell that was Satoru, wiping away his weariness with water. Once his face was devoid of filth, Satoru began removing his clothing. His shredded attire dropped to the floor until he was only standing in his boxers.
Satoru finally looked down at his own body. He looked like a sewn up pin cushion with the amount of still healing holes on his skin. There was dried blood caked over places that would form scars later. He felt no pain from the wounds and Suguru said nothing about them in return. The deafening silence was filled by the memory of applause echoing in his head.
When all the grime was removed, Suguru once more reached for his hand and led him through the empty halls of the men’s dormitory. They entered Suguru's bedroom, and the door was closed behind them. Books and papers were strewn across the floor. Black clothing was poking out of wooden drawers as if shoved away in a hurry. An unfed white betta fish swam aimlessly in circles in a clear fish tank. The only neat thing in the room was the tidy bed, untouched in days. It was unlike Suguru to leave his room so messy. Such chaos would undoubtedly fail inspections. Seemed like neither of them gave a damn though today.
Satoru stood still and observed Suguru exhaustedly locate an oversized white shirt and spare pajama pants. Satoru lifted his arms as Suguru helped him to dress him like a doll. Once Satoru’s pants were on, Suguru exhaled a low breath. For the third time in the last half hour, Suguru offered his hand and wordlessly guided Satoru into the twin sized bed with him. Suguru covered both of them with the bedsheet and curled up against Satoru’s chest.
Their bodies remained frozen in silence for an entire minute. They listening only to the other’s breathing before Suguru finally spoke.
“I thought you died today.” Suguru muttered against Satoru’s chest. His fingers clutched into the fabric of Satoru’s borrowed shirt. His body began trembling in silent muffled sobs.
It was then that Satoru finally released his Infinity completely. He felt a dampness sting in the corner of his eyes as hot tears began to stream down his own face. He sucked in a heavy breath and wrapped his arms around the only one keeping him tethered to this world. Satoru bit into his bottom lip to stifle a sob but couldn’t help it when an ugly wail ripped free from his lungs.
Neither had any idea what the other had been through, only that they were both still alive and holding each other as though one might vanish in the other’s arms. For once, they allowed themselves to be young and vulnerable.
“I basically did die,” Satoru choked out. “He left me in a pool of my own blood.”
“That must’ve been horrific, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t strong enough to kill him for you.”
“I did kill him.” Satoru’s entire body was shaking. He squeezed Suguru tighter than ever before. “He’ll never bother you or anyone else again.”
Suguru’s sobs only became louder, and Satoru’s heart squeezed itself. The world they lived in was a messed up place and for the first time, Satoru realized how insignificant they really were. At once, he knew that had to get stronger for his sake and Suguru’s. He vowed then that he would do whatever it took to protect his one and only. Never again would anyone be powerful enough to get the best of him.
Although he was filled with a newfound determination, Satoru couldn’t stop the tears from uncontrollably streaming down his face. He hadn’t fully processed what the remnants of the ‘X’ cursed energy on Suguru’s chest meant. It could’ve been a killing blow for all he knew. The only certain thing was that both were lucky to still be alive.
But Riko was not.
They allowed themselves to continue to cry until exhaustion began to set in. They hadn’t slept properly in three days. Satoru closed his eyes with Suguru tucked soundly against his chest and drifted off into a dreamless slumber.