Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

-and reds.

Yuuji gasped and jolted forward, thick water splashing against his shins and soaking through his sneakers. He jerked around with wide eyes and his arms reached out for the boy that had been there just a heartbeat before. “Megumi-san?” His voice rang through the empty space like an echo. The sounds of the rain splattering against the grounds of the Detention Center had disappeared and all Yuuji could hear was the splashing of thick, heavy water as he took confused steps forward. Everything had disappeared around him. The dusk sky, the Detention Center, Megumi; all of it was gone and Yuuji was now in a dark void. Darkness stretched out all around him and thick water was in every step he took, coming up to his ankles and soaking through his shoes and pants.

Yuuji tilted his head around, confusion slowly making way for all too familiar panic. “Megumi-san? Megumi-san, where did you go?” He could talk easier now, he realized. There was no pain and no blood filling his mouth with each word. He looked down and let out a gasp of relief at the sight of a fully intact jacket and chest. There was no blood, no gore, no gaping hole when a hand had ripped through his chest. Oh, oh, the camellia, was the camellia okay then? Yuuji’s hands shook as he reached for his jacket button, so intent on pulling his jacket open and making sure that the camellia, Yuuta’s camellia, the reflection of his Senpai’s soul remained intact. But froze instead when his hands rose and he realized that he was holding something. Two somethings, one in each hand.

A small camellia was held in his right hand, nestled right against his palm, and the stem of a beautiful, pure white spider lily was pinched between his thumb and forefinger. “What the hell are these?” He lifted them to his face and, hesitantly, sniffed. A blast of fragrance hit him, drowning out the strange, sharp smell that had slowly started to seep into him. There was a sense of warmth that came from the flowers. As if Yuuji was holding a beautiful little spark in each hand. The hands had, just seconds ago, been bloody and holding Megumi’s cheeks were now holding flowers. Flowers that were two of the same exact flowers that Yuuji carried on his skin.

How could he, how did, where did these even come from?

With a shaking hand, Yuuji lifted the spider lily up and tucked it behind his ear. He then shifted the camellia into both hands and lifted it to his face. It was just a little smaller than one of his palms. Just a little smaller than a still beating heart. “Yuuta-senpai?” Yuuji’s voice didn’t, couldn’t, raise above a whisper. “Yuuta-senpai? Is this you?” The little red camellia, small but sturdy, didn’t answer because of course it didn’t. But it seemed to warm in Yuuji’s hands at his words and, just like when his Camellia touched his flower, Yuuji felt like he was being held. If he pretended hard enough, he could almost feel arms wrapping around him from behind. A hand pressing down on the back of his neck.

Breathe, Camellia-chan. Breathe and think it through. Just one step of a time.

With the spot behind his ear already taken and Yuuji wanting his hands free, he carefully tucked the camellia right in the space between his jacket collar and neck. The skin the red petals touched warmed. Yuuji’s fingers patted it absentmindedly and gently as he continued to look around. His eyes were finally starting to adjust to the darkness. “It’ll be okay, Senpai. We’ll, we’ll figure things out.” One thing nagged at him; his spider lily was tucked behind one ear, his camellia was tucked next to his neck, so where was his sakura tree? If his flowers had suddenly come to life, something that Yuuji would’ve appreciated being told was a thing, then shouldn’t his sakura tree have too? Where was Megumi’s soul?

One hand pressed protectively against his camellia as he took careful steps through the thick, smelly water and tried to make out the family black, spiky haired head of his friend. “Megumi-san,” he called louder. “Sakura! Are you here? Did, did you come here with me?” The blues and greens and pinks and browns of his Sakura’s eyes were imprinted in his mind. His classmate, his friend, his Flower had been so close just a second, a heartbeat, a breath before. How could he have disappeared so quickly? How could a hole in his chest have healed?

A thought nagged at Yuuji’s mind and he batted it away. Because he couldn’t be dead, right? He was walking and talking and thinking so this couldn’t possibly be death? Could it be? It wasn’t like anyone knew what death was.

Could this really be death? A large gapping darkness, liquid soaking through his feet, and his flowers held close to his skin? Not even friends of family to walk with? He had hoped . . . Yuuji dismissed the thought before it could even fully form. The last thing he would’ve wanted was his Jii-chan to be in this place, especially with his bad knees and heart problems. Even if it would’ve been fun at least to listen to his Grandfather’s colourful language. Even if it would’ve been nice to see him again. But if he was dead, if this really was the path to the next life or just a perpetual walk forever, then at least Megumi wasn’t with him. Hopefully the boy with the sakura had listened to Yuuji’s final request. It better be a very, very long time before he found his Sakura in this void.

His vision was finally starting to sharpen and Yuuji’s shuddered at the sight of bones all around him. Were they remnants of bodies? Had people’s souls brought parts of their dead bodies with them? Had Yuuji brought a femur bone or something? And then he looked down, leaning down to closer look at a skull that had fallen into the water, only to freeze as he realized that it wasn’t water at all. He stepped back in a panic and shouted as the thick, smelly, dark red liquid splashed up his legs. He looked around and, oh God, he was standing in a river of blood. An actual river of blood, twisting and winding down the dark void with only bones drifting through them. Yuuji could see something down in the distance, cutting through the river, but it was so far away that Yuuji could only make out smudges of pink.

Yuuji gagged and shoved his face down so his nose was tucked in the camellia, trying desperately to block out the foul smell. It was just like when he had been forced to lick Naoya’s kneecap and he could almost feel the tang of it on his tongue. It wasn’t in his mouth, there was no blood in his mouth, there wasn’t. He pressed his face against the warm, red camellia and focused on the warmth that spread through him like an ember. He breathed in deep and the sweet floral, honey aroma cut through the tangy, metal smell like a katana. It was fine, everything was fine; his camellia and spider lily were with him so he’d just have to find his sakura tree and everything would be fine. Maybe he could climb up into the branches and get out of the blood. It was okay, it would be okay.

"It’s okay. I-it’s okay, Yuuta-senpai, Camellia-senpai, Spider Lily-chi. We’re okay. It’s just fine, it’s okay.” Yuuji swallowed, pressed his face once more into the red warmth of the camellia, and then looked up. Was this Hell? Yuuji had never believed in Hell before or any sort of afterlife. Life was life and everything after that was way too big for Yuuji to be thinking on. He just figured that, if anything, he’d figure it out once he got there. If there was even a there to figure out. Yuuji’s Grandfather had always said that it was probably just one big Stop. You breathe your last breath and then it ends. Yuuji had always found a little comfort in that. Had the universe changed things just for Yuuji?

It would make sense. Because of Yuuji, two of the three souls he had been entrusted with had been brutalized. One of them might be dead. Is this where Flowers who failed in their duties went? Would Yuuji find others here who had hurt their Flowers? He’d rather find his sakura tree and curl up in their branches but would that be fair? Sukuna or not, it had been his fists that had slammed into his Sakura’s body. It had been him who had yanked Sukuna to the forefront. Any pain his friend and Senpai had gone through had been because of him and him alone.

His gaze landed on a large, long bone stretching out of the blood river and it stretched up into the sky. There were more of them, he realized, all of them curling up on either side. Just like a rib cage. He turned to see more of them and stumbled back when he was met with a small mountain of skulls. It piled up high and forced Yuuji to crane his head back. And right up at the top, sitting on a throne made of black spikes and white bone, was him. Dressed in a white kimono with a black obe and black tattoos twisting up his face. The way he tilted his head, the same he stared down at Yuuji with four narrowed eyes, the arch of his shoulders; they all served to making him seem much older than Yuuji was.

Yuuji watched his face that the other him was wearing twist into a sneer and a very familiar, harsh voice came out of his mouth. “Brat. Just what do you think you’re doing, staring at me with that look on your face?”

Yuuji’s hands lifted, one moving to cover his spider lily and the other pressing his camellia closer to his skin. He stepped back, something pounding in his chest that spread through him at a terrifying pace. He had never felt like this before, not once. The only thing that had ever come close to this was when Zen’in Naoya had come admitted to keeping his Hyacinth, the soul he had been entrusted to carry, in her place. It was like that, hot and fiery twisting through his chest. “You. You.” His own face was twisting now; he could feel it, a sneer on his face that he had never worn before. “Sukuna.”

The Curse wearing his skin tilted his head back. His own lips curled up, his smile far sharper and crueler than Yuuji would ever want on his face. “Now, now; just where’s that cutesy name? No affection for me anymore then?” He stood and Yuuji barred his teeth. Like a cornered hare standing against a grizzled old wolf. “And here I thought I’d be hearing more of that Sukey-chan when I finally brought you here.”

Yuuji’s hands trembled and he wasn’t sure if it was from fear or rage. “You-“

Sukuna cut Yuuji off without hesitation while he waved a hand dismissively. “Yes, yes; I killed you. You’re not really angry with that, are you? Your hand was healed too, wasn’t it?” He stepped forward but paused when Yuuji matched him, tilting his head like he expected Yuuji to step back or start running.

Yuuji’s hands trembled. “You hurt my flowers.”

For a long moment, the only sound that passed through the space was the river of blood flowing down past them and towards the pink smudge in the distance. A skull fell down the small mountain of bones and landed at Yuuji’s feet. Yuuji’s hands pressed protectively against his flowers and Sukuna eyed them almost curiously. “You’re mad about that? Brat, you know where you are, don’t you? Do you even care?”

“Hell? This is Hell. If you’re here, then I’m definitely in Hell.” Yuuji slowly, never taking his eyes off the parasite in front of him, pulled his camellia away from his neck and tucked it into his jacket pocket with a gentle touch and pulling the zipper up immediately after. He immediately did the same to the spider lily, being careful to not to crush or twist the delicate petals. He felt better with his flowers tucked out of sight of this monster. Especially the camellia. “And what does it matter where I am?! You ripped my own fucking hand through Yuuta’s camellia!”

That same cruel smile played on Sukuna’s lips. “I did.”

Yuuji threw his arm out furiously. “You hit Megumi!”

“Oh, I did that too. Several times. I also threw him and his little bird through a wall.”

“You might’ve killed Yuuta!”

Sukuna rolled his eyes. “Only if your camellia is even weaker than you.” He started to walk down the small mountain of bones and Yuuji hated how elegant this Curse was. He hated him. He hated him so much. “It’s not like I ripped his heart out. It was only a reflection of his soul I ripped, Brat, not the soul itself; don’t act all precious over it. Your little Camellia didn’t drop dead. Probably.” He grinned at Yuuji, sharp and cruel. “Of course, I have no doubt it would’ve been so very terribly painful.”

Yuuji grabbed the nearest skull he could reach and whipped it at Sukuna’s head.

The skull exploded into dust and Yuuji was already moving, tracking Sukuna jumping and flipping through the air to land infuriatingly neatly on top of one of the long, arching bones. It was a ribcage and Yuuji swung himself up on one of the ribs. His sneakers slid out from under him, soaked with blood, but Yuuji didn’t stop running. By the time he found Sukuna standing at the top, he had found his balance once more. Sukuna’s grin only grew when he met Yuuji’s gaze, as if he could sense Yuuji’s hatred and reveled in it.

“Take this!” Like a million times before, Yuuji threw a punch. He had been throwing punches since he was old enough to walk. His Grandfather had always insisted that he liked scrapping. Even when he was just a toddler, he would always be in the thick of things, smacking chubby fists against the older kids who would try pushing him down. Yuuji had grown up fighting; in school, on playgrounds, in alleyways. He had always been the fastest and the strongest and the best fighter. Before Maki-senpai, Yuuji had never once lost a fight.

Sukuna raised an arm and blocked Yuuji’s punch like it was nothing.

It felt even worse than with Maki. At least there, Yuuji could make out openings. He was never quick enough to hit them but he could see just the smallest gaps where, if he was better, he could sneak in hits. But it was a whole difference story with Ryomen Sukuna. It felt like Yuuji was a toddler again, striking out with uncoordinated fists as Sukuna blocked each blow. The man, the Curse, the fucking parasite barely moved his feet at all. He smiled and laughed, spinning around Yuuji’s punch like it was nothing, this fucking dickhead. “Is that the best you can do!? You’d think you’d be better at this, especially without a technique of your own.”

“Shut up!” Yuuji kicked out and his leg was immediately caught, yanking him down to one knee before being kicked harshly right in the chin. He flipped through the air and bounced, once on his side and again on his back before scrambling back up on his feet, teeth barred with fury.

Sukuna laughed. Like Yuuji was a particularly amusing dog. “That’s it! Do your best, back up on your feet!” He side stepped as Yuuji struck out again, sliding underneath the elbow that Yuuji jabbed at his head. “C’mon, Brat, that can’t be as fast as you can go! Let’s go, find that motivation, that drive! Think of how sad your little Sakura must feel! Having you die in his arms! And what about your Camellia? Feeling you die, feeling you live with a hole in your chest. And your poor, poor Spider Lily; never even got a chance to meet you properly.”

Okay, that was more than enough.

He struck again but dipped down, striking as hard as he could at Sukuna’s feet. Surprise flickered across the Curse’s face and Yuuji couldn’t help but beam, pride flooding through him. He fell for it, Yuuji couldn’t believe it worked! He immediately spun out in a kick aimed right for Sukuna’s gut. Only for the Curse to be gone. Between one breath and the next, the Curse was standing directly behind Yuuji. Like he had teleported.

Yuuji’s kick faltered and he nearly slipped right off the bone. “Wha’?”

Sukuna sighed like a disappointed teacher. “You’re so predictable.”

And then, with a single kick to the back, Yuuji fell off the ribcage and directly into the river of blood. The air was smacked out of his lungs and, the very worst thing that could’ve possibly happened, Yuuji gasped for air and only got a mouthful of blood.

It tasted just as terrible as it did the first time.

Metal and salt exploded on his tongue and slid down his throat, spreading the taste down through him. It was hot and awful and Yuuji turned his face out of the blood, coughing and sputtering and trying to both spit out the blood and suck in some air. Only for a heavy weight to drop down on his back and dip Yuuji’s face back into the blood. Yuuji’s vision swam red for a solid moment before he forced his head back up, craning it back to see Sukuna sitting on his back. Like Yuuji was just another throne. “You,” Yuuji coughed, his stomach churning, “got blood in my mouth.”

The look Sukuna gave him was almost amused. “I told you that Zen’in’s would be the first taste of many. You should know by now that I am no liar.” He sighed and stretched out his legs before resting them down and pulling his full weight on Yuuji’s spine. It was all Yuuji could do to keep his head up. “This isn’t the afterlife. This is my Innate Domain. Oh, right, you wouldn’t know what that is, would you? After all, you were even more boring before you took me into you.”

Yuuji barred his teeth. “I wasn’t boring! I had a normal life before a Curse ate your stupid finger!”

“Which is another way of saying that you were boring. A boring house, a boring school, a boring Grandfather. Hate me if you’d like but at least I make things interesting.” He waved his hand around them dismissively. “Think of an Innate Domain as being inside my mind.”

“You have a creepy ass mind.”

“Be happy we’re not in your Innate Domain; it would be rather hard to fight with only empty air around us.” Sukuna ignored Yuuji’s outraged shout and continued on. “We’re not dead, not quite yet anyway.” As if ripping Yuuji’s heart out wasn’t a rather final end. “And we don’t have to stay this way either. If the two of us could come to an understanding. An agreement.”

The idea of not staying in the river of blood was rather tempting. Especially since Yuuji could feel it dripping it down his chin. Was it soaking through his jacket? Was blood getting on his flowers? But Yuuji couldn’t help but feel like a carrot was being dangled in front of him, trying to distract him from the rod in the other hand. “Immediate no.”

Sukuna arched an eyebrow. “Immediate no?”

“Immediate no. Fuck you. Seriously? Go fuck yourself. You hurt my Flowers. You killed me! You’re an asshole!”

Sukuna rolled his eyes. “I already told you that wasn’t permanent.”

“Don’t care. Fuck you. Get off me and let’s get back to fighting.”

“Are you really that eager to be beaten? I can certainly oblige you after we make our deal.” Sukuna held out two fingers and Yuuji wanted to bite them off. “I’ll agree to bring you back to life now and whenever else you happen to die in the future – because you will die again in the future – and you agree to just two simple terms. One; at any point, no matter the circumstances, you will hand over use of your body for one minute. Two; you won’t remember this deal took place.”

The terms were so one sided that it made Yuuji’s head spin. He tried to pull himself out from Sukuna, furious that he was even being offered such an insulting deal, but the Curse didn’t so much as budge. “Are you crazy?! You want me to hand over my body to you!? You mutilated my camellia and nearly killed my Sakura the last time I let you out! I’m not letting you take control of my body again.”

“I won’t hurt or kill anyone in that one minute that I’m in control. Is that enough to address your concerns?” Sukuna groaned and Yuuji was certain that he heard a loser muttered under the Curse’s breath.

 Yuuji wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or shout and he smacked back at Sukuna’s side as harshly as he could. A hand tangled in his hair and Yuuji had barely a second to suck in a breath before he was being dunked back into the blood. He came back up gasping for breath, tears burning in his eyes. Sukuna looked amused again. “Like I’d ever believe you!”

“It’s not about belief or not. It’s a pact, a geas. One of the key factors of which all Jujutsu is built. If I break it then I’ll be the one punished. And if you pursue selfish gain beyond your means, well,” a cruel smile tugged at Sukuna’s lips and he met Yuuji’s eyes, “you already know how well that goes, don’t you?”

Was that what Sukuna thought Yuuji’s desire to live was? Selfish? Well, at least the two of them could agree on somethings. He growled furiously and tested the weight again. Sukuna was too heavy. If he wanted back on his feet, Sukuna would have to get up willingly. He gave one last mock yank before gritting his teeth, lowering his head enough that his lips brushed the blood river again. “Fine. Get off me then.” There was a pleased hum and the weight lifted from Yuuji’s back. He tried to go slow, to keep the appearance of submission, and eyed Sukuna patiently as he cracked his back. The Curse thought he had won. There was an opening. “Y’know, I don’t know what you’re up to but,” he moved, not allowing himself a second to even think of what he was doing, of how it could earn him another dunking.

Sukuna turned and his eyes widened. His arm moved as if he was about to block but Yuuji was already too close.

His fist slammed into Sukuna’s cheek with all his strength and he watched in satisfaction as the Curse flipped through the air and skipped over the blood river like a stone. He grinned, sharp and mean. “I know that those conditions don’t work for me! Bring me back without any conditions, how about that!?”

Sukuna slowly pushed himself to his haunches. His voice was soft and low. “Then how about this? We go back to fighting. And if you get even a single hit in, I’ll bring you back without conditions. But if I kill you then we do things my way. Deal?”

Yuuji’s mouth almost moved without his permission. Because, God, did he want to accept. Because he had just landed a single hit. He had just proven to himself that he could. He might get beaten again, sure, but he would take the pain if it meant coming back to life. It was just pain. Yuuji could bear it and he was so sure he could do it. But his hands shifted just as he was about to agree and one brushed against the pocket his spider lily was tucked away in.

He had a duty.

“No.”

A very dangerous silence fell over the space. Sukuna slowly looked up and his expression might be blank but Yuuji shifted backwards at the gleam entering his eyes. “No?”

Yuuji clenched his jaw. “No. I might be an idiot,”

"So glad you’re accepting it.”

“-but I’m not stupid. If it was just me at danger then I’d risk it. But I got souls I carry on me. And even if other Sorcerers don’t understand the weight of them, I do. I’m not risking you hurting a single one of them, not ever again.” Yuuji rolled his shoulders, the only stretch he was probably going to get, and lowered himself down into a stance. “Those conditions don’t work for me. I’m not accepting any deal that I’m not allowed to remember later. So either come up with a different deal or stop talking and start fighting.”

For a very long moment, nothing was said. Finally, Sukuna straightened and Yuuji’s mouth went dry with terror as the Curse slowly turned to face him. Cursed Energy flew through the air and, oh, this was going to be bad. “Very well, then. Let’s see if I can convince you to do things my way.” Before Yuuji could even blink, a large hand was covering his face and he was grabbed and thrown, sent skipping across the river of blood.

Time lost all meaning after that. Yuuji fought, he did, he fought as hard as he could to stay on his feet and he clawed with all his strength each time Sukuna laid hands on him and he threw strike after strike after strike. And nothing mattered. The one hit he had landed before had been a fluke or dumb luck or both because Sukuna blocked and redirected each blow with ease and returned his own with a viciousness Yuuji had never experienced. Was this what the middle school bullies had experienced at Yuuji’s hand? Somebody more faster and stronger and skilled them they could ever hope to be?

But Yuuji kept getting back up. And each time Sukuna said, “Accept my terms,” Yuuji hissed back, “Keep fucking fighting.” Because even while being brutalized, he could feel the weight of the flowers in his pockets. He would not put them at risk.

Minutes later, hours later, eternities later, blood dropped down Yuuji’s hair and directly into his face as Sukuna held him up with one hand. The Curse looked as elegant and clean as he had at the start. Yuuji feared what just what state he was in. “You have no hope to win,” Sukuna confided, low and smirking. “None at all. So why not accept my terms? Put an end to the pain?”

Yuuji laughed and tried lifting his legs to wrap around Sukuna’s neck. Sukuna batted them away. “You think I care about pain? I’m fighting for four right now, you piece of shit; me and my Flowers and I’m not giving up because of pain.”

Sukuna clenched the hood of Yuuji’s jacket tighter and pulled him in close to bare his teeth in Yuuji’s face. Yuuji immediately started working on gathering what liquid he had left in his mouth. “Maybe I will bring you back with no conditions. Nothing to stop me from clawing at your mind for every moment until I’m in control. Until I can go visit your Flowers in their beds and-“

“I’ll kill myself.” Yuuji grinned bloodily at the shock that spread across Sukuna’s face. “I will. You wanna bring me back and try to take control? Fine, go ahead; I’ll stab myself in the neck before either of us can do shit. The second I think you have a chance of Hell of hurting my Flowers is the second I find something sharp and stab it through an artery. So, either bring me back and be a passenger princess or let’s talk terms.”

“You dare-“

Yuuji spat a glob of blood directly in Sukuna’s face.

The responding slap echoed through the void and a sound truly inhuman was forcibly pulled out of him as the hand holding him released, sending Yuuji flying through the blood river once more. That was the one thing that might break him. He could take hit after hit and Yuuji was already dead, it wasn’t like all of this pain was going to change anything. But he was drenched in blood, his hair dripping more and more of it down his face. And each time he was thrown into the river, more of it went down his throat and staining his tongue with the taste. It was worse than being forced to lick the blood off Zen’in Naoya’s kneecap. A million times worse. Tears mixed with the blood on his face as Yuuji coughed the access of it out of his mouth. And he looked up, expecting to see Sukuna approaching with a wicked grin, ready to dish out more pain.

Only to realize that they had moved further down the river. Away from the small mountain of skulls and the bone throne. And further towards the smudges of pink that was now just a few yards away from him.

Oh, Yuuji realized as he took in the dark brown bark of a tree, bright pink sakura flowers swaying on the branches, that’s where Megumi’s Soul Flower is.

Footsteps were approaching from behind him, splashing through the river of blood, and instinct took over. Yuuji surged forward and started running away from the approaching threat. The river was cutting around the tree and it became easier to run as he got closer, the thick river of blood making way for solid ground. The air almost seemed easier to breathe as he crossed under the canopy of bright pink flowers. The branches seemed to sway lower to the ground, shielding Yuuji from the sight of Sukuna approaching. He wanted to curl up in the roots, hiding from all of the blood and trying desperately to get dry on solid ground. But he couldn’t. Not with the threat approaching.

One of the branches seemed to dip down.

Yuuji jumped and grabbed on.

“Brat! What are you, get down here, brat!” A hand brushed against his ankle as Yuuji pulled himself up and Yuuji just barely yanked his leg up in time. He curled up on the branch as best he could, looking down at the Curse glaring up at him. Sukuna looked a little like his Grandfather in that moment; his hands on his hips, a harsh glare in his eyes, and a scowl on his hips. He even sounded like Itadori Wasuke as he demanded, “Just what are you doing?! Get down here and take your beating!”

Yuuji clung to branch and shook his head. Sakura flowers brushed against his blood soaked hair and warmed every part they touched. “No. This is Safe.”

Sukuna arched his eyebrows. “Safe?”

“Yeah. Like tag. This is Safe.”

Yuuji hadn’t had anyone look at him like that since his Grandfather went into hospice way. Sukuna pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “My Vessel is a simpleton,” he muttered. “A childish simpleton.” Yuuji almost expected him to start climbing and he was prepared to start climbing higher into the safety of Megumi’s sakura. Only for Sukuna’s scowl to widen. He looked exhausted all of a sudden. Like beating Yuuji around his Innate Domain was annoying. “You’re not going to give this up, are you?”

Yuuji shook his head and blood splattered against the tree’s bark with the movement. “No.”

“Even if I rip your heart out again?”

“It’s not like it’ll kill me this time.”

The Curse let out a heavy sigh and, to Yuuji’s shock, he sat down on the hard ground; back straight and legs cross over each other. Fucker even did that elegantly. “Get down here then.”

Yuuji shrunk down closer to the branch and clutched the branch he was on tighter. “No. No way.”

“Do you want to negotiate terms or not?”

The question knocked the wind out of Yuuji and he gaped down at Sukuna incredulously. “You . . . really?”

Sukuna glared up at him. “Would you prefer to go back to fighting?”

“No. But I can negotiate up here. If you actually mean it.” Yuuji slowly shifted around the branch, leaning down so he could properly look Sukuna in the face. Even higher up, the King of Curses felt far too close into his space. “You do actually mean it, do you?”

Sukuna rolled his eyes and spread his hands. Like it was Yuuji being unreasonable and Sukuna was the one being the bigger person. “Believe it or not, brat, you aren’t exactly exciting to fight against. I’d like you out of my space sooner rather than later. And if that means having to give in to some of your stupid demands-“

“They’re not stupid!” Yuuji glared down at the parasite he was stuck in and gripped the warm branch under his hands tighter. “I want to remember the deal! No forgetting anything!” If Yuuji had to make a deal with a demon then he wanted to remember every little part of it. He was going to be racing to Gojo the second he was back in his own body and letting him know every little part of the pact. “I want to remember everything that happened here.”

Sukuna tilted his head slowly and smirked. “What? Do you think I’m scheming something?”

“Yes!”

“And do you really think you remembering this conversation will give you some sort of advantage?”

Yuuji fought the urge to throw his hands up. “Obviously yes since you want me to forget so badly!”

Sukuna just shrugged carelessly. As if giving up one of his terms wasn’t a sacrifice at all and he was just an adult giving into a child’s little fits. “Fine. Is that it?”

Now that Yuuji had negotiating power, his head felt empty. He had a feeling that Sukuna wasn’t going to give up on the second term as easily as he had the first. He would have to find a way around it. He chewed his lip thoughtfully. “You’re not willing to argue the whole enchain part, are you?”

Sukuna’s response was blunt. “No. That term is nonnegotiable. Either you agree to that part or you don’t come back at all.”

Oh, that parasite was absolutely scheming something.

Yuuji leaned forward down so that his chest and cheek was pressed against the tree branch. Warmth flooded through him and it helped him think a little. Breathe, he could almost hear Megumi hissing to him. Think, Dummy, think of a way to make it work. “What . . . what about a grace period then? You chant that word and I give you my body for a minute. But, first, I get a minute warning before I have to hand control over.”

“No. Absolutely not; I may have things I’d like to do. I’m not going to let you hear that word and then go scrambling away in some random direction.” Sukuna tilted his head. “One second.”

Yuuji squawked. “A second?! That’s no grace period! Thirty seconds!”

“Two seconds.”

“Meet me in the middle here, man!”

Sukuna’s smirk widened. “Three seconds.”

“Twenty seconds!”

“Four seconds.”

“Ten!”

“Five seconds; and that’s my final offer.”

Yuuji seethed and really wished that he was confident enough in his fighting ability compared to Sukuna to jump down and kick Sukuna’s ass. Because five seconds wasn’t a lot. It was barely anything in the grand scheme of things. But Yuuji was fast. And that was without Cursed Energy. If he could just figure out how to run as fast as he could while enhancing himself with Cursed Energy then he was sure that he could run very far in just five seconds. Or maybe he could shout at somebody to knock him out the very second Sukuna took control; the parasite could spend his minute of control unconscious for all Yuuji cared. And if Sukuna’s harsh, cruel condition was nonnegotiable then at least Yuuji could introduce a term that softened it. “Fine. Five seconds of grace period.”

Sukuna held up four fingers. “That’s four terms of the pact then. You give up control immediately if I chant the word enchain and I don’t hurt or kill anyone while in control; I bring you back to the dead when you pathetically die like a loser-“

Yuuji leaned down and glared hotly. “If! If I die! And it wouldn’t be pathetically!”

“It was pretty pathetic the first time, don’t you think?”

“You were the one who caused it!”

Sukuna grinned up at Yuuji. Like a dick. “Yes, I was.” He went back to ticking off the terms on his fingers. “You get a five second head start when I chant enchain and you remember everything apart of the deal. I think that’s more than enough-“

“Not just yet. I have one more term.” Yuuji ignored Sukuna’s scoff. Because this term was important. “My Flowers are off limit.” Sukuna blinked and looked like he was about to say something but Yuuji barreled on before he could be interrupted. “You don’t go near my Flowers; you stay six feet away from them at all times when you’re in control of my body. You don’t hurt or kill my Flowers. And you don’t touch any of the flowers that I carry on my skin.”

Sukuna’s expression didn’t give anything away. “I already said that I wouldn’t hurt or kill anyone while in control.”

“I don’t care. I know you’re smarter than me and you’ve probably already thought of loopholes to get through all of these terms. I’ve already accepted that. But, I already told you, I’m not risking my Flowers. This is my nonnegotiable term. You don’t hurt or kill Megumi, Yuuta, or whoever my Spider Lily is, you don’t go near them, and you don’t touch the reflections of their souls.” Yuuji clung to the tree branch and knew that he would never leave it of his own free will again if Sukuna refused. “Five terms and that’s the fifth. Yes or no?”

For a long moment, Sukuna didn’t say a word. He looked away with a pinched expression on his face and drummed his fingers against one thigh. He looked thoughtful and that alone told Yuuji that he was right to make that demand. But, as that moment passed, he regained his smile and nodded slowly. “Yes. I can agree to that. I will not touch, hurt, or kill your Flowers or the reflection of their souls while I’m in control. Six feet you said? Yes, that’s no problem at all.” He stood and brushed his hands down his kimono. As if he had gotten messy at all. And he stretched his arm up, offering Yuuji his hand. “You agree to all terms of the pact then?”

Yuuji hesitated. The pact wasn’t perfect. There was still the chance Yuuji had messed up terribly with one of these terms or he had missed a glaring loophole. But at least he’d be able to tell Sensei, somebody who would see the flaws of Yuuji’s pact and fix things. It was like Megumi said; Sensei fixed things. All Yuuji had to do was get out of this Innate Domain, get back to his own body, and find Gojo Satoru. All things would be fine from there. He relaxed his grip on his precious sakura tree and leaned down, sliding down the branch slightly and accepting Sukuna’s handshake. “I agree to the terms. Deal then?”

“Deal.”

And with one hard yank, Sukuna ripped Yuuji off the safety of Megumi’s sakura tree and on the hard, cold ground.

Yuuji barely had a moment to process the air being knocked out of him before a heavy weight was straddling his stomach and both of his wrists were grabbed and pinned against the ground in one strong hand. Yuuji sucked in a breath and stared up at the King of Curses. He shouted and jerked, trying and failing to shake him off. “Get off! What are you – you agreed to the deal!”

“I did agree to the deal and I plan on sticking to it. But I’d like to have a talk with you first before you leave my Innate Domain, Little Vessel. I have a question for you; why do you think Soul Flowers only form at birth?”

The question threw Yuuji for such a loop that he could only stare up at Sukuna. He was shaking. He hadn’t shook once during the fight with Ryomen Sukuna. He was shaking now. Hard, like a rabbit trap in a snare. He felt vulnerable. Even with the sakura tree looming above them, the sakura flowers spreading out above Sukuna and branches dipping down like it wanted Yuuji to grab on again. But he couldn’t because Sukuna had him very firmly trapped. “I-I don’t understand.”

Sukuna squeezed Yuuji’s wrists and leaned closer. “Go on, think. Why do you think Soul Flowers form only when both parties are born? It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? It was quite the debate in my day and I imagine that hasn’t changed in yours.”

“I, I don’t know?” Yuuji squirmed and tugged futility at his wrists. “Is, is it because a soul is formed at birth?”

Sukuna hummed thoughtfully, his free hand trailing his hand down Yuuji’s face. Yuuji tensed but there wasn’t any pain. He grabbed Yuuji’s chin and tilted his face side to side. “That is an argument some make. A rather juvenile one though. You’re presuming that the soul can only exist with a body but I think I’ve disproven that, don’t you? But what if a soul can only carry their flowers when they have a body. Think of your teacher; he didn’t get your precious Sakura’s bud until the boy was born. Why is that?”

Yuuji shook. “B-because even if Sensei could carry Megumi’s soul, Megumi wasn’t able to carry Sensei’s?”

His chin was released and Sukuna snapped his fingers. “Yes! Now isn’t that a far more interesting theory? It also explains why your flowers are here in my Innate Domain and mine isn’t.”

His fear was broken for just a second as shock replaced it. “You have flowers?”

Sukuna flicked his forehead. “Shut up, don’t interrupt me. Of course I have a flower. But focus on what I’m saying. The flowers can only form once a body is there to carry them. It’s why my daisy isn’t here but your flowers are. You have a body to carry them and I don’t. So, here’s another question for you.” He leaned forward closer, close enough that all Yuuji could see was Sukuna’s eyes, all four of them. “If I had a body of my own to carry my flower, do you think one would form for you?”

Yuuji could only stare at Sukuna, gaze bounding between all four of Sukuna’s eyes. Cruelty shone in those dark red eyes, shades of orange twisting in them. “W-what?” His voice was small. “No. You’re not . . . Of course not.”

Sukuna tilted his head. “Are you certain?”

“Of course, I, you don’t even like me. You killed me.”

The smile on Sukuna’s lips only widened. “And what does that have anything to do with this? How many have tried to take me into them before? Hundreds, so many that I’ve forgotten the number. Many much more powerful than you. Special Grade Sorcerers, some of them the strongest of their times much like Gojo Satoru. And they all died to my power. Not you though. Not that it’s a surprise; you were made for me.”

Yuuji hunched into himself. He didn’t like that description. He had been a surprise baby; his Grandfather had never hidden that from him. He wasn’t expected but he had always been wanted. His Grandfather once said that his Tou-chan had cried like a baby when the pregnancy had been announced. He hadn’t been made for any purpose but his Grandfather always loved him anyway. He wasn’t made for anyone or anything, especially not this. “I wasn’t made for you.”

“Oh, but you were. And no matter how boring you are, that doesn’t change the fact that us being Flowers would’ve been very likely if we both had physical forms. What flower do you think we’d share?” Sukuna waved his hand before Yuuji could do more than sputter out a few shocked, confused breaths. “No, don’t answer that; I have a feeling I know one that would’ve worked.” He then took Yuuji’s chin again, tilting his head back to the point of pain. “And now the important question; where would it be?”

Yuuji squirmed and shook and tried to wiggle his head out of Sukuna’s grasp. “Flowers don’t hurt each other! They don’t!”

“Everyone hurts everyone. Only children think otherwise.” Sukuna appraised Yuuji’s face like a carver considering a fresh block of wood. “Perhaps on the cheek? Impossible to hide, there for everyone to see.”

“No!”

Sukuna’s fingers drifted up from Yuuji’s chin and pressed against his right cheek. “No?”

Yuuji shied back as far into the ground as he could. “No.”

“Would you not like that, Brat? You’re so proud of your Flowers, aren’t you? You don’t think you’d be proud to show this one off?” His fingers pressed harder into Yuuji’s soft cheek. “Just like Zen’in’s hyacinth; it would show everyone who you belong to.” Yuuji shook and the fingers finally pulled again. “No, no; your other flowers are in rather important areas, aren’t they? One on your heart, one holding up your spine, and the third against your lungs. Ours would have to be in an important place too.” The fingers trailed back down to Yuuji’s chin. “Perhaps on your mouth? No, it would look strange with how you never stop talking.” And then Yuuji’s chin was lifted again and Sukuna gaze landed on his neck.

“Stop it.”

“There. Yes, right there.” Sukuna’s eyes were stuck on the spot underneath Yuuji’s jaw where his pulse point laid. “Yes, I like that. Right there on the artery. Hard to hide, even from yourself, and pumps life through you. Isn’t that lovely? It’s a shame that I don’t have a body of my own, isn’t it? Fate has denied you the chance to carry my flower” His gaze lifted and pierced Yuuji’s own. “But that’s okay. I can fix that.”

Fear raced through him and Yuuji shouted frantically, not sure what Sukuna was about to do but sure that it would hurt. But his wrists were held fast, stretched out high so that he could barely squirm, and Sukuna held his chin with one hand firmly, tilting it up and to an angle so that his pulse point was visible. “Stop it! Stop it!”

“Don’t move now.” Sukuna’s voice was almost soft. “I want to get this exactly right.”

“Get off me!” Yuuji kicked and pushed his legs on the ground hard and Sukuna stayed exactly where he was. He searched for the warmth in his pockets and couldn’t feel them. The roots of Megumi’s sakura tree were out of reach. Tears fell down his cheeks. “Megumi! Yuuta! Please!”

Sukuna’s eyes gleamed. “Don’t worry, Little Vessel. Little Flower. Soon, everyone will know who you belong to.”

Those reds and oranges twisted in Sukuna’s eyes and Yuuji could do nothing but close his own.

“Shrine.”

There was blood in Yuuji’s mouth.

He peeled his eyes open, slowly and with great effort, and stared up at a white ceiling. Sukuna was gone and so was the canopy of sakura flowers. His jacket was gone and his pants were too, leaving him naked on a cold, hard surface with only something loose gently laid over his lower half. The panic he had just felt seconds before seemed dulled, like his body was too sore and tired to properly keep up with the fear that had just shot through him. He swallowed and a soft, keening whine was pulled out of his mouth as blood, some dried and some still gloopy, slid down his throat. He had to spit. He was alive now; he had to be. He could spit the blood out of his mouth without more being showed back in.

Numb, uncoordinated hands pushed him halfway up and Yuuji’s vision swam for a second before sharpening. He was in somewhere strange, somewhere that almost looked like a doctor’s office. Bright white lights were shining down on him and casting the room in a sickly light. And there were people there. He should be panicking, Yuuji knew numbly, he should be. But his body didn’t seem to understand like his mind did. He stared at the clump of people in front of him and tried to think if he had met any of them before. A group of men, all of them in kimonos with gold stitches in the hem, and one really old one were in the doorway. They were staring at something with shock and horror, faces losing blood at a very quick pace. Somebody was behind them and, oh, right, that was Toge-senpai; loaded up with an armful of blankets, violet eyes snapping towards Yuuji and widening.

And directly in front of all of them, standing in front of Yuuji like a shield, was-

“Yuuta-senpai?”

Yuuji stared at the boy in front of him and blinked slowly, trying to understand. Because it looked like Yuuta. But Yuuta was in Africa. Why was Yuuta in this room and where was Megumi? Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Megumi to be here? Was Megumi okay? Why was Yuuta holding a sword? How could Yuuta be in Japan with a sword and not in Africa? But it was Okkotsu Yuuta standing in front of him. His back was to Yuuji and his head dipped down, staring at something on his chest. But when his head craned back, huh, that was Yuuji’s Camellia. The same soft, churning reds that had made up the camellia in Sukuna’s Innate Domain was twisting in Yuuta’s eyes, further softened by the tears pooling. He stared at Yuuji like he was precious, like he was a miracle, like Yuuji was something more than a naked boy with blood in his mouth that he wanted to spit out.

Yuuta turned more and one hand lifted. Yuuji stared as his friend, his Senpai, his Camellia pressed shaking fingers into his cheek. Yuuta’s eyes were wide and his face was frozen in shock. “Camellia-chan,” he whispered, voice like hoarse and broken like he had been screaming and screaming for hours. “Camellia-chan? Are you . . . are you really here? You . . . came back right?”

Yuuji’s mind moved at a slow pace, not understanding what his Senpai was saying. How else would he come back?

There was a shout then and Yuuta’s head snapped back towards the group of men, Yuuji’s gaze following his senpai’s. He still knew that he should be panicking. The way the old man was pointing at him, shouting loud and furious, was bad, something bad was happening right now. But all Yuuji could focus on was that everything was so bright and loud and he could only clench his eyes close to stop those bright, terrible lights from burning their way into his skull. Everything was sharper than it had been in Sukuna’s Innate Domain. It hurt, everything hurt so much. He needed a minute to adjust; he needed everyone to stop shouting.

Yuuta’s fingers pressed into Yuuji’s cheek firmer. “Toge,” he said, voice lowering, “watch my Camellia for me, won’t you Sunflower?” Yuuji opened his eyes just in time to see Yuuta move, an empty space now in front of him, and Yuuji reached out, something like betrayal rising in him because, no, wait, where was he going? But the space in front of him was empty was only a moment before Toge was sliding in front of him, eyes wide and frantic. He had rushed past the group of men, Yuuji realized, pushing past them in the confusion, and trading places with Yuuta who was moving towards them. And just as Yuuji was trying to find moisture in his mouth that wasn’t blood to ask what was happening, where was Megumi, could he please have a hug now, Toge threw his blankets over Yuuji’s head and dragged him bodily to the ground.

The distance between the cold hard surface and the ground was bigger than Yuuji might’ve thought but his face, still covered in blankets no matter how much he tugged at them, hit a chest instead of the ground. His body was uncoordinated and he could do nothing, nothing, as the older boy dragged him to the ground and across the room. Something was happening elsewhere, there were screams and a strange squelching sound and wet noises, but Yuuji’s body was finally starting to get the memo because panic, slow and clumsy, was starting to burn in him. He couldn’t get the blankets off his face; he couldn’t get the blankets off his face.

His Grandfather staring down at a wailing, four year old Yuuji in fond exhaustion. “It’s easy, Brat,” he said, one hand holding the blankets Yuuji had been tangled in, “if you don’t want them on your face, just pull them off.”

A hand grabbed at the blankets but another, smaller but more calloused, yanked it away. Something pressed against the side of Yuuji’s head and lips brushed against his ears. The words, “DON’T MOVE,” were whispered and it was so fucking loud that it made Yuuji’s ears ring. But his body immediately listened, going lax, and Yuuji wanted to sob, he wanted the blankets off, he wanted to spit the blood out of his mouth, he wanted the noises to stop, he wanted a hug. He had just spent hours being brutalized, he wanted a hug. But, now without any resistance, Toge tugged and pulled him until Yuuji could feel boxed in. They were under something and Toge held him closer, pressing Yuuji’s blanketed face into the crook of his neck.

Blood slid down from his mouth and into his throat and Yuuji couldn’t do anything to stop it.

He wanted it to stop. He wanted it all to stop.

And then it did. The noises stopped and all Yuuji could hear was harsh breaths and Toge’s heartbeat. And then pounding, sliding footsteps. “Is he okay,” Yuuji heard Yuuta demand, something falling in front of them and hands pulling at the blankets on Yuuji’s head. “Is he okay, is he alright? He didn’t see that, did he; Camellia, Camellia-“

“Benito Flakes!” Just as the final blanket was pulled away, revealing a weeping Yuuta with tears running down his face, Toge pushed their Flower back and held an arm out warningly.

“Toge, please, please let me hold him, it’s him, I know it’s him, please-“

“Benito Flakes!” Yuuji was adjusted in Toge’s arms and his face was grabbed, his face was grabbed, guided up until he was staring into his Senpai’s violet eyes. Pain, fear, and hope were all war in his gaze but they didn’t stop the older boy from demanding in that ear cracking voice,  “TELL ME THE NAME OF WHO IS CONTROLLING THIS BODY.”

The words were pulled out of Yuuji as if on a string. “Itadori Yuuji.” The words cracked some of the drying flakes of blood on Yuuji’s tongue and he gagged, shaking in Toge’s hold and pulling out of his suddenly limp grip. He rested his forearms on the ground and started coughing hard. Blood sprayed on the clean floor in clumps and dried flakes, painting the white tiles red and brown. But the taste, oh God, it lingered.

Hands took his shoulders in a warm grip and Yuuta’s voice fluttered all around him. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re okay, you’re back, you’ve come back to me, Camellia; oh, my Camellia.” He was gently pulled further from Toge’s lap and the firm hands patted the little parts of his back that wasn’t painted in pink and brown. “Get it all out, Camellia-chan. Toge, do we, what do we – Camellia should have water, shouldn’t he?”

“Salmon! Salmon.” A body wiggled out from behind him and lips brushed against his head again. Yuuji flinched, bracing for more of that loud, cracking voice, only for lips to press firmly against his temple. Yuuji lifted his head up enough to watch Toge crawl out fully from under a desk and skid across the floor in his haste to get to a nearby sink. He flinched away when fingers brushed against his jaw; he nearly fell to the ground as one arm came up to cover his neck.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Shhhh, Shhhhh, you’re okay, you’re okay now. I’m sorry, I startled you bad, didn’t I?” The fingers retracted from his chin and a head ducked down into his field of vision. And it was the very time, the very first time, Yuuji met the eyes of his Camellia without a screen between them. Yuuta was kneeling on the ground, bracing himself on his forearms with Yuuji’s blood and spit soaking into his nice white jacket. Tears were still trailing down his cheeks but his entire face had lit up more than Yuuji had seen it during either of their video calls. The smile that spread across his face made even Yuuji feel better. There was still blood in his mouth and his neck was tender and sore and everything was still too bright and loud.

But Yuuta was there and that meant things would be okay now.

Yuuji’s fingers shook as he reached for his Flower and Yuuta cupped his hand in his slowly, gently. “Hey,” Yuuta breathed. He looked so happy. “Hi. Hello, Camellia. Can I touch you, Yuuji? Is that okay? We’ll go very slow, I promise.” When Yuuji nodded, Yuuta reached for him. He went slow just like he promised. Yuuji whimpered and ducked his head when a hand shifted just a little too close to his neck but his shoulders were gently held instead. “There we go,” Yuuta whispered as he guided Yuuji up and wrapped a blanket around him. The second his sakura tree was covered up, an arm wrapped around his back and guided him to sit back against Yuuta’s chest. “We’ll get you some clothes in just a minute, I promise. It’s okay now, you’re okay now.” Hands adjusted the blanket until Yuuji was fully covered.

And then two fingers lifted up to his chest and brushed so gently against his camellia. And Yuuji looked down, dread pooling in his chest even as warmth and calm washed over him. And he sobbed as he was met with his camellia; stitched back together but crinkled with scar tissue. The flower was recognizable, Yuuji could still look down and know that it was a camellia. But the reflection of Yuuta’s soul was slightly wrapped and was now forever tainted with the mark of Yuuji’s stupidity and Sukuna’s cruelty.  

And yet he was still held so carefully and gently. Yuuta pressed his cheek  against the top of Yuuji’s head and held him close with one arm as his free hand shifted to press fully against his chest. “Hey, hey, don’t cry! Are you hurt? Are you in pain?”

“I,” his words came out almost as hoarse and cracking as Yuuta’s. “I’m sorry, your, y-your Flower, are you-“

Yuuta pressed a firm kiss against the top of Yuuji’s head and then pressed two more against his temple. “I’m fine. You’re here, you’re here, I don’t care about anything else.”

“But, but your flower; I ruined, I-I’m sorry, it’s my-“

"You didn’t ruin anything. My Soul Flower is perfect. You’re perfect. You’re back and you’re here and you’re perfect.” Yuuta pulled him closer against his chest, giving Toge room to kneel down in front of them. Yuuji blinked at him, slow and dumb face a mix of blood, spit, and tears, as Toge held a mug full of water close to his chest. “Thank you, Sunflower.”

The older boy had harsh, dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. But his hands were steady and gentle as he offered the mug to Yuuji. “Tuna tuna.” When Yuuji’s hands shook, Toge kept his hands around the mug to help steady and guide them to Yuuji’s lips.

A thumb rubbed into Yuuji’s camellia gently and Yuuta held him so very close. “Don’t swallow,” Yuuta gently warned as Yuuji sipped in slow mouthful. “You can drink the rest of it but just rinse your mouth out for now. There you go, spit it on the floor. It’s okay, I’ll clean everything up later myself.”

The water joined the mess on the floor and, with it, the last of the blood. The taste still lingered but the blood itself was now out and that was all that mattered. The next mouthful he was allowed to drink and water was a soothing balm on his dry throat. And the entire time, his Upperclassmen whispered over his head.

“Mustard leaf?”

“I don’t know, I have no idea.”

“Tuna Mayo?”

“What can we even do, Toge? We can’t let the Elders know he’s back, not yet!”

“Caviar fish flakes! Tuna, tuna mayo?”

“Could we sneak him back into the dorms? Oh, but we don’t even know how he came back, is it safe to move him?”

Yuuji pulled away from the mug and whispered, “Sukuna brought me back. We made a deal.”

 The looks that were sent his way. Toge and Yuuta immediately froze, staring at Yuuji in horror. Toge’s jaw dropped and Yuuta’s mouth opened and closed silently. Any colour in Yuuta’s pale face disappeared and he clutched Yuuji even closer in his arms. He was shaking. Was he shaking? Was Yuuji still shaking? Yuuji couldn’t tell. “Okay.” Yuuta swallowed and nodded. “Okay, alright. We, I’ll figure things out, okay Darling? You’re back now, you came back to me, and that’s all you needed to do. Okay? We, I,” he looked back at Toge and whispered, “we probably need Sensei now.”

Toge nodded slowly with his violet eyes so wide and standing out on his pale white face. “Salmon.” He reached out to Yuuji and gently patted his head, smoothing Yuuji’s hair down before glaring at Yuuta harshly and pointing down at the ground firmly.

The hold Yuuji was in shifted and Yuuta’s head bent down to press into Yuuji’s shoulder briefly. Briefly because it was far too close to his neck and Yuuta shifted at Yuuji’s whine. “We’re not moving anywhere, Sunflower. I promise. Close the door to the room, okay?”

“Salmon.”

Yuuji blinked at Toge. He was so tired and sore and Yuuta holding his soul left Yuuji feeling like a puppet cut of his strings. But in a good way. He wasn’t being forced to dance anymore. He could rest. “Are you leaving?”

Toge smiled and shook his head. He curled his three fingers close to his palm and extended his thumb and forefinger out, pressing it to the side of his face.

“A, a call? Are you calling Sensei?” When Toge nodded, there was only one question Yuuji could ask to that. “Is he with Megumi? Is Megumi okay? Where’s my Sakura?”

A confused sound came from above him. Yuuji looked up just in time to see Yuuta’s head tilted like a confused fox and staring down at Yuuji with wide eyes before realization crossed his face. “Oh! Right! Fushiguro-kun!” He turned back to Toge. “I assume he’s with Sensei?” He hummed when Toge nodded. “Perfect! Then I have no doubt that Fushiguro-kun is just fine. Sensei will be taking care of him., I’m sure of it. There would’ve been a crater where the school is now if he was seriously hurt so I’m sure he’s fine. Your sakura tree is still bright and pink, okay Camellia-chan?”

Yuuji had more follow up questions for that but then Yuuta started rubbing his thumb against the camellia in a way that made it really hard to focus on anything else.

With a nod and another kiss to Yuuji’s cheek, Toge took the mug of water and laid it on the desk and away from the utter mess of the floor. He stood and left the room and closed the door softly. There was a strange squelching sound coming from the other side of the door as Toge walked away. Yuuji knew what it was now. He had just spent hours fighting his way through blood. There was blood on the other side of that door, a lot of it. What had happened to those men from before? Where was the katana Yuuta had had before? Why was there blood on Yuuta’s cheek? His sweet Senpai wouldn’t do that, would he?

He struggled to push his eyes open because this was important and looked up at his Camellia, his Flower, who might’ve just killed people. But instead of the many pressing questions Yuuji had, the tears still making there way down Yuuta’s face drew his attention. He lifted a hand and he meant to wipe them away but only managed to brush the tears with shaky fingers. “Y’okay?”

Yuuta nuzzled into the fingers with a shaky, wet laugh and one hand came up to press them further against his cheek. “Yes, Camellia, yes, I’m just fine. You’re back. I was so ready to let you go and you came back to me instead.” He shifted the two of them slowly away from the mess on the floor until Yuuta’s back was resting against a wall and Yuuji was curled in his hold. “There we go. You comfortable, Yuu-kun? Are you hurt?”

“Sore. Tired. I-I need to talk to Sensei.” But he curled closer in Yuuta’s hold and gripped his blood and spit covered jacket tighter between shaky fingers. “Senpai?”

“Oh, Yuuji, Camellia, I just came all the way back from Africa for you; no more Senpais, it’s Yuuta.” Yuuta nuzzled Yuuji’s cheek when he went to complain. He was still shaking. “For right now, okay Yuuji? Please, Camellia? Just Yuuta, just for now.”

Yuuji couldn’t find it in him to deny his Flower anything, not now. Not when he thought he’d never see him again or that he had dragged him down to death with him. “Yuuta; is your, are you hurt? From, from Sukuna? I didn’t want to hurt your flower, I promise-“

Yuuta shushed him gently. “Oh, Sweetheart, I know you didn’t.”

“He ripped my heart out, I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t have given up control, there was a Curse and I,” his excuses all felt so lame. A Curse, Yuuji allowed his Flower, two of his Flowers, to be brutalized and tortured over a Curse. Yuuta would never do that.

But Yuuta made such a pained sound like it was his heart being ripped out. He started to rock the two of them, gently, slowly. “I know, I know. Oh, Yuuji, that must’ve been so scary. I would’ve done the same thing if I was in your place, okay? You’re just a First Year and that was just your first mission and that was a Special Grade. And you were left all alone too; of course you turned to Sukuna. I’m not mad, okay? Not one bit. It’s Ryomen Sukuna’s fault all of this happened, not yours, not at all. It didn’t hurt me at all, I promise. I was just so scared for you. And then your camellia went grey and I came back immediately. Nobody would’ve kept me away. I would’ve,” Yuuta cut himself off just as something dark and angry was crossing his face, tucking his head down as he shook.

Yuuji hesitated. “Yuuta? Those men? What happened to them?”

“. . . You didn’t see any of that, did you Camellia? I didn’t want to scare you. I went as quickly as I could but I made a little mess. I did it all quickly though.” He didn’t say the word, he didn’t outright say what he did to those men. But Yuuji knew. His sweet Senpai had killed.

“W-why?”

Yuuta leaned down and pressed another kiss to Yuuji’s cheek. His voice shook. “Because they were part of the plan to kill you. Because they came to take your body away. They would’ve ripped you apart, Yuuji, or burned you to nothing. Because they would’ve sounded the alarm and I couldn’t have that, not until we talk to Sensei. I had to. For you.”

For Yuuji.

Yuuji had pushed his sweet Senpai to killing. For him.

There were no words. Yuuji looped his arms tight around Yuuta’s neck and buried his face in his chest, right over where his Soul Flower would be. Yuuta said nothing and clung right back. How badly must Yuuta be traumatized after that? Because of Yuuji, all for Yuuji.

The room was silent for a very long time after that. Yuuta kept rocking the two of them gently and Yuuji clung to his Camellia like it was the only thing that would keep him safe. He didn’t want to move. Finally, there was a creak of a door opening and soft footsteps padding closer. Yuuji flinched when cold fingers pressed into his cheek but didn’t resist when they very lightly pushed, guiding his head around and up. He forced his eyes open and looked deep into the blue and white eyes of his Sensei. Gojo Satoru was crouched in front of him with his blindfold off, staring at Yuuji with the full weight of the Six Eyes. His face was blank and his eyes were wide.

Yuuji was too tired to feel the weight. “Hello, Sensei.”

For a long minute, Gojo said nothing. And then he smiled. “Hello, Yuuji-kun. You gave us all a little scare there, didn’t you?” His hand shifted and cupped Yuuji’s whole cheek, tilting his head side to side. Yuuji allowed it but ducked his head low and tight when Gojo tried tilting it up. Gojo’s bright eyes tracked the movement but didn’t push. “How are you-“

Yuuji couldn’t wait long enough for Gojo to finish. “Did you bring Megumi with you, Sensei?” He felt guilty immediately for asking. Megumi had just been beaten. His face had been a bloody mess when Yuuji had seen him last. And it was Yuuji’s own fists that had made him that way. Of course Gojo wouldn’t bring their shared Flower to see him. Yuuji was probably never going to be allowed to see Megumi again. He was lucky that Gojo hadn’t already taken vengeance on the stupid idiot that brutalized his Lotus; Yuuji was kind of surprised that he wasn’t back in Sukuna’s Innate Domain again.

But instead of anger, Gojo looked amused. He laughed and shoved his hand into Yuuji’s hair, ignoring Yuuta’s squawk of outrage, and mussed it all up. “Oh, is that always going to be the first question you ask when we meet, Yuu-ji-kun? I come all this way and barely get a hello at all. Some would be insulted, don’t you know?” He pulled away and rested his hands on his knees. Toge was hovering behind him and pressed his hands on Gojo’s shoulders, leaning over the man with wide eyes. Gojo didn’t even seem to notice the added weight. “Megumi is sleeping, Yuuji-kun.”

Tears burned in Yuuji’s eyes. “Is he okay?”

“Lotus is going to be just fine. I gave him a sleeping pill and, with how tired he is, I’d say he won’t be awake until tonight at the earliest. He’d be clawing his way here otherwise. He’s got a little fever,” Yuuji whimpered, gutted, and Yuuta cuddled him closer, “but that’s from the rain. The injuries Sukuna left,” because of him, because of him, because of him, “will heal very soon. And I think he’s going to consider you coming back a minor miracle.”

He could hear Yuuta mutter incredulously behind his head, “Only a minor miracle,” but all Yuuji could feel was such guilt. His Sakura was sick. His Sakura was hurt. And it was because of Yuuji. He couldn’t even go to him and find bruise cream to try and tend to him. He probably wouldn’t even be allowed to if he could. His shoulders shook and he swallowed back tears. Even those had the aftertaste of blood. “Okay,” he whispered, voice small.

Gojo curled in closer to himself and Toge leaned down closer so his head was tucked just above their teacher’s. “I’m very happy you’re back, Yuuji-kun.” Yuuji had no idea why; so he could take vengeance himself? “And I’m going to everything I can to make sure you stay that way. Which is why I’m about to ask you to do something very mean.”

Yuuta puffed up and pulled Yuuji closer. Yuuji didn’t resist; he felt so boneless in his Senpai’s arms. He was being held, he realized. It wasn’t the circumstances he had ever considered when he had imagined being held by his Camellia but he was. He had to bury his face into Yuuta’s chest briefly to hide his tears. Because even though everything was still too much, this was safe. “Make it not mean then!”

“No can do, Yuuta-kun. Because you might have bought us some time but having Yuuji-kun just here is a ticking time bomb that we can’t afford right now. I know you must be very tired right now, Yuuji-kun, but if we want to have a chance of keeping you safe, we’re going to have to move very quickly. So, do you think you can be my good student and listen to your Sensei’s instructions?”

Good? All Yuuji had ever wanted was to be good. But after all the damage he had done in such a short amount of time, was that even still possible? The need was still there though, desperate and needy, and his voice cracked when he answered. “I can be good.”

Gojo’s harsh and unyielding gaze softened. “I have no doubt. Which is why I’m going to need you to get up and come with me. Alone.”

The words had barely left Gojo’s mouth before he got a response. “Yuuji’s not doing that.” Arms shifted so they were locked around Yuuji’s middle tight and legs locked around his tightly. Yuuta was still being gentle but he had chained himself to Yuuji like a protester did to a tree. Yuuji whined when the hand left his camellia. Yuuta nuzzled him again but his voice was hard. “I just got him back.”

“I know, Yuuta-kun.”

“You can’t just take him from me.”

Gojo’s voice softened even more. He didn’t seem at all intimidated by the dark glare being aimed over Yuuji’s head. “Yuuta-kun, I know you’re very upset and I need you to know that I am very impressed by your restraint. You’ve done such a good job and I want you to know that I see that. But your Camellia can’t stay here. Not when he’s just had a very successful assassination hit on him barely a day before. If we want to keep him safe then we have to take him somewhere safe. The Elders think he’s dead and, at least I know more about how he came back, we should be keeping it that way.”

“I made a deal,” Yuuji supplied, curling back into Yuuta’s hold and wishing he would stop clinging to him and go back to holding Yuuji like a treasure. But he could understand because the thought of going off with Gojo, going off away from Yuuta, made him frantic. It made his words come faster, hoping that Gojo would be merciful and let him stay with his Camellia just a little longer. “With Sukuna. I mean, he proposed one at first but I said no and then we fought-“

Gojo arched an eyebrow. “You fought?”

“In his Innate Domain. He said it was like his mind or something. It was awful, Sensei, it was horrible. It was a river of blood and there were so many bones. But I said no because the deal wasn’t good. So we fought. I didn’t do very well,” he admitted.

“What was the deal he proposed,” Gojo asked.

“Tell me everything he did to you,” Yuuta demanded.

Out of the pure want to not relieve that last eternity of pain he had just gone through, Yuuji ignored Yuuta’s demands and instead answered Gojo’s. “He said that he’d bring me back if I agreed to give up control of my body for one minute whenever he chanted the word enchain and that I’d forget ever making that deal.”

Yuuta’s arms tighten and Toge looked like he was two seconds away from choking. Gojo just hummed and slowly nodded. “I see. But you said no. And then you fought him.” He tilted his head slowly. “Did you get any hits in, Yuuji-kun?”

“How is that important!?” Yuuta’s voice was a mix of a growl and wail. “Sensei, he was fighting in an Innate Domain and he doesn’t know how to use Jujutsu properly! Even if he did get hits in, the fight would’ve been nothing but Sukuna torturing him!”

Gojo’s voice remained soft and gentle. “I know that, Yuuta-kun. Which would make it even more impressive and good if Yuuji-kun did. So, Yuuji-kun?” When Yuuji gave a tiny, small nod, a smile grew on his face. “Oh? How many?”

“Just one,” Yuuji admitted. “I tricked him into thinking that I was going to agree to the stupid deal and then hit him in the face. But, well, it’s not a hit but,” he hesitated and only continued when Gojo nodded encouragingly, “I spit blood in his face.”

The smile grew even wider and Yuuji couldn’t understand the wild, unhinged pride in Gojo’s eyes. “Oh, Yuuji-kun, that is very good indeed.” Something warm and squirmy grew in Yuuji’s stomach and he half buried his face back in Yuuta’s chest, looking at Gojo with only one eye. His Sensei looked amused and made a circular motion with one hand. “Go on. You made the deal after that?”

For a second, Yuuji considered telling them about climbing into Megumi’s Soul Tree, about cupping Yuuta’s beautiful red camellia in his hands, and decided against it. It felt too private, too precious. He would tell Yuuta about his camellia. Later, when they were alone. Tell him that his soul was warm and pretty and smelled like honey. “Yes, Sensei. It’s still not a good pact though.”

Gojo just shrugged dismissively. “Can’t be worse than what Sukuna offered. Go on, Yuuji-kun, tell us the terms.”

“The first term is still there. But I made it so I remember it!”

Yuuta pressed another firm kiss to Yuuji’s cheek. “That already makes it a much better deal, Camellia-chan. You did so good. Just giving us a warning is so amazing.” He didn’t unlock himself from around Yuuji’s back but shifted, just a little, so it a less of a lock and more a hug. “I’m so proud of you, Yuu-kun, so proud.”

If Gojo’s pride made Yuuji feel warm and squirmy, Yuuta’s pride made Yuuji want to curl up into a ball and just be alone for a bit. Preferably with Yuuta still holding him from behind like he was a treasure. The look that both Toge and Gojo sent him told him that he was not being subtle. At least Toge looked like he understood through his amusement. Gojo looked like he was holding back from teasing by the skin of his teeth. “Yes, Yuuji-kun, that alone would’ve made things a great deal better. Were any other terms added?”

“Yes, Sensei, three others. He agreed to bring me back from death if I happen to die again – I won’t, Yuuta, Camellia, please don’t cry, please don’t cry.” Yuuji stiffened as Yuuta buried his face into his shoulder, so very close to his neck, but squirmed until his arm was free and he was turned slightly to the side. He hesitated for only a moment before blindly shoving his hand down Yuuta’s shirt and it must’ve been muscle memory because when he pressed down, he could feel warmth rush through him. Much like when Yuuta and Megumi touched his flowers, he felt like he was reconnecting to a part of himself he didn’t know he had set down. Yuuta made a sound like a deflating balloon and held Yuuji just a little tighter. “I won’t die again, I promise that I won’t.”

“I won’t let you.” For such a intense statement, Yuuta’s voice was so wet and warbly. As hard of a day that Yuuji had, he couldn’t imagine the day Yuuta and Megumi must’ve had. “I won’t.” Yuuji pressed down harder against Yuuta’s camellia and Toge finally came around their teacher to kneel beside them, wrapping his arms around the two of them as much as he could and fully pressing his face into the side of Yuuta’s neck. Yuuta made a sound that was almost a sob and, oh, his weepy Senpai. His poor, weepy Senpai who had been pushed hard into murder just to keep Yuuji of all people safe. Yuuta sniffled and shook and lifted his head to seemingly give Toge better access. His eyes were red and swollen. “You won’t get that close to death again, Camellia. Never again, that term will never be needed again.”

There was nothing Yuuji could say to that. Because it could. Yuuji had failed before, it could happen again. But there was no way he could say that to Yuuta when he looked half a second away from bursting into tears. Yuuji could only nod and press down firmly and blindly against the camellia. “It won’t, Camellia, I knew it wouldn’t. I just wanted to be safe, that’s all.” He pressed back into the older boy, allowing himself to rejoin the knot of Yuuta and his Flowers.

And to his credit, Gojo gave them a few minutes. He waited patiently until Yuuta’s sniffles had died down and he wasn’t shaking quite as hard. “So that’s three terms. The other ones?”

“Just two others; I get a five second headstart whenever Sukuna chants enchain and all of my Flowers are off limits. He said that he won’t hurt or kill anyone during his minute,” Yuuji clarified. “But I thought it’d be important to try and, I don’t know, have a safety net?” Despite his franticness during the negotiation, he suddenly felt nervous in front of these older and smarter students and The Strongest Sorcerer himself. Five seconds was barely anything. Should Yuuji have pushed harder for a minute? Was the term for his Flowers being off limit a waste of a term?

Only his fears were put to rest immediately. A breath of relief exploded from Toge’s lungs and he hugged Yuuji tighter into the knot, shaking as he nodded. Yuuta laughed, high and near hysterical and lifted one hand to cup Yuuji’s face to hold him steady as he started peppering kisses against his face. “So good, you are brilliant, you did so good,” he chanted as he pressed kisses to Yuuji’s cheeks and forehead and temples. And Yuuji knew that he should be embarrassed but he had just been manhandled and beaten for maybe a whole day. Even if this was happening in front of his Sensei, he couldn’t help but lean further into each kiss.

Even Gojo looked pleased at the results. He waited for Yuuta to pull away for a breath before curling one hand into Yuuji’s hair. “Yuuji-kun, I cannot state just how good you were. You not only negotiated a way back to life but to give yourself a grace period? And you thought of your Flowers even throughout all of the pain. Oh, Yuuji-kun, I just knew you were a special kid.” He gave Yuuji’s head a very gentle shake of the head. “What a good student.”

The praise was coming from all sides and Yuuta was holding him like a treasure, like a miracle, and it was far too much. Yuuji could feel his face start to crumble and he could feel the iron grip on his control slowly slip. How could Sensei look at him, the boy who allowed their Flower to be beaten into the ground, and call him good? He sucked in a harsh breath, his vision blurred, and he ripped the hand still pressing against Yuuta’s camellia to wipe and press at his own eyes. “’m not that good.”

Yuuta squeezed his cheek and pressed a firm, hard kiss to his forehead. “You,” he said, tilting Yuuji’s face up and pressing his forehead against Yuuji’s until all Yuuji could see were those dark blue eyes with trails of red arcing through them, “are very good and you did very good. And now you can rest. We can go back up to the dorms-“

“Yuuta-kun.”

“You, me, and Toge-“

“Yuuta-kun.”

“And we’ll go in my room and lock the door and nobody will bother us. I won’t let anyone bother us.”

Yuuta’s vision was a nice one. Yuuji wanted only one thing more than to curl up in Yuuta’s arms on a bed and just close his eyes and that one thing was for Megumi to also be there; one Flower holding his sakura and the other Flower holding his camellia. Nothing seemed better than that. Only Gojo seemed very insistent on bothering them. He reached out and took Yuuta’s cheek. Yuuta resisted far more than Yuuji had but resistance was futile and he ended up glaring wetly at Gojo. “I can keep him safe.”

Gojo hummed and nodded. “Of course you can. Nobody would be able to touch Yuuji-kun with you there. But the longer they think Yuuji-kun is dead is the longer we can get things done. Do you want to be a frantic shield for your Camellia for the rest of your lives or do you want to set an example to make sure there will never be another attempt?”

Yuuta jolted up, snarling at Gojo, and his voice rolled out of him like thunder, loud and startling and with the threat of lightning. “The best example I could make would be to kill them all and let their replacements see what happens to those who pluck my Flowers!” The words didn’t make the sweet senpai Yuuji knew and it was that which made Yuuji know that he had pushed Yuuta far too hard for one night. Because of Yuuji and the trauma of his death and return, Yuuta’s hands were red. That was on Yuuji. He couldn’t let his Senpai go through that trauma again.

He squirmed in Yuuta’s grip, turning and pulling at the lock Yuuta had on him before he was fully turned around and could look Yuuta dead in the eyes. “No more killing.” Yuuta blinked, startled, looking down at Yuuji like he had forgotten he was there. “Please, Senpai, no more killing. You don’t have to, there’s gotta be a different way, can’t there? Gojo-sensei, is, would we have to kill with your way?”

Gojo’s eyes flickered up to meet Yuuta’s for a moment before dipping back down to Yuuji’s. “People would die, Yuuji-kun. We’re too far down this path for anything else to happen. But far less than Yuuta-kun’s idea.”

“Isn’t there a way we could do this that nobody dies?”

Gojo gave him a smile. “You’re so cute, Yuuji-kun. But no, there isn’t. We’re not in your culture anymore and there are certain rules and expectations people have to follow. You were plucked, Yuuji-kun. Killed. Stolen from your Flowers; people will die for that. However, far less people die in my idea than Yuuta’s.”

Yuuji felt like a toddler on the cusp of throwing a tantrum. It wasn’t fair, he didn’t want anyone to die for him, in his name. But Yuuta cradled his face so gently. “You don’t want me to kill anyone?” His voice was soft, all of that thunder gone. Nothing but a gentle breeze for Yuuji.

“No, Senpai. Yuuta. Camellia, please, please don’t kill anyone else.”

With a small breath and another gentle kiss pressed to Yuuji’s cheek, Yuuta nodded. “Okay, Yuuji. I won’t kill anyone else over this. Just for you. If people do die, it won’t be my hands that kill them.” The promise made Yuuji relax, going pliant in Yuuta’s hands, and he curled into them with a sigh. “We’ll do it Gojo-sensei’s way. Which means,” Yuuta’s voice cracked, “which means we’re both going to have to be very brave for now, won’t we? You’ll go with Gojo-sensei and stay safe and, and calm and I’ll, I’ll be here. Waiting for you. O-okay?”

The notion that Yuuji would have to separate from his Camellia had been one he had forgotten and the noise that came from him at the reminder was truly inhuman. He gripped Yuuta’s jacket tight and Yuuta sobbed, nuzzling the side of Yuuji’s head so very gently. Toge held them both the best he could, as if he could hold them all together if he held on tight enough. Finally, Yuuta sniffled. “Y-Yuuji’s naked under the blankets, Sen-Sensei. He’ll need clothes.”

“I’m sure that we can find some around here for him.”

For the next half an hour, Yuuji and Yuuta clung to each other as best as they could. It only took minutes for Gojo to find spare clothes in the infirmary and Toge and him left the room to give Yuuji privacy while he changed. Yuuta stayed in the room and simply turned his back. He shifted and squirmed almost impatiently and Yuuji had barely zipped his pants up and whispered, “Done,” before Yuuta was turning back around. His jacket had been pulled open and he was pulling it off his shoulders. It was a different uniform jacket than the standard one, a bright white with a few bloody stains in the arms where Yuuta had braced himself into Yuuji’s mess.

“Here,” the older boy whispered as he gently started directed Yuuji’s arms through the holes. The jacket seemed to swallow him whole and the sleeves hid his hands. Yuuta was so gentle as he pulled it closed and brushed it down. “It’s a little chilly outside, Camellia-chan, and I know you hate the cold. I’m sorry about the blood on it but I’m sure there’ll be somewhere you can wash it where you’re going.”

Yuuji swallowed back tears. “B-but this is your jacket.”

Yuuta smiled, wide and hurt, and said conspiratorially, “Well, this just means you’ll have to keep it safe for me until you can give it back, doesn’t it?” His face crumbled and he pulled Yuuji in for a tight hug, pressing him close until Yuuji felt small and crushed in him arms. Yuuji held back just as tight and shook in his grip. “You’ll, you’ll be okay. Sensei will keep you safe. I, I don’t think we’ll be able to text but it won’t be for very long, I’m sure of it. I’ll do what he wants and make an example-“

“No killing,” Yuuji garbled.

Yuuta nodded and pressed a kiss to Yuuji’s temple. Tears dripped down his cheeks and landed on Yuuji’s face. “I won’t do anymore killing over this. And then, when it’s over, you’ll come back. And I’ll hold you. I will. I won’t ever let you go again. I swear it. I swear it. I swear it.”

Yuuji wasn’t sure which one of them let go first. They stood like that for what felt like hours, Yuuji warm and safe in his Flower’s arms with Yuuta pressing wet, teary kisses into his hair. And then a hand was gently pulling away and Yuuji heard his Camellia whisper three words to him, words that he had always seen through his Grandfather’s actions but had never heard out loud. And Yuuji’s last look of his Flower, his Senpai, his Camellia was Yuuta standing there with a truly heartbroken look in his eyes, a smile fixed on his face, and Toge holding him from behind like their Flower would shatter from the seams if he let go. He waved goodbye and Yuuji barely had a second to lift his hand before Gojo was tugging him out of the room and into the hallway. He closed the door behind them and Yuuji heard a thud and a wail and could do nothing but be guided along as his Sensei guided him further through the building and away from Yuuta's cries.

He expected to be brought outside and to sneak out of the school through the shadows. Instead, Gojo tugged him into a room far enough away from the one he had woken up in that he could no longer hear Yuuta’s sobbing. He closed the door and Yuuji tensed. Was this it now? Was Gojo going to chew him out? Yell at him for failing their Flower? Would he hit Yuuji for real now? Only Gojo didn’t do any of those things and instead ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “So,” he muttered, seemingly to himself, and tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling. “A secret that people would die over. And the only people who know about it other than me are gonna be three teenage boys. I might need a little help with this . . . I don’t love pulling her into this but . . .” He shook his head sharply. “Ah well, can’t be helped. I can not be the only adult in this situation.” He turned to Yuuji and Yuuji tried his best not to tense as those wide blue and white eyes narrowed in on him. “So, Yuuji-kun. We’re going to be going off in a moment. But I wanted to check on something first.”

Yuuji had been beaten enough in the past day to know that bracing did nothing so instead forced himself to relax. “Y-yes, Sensei?”

Gojo moved closer and instead of punching or sneering or anything else, he crouched down low so he was staring up at Yuuji. Yuuji tilted his head down to protect his neck. His teacher’s eyes tracked the movement. “Is your neck hurting you, Yuuji-kun?”

The question made Yuuji blink in confusion. How did he know? Sure, his entire body was sore like a bruise but his neck felt hot and achy. “I, well, yes, but I, um, I did just die, Sensei.”

“Yuuji-kun, I had a very close look at all of the injuries the Curse, Zen’in Naoya, and Ryomen Sukuna left on your body. And not one bruise was on your neck. But you’re hurt there now. I just want to take a look.” He lifted a hand, slowly, giving Yuuji more than enough time to pull away, and gently pushed the tips of his fingers into Yuuji’s chin. Yuuji was frozen by his gaze and couldn’t look away. “I can help.”

Words that Megumi had said to him, frantic and wild, returned to Yuuji’s mind. “Megumi,” he faltered, sure saying their Flower’s name would finally make Gojo angry, and only continued when Gojo dipped his head encouragingly. “Megumi says you fix things.”

Gojo smiled and his gaze, though still heavy, seemed softer. “I do my very, very best. Can you let me try?”

“I . . . I don’t know, it’s probably just in my head. The pain, I mean. It’s just, when I was in, in the Innate Domain, Sukuna . . .” Yuuji’s eyes burned and his voice chocked. “He kept saying things. About Flowers. And philosophy stuff. About souls and bodies and how a person needs both of those to have Flowers. Like, I can carry Megumi’s flower because we both have bodies to carry them on? I, he said it was a debate or something?”

Even though Yuuji barely understood it, Gojo nodded like it was all obvious. “Yes, that’s a very popular take on Flowers. There’s quite a few papers written on it and why Flowers only form when both parties are born and not before. My Forget-Me-Not wrote one when he was still alive; my Snapdragon then wrote a response to that paper which, let me tell you, having two Flowers on opposite sides of a ideological war is hard enough but having them write papers against each other the entire time it’s happening?” He whistled lowly with a shake of the head. “There’s having Flower problems and then there’s having Flower Problems.”

Yuuji could only blink at him. “An . . . ideological war?”

“Not important. But, yes, I do know what he was talking about. Did he have a point to this philosophical discussion?”

Yuuji hesitated. “I . . . He’s wrong, Sensei. What, what he said, he’s wrong, I promise.”

Gojo’s gaze stayed gentle and calm. “Okay.”

“What he said, it’s not true. It’s not, it can’t be.”

Gojo nodded. “Okay. I believe you. What did he say?”

“He, he said that if he had a body, then, then we would’ve been Flowers. Which isn’t true,” Yuuji spat out, hot and teary. “It’s not! He’s awful! He hurt Megumi! He ripped my heart out, we would never be Flowers! But he kept going on about how we would have to be Flowers and that I was, was made for him. And I told him that I wasn’t but he said that I was and, and then started looking for where the flower would be. And he almost said my cheek but said that it would have to be somewhere important and, and, and,” he sucked in a harsh breath and his vision blurred.

He pressed both hands over his neck.

It wasn’t true. It wasn’t true. It wasn’t true.

He shook. “He did something. Said something? I, I wasn’t, I woke up almost immediately after so I don’t really, r-really remember what happened. But I remember him saying the same word when he was fighting the Special Grade? I think? He said,” Yuuji lowered his voice, “shrine. And I don’t know what it is but I think it’s an attack?” He pressed his hands tighter around his neck. “It hurt, Sensei. It was quick but,” he trailed off and remembered the breath between being pinned to the ground and waking up on that metal table.

Hot. Sharp. Painful. Like a knife hitting his neck at all angles all at once.

“And he did this on your neck?” At Yuuji’s small nod, Gojo pushed his fingers a little firmer against Yuuji’s chin. “May I? Would you let your Sensei try and fix this?” There was a long moment where Yuuji faltered, trying and failing to raise his head, before he forced his eyes closed and tilted his head back as far back as it went, letting his hands drop to his sides.

Sensei fixed things. Megumi said so. And even if he was angry with him, maybe Sensei would take pity on him and fix this too.

For a long minute, all Yuuji could hear was his own pounding heartbeat. Just the stillness of the infirmary and his own terrifying heartbeat. Finally, Gojo spoke. “May I touch your neck please, Yuuji-kun?” Yuuji whined at the question but nodded. He flinched at a touch right on the part of his neck that was hot and achy. Right over his artery. “How does that feel?”

“It hurts.”

Gojo’s voice tensed. “Hurts how? Like the discomfort when somebody touches your flowers?”

Yuuji shuddered at the memory of Zen’in Naoya’s hand pressing against the sakura tree on Megumi’s back. “No, that’s worse, that’s so much worse. This just, it’s like you’re touching a burn? Or, I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like a flower; I don’t have any flowers on my neck, Sensei.”

Gojo let out a long breath. “No, Yuuji-kun. No, you don’t have a flower there. You just have a scar. That’s all this is. Just a scar. A scar that . . . Oh, my Snapdragon is going to hate that my Forget-Me-Not was right. It looks that the body and souls are even more connected than we first thought. An attack on the soul can also leave a scar on the body.”

The words didn’t process for a few seconds. Yuuji slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Leaving a scar on the body? What . . . what could that mean? That . . . were there scars from the fight on Yuuji now? Or . . . no . . . was that why . . . His hands were shaky as he lifted them, feeling at his neck until he hit the hot, achy area. It burned at his touch but Yuuji felt the scars. It wasn’t one long cut like he had feared. But a series of many ones. Ones that curled and connected into one big wound

Yuuji tore himself away from Gojo and snapped his head around the room, frantic to find a reflective surface. And then he saw a small, handheld mirror abandoned on a table. He nearly tripped over his own feet in his haste, only not falling thanks to Gojo’s steadying hands. Yuuji nearly slammed into the table and fumbled the mirror, dropping it down on the floor and watching it shatter. Gojo said something behind him but Yuuji couldn’t hear it. He fell to his knees and snatched a shard of the mirror up. The glass dug into his palm and blood wept down his wrist. And Yuuji stared at his own reflection in horror.

Because on his neck, in hot red lines like a multitude of cuts only just starting to heal, was the outline of a flower.