Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Bye Bye!" 

Children left to right waved goodbye to one another as they left the kindergarten with their guardians. The teacher watched as most of the children left the school grounds with a smile on their faces making the teacher smile unconsciously at their cheeriness. 

Stretching out her arms, she took a deep breath as another day passed. With a satisfying pop in her shoulders, she went back inside to finish up cleaning and head home for the day. She was surprised to see a familiar pink-haired boy still waiting inside. He was usually one of the first to be picked up. 

"Yuuji-kun, did no one come to pick you up?" Mindlessly pushing the blocks, he sullenly shook his head. 

"I'm sure they'll be here soon. I'll wait with you until someone comes, okay?" 

Smiling at the thought that he wouldn't be alone, he nodded. Sitting beside the boy, she began playing blocks with him. Minutes passed then to hours. They were very late, and Yuuji's guardians were never late. NEVER. 

It wasn't like them. 

Even if the rare times' someone were late, they would call in, and someone else would come in place to pick up Yuuji. 

Glancing at the clock, they were 3 hours late. Not even a phone call or anything. Yuuji glanced at the door almost every half an hour, expecting someone to come for him, but no one came. 

"Yuuji-kun, I'll try and call one of your guardians, okay?" Not looking up, he nodded and stared at the now fallen blocks. Not wanting to leave him for long, she quickly hurried to the phone and began calling the first person of Yuuji's guardians. 

"Hello-"

"Ah, Kento-san-"

"You've reached Kento Nanami, please leave me a message, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Gojo-san, please do not call me nor leave me a message; I will delete it without listening." 

Beep. 

'Perhaps he's still working... let's try someone else...'

Ringing another number, she waited for the line to go through. 

"Hello, you've reached the Itadori's residence; we aren't here right now, but please leave us a message, and we'll try and get back to you.

If it isn't severe, fuck off.

Sukuna-!! Yuuji is right here!!

Oh, fuck- ah, I mean shit-! NO!

Fk? Shin??

SUK-!!" 

Beep.

Softly chuckling at the recorded message, she quickly recovered and sighed at the second failure. Humming to herself, she scanned down the book to the next person and wondered if she should even phone this person. She was warned multiple times that this person was not to be called not unless necessary and to be a last resort. 

Nobody else was answering, so this would be a good excuse as any. 

"...."

"...."

"...."

"...."

"Hiya! You reached the awesome Gojo Satoru-"

Immediately hanging up, she heavily sighed and wondered what to do. Nobody was answering; it was well after hours, the sun was slowly going down, and Yuuji needed to eat. She didn't have much choice, did she? Should she call Megumi's father or Nobara's aunt? That'll have to be a last resort if nobody comes for Yuuji. 

"Yuuji-kun? Want to get dinner with sensei?" 

"Nobody come?" Sadly smiling, she shook her head. 

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I think everyone is busy." The sadness on the poor boy's face broke her heart as tears began to well up in his eyes and small sniffles. 

"Oh, sweetheart." Gathering up the sniffling boy into her arms, she tried to calm the boy as she began to reassure him. "Sensei will yell at them for leaving our sweet Yuuji for so long."

"N-No. Don't yell. Not their fault." 

Holding back the urge to coo at his kindness, she smiled. "Yuuji is such a kind boy." 

"I want Cho-nii and Suki-nii." Biting his lower lip, he held back the urge to cry aloud as the teacher tried to console the boy. 

"I know, sweetheart. Hopefully, they'll come soon. But while we wait, why don't sensei get you some food?" 

Wiping away the stray tears, Yuuji's stomach growled right on cue. Chuckling, she asked. "How about some ice cream?" Screw food; ice cream is the best answer to cheering up a sad boy. 

"But Cho-nii said no dessert if not finish with food." 

"Our little secret, hm?" Contemplating the decision, Yuuji smiled and nodded.

"Yes!"

The two sat on a bench outside the kindergarten with ice cream in hand, watching as the sun slowly set. The teacher was worried that something may have happened, and Yuuji's mood wasn't getting any better; the ice cream only lifted his mood until he had finished it all. There was nothing left; Yuuji's mood grew worse- nobody was coming for him. 

"Sensei..."

"Yes, Yuuji-kun?"

"Cho-nii and Suki- nii not want me? Nanamin too? That why they no coming?" Tears brimmed to the edge; she quickly brought Yuuji into her arms to try and went back inside trying to calm down the distressed boy. 

"No. No, Yuuji-kun. That's not it at all. 

They are just-"

"They not come for me-!! They leave like Mama and Papa!! And Jii-chan!!" 

She remembered when she heard about Yuuji's grandfather's passing; the poor boy hadn't been himself for a few weeks. Having met the elder a few times before he passed, although he was pretty strict, it was evident that he genuinely cared for Yuuji just as the boy loved his grandfather. He had practically raised Yuuji since the day he was born. 

It was heartbreaking to see Yuuji so down- she's seen his friends; Megumi, Nobara, and Junpei, try and cheer up the poor boy, but he wouldn't respond in his cheery self. Every day when he was dropped off, he wouldn't let go of his older brother or Nanami's pants or shirt in fear they'd go away like his beloved jii-chan. It always took a lot of convincing and promised that they would always come back for him. 

Slowly but eventually, Yuuji was managed to come back to his old cheery self. Everyone was relieved; it was always much better to see Yuuji with a smile rather than in tears or fear.

Soothing the boy's back as she tried to calm his fear, a small side of her also worried that what Yuuji was saying was true. Did something happen? Perhaps an accident? Were they in the hospital? Did they not want to worry Yuuji, so they left him here? But how could they? Leave a child like this-

"YUUJI!!" 

The doors swung open, and multiple voices were heard, "YUUJI (-kun)-!!!" Gently wiping the boy's tears, the teacher sighed in relief and half-heartedly smiled at the chaos coming through the doors. 

"You are quite late." Crowding around her, multiple voices were all heard at once as Yuuji tried to stop his tears, but it just wouldn't stop. They came for him.

"Yuuji, I'm so sorry for making you wait." Gently picking the boy out of the teacher's arms, a large hand gently wiped away the falling tears. 

"N-Nanamin."

"We're here too, Yuuji-kun~" Waving at the small boy, Yuuji glanced to see a familiar pair of blue eyes. 

"G-Goyo- sensei." Cooing at the boy, another large hand ruffled the boy's head to soothe, trying to stop his tears. 

"Don't be too upset, Lil' tiger; he didn't know you were still waiting."

"That's still no excuse, Geto-san- 

Gojo-san, why did you follow me? I had told you that you weren't needed." Staring at the overly happy man, Gojo pouted at Nanami's irritation towards him.

"EH~ But I rarely get to see Yuuji-kun, and you said you were coming to pick him up. Plus, aren't you glad I did? I gave you a ride from the office-"

"My car. You took my keys as I was leaving-" Geto remarked. 

"It was a matter of life and death!!" 

"You had your car, so why take mine?" 

"Would you have driven us?"

"Hell no."

"See?!"

"If Nanami asked, sure since he had to pick up Yuuji."

Dramatically gasping, he leaned against his friend as Geto rolled his eyes and ignored Gojo's dramatics. "How could you? To your best friend nonetheless-!!"

"Nanami didn't even want you coming-"

"But I must-! I had to see Yuuji-kun. 

Right~? You missed me, right?"

"As if." Lazily ruffling Yuuji's hair, he could feel Yuuji calming down. Glancing at the boy, his tears had ceased, and small hiccups escaped him.

"Kento-san." Interrupting their bicker, Nanami faced the teacher, "Yuuji's had a long day-"

"Oh, yes. Thank you so much for staying with him. I truly apologize for this-"

"It's nothing, but may I ask why nobody came for Yuuji today?"

"Ah... Sukuna was to pick him up, but..." Heavily sighing, the teacher already knew.

Ah. He got into trouble again...

Itadori Sukuna.

She remembered when she first met Sukuna; that was quite a frightening day. She had thought she would've had her heart taken out when she first saw him. Sukuna wasn't precisely 'approachable'- he had been standing in front of the doors, looming, and the other children were much too afraid to leave. It had ended with most of the children in tears or screaming for their guardians and hiding under tables. 

Yuuji hadn't understood why everyone was in such a state as he only saw his loving older brother- if you can believe it, and believe she did. One minute he was scowling and staring down at the children as if they were mere peasants, and the next was his face-melting to a soft smile as he called out in his low voice, "Yuuji."

"Suki-nii!" Beaming with joy, Yuuji ran over to the crouching figure. "You come for me?!" Grinning, Sukuna nodded with a small smile. 

"Obviously, brat. Didn't think I'd come?" Shaking his head, he smiled wider, if that was possible. 

"Happy, Suki-nii came!" Giggling, he wrapped his arms onto Sukuna's arm. Sukuna smirked and ruffled the kid's hair for such an adorable gesture until his friends came running behind him.

"No! Yuuji!! He's a bad man; get away from bad man!" Nobara pulled the boy away from his brother and pushed him to Megumi, who tightly held his hand while Junpei held his other hand, cowering behind Nobara slightly. Yuuji tried to squirm out of their protective hold, covering him protectively around them. 

"Junpei! Nobara-!! Megumi!!! It's Suki-nii!!!" 

"Hey, you brats. What do you think you're doing...?" Glaring at the two kids, they flinched at the sudden gaze but held their ground. Nobara glared back and stuck out her tongue in defiance. 

"We won't let Yuuji near a bad man like you!" Megumi nodded, glaring at Sukuna. 

"Yeah." Junpei stayed silent as he held onto Yuuji's hand tightly.

"Why, you little-!" Gripping their heads, he began muttering curses under his breath. Trying to push his hands away, they started swinging, but to Sukuna, it just felt like flies. Yuuji began panicking, trying to calm them without noticing the children and teachers all cowering in fear. 

'They're at the entrance...'

After a few more times of meeting Sukuna, she realized a few things from the few encounters she's had with him. 

1. His expression, mannerism, and attitude are soft to Yuuji. Only Yuuji. If it was Yuuji's friend, another child, or an adult, he scowled and glared at anyone near him- all except Yuuji. 

2. He always comes half an hour to an hour early to pick up Yuuji no matter what day it is or an hour with a piece of candy in his hand. 

3. He always carries Yuuji in his arms when they leave or arrive. 

4. He seems like a troublemaker & intimidating, but he's polite when he wants to be. Be rude to him first, and he'll snap back without regret or care. 

It was amazing how many people Yuuji had wrapped around his little finger without even realizing it. 

"I truly apologize for today and thank you very much for staying with Yuuji so late."

"It's nothing; I'm just glad you came for him. I was worried about what I would have done if nobody had picked up their phones or come for him. I had thought of perhaps calling for Megumi's father or Nobara's sister-"

"Truly thank you, what can I do to-"

"It's nothing. I just hope you can perhaps let me know in advance in the future?"

"Of course." Thanking the teacher once more, Nanami turned to leave with Yuuji in his arms, but the teacher stopped him and whispered in his ear to keep Yuuji from listening. 

"Yuuji-kun was quite upset; please be extra nice to him tonight. He had thought he was all alone." Understanding, Nanami nodded and headed out to Geto and Gojo, waiting for them. 

~~

~~

Thanking Geto for the ride, Geto waved the two goodbyes while forcing Gojo to the back and drove off. Letting out a sigh, he glanced down to see Yuuji had yet to lift his head from Nanami's chest. He was upset. Sadly smiling at the silent boy, he readjusted Yuuji in his arm and headed inside. 

Opening the door, he heard multiple voices coming from the living room. It seems like they aren't done arguing as always. He closed the door and slipped off his shoes before helping with Yuuji's. 

Thinking it best to help Yuuji wash up before dinner, he made his way up the stairs and to Yuuji's room. Helping him through a quick bath and changing into his pajamas, Yuuji was silent through it all. Nanami didn't like how quiet and docile Yuuji was; by now, he would've tried making a bubble beard or declaring war by having a water fight while Nanami chuckled and chucked water onto the child. 

"Yuuji? I'm sorry you had to wait so long today. It won't happen again." Drying off his hair, Yuuji nodded. 

"Mmh..." Half-heartedly answering, Nanami brushed through Yuuji's hair.

"Yuuji."

"...." Fidgeting with his shirt, Yuuji refused to look up to Nanami. Sensei asked earlier if he was upset earlier, and he said he wasn't, but he lied. He was. He was upset, sad, and terrified... Just thinking about the long hours he had to wait, he didn't like it. Not being with his older brothers or Nanami made him think bad thoughts... 

"Yuuji? Look at me. Please?" Hearing Nanami pleads, he couldn't refuse, so he shyly peeked to see Nanami staring at him with a gentle gaze. 

"Forgive me?"

"Nanamin still want me?"

"Of course. We are family." Scooping the boy into his arms, Yuuji nuzzled into his embrace. 

"Nanamin won't go away? Like Jii-chan? Mama? Papa?"

"I can't promise that I'll always be here..." He didn't want Yuuji thinking about death at such a young age, but he can't recklessly promise he'll be with Yuuji forever, but he won't be going so soon. He'll most likely fight the grim reaper if he tries to take him away so soon. 

Yuuji's shoulders were hunched at the answer but perked up when Nanami continued, "I can promise that I won't leave Yuuji alone as long as I'm alive and I'll never abandon Yuuji to be alone."

"I love Nanamin." Wrapping his arms around Nanami's neck, Nanami smiled and nuzzled his cheek against the soft pink hair. 

"I love Yuuji-kun too. Now, shall we get some dinner? I'm sure you're starving." 

Choso and Sukuna were waiting as they set down dinner. Seeing Nanami and Yuuji, they were quick to abandon their task. "Yuuji, I'm sorry we left you so long. You must be mad."

"I'm sorry, Yuuji... I didn't think it'd take so long." Sukuna was gentler than usual, and Nanami was shocked to see such a delicate manner from him. 

"...Cho-nii and Suki-nii were late." Yuuji wasn't mad, just disappointed... okay, maybe he was a little angry, but he can't get mad at his older brothers for so long. Although it was Nanamin, who came to pick him up instead of one of his older brothers...

"I know, we're sorry." Gently grasping Yuuji's hand, Choso nuzzled it against his cheek as he apologized to the pouting boy. 

"Cho-nii and Suki-nii still keep me?" 

"Are you an idiot-? OW!! Fu-" 

"SUKUNA." Pinching Sukuna's arm, Choso darkly smiled as a warning. Sukuna cleared his throat, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his arm. 

"You're not going anywhere, nor are any of us. You're stuck with us if you like it or not." 

Choso deeply sighed. That's not how you console a child, but it seemed to do the trick for Yuuji. He was smiling as Sukuna was wiping away any stray tears. Nanami sighed; he couldn't complain because it did the trick. 

"It won't happen again, Yuuji. Promise." Sukuna lifted his pinky, and Yuuji wrapped his hand around it, smiling.

"Promise?"

"Mmh." Satisfied with Sukuna's grunt of an answer, he held out his hand to Choso. 

"Cho-nii?"

"Of course, I promise, Lil one." Pinky promising, Choso blew a small raspberry onto Yuuji's cheek, making him giggle. Nanami smiled as he readjusted Yuuji onto his hip, 

"Shall we have dinner all together?" 

"yeah!" 

Chapter Text

"Alright, class, this week's homework- please write 10 of your favorite things in this notebook." 

"Yes, ma'am~!!"

"Sensei will ask for your notebook on Friday. Any questions, anyone?"

"No~!!"

"Alright then, Class of Sunshine. Let's all pack up and say goodbye!"

"Yes, ma'am!!"

"Now then, what do we say at the end of the day?"

"Thank you for today, sensei!"

"Good work, everyone. It's time to go home now."

"Yes!!!" 

As the children finished packing up and waited for their guardian to pick them up, Yuuji opened his notebook and began writing. Megumi asked what Yuuji was doing, and he smiled, saying he was writing his first favorite thing. Haven wrote his first favorite thing; he looked up when he heard some kids yell from fright. The teacher helped the fallen kids and nervously laughed at the reason- the figure looming over them. She'll never get used to that man's dark aura...

"Suki-nii!!" Grabbing his bag and notebook, he zoomed past his teacher and ran to the looming man. The tall man's stern expression softened as he kneeled to catch the ball of excitement and smiled. 

1. My favorite thing is when Suki-nii picks me up from school and gives me candy!

"Heya brat." Lifting the child with ease, he rested him against his hip and dug into his pocket. Holding out his fist, Yuuji happily held out his hands. Opening it up, two sweets fell into Yuuji's awaiting hands. 

"Candy!! To-nii?" He meant Toge, but Sukuna smirked, knowing what he meant. (haha, I just realized it sounds like tony)

"Yeah." Sukuna poked Yuuji's nose, unwrapping the candy, and he opened up. Popping it in, Yuuji's face brightened into bliss. It was so sweet!! "Good?"

"Mmh! Nii-chan, too!" Unwrapping the last candy, Sukuna took the offered sweet. Happy, Yuuji asked his older brother if it was good. Sukuna hated sweets, but he couldn't refuse if Yuuji gave them. He tried not to scrunch his face from the unwanted sweetness. 

"Yeah..."

'Fuck, it's too sweet...' 

"Megumi. Nobara. Junpei. Sensei, bye-bye!!" Waving at the onlookers, they all waved goodbye and watched Sukuna walk away with a happy Yuuji in hand. 

"How was today?"

"Fun! I learned a new song today!"

"Mmh." 

"And! And! Junpei and me build a hugeeeee sandcastle! Megumi and Nobara added flags and stones to make it really pretty!"

"Hmm~ Guess we have to go to the beach so I can see you make that sandcastle."

"Yayy!!" Excited by the future promise of going to the beach, Yuuji's expression grew brighter. A minor thing, this precious boy seemed to bring a smile to his face, and Sukuna couldn't help but smile and feel his heart melt a little from his cuteness. He will have to ask Choso to buy that private beach they talked about the other day. Knowing how much Yuuji loves going to the beach, they had talked about purchasing a small beach or an island for Yuuji. Nanami will understand that this is a necessary purchase. 

"Can we all go together? Suki-nii, Cho-nii and Nanamin?"

"Sure. The old man would like it too if he has time."

"Yayyy!!" Ah, fuck thinking about buying the beach. He's buying them all; not like they don't have money to spare. 

Listening to the boy ramble on about his day at school, Sukuna gave the boy his undivided attention and let out a few words to show he was listening to what the boy said, along with a small ruffle on his head in praise. Yuuji couldn't help but giggle a few times.

2. My favorite thing is Cho-nii say welcome home and giving me hugs!

Arriving at home, Sukuna pulled out his keys to unlock the door, but it unlocked and opened. Welcoming them both home, Yuuji, more enthusiastically than Sukuna, Yuuji held out his arms to Choso. 

"Welcome home, Yu-chan."

"Cho-nii! I'm home! we're home!"

"Do you need to be so goddamn loud right at the entrance?" Glaring at Choso, the older man ignored Sukuna's complaining and pulled Yuuji into his arms. "Don't ignore me, you fuc-!" Slamming the door shut in his face, Sukuna clenched his teeth and muttered about hitting his face to the wall later. 

"How was school today?" 

"Cho-nii! Your hair tickles!!" Giggling as Choso's hair ticked his face, Choso continued to rub his cheek against Yuuji, earning more giggles from the small boy.

"Cho-nii!!"

"Hmmm? Did my baby brother say something?" Asking with an indifferent expression, Yuuji continued to giggle at Choso's silliness. 

"Are you hungry? Want lunch now or later? I made strawberry daifuku today."

"Yuuji should be eating lunch first before a snack, Choso."

"Nanamin!!!" Wiggling out of Choso's grasp, much to his liking, Choso let Yuuji down as he ran to the man sitting on the couch. 

3. My favorite thing is when Nanamin comes home from his long work trips!

"Hello, Yuuji. Have a good day today?" Bending to reach Yuuji's gaze, he ruffled the boy's head and smiled. 

"Mmh! When did Nanamin come back?"

"Just this morning."

"Are you staying today?"

"3 days."

"Really!?"

"Shall we go get bread together tomorrow morning?"

"Yay!!"

The backyard door slammed open as Sukuna began cussing at Choso. "CHOSO, YOU FUCKER. YOU SWAP THE KEYS WITH THE OLD SET! I COULDN'T OPEN THE DOOR!!" 

"Huh? Why'd you take the old keys? Are you an idiot?"

'That's what you get for taking my turn in picking up Yuuji from school today.'

"You-!"

"Sukuna." 

'Ah fuck... the old man was home.'

"Didn't I say you should be careful what you say around Yuuji." 

Choso was snickering at Sukuna cowering under Nanami's gaze, but that was soon directed to him. "Choso."

'Ah. Shit...' 

~~

~~

4. My favorite thing is calling out my friends to play.

"Be careful as you get out, Yuuji."

"M'kay, Nanamin." Opening the car door, Yuuji ran over to their first stop and rang the doorbell. The large gates opened, and a tall tired-looking man opened the door to a smiling Yuuji. Toji yawned and welcomed the small boy. Turning around to call out to his son, Yuuji tugged the hem of his pants to stop him and called him out. 

"MEGUMI, COME OUT AND PLAY."

"You don't have to yell; I'm here." Toji stared at his son and back at the door. How in the hell did he get here so fast, and he's all dressed. Was he already expecting Yuuji to come? 

"Papa, I'm going out." Chuckling, he ruffled his son's hair and told the two to have fun and be careful. Waving at Nanami, he nodded in acknowledgment and drove off with the two boys to their next destination. 

Another large house came into view, and outside was Maki sweeping away the fallen cherry blossom petals. Hearing a car pull up, she looked up to see the familiar faces and smiled. Opening the door, she said hello to the two boys before making small talk with Nanami. Rushing into the open gates, they peeked inside to see Nobara talking with her other sister Mai. 

Taking a deep breath, the two boys shouted. "NOBARA, COME OUT TO PLAY!!"

Hearing their voices, they saw a glimpse of her smiling before returning to her irritated expression and rushing out to meet the boys. 

"BE QUIET. I'M OUTSIDE."

"Hurry up, Nobara, we need to pick up Junpei!" 

"I'm coming! Don't pull- Megumi, stop pushing me!!" Hurrying back into the car, Maki chuckled and waved bye to the children and Nanami.

At their last stop, Nobara opened the car window, and the three of them poked their heads out with a grin. One last deep breath, they shouted to the house in front of them. 

"JUNPEI!!! COME OUT TO PLAY!!"

"Kids, you'll disturb the neighbors." Giggling, they said a quick sorry and saw Junpei poking his head out the door with his mother chuckling at the kids. 

"Junpei!! Come on!! Let's go!!" Yuuji waved to the hesitant child.

"C-Coming!"

~~

~~

5. My favorite thing is when Suki-nii's friends give me sweets!

"Guess who??"

"Ah! Hmm? Who??" It was a familiar voice; he knew he'd heard it a few times before. Thinking hard as he let out a loud hmm, chuckles could be heard around him. There was more than one person? 

"Still don't know, Yuuji?" Ah, he felt cold metal on his eyelid. It felt smooth and thin, oh! It was a ring. Only one person wore a ring that he knew. 

"Yuta-nii!"

"That's right! How'd you know, you smart cookie?" Giggling at Yuta's praise, he smothered the small boy with a hug and held out a small package.

"For me?"

"Open it up." Opening the small package, he smiled. It was a tiger-shaped bun.

"Tiger!!"

"Right again." Ruffling his hair, Yuta smiled to see Yuuji so happy. 

"Thank you, Yuta-nii!"

"I'll bring something better next time."

"No! I like this."

"I'm glad." 

"Yuuji, we're here too." 

"Maki nee-chan!" Maki smiled as she appeared next to Yuta and held up a small bag. 

"Nobara said you liked the cookies you ate together. I brought more."

"Yayyyy!! Thank you!! Maki nee-chan is the best!" 

"Yuuji." Startled by Toge's sudden appearance, Yuuji held his breath for a moment and turned to see Toge sitting next to him.

"T-To nii."

"Mmh." Holding his fist, Yuuji held out his hands, and a slight rainfall of candy fell into his palms. It fell into his lap and couch, overflowing out of his tiny palms. "For you."

"Thank you!!" Delighted with all the sweets, Sukuna poked the back of his head. 

"Don't eat too many before lunch. Choso will get annoying, saying you have no appetite. Eat only one of each."

"Okay!!"

~~

~~

6. My favorite thing is Nanamin always reads to me before I sleep.

"Alright, brat, come on. Time for bed." Nodding off the couch, Sukuna pulled the sleepy boy into his arms and went upstairs to lay him in bed. Choso turned off the lights and checked the doors and windows before following the two boys.

"I'm gonna leave the nightlight on." Tucking Yuuji into bed, he pulled out the tablet on his desk and began calling. 

"No story?" Yuuji slurred. Sukuna ruffled his hair and asked to be patient as he waited for the person on the other side of the line to pick him up. "Just gimme a second, Yuuji." 

"He's probably asleep. Nanami's had overtime for the past three days." Whispering to Sukuna, Choso locked the windows and closed the curtains across from Yuuji's bed. 

"I don't understand how the boss can have over time." 

"Gojo."

"...ah." 

A grouchy Nanami was never any fun, and Sukuna will never admit it, but it scared the hell out of him when he pissed off Nanami when he hadn't slept well and worked overtime for over a week. Deciding it best to end the call, he set the tablet down and reached to pick up the book. 

"I'll read tonight."

"But Nanamin always reads to me..." 

"I can read better than Sukuna, Yu-chan. Do you want Cho-nii to read to you?"

"Piss off. You always make those ridiculous sounds-"

"Huh? You say something about my reading, brat?" The two boys glared and cussed at one another without realizing the tablet was buzzing. Yuuji sleepily pulled the tablet into his lap and accepted the call.

"Nanamin-!" Mustering up all his energy, Yuuji smiled at Nanami on screen. 

"I'm sorry I'm late tonight, Yuuji. You must've been waiting."

"It's okay. Nanami is busy."

"Yes, but I promised to read before you go to sleep."

"Nanamin looks tired..." Yuuji hated when Nanami looked tired during his calls or came back home with dark circles under his eyes. He always said he was fine, but he didn't look fine. "Nanamin should sleep."

"That's kind of you, Yuuji, but the one who needs to go to sleep is you. Now then, where were we in our story?" 

"But Nanamin..." 

"I can read tonight, old man. You should get some shut-eye while you can." 

"You do look terrible, Nanami-san." 

"I'll be fine. Shouldn't you two be studying?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're leaving."

"Yu-chan, we're right next door, alright? I'll come back to check on you."

"Night night." 

"Night. Night Nanami-san."

"Good night, Sukuna. Choso." Leaving the door open ajar and turning on the string light around Yuuji's room, they left Yuuji with Nanami. 

"Now then. Long ago in a faraway land-"

In less than half an hour, Yuuji was knocked out, and Choso had come in to take the tablet away from Yuuji's hands and tuck him in again. Telling Nanami that Yuuji was asleep, he placed a bookmark and stopped reading. 

"I know; I was just waiting for you to end the call for him."

"You should get some sleep Nanami-san."

"I'm going to sleep till noon." Stretching out his tense shoulders, he yawned. "Perhaps the entire day."

"You should've just let one of us read to Yuuji."

"Yes, but I promised I'd always read to him before he slept."

~~

~~

7. My favorite thing is Kiyo-san plays with me when Nanamin is busy

Swinging his legs, Yuuji was coloring in a tree. Scattered across the table were colored-in pictures, colored pencils, pens, and paper strips. Yuuji was in Nanami's office waiting for Nanami to finish with his meetings, he had been called in, and it was a matter he couldn't let anyone else handle. Promising Yuuji ramen for dinner, he said he'll be gone for about an hour and left him with his assistant, Kiyotaka Ijichi. He's met Kiyo-san many times before, so Yuuji was happy to see him again. 

"Yuuji-kun, shall we try coloring this tiger?"

"Tiger! Tiger goes rawr." Holding out his hands into a claw motion, he roared. Ijichi thought his heart stopped at how adorable Yuuji was. He'd make such a cute cub. Speaking of tigers... maybe Yuuji would be interested in origami?

"Shall I teach you how to make a tiger origami?" 

"Really?! Show me! Show me, Kiyo-san!!" Grabbing the colored papers, Ijichi cut them into four equal squares. Cutting a bunch and dividing it between them, he started with the first paper square. 

"Alright. Shall we make tigers?"

"Tigers!!" Folding the paper with practiced ease, Yuuji watched in fascination. After many folds later, Ijichi smiled and held up the finished product. A standing tiger. 

"W-WOAHHHH!!!! SO COOL!!"

"Do you like it?"

"Can Kiyo-san make other things too?"

"I'm sure I can make whatever you want." Smiling as Yuuji's eyes sparkled, he stammered, wondering what he should ask Ijichi to make next.

"U-Uhm sw- no. Bun...mmh wolf? UHMMMMMM."

"We can make them one by one." 

In the end, Ijichi practically made an origami zoo, and Yuuji was so happy that he asked if he could keep them. Ijichi was more than happy to give the boy the origami animals. 

"It's so pretty!"

"Do you want to learn, Yuuji?"

"B-But it looks hard."

"You'd only need practice. But why don't we start with an easy one? This swan." 

"I can make it too?"

"Of course. Don't you want to learn?"

"I do!! I do!!" 

Many failed attempts later, Yuuji had made a somewhat decent swan- although the wings were crooked, but we won't tell him that- Ijichi applauded his hard work. 

"It looks perfect. Good job, Yuuji."

"I-I did it!! Yayyy!!"

"Yuuji. Time to go home now-"

"Nanamin!! Nanamin!! Look!!" Running with his swan held above his head, he wanted to show Nanami the swan he learned to make. 

"Yuuji, don't run with your hands above your head; you'll get hurt. Oh. A swan. It's beautiful."

"Really? You think so??"

"You did a good job." Patting his head, Yuuji couldn't help but smile at the praise. It was always different hearing praise from Nanamin and his older brothers. "I promised to buy you ramen for dinner, right?"

"Ramen! Dinner!!" Pulling the boy into his arms, he nodded. "Ah! Nanamin, wait!" Pulling on the man's jacket to stop him from walking, Nanami asked what was wrong. Poking his head over Nanami's shoulder, he called to Ijichi.

"Kiyo-san! Thank you for playing with me today!" Nanami was so proud. Ijichi smiled and nodded.

"Any time, Yuuji-kun. I'll keep these in a safe place and give them to you another day, okay?"

"Yes!! Thank you!!" Waving goodbye to the secretary, Nanami bid him and the other employees goodnight as they left the building. Glancing down to see Yuuji happily smiling at the swan he made, Nanami couldn't help a smile grow on his face.

"Shall we get some strawberry daifuku before heading home?"

"Yayy!!! Oh, and coffee jelly for Cho-nii!" 

Ah, by curses, his boy was too thoughtful.  

~~

~~

8. My favorite thing is Hiromin giving me shoulder ride!

"Up we go!"

"Wheee!!" 

"Don't let go, Yuuji." Nanami warned as he held out his hand if Yuuji lost his balance. Even with Hiromi's hands holding Yuuji's feet, he felt uneasy.

"You worry too much. I'm not Gojo." 

"Hiromin! Can I hold your hammer?"

"Knock yourself out, kiddo." Grabbing his gavel, he held it up to Yuuji. Holding the wooden gavel in his tiny hands, Yuuji's face lit up as he held it up. 

"I am judge! Fear me!!" Hiromi started laughing at how adorable Yuuji was. He'd be willing to give the boy his prized gavel. 

"You don't look like you've slept."

"The life of a lawyer. I should be saying the same thing about you." Pointing out each other's dark circles, Nanami heavily sighed. Taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose, he mentally swatted away the past few days of overtime he had. That sigh said it all; it sounds like Gojo is the reason for overtime.

"Wow... he's that annoying?"

"Don't act like you don't know." 

Nanami sure is prickly when he's exhausted; asking anymore would probably end badly for him. "Ah... Yuuji, shall we go a little faster? Hold on tight." Tightening his grasp on Yuuji's legs, he started to make a run for it. 

"Go, go, Hiromin!!" 

"Hiromi, don't you dare drop Yuuji!" 

"Oh! Hiromin, it's Goyo sensei and Geto!!" 

"Hmmm? Ack... it is."

~~

~~

9. My favorite thing is seeing Goyo-sensei and Geto!

Familiar white hair and black round sunglasses. Yuuji can tell who that was; it's not like he knew many people with those descriptions. "Goyo-sensei!!! Geto!!" 

"Hmm?" Perking up at the sound of his name being called, Gojo's face lit up as he saw the pink tufts coming toward his way. It was Yuuji-kun~!!! What luck! Nanami wouldn't let him visit for the past few weeks; what did he do to deserve such punishment? The absolute devastation!!

"Oh?? It's Yuuji-kun~~!" 

"And Hiromi." 

"Nice to see you, Gojo..." The lack of sincerity was apparent, but Gojo laughed it off as he smiled and waved at the two. 

"Hiromi-san, it's been so long, haha. Oh! Should I be saying Hiromin~"

"Only Yuuji can call me that. Don't call me that." 

"Eh~ You're no fun. Yuuji-kun! Did you miss me? I missed you!!" Holding out his arms to hug Yuuji, Hiromi pulled away from Gojo's grasp and walked over to Geto.

"Why is Hiromi being so stingy???" Pitying himself, Hiromi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Gojo's dramatics. Ever so, the drama queen. 

"What are you doing with Yuuji?" Geto asked, ruffling the boy's hair; Yuuji smiled at the man's affection. 

"I just happened to meet up with Nanami. Why are you still hanging around this fool?" 

Geto shrugged and mumbled about, unfortunately, being friends. "Goyo-sensei!"

"Yuuji-kun!!" These two were such matching energy. Hiromi finally let Gojo take Yuuji, and he was squeezing Yuuji like a teddy bear. Hiromi felt he should maybe take Yuuji back before Gojo kills the boy. 

"Yuuji-kun, who's the strongest?"

"Goyo-sensei!"

"Who's the greatest sensei?"

"Goyo-sensei!"

"What the hell did you teach him..." Geto and Hiromi were sure Gojo's narcissism was growing by the day. The audacity to teach Yuuji such a thing. 

"Please stop teaching Yuuji weird things." Nanami had joined the group. Gojo grinned, nuzzling against Yuuji's cheek. 

"What do you mean? Yuuji is just telling the truth~."

"I'm gonna bash his brain with my gavel."

"Yuuji-kun?"

"Yes?!" Raising his hand to answer Gojo, the man smiled. 

"Who is your favorite person in the world?"

"NANAMIN!!" 

"Wha-"

"You didn't think you'd win that, did you?" Geto laughed at Gojo's misery. Nanami smiled, pulling Yuuji into his arms. Thanking the boy for thinking so highly of him, Yuuji only smiled and wrapped his arms around Nanami's neck. 

~~

~~

10. My favorite thing is...

There were so many things Yuuji favored and loved, but if there were anything that he said was his favorite out of this entire world, it'd have to be his family. 

But I think that's pretty self-explanatory, but if you want a reason... it'd have to be a specific incident that made Yuuji realize how much he loves and is loved by his family. 

That's for another chapter :3

Chapter Text

9 am

Changing the time on his watch again, Nanami heavily sighed. It's been a hectic two days; he's been up for most of it and barely got any shut-eye for 5 hours. Everything was taken care of. He had gone overseas to meet with a client and work out some paperwork; postponed meetings were all done and dealt with during his trip back home to Japan, the stack of paperwork back at his office had been narrowed down to a few sheets of paper he only needed to sign thanks to Ijichi. 

Now all he needed was to check up on the Itadori boys, read over the new documents in his hand, and he could go back home to rest for the next few days. 

"We'll be arriving in about half an hour, Nanami-san. Why not try and take a nap?" Looking at the rearview mirror, Ijichi saw Nanami crane his neck. 

"Thank you, Ijichi, but I'll pass on the nap. I need to finish reading these." Holding up the papers in his hand, he removed his glasses and returned to the documents. 

"You look like you can use some sleep, though."

"I'll be fine. It's not the first time." Thanking Ijichi for his concern, he continued to read. He was pretty tired, but it didn't stop him from being productive. 

Not wanting to push anymore, Ijichi focused back on driving. 

Luckily traffic was minimal, so they arrived 10 minutes early.

"Thank you, Ijichi. You needn't come back to get me; I'll take the train back home later tonight."

"Yes, sir. Shall I take the documents and leave them on your desk for next week?"

"Yes, and I'll sign everything I need when I come back next week."

"Understood. I'll be on standby if you change your mind about the ride. You look like you'll pass out soon."

"I'll stay with the boys for the night if I can't get home." Chuckling at Ijichi's concern, he thanked him for his hard work today and tapped the car's hood to have him going. Nanami may have finished most of his work, but Ijichi still had much paperwork he needed to finish back in the office. The goddamn never-ending paperwork.

"I'll see you next week, Nanami-san."

"Safe driving." Driving away, Nanami took a moment to stretch out his tense body and let out a deep sigh. Looking at his watch again, he wondered if the boys would be up by now. They tended to sleep in during days they had nothing to do, but Yuuji might've been awake by now.  

Unlocking the door, he headed inside, and just as predicted. He saw Yuuji dragging his tiger plush down the stairs, still half-asleep. Rubbing his eyes and yawning, he lazily walked down the stairs, barely noticing Nanami coming toward him.

"Morning Yuuji."

"Hm...? Oh! It's Nanamin!" Lazily smiling at the man, Nanami picked up Yuuji and walked to the living room. Brushing away the cowlicks on his head, Yuuji smiled and yawned again, trying to fight his drowsiness.

"Is Nanamin staying?"

"No, I came to see you and your brothers. I'm leaving after I tuck you back in at night."

"Noooo~ Nanamin stayyyy~!" Wrapping his arms around Nanami's neck, he puffed up his cheeks. "I didn't see Nanamin for a long time!"

Nanami chuckled. Yuuji was being dramatic. "It was only a week."

"That's long!"

"Seems like you're awake now." Gently pulling him away, Yuuji pulled back to stare at Nanami with his pout. The pout didn't last long when he saw Nanami's face. 

"Nanamin not sleep?"

"I'm alright. I'll sleep when I go home."

"Nanamin needs naps!!"

"Naps are for you, Yuuji-kun. I need sleep."

"Nanamin will feel better after naps!" Setting the boy down on the couch, he let loose his necktie and slipped off his jacket to place on the sofa. Rolling up his sleeves, he headed to the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge and cabinets. 

"Yuuji, what do you think about waffles?"

"I want!!" Sliding off the couch, he ran to Nanami.

"Juice or milk?"

"Milk! I wanna be big boy!!" Chuckling, Nanami poured a glass of milk, and Yuuji happily drank the offered beverage. Drinking it to the last drop, he let out a satisfied sigh and handed the glass back to Nanami. 

"Why don't you wake up your brothers? I'll be done when you all come down."

"Okay!!" Running to the couch, he grabbed his tiger and held it up to Nanami. "Tora-san will keep Nanami company!"

Holding up the tiger's paw as he agreed, Yuuji petted Tora-san's head and set it on the dining room table. Yelling he'll be right back to his tiger plush and Nanami, he disappeared up the stairs as Nanami stared at the plush. Smiling at the prized stuffed animal, he went back to work. 

"Hope you're doing your job and keeping the nightmares away for Yuuji, Tora-san." Coincidentally, the tiger's body shifted to lie across its stomach and stared at Nanami as if replying to his statement with yes. A small chuckle escaped him at the coincidence, but he thought nothing of it. 

Waiting for the waffles to cook, he heard a sudden thump upstairs. It seems like Sukuna was up. The other two Itadori boys came downstairs to join him a moment later. Sukuna yawned as he took a seat and muttered about getting revenge on Choso later. Choso must've thrown him out of bed again... these brats.

"Nanamin, I bring everyone!"

"Good job, Yuuji."  

"I thought you were coming tomorrow, old man."

"My client was cooperative, so things ended earlier." Placing down the plates of waffles, Choso helped grab the plates and utensils. "Yuuji, do you want strawberry or blueberry syrup?"

"Strawberry!!" Sukuna poured the syrup and cut the waffle into small bite-size pieces for Yuuji. Stabbing a cut piece, he held it to Yuuji's mouth, who happily ate it. 

"Are you staying?" Choso asked, pouring coffee for the three of them. 

"Only till tonight." Pushing the syrups to the boys, they nodded. "Are you still going to continue your part-time job, Choso?"

"Only till next month, you needn't worry. I'm doing well in my studies."

"I know, just don't exert yourself. You are busy enough with your studies, clubs, and taking care of Yuuji." 

"I have this furball, so I'm alright." Smiling as he pointed to Sukuna, Nanami turned to Sukuna, asking how school was and if he's gotten into any trouble lately. Clicking his tongue, he chewed on the waffle as he answered.

"Nothing major, classes, are all easy, my grades are all straight A's if that's what you're worried about."

"Sukuna. You know what's not what I'm asking." Changing his tune a little more serious, Sukuna stared at Nanami and back at Yuuji, who stared at his brother, naive to the subject at hand. Feeding Yuuji another piece, he calmly answered.

"I handled it. Just some stupid pests who were sore losers."

"I don't mind you getting into trouble, but don't bring your fights home or near Yuuji. Understood?"

"I know old man, tsk. You don't need to remind me every time."

"But it's good to know you are doing well. No injuries?"

"I'm not weak-"

"Sukuna, I know you're not weak. I'm asking if you are alright?" A tiny blush appeared on Sukuna's face, he knew Nanami meant well, but it was still embarrassing when he asked things like he was a child. The child was Yuuji, damnit. 

Choso found this highly amusing but was also glad that Nanami was their guardian and Yuuji's godfather. Although they'll never say it out loud, more of Sukuna than Choso, Nanami was like their substitute father figure, and they were glad they had such a good guardian like him. 

"Any of you have a girlfriend or boyfriend?" Sukuna and Choso choked on their coffees and began coughing while Nanami calmly ate and waited for them to answer.

"What the hell, old man?! That's not breakfast talk! Stop it!"

"Nanami-san, why are you asking something like that suddenly???" 

"Merely a question. Unless you both aren't ready to tell me who-"

"Nobody! No one!! Geez, why are you asking such a thing??" Sukuan's face scrunched at the question as shivers ran down his spine. 

"No, Sukuna nor I have someone like that. I'm too busy with school and Yuuji." Choso wiped the coffee stains on the table as Sukuna repoured their cups with coffee. 

"Not interested. Sounds annoying." Sukuna agreed. 

"Alright. I won't ask anymore." The two brothers sighed in relief. They all continued with their breakfast as Nanami kept up to date with Choso's and Sukuna's lives; Yuuji stared at Nanami the entire time. 

Choso and Sukuna took care of clearing the table and told Nanami to go rest, he looked like the undead, but he insisted he was fine. Deciding to look around the house to see if they needed anything, he began scanning around the rooms as the boys finished up the dishes. Luckily Choso was quite the perfectionist because of Yuuji, so everything was out of harm's way to the boy, and stocked up on what they needed- everything but the grocery. 

Closing the fridge door, Nanami announced he was going out to get groceries for the boys, but they were quick to stop the man. 

"I'll go! I don't want to be called about you passing out on the streets!" Pulling Nanami away from the hallway and back to the living room, he yelled at Choso to hurry up. 

"I was going to go later in the day, so you don't need to worry about that, Nanami."

"I can drive-"

"No, you stay and watch Yuuji. We'll be back." Sukuna ordered and grabbed the keys tossing them to Choso. 

"Rest, Nanami. We'll be quick."

"Don't let Sukuna argue about deals again." Nanami sighed as he watched them leave.

"It was 'buy one get one!' I was going to get my free pork belly pack!!!" That boy and his priorities. 

"Alright, we're leaving!!" 

Glancing at his watch, it's only been 2 hours since he came. He's caught up in the boys' lives- well, from what they shared and checked their house to see everything was in order. All he had left was to spend some time with Yuuji before heading home. 

"Nanamin!" Turning around, Yuuji beamed at him and held up a fake stethoscope. "Doctor!" 

Crouching down, he fixed the crooked stethoscope around his neck. "Oh? Are we playing make-believe?" 

"Yes! I'm doctor. Nanamin is sick person!" 

"Patient."

"Patient!" 

"I hadn't realized I was ill, Doctor Itadori-kun." Giggling, he grabbed Nanami's pinky and urged him to follow him to the emergency room. Nanami smiled and allowed himself to be dragged off for a check-up. 

Laying down on the couch, Yuuji stood beside him on a tower of cushions and leaned his ear against Nanami's chest. Nanami couldn't help but chuckle. What use was the stethoscope around his neck if he was going to listen to his heartbeat directly?

"mmh! Nanamin sounds healthy!"

"I'm glad." 

"But!!"

"Oh no. That doesn't sound good." Yuuji puffed up his chest as he folded his arms, looking serious; Nanami tried not to laugh aloud. 

"You have a serious ill!"

"What is it, doctor-kun?"

"Nanamin needs to do this fast!"

"What is it?"

"NAP!"

"..."

"..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"NAP! Nanamin cure is naps!" Taking off the stethoscope, he pulled Tora-san, thrusting it to Nanami's face. "Tora-san will help Nanamin when you sleep!" 

"That's kind of you, Yuuji, but I need to be watching you-"

"No! Nanamin needs naps!"

"Yuuji-"

"NAP."

"Very well. But may I read before sleeping?"

"Then Nap?"

"Then Nap."

"Okay! I'll get Nanamin's book!" Thanking the boy, Yuuji ran off to Nanami's room to grab a book for him. Sitting up, he relaxed on the couch until his phone rang. Grabbing his phone, the caller ID was one of the hospital numbers saved on his phone. Picking it up, he was greeted by a nurse. 

"Hello, is this Nanami-san?"

"This is."

"Ah, good morning, Nanami-san. I just wanted to call about the upcoming check-up for your ward, Itadori Yuuji-kun."

"Ah, I had nearly forgotten. When is it, again?" Right, it was nearly time for his check-up again. Thank goodness she called to remind him.

"Next Tuesday. Will you be able to come in that day?"

"Yes. What time should we come in?"

"We have an opening at 10 am, 11 am, and 4 pm. What time would you like to come in?" 

"10 am should be fine."

"Alright. Please make sure Yuuji-kun doesn't eat or drink anything the night before, but drinking only water will be fine."

"Understood, we'll be seeing you next Tuesday at 10 am."

"Very good. Have a nice day, Nanami-san."

"You as well." Ending the call, he immediately made a reminder on his calendar. He'll have to mark the house calendar and remind the boys. 

"I brought book, Nanamin!" 

"Thank you, Yuuji." Patting his head, Yuuji smiled as he held up his book. "Will you be reading with me?"

"Mmh! Me and Tora-san are keeping Nanamin company!" Pulling Yuuji up to the couch, the two sat together in silence and read their books, but it didn't take long for one of them to fall asleep. 

"Nanamin, how do you say this word? Nanamin??" Crawling to Nanami, he pulled himself to see over his knees; Yuuji grinned. Nanami was asleep. Sliding off the couch, he grabbed the folded blanket on the coffee table and climbed back up with a bit of difficulty. Doing his best to cover Nanami with the blanket, he held the book and pushed it to the other end of the couch. 

Happy with Nanami finally taking a nap, Yuuji stared at Nanami and yawned. Maybe he should take a nap too...

"Nanami-san! Yu-chan, we're back!" Choso called out as he closed the door but was met with silence. 

"The old man finally knocked out?" 

"Maybe they're playing a game or watching a movie." Grabbing their bags of groceries inside, they walked into the kitchen to put everything away. Sukuna heard soft snoring and figured it was Nanami, but when he peeked over the couch, he took out his phone and snapped a pic. This was pretty cute.

"Choso."

"Yeah?"

"Look."

"What?"

"Get over here." Why can't he just come the moment he calls? So damn annoying.

Walking over with a sigh, he asks what he wants, and Sukuna shoves his face to look down at the couch. Choso was quick to take out his phone and take pictures like Sukuna. 

"Yu-chan is adorable~!!" 

"Think this is the first time I'm seeing the old man relaxed."

Curled up beside Nanami was Yuuji sucking his thumb as Nanami's arm was protectively wrapped over Yuuji's head. Naptime was a success. Good job, Yuuji!

Sidenote: Nanami slept until the following day and regretted sleeping on the couch. His back and shoulders were in pain, but he was ever so grateful for Yuuji forcing him to take a nap. 

Chapter Text

"Suki-nii..." 

"I'll buy you Katsudon after your check-up. It won't take long, okay? And try to stop scratching your chest, you'll bleed again." Pulling away the boy's hand from his shirt, Yuuji began to pout.  

"Mmh..." 

Yuuji was tired and hungry. He never liked his check-ups, even if Nanamin told him that they were necessary for his health. He always had to starve the night before, only drink water, and skip going to daycare. He can't see his friends! This is no fun!!

Sitting in Sukuna's lap, he leaned against his chest pouting. He wanted food and to go home. He didn't like the hospital, no matter how many times he came here. 

"Itadori Yuuji?" A nurse came out, calling out Yuuji's name, and Sukuna stood up with Yuuji in his arms. 

"Here." 

"Nice to see you again, Sukuna-kun." The nurse smiled as Sukuna replied a hello, nonchalantly. Seeing Yuuji pouting, she chuckled, "I promise we'll be quick this time, Yuuji-kun."

"Mmh." Not believing the nurse, he nodded nonetheless. 

"Is it just you today, Sukuna-kun?" 

"Choso has an exam today, and the old man should be here-"

"Oh, there he is now." The nurse saw Nanami walking out of the elevator. Calling the man over, he apologized for being late, but the nurse shook her head, saying she had just called them. Guiding them to the doctor's office, they were greeted by Yuuji's pediatrician, Shoko Ieiri. 

"Hello, Yuuji-chan."

"Hewwo I-sensei..." Mumbling his greetings to the doctor, she chuckled as the Sukuna and Nanami took a seat.

"Yuuji, you shouldn't mumble when you greet someone. Come on." Puffing up his cheeks more in defiance, he bowed his head and started the greeting again in a clearer voice but not hiding his dislike for being here. 

"Hello, I-sensei."

"Thank you, Yuuji-chan. I promise it'll go by fast, okay?" Promising the pouting boy, he nodded. "Shall we get started?" Nanami sighed and pinched Yuuji's nose for the attitude; Yuuji yelped at the sudden punishment pouting again. 

Sukuna placed Yuuji down on the ground, and the nurse asked him to follow her to get the regular exams done. Ieiri typed on her keyboard and brought out Yuuji's file before speaking, "How is Yuuji-chan? Anything you're concerned about?"

"Nothing out of the usual." Nanami started; Ieiri nodded, typing notes.

"Any discomfort? Physically?"

"He's doing alright, he doesn't have nightmares as often anymore, and he's able to eat properly now." Sukuna added on as Ieiri continued to write her notes. Continuing the Q&A's for a few more minutes, the nurse has returned with Yuuji back into the office. 

"We're all done here, Shoko-sensei."

"Thank you, Tina-san. Yuuji-chan, can I see the scar? Just two more tests, and we'll be done, okay?

"No needles?"

"No needles today." Promising, she held up her pinky, and Yuuji happily grabbed it. 

"Okay!" Helping the boy take off his jacket and shirt, Nanami took the discarded clothing as Ieiri began examining the vivid scar on Yuuji's chest. A straight line was starting from the middle of his collar bone down to right above the ribs. 

"The scar is healing up nicely." Happy with the slow progress, she asked Yuuji to take a deep breath in and out, taking out her stethoscope. 

"Does it hurt Yuuji?"

"No." 

"Any itching?" Noticing the redness around the scar, he nodded. 

"Mmh, sometimes." After a few pokes around the scar and his ribs, the examination was done. 

"All done! Good job, Yuuji-kun. See? It went by fast today, right?" Stroking the boy's head for his patience, he smiled and nodded. Sukuna helped Yuuji put his shirt and jacket back on. 

"Everything seems to be going well. I don't see anything wrong, and the scar is healing up nicely. My only comment is to put more moisturizer around the scar; it'll reduce Yuuji's itchiness and discomfort. Also, you should continue to have the scar covered up and apply an ointment I'll prescribe you." Writing a quick prescription, she handed it to Nanami. 

"Is that all?"

"That's right. I'll see you and Yuuji-kun in his next check-up." 

"Alright, thank you, Ieiri-san."

"I'm glad that Yuuji-kun is healing."

"Yes..." 

"See you next time, Yuuji-kun. And don't hesitate to call if you are concerned about anything for regarding Yuuji." Thanking the doctor again, the nurse and doctor waved at the happy boy. Waving back, he smiled. 

"Bye-bye!" Leaving in Sukuna's arms, Nanami checked his watch. He still had an hour and a half before his meeting.

"Nanamin~ I'm hungry~." 

"Shall we get that Katsudon, Sukuna promised you?" 

"Katsudon! Yay!!!" Happy to finally have food in his stomach, Sukuna ruffled Yuuji's hair to stop him from squirming. Heading down to the garage, they got into Nanami's car and drove off. 

"Choso should be done with his exams in about half an hour. Can you wait a little longer, Yuuji?" Nanami asked as Sukuna was already texting Choso.

"Eat with Cho-nii? Mmh... I can wait." Holding up his fist, he was determined he could hold in his hunger for a little longer. He wanted to eat with everyone. Nanami smiled at Yuuji and promised he'll buy him ice cream afterward. Yuuji was ecstatic; he hoped Choso's exams finished quicker.

Breaking the sudden silence with random questions to his brother, they began chatting about random topics, and Nanami listened with a small smile. He stopped at a red light and glanced at the rearview mirror and saw Yuuji's scar peeking out. 

"CHOSO! SUKUNA!!!" 

"Old man? What are you doing here? Weren't you going to Kyoto?" 

"Nanami-san, what are you-"

"Come with me. Now!"

"What-"

"It's your parents and Yuuji. T-There was an accident... Y-Yuuji is in surgery."

The light turned green, and Nanami drove on as he shook away the painful memory. It was okay, Yuuji was here. He wasn't on the operating table struggling for his life. He's here. 

~~

~~

"Yuuji, you're spilling." 

"Mmh?" Looking up at Nanami with his mouth full of katsudon, Choso chuckled and wiped the stray rice grains stuck around his mouth. 

"Such a messy Lil tiger." Giggling, Yuuji grinned and continued to eat. 

"How'd you think you did on your exams?" 

"I should pass. I don't expect a perfect score, but one can hope." Shrugging, Nanami smiled as Sukuna rolled his eyes. Choso would always say he didn't expect much, but he always got a perfect score, and Sukuna got annoyed when Choso got so smug about it. Yuuji would praise his big brother, saying he's so intelligent, Choso would never let Sukuna live it down if he didn't get a perfect score as he did. How the hell are you supposed to compare a high schooler and college student exams?? Such a fucking idiot.

"Oi brat, stop scratching it." Grabbing Yuuji's hand, he stopped the boy from unconsciously continuing. 

"Mmh.. but it tickles..." Squirming in his seat, he pouted, saying how itchy it was. Choso suggested they stop by the pharmacy or the convenience store before heading home. 

Asking for the check, Nanami pulled out his wallet as Choso helped Yuuji finish the last few bites of his food. Sukuna stared at the chuckling boy; he preferred Yuuji like this. Smiling. Healthy. He remembers seeing a glance of Yuuji's body being wheeled into the OR and then seeing his slow-breathing body hooked up to so many machines trying to fight his injury. He was practically drowning in bandages and battered in bruises and cuts. 

'What do you mean to prepare our hearts?! YOU'RE A FUCKING DOCTOR!!! SAVE YUUJI!!'

'Sukuna... shut up...'

'DON'T YOU DARE TELL US TO PREPARE OUR HEARTS!!! HE'S ONLY A BABY!! HOW COULD YOU FUCKING TELL US THAT-?!'

'SUKUNA!!! ENOUGH!!' 

'Choso. Sukuna. Don't yell at the doctor; he's doing his best-'

'FUCK HIS BEST!! HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO-! HE- HE SHOULD... Yuuji is only a baby, damnit...'

"Yuuji."

"Mmh?"

Staring at Sukuna with his cheeks filled with the last bite of his lunch, Sukuna chuckled. "Such a brat."

"Wha-?! I'm not a brat Suki-nii!!" Ignoring the boy's whines, Sukuna ruffled his hair and smirked. 

"Yeah, you are."

"Suki-nii!!!!"

~~

~~

Dropping the boys off, Nanami said he'd be coming tomorrow morning, and they can get breakfast. Sukuna waved off Nanami with a carefree, yes, not caring if they went out or not, as he took Yuuji inside the house. Squirming out of his brother's grasp, he poked his head over Sukuna's shoulder and waved bye and have a good day to Nanami. Waving bye to the boy, Nanami turned to Choso, reminding him about the ointments he needed to apply to Yuuji's scar. 

"I know, Nanami-san. You can leave the rest to me."

"Don't stay up all night again. Go to sleep early."

"You needn't treat me like a child anymore, Nanami-san." Waving off the nagging reminder, Nanami smiled and rolled up his window. With a short wave, he drove off back to work. 

Sighing, Choso rolled his shoulders and headed inside. 

Starting on the usual chores around the house; the sunny skies had rolled away to the night sky. It was time for bed. 

"Yu-chan! Time for bed!" Finishing the dishes, he called out to Yuuji, watching TV with Sukuna. With his program finished, he pouted, saying he wasn't sleepy, but Sukuna tossed the boy over his shoulder, saying it was time to sleep. Drying his hands, he grabbed the prescribed ointment and followed the two to Yuuji's room. 

"Alright, brat, hands up."

Laying on his bed, he held up his hands, repeating Sukuna's words, "Up!" Pinching Yuuj's nose, he lifted Yuuji's shirt and held out his hand to Choso to pass the ointment. 

Handing him the prescribed ointment, he checked Yuuji's windows and turned on the nightlights. Tidying up the small clutter on his desk, he caught a glance of Yuuji's scar reflecting on the mirror. He really hated to see that scar on Yuuji, a precious child like him shouldn't have scars like that...

"Are you Nanami Kento-san?"

"I am."

"And I assume these are the Itadori couple's children?" 

"Yes, they are. How are-"

"...I'm very sorry to say that we weren't able to save them. Both adults were pronounced dead when they had arrived and the child... he wasn't able to hold on for long. I'm very sorry."

"Y-YOU!! YOU'RE A DOCTOR!! HOW COULD YOU TELL US THAT THEY'RE DEAD!?! SAVE THEM DAMNIT!! SAVE THEM!!"

"Sukuna, stop it!!" 

"YOU SHOULD'VE AT LEAST SAVED OUR LITTLE BROTHER!! WHY?!"

"Sukuna..." 

"CHOSO SAY SOMETHING DAMNIT!!!" 

"... Did they suffer?"

"Not for your parents, no, but..."

"DOCTOR!! WE HAVE A PULSE!!!" 

!!!!

"-oso."

"CHOSO."

"Huh?" 

"What the fudge are you staring blankly for? I've been calling you for the past minute. Was about to throw the damn lamp."

Ignoring his brother, he smiled at Yuuji who was all tucked in and waiting for his nightly story time with Nanami. "All ready for bed, Yu-chan?"

"Mmh. Nanamin not busy today?" Worried he's bothering Nanami, Choso smiled and stroked his hair. 

"I'm sure he made time for you. He always does." Right on cue, the tablet began to ring and it was Nanami.

"Nanamin!"

"Hello Yuuji-kun. Are you ready for story time?"

"Yeah!"

"Sleep tight, Yu-chan." Kissing the top of Yuuji's head, Sukuna pinched Yuuji's nose and the two left to leave Yuuji with Nanami. 

"Night night Cho-nii! Suki-nii!"

"Night, Yu-chan."

"Night, brat." Turning off the light and letting the nightlight softly illuminate his room, Nanami began to read as Yuuji got comfortable and listened. 

"Any problems with his check-up?"

"Just the usual. Only said we should moisturize and keep his scar protected when we go out. The usual."

"Mmh."

"... You alright?"

"What? Worried about me?" Choso smirked as Sukuna's scowled and threw the empty cup at his older brother. 

"You know what, fuck you."

"Right back at you, brat."

"...tsk." 

"... What about you? You doing alright?" 

"... M'fine."

"Sure."

"Tsk, what do you want me to say?"

"... I don't know."

"...."

"... We should go visit their graves. It's been a while."

"... Yeah. Alright." 

Chapter Text

"You're weird."

"Huh?" 

It wasn't the first time Yuuji heard that he was weird. His way too bright personality, his pink hair, or for not seeing that his older brothers were scary. It didn't bother Yuuji. He didn't see how it was weird. 

"Go away, Mahito!!" Nobara scowled at the boy as Megumi and Junpei glared at Yuuji's "tormentor." He was always easy to push away, but he always came to find Yuuji to try and make him feel bad. The jerk!

"You're really weird."

"Why?" Yuuji was wondering what Mahito was going to say this time. He always teased or nitpicked whatever he could about Yuuji, and it wouldn't bother him, but today... 

"You don't have parents."

"..."

"Mahito! You jerk! You know why-!" Megumi was holding back Nobara as Junpei nervously glanced at Yuuji. 

"So? I have Cho-nii, Suki-nii and Nanamin." Other kids began listening in on their conversation as Mahito spoke. 

"Mama told me that it's not a real family if you don't have parents."

"..."

"And she told me that you're the reason why they died. Your grandpa died too." 

"MAHITO!!!" It was Junpei's turn to try and stop Megumi and Nobara from hitting Mahito. The kid smirked in triumph as he continued. The kids began murmuring as Yuuji stood in silence, listening to Mahito. 

"You're like a curse. I bet your big brothers rather wish your parents were alive rather than you-"

"MAHITO!" Hearing his name yelled at by sensei, shut him up. Looking up nervously, he saw sensei staring at him, disappointed. "Time out for you, go."

"B-But I didn't say anything wrong! Everyone thinks it!" Pointing at the other kids, they all looked away, not wanting to be in time out with him.

"Shall we do no playtime as well?" Shutting his mouth, he meekly went to the time-out corner as the teacher asked if Yuuji was alright. He smiled, saying he was okay; Mahito always teased him, so he was fine. 

Still concerned, she asked if Yuuji wanted to go home early today, but he shook his head, saying he was fine. His friends didn't buy it, but they suggested they all hang out at one of their houses instead of going home. 

"Sensei! We will take Yuuji home with us." Nobara held Yuuji's hand, nodding at her idea.

"Then he should go to my house; it's bigger than yours." Megumi suggested.

"Why yours?! We always go to yours!"

"W-We can go to mine?"

"Oh, good idea, but your mom is working until late. You have to stay with Megumi anyway."

"So my house."

"We're not going to your house!!!" 

"If we go to yours, we be hurt by make-up again..."

"What's wrong with makeup?!" 

"Feels icky."

"ICKY?! I MADE YOU BEAUTIFUL!" 

"G-Guys, don't yell..." Yuuji couldn't help but smile. His friends always made him forget his worries. 

~~

~~

"Heya squirt." 

"Papa." Nodding in acknowledgment of his father, Toji sighed at his son's unenthusiastic response. Sometimes his son was so mean to his father. 

"Where's Junpei?"

"H-Here, Uncle Toji." 

"Ready to go, you two?" 

"WE'RE COMING TOO!" Nobara came running out with Yuuji dragged behind her. "Hello, old man."

"Ack... Nobara is so harsh as always. Hey, Yuuji." Smiling up at the man, Toji felt thankful for his bright personality. "You guys coming over today?"

"Yes!" 

"I should've brought the car. Everyone alright with walking?" 

"Yes!!" All agreed it was no problem; Toji pulled out his phone and called everyone to head on out. Pressing the number 5 for speed-dial, two rings and a voice came through.

"Toji. Good afternoon."

"Yo, Kento. Always the polite greeting." 

"Did you need something?"

"Just wanted to tell you I'm taking Yuuji to my house."

"He's been at daycare for only 3 hours. Is there a half-day I was unaware of, or is he hurt?" Worried about the thought of Yuuji being hurt, Toji was quick to ease the man's worries saying he wasn't hurt but heard something about a scuffle between the kids. 

"Is he alright?"

"Wanna hear it for yourself?" Calling Yuuji, he handed his phone to the boy telling him it was Nanami. His face brightened at his name.

"Nanamin!" 

"Hello, Yuuji. I heard you're leaving early today with your friends. Are you alright?"

"Mmh. I'm okay."

"Did you fight?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Mmh! I promise!"

"Was someone mean to you- Did someone say something?"

"I'm okay, Nanamin! Mahito is just a meanie." Listening to Yuuji's voice, Nanami didn't hear any hesitation, nor did his voice quiver. It seems like he was alright, but he'll still have to check up on him later tonight. He'll need to tell Choso and Sukuna. 

"You can always tell me anything, Yuuji, alright? It doesn't matter if it's the smallest thing like today's weather."

"Mmh! I know, Nanamin! He he he."

"Alright, don't give Megumi-kun's family too much trouble, alright?"

"Yes!!" 

"Have fun; I'll pick you up after dinner."

"Okay! Bye-bye, Nanamin."

"Bye, Yuuji. Can you give the phone back to Toji?"

"Uncle Toji!!" Holding up the phone to pass back, Toji ruffled Yuuji's hair. 

"Are you coming to pick him up today, or is he staying over?"

"I'll be there after dinner."

"Alright, see ya." 

"Mmh, thank you, Toji. Good day." Ending the call, Toji sighed. 

"He's way too formal." Putting away his phone, he held out his hand to the kids. "Alright, you guys. Hold each other's hands; I don't want you all wandering off."

"Yesss!!!"

~~

~~

"We're home~."

"Mama!! Tsumiki!!" Megumi ran to the living room to see his mother sitting on the couch with his sister Tsumiki. 

"Oiya, welcome back Megumi." Hugging her son, Tsumiki patted his head, asking if he had a good day. 

"We have company, Yua."

"Oh, welcome, Junpei."

"T-Thank you for having me." Junpei thanked her as she chuckled, saying it was no problem.

"Oh! Nobara-chan and Yuuji-kun! Welcome. I haven't seen you two in a while." Greeting the other two, they smiled and said hello to her and Tsumiki.

"Did you call Nanami-san and Aimi-san?"

"I just called Aimi; she said she'll be coming over soon. She's around the area."

"Guess I should start a little early on lunch. Why didn't you call me earlier?" Slapping her husband's arm, he chuckled and apologized, saying he'll help out. 

"Should I help out too, Mom?" 

"Ah, Tsumiki, can you help the kids wash up before playing in Megumi's room?"

"Alright." 

Playing in Megumi's room, Yuuji quickly forgot what happened at daycare this morning. He was having fun with his friends, and he couldn't be happier until Megumi fell and hurt his knee against his bookshelf.

"Ow..." Calmly staring at his minor injury, Nobara frantically looked around to stop the bleeding while Junpei ran out yelling he'll get one of the adults. Yuuji worriedly asked if Megumi was alright; he nodded it was fine. What a liar he was holding in tears right now.

"Megumi, you can cry-"

"Megumi, are you alright?" Yua came running in with Toji holding a first aid kit. 

"Fell."

"Mmh, I can see that. It looks like it hurts a lot." Shaking his head, he said he was fine.

"How brave of you, kiddo." Toji praised his son for not crying aloud as he began patching up the tiny wound. Junpei and Nobara repeatedly asked Megumi if he was alright, and he smiled, saying it was fine. 

"There we are. All patched up. Such a brave boy you are." Yua kissed Megumi's forehead as Toji ruffled his hair, saying he was growing up so fast. Megumi blushed at the smothering praise, but he couldn't hide his smile. 

Junpei and Nobara sighed in relief as Yuuji stared at Megumi, surrounded by his parents. Feeling a slight throb in his chest, he wondered if his scar was acting up again. How weird.

"Mom! Dad! Aimi-san is here!!"

"We're coming down!! Shall we go have lunch now?" Turning to the kids, they all agreed and ran out of Megumi's room, but Yuuji kept staring at the floor, clutching his shirt.

"-uji."

"Yuuji-kun?"

"U-Uh? Yes?" Toji and Yua had concern written on their face, and Yuuji felt guilty for worrying them.

"Are you alright? Do you feel unwell?"

"Does your chest hurt?" 

"A-Ah n-no. I-I'm fine, j-just Uhm... tired." Forcing a small smile, they sighed in relief it wasn't anything serious.

"Do you want to take a nap? I can reheat your lunch a little later."

"N-No, it's okay. Thank you." 

"Yuuji." Megumi grabbed Yuuji's hand and gently pulled him to follow them downstairs.

"Mmh, coming!" 

That was weird. His heart kind of hurt...

~~

~~

"Mama!!" 

"Hello, darling. Are you alright? I heard from Toji-san that you left early."

"Ah! Mahito, that jerk made fun of Yuuji again!" She felt irritated again, puffing up her cheeks, just thinking about the jerk trying to make Yuuji feel bad. 

"Oh my, I hope you gave him a piece of your mind." Nobara grinned, and her mother smiled, patting her head. 

"I hit his head before leaving!"

"That's my girl!"

"Aimi-san, you shouldn't be praising that..." Yua dryly chuckled as Toji laughed. 

"How about you, Megumi? Did you hit him too?"

"Toji!!" 

"... I cursed at him." Holding a thumbs up, Toji laughed harder, wiping away his tears.

"Atta boy."

"Toji~" 

"I'm sure it wasn't anything that bad-"

"I called him a pathetic fuck."

"..."

"..."

"Fuc??" Yuuji titled his head at the foreign word. "Ah! Suki-nii says that word when he's angry!" 

"TOJI FUSHIGURO~."

"Should we play a little outside?" Tsumiki suggested pushing the kids outside to the backyard while Toji was sitting there in a cold sweat awaiting his wife's lecture for his foul language around Megumi. 

Playing outside, Tsumiki went back in to get beverages for everyone. Feeling out of breath, Yuuji sat on the ground catching his breath, and felt a cool cloth on his forehead. Nobara's mother smiled at him as she wiped away his sweat. 

"Yuuji-kun, are you alright? I heard Mahito made fun of you again." 

"Ah- I'm okay. Thank you, Aunt Aimi!" 

"Mama!! My skirt is dirty!!" Nobara came running to her mother, complaining about her favorite skirt being ruined. Aimi calmed her daughter, saying it was not a problem. 

"We can always clean it or buy another for you, Nobara. There's no need to make a huge fuss, sweetheart."

"But still... you bought this for me."

"Oh my. How sweet of you, but I'll always buy you more no matter what. Just like for your sister Mai and Maki."

"Really...?"

"Of course. Promise." Holding out her pinky, Nobara wrapped her hand around it and smiled. 

"Thank you, Mama!!" Yuuji stared at Nobara and her mother, smiling away without a care. He couldn't help but wonder what his mother looked like when she smiled? Did she ever smile at him when they were around? Ah... there was another sting in his chest. It kind of hurt...

"Yuuji! Come on, let's play!" Nobara pulled Yuuji out of his trance; she urged Yuuji to come back to play.

"Ah, Nobara! You shouldn't rush Yuuji!"

~~

~~

"Junpei!!" 

"Mama!!!" Running to the entrance, Junpei face lit up, seeing his mother waiting for him with open arms. Jumping into her arms, she smothered the boy with kisses as she lifted him into her arms. 

"How was your day today?"

"Good!"

"You aren't hurt? I heard from Nanami-san that you left school early with everyone." Shaking his head, he explained what had happened. Kissing his forehead once more, she put her son down on the floor and faced Yuuji if he was alright, and he nodded, saying he was fine. Mahito was a jerk, and everyone knew it. 

"Yuuji." 

"Nanamin!!" Jumping up and down, Nanami picked up the jumpy boy. 

"Seems like you had a fun day today."

"Mmh! Uncle Toji even got in trouble with Aunt Yua." Glancing up at Megumi's parents, he could see Toji looking away from his wife, who was glaring daggers. 

"Thank you for picking up Yuuji and letting him stay over." Thanking the couple, they said it was no problem and that Yuuji was welcome back anytime; it was his second home. 

"Shall we go home, Yuuji?"

"Mmh. Bye-bye, everyone!!" 

Nanami excused themselves first and headed out, Yuuji watched as his friends were all bidding bye to one another, but he couldn't take his eyes off his friends all holding their hands with their parents. They all looked really happy. Gripping onto Nanami's jacket, he nuzzled his face into Nanami's neck. 

"Tired?" 

"...mmh." Patting the boy's back, he urged him to sleep. They'll be home before he wakes up. 

"...kay."

The following few days, Yuuji would unconsciously stare at the parents who came to pick up his classmates or stare at the interaction between his friend's parents. The slight stinging in his chest began to hurt more as the days went on, but when he touched his scar, it didn't hurt. It was weird. He's seen everyone's parents before, so why is it difficult now? Ignoring the fact that he was acting odd, he had to hear Mahito again just as he was getting ready to leave.

"Itadori!"

"... What?" Smirking, he pointed at Yuuji. 

"Guess nobody is going to come for you on Friday."

"Friday?"

"You didn't listen? It's parent's day! Since you don't have any, guess nobody is coming!!"

"..."

"?? What the heck? Nothing to say? Come on!" Silently, Mahito clicked his tongue and walked away, muttering that Yuuji was boring. Twiddling his fingers, Yuuji wondered what he should do about tomorrow. It wouldn't be the first time one of his brothers or Nanami came during this day but thinking about it; he just thought maybe they don't...

"Yu-chan." 

"Huh?"

"Feeling alright?" At some point, Yuuji was in Choso's arms going home. Placing his forehead against Yuuji's, he checked if Yuuji had a fever, but he wasn't warmer than usual. 

"Cho-nii...?"

"Are you sleepy?"

"... Cho-nii." Wrapping his arms around Choso, he hid his face against his shoulder. Choso didn't think much of it, but Yuuji had those days when he would be a little clingier and show more affection as a cute gesture. Chuckling, he patted Yuuji's back as he continued down the road. 

"Looks like Yu-chan missed me today."

"...mmh." 

For the rest of the day, Yuuji clung to Choso or Sukuna- whoever was closest to him- and refused to let go or at least move so that his brothers could try to do the task they needed to do. Tucking Yuuji in for bed, he listened to Nanami read him a bedtime story, and he began nodding off. Choso came in to bid Nanami good-night, signing off and re-tucking Yuuji into bed. 

"Good night Yu-chan."

"...Cho-nii?"

"Yeah?" 

"... I love Cho-nii and Suki-nii and Nanamin."

"I lo-" 

"CHOSO!! THE STOVE!!! FIRE ON THE FUCKING STOVE!!"

"For curse's sake." Bidding Yuuji goodnight, he ran down the stairs yelling at Sukuna for not watching it properly and being an idiot. Sukuna cussed Choso, saying he was in the shower when he asked. Listening to his brothers yell at one another, Yuuji snuggled further into his covers and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep, but tonight he was having difficulty sleeping. 

Tossing and turning, Yuuji grew frustrated as his drowsiness kept fighting him. Deciding to call for one of his brothers, he slid off his bed and climbed down the stairs. Hugging his tiger, he rubbed his eyes and whispered out for his brothers but heard no response. Clearing his throat, he walked to the living room door to call them again but heard them talking. Wondering what they were talking about, he peeked inside and listened to their conversation. 

"-you just had to burn the pot."

"You should've just asked me after I came out of the shower."

"I had to tuck Yuuji into bed."

"Then you could've turned off the stove!!"

"Why can't you just do a simple task, as I ask? Not like you were going to take Yuuji to bed when you're in the shower."

"Oh, yeah, sure. I'm the one to blame because I needed to shower. Yeah, yeah. It's my fault for not watching the fucking stove and taking Yuuji to his damn bed. Happy, big bro?"

"Don't get fucking sassy with me."

"Tch."

"And how many times do I need to tell you that you need to watch your mouth around Yuuji?"

"OI! I filter my language around the brat, so stop nagging me!"

"Quit calling him a brat!" 

"Don't fucking hit me!! If I want to call him a brat. I will!!" Yuuji backed away and climbed back up the stairs. He bundled himself up and fell asleep with tears threatening to spill, not saying a word. Mahito was right. His brothers are sick of him...

"-Not like I mean anything by it!" Smacking the back of Sukuna's head, Choso shushed him to lower his voice. 

"I know that! But that still doesn't mean that Yuuji won't take it to heart at some point!"

"What about you? You need to stop yelling at me in front of Yuuji. Did you see the brat's eyes? He was about to cry because of you!"

"Don't you fucking use that as an excuse to not hear me reprimanding you!"

"I'm sorry, my ears are going numb. Did you say something?"

"You little piece of shit." Ruffling Sukuna's hair, Choso pushed the boy away from him and asked him to finish folding the laundry. Sukuna walked away, pointing a middle finger at Choso, and he reciprocated. 

~~

~~

"Yuuji, are you alright?" Nanami had picked up Yuuji from daycare, but Yuuji was quite mellow compared to his regular days, which concerned Nanami. Where was his hyper little ball of sunshine? 

"Hmm? Nanamin, you say something?" Stopping at a red light, he quickly turned and scanned Yuuji's face as his eyebrows knitted together in concern. 

"Have you not been sleeping well again?"

"... I'm Okay."

"Yuuji."

"... I couldn't sleep last night."

"Nightmare again?"

"No. Just tired..."

"Something on your mind?" It was a little funny to think Yuuji had such a massive worry that it was affecting his sleep, but then again. He's only human. 

"... no." Staring out the window, he watched the children all in hand with their parents passing by. Shaking away the slight pain in his chest again, the car began moving again. Nanami glanced at the rear-view mirror and wondered if they should see Ieiri again. Still, maybe he should observe Yuuji a little longer before taking him back to see Yuuji's pediatrician. He'll have to tell Sukuna and Choso to keep an even closer eye on Yuuji for the next few days. He wanted to press Yuuji for answers, but if he pressed anymore, Yuuji wouldn't tell him or make up a fake answer to try and ease Nanami's worry. That made him worry even more. They drove in silence until they arrived home.

Yuuji glanced at Nanami and saw him sigh. He tightly gripped his pants and tried not to cry. Maybe... like his brothers, Nanami was tired of him too... He's always bothering Nanami when he's busy. He should stop being such a nuisance... 

For the next few days, Yuuji wasn't his bright self. He would zone out a few times, half-heartedly smile and barely say a word around his friends or family. He even skipped his nightly story-time with Nanami, saying he was sleepy. It was pretty concerning. Friday rolled in a flash, and Yuuji still hadn't told his brothers or Nanami about today- parents' day. Seeing no reason to say to them about it, he stayed quiet until Choso dropped him off. 

"Yuuji. You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"... I want to."

"Is someone bullying you? Or did someone say something?"

"..."

"Hey." Gently lifting Yuuji's chin, Choso smiled at the boy. "You can tell me. Anything at all. You know that, right?"

"... I'm going to be late. Bye-bye, Cho-nii." Running into daycare, Choso watched him run off and let out a frustrated sigh. Deciding to go food shopping before going home, he wondered what he could make to cheer Yuuji up. He glanced around to see the parents come with their kids, not leave. Wondering if something was going on, he looked back inside the daycare entrance and saw the parents all walking inside the daycare with their kids and a banner saying 'Parent & Child Day.' Ah, shit. 

Not having the time to think why Yuuji didn't tell them, Choso whipped out his phone and started making a run for it back home. Speed-dialing the number 4, the name 'Dumbass' started dialing- 

"What?"

"GET BACK HOME, DRESS NICELY, AND COME TO THE DAYCARE."

"The fuck are you talking about?"

"JUST GET HOME NOW, YOU DUMBASS."

"THE FUCK YOU CALL ME-" Hanging up on Sukuna, he rang Nanami. Speed-dial number 3, 'Rival for Yu-chan!'

"What's the matter, Choso-?"

"Nanami! Can you come to Yuuji's daycare today?" 

"I'm afraid I have a few meetings that I need to attend. What's the matter? Yuuji, alright?"

"Yes- No! Well, it's parent-child day at daycare, and Yuuji won't have anyone with him." Fumbling with his door keys, he managed to open the doors and zoom up his room to change out of his joggers and tee. 

"I'll be there in 20 minutes."

"Alright-"

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT CALL FOR?!" Sukuna came home sweating as he yelled at Choso upstairs. 

"JUST DO AS I ASK YOU, DUMBASS; STOP ASKING QUESTIONS. YOU THINK I'M ASKING YOU TO DO STUFF FOR NO REASON?!" 

"YEAH, SOMETIMES. WHY THE HELL AM I DUMBASS, YOU FUCKER."

"Boys." 

"--Shutting up..." 

Nanami heavily sighed as he could hear the two continue to bicker as they got changed. He will have to ask Ichiji to rearrange a few things and attend a few meetings on his behalf. He has to get this done quickly; he's not going to leave Yuuji alone on a day like today. 

~~

~~

"Alright, everyone! Now that we are all here, shall we get started?" Answering with an excited yes, the parents applauded. The first thing on today's parent-child day was reading time! Parents would help and listen to their children read aloud to them to show how much they have improved their speaking and reading skills. 

The children separated into groups with their parents; Yuuji sat alone in the middle of the room. The teachers were surprised to see Yuuji was alone on a day like this. His brothers and Nanami would always come on this day.

"Yuuji-kun, was Nanami-san busy today?"

"..."

"Are your brothers running a little late?"

"No... they not coming." 

"W-Well then. Why don't sensei read with you? Is that alright?" 

"...yes." An enthusiastic yes, the teacher worriedly sat next to Yuuji as he read in a mellow voice. The other teacher checked up on the groups, but Yuuji's friends all stared at him, worried. 

"Mama... Yuuji is alone." Junpei whispered to his mother. 

"Didn't they know what today is?" Yagi whispered to Toji as the others did find it odd that Yuuji was alone on such a day.

"Perhaps they're just running late?" Yua wondered if she should call them. 

"I find it ridiculous that Sukuna would be running late or forget." Maki scoffed at the thought as Mai thought the same for Choso.

"That jerk, he's smiling..." Nobara hissed as everyone stared at who she was starting at. Mahito was staring at Yuuji and snickering as his parents weren't paying attention. 

"That's Mahito?" Tsumiki asked Megumi. The kids nodded, whispering how much a jerk he is to Yuuji. 

 "Nanami-san isn't picking up." Aimi came back from trying to call Nanami, but there was no answer. 

"Guess he won't be coming today..." 

"I'll try calling Choso." Mai pulled out her phone as her twin did the same, trying to call Sukuna. 

"Alright, everyone!!" Clapping to get everyone's attention, the twin sisters ended their call, not wanting to be rude. The teacher continued, "Shall we get ready to show our show?"

"Yes!!" The kids all scrambled to get to the front of the class as the teacher with Yuuji gently urged him to follow the others. 

Lining up in rows of two, one of the teachers helped space out the kids as the other sat on the piano, ready to play. Once the kids were all lined up and ready, the piano began to play a soft melody as an intro. "The Class of Sunshine will be performing for our parents! Please give them a round of applause." 

Applauding and taking out their phones to record their children, the piano began playing their song, and the kids started to sing. 

Singing as loud and happily as possible, the parents smiled and chuckled at their children's effort, but Yuuji stared at the floor, barely saying a sound. Mouthing the words, the teacher tried to get him to smile, but he wouldn't look up. Nobara stared at her mother and sisters, hoping they'd do something, while Junpei and Megumi stared at Yuuji, worried about their friend. Yua and Yagi glanced at one another while Toji began thinking of hitting the idiot older brothers later for making Yuuji so sad. 

Lost in thought about Yuuji, they were brought back to reality when the teachers began panicking and the children screaming. 

"Yuuji-kun!! Please stop!!"

"Yuuji!!"

"Mahito!!" 

Yuuji had punched Mahito. 

'Nobody came.'

'...'

'I told you. You're weird, no parents-'

'i-i get it s-so s-shut up...'

'what are you going to do? You can't even do anything without-'

'Shut up!! SHUT UP!! SHUT UP!!!' 

~~

~~

"I TOLD YOU TO HURRY UP!"

"YOU SAID WHAT I WORE WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH!"

"How are a t-shirt and slacks any good?!"

"It's clothes, isn't it!?"

"You two are still bickering after I hung up..." Turning around, they saw Nanami had arrived at the same time as they had. 

"How'd you forget about today, old man? Aren't you usually the first one here?" Sukuna asked. 

"What about you?"

"W-Well..." 

"We're late as it is. Can we discuss this later?" Choso asked as he pushed the two towards the daycare. Opening the doors, they witnessed the chaos inside. Parents were pulling their children away from the main spectacle as the two teachers held Yuuji and Mahito. Megumi and Junpei were holding back Nobara as she yelled at Mahito. Mahito's parents were yelling at the teachers and Yuuji while Toji, Yua, and Mai were yelling back at Mahito's parents. Aimi was trying to calm her daughter- what the fuck is going on?

"Where the hell have you been?!" Mai yelled at the late arrivals. 

"We were a little late- what the hell is going on?" Choso was still bewildered at the scene, while Sukuna was quick to take the distressed Yuuji from the teacher as he glared at the other crying child and parents. 

Mai sighed as she brushed away the stray hairs on her face, "Yuuji punched that kid mid-way singing, and then a small fight broke out..." Nanami took in the information and thanked Mai as he and Choso walked to Sukuna. 

"J-JUST H-HOW ARE YOU CARING FOR THAT TROUBLEMAKER?! H-HOW DARE HE HIT MY CHILD!!" Mahito's mother was barely screeching as she pleased, fearful of Sukuna as he continued to glare at her. 

"Hah?" 

"I-I CAN SEE WHY MY SON IS ALWAYS COMING HOME AFRAID-!! THAT CHILD IS A MENACE!" Mahito's father added on as Mahito held onto his father's hand, shaking. 

"THAT'S A LIE!! MAHITO IS THE ONE WHO ALWAYS HURTS YUUJI!" Nobara yelled as the Megumi and Junpei yelled out the same agreement. 

"I assure you that Yuuji is never one to be violent. There must be a reason he'd-" Nanami tried to be rational, but they wouldn't have it. 

"OF COURSE, THERE'S A REASON!!! IT'S BECAUSE HE'S BEEN BULLYING MY SON-"

"APOLOGIZE TO OUR SON-!!" 

"KINDLY SHUT UP." Choso smiled as he calmly stated those words. A shiver ran down their spine as they immediately shut their mouth. Nanami and Choso turned to Yuuji, still shaking in Sukuna's arms. 

"Yuuji."

"... I-I'm sor-sorry."

"Yuuji, please look at me." Nanami gently urged Yuuji to look at him in the calmest way possible. Gently prying Yuuji out of Sukuna's neck, Yuuji looked up with tears brimming in his eyes. 

"There must be a reason why you hit another child, right? Let me hear it from you."

"... N-Nanamin h-hates m-me, r-right? C-Cho-nii and Suki-nii t-too... I-I'm sorry."

"Never, Yu-chan. How can we hate you?" Choso smiled, trying to calm the boy down. 

"B-But... b-because o-of me... m-mama and papa..." Why was he suddenly speaking about their parents? 

"t-they's d-dead b-because of me..."

What...?

"C-Cho-nii and Suki-nii d-doesn't have mama and papa because of me...

I-I'm b-bothering N-Nanamin e-even though h-he always busy a-and... y-you d-don't want m-me. I-I killed mama and papa-!! L-Like jii-chan!! I-I'm sorry!! I'm sorry!! M-Mahito was right." 

Silence filled the room as Yuuji began breaking down and hyperventilating. They understood now why Yuuji was acting the way he did. He was blaming himself and thought of himself as a nuisance and why their parents were gone. All because of that one kid who said such bullshit to him-!! That little fucker...

"No, Yuuji. That's not true." 

"B-But..." 

"That's not true, Yuuji. Your parents loved you very much, and it was a terrible accident that took them away. You did nothing. They protected you. We couldn't be more grateful to them for saving you." Nanami calmly explained as he wiped away the tears. 

"Yuuji. We're not taking care of you because we have to. We're taking care of you because we want to, and you are our brother. If anyone says otherwise, fuc-" Choso cleared his throat as Sukuna barely made the change of his cuss word, "Screw them. Don't listen to their stupid words; you're our brother. You can hate us all you want, but we will always stay with you."

Choso had the right mind to smack his brother- that's not how you console Yuuji. 

"That's right; we love Yuuji more than anyoneeeee in the world. Do you hate us?" Choso asked, and Yuuji was quick to shake his head. 

"N-No! No!! I-I love Cho-nii, Suki-nii and Nanamin!!!" Wailing again, Choso chuckled as Sukuna smiled, patting Yuuji's back. 

"We love you too, brat." 

"Now then." Turning back to the once hysteric parents, Nanami glared at them with a calm smile. "I believe the demand for an apology would be from you. Although it was wrong of Yuuji to hit your son, I think we can say that he may have deserved it. Your son hit Yuuji back, didn't he? I'd say they're even." 

"W-We're so sorry w-we hadn't realized-"

"Yes, I'm sure you didn't.

I'm quite glad that I didn't go to that meeting today. I'll have to let my assistant know to not even think about going through with that deal with your company-"

"W-What...?"

"Oh. It seems like you had forgotten what I look like. I'm Nanami Kento, but what am I introducing myself to you for when we will no longer be doing business together."

"N-Nanami-san!!! P-Please r-reconsider, I-I t-truly apologize f-for my son's behavior-!!" Kneeling to Nanami, his wife screeched, asking why her husband was kneeling to such a man. He whispered to his wife to be quiet. 

"I apologize for things getting out of hand, but thank you for taking care of Yuuji." Nanami ignored the man and thanked the teachers. They apologized they couldn't do more, but Nanami waved it off as they did their best. Stating they'll be taking Yuuji home early, the watching parents began whispering about Mahito's rude behavior and the parents being so cruel to a child with no parents. 

"Thank you for sticking up for Yuuji." Nanami thanked Yuuji's friends as they puffed up their chests in confidence, of course. It's what best friends are for.

Thanking the others, Nanami followed Choso and Sukuna out the door leaving everyone to glare at Mahito and his parents. 

"I think it's logical to say we won't be seeing Mahito anymore." One of the teachers smiled, "Please leave."

~~

~~

"Does it hurt?" Choso asked, cleaning the blood on Yuuji's lip as Sukuna bandaged his tiny hands. 

"A little." 

"You did a good job, Yuuji." Sukuna grinned, making Yuuji flush at the compliment. He didn't think he'd get praised for hitting someone. 

"Sukuna, that's not something worth praising..." Nanami lightly scolded, but Sukuna laughed. 

"Don't lie. You're a little proud, aren't you? Did you see the fuc- idiot's face? He looked like a bruised tomato." Cackling, Nanami gently hit Sukuna's head with his newspaper. 

"Yuuji." 

"Yes..."

"You shouldn't have hit him; you know that, right?"

"Yes... I'm sorry."

"As long as you know, but... you did do a good job throwing a punch at him..." Muttering the last few words, the two older boys laughed as Nanami sighed. 

"See!! You are proud!!" Sukuna had tears in his eyes as he couldn't stop laughing. Who would've thought Nanami, of all people, would agree? 

"Yuuji." Patting the boy's head, he smiled at the shy boy, "You are never a bother. Anything I do for you is because I love you and your brothers."

"Ew. Leave us out of it." Sukuna gagged as Choso uncomfortably shifted his neck from the words. 

"Yuuji, it's not your fault that your parents aren't here. They wouldn't want you thinking that way, and we think the same way. We're very grateful and happy that you are here with us every day."

"...really?"

"Yes. Although I am not your father, I still care for you as if you were my own. I promised your parents I would take care of you until the day I meet them again. 

I promised myself I would take care of you the first day I met you before promising your parents."

"We did too. We promised to give Yuuji a lot more love than other kids." 

"You were tiny, you still are, but you're growing up well." Pinching the boy's nose, Yuuji let out a small giggle.

"I-I'm a big boy!"

"Huh? I don't see a big boy anywhere. I only see a tiny tiger cub." 

"S-Suki-nii!!!" 

Crushing the boy into his arms, Sukuna blew small raspberries onto Yuuji's cheek. Giggling, even more, Yuuji felt much better than he did earlier. Seeing Yuuji smile gave everyone a sigh of relief. That's right. This is how Yuuji should be. Happy. 

"Yuuji, what are we?" Nanami asked. 

"Uhm... family?"

"That's right. Do you love us as much as we love you?"

"Mmh-! More!! I love my family more!!"

"Probably not as much as we love you~" Choso tickled Yuuji's stomach earning laughter to erupt from the small boy. 

"Alright, enough of the fuc-" Sukuna let out an uncomfortable cough feeling Nanami's eyes stab daggers into him from behind. "E-Enough of this sappiness, and let's go eat."

"Looks like your brother Sukuna doesn't want to hug you anymore, Yuuji. I'm all for hugs!!" Choso held out his arms.

"Wha-?! Oi! Brat is staying with me!!" Pulling Yuuji toward his chest, Choso's eye twitched. 

"Huh? You've been holding him since daycare! I need hugs from Yuuji too!!" 

"Boys, Yuuji isn't a doll. Stop pulling." Taking Yuuji away from the two, Nanami carried him to the dining room. "What do you think of oden for lunch?"

"Oden!!" 

"Old man, what the fuc- fudge?!" 

"Ah! Nanami-san!! You can't take Yuuji for yourself!!" Nanami leaned to put Yuuji down against the counter and start lunch, ignoring the boys, but Yuuji wouldn't let go.

"Yuuji-kun?"

"Nanamin."

"Hm?"

Giggling, he let go of Nanami and smiled. "I love Nanamin!"

Chuckling, he nodded. "I love Yuuji too." 

"Ah! What about me?" Choso asked in a plea.

"I love Cho-nii!!"

"Awww!! I love Yu-chan too!!" 

"I love Suki-nii!"

"... I love you too, brat." Ruffling his hair, Yuuji's heart felt warm. 

"Hello??" 

"Why are you guys here?" Sukuna asked the intruders coming into their house. 

"We're not here for you, bad man!" Nobara stuck out her tongue as Megumi held up his finger. Sukuna felt a vein pop at their attitude. 

"You little brats..." 

"TOJI. DID YOU TEACH MEGUMI THAT?"

Coughing, he slid away and ran over to Nanami, saying he had brought some ingredients. His wife pulled out the man to receive another scolding outside the backyard. 

"Yuuji, w-we came. Are you okay?" Junpei asked with a flower in hand. He brought it to try and cheer Yuuji up. 

"Thanks, Junpei!" Thankful for the small gift, Junpei was glad to see Yuuji was happy. 

"Yuuji-kun! Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? How many fingers am I holding?!" Aimi asked frantically, checking the already patched-up child. 

"Don't smother the poor boy, Aimi-san." Yagi chuckled, handing Yuuji a lollipop. 

"I'm okay, Aunt Aimi! Thank you!" 

"Hmm... Nobara, if that boy comes back tomorrow. You have my permission to hit him."

"Aimi-san!!" 

"I knew I liked Aimi-san for a reason." Sukuna chuckled. 

"Yeah! I'll beat him till he's like a pork cutlet!!" 

"That's our Nobara!" Mai and Maki applauded. Nanami wondered if Yuuji learned a thing or two from Nobara instead of Sukuna.

"Let me help, Nanami-san."

"Oh, thank you, Tsumiki. Can you start on that while I clean these vegetables?"

Looking around the packed house, Yuuji smiled. Yeah, it didn't matter he didn't have parents- he may be a little sad once in a while, but he still has his brothers, Nanamin, friends, aunts, and uncles. It was enough for him. His family was the best!! He wouldn't change it for the world!! 

Chapter Text

"Ah, we out of eggs..." 

"Are you sure? We just bought a carton two days ago; look in the back." 

Choso threw a wooden spoon at the man, making him turn around, irritated. Grabbing the fallen spoon, he threw it back to Choso in the kitchen, but he easily dodged it. 

"Take the fucking hit!" 

"Stop cussing in front of Yuuji." Nanami came into the living room, hitting Sukuna's head with his newspaper. 

"God damn it, old man..." Nanami took a seat in the dining room and began reading his newspaper. 

"I'm sure even God is annoyed with your cussing." 

"That old man, tsk." 

"Guess I'll have to go get eggs..." Choso sighed as he turned off the stove.

"I'll get it!! I can get it for you, Cho-nii!!!" Holding up his hand, Yuuji beamed at the thought of being able to help his brother. 

"Yu-chan? You'll go to the grocery?"

"Mmh!! I can do it!! I can help Cho-nii!!" Choso resisted the urge to hug his brother; he smelled like fish. 

"Then Sukuna-"

"No!! I can go alone!!"

"A-Alone?!" Choso was shocked to hear such words. What would happen if someone hurt him!? What if a weird man confused him or promised him, sweets?! Yuuji might get kidnapped!! Hurt?! Kidnapped!!! HURT!! 

Sukuna smacked Choso out of his thoughts, "Stop thinking weird things." Putting away the phone in his hand, he looked at Nanami. 

"He can just go to the convenience store," Nanami suggested, "It's much closer than the grocery store."

"You sure you can go, brat? Aren't you still too small?" Sukuna teased making Yuuji pout.

"I can go!! I'm a big boy!!" 

"You hear that? He can do it." 

"Yea! I can do it!"

"Sounds like you're growing up, Yuuji-kun."

"Mmh!!" Choso was confused; why was he the only one panicking here?! Why did it look like he was the crazy one?!

"Yuuji-kun," Nanami called Yuuji to the front door with a bag in hand. When the hell did he prepare those things?! Choso was ready to flip; why were these two so calm? "I put the money in this bag, and if you can't remember what you need to get, I put the list in here." Holding up the round strap bag, Yuuji nodded.

"Look both ways and wait till the light turns to a green or walk sign before crossing the street and never talk to strangers, okay?" 

"Mmh!" 

"You sure you got this, brat? Not scared?"

"I can do it!!" Sticking his tongue out at Sukuna, Nanami helped put on his jacket and shoes. 

"Be careful, and don't go anywhere else! Come straight back home!" 

"Okay!!"

"Brat! If you forget how to get there, remember the map in your right pocket!"

"Okay! I'm going!!" Waving at Nanami and Sukuna, the two watched Yuuji walk until he disappeared to the corner. 

Closing the door, the two went back into the living room, baffling Choso. Running after the two, Choso began screaming. "HOW ARE YOU TWO SO CALM?! YUUJI IS STILL TOO YOUNG TO GO-"

Nanami was on the phone, and so was Sukuna. What the hell? Walking over to the two, he heard voices overlap one another. 

"This is Team 1A. The baby tiger has just made a left turn, over."

"This is Team 1B. Tiger cub is approaching the streets, over." 

Was that... Geto-san and Yuta??? 

"What-?" Sukuna pushed Choso away for being too loud as the updates came through. 

"This is Alpha Alpha. The sign has turned green, and the little tiger is looking both ways, over."

"This is Team 1C; he's still looking, over." 

That was Gojo and Toji; what was Toji-san doing there? 

"Oi, say the proper codenames," Sukuna warned Gojo, who complained about not liking the codename. "OI."

"...tsk. Annoying turnip. Over and out." 

"1C. He's walking across the street. 1A is waiting across the street with 1B, over." 

"Toji-san, ah, I mean, 1C, why are you with Gojo? Over..." Choso asked.

"1C reporting in. I didn't because I wanted to, I was nearby, and he dragged me, over."

"1A, the baby tiger has made it to the convenience store; he's entering now, over." 

"Switch to video call, over." Nanami placed his phone on the table as the three men all watched the video feed of Yuuji kindly asking one of the workers where the eggs were. 

"Hey, old man, aren't we going to be called on by the police?" It'd be suspicious if the employees see Geto sneakily filming Yuuji. That could lead to a colossal misunderstanding.

"I already let the employees know in advance, and they said it was alright. They said they understand."

"They agreed?" Choso was surprised that the employees believed Nanami even if he looked trustworthy. Did he swoon the ladies with his charms unconsciously, again?

"I even gave them proof with pictures, and they've seen us with Yuuji before." 

"It's still weird..." Sukuna agreed with Choso, but Nanami ignored them. 

"1A. The baby tiger is paying for the product, over."

"1B. Tiger cub received a chocolate bar from the employee for being such a kind child and waving him goodbye." Changing back to call, Yuuji exited the store thanking the employee, and went on his way. 

"1C. The tiger cub has stopped and waiting for the light to change color. I'm waiting with annoying turnip across the street, over."

"1A. The light has changed, and he is looking both ways, over."

"1B. Tiger cub is moving- oh! He's tripped!! He's going to fall!!!" 

"1C! Annoying turnip is making a run for it!!!" Hearing static for a moment, it suddenly went silent. Hearing nothing for a moment, Nanami called the teams and was met with silence. 

"1A. Respond."

"..."

"1B. Respond."

"..."

"1C-"

"1A. Reporting in. Annoying Turnip has saved the baby tiger and the eggs from cracking. He set baby tiger on the other side of the street and asked if he's okay- oh."

"What's wrong, 1A? Over." Chuckling was heard over the phones, leaving the three confused. What was so funny?

"1-1C h-here, p-pft ah ha ha ha!!! The tiger cub kicked Annoying Turnip and ran away, yelling, pervert. Ah ha ha ha!!! O-Over." Sukuna began roaring with laughter as Nanami sighed, continuing to hear laughter over the phone. 

"1-1A. Pft. Baby tiger is making a right turn; he'll be arriving in about 5, 4-" 

"Thank you for your hard work, over and out." Nanami hung up the call as Sukuna did the same and walked to the front door.

Opening the door, they met Yuuji huffing and puffing. Taking a deep breath, he held up the bag of eggs and grinned. "I bought the eggs!!"

"Good job, Yuuji. You did a good job." Nanami praised as he patted the boy's head.

"Look at you. You did a good job, brat." Sukuna grinned as he took the eggs from Yuuji. 

"G-Good job, Yuuji." Choso was at a loss for words; when did those two prepare all this in advance? Well, he can't be called the 'weird over-protective one' now. Taking him to the washroom, Choso helped the boy wash his hands. 

"I looked both ways when I cross!" 

"You did a good job." Yuuji's face radiated with happiness as everyone praised him. 

"Oh! I met a pervert!!" Puffing up his cheeks and furrowing his brows, Sukuna looked away to try and hide his chuckles.

"R-Really? A-Are you sure he didn't try to help you?" Choso asked, but Yuuji shook his head.

"No! Maybe? But, but, he wear a su-suspion! Suspion mask!! And he try giving me candy!!! He was scary!!" 

"Suspicious?" Nanami asked, and Yuuji nodded. 

"That!"

"Oh no. We should call the police on the suspicious man." Nanami shook his head as he took out his phone, debating if he should call the police or not. 

Sukuna was now bursting into tears as laughter roared through the living room. Yuuji stared at Choso, confused. "Cho-nii, why is Suki-nii laughing?"

"He's just weird. I'm going to finish making egg rolls; wanna watch Yuuji?"

"Yes!! Can I wear my apron?"

"Of course. Here, I'll take out your stepping stool too. Be careful; it's hot, okay?"

"Yes!!!" 

Update: The next time Gojo visited, he cried and said he wasn't a pervert and only trying to praise Yuuji for doing so well with his first trip alone. Yuuji accepted the candy but didn't understand why Gojo was crying, but he was shocked that Gojo knew the pervert. Sukuna and Geto laughed so hard that tears spilled as Nanami rolled his eyes at Gojo's stupidity. Nanami told Gojo he shouldn't have dressed so suspiciously. 

Gojo cried harder as Yuuji confusedly tried to cheer up the sobbing man. Gojo-sensei is weird today. 

Chapter Text

Driving past the large metal fences, Yuuji stared at the vast land with tombstones stretching for miles on end. Nanamin said they were visiting Mama and Papa. He hasn't come here in a long time, not that he can really remember the first time he came here. Choso and Sukuna always look sad when they come here, Yuuji knows why, but he feels a little happy when he comes here. He can tell his Mama and Papa how he's doing.

Nanamin tells him they are watching over him, but Choso tells him they'll be happier to hear everything from Yuuji even if they knew how he was. He liked talking to them at home, looking at their memorial altars, and telling them about his day. It was awkward at first, but he steadily made it a habit to spend a few minutes sitting in front of the altar talking to them.  He missed Mama and Papa, but he can't remember what they looked like. Only pictures, but looking at them made him feel odd. They seemed like strangers compared to the blurry faces he recalled in his memories. 

Silently watching the many tombstones, they finally came to their destination. Parking the car, Sukuna helped Yuuji out of the car and brought him into his arms. Choso and Nanami grabbed the bouquets and began to walk up the steep hill. It was a lovely day today- the sun was out but still a little chilly, needing a jacket, a slight breeze, and the tree was in full bloom, providing a perfect shade to some tombstones. 

"It's been a while, guys. I came with your sons this time." Placing the bouquet down on one of the tombstones, Nanami moved aside to let the boys pay their respect.

"Hello, Mother. Father, it's been a while." Choso smiled at the tombstones and placed the last bouquet down. Sukuna put Yuuji down as he went to brush the stray leaves settling on top of the headstones. Sukuna didn't utter a word, just stared at the tombstones. 

"Mama! Papa! I came! I'm a big boy now! You can see properly! Look!" Spinning around to show his height, he grinned and sat on the ground, rambling about his day. 

Nanami, Choso, and Sukuna moved under the tree's shade and watched Yuuji ramble on in front of the tombstones.

"How many years has it been now?" 

 "Close to 4 years. Yuuji's almost 6." Nanami quietly responded as Choso dryly chuckled. 

"Almost four years, huh..." 

Sukuna stared at Yuuji, still talking to their parents until a sudden strong breeze flew by, and one of the bouquets flew off, tumbling towards the stairs. Not thinking twice, Yuuji chased after the bouquet but tripped over himself and suddenly saw the stairs coming close to his view. Bracing from impact, he shielded himself with his arms but only to be pulled back harshly by the back of his jacket and into a pair of arms. 

"S-Suki-nii, I got Mama's flowers-" 

"YOU IDIOT! WHY WOULD YOU CHASE AFTER THE FLOWERS? YOU SHOULD'VE JUST LEFT THEM! WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPEN IF ONE OF US WEREN'T WATCHING YOU!!! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!?!" 

Yuuji was scared. Sukuna was very mad. He never yelled at him, not like this. He never screamed at him like this, he would always joke around and be so calm most times, but his brother was very angry with him. 

"I-I'm s-sorry, S-Suki-ni, I-I j-just... M-Mama... f-flowers..." Yuuji couldn't form his words together, tears were rolling down his cheeks, and he could not stop his stuttering. Giving up on his explanations, he began bawling and apologizing. Sukuna was quick to curse himself and hug Yuuji. 

"Tsk... Don't be so fucking reckless-! You could've- not again." Yuuji couldn't feel it with his crying, but Sukuna's body shook as he hugged Yuuji. 

~~

~~

Cutting their visit short, Yuuji calmed down and fell asleep in Sukuna's arms. Walking back to the car, he listened to Choso's lecture about his foul language again but didn't utter a word. Arriving at the car, Choso rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed before taking Yuuji from Sukuna's arms and putting him down into the vehicle's back seat. 

"Sukuna-"

"I know. I shouldn't have yelled at the brat; get off my-"

"Sukuna."

"... I-I couldn't help it, alright? I just..." Patting Sukuna's shoulder, he told him to get in, and Sukuna silently obeyed Nanami. 

"Shall we eat out for dinner tonight?" Nanami asked as he started up the engine. 

"Sure, it's been a while." Choso agreed to the suggestion as Sukuna got comfortable in his seat and raised Yuuji's head to rest against his thigh. 

"Yeah, sure."

"I need to stop by the office to get some paperwork. Do you need any place you need to go?"

"No, I'm alright." 

"Sukuna?"

"... I don't need anything." 

"Alright." Turning on the radio, everyone silently listened to the radio the rest of the way. Sukuna stared out the window and patted Yuuji's head, ignoring that Yuuji almost got severely hurt again. He wasn't going to let that happen. Not again. 

Arrived home, Sukuna tucked Yuuji into bed; Sukuna went back to his room and laid across his bed with an irritated sigh. Glancing at the picture on his desk- his mother had dragged him into the picture with baby Yuuji. His brows furrowed as he snarled at the picture and turned away. It'll be better if he just took a nap until dinner. He doesn't want to think about the image, the past, or what happened earlier today. It's so fucking irritating to think about. 

"Sukuna, he looks a lot like you, doesn't he?"

"... He's tiny."

"You were this small once."

"Not as tiny as him!"

"No, you're right; he's a little smaller than you or Choso were."

"So I'm not the youngest anymore with this little sh- brat around..."

"Nope, you're a big brother now. Be nice to him, okay? Don't be so mean to him; he's a lot younger than you and Choso. So you'll need to be more patient and understanding, alright?"

"Hmmm..."

"What's the matter?"

"... I wonder if he'll respect me more cuz I look like him rather than Choso."

"..."

"..."

"P-Pft ah ha ha ha!! You say such adorable things sometimes. You really are like Jin at times like this, hahaha!!"

"W-What-?! Not like the old man! NO! Ugh, mom, stop it!! Stop laughing!!" 

Downstairs in the shared office space, Nanami looked over his paperwork while Choso was studying on the couch. A few hours passed, and Choso was rereading a lot of stuff and having difficulty concentrating on anything; he figured he should stop studying today. Closing his books and heavily sighing, Nanami glanced up at Choso.

"Something on your mind?"

"Nothing, just having a hard time concentrating." Pushing the book away, he leaned against the couch and stared at the ceiling. 

"Yes, I'm sure it had nothing to do with Yuuji almost getting hurt earlier." He decided to take a break himself and didn't miss Choso's slight flinch. "I'm glad I stopped you from practically diving towards the stairs. Both you and Yuuji would've gotten hurt very badly."

"Better I get hurt than Yuuji."

"I'd prefer if none of you got hurt. Sukuna is a different story with his fights and all, but he knows how to take care of himself; you both do."

"Not like you didn't think about tumbling down the stairs with Yuuji."

"I didn't deny anything." 

"...Sukuna still blames himself."

"I'm aware, but you and I both know how stubborn he is to believe that no matter what we say."

"Yeah... Not like he's the only one who thinks it's his fault..." 

"Choso. It was neither Sukuna's nor your fault that your parents got into the accident."

"... Yeah." With a dry answer, he sadly smiled and stared at one particular picture on the wall across from him. The last family picture they took when was only four of them. 

"Really, dad? A family picture at the hospital? Why not later? At a nicer place?" 

"Oh, come on, Choso. Pictures make memories."

"It's gonna be a shitty picture with your skills, old man- OW!" 

"Watch your language around Yuuji!"

"He's not here yet! He's still inside!!"

"You're a big brother now; stop saying such foul language!"

"The fu-dge. Oi! Choso, say something to him."

"Nah, keep going; you're doing well on your first day as a big brother." 

"Tsk, what a fucking help you are, big bro. OW OW OW!! Old man!"

"Sukuna, just try and not say anything like that to Yuuji, please? For me?"

"... Is brat alright?" 

"...It's an improvement." 

"Really, mom?"

"It's better than swear words."

"Heh."

"DON'T BE PROUD OF THAT, YOU IDIOT!"

"DEAR."

"S-Sorry, sweetheart..."

"Like Father like son, right?"

"Choso, you're his son too." 

"I'm fine with just being your son, mom."

"Choso! How could you be so mean to me, your father-!"

"Dear, don't be so dramatic- oh! Oh! OH!! IT'S STARTING AGAIN! ONE OF YOU BOYS, GIVE ME YOUR HAND."

"You heard her, Big bro. Step up."

"The fuck? My hands are destroyed; it's your turn."

"You grabbed coffee half an hour ago; your hand looked fine-"

"Boys, give your mother a hand-"

"Old man, why aren't you giving her your hand?!"

"That's right, dad..."

"Well, I mean, she has you both-"

"JIN!!! GIVE ME YOUR HAND!!!" 

"Y-yes, sweetheart."

"SUKUNA, GET OVER HERE."

"Ah fuck... don't be so- AUGH SHIT!!!!!!"

"STOP CUSSING WHEN I'M HAVING CONTRACTIONS!!!"

"LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER- AUGHHHHHHH!!!!"

"AHHHHHHHH!!!"

"I'll take pictures. Where's your phone, dad?"

"I think I'll go make some coffee. Do you want any, Nanami-san?" 

"Please." Leaving the office, Nanami leaned against his chair and sighed. "Your sons are the stubborn type, Jin. I wonder who they get it from...

Haha, you'd probably say it's from your wife." 

Pouring the coffee into two mugs, he sighed and stared at the filled mugs. "If I didn't act like a little shit then..."

"Cho-nii...?" 

"Yu-chan. Have a good nap?" Picking Yuuji up, he asked if he was hungry, but Yuuji fumbled with his shirt. "Don't worry about Sukuna earlier. He was just scared about you getting hurt. You know how he is." 

"... But Suki-nii was really mad."

"He's an idiot."

"... Does Suki-nii hate me?"

"Never. He'd rather eat his fingers than ever hate you."

"Mmh..."

"If you think he's really mad, try apologizing. He'll forgive you in a heartbeat." 

"Really?"

"Yeah." Putting Yuuji back down, he smiled at the worried boy, "Why don't you two go make-up while Nanami-san finishes up with his work, and we can all go out for dinner, okay?"

"Okay." Running back upstairs to reconcile with Sukuna, Choso grabbed the two mugs and headed back to the office. He stared at the photo sitting on the counter, the first and last family picture of them together as five. 

"H-He's beautiful, sweetheart. T-Thank you, sweetheart. T-Thank you so much for birthing him." 

"Jin, dear. You need to stop crying."

"Old man, you look ridiculous..."

"He's being a lot more emotional than I am as usual." 

"He wasn't like this for all of us, was he?"

"Ah, haha, I'd say this is the most emotional I've seen him." 

"H-He has pink hair like Sukuna and me!!! Another addition to the family!!!" 

"Kinda glad I have your hair, mom."

"Choso, don't be so mean."

"You do not deny it, seeing as you're laughing... How are you feeling?"

"Oh, not you too. I'm fine. This is my third time around, I'll be fine, a little crankier and tired than usual, but I'll be fine. Now, Jin, can I see my son now? The son that took me almost 12 hours?"

"Y-Yes, of course." 

"Oh goodness, Choso, help your father wipe away his tears."

"Sukuna."

"Mom called you!"

"You're closer to the tissues!"

"I'll get them myself."

"See! Now, Dad needs to wipe away his tears."

"Mom told you to do it!"

"Oh god, I'm surrounded by idiots... Yuuji, this is your idiotic family. I hope you don't learn anything from your brothers other than their smarts."

"--MOM!" 

"And Jin's sweetness and kindness."

"S-Sweetheart."

"Jin, don't start crying again!!" 

"Uhm... shall I take that picture now?"

"Oh! Where are our manners? We're so sorry. Boys! Get over here! Jin! Stop crying!!" 

They never had the chance to take another picture altogether. Only ever separately. Choso wished he had let his mother take all the pictures she wanted; he knows Sukuna wished he had too. He always hated to take photos with everyone thinking it was stupid. Choso is ashamed to say that he didn't care much for Yuuji when he was born; he had seen him as just another addition to the family. Still, nothing worth caring about; taking so many pictures with him felt too tiresome- if only he knew how much he'd regret it. 

Walking down the hallway, he passed by many pictures of him, Sukuna, and Yuuji, most of them over the years. Many of them even had only Nanami and Yuuji; one would mistake Nanami as Yuuji's dad from the lack of pictures of their biological father. 

So much has changed since that day. 

"There's been an accident..." 

(Roughly four years ago)

"BOYS!!! YOU'LL BE LATE!!" 

Screaming a third time upstairs for the boys to come down for breakfast, an irritated huff escaped the woman as she wiped her hands onto her apron and went back to the kitchen. 

"Leave them be, sweetheart. I'm sure they're exhausted from Yuuji's crying the past few days." Folding the newspaper, the man pushed up his glasses and tried to calm his frustrated wife. 

"They've gotten used to his crying the first few months he came home and managed to get through it before. I don't see why this is any different- ugh! I need to remake this miso soup-"

"Sweetheart. Sweetheart." Quickly walking behind his wife, he took the utensils away and asked her to sit. Asking her to do a few breathing exercises, she irritatedly did as asked and was glad he did. Breathing out a deep breath, she felt a little calmer and apologized to her husband for her irritable mood. 

"Don't be; this is probably the hardest for you. I'm sorry I had to be away for most of it."

"Oh, stop it... Nanami even apologized to me. He even brought my favorite mochi back as an apology; I'm not mad. Just frustrated and worried is all."

"Have you taken Yuuji-"

"I did; ieiri-san said if he got worse to come back."

"Then that's what we'll do-" Interrupted with wailing echoing from the baby monitor, his wife got up to go to Yuuji, but he was quick to stop her.

"I got him. You take care of the other boys. Try talking to Sukuna today, okay?" He saw Choso and Sukuna walking downstairs, not in the best mood, and little dark circles formed under their eyes. 

"Morning boys-"

Sukuna didn't bother saying anything but growl as he forced himself into the dining room while Choso rubbed the back of his neck and let out an annoyed huff. Taking a deep breath, he mustered up the best he could to say good morning to his father. 

"Think you'll do alright with the exams next week?"

"... I'll manage."

"Must be hard with Yuuji's crying, right? I'm sorry, try and be a little understanding. He has the flu right now; I'm sure he's having a hard time too." 

"...I know." Sighing again, Jin patted his son's shoulder to thank him for his limited patience. 

"Ah, you remember that Sukuna has a parent-teacher meeting today?"

"Oh, was that today? Oh..." 

"Dad, you missed the last one and his judo competition last month."

"I know, I gotta make it up to him-"

"... You and mom are still coming to our cultural festival in 2 weeks, right?" 

"Choso... I don't think I'll be able to make it. Your mother and I promised to visit grandpa next week-"

"Yeah." 

"I'm sorry, Choso. If you told me sooner-"

"I told you two months ago."

"Choso-" 

"Dad. You might want to hurry up and get to Yuuji. He's getting louder the longer you make him wait."

"Choso, I'll talk to your mom about-"

"It's fine. It's just a stupid cultural festival; you can go to Sukuna's when he goes into high school. Not like you missed the last three during middle school for Sukuna's tournaments or work-" Clicking his tongue, he stopped himself and thought it was ridiculous how childish he was being right now. He was in high school now; he shouldn't be begging for his parent's attention anymore. 

"I think I'll skip breakfast. I'm going to school."

"Choso-" Closing the door behind him, Jin sighed. Things haven't been easy with Choso the past few years, he had thought it was getting a little better now that Sukuna was a teenager, but with Yuuji now, it seemed like it was coming back to the beginning again. 

Hearing Yuuji's cries get louder, he quickly ran up to his ill son and tried to lull him to sleep. 

Downstairs in the dining room, Sukuna was eating in silence as his mother sat across from him, wondering what to say to her son. 

"Sukuna."

"..."

"About the parent-teacher-"

"I'll tell sensei you both can't come."

"... I'm sorry."

"Don't be; it's just a shitty meeting of the teachers telling how I'm doing."

"... Are you doing well?"

"You saw my grades, didn't you?"

The atmosphere was tense again. Sukuna and his mother used to have a good relationship, and Choso had a better relationship with his father. Still, ever since Yuuji was born, the relationships have been getting strained on both sides. Sukuna honestly couldn't care less if his new baby brother was blood-related; Choso was annoying to deal with but maybe because they were only two years apart, it wasn't difficult to understand one another. However, their new baby brother was something they were having a hard time with. 

The age gap was extensive; the quiet balance was wrecked; Choso and Sukuna had to be responsible and be understanding to a little shit that didn't know right from wrong. To be honest, Sukuna had little to no interest in his new baby brother- he only saw Yuuji as someone he could order around later in life.

He honestly was becoming fed up with Yuuji's crying. He hasn't had a decent night's sleep since the day he came from the hospital. 

"Thanks for the meal; I'm going." Grabbing his bag, Sukuna left before his mother could say anything else. Left alone, she heavily sighed and began cleaning up. Where did things go wrong with their relationship? 

~~

~~

"Oh. Choso, you're early. How long have you been here?" 

"Todo... Morning."

"Wake up the wrong side of the bed again?" Chuckling at his little joke, he paused when he saw Choso stare at him, not amused. "Had another fight with your old man?"

"... No."

"Wow. You are great at lying." 

"Shut up."

"Morning, boys." 

"Mai. Choso is in a grumpy mood again."

"It's nothing new; I bet it's about his parents or little brother again." Choso's brow twitched at Mai's accurate jab; Mai smirked, knowing she was right.

"Your little brother still sick?"

"Yeah, he keeps crying." Closing his book, Mai hummed as she took her seat in front of Choso. 

"The poor thing must be having a hard time. Bet your mother is exhausted." 

"Yeah."

"So, have you tried helping her out?"

"What?" Todo and Mai stared at Choso in disbelief. Had this boy really not tried to help his parents take care of his little brother? Him, Choso, who was a stickler for the family?

"You haven't tried to help her out? I bet she's exhausted and worried." Choso felt a little embarrassed he hadn't thought about the obvious choice. "Even if he's a little annoying, he's still your brother. You'll grow to love him as I did with Nobara."

"You didn't like Nobara?" Choso was a little surprised to hear that from Mai. She always bragged about her little sister.

"You think I liked her immediately when I saw her? I thought she was pretty small and cute, but I thought she was an annoying and loud brat." Choso and Todo were surprised to hear those words leave Mai's mouth. "But... after spending time with her, I grew fond of her. It's normal not to like your siblings in the beginning. That's just how it is."

"... hmm."

"Knowing you, I think you'll like Yuuji immediately if you give him a chance." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck; he glanced at Mai. 

"Thanks..." Smiling, he flicked his forehead as Todo talked about their upcoming school festival. 

Mai was right. He should give Yuuji a chance, he's only a baby, and it's not his, or his parent's fault things are so chaotic and out of place. When he first Yuuji, he does admit that he thought that Yuuji was quite adorable and felt a slight amount of pride to know this cute baby was his baby brother. 

As the oldest brother, he should step up. God knows, Sukuna won't ever try and give Yuuji a chance and will probably take advantage of Yuuji when he's a little older. 

~~

~~

"You're late today, Sukua." 

"Shut up, and I still have 5 minutes before class starts." Clicking his tongue as he sat in his seat, Yuta offered him a melonpan. 

"Want it? You look like you need it."

"...Thanks." Taking the offered bread, he devoured it and sighed as he leaned against his seat. 

"You look terrible. Your little brother still sick?"

"Tsk, the little shit won't stop crying. Choso and I are having trouble sleeping." 

"Well, he's only a baby." Yuta chuckled, looking at Sukuna's dark circles. 

"Baby... ugh, he's getting annoying."

"You could try helping your parents."

"Hah? It's annoying enough to deal with his existence; why should I help with the little shit?"

"Who knows, you might like Yuuji more, and you might be able to reconcile with your parents." Shrugging, Yuta took out his books as Sukuna raised a brow at him.

"We're not fighting."

"Sure, you aren't. I can practically hear you whining about your little brother almost every day." Sukuna brushed off the annoying hand that patted his head. 

"Fuck off, Maki." 

"I find it hard to believe you don't like your new baby brother; he's adorable. Even Nobara likes him, and she rarely likes anyone other than her family."

"You and your sister like little shits like him. You have a little shit at home, don't you?"

"Not a little shit, her name is Nobara. And yeah, she's adorable. What's wrong with that?"

"Tsk, I don't get you."

"And you never will, shithead." 

"Fuck off."

"Fuck you." Yuta dryly chuckled as the two glared at one another until the school bell rang. Class is beginning. 

"Sukuna." Looking over his shoulder, Toge held out his fist to Sukuna. Not understanding his intention, Toge pushed out his fist again, and Sukuna placed his hand out. A tiny pack fell into Sukuna's hand- the fuck is this? It was a snack for babies. Glancing back at Toge, he gave Sukuna a thumbs-up, saying good luck; Sukuna's eye twitched; why were his friends all so annoying? 

Staring at the snack in hand, he sighed. Guess it can't hurt to try and help out his mother with Yuuji... he could even try and give him a chance, even if the little shit was annoying...

~~

~~

"We're home."

They were welcomed back home with Yuuji's cries throughout the house and hurried steps going back and forth from the stairs to the kitchen; they could hear their mother's voice tensed with worry and exhaustion as she greeted the boys back home, yelling from the kitchen. 

"Welcome back, boys- ah! Yuuji, mommy is coming; give me a minute, okay?!" Unable to stop, she grabbed the formula and medicine, making her way back up to the ill child. Sukuna's hand twitched against the snack in his pocket, and he wondered how he should go about this- the last thing he wanted to do was create more work for his mother. 

Choso watched his mother hurry up the stairs and felt slight guilt from earlier this morning towards his parents. He hadn't meant to lose his composure like that; he understood their forgetfulness. Their minds were practically occupied with Yuuji's well-being and their jobs to feed their family; it wasn't as if they had entirely neglected them either. As busy as they were, they still did their best to make time for him and Sukuna. 

Going upstairs, the boys changed out of their uniforms and walked over to Yuuji's room. Peeking inside, they noticed Yuuji was fussier than usual as their mother was having a hard time getting him to sleep. 

"Where's the old man?" Sukuna asked, noticing their father wasn't around.

"I asked him to run a few errands, so he'll be away for a bit." 

"Mom. I'll try to get Yuuji to sleep; you should try and take a nap." Choso stepped up and held out his arms, startling his mother. She hadn't thought Choso would ever volunteer to help out with Yuuji. She knew her sons weren't exactly fond of their new baby brother. 

"It's fine, Choso, I can-"

"Mom, you look like you're going to pass out. Come on." His mother hesitated but eventually gave in as Sukuna helped her to her room. She looked like she would drop any minute. 

"Only an hour, boys. Wake me up after, okay?" They both nodded before she left the room as Choso was left with a fussy Yuuji in his arms. Gently rocking the baby, Yuuji suddenly stopped crying and stared at the new face above him. Still sniffling and whimpering from the pain, Choso brushed away Yuuji's small strands of hair away from his face.

Staring at Choso, Yuuji grabbed one of Choso's fingers and stared at him. Choso worriedly stared back, maybe didn't recognize his brother; it had been a long time since Yuuji had seen either one of them so up close. Worried he'll begin crying again, Choso mustered up his best smile, which did the trick. Yuuji started smiling and cuddling against Choso's hand. Choso had thought his heart stopped at the cute gesture. 

"Alright, she's asleep. What's the little sh- it's so quiet." Sukuna was surprised to hear nothing but giggling coming from Yuuji's room. Sukuna was taken back seeing Choso's face when he walked over to his brother. He was smiling softly at the little shit. He wasn't seeing things, was he?

"Quit smiling; it's creeping me out."

"Shut up." Glaring at Sukuna, he looked back at Yuuji to see him staring at Sukuna. "Think he wants you to hold him." 

"Wha-" Yuuji held out his hands to Sukuna and made small babbling noises as he made a grabby hand motion. Unsure about carrying Yuuji, Choso began explaining how to hold Yuuji properly. After a moment of explaining and Sukuna finding it odd how attentive he was being, Choso gently passed Yuuji to Sukuna. Awkwardly having the babe, Choso corrected Sukuna's posture, and it was much easier for Sukuna to carry Yuuji. 

Unconsciously rocking his body for Yuuji to try and relax in his arms, Yuuji stared at Sukuna and smiled. Giggling and holding out his hands to Sukuna, Yuuji felt at ease. Sukuna's brows furrowed at the gesture, and he found it challenging to try and hide his smile. The little s- brat was quite cute...

Returned home with all the errands in hand, Jin was startled to find the house so quiet. Gently putting the bags onto the dining room table, he made his way to the second floor to see his wife sleeping peacefully. Closing the door, he went to check up on Yuuji but was surprised to see the scene before him. Choso and Sukuna were sleeping on the floor with cushions surrounding them, and Yuuji was in the middle, holding both of their fingers as he slept. He's never seen such a cute picture; quietly taking out his phone, he took a picture and grabbed a blanket to cover up the boys. 

He's never going to stop talking about this to the boys. 

That following week, the atmosphere changed around the Itadaoris. The boys were more helping around the house; they volunteered to take care of Yuuji if their mother was occupied or much too stressed, and they began speaking more with their parents. It wasn't the same as before, but it was an improvement, and everyone was comfortable with it. But the most significant change of them all was the boys being happy around Yuuji. Much like a magic spell, the boys loved Yuuji. 

Jin was once startled when he had stayed home to help out his wife, and the boys slammed the door open, sweating. Asking if something was wrong, they said it was nothing and began pushing each other away from one another to get inside first, wash up and see Yuuji. Jin wasn't sure whether to laugh or be happy about his son's sudden change of attitude towards their youngest. 

"Yu-chan~ I'm home!" Cooing at his baby brother, Yuuji giggled and held out his hands. 

"C-Cho! Cho!!" Choso felt his heart melt whenever Yuuji said his name- well, part of it. He wouldn't know that it'll stick with Yuuji for a while, and Choso has no problem with it. 

Picking up the boy, he held him up and smiled. "Did you have a good day? Did you miss me? Nii-chan missed you." 

"You're going to drop him." Sukuna had finally come into Yuuji's room, washed and changed. Catching his breath, Choso let out an annoyed click, and Sukuna felt a vein pop. "Hand over the brat; I bet he's tired of seeing your face."

"If you can get him from my hands, sure." Raising Yuuji further up to the ceiling, Sukuna felt his patience snap as he began jumping and cursing at Choso's pettiness. He was still in middle school; for fuck's sake, it was cheating with his high school sudden growth spurt.

"You're only in 1st year of high school! Why do you already have giraffe arms?!" 

"The perks of being older." Finding it impossible to reach Yuuji, Sukuna growled. 

"Just you watch when I'm in high school, I'll be taller than you."

"Hah, you wish, squirt. Enjoy the sorrows of being a sore loser; you were too slow."

"You miserable, petty piece of shi-"

"Suki!" Unaware of the two brothers 'fighting,' Yuuji looked down at Sukuna and motioned his hands toward his second brother. 

"Nooo, ~ Yu-chan. You want to leave me for him?" Staring at Choso, confused, Yuuji tilted his head as he sucked on the ear of his tiger plush. What was his brother asking him? Choso only hugged Yuuji as Yuuji giggled at his brother's sudden hug. 

"Oi!! Lemme hug the brat too!!" 

~~

~~

Some good things never last.

Who was it to say those words? It was so cruel, even on a day like this, when Choso and Sukuna would see their parents for the last time without knowing. It was exam week, and the two were stressed and annoyed about it as it was. Although they had warmed up to Yuuji, it didn't stop their nerves from being struck. 

Sukuna was trying to get his sleep in now, knowing how much Yuuji woke up in the middle of the night wanting food or a diaper change. Sleeping in his bed, he heard small pitter-patters across the hall and then stopping by his door. Pushing the door, it came closer and stopped by his bed. Sukuna decided to ignore Yuuji and try and sleep again, but Yuuji was attempting to climb up his bed. He opened his eyes and saw Yuuji struggling to get up on the bed. 

Staring at the babe for a bit longer, he pulled Yuuji up the bed and hit his head on the pillow going back to sleep, but Yuuji didn't want that. 

"Suki. Play."

"Tired. Go bother Choso."

"Pwease?"

"No, go bother Choso."

"... no play?"

"I'm going to sleep, brat." 

"Suki~"

"...."

"Suki?"

"...."

"Suki! Play! Play wif me!" 

He picked up Yuuji and walked to Choso's room across from his. Choso turned around and raised a brow as if saying- what the hell do you want? He set Yuuji on his bed, and Choso smiled at the little toddler before staring at Sukuna with a silent expression- What about him?

"Play with the brat."

"I'm studying; you play with him. You're not doing anything." Going back to his books, Sukuna clicked his tongue. 

"I'm trying to sleep so I can study later. You watch him; you'll be alright with your exams even if you don't study."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I need to study to get a good grade."

"Just play with the brat!"

"WHY DON'T YOU, INSTEAD OF BOTHERING ME!" Yelling at each other, Yuuji looked back and forth at his brothers, a little scared, and held out his tiger, trying to appease them, "Pway?"

Forgetting Yuuji was there, they both screamed at Yuuji. "--SHUT UP." 

Startled by his brothers yelling at him, he began bawling, and the two boys couldn't be bothered to try and console him as they continued to fight and yell at one another. Their mother came rushing upstairs, hearing Yuuji cry from the kitchen. Picking up the bawling toddler, she tried to calm him down as her husband appeared.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING HERE?!"

"He barged into my room and started telling me to play with Yuuji!"

"I was trying to sleep, but he was bothering me! You can play with him for a few minutes!"

"Why should I?! You could sleep at night, so why are you trying to throw Yuuji to me?!"

"That brat always wakes up multiple times at night! It's hard to sleep!"

"Oh, like you're the only one who can't sleep! Stop being such a drama queen!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH." Their mother interjected as her husband was now holding Yuuji. "I can't believe you two. I understand you are both tired and stressed about exams, but you don't need to yell at Yuuji for it!"

"He wouldn't leave me alone!" 

"Oh, please, like other times, you wouldn't like it."

"That's rich coming from you, smiling like an idiot earlier when you saw the brat."

"Why do you need to throw Yuuji to me?! I'm busy as it is!"

"Choso, as busy as you are, surely as the older brother, you could've given him a few minutes of your time or just called one of us-"

"I didn't ask to be an older brother!! Why are you throwing all the responsibility to me?! I barely know how to take care of myself! Why do you always need to ask me to be the responsible one?! 

Why can't Sukuna be responsible for himself?! He's fucking thirteen now! I don't need to look after him! Stop asking me to be the one to take care of all these nuisances!!" 

"Fuck you too!! I didn't ask to be your brother or be a part of this family!! Do you think I like being a part of this family where I'm only seen as the troublemaker?! I didn't ask you to look after me or be my brother! You're a fucking thorn in my side as well!!" 

"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!!" Glaring at one another, their mother had pushed them away from one another. "Both of you are just stressed; you shouldn't say things you don't me-"

"Don't you start!" Sukuna directed his anger toward his mother, "We never cared for the brat from the beginning; he was just an added responsibility. Ever since he's come, you and the old man have done nothing but break all your promises and expect us to be understanding of the brat!"

"Sukuna, we've talked about-"

"What do you know about responsibility?" Choso scoffed at Sukuna, hearing him talk of the word responsibility. "You don't know responsibility; you don't know anything about what that word means! Unlike you, I had to learn things quicker and act responsibly. I had to be the one who watched you, teach you right from wrong, put up with your crap, and be understanding no matter what you did just because you were younger! 

What the fuck would you know about being responsible!?!

How often did I have to be the one who got in trouble because of what you did?! How many times did I have to look after you and give up whatever I wanted to do or had planned?! I have to do so much for you, and it's expected of me because I'm the fucking oldest, and I'm still doing it, but I'm sick of it! Why am I the one who needs to take care of all of you when it's hard enough to take care of myself!!" 

"Choso-"

"I bet you're really shocked to hear all this, right? Not like I said anything to you about it, right?" Snapping the pencil in half, he tossed it aside and grabbed his bag. 

"Choso! We're not done-" He didn't want to be the good son right now. Ignoring his father, he stomped downstairs and out the door. Sukuna followed suit as he walked back into his room and shut the door behind him.

"Sukuna!!" 

Yuuji began crying again as Jin tried to calm his crying son. His mother rubbed his back as she sighed and thought about Choso's words. 

~~

~~

The following day Choso and Sukuna hadn't come home. Checking up on Sukuna in the middle of the night to talk, Jin had found Sukuna had snuck out from his window. Worried for their safety, their mother called, hoping to at least get an answer, but both boys had ignored her calls. Luckily, Nanami had called that morning explaining they had spent the night at Nanami's; he had found them both by the park talking. He had dropped them off at school on his way to the airport; the Itadoris thanked their friend and hung up. 

At least the boys were safe, but last night's (one-sided) argument was still lingering in both their heads.

"Choso's right; we've put too much on him. Do you think he'll forgive me for being such a terrible mother?"

"Sweetheart, you aren't a horrible mother. 

If anyone is at fault, it's me. I didn't listen to our son and brushed it off."

"I guess we're both terrible." Chuckling to one another, she sighed and brushed her fingers through Yuuji's hair as he slept. Perhaps it was too much to expect the boys to love Yuuji immediately. Maybe time will tell.

"Why don't we go get the groceries and make their favorite for dinner, and then we can all talk through it." Jin suggested as his wife smiled. 

"Yeah, that'll be a good idea." Quickly getting ready, she picked Yuuji up into her arms and walked down the stairs. Looking for the car keys, she passed by a picture of her with the boys when they were younger. The boys were holding a basket of strawberries and smiling at the camera. 

"We should pick up a few packs of strawberries from that farm up the mountain..."

"Hm? Oh, we haven't been there in ages, right? I'm sure the boys would love them. Oh! Found the keys!" Jingling the keys, Jin headed out first to start the car engine. 

"I hope so." Smiling at the memory, she followed suit and locked the door. Rustled awake, Yuuji slowly woke up.

"Mama?"

"Good morning, darling. We're going on a little trip to cheer up your brothers."

"Cho...? Suki...?" Nervously asking their name, she sadly smiled and kissed the top of his head. 

"They aren't mad at you, mainly at Mama and Papa. Don't worry; they didn't mean to be so mean."

Getting into the car, Jin drove off, and they made their way to the supermarket before heading up to the farm. Everything was set. They had bought everything, the weather was terrific, and they were heading down the mountain road with a few baskets of strawberries in the hope of appeasing Choso and Sukuna. 

Staring at the strawberries sitting in her lap, she couldn't help but laugh; when was the last time she'd gone anywhere with Choso and Sukuna after Yuuji was born? Granted, it's been less than two years, but even after the one trip up the strawberry farm with Choso and Sukuna, they hadn't gone anywhere else. 

"Jin?"

"Yeah?"

"... Let's go on a vacation. All of us."

"Vacation, huh?" Smiling at the thought, he agreed. "Somewhere nearby or abroad? We haven't gone abroad in a long time, not since Sukuna was born."

"Yeah, abroad would be nice. I'm sure the boys would love it.

Let's also invite Nanami to thank you for taking care of the boys over the years." Jin chuckled at his wife's sentiment, 

"I'm sure he won't mind, but he'll feel burdened if you invite him as a way of saying thank you. He'll say it's nothing worth thanking that much for."

"Well, our boys can be a handful." 

"We could always start planning now; Nanami should still be waiting at the airport." Quickly typing out a text message to Nanami about future vacation plans, the weather changed drastically as the rain came down. 

"It was sunny just a moment ago, tsk." Unable to finish the message to Nanami, he focused back on the road as the rain began pouring. Dark clouds started rolling in, and the mountain grew dark with only the dark skies and light lamps lighting the road. 

"Rain!" Yuuji happily clapped, watching the raindrops hit the car. His mother turned to the side and smiled, praising Yuuji. 

"That's right, Yuuji. It's rain."

"Yuuji is getting better at speaking; I was worried-" 

"JIN, LOOK OUT!!" Instinctively wrapping her arms around Yuuji. 

"WHA-"

The rain continued to pour down the mountain heavily, and the truck passing through the road began grumbling at the sudden weather change. Damn the sudden downpour; he has to drive slower due to the steep hills and the wet roads; he would be late at this point-! Sighing as he went, he noticed something- a traffic barrier was dented, and scraps of metal were littered around the edge. He stepped out of the truck and grabbed his flashlight, looking around, coming to a halt. Many bits and pieces scattered around for a mountain road that not many took. 

His eyes widened at sight, looking a little over the edge, mindful of the slippery mud. Quickly pulling out his phone, he called 110. 

"-There's been an accident! The car has fallen down the hill-" Talking to the operator on the line, he hadn't noticed the body slightly moving under the arms of the deceased woman.

"M-ma...ma... ??

Pa... Papa...?

I-t it h-hurts..." Unable to focus on his surroundings, he weakly clutched his mother's shirt. It hurt, everything hurt, it burned and was cold at the same time. He wanted to go home and see his brothers. It hurt; his chest hurt the most; it hurt a lot. Breathing was hard, but the pain hurt more. Something warm was dripping from his head, and he felt tired. 

"M-Ma...ma..." Weakly calling out to his mother again, he closed his eyes and decided to take his nap. 

"I see two people!" 

"Any pulses?! I'm bringing down the stretcher!"

"N-No! None of them have a pulse, wait-! There's a child here too!!" 

"Christ! Please tell me he's alive!"

"He's got a glass shard etched into his chest!" 

"Keep pressure on the wound!! I'm coming down-"

"T-The child! The child is still breathing!!!" 

~~

~~

"Exams are done!!!" The entire class let out a sigh of relief and slumped against their desks as the teacher congratulated them for their hard work. 

"You all did well; I hope none of you failed, or you'll be saying goodbye to your short break." 

"Nooo!!" 

"Don't say that, sensei!!"

"Alright, all of you, take a little break, and we'll be talking about the upcoming festival, alright?"

"Yesss!!!" Looking through all the papers in hand, all the students began talking. 

"You think you did alright, Choso?" Maki asked as he sighed. 

"Yeah..."

"You look like shit; you still not getting enough sleep?" Todo asked, noticing the small eyes bags. Choso took out his phone and saw the number of times his mother had called. Shit...

"You fight with your parents?" Maki noticed the missed calls, "Wow, your mom must've been really worried. Aren't you a great son?" Snickering at Choso's guilt-ridden sigh, he hesitated to call her.

"Choso, is that a phone?" The teacher asked, and he immediately silenced it and threw it into his bag. 

"No, sir."

"Hmmm. Must be my eyes at old age." The class giggled as Choso smiled and apologized. "Alright, I'll be gone for a few minutes, don't cause chaos."

"Yes, sir!!!" Leaving the classroom, Choso stared out the window with his brows furrowed. Tonight is going to be awkward.

"What did you fight about anyway?" Maki asked curiously, although knowing Choso won't tell her. 

"Shut up." 

Rubbing the back of his neck, he began thinking of ways to apologize to his parents. He didn't mean to explode like that, and he had already talked things out with Sukuna. A few hits were thrown at one another, but that's just how they were.

"Should get some taiyaki before I go home..."

"Choso! You got a visitor!" Hearing his name being called, he and his friends looked up to see Sukuna standing by the classroom door. 

"It's your little rascal of a brother." Maki chuckled as Sukuna came walking in without care, ignoring the staring classmates of Choso's.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be taking an exam?"

"Finished 10 minutes ago." Leaning against Todo's desk and ignoring his friends, Choso raised a brow at Sukuna. Why was he acting so weird? He came to visit and unusually answered in short answers.

"..."

"..."

"Did you want something?"

"... store."

"Store?" 

"... tsk. Let's go to the department store later. For the three of them."

Choso stared at Sukuna, not processing what he said until he realized what he meant. Choso almost wanted to laugh- Sukuna buying 'i'm sorry gifts or thinking the same thing as Choso,' either way, it was not like Sukuna and quite funny. How unlike him. 

Hiding his laugh with a smirk, Sukuna glared at him, "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"You thought it."

"Did I?"

"You fu- tsk." Maki and Todo snickered amongst themselves; the two brothers were adorably stupid. "Think the brat would like a new tiger?"

"The one he has is falling apart. Think it's safe to say we should get him a big one."

"He'll get smothered by it in his sleep..." Sukuna and Choso imagined the large tiger doll laying on top of Yuuji and the boy flaying his arms, trying to get up. He'd be stuck like a turtle on his back. It was adorable. The boys chuckled at the same thought. 

"Isn't there a massive tiger you can win at the crane arcade?" 

"But it's crappy material; better to get the big one from-"

"Oh heavens, they're agreeing on something." Maki laughed as Todo nodded in agreement about the tiger for Yuuji. "Don't join in on the conversation, idiot." 

"Ah. Should we be getting something for the old man?"

"We already said we'd get dad-"

"Not him."

"Nanami-san?"

"Yeah."

"Guess we can try looking for new neckties?"

"He has three drawers of neckties." 

"Well-"

"CHOSO." The entire class was startled to hear their door slammed open as Choso's name was yelled out. It wasn't their teacher, but a well-dressed blonde man with blue frames; who was he? 

"Nanami-san?" 

"Is Sukuna-"

"Old man? What the hell are you doing here? Weren't you going to Kyoto?"

"I need you both to come with me, now."

"What-"

"There's been an accident..."

Chapter Text

"Attention, all passengers boarding for Kyoto. We will now be boarding-" 

Gathering his papers, he tucked them into his bag and took out his boarding pass. Checking once more, he had everything; he stood to head to board until his phone began buzzing. Glancing at his phone, he realized it was Jin. Accepting the call, he chuckled, thinking his friend was calling to thank him for letting his sons spend the night at his house. They were already family as Nanami was Yuuji's godfather after Jin cried, saying he'd be perfect for him. 

"Jin. Thank you are going to lose its meaning if you continue to thank me again for the fifth time-"

"Hello, is this Nanami Kento-san?"

"Yes... this is. This is not your phone. May I ask how you obtained this phone?" Changing his tone to the mysterious person using his friend's phone, the person on the other side of the phone hesitated before answering.

"Nanami-san, I'm afraid to tell you that the owner of this phone has gotten into a terrible accident and is on their way to the hospital right now. A woman and a very young boy the three of them are in critical condition. The phone was still unlocked, and you are the fourth person I saw on the phone's contact list under Favorites. I'm afraid the other three people would not pick up."

"Critical? Three?" Jin had gotten into an accident? His wife and son- Choso and Sukuna, are at school, so that would mean no. Yuuji. 

Dropping his boarding pass, he dashed it out of the terminal and to his car, "Where is the hospital?!" Quickly starting the engine, he drove like a mad man and began calling the boys' phones, hoping they pick up. Getting no answer from either one of them, he called his secretary and explained the situation before hanging up in hopes he got everything that was yelled at him in a panic. 

Barely parking, he ran inside and ignored the teachers and guards calling for him. Starting with Sukuna's classroom, he barged in and saw he wasn't there. Asking one of the classmates, they said he'd gone to the second building where the high school kids resided. He rushed down the hall and up the stairs and saw Choso's classroom. Slamming the door open, the students inside jumped at the sudden crash. Heavily breathing, he quickly scanned the classroom and spotted Choso.

"Choso."

"Nanami-san? What are you-"

"Is Sukuna-"

"Old man? Weren't you going to Kyoto?" 

"What are you doing here?"

"You both need to come with me. Now."

"What-"

"There's been an accident. Your parents and Yuuji is in critical condition. Come now." 

Seeing the boys stare at him with wide eyes at the sudden news, he called them again, and they snapped out of it. Scrambling out the door, Choso asked Maki and Todo to tell the teachers about their absence. Following Nanami to his car, the boys asked Nanami for answers about their parents and Yuuji. Nanami could only stare at them and shake his head; he didn't know what had happened. 

He hopes they're alright...

~~

~~

Running out of the car as soon as Nanami stopped by the hospital, the boys ran inside, not listening to Nanami yelling after them. Sukuna and Choso ran straight to the front desk asking about their parents and brother, but the nurses were hard to understand. Sukuna was getting angrier; they didn't understand what they were asking, but Nanami had appeared behind them and explained calmly. 

Looking up the names, Sukuna saw a familiar shade of pink hurriedly wheeled past them. A tattered, bloody tiger plush fell off as they wheeled in the critical patient. Picking it up, he immediately knew who it was and chased after them. 

"SUKUNA!" 

"Kid, you shouldn't be here-" 

Sukuna felt his stomach twist, seeing who it was being wheeled in—littered with cuts and bruises of every shade. Mud and blood were caked all over him. The main concern was the glass shard etched dangerously close to what looked like his heart. So much blood was spilling from his small unconscious body. 

"B...Brat-! HEY, BRAT, WAKE UP!! YUUJI!!" 

Moving into surgery, one of the nurses had to stop and block Sukuna from following. "YUUJI!!" 

"Kid, I need you to stay here while we start the surgery. You need to stay here, alright?" Choso and Nanami caught up to the distressed Sukuna as he clutched the bloody tiger plush, trying to rationalize to his brain what he saw.

"Sukuna-"

"T-The brat- there was so much fucking blood..." Choso stared at the brightly lit sign above the closed doors and gritted his teeth. Why was this happening? Why the hell did this have to happen right after what happened yesterday. He didn't even get to tell his parents he was sorry- if they... no, he had to be hopeful for himself and Sukuna. He was the oldest; he had to be strong right now...

A doctor came out, giving Nanami the situation; the odds weren't looking great. Yuuji was in the most critical condition. He had even warned the three of them may have to prepare their hearts. 

"What do you mean to prepare our hearts?! YOU'RE A FUCKING DOCTOR!!! SAVE YUUJI!!" Nanami tried to calm Sukuna down, but he couldn't, not after what he heard. 

"Sukuna... shut up..." Choso all but whispered.

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL US TO PREPARE OUR HEARTS!!! HE'S ONLY A BABY!! HOW COULD YOU FUCKING TELL US THAT-?!"

"SUKUNA!!! ENOUGH!!" Pulling Sukuna away, he had him sit as he angrily whispered for Sukuna to calm the fuck down. 

"Choso. Sukuna. Don't yell at the doctor; he's doing his best-"

"FUCK HIS BEST!! HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO-! HE- HE SHOULD... Yuuji is only a baby, damn it..." Shakily breathing, Sukuna gripped the plush, trying to breathe. Nanami apologized to the doctor, but the doctor thought nothing of it and excused himself to go back inside. 

Hours had passed, and the three of them all sat waiting for good news, but the longer they waited, the more anxious and less hopeful they felt. Sukuna sat silently clutching the bloody plush as Choso continued to stare at the floor. He couldn't stop his hands from shaking as the flood of regret was flooding his brain. He had so much he needed to tell his parents, so much he had to ask for forgiveness and just tell them he loved them. 

Hours dragged on like forever, the doors finally opened, and a defeated look was plastered on the doctor. Quietly walking up to the three, he called out to them. 

"Are you Kento Nanami-san?" 

Standing up, he nodded. "I am."

"And I assume these the Itadori couple's children?" 

"Yes, they are. How are-." Clasping his hand on top of each other, he sadly looked at Nanami. 

"I'm very sorry to say we couldn't save any of them." Coldness washed over the three as Sukuna felt his fist tighten at those words. What the fuck was he saying. Why was he saying those things? Nanami had a hard time hiding his shock as his voice trembled. 

"Y-Yuuji. He couldn't be saved?"

"I'm very sorry. Both adults were pronounced dead when they arrived, and the child was barely hanging on. We had done a very complicated operation in hopes to save him, but I'm afraid although the operation was a success, the child, he wasn't able to hold on for very long-"

Sukuna gripped onto the doctor's shirt and began shaking him, demanding he repeats what he said. "Y-YOU!! YOU'RE A DOCTOR!! HOW COULD YOU TELL US THAT THEY'RE DEAD!?! SAVE THEM, DAMNIT!! SAVE THEM!!"

"Sukuna, stop it!!" Nanami pulled Sukuna off and held him to try and calm him down. "Sukuna, you have to calm down-"

"YOU SHOULD'VE AT LEAST SAVED OUR LITTLE BROTHER!! WHY?!"

"Sukuna..." 

"CHOSO, SAY SOMETHING DAMNIT!!!" Angrily yelling at his silent brother, Choso picked up the forgotten plush and calmly asked.

"... Did they suffer?"

The doctor shook his head and softly spoke, "No. Your parents didn't suffer-"

Rushing out the doors, a nurse came out frantically calling for the doctor, "SENSEI!! WE HAVE A PULSE!!!" Rushing back inside with the nurse, the three sat in disbelief. Was Yuuji still alive? Was he going to make it...? 

~~

~~

After another hour, they were directed to a room and explained that Yuuji was alive and breathing. "When he wakes up, he'll be a little out of it, so you will have to be patient with him."

"Thank you, Sensei."

"We'll keep him in the hospital for a few days and see how he's doing. For now, he's still asleep, so be sure not to disturb his rest. And about-"

"Can you give me a moment to let the kids rest?" Leaving Nanami with the boys, Nanami turned to Yuuji's room. 

"Shall we head inside?" Choso's hand shook as he gripped the handle and pulled it open. Slowly opening the door, they all heard the small beeps from the machine and soft breathing inside. Walking inside, Sukuna was the first to walk toward the bed and take a seat waiting beside the bed. 

Yuuji was breathing through an oxygen mask with bandages wrapped around his chest and arms from what he could see over the blanket. His tiny little chest was breathing; he was alive. Sukuna couldn't care, letting all the tension leave his body; he gripped the blanket and shuddered out a small breath of relief as tears rolled down. Looking down to the floor to avoid anyone else from looking, he quietly thanked whoever was out there for Yuuji breathing again. 

Choso sat across from Sukuna and stared at Yuuji's face. His baby brother was still breathing. He was still alive. Choso heavily breathed out relief by scanning his face as he slumped against his chair. Raising his hands to his face, he muttered out a small thank you as Nanami took a seat beside him. 

"He's a fighter."

"...Yeah. Yeah, he is."

"Try and get some shut-eye; you look like you need it." Glancing over at the clock, he hadn't realized how late it was. It was coming close to 9 pm. They had been in the hospital so long, stressing over Yuuji's surgery. 

"What about Nanami-san?"

"I need to check up on my secretary for a moment." Raising his phone, Choso nodded.

"I'll watch over them." Patting his shoulder, Nanami left the room. Leaning against the chair, he stared at Yuuji once more and felt his eyelids grow heavy. Sukuna had already fallen asleep against Yuuji's bed as he held his hand.

It was fine. Everything was alright now; Yuuji was alive. They were fine.

"Nanami-san." Another doctor had called out to Nanami and asked him to follow him. Heading down further into the hospital and another room, the doctor, expressed his sadness about his friend's passing and left Nanami alone in the room with another doctor. He came across two silver slabs with two bodies covered with white sheets. 

"Are you ready?"

"...yes." Unveiling the bodies, Nanami didn't flinch but took a deep breath. Jin's face was close to unrecognizable; according to the doctor, he had taken the brute force of the accident as a piece of metal etched itself deep through the glass front shield, and the rest was history. His wife was the least hurt, but the top of her forehead and cheek had suffered a deep cut. Even with the cut stitched up, her face was littered with bruises and cuts, as were her arms.

"...I'm done." Covering the bodies again, Nanami decided it best the boys don't see their parents like this. He'll need to have them cremated; no, first, he'll need to let Jin's father know... If he doesn't pick up the phone again, he'll need to ask his secretary, Ijichi, to pick him up and tell him the news directly. 

"Yuuji didn't have as many injuries as they did..."

"Yes. His mother... she had taken most of the injuries in his place. It seems she had used her body to cover the boy when they crashed. One of the responders had told me they had found the boy in his mother's arms."

Although his friends were dead, he couldn't help but thank them for protecting Yuuji to giving him the chance to live. Staring at the covered bodies, he silently prayed they were in a better place now and promised he'd watch over their sons. 

"Goodbye... my dear friends." 

~~

~~

Telling Wasuke Itadori that his son and daughter-in-law had passed away, Nanami had never seen the older man's face sour in pain. Letting out a haggard breath, he asked about Yuuji's condition. Nanami could see the older man was deeply saddened about his son's death but couldn't bear to dwell on it when he had to think about his grandsons. Especially one who had almost followed his parents to the other side at such a young age. 

Nanami prepared the funeral as Wasuke took care of his other grandsons at home. They tried arguing that they didn't need to be cared for when Yuuji was in the hospital bed, but their grandfather wasn't having it. Being stubborner than Sukuna, he dragged the two bac home to get changed, fed, and have a good night's sleep. Not that they could really sleep after what's happened, but it was better than a chair. 

Going to school was not a priority for the boys; it couldn't be. Nanami had called their schools to explain what had happened, and they were excused from the two days of school they had left. Luckily, they had a school break afterward, but what was the use of being excited about it now?

Visiting Yuuji every day for a week, the nurses explained that Yuuji was healing and should be waking up soon. They pitied the two boys who came to visit their baby brother. They had lost their parents and almost lost their youngest during the operation. Such foul luck to have fallen upon them. Sukuna and Choso had gotten that new giant tiger plush they had talked about and brought it to the hospital. Leaving it sitting on the foot of the bed so Yuuji would see a familiar face if he had woken up alone, they hoped he'd wake up soon. 

Yuuji had opened his eyes a few times, and the boys were happy to see him, but he wasn't fully conscious. He'd open his eyes and look around before falling back to sleep. By the end of the week, the day of the funeral, Yuuji had woken up. 

The funeral was as grand as a funeral can be. Many people came to grieve and say their condolences to the boys and Wasuke, and he'd thank them on their behalf when the boys wouldn't respond. 

"Choso..." He was a little surprised to see his friends had come. 

"Guys." Maki hugged Choso and didn't utter a word as Todo placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"Sukuna." Glancing to his side, he saw his friends had also come. He didn't say a word, only stared at them. Yuta hugged Sukuna and expressed his condolences as Toge did the same. Mai sadly stared before following suit and saying she was glad to hear Yuuji was doing well. Sukuna barely nodded as he barely listened to the words being spoken to him. He wanted to leave. He just wanted to see Yuuji now. 

Megumi's family had come and offered their condolences, as well as Maki and Mai's parents. Yua and Aimi hugged the boys, telling them if they needed anything, they'd help, and the boys mindlessly thanked the women. They were good friends with their mother, as Toji was good friends with Nanami and their father. Yagi had also offered her condolences and asked about Yuuji's well-being. 

After a long funeral, they decided to visit the hospital before visiting hours ended. Heading into Yuuji's room, they were surprised to see Nanami had arrived first and sitting by the edge of the bed facing Yuuji. Their baby brother was awake and sitting up while the nurses and doctor asked him basic routine questions and prodded around his body, asking about it hurting anywhere or feeling dizzy. Yuuji answered by shaking his head yes or no. He didn't talk. 

Thanking Yuuji, they told him to rest up and asked Nanami if they could talk. Asking the brothers to be mindful of Yuuji's now conscious state, they had to be gentle and slowly tell him about his parents. Leaving the boys alone, they walked over to Yuuji and smiled at the boy staring at the tiger plush. 

"Sleep well, brat? You slept for a long time."

"...."

"Do you like it? We thought you'd like a bigger tiger." Choso weakly smiled as he pulled the tiger closer to Yuuji. He continued to stare at the plush silently.

"Are you thirsty? Want some water?" Pouring him a cup of water and placing a straw, he held it up to Yuuji's lips. Opening his mouth, he directed the straw to his parted lips, thinking he wanted water, but Yuuji spoke in a dry, weak voice.

"Mama and Papa said bye-bye."

"...what?" Setting the cup down, Yuuji stared at Choso and repeated his words. 

"Mama and Papa said bye-bye. Cho and Suki tell sowwy." Staring back at the tiger, he gently tugged the long tail. "Tey said bye-bye..."

~~

~~

Yuuji had stayed in the hospital a few more weeks before being released to go back home. Yuuji's pediatrician had asked they carefully observe and write down anything unusual Yuuji may do, say or act. He had experienced a shocking event in his life; although he was young, it was most likely affecting his daily habits and sleep. Explaining what they may expect and what to do in the situation, she asked they bring back Yuuji for a check-up in a month or before if things get too hard to handle. Thanking the doctor, they had finally left the hospital and decided to head home.

Opening the door to the car, Yuuji tightened his hold around Nanami's shirt as he whimpered at the sight of the car door. Getting closer to the car, he dropped his grasp on his tiger and wrapped his arms around Nanami, not wanting to see it. 

"Yuuji-kun?" Placing a hand on his back, Nanami could feel the boy trembling. "Yuuji. Is it difficult to get in the car?" Ijichi picked up the plush, dusted off any dirt, and handed it to Nanami. 

"...scwaee." Rubbing his back in circles to try and calm the boy, Nanami took a step back and gently shushed the whimpering child. 

"It's alright, Yuuji. Nothing here will hurt you. 

If it's too much, we can walk. Would that be better?"

"... Rwelli not hurt?"

"Ijichi is a great driver. He won't let anything happen to us, or I can drive-"

"No! Nanamin, stay!!" Tightening his hold around Nanami's neck, Nanami smiled and gently patted his butt. 

"Alright." Slowly walking to the car, he asked again if Yuuji would be okay, and he nodded. Slowly going into the car, he asked Ijichi to try and drive a little slower than usual. As the vehicle moved, Yuuji refused to move his head from Nanami's neck, and Nanami didn't mind as he patted the boy's back to try and calm his shaking. 

Arriving home was a little slower than they would've come, but it was for Yuuji's sake. Like entering, Nanami slowly exited the car and tapped it to show Yuuji they were alright. Peeking out of Nanami's neck, he slowly lifted his head and stared at the car. Hesitantly leaning to the car, he tapped it and curled back to Nanami. Smiling at Yuuji's bravery, he praised the boy- good job and headed inside. 

"It rwelli not hurt me?"

"No, it won't. You're safe now, Yuuji." Reassuring the boy again, Yuuji nodded, saying okay. 

Arriving back home, the boys welcomed Yuuji home. He was back where he should be, but Yuuji didn't think the same. Everything was different for him- much like a new pet brought to his new home, everything needed time. 

He would flinch at every sound made, scream, and jump into Nanami's arms when he saw a car or too bright light image on the t.v., drag around his plush and ask it to guard him whenever he went to the bathroom. Sleeping was another story- he'd always have a nightmare and wake up a crying mess screaming nonsense they couldn't understand most times. 

"Yu-chan, it's okay. It's alright; you're home." 

"Hic, hic, C-Cho nii!! N-Nii-chan!!" 

"That's right; your big brother is here. Shhh, it's alright. Everything's alright, Yuuji." Hugging the weeping boy, he walked around the room swaying the boy in his arms to calm him down.  

"Stop crying, Yuuji. You have us; it was only a stupid dream. It's alright." Sukuna held up his tiger up to Yuuji's face to give the boy some peace of mind. Choso glanced over at Sukuna- 'why would you say it like that?'

No longer crying, Yuuji let out small hiccups as Choso wiped away the stray tears. "Let's drink some milk and try and go back to sleep, okay?"

"...m'kay." Drinking his warmed milk and being tucked back into bed, Choso laid beside him, patting his chest to try and lull him back to sleep. 

"Nii-chan...?"

"Hm?"

"Nii-chan stay?"

"Of course, I'll always stay with Yu-chan."

"Always?"

"Mmh. I promise." Snuggling into Choso's chest, he held onto his shirt. 

"Mmh." 

"I'm turning off the light-"

"Suki-nii..." Holding out his hand in a grabby motion, he called out to Sukuna. "Stay?"

"... Yeah. Sure." Turning off the lights, he turned on the fairy lights and walked over to the other side of Yuuji's bed. Luckily it was a big enough bed to let them lay comfortably. 

"Don't go nii-chan." Sleepily muttering, Sukuna lightly flicked Yuuji's forehead. 

"Don't worry about that and go to sleep, brat."

"Don't go... don't lweve." Hearing Yuuji's breathing even, Sukuna closed his eyes and followed Yuuji into dreamland. Choso stared at his brothers as he continued to pat Yuuji. He'll be fine; he can do it. He's their older brother. 

'We're fine.'

~~

~~

The next few months had been oddly easy for the boys, they've fallen through the same pattern daily, and things were getting better with Yuuji. Their grandfather had become their primary guardian and moved in to live with them, and Nanami visited more frequently, checking up on the boys. 

"Where did you learn to say such foul things in front of a child!" Slapping Sukuna's head with his newspaper, Sukuna continued to sit on his knees with his hands up as punishment. 

"I only said f-"

"WHAT DID I SAY, YOU BRAT. STOP CURSING IN FRONT OF YUUJI."

"I told him many times, but he never listens."

"You too, Choso. Where do you think you're going. Get over here!" Grabbing Choso by the ear, he dragged him next to Sukuna. 

"Why am I in trouble?!"

"Stop fighting with Sukuna in front of Yuuji; you're giving him bad habits."

"Like wha-"

"Hiya!" Yuuji slapped his tiger plush's head and laughed. "That's what you get! Hehehe."

"... Commence the hitting." Choso sighed as their grandpa pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"I live with grandson fools."

"Who you calling a fool, old man?!"

"You little brat! Mind your manners!!"

"OW!!" 

Their grandfather was a strict man, but they understood he meant well- although he was pretty grumpy and stern now and then. Yuuji had gotten quite attached to their grandfather, and Yuuji was back to his old self sooner than expected, but it didn't last long when their grandfather passed away about a year later. 

"I heard Wasuke-san's health hasn't been good since he's moved in with them."

"Oh, then wasn't going to last long, was he?"

"He was in the hospital for the past few months..." 

"What is going to happen to the boys now?"

"I heard they don't have any remaining relatives. It seems they'll be going to the orphanage soon."

"Goodness, what horrid luck they have to lose their parents and only grandfather." 

"How pitiful those boys are..." 

Sukuna hated hearing those words of pity. They weren't fucking pitiful, nor will they be orphans. Fuck you. Choso, on the other hand, was trying to think of ways to stop him and his brothers from becoming orphans- although he was a year younger, he could get a job, and in a year, he'd be old enough to take custody of them. 

"Choso."

"Nanami-san, I don't know what to do...

We don't have a guardian anymore, so we'll become orphans. I'm not old enough, so they won't let me take care of them, and I can't touch any of the money my parents left us until I come of age. I-I'll need to get a job-"

"Choso. Breathe." Stopping the boy from continuing to ramble, Nanami had the boy stare into his eyes. "You don't need to worry about such things. You and your brothers aren't going anywhere. You don't need to worry about money, living situation, or anything except your education and to be a teenager."

"But I have to... we-"

"You say you have no guardian, but you're staring at him."

"What?"

"I'm legally Yuuji's godfather. So naturally, I'll become your guardian."

"... Y-You'll be our guardian?"

"I promised your parents I'd take care of you boys, so you're stuck with me until I die." Trying to lighten the mood with some sarcasm, he didn't expect Choso to fall to his knees and start crying. "Choso-"

"Thank god... thank god...

I-I didn't know what to do... I'm their older brother, but I didn't know what to do..." 

"You're a good older brother, Choso, but you're still a kid. You did the best you could; now leave the rest to me and just continue being their brother." Wrapping his arms around Choso, he praised the boy for holding it together till now. Choso didn't care if anyone was watching; he started to cry and didn't stop. He couldn't cry when Yuuji was hurt or when he learned about his parent's passing because he had to be strong for his siblings. He couldn't show his weakness to them. Even a moment ago, when he learned they might be orphans and penniless, he couldn't let out a single tear. He had to keep it together for his brothers. 

"Good job keeping it together till now, Choso. 

You did a good job; your parents would be proud."

Who would've thought their lives would've changed so much less than four years? Lost their parents, their grandfather, and Nanami became their guardian, but the biggest of them all was Yuuji. That tiny baby they hadn't cared for in the beginning was now everything to them. They'd be willing to die for Yuuji, but they'll avoid doing that- the last thing they want to see again is Yuuji in tears and going into such a dark place in his mind. If anything, they had to live for Yuuji; they had to live and be happy. 

~~

~~

"Cho-nii?! Nanamin!!" Yuuji swung in with the door as he called out to the two men sitting in the small office room. Sukuna walked in, following Yuuji as the small boy let go of the doorknob and ran to Nanami. 

"Still working? Lot of work?"

"I just finished. Did you make-up with Sukuna?"

Stroking his hair to calm the hyper boy, he glanced at Sukuna. "Mmh hmm! Suki-nii says he not mad at me and said sorry to me!" 

"Did he now?" Choso smirked at Sukuna and began snickering when he saw the slight blush across Sukuna's face.

"Piss off. Are we getting dinner or not? I'm starving."

"We should get going before it gets too late." Nanami pulled Yuuji into his arms and followed the boys out. 

"What do you boys want for dinner?"

"Sushi and sashimi." Sukuna immediately answered, and Choso retaliated, not liking the answer.

"We're not getting sushi again! We're getting okonomiyaki."

"Screw that! We got it the last time we went out!" Bickering about dinner, Nanami shook his head and grabbed his car keys. 

"Yuuji, any suggestions?" 

"Hmmmmmmm." Putting his finger under his chin, he pondered about the choices for dinner. Closing his eyes and humming aloud as he thought, Nanami asked the bickering boys to hurry up. "Ah! Gyudon!!" 

"Hmm, good choice, Yuuji.

Boys, if you don't get in the car, you can eat alone in the house." 

Chapter Text

Like every morning, all the boys had difficulty waking up, except for one person. 

Surprisingly, Choso had the hardest waking up in the morning out of everyone. He was more of a night owl than a morning bird, not that any boys liked the morning. The youngest was the only person who could get up in the morning without much fuss. Yuuji Itadori.

The sun shone through his curtains as the birds chirped outside, waking the boy from sleep. Peeking out under his covers, he stretched out his short little arms and legs before sitting up with his tiger in hand. Lazily looking around, he rubbed his eyes and yawned. 

"Mmh... morning Tora-san." Greeting his plush a good morning, he rubbed his eyes again and carefully slid down his bed. Pulling his tiger with him, he made his way to his first stop—Sukuna's room.

Let the morning routine begin!

Pushing the door open to Sukuna's room, Yuuji heard his brother's soft snoring and the clock ticking away. Walking to his bed, he pulled himself up to see Sukuna's resting face. Pulling himself up to the bed, he grabbed the clock and waited. Once the number turned to 7 am, he slapped the top of the clock to prevent any sounds from ringing out of the clock. 

Sukuna hated alarms but still made them know he'll never get up without them. The first time Yuuji came into Sukuna's room in the morning and heard the alarm ring, he watched Sukuna grab the clock and throw it across the room. He punched the clock when that didn't shut it up until it was nothing but scrap and screws. Satisfied with the silence, he naturally went back to bed. Yuuji closed the doors and let Sukuna sleep that day, afraid of being thrown to the wall himself if he woke up his brother. 

The last time he woke up his brother after the alarm, he spent the day hiding from his brother, and Sukuna had to bribe him to take him out for taiyaki and lots of hugs with non-stop I'm sorry. 

Placing the clock back on his bedside table, he turned to Sukuna and gently shook his brother. "Suki-nii. Suki-nii, time to wake up!" 

Grunting, Sukuna buried himself further into his covers and continued to sleep. Shaking Sukuna a little more, Yuuji puffed his cheeks, knowing his brother was awake. He would turn to his side if he were still asleep rather than bury himself further into his covers. He was making it harder for Yuuji on purpose- 

"Suki-nii, wake upppp~!!" Sukuna stayed silent as Yuuji continued to shake his brother a little harder. 

Pouting, Yuuji climbed over his brother's body and decided to go to Choso, but he was pulled back into the dark warmth of Sukuna's blanket. Giggling, he turned his head and smiled at Sukuna.

"Morning, nii-chan!" 

"Why are you so cheery so early in the morning." Lightly flicking Yuuji's forehead, he pouted again. 

"That hurts!" 

"I didn't do it that hard." Yawning, he wrapped his arms tighter around Yuuji and hummed. He wants to stay in bed today, but that'd be impossible with Yuuji wiggling in his arms.

"Nii!! I need to wake up Cho-nii!"

"... 5 more minutes." Ignoring his little brother, he refused to move. 

"Suki-nii. I need to potty..."

"... tsk. Alright." Well, there goes his plans to stay in bed. Stretching out his arms and popping his tightened muscles, he threw Yuuji over his shoulder and walked to the toilet. Yuuji smiled and let himself dangle as he held onto his tiger. 

"Tora-san needs to wash up too!"

"So two tiger cubs need a bath?"

"No~ Only Tora-san!"

"I don't know. I think you need a bath too."

"Yuuji is clean!!" 

"Whatever you say, brat." He put Yuuji down and asked if he needed help, but Yuuji pushed Sukuna away, saying he was a big boy and could go to the toilet by himself. Closing the door and doing his business, Sukuna waited by the door yawning as he stretched out his arms. Hearing the toilet flush and the little thumps, he opened the door and saw Yuuji having trouble getting to the sink. 

Pulling the boy up to his chest, he helped him wash his hands and dry them. "I told you'd need help."

"Boo..." Pouting at his short stature, Sukuna ruffled his hair, chuckling. 

"Give it a few years."

"I want to be tall like nii-chan."

"Hmmm, maybe. Only if you eat your vegetables and drink milk." 

"... mmh, I don't like bell pepper. It's icky."

"You need to learn to like it if you want to grow tall as Choso or me. Yuuji stared at Sukuna; his brother was quite tall. Coming close to 6'3" (190cm) as Choso was just close to the same height, but bigger in muscles. He remembered when Sukuna kept pestering Choso about how he was taller than him now by two inches; Choso smacked Sukuna so many times that a handprint was left on his shoulder blade. 

"Let's wash your face and brush your teeth before waking up the sleeping boulder." Pulling him to the bathroom, he had Yuuji sit on the bathroom counter and brush his teeth for the child. 

"Rinse." Handing him a cup of water, he gurgled out the remaining toothpaste and spat it out on the sink beside him. Doing it a few more times, he leaned down towards the sink as Sukuna began washing his face. He dried the boy's face and massaged lotion onto his face until he was glowy and dewy. 

"Mmh. All done." Helping Yuuji down to the ground, he went to turn on the shower. "Alright, brat. Go wake up the boulder."

"Okay!" Running off to Choso's room, Sukuna shut the door. 

Knocking on the door, he sang Choso's name to wake up, but Choso was dead asleep. Yuuji knew Choso wouldn't wake up even if he slammed the door open, but he still did it to announce he was coming in. Choso didn't mind if Yuuji made a ruckus coming into his room. He hated when Sukuna came to annoy him and wake him up. The last time Sukuna swung the door open and started yelling at Choso to wake up, but Choso chose to ignore him. Sukuna went as far as flipping the covers off, making Choso roll to the floor with a thud- the two boys ran around the house yelling at one another as Yuuji sat silently with his juice box watching them. 

Yuuji didn't want to risk his brother yelling at him as he did with Sukuna, not that Choso would, but safer than sorry. 

Running to Choso, he climbed up the bed and stared at Choso's messy hair. Choso always had the craziest bedhead. Patting Choso's forehead, his brows furrowed for a moment and settled down. 

"Cho-nii~ Cho-nii~ Ch-nii~

Wakey wakey! Eggs and bakey~!!" Giggling to himself, he waited for Choso to open his eyes, but the boy continued sleeping. Well, that wasn't working. Time for plan B! Climbing on top of Choso's stomach, he began patting Choso's chest like a drum, singing to him to wake up.

"Cho-nii! Cho-nii! It's time to wake up!! Wakey wakey wakey~!!!" 

Choso began stirring awake as he opened his eyes to see Yuuji on top of him and hitting his chest, not that it hurt. "Yu-chan?"

"Ah! Morning Cho-nii!!" Beaming at the still half-asleep brother, Choso took a moment to open his eyes and understand it was morning entirely. Blinking a few times, he rubbed his eyes and yawned. 

"Did you wake up by yourself?" Holding Yuuji, so he doesn't fall, he sat up and yawned again. God, he just wanted to sleep in until tomorrow morning. 

"Mmh hmm! Suki-nii is showering!"

"Mmh... good job, Yu-chan. You're becoming a big boy." He couldn't stop yawning as he patted Yuuji's head. 

"Cho-nii, you need to wash up." Imitating the gesture of brushing his teeth and washing his face, Choso stared at Yuuji. What was this cute creature on his lap? "Cho-nii? No drinking coffee?" Hugging Yuuji, he sighed; god Yuuji was too cute. Giggling, Yuuji tried to wiggle his way out of his brother's hug, but the hug tightened. No way, Yuuji was leaving his arms. 

"Cho-nii!!!"

"Mmh, I think ten more minutes of sleeping is good." Pulling Yuuji down, still trapped in a hug, Yuuji giggled louder. 

"No~!! Cho-nii need get up!"

"No. I'm Yuuji charging." 

"I'm not a battery!!"

"Chargingggg." Thinking about giving up, Yuuji's stomach growled. Choso sighed as he sat back up. 

"I can't let Yu-chan starve; then I get no hug recharge." Sighing in disappointment, he lifted Yuuji to his shoulders and got out of bed. "What do you say to pancakes?"

"Pancakes!!" 

"Chocolate chip or blueberry?"

"Mmh, Cho-nii likes blueberry and Suki-nii like choco. Mmh..."

Smiling, Choso walked down the stairs as he steadied Yuuji from falling. "I'll make both." 

Setting Yuuji down on the kitchen counter, he began gathering the ingredients for their breakfast. Once everything was out, he measured everything into the two bowls. "Yu-chan, can you mix these for me? I'm going to wash up, and when Sukuna comes down, tell him to start making the pancakes, okay?"

"Okay!" Holding up the whisk with confidence, Choso thanked the boy and rushed upstairs to get washed up. 

Whisking up the batters, he smiled and threw the washed blueberries and chocolate chips into the batter. Finished with whisking the batter, he waited on the counter, swinging his legs until he heard a thud upstairs. It looks like his brothers are fighting again. 

"You're all done! Get out!"

"I just came out of the shower! The fuck!! Use the other bathroom!" 

"You're going to spend another half an hour on your damn hair! And all my stuff is in this bathroom." Throwing the hairdryer out along with Sukuna, Choso slammed the door shut. 

"The fuck, I do not take half an hour with my hair. That's you! You psychotic freak." Clicking his tongue, he wrapped the towel around his waist and went to his room to dry his hair but heard Yuuji calling for him.

"Suki-nii?"

"What's the matter?" 

"Pancake done! Need to cook!" Sukuna glared at the closed bathroom door, that bastard. 

"Alright, I'll be right down. Don't touch the stove!!" 

"Okay!!!" Rummaging through his closet, he grabbed his pair of sweats and did his best to dry his wet hair; he'll have to deal with that after he makes the pancakes. 

"Alright, I'm here, brat." 

"Suki-nii don't have shirt!" Covering her eyes with his hands, Sukuna laughed. 

"What? Are you embarrassed?" Grabbing the pans, he lit the stove.

"Oh, nii-chan got new drawings!" 

"Drawing?" Looking down, he didn't see anything but his tattoos. Oh, he must mean the new ones. He got those a few weeks back- it started from the back of his shoulder blade up over his shoulders and down towards the center of his chest. Two smaller design was in the center of his abs. 

"What do you think?" Showing off his tats, Yuuji giggled. 

"Suki-nii is cool!!" 

"You betcha I am." Grinning, he went back to the pancakes.

"Suki-nii?"

"Hm?" 

"Can I have drawings too?" 

"... uh-"

"SUKUNA." Choso was behind Sukuna. 

"What I meant to say was-"

"MOVE." Clearing his throat, he slid away from the stove as Choso took over. 

"I can't have drawings like nii-chan?" 

"Of course, you can, Yu-chan, but when you're older, okay?" 

"...Promise?"

"Do I even break our promises?" Shaking his head, Choso smiled.

"What kind of 'drawing' do you want?"

"Like Suki-nii!! Here!!" Holding up his hands, he pointed his wrists. Choso chuckled. 

"Aw, not like mine?" Pointing to the tattoo on his face, Yuuji giggled, shaking his face.  

"Like Suki-nii." 

After flipping a few pancakes, he made two large stacks and brought them to the table. Placing a few pancakes on a plate, he poured the syrup and cut it into bite-size pieces for Yuuji. "FUSSY HAIR, HURRY UP, DOWN."

"SHUT UP; YOU DANGO HEAD!!" 

Happily eating his pancake, he ignored his brothers yelling at one another. Just another peaceful morning with the boys. Finishing his plate, he thanked Choso for breakfast and went to the couch to play with his tiger plush. 

"You need to stop getting so many tats, Sukuna." 

"Why are you bitching about what I do now?"

"Yuuji asked me if he could get them."

"I don't see the problem; he can get them when he's older if he wants."

Staring at Sukuna like an idiot, Choso resisted the urge to smack him for his stupidity. "You know how much he hates needles."

"He'll probably get over it later on."

"Cho-nii, can I get my drawing now?" 

"He wants it now?!" Whispering to Choso, Sukuna glanced over to see Yuuji holding out his hands and telling his tiger how he'll match with Sukuna. Oh my god, why was he adorable?

"We could use a sharpie!"

"That's the dumbest idea you have!" Choso smacked his brother for the stupid idea.

"Well, I don't know! What about you? Any bright ideas? STOP SMACKING ME!!!" 

"Well-"

"Cho-nii! It's almost 8!!" Pointing to the clock, Choso shoved the last pancake down Sukuna's mouth as he grabbed the plates to the sink. Choking on the pancake, Sukuna flipped Choso off. 

"Let's get you changed, Yu-chan-"

"But... drawing..." 

"A-ah Uhm..." Looking around frantically for a solution, he remembered the bottles of face paints they bought last year when Yuuji wanted to look like a tiger for Halloween. 

"Sukuna, stop choking and help me grab the face paint in the drawer upstairs!!" 

Grabbing Yuuji, he bolted upstairs to get himself, and Yuuji changed for school. He ignored Sukuna coughing and cussing up a storm. He was going to murder that shit of a brother in his sleep someday.

~~

~~

"Bye-bye, Suki-nii!! Cho-nii!!" Waving goodbye to his brothers, they waved back and watched Yuuji go inside. 

"You did a crappy job."

"Like you did any better on his left wrist." Choso scowled at Sukuna's criticism. What the hell was he supposed to do at the last minute? 

"You must be jealous. The brat copied my tats." Holding up his wrist, he grinned at Choso. He was trying his best not to act annoyed. 

"Fuck off." Walking away, Sukuna followed, snickering at his jealous brother.

"Jealous~"

"Fuck you. Hurry and go to school." Smacking the back of his head again, they went their separate ways.

"Well, fuck you too... See you later."

"Grab some potatoes and chicken on your way home! I'm going to be late!"

"Yeah, alright!! Get me and Yuuji ice cream on your way home!!"  

Ah. Mornings. 

Sneak peek Inside: Yuuji showed off his new 'drawings' on his wrists, and his friends were fascinated. Noticing how he matched with Sukuna, Nobara painted a flower on each wrist before drawing one on everyone's wrist. Yuuji was upset for a moment, but now he matched with his friends. He can forgive Nobara. Megumi and Junpei gave Nobara a thumbs up- Nice work. 

Chapter Text

"Suki-nii!!" 

"Hey, brat." 

Running to his brother, he hugged the older boy's leg and smiled. Sukuna reached down to pick up Yuuji, but the boy evaded his arms when he heard another voice besides Sukuna's. 

"Yu-chan, I'm here too."

"Cho-nii! Wahhh!! You came too?!" Overly excited, he ran around his two brothers. Choso rarely picked him up anymore due to his classes being longer or his classes contradicting the time when Yuuji finished his day. He was so happy to see them both, even if he saw them both at home.

"No hug for me, Yu-chan?" Holding out his arms, Choso smiled as Yuuji dove right into the offered hug. "Yuuji recharge."

"Cho-nii is silly!!" Giggling as Choso tightened his hug around Yuuji, Sukuna rolled his eyes and flicked Choso's forehead. 

"Let's go; I'm starving."

"Tsk. Such a mood ruiner. Come on, Yu-chan, let's go home." 

Picking up Yuuji, they left the daycare and made their way home. Yuuji talked about watching a movie where the characters were eating donuts, and it looked delicious. The boys made a quick detour to get donuts. 

Having picked up the donuts, Yuuji happily munched on one as they went home. 

"Good, Yu-chan?"

"Mmh!! Cho-nii want?" Offering his bitten donut, Choso shook his head and smiled as he insisted Yuuji finish it. Yuuji looked to Sukuna, and he did the same, saying he could have it all. 

Finishing the donut, he licked the corner of his mouth, satisfied with his treat. Sukuna took out a handkerchief to wipe away the remaining bits on his cheek but was interrupted when a high-pitched voice called out his name.

"Sukuna? Is that you?"

"Ah, fuck..." Not bothering to turn around, he tried to ignore the voice behind him and continued the task before him. 

"Suki-nii, someone call you."

"Ignore that pest, Yuuji." 

'Pest????'

"Oh my god, it is you~

I didn't think you'd come here too~" The blonde-haired girl came towards them as she pressed herself beside Sukuna's arm. Yuuji's lips thinned to a straight line- who was this girl? 

"Piss off." She whined like a wounded puppy, pulling his arm out from her grasp. 

"Oh, come on, don't be so cold. You always liked it when I did this to you when we were in middle school-" Sukuna was about to bash this annoying bitch. Does she not have ears? He said to piss off. About to cuss her out, another girl joined her, but this time she seemed to have known Choso.

"Choso~ Hey~

I thought you left early to go home. I didn't know you'd be the type to skip classes to hang out." It was a black-haired girl this time, but she looked a little older. Yuuji stared at the new lady. Was she her brother's classmate? 

"I don't see how that's any of your business, Tskumi Honda-san."

"Well, aren't you the cold one as always? I told you to call me Tsuki~." 

"Honda-san, if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you moved out of the way-"

"Oh my god, is this your little brother? He's so cute~!!" Now diverting her attention to Yuuji, she smiled at him as she got closer to Choso. Yuuji didn't know her, so why was she getting so close. Turning away from her, he hid his face into Choso's neck. 

"How adorable, he's so shy~" Poking Yuuji's shoulder to try and get him to look at her, he buried himself further into the crook of Choso's neck. He didn't like her!

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't bother my brother. He doesn't like strangers."

"But we're not strangers, aren't we, Choso?" Smiling at the irritated boy, Choso sighed. 

"Can you move aside-"

"Nee-san, do you know this man?" The blondie from earlier was still stuck to Sukuna like glue, and he looked like he was going to explode soon. 

"This is Choso Itadori, the guy I told you about."

"Oh my god, he and Sukuna are brothers? What are the odds? Who would've thought our guys are brothers?" 

"Oi, bitch. Did you not hear me? Fuck off."

"Geez, Sukuna, why are you so mean? We were a thing in middle school, and you suddenly put me aside when we got into high school." Sukuna couldn't care less if she was a girl; he would send her to the next dimension if she didn't stop talking and sticking to him like a leech. He wanted to kick her aside, but he held back, not wanting Yuuji to see- nothing he hadn't seen before.

"I let you hang out with me once, and you get that fucking delusional. I told you then, and I'm repeating, that I'm not interested. Never will be; now fuck off, you're bothering my time with the brat."

Glancing over at Yuuji, she clicked her tongue and quickly changed to a smile turning to Choso and Yuuji. 

"But I can't believe how alike your little brother looks like you." The blonde chuckled as she walked behind Choso to look at Yuuji. Now away from the boy's gaze, the blondie glared at Yuuji clicking her tongue and muttering under her breath. 

"Tsk, I doll myself up, and for what? For him to be more concerned about this brat."

Yuuji didn't like them!! Why were they poking him and keep staring at him like that? They didn't look at him like his brothers or Nanamin did, they stared at him like he was an annoyance. And nobody can call him a brat except Suki-nii!!! 

Burying himself further into Choso, he gripped his shirt and resisted the tears from falling. "Cho-nii, I want go home."

"Okay, Yu-chan. We'll go." Gently talking to Yuuji shocked Honda. She's never seen Choso speak in such a gentle manner, not to anyone. What the hell? Why wasn't he being nice to her? She made it obvious she was interested in him. Every other guy in their class always tried to get her attention, but unlike Choso, they weren't worth it. So, why was he being so difficult?!

"Why the rush, Choso? Let's hang out together.

My sister and your brother, together. We can go on a double date-" Choso felt a vein pop. What wasn't getting through her thick head? Ignoring the girl, he called for Sukuna and they bid the two girls goodbye. Walking away, they ignored the following girls as they persisted after them. 

"Choso, come on. I'm making it super obvious I'm into you. We'd make a cute couple. Everyone in our class says so-" 

"Sukuna. You'll regret it if you don't give me a chance~." 

Yuuji's had enough; why did they have to bother them? They weren't nice like Tsumiki; they were horrible!! And horrible people like them deserve what his brothers taught him. A mean look!

Choso and Sukuna opened their mouths to tell the girls to piss off but saw the girls staring at them in shock. What the hell was with the sudden 180? They didn't say anything- glancing at Yuuji; they saw he was glaring at them. Did he say something? 

"Don't bother my nii-chans, ugly bags. 

FUCK OFF." 

As shocked as the girls, Yuuji lifted his face away from Choso's neck and smiled at him. "Can we go home now?" 

"Huh-? O-Oh yeah, of course, Yu-chan..." Heading home, Choso and glanced at one another- did they hear that right? Did Yuuji threaten the girls? Letting the words process through their heads, Choso was the first to break the silence with a chuckle. Sukuna followed through, and the boys laughed aloud as they walked home. 

Yuuji stared at his brother, confused- what was so funny? He said what they taught him- don't like the person bothering you? Flip them off or curse them with the worst glare you can. 

Although when they practiced, Yuuji's glare was more of an annoyed pout. 

They couldn't be prouder- shocked but proud. 

Update: Nanami hit the boys with the newspaper on the back of their heads for teaching Yuuji such unmannerly things. He also lightly reprimanded Yuuji for doing such a thing and ruffled his head to say what he wished with confidence. The boy was getting bolder as he grew; Nanami couldn't help but be proud. 

Chapter Text

  "Y-Yu-chan? Please, come out? Hm?"

The two older brothers tried to get their youngest to open the door and come out outside the locked door. Of course, the youngest wasn't having it and refused to open the door and only yelled back a single word. He was not going to be opening the door any time soon... 

"NO."

"Brat... come on. I'll properly apologize, so come out? Hm?"

"NO." 

"Yuuji, I made one of your favorites- apple tart. You like these, right?"

"Brat, I'll fix it for you. It's not so bad..." 

Sukuna was immediately slapped on the back of his head. Choso pulled him away from the door and yelled at him in a hushed voice. "Why would you say that?!" 

"W-Well, I mean, it's fixable, no?" Holding up Yuuji's tiger plush- what's left of it- the boys contemplated if they could really fix this destroyed rag. 

"Your not serious..." Choso stared at Sukuna in disbelief as he stared at the plush. 

"..." Walking back to the door, he softly knocked, "Brat...? Yuuji? It was an accident, I- we didn't mean to destroy your tiger-"

"Why are you bringing me into this?! You're the one who destroyed it!"

"You are the cause of it!" Bickering among themselves, they didn't hear the door unlock and open. Seeing Yuuji in front of them, they smiled and tried to appeal to the boy, but Yuuji began crying and shouting.

"I... I HATE CHO-NII AND SUKI-NII!!!!

YOU ARE MEANIES!!!" Slamming the door shut again, he locked the door and left the two boys frozen in place.

Yuuji had said the three words. I. Hate. You. 

The words were blows to the heart, and Choso was the first to stand against the wall and mutter about being a horrid older brother, Yuuji hating him was the end of his life. What was the use of living if Yuuji said he hated him? He failed. Yuuji deserves better.

Sukuna, on the other hand... was off to another world. He was frozen in place, and as if his soul had left his body, he was muttering- 'He hates me, he said he hates me, why these cruel words, why did I do this, the brat said he hates me, I won't be forgiven, he hates me, what is life...?'

Shall we go back an hour ago? Rewind. 

~~

~~

<Approxiametly one hour ago...>

"Yu-chan!! Lunch!"

"Coming!!" 

As always, he came down from his room with his prized tiger in hand, Tora-san. Yuuji never let the tiger out of his sight or hand unless he went to daycare or the bathroom. Afraid he'll lose or dirty the tiger at daycare, he leaves it on the small table by the entrance to keep watch over the house. When he goes to the bathroom, he pats the tiger's head and asks it to wait outside and guard him while doing his business. Always thanking his tiger for watching over him, he gives it head pats with a big smile on his face. 

Holding the tiger to his chest, he hurried to the dining table. "Cho-nii! I'm here!" Waving Tora-san's paw, Choso waved back and pulled out Yuuji's chair. 

"Upsie?"

"Upsie!!" Picking up Yuuji, he set him up on his seat and placed Tora-san on the chair next to him. Setting a few books under the tiger, it could see over the table. 

"One of Yu-chan's favorite. Katsudon!" Setting the bowls down, Choso lowered the flame on the stove allowing the soup to come to a simmer. 

"Yayy!! Thank you for the food!!" Choso yelled at Sukuna to hurry up, or he won't be having lunch. Coming downstairs, Sukuna was yelling at his phone. 

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN. IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM." Hanging up the call, he let out an irritable growl and sat down. 

"What was that?"

"Tsk, just some pests."

"Yeah, sure. Pests, you say..." 

"Huh?" He growled at his brother, more irritable by Choso's mocking tone. Choso chuckled. 

"Someone wanted you to fight for them again?" 

"I'm not a damn dog; they can just call whenever they wuss out. Tch." 

"Really? Don't you like to fight whenever you can?"

"... I'm not a reckless cannon anymore." Glaring at his brother for such words, Choso smirked, knowing he hit a nerve. 

"If you say so."

"Tsk."

"Suki-nii fight?" Sukuna began choking as he tried to digest; Choso nervously smiled as he shoved a glass of water toward Sukuna. 

"No, no, Yu-chan. Sukuna doesn't fight anymore." 

"But Suki-nii said-"

"No, he meant... helping! Yeah. Helping his friend out."

"That's your best excuse-?!" Sukuna coughed. "Shit, that hurts..."

"Suki-nii..." Staring at his brother suspiciously, Sukuna nervously looked away as he cleared his throat. "... mmh. Suki-nii liar."

"Wha- Am not, you brat." Nudging his head, Yuuji whined, telling his brother to stop. 

"Quit it." Choso moved Sukuna away from Yuuji's head, and Yuuji stuck out his tongue to Sukuna, giggling. Sukuna felt a vein pop at Yuuji's taunting but couldn't help but find it adorable. That little brat. 

Finishing up lunch, the home phone rang outside the hallway. Choso got up to get the call and called for Yuuji after hearing who it was on the other line. Sliding off his chair, he ran off to the hallway picking up the phone. Greeting the person on the other side, he giggled and smiled; Junpei had called. Leaning against the wall and staring at Yuuji happily talking to his friend made him smile, but hearing the muttering yells in the dining room made him sigh. It seems like Sukuna has another call and it was not going well hearing Sukuna's tone growing dark.

"-Listen carefully, and I'm going to say this once. I hate to repeat myself.

You call me one more time bitching about your little territory fights; just remember the last time someone annoyed me and lost the use of one of their limbs."

The shuddering breaths on the other side understood Sukuna and stayed quiet. Getting his message through, he was about to hang up the call when a new voice jumped in.

"You getting soft, Sukuna."

"Huh?" Who was this fucker?

"Saw that cute little brother of yours. He the reason you not fighting anymore?"

"You keep him out of this."

"Hah-!! So it's true~ the rumors about you not fighting anymore because of that cute little brother of yours. Wonder what'll happen if I pick him up one day for you? Bet you'd come over to help us like old times."

"YOU WANT TO LOSE YOUR TONGUE, DON'T YOU?

YOU TOUCH HIM, AND I'LL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET EVER KNOWING ME. LOSE MY NUMBER AND FUCK OFF. I'M NOT WARNING YOU A SECOND TIME."

Chuckling at Sukuna, he whispered a few more words, and Sukuna flipped as he threw the closest thing across the room- more accurately towards the kitchen stove. Cussing at the phone, he hung up the call and slammed his hands against the table, deep sighing. 

"That fucker... I'm going to-" Interrupted by a huge clatter, he turned his head and began cussing up a storm. "FUCK!!!" 

The simmering pot on the stove had fallen to the floor, causing the clatter. Hot soup was spilled all over the floor, but that wasn't the reason Sukuna was cussing; when he grabbed the closest thing and threw it... he had thrown Tora-san.

Covered in soup and half of his body on fire from the lit stove, he quickly threw it to the sink and turned on the faucet to get rid of the flames. Choso wondered what was going on and panicked like Sukuna when he saw the mess and what was in Sukuna's hand. 

"What the fuck did you do?1" Yelling at Sukuna in a whisper, he grabbed the kitchen towel and tried to dab away the remaining chopped green onion and tofu pieces stuck on the plush. 

"I didn't do it on purpose! Ah, don't pull that-" Accidentally having pulled a loose thread, Choso tore the seam of Tora-san, and he opened up like a blooming flower on a spring day. Stuffing fell to the floor, and the boys were in chaos. The more they tried to dry and put Tora-san back together, the more he fell apart and became unrecognizable. 

"Cho-nii!!" Flinching at his name being called, he nervously replied. "Can Junpei come over on Monday?"

"S-Sure Yu-chan! W-Whatever you want-!!" Thanking his brother, Choso hurried to try to help Sukuna pick up the remaining stuffing. 

"Why did you tear it apart?!"

"I didn't mean to!! I was drying him!"

"You tore him apart!!" 

"Cho-nii? Suki-nii? Why are you on the floor?" They slowly turned around to see Yuuji standing behind them, freezing their movements. Shit. 

"Y-Yu-chan, all done? You should finish eating-"

"Mmh, but I can't find Tora-san."

FUCK.

"Y-You sure, brat? He should be sitting there... maybe you put him somewhere else?" Choso wanted to slap Sukuna for his robotic, stiff acting. 

"But I brought Tora-san with me..." Confused, he checked under the table and around the living room giving the two boys time to throw the ruined Tora-san into the sink. 

"I can't find him- oh! Tora-san's ribbon..." Stopping midway to pick up the ribbon, he saw the tiny little fluffs scattered around on the floor leading towards the kitchen. Silently following the trail, he saw it was littered all around his brothers. 

"Cho-nii? Suki-nii?" Trying to come up with an excuse for the mess, Yuuji immediately steps on the small stepladder in front of the sink and pales at the sigh in the sink. 

"T-Tora-san...?" Touching the destroyed plush, his voice broke as he called out to his favorite plush. 

"Y-Yu-chan, i-it was an accident."

"H-He's not all that bad, Yuuji. H-he could be fixed... maybe...?" 

"If you have nothing good to say, stop talking!!" Choso pulled Sukuna to the side and scolded him for the pessimistic response. 

"I'm not the one who-" 

"Tora-san..." Turning to Yuuji, they froze, seeing fat tears rolling down his cheeks. 

"Y-Yu-chan!! Don't cry, don't cry!"

"B-brat, come on, don't cry-! Yuuji, it's-" Ignoring his brothers, he began wailing and ran away from his brothers. Calling out to Yuuji, they heard his crying growing more distant and a door slam. 

They might as well dig their own graves at this point...

Are we all caught up now? Good. 

~~

~~

"Yu-chan... aren't you hungry?" 

After the pain-staking words were yelled out to Choso and Sukuna, they decided it best to leave Yuuji alone until he's calmed down a little. It wouldn't help if they continued to try and coax Yuuji out when he refused to talk to them. Having left him alone for a few hours, Choso came up softly, knocking on Yuuji's door. 

"..."

"... I brought apple juice and the apple pie you like from the bakery near us."

"..."

"I'll leave it by the door. Take your time, Yu-chan." Setting the small tray on the floor, he went back downstairs to see Sukuna trying to sew the destroyed plush back together. 

"You've been trying for 3 hours now. If I can't fix it, what makes you think you can?" 

"Shut up." Tightening his stitch, his eye twitched at the sight. It looked horrendous. "Fuck." Tossing the plush aside and placing the thread and needle on the table, he gave up. 

"We should go buy a bigger one."

"I checked; they don't make it anymore. It was a limited item."

"We could always buy a similar one-"

"Don't be stupid. You know how much Yuuji loved that one. Don't you remember when we bought another tiger plush for him, and he said he didn't want another one?"

"Commission someone-"

"And how long is that going to take?"

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO REBUKE ALL OF MY IDEAS YOU COME UP WITH ONE!"

"Easy. Beg for forgiveness."

Turning around, Sukuna's face soured. "Are you an idiot? We can beg all we want, and Yuuji would most likely never forgive us." 

"One of you want to explain why Yuuji-kun called me in tears earlier?" 

"Holy shit!!!" Sukuna was startled by Nanami's sudden appearance. "Old man!! When did you come in?!" 

"Nanami-san, you came later than I expected..." 

Sighing, Nanami shed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "Explain. Start to finish." Taking a seat at the dining table, Choso passed him a cup of tea and began speaking. Listening till the end, Nanami had taken off his glasses and let out another heavy sigh.

"Did he eat?" 

"He wouldn't open the door, so I left a little snack by the door."

Heading up the stairs, he saw the tray was left untouched. Knocking on the door, he waited for Yuuji to respond. With no response, it was apparent that Yuuji thought it was Choso or Sukuna. Knocking again, he called out to Yuuji. 

"Yuuji-kun. It's me, Nanami-" The door unlocked and swung open. Nanami stumbled a little when Yuuji threw himself towards his leg. Patting the boy's head, Yuuji spoke in a trembling voice. 

"N-Nanamin..." 

"Seems like Yuuji-kun had a hard day today. Want to tell me about it?" He's heard it from the other two, but it doesn't hurt to hear it from Yuuji's perspective, and when Yuuji had called him from his tablet, he couldn't understand through the sobbing. Nanami only managed to get him to end the call when he promised he would come over as soon as he finished up with the meeting he was in. Gently ushering the boy back into his room, he grabbed the tray and followed Yuuji inside. 

Wiping Yuuji's tears and asking him if he wanted to talk about what happened, Yuuji hesitantly explains that Tora-san was gone now and that his brothers had hurt Tora-san. Tearing up again at the thought of his poor friend being no more, Nanami patted the boy's back to try and calm him down. 

"Is that all that happened?" It was apparent how much Yuuji treasured the Tora plush he had, but that didn't seem to be the only thing that made him so upset. 

"... I-I said mean things to Cho-nii and Suki-nii." 

If Nanami was wrong, which was close to never, Yuuji seemed more upset that he said such mean things to his brothers rather than losing his precious friend. Nanami hid his smile by clearing his throat; he wiped Yuuji's tears again. 

"T-They hate me, don't they?"

"They can never, Yuuji-kun. They love you very much ever to hate you."

"B-But I said bad words..." 

"Mmh, I suppose, but perfectly valid."

"???" Ah, big word. Rephrase. 

"You getting mad at them makes sense. They hurt your precious friend."

"... Tora-san."

"I'm sorry, Yuuji-kun. I don't think we can fix Tora-san, but can we buy a new Tora-san if you'd like? I know you don't like that idea, but maybe this happened because Tora-san had to go?"

"... L-Like Jii-chan?"

"Mmh, he saw you were very happy now and thought you didn't need him anymore."

"B-but I-I love Tora-san!"

"And he loved you, but maybe he wanted you to make new friends?"

"... Mmh. I made friends with Megumi, Nobara, and Junpei with him."

"Tora-san was very happy with you." Nanami wondered if all this was helping Yuuji because he was starting to feel like a fool for saying such things. If anything, he's worried he'll make Yuuji sadder at the thought. Thank god, it helped Yuuji with his small grievance. 

"Tora-san, not be sad if I make a new friend?"

"If anything, I think that's what he wants for you." 

Sniffling, he nodded, agreeing to 'Tora-san's last dying wish for Yuuji.' "O-Okay..." 

GROWL~

"Seems like you're hungry." Smiling at Yuuji's appetite, the boy blushed at the sound of his stomach. Pulling the small tray towards the boy, Yuuji happily dug in. 

Finishing his snack, Nanami wiped away any remaining crumbs on the boy's face, and just in time, there was a knock on the door. 

"Yuuji, we have something for you... can you forgive us for this?"

"W-We brought you two! Three new Tora-sans! No four!" 

Glancing at the door and Nanami, his face looked as if he was asking Nanami if it'll be alright if he talked to them? Nanami smiled, "They won't hate you. You can open the door." 

Helping Yuuji off the couch, Nanami opened the door as Yuuji shyly walked toward his waiting brothers. He let out a small giggle- the newly bought tigers were covering his brothers in their hands. Tugging on Choso's pants, Choso moved the tiger to see Yuuji. 

"Yu-chan, we're sorry." Jabbing Sukuna's ribs, Sukuna silently mouthed a curse before kneeling to Yuuji and holding out the plush. 

"Sorry... I didn't mean to destroy it."

"Tora-san." Correcting his brother, Choso stifled a laugh.

"...Tora-san. Sorry." Looking at the new tigers in front of him and his brother kneeling in front of him, apologizing was enough. You'll never see Sukuna kneeling for forgiveness with anyone else. 

"It's okay. I forgive nii-chans, but still sad."

"Y-yeah, sorry about that, but we got you three new ones." Sukuna pulled Choso to the floor next to him and showed off the newly bought gifts. Two of them were exactly alike and larger than Tora-san, but the third one was round. Like a marshmallow, it still looked like a tiger, and Yuuji loved it. The fourth one was leaning against Sukuna- it was a tall tiger!! 

"All for me?"

"Yup! Oh, we also got one more if you didn't like these." Setting the plush in front of Yuuji, he pulled another plush hiding beside him. It was a big boy. Yuuji has never seen such a big tiger!! 

"Big Tora-san!!!" 

"Do you like him?"

"I love!!! Thank you!!!" Hugging Choso's leg, Choso wanted to weep at the thought of having earned Yuuji's forgiveness. 

"Yuuji-kun? Don't you want to say something to Choso and Sukuna?"

"..." Fiddling with his fingers, he shyly looked up. They were staring at him, wondering what he wanted to say.

"Sowwy... for saying bad words." 

"It's alright, Yu-chan. We deserved that..." Choso never wanted to hear those words again; the number of times he wanted to cry from remembering those hurtful words was too much. Sukuna's body twitched at the reminder and shuddered. Please, never again. 

"Sorry, Yuuji." Smoothing out Yuuji's hair, Sukuna apologized. 

Yuuji shyly smiled and took the offered plush. "I forgive nii-chans-" Letting out breaths of relief, they smiled at Yuuji. "But-!!"

"???"

"Nii-chans did a bad thing!! So punish!" Puffing his cheeks as he placed his hands on his hips, he shook his head, pretending to be mad again. 

Ah, why was their baby brother adorable?

"What's our punishment?" Choso chuckled. 

"Tora-san!"

"Tora?" Glancing at one another, the brothers didn't understand what Yuuji meant. 

Their punishment was to wear a tiger onesie for the rest of the day and help rearrange the newly bought tiger plushies around the house. Fair to say, it became a tiger den till the end of the week. Yuuji couldn't be happier. 

Chapter Text

"Wowww!!!" 

"Don't go too far!!" 

"Watch where you are running, Yu-chan!" 

"Yuuji-kun, be careful!"

Wiggled away from Sukuna's grasp, Yuuji ran towards the field of dandelions. Looking in awe of what seemed like an endless field of dandelions, he smiled and crouched to watch the dandelions sway through the slight breeze. 

Today was Nanami's day off and he suggested they all go out to get some air. Yuuji was quick to agree to Nanami's suggestion and said he wanted to go see flowers. Nobara had talked about seeing a field of tulips the other day and Yuuji wanted to see it too. Nanami thought it was a great idea and asked the boys to get ready. 

Sukuna lay on the couch groaning how he didn't want to move and Yuuji tried to drag his big brother off the couch. Pulling Sukuna's arm with all his might, Yuuji whined that Sukuna wasn't playing fair. Sukuna was enjoying Yuuji's struggle, smiling at the boy's effort until Choso pushed him off the couch. He fell with a loud thud, face first. Choso smirked as he apologized while Yuuji asked if Sukuna was alright. 

A small pillow fight ensued between the two boys as Nanami whisked Yuuji away to get him changed and ignored the two boys going all out on a pillow war. 

Staring at the dandelions, Choso came up behind him smiling. "Having fun?"

"Mmh! Pretty!"

"You know Yu-chan, you can make a wish?"

"Wish?"

"If you blow all the seeds in one breath while thinking of a wish, it may come true."

"Wowww!!!" 

"Hey, Choso! The old man says you have the camera!" 

"I'm not giving you the camera with your destructive hands."

"One time I broke a camera and you're going to hold that over me!?!"

"Do you know how much that camera was?"

"Not like we don't have money to spend."

"You and your wastefulness, tsk."

"Hah-?!" And the bickering resumes...

Ignoring his older brothers, Yuuji stared at the flowers until he spotted a large dandelion from the corner of his eye. Turning his head, his eyes widened at the largeness of the flower. He's never seen such a large flower- especially a dandelion. If he blew this flower away maybe his wish will be granted faster or he'll be able to say multiple wishes!! 

Ecstatic, he pulled the flower from its place and smiled. Turning around to show his brothers, he stopped and averted his attention to Nanami who was standing a little further away from them and admiring the flowers around. He should show Nanami first! He and Nanami can make a wish together! The flower was big enough for both of them.

"Nanamin! Nanamin!!! Nanamin~!!!" Running to quickly show him the large flower he found, Nanami chuckled answering Yuuji's call to him.

"What is it, Yuuji-kun?" 

"Look! I found a big one!! A really big one!!" 

"Hm?" Unsure of what he was talking about, Yuuji held up the dandelion in his hand but his smile faltered when he saw what was in his hand. 

Only the stem remained. The seeds had flown away when he ran to Nanami.

"O-Oh..."

Stroking the top of Yuuji's head, he smiled. "Did you try to show me the dandelion?"

Sadly nodding, he looked down to the ground in shame. He wanted to show Nanami, but he ruined it when he ran over. He messed up on the chance to make a wish together.

"I wanted to make wish with Nanamin..." Wilting at his failure, Yuuji frowned at the stem in his hand. Nanami, on the other hand, smiled at Yuuji's thoughtfulness. He was such a pure and thoughtful child. Unlike the two bickering idiots in the background. Nanami's lips thinned to a straight line as he glanced up at the two boys, sometimes he wondered where their smarts went...

"Yuuji-kun. Thank you for thinking of me, but I don't think you failed."

"But no flower..." Holding up the stem, Nanami crouched and grasped the pouting boy's hands. 

"Are you sure? Didn't you think of a wish as you came running to me?" 

"I-I did!" 

"I think your wish may come true. Look." Following Nanami's gaze behind him, Yuuji's eyes widened as he saw the seeds from the dandelion earlier float around and gently fly away. 

"Woahhhhhh."

Grabbing a dandelion beside him, Nanami blew on the flower and watched the seeds join the others floating up in the sky. "I wish that Yuuji's wish may come true."

Looking back at Nanami, Yuuji giggled and hugged the man, "Thank you Nanamin! Nanamin the best!! But I think my wish came true!"

"Oh? What did you wish for?" Curious about Yuuji's wish, Yuuji grinned. 

"Yu-chan! Look this way!" Cupping his hands around his mouth, he whispered to Nanami. 

"I wish we be happy together forever and ever!" 

CLICK.

"You get the picture?" Sukuna asked as he took out his phone to take pics of Yuuji. 

Choso chuckled as he looked at the picture, "Yeah. Think this is the best one yet." 

"Cho-nii!! I want picture with Cho-nii and Suki-nii!!" 

"You camera-shy?" 

"Shut up. Tsk." Pushing Choso away from him, Sukuna walked to Yuuji. 

Yeah, yeah, I'm coming brat." 

"Alright everyone, I set the timer... and there we go!" Rushing to join, Choso stood behind Yuuji. "Smile for the camera!" 

CLICK. 

That's a keeper. 

~~~~

~~~~

~~~~

~~~~

"Woah, when did we go here? It's so pretty!" 

"What you don't remember? Figures, you were a pipsqueak then. Not that it changed much..."

"I'm tall Suki-nii!!!"

"Yeah, sure, brat."

"Aughhhh!!!! Cho-nii! Suki-nii is being mean to me again!!!"

"Sukuna quit it."

"FUCK! STOP HITTING ME WITH THE DAMN SPOON!! FUCKING HELL."

"Sukuna, watch your mouth." 

"HAH?! Why are you both ganging up on me?!"

"You deserved it, idiot."

"Why I ought to-"

"Could we go here again? Nanamin??"

"... I don't see why not? Shall we go next week when your break starts?"

"Yayy!!" 

"Are you even passing your classes, brat?"

"I'M SMART!"

"Sure, brat."

"WHA- SUKI-NII!!!"

If you come across a dandelion that's maturing, make a wish and blow away the white seeds. Who knows? Maybe your wish may come true. 

Chapter Text

Why did they have to be here again?

The doctors had told them that the last surgery was a success and everything was fine. They said that as long as he didn't strain himself, ate, and rested well; there wouldn't be any significant problems. They were warned about only the occasional dryness that may lead to slight irritation. 

The surgery was a success.

There is no need to worry, the risk is relatively low, and we've performed surgeries like these hundreds of times. 

A few months ago, Yuuji began to have trouble breathing. It started small, with a few huffs and puffs, then slight wheezing. At some point, he began having coughing fits and had trouble controlling his breathing. 

Sharp pains in his chest became more frequent, and he began to feel dizzy and pass out at random times. 

Another surgery had to be performed, and it was a success, but the doctors didn't have much good news besides the success. 

Although this was a success, we may need to perform another surgery depending on how his condition-

Yuuji hated it here. He had to stay here so many nights without his brothers or Nanamin, it smelled funny, and the nurses kept telling him to rest when he wanted to play. Glancing over at the machine he was connected to, he watched as the waves went up and down. The nurse told him it was monitoring his heartbeat and ensuring he was breathing well.

Diverting his gaze to the ceiling, he let out a shuddering breath as he could see a slight fog covering his breathing mask. He wanted to go home. 

He wanted to see his older brothers, Nanamin, Tora-san, and his friends. He saw them this morning, but they couldn't stay long- something about hospital rules. It wasn't fair. 

"Yuuji-kun, I will be turning off the lights now." The nurse had come in to bid him goodnight. Tucking him in and checking his vitals, she smiled and left the room, turning off the lights. 

Left in darkness with the moon shining through the curtains, Yuuji felt a heavy ache in his chest. He really didn't like it here. He wanted to go home. Staring at the curtains, he closed his eyes and fell asleep as the welled-up tears fell. 

I'm afraid his condition isn't getting any better... 

Yuuji woke up to multiple voices around him; some sounded familiar, but he couldn't be sure. He was slightly dizzy and couldn't see the people around his bed. Was it morning? He hoped so. That would mean his brothers and Nanamin can visit him. Nanamin had promised him they'd visit every day and would try and bring his friends to come to see him.

"Yuuji-kun?" Ah, that voice. It was Nanamin. Yuuji opened his mouth to respond, but he could only grunt and whimper. Why can't he speak? It felt like there was a lump in his throat. He wanted to talk to Nanamin and say good morning. 

"N-Na...in..." Barely making out a few words, Yuuji felt like crying again. Why can't he say anything properly now? He was fine yesterday when they came to visit.

Nanamin stroked his hair and smiled, saying he didn't need to strain himself. "I'm not going anywhere, Yuuji-kun. Don't worry, so you don't need to force yourself." 

Why does Nanamin look so sad? Is it because he wasn't able to speak to him? He didn't like seeing Nanamin sad. Choso and Sukuna will be sad too if he can't talk to them. 

"I... g-get b-" Taking in a few heavy breaths, he focused hard to get the words out. "-better. I-I..."

Nanami's face hardened at Yuuji's struggle to voice out his thoughts. "Yes... Yuuji-kun. You take all the time you need; just get better." Sadly smiling at the boy, Yuuji reciprocated with one of his infamous grins. 

"Yu-chan." 

"Heya, brat." 

Turning his head, his smile widened a little more at the sight of his new visitors. "C-Co- nii. S-S nii..." The boys froze, hearing Yuuji struggling. Choso was quick to recover as he took a seat across from Nanami. "Did you sleep well?" 

Shaking his head, Choso sadly smiled. "You must hate being here." Nodding, Choso apologized. "Hopefully, you don't need to stay here for long. Although we can't stay with you all day, I brought you someone who can." Pulling out his bag, a familiar orange ear peeked out. 

Yuuji didn't say anything but smile. Weakly holding out his arms, Choso handed Yuuji his friend. "Tora-san missed you." Nuzzling into the tiger's head, Yuuji flashed a small smile to Choso to say thank you. 

Sukuna stood behind Choso as he stared at Yuuji. Why did he have to see this again? Why does he need to be here again? Wasn't it enough that he saw Yuuji's bloody body rolled into emergency when they were younger? Why did he need to see Yuuji struggling to breathe and deteriorate like this? Why?

"Sukuna." Glaring at the silent boy behind him, Sukuna shook out of his trance and apologized to Yuuji as he took a seat beside Choso. 

Nanami stared at the two boys talking with Yuuji as he responded with hand motions and facial expressions. 

It will be best to start the subsequent surgery as soon as possible-

Hopefully, this will be the last time Yuuji will need to go through such things. Nanami couldn't bear to see Yuuji in this hospital for so long and undergo surgery after surgery.

"Yuuji-kun." Calling out to the boy, Yuuji turned and tilted his head in response, 'yes.'

"Shall we go on a long vacation, the four of us, when you are discharged?" Brightening at the mention of vacation, Yuuji nodded. He loved that. He was spending time with his favorite people!

"It's a promise." Nanami smiled, stroking Yuuji's head. 

"Where should we go? The beach? An island?"

"No, he'll probably want to see animals, so that the zoo would be a good idea." 

"Zoo? How small is your imagination? That's all you got, Sukuna?"

"Ha-?! Then what about you? The beach? An island? You want the brat to get sunburned again?"

"You told me you had put enough sunscreen on him. He came home with the same shade as a shrimp."

Yuuji laughed at his brother's bickering; he missed this. Everyone had such a scary or sad expression, so he was glad to see how they were all smiling. 

"Yuuji!! We came to visit!!" The door opened, revealing Nobara grinning and Megumi waving at Yuuji. Beaming again at the sight of his friends, he waved his hands frantically. Junpei scurried behind the two as the adults all followed after. 

"Hello, Yuuji-kun." Yagi waved to the excited boy as Yuuji waved back to Junpei's mother. 

"Yuuji-kun, we came too~" Gojo entered the room with a gift basket of fruits as Geto held up a box- it was Yuuji's favorite pudding!

One by one, everyone that Yuuji knew came into his room. Sukuna glared at his friends and asked why they came, while Choso thanked his friends for bringing gifts for Yuuji. Nanami was ignoring Gojo as usual as Geto was trying to get him to not and cause trouble for Nanami and Yuuji. 

Megumi, Nobara, and Junpei were all sitting at the end of the bed, telling Yuuji about what he's missed at daycare. The entire class had written him a get-well card as well. 

Yuuji looked around the room and smiled. Today was the best day!

He's been getting weaker... 

This next surgery may determine his... I'm afraid it may be best to prepare your hearts...

Yuuji had gotten worse over the past few days. His usual bright color was dull, his cheeks had sunk in, and he didn't even have the energy to sit up anymore. Seeing Yuuji's condition worsen permitted them to stay overnight for the past few days. 

Yuuji was in so much pain but could not do anything except cry. Sukuna wiped away the sweat and tears while Choso held Yuuji's hand, hoping the boy would use it to ease his pain. Yuuji barely squeezed, having no strength. Nanami could only watch as he saw his precious tiger be in such pain and do nothing about it.

Why did Yuuji have to go through this?

Surgery may not be possible with Yuuji's condition. I'm afraid- 

"Yuuji, I-I brought the movie you wanted to see. L-Look." Junpei held up the movie, and Yuuji weakly smiled. 

"T-nk y- J-pei.."

His friends had come to see him and Yuuji was really happy to see them, but he couldn't voice it out. He couldn't say complete sentences anymore. 

"N-nii-???" 

"Right here, Yu-chan." Choso brushed away the stray hairs sticking to Yuuji's forehead as Sukuna patted Yuuji's chest. 

"Here, brat..."

"N-Na- in..." Nanami sat beside Choso and held Yuuji's hand.

"I'm here too, Yuuji-kun."

Glancing at the end of the bed, he smiled at his friends, who were on the verge of tears. He wanted to tell them not to cry, but he was just too tired. He knew other people were outside; he's seen their faces a little while before they left the room. Nanami was grateful they all went to give them some space. 

"Na-N... in?"

"Yes, Yuuji-kun?"

"...C-Ca... we... s-still g-go...? V-Vac-ion." Sukuna's hand curled into a fist as Choso's hand stilled. Nanami sadly smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Whatever you want, Yuuji-kun. You must hate being here, right."

"H-Home... nii and... Na-in." 

"Yeah, we'll go home all together soon. So focus on getting better, okay?" Choso spoke softly as Yuuji smiled. 

"M-mmh..."

Yuuji had listened to everyone's voices as he smiled or said a few words in response. He hated that he couldn't speak properly anymore, but he was happy to hear and see everyone. He hoped he could go home soon. Staying here for so long makes him feel weird; every day, he feels weaker and more tired. Maybe he needs to sleep a little longer. Nanamin always told him that sleep was essential for someone his age. Growing kids need to sleep properly. 

Yuuji doesn't remember when he fell asleep, but it was night when he woke up again. His friends had all left; Sukuna was sleeping on the chair and holding Yuuji's hand, while Choso and Nanami were sleeping with their arms leaned against the couch. Tora-san was tucked right beneath his other arm.

'Yuuji-kun, since it's hard to speak, why don't you write it down? You can even leave notes for your older brothers and father.'

The nurses had mistaken Nanami as his father, but Yuuji wasn't mad about it, nor did he correct the nurse; he only smiled and nodded. Handing Yuuji some colored pens and paper, she helped him sit up as he thought about what to write. 

'You can write small things for them, even say that you l-'

He's seen the nurses and doctors more often; their smiles looked sad. He wasn't sure why, but he knew they were all trying to help him get better as much as he didn't like the shots and always asking the same questions every day. But, they were all very nice to him, so he didn't feel as lonely. 

'Wow, Yuuji-kun, you've written so many! You must be feeling great today; I'm glad.'

Smiling at the nurse, he continued to write until he began coughing and had difficulty breathing. Dropping the pens to the floor, the nurse helped Yuuji with his oxygen mask. Instructing him to take deep breaths and exhale, Yuuji cried, seeing the ruined note. He had ripped it slightly during his coughing fit. 

'Don't cry, Yuuji-kun. I can tape it together or help you write it again.'

Wiping away the boy's tears, he nodded. Cleaning up the mess, Yuuji focused on controlling his breathing as another nurse came in with Yuuji's daily injections. He hated needles; it's scary. 

'I'm sorry, Yuuji-kun. I'll try to make it quick as possible.

Oh, you wrote so many letters today; I'm sure everyone who receives it will be thrilled.'

'There we are! Such a brave boy, Yuuji-kun, great job!'

'Look, Yuuji-kun, I fixed it with a little tape and put a sticker over it. Doesn't look terrible, right?'

Weakly pushing Tora onto his stomach, he unzipped a bit of Tora-san's back and smiled. Good, the papers were still there. He secretly wrote little notes to everyone. He couldn't write as well as he used to, but the nurse helped him sit up and write his letters whenever he had the energy. The nurse was so nice; she was very patient with him; Yuuji always felt terrible. Good thing he wrote a thank you note to her! 

'Mama and Papa are waiting for you, honey. You won't be alone...'

That was weird. Yuuji was feeling weird; he was feeling tired again, but this time he had a feeling he wouldn't open his eyes again. Why is that? 

'Yuuji-kun, I'll keep them all in Tora-san, okay? He'll protect them until you're ready to give them.'

Yuuji had no more strength to write his notes; the nurses tried to write them for him but could not understand what he wanted. Apologizing to the boy, one of the nurses had modified Tora-san after Yuuji accidentally ripped the back of Tora-san's back. It was weird to see Tora-san with a zipper on his back, but he held his notes for him; it was better than keeping them crinkled under his pillow- not that putting in Tora-san made a difference. 

'Shall I read you a story until your brothers come from school?'

Feeling his eyes grow heavy, Tora-san slid off the bed as Yuuji turned to look at Sukuna. He was sleeping soundly and holding Yuuji's hand. 

"S-S...i" 

The monitor was picking up faster as Yuuji tried calling out to his older brother. He wanted to say at least one of their names before he slept again. 

"C-Ch... N-Na- in..." 

Yuuji couldn't stay awake any longer; he weakly glanced back at the couch before closing his eyes. "L-Love you..." 

Flatline, the machine began beeping, startling the three men awake. Seeing the machine in red alert, Sukuna was the first to try and wake up their little tiger.

"B-brat. H-hey brat-!" 

"Y-Yu-chan, come on, wake up for your Cho-nii? Yu-chan...?" Nurses came rushing in with another machine as the doctors were behind them. Pushed out of the way, time seemed to just slow down for the three men as they watched Yuuji's bed be surrounded in a panic. 

"CLEAR!" A shock was administrated, but no response. 

"No response." Starting up for another shock, the doctor stared at the non-changing monitor. "CLEAR!!" 

Yuuji was just fine a few hours ago; why was this happening? Yuuji was alive and breathing. He was smiling just a few hours ago. He was fine-!! WHY-

"... Time of death-" 

no. No. NO. NOT AGAIN. NO. 

"I'm very sorry for your loss. Please take all the time you need." 

Nanami had slowly begun to make calls as he faced the window, Choso held Yuuji's hand silently, crying, and Sukuna couldn't comprehend this. Yuuji was gone. The little ball of sunshine that he teased but cared for was now... 

Picking up the fallen Tora-san, he collapsed on the chair and held Yuuji's hand. "Hey, brat... say something... a-anything..."

Yuuji wasn't here anymore; he wasn't going to pout and whine about Sukuna calling him a brat.

"...B-brat. A-Are you ignoring your nii-chan?"

"Sukuna... enough..." 

He's not going to ask for hugs and story time anymore. He won't be picking him up from daycare and seeing that brightening smile every time he sees his older brothers. 

"B-Br..brat..."

"Sukuna. Please. Stop it...."

'Suki-nii! Cho-nii! Nanamin!!'

"Y-Yuuji... w-wake up. Wake up!! W-Wa..." 

Yuuji isn't coming back.

~~

~~

Nanami barely kept it together for the funeral. He had to watch his little tiger be rolled away to be prepared for the casket and try to keep the older boys, mainly Sukuna, from hurting the doctor. The funeral was as grand as it could be; rows and rows of flowers were decorated around the boy's picture, everyone who knew and cared for Yuuji was there, and condolences were exchanged. 

After they buried the casket, Sukuna stayed staring at the tombstone with Tora-san in his hand. The others tried to get him to move after a few hours, and the rain rolled in, but he refused to move. As the sun began to set, Choso had come to block Sukuna from any more rain. Tora-san was kept under his jacket to keep him dry from the rain. 

"Sukuna... let's go home."

"... why? There's nothing there anymore."

"... Nanami-san is waiting."

"... he wanted to go on vacation."

"Yeah..."

"He wanted to come home..."

"I know..." 

"W-We should've just brought him home-!" 

"Y-yeah..." 

Going home, the house was dark except for the dining room. Quietly walking inside, they heard a bottle clatter onto the floor; Nanami was drinking alone and crying alone. Their family picture was in front of him as his face was buried in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Jin... I couldn't keep Yuuji-kun till the end...

Yuuji-kun..."

Choso thought it best to leave him alone, but Sukuna walked inside and sat across from Nanami. Letting out a shuddering breath, he pulled himself together and wiped away his tears. Looking up, Sukuna stared at the table as he pulled out Tora-san from his jacket. 

"I had wondered where he'd gone..."

Choso took a seat beside Sukuna and noticed the zipper behind Tora-san. Taking Tora-san from Sukuna, he flipped him over to open the zipper.

"WHAT ARE YOU-?!"

"Notes?" There were so many. All folded into origami hearts and a name written on them. "T-This is Yu-chan's handwriting..."

Taking one of the hearts, Nanami flipped it over to see Sukuna's nickname, Suki-nii. Choso pulled out the rest of the hearts and began dividing them into name piles. There were several hearts for every person Yuuji knew, but the three had a total of 15 each.

Sukuna hesitated to unfold the origami; it was definitely Yuuji's handwriting and looking at a few of them, it was barely legible. He had written these for a while... 

Choso opened his up first- Cho-nii is the best!! Please make me apple pie again! Cho-nii makes the best food!! Everything is dewicios tasty!!

Nanamin, when I come home, please read for me again. The nurse is very nice, but Nanamin is better. I miss Nanamin reading me night story!

Suki-nii, I'm bored. Can we play outside again when I leave? I want to play games and go to the park! I want to see tiger again with Suki-nii! Suki-nii is so strong; the tigers were so nice hehe.

Each heart was written of Yuuji's wish when he left the hospital of what he wanted to do with them or what he liked about them. He finished all of them with a messy doodle of a tiger. 

Going through each one, the three of them couldn't help but smile and chuckle seeing some of these notes, but the last one hurt them the most. 

Nanamin-

Cho-nii-

Suki-nii-

I love you sooooooo many!!! I can't wait to go vacation!! I'll be with my most favorite people in the world. 

"YUUJI-!!" 

"Suki-nii?" 

Sukuna wasted no time hugging the little boy next to him. Yuuji was confused; his brother was saying his name a lot. Did his older brother have a bad dream? He looked scared. 

"Suki-nii? Bad dream??"

"... Something like that."

"Tora-san?" Holding up his companion, Sukuna smiled but tightened his hold around Yuuji. 

"bad dream, bad dream, fly away!" 

"Pft... that's for pain, you idiot."

"Ah-!! Suki-nii is mean! I'm just scaring away a bad dream." Pouting, Sukuna ruffled his hair. Yeah, it was just a bad dream, quite vivid, but just a dream.

"Yuuji, stay with me tonight."

It must've been a horrible dream if Sukuna called him by his name. Yuuji wanted to tease his brother about it, but his brother always helps him, so he'll help Sukuna this time. 

"Yuuji." Pulling up the covers, Yuuji slid inside as Sukuna tucked him in and pulled him towards his chest. "... Should we go to the zoo tomorrow??"

"Zoo?! I want to go! I want to go! Cho-nii and Nanamin too?" 

"They're both free tomorrow; why not?"

"Yayy!!"

"We should get pudding too."

"Suki-nii doesn't like pudding."

"Yeah, but you like it."

"Then, Suki-nii can have meat pie!"

"Mmh."

"And Cho-nii cream puffs and Nanamin red bean bun!" 

"Sounds good."

"Mmh, but Cho-nii also likes cookies, and Nanamin likes bread..."

"Then we can get those too."

"Can Megumi, Nobara and Junpei come too?"

"If they have time, sure. Whatever you want, Yuuji."

"Hehe Suki-nii is the best."

"... Yeah, I know."

"Booo, Suki-nii should say me too!" 

"Heh, look at you. Yeah, you're the very best."

Soft giggling echoed from Sukuna's room, and the two men in the study room smiled. 

Good night. Sweet Dreams.

Chapter Text

"YU-CHAN?!"

"OI BRAT, WHERE ARE YOU?!! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR HIDE-AND-SEEK!!!" 

"YUUJI-KUN. YUUJI. YUUJI????!!" 

Panic ensued around the three men as they frantically looked around them and the few stores they've gone to. This was not happening. They all looked away for just a moment. So how come... Yuuji was gone?!

Where did he go?!

~~

~~

Where did his brothers go? Nanamin? Where was he? Uhm...

Was he lost? 

Looking around, he was surrounded by strangers, and he wasn't anywhere near them. This might be bad... Nanamin told him to stick close to them because they could get separated. He didn't listen, so Nanamin will be angry with him. 

Wondering what to do, he puffed up his cheeks and began humming out loud- what to do...? Oh! He can go back looking for them! It'll be an adventure!! He can pretend to be like a hobbit and go on an adventure! Nanamin had finished reading him The Hobbit last night; he can be like Mister Baggins!

Holding up his tiger plush, he nodded to himself. Yes! I can do it! It's time for an adventure- find his brothers and Nanami!

Off we go!

Meanwhile...

"YUUJI?!?!" 

"YU-CHAN!! ARE YOU HERE?!"

"BRAT. YUUJI. WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

30 minutes ago

"Hmmm..."

"It doesn't look good."

"Yeah, it doesn't."

"I think a red hoodie would be better on Yuuji-kun." 

"Here, brat, change into this." 

Being pushed into the changing room once more with a pile of new clothes to try on, Yuuji pouted. He was tired; he wanted to eat ice cream and sit down. They've been making him change clothes for the past hour now. 

"Nanamin, I'm tired." Peeking out the curtains, Nanami smiled. 

"These are the last ones, I promise, Yuuji. We'll pick out things for your brothers, and then I'll get you ice cream, okay?"

"...okay." Going back inside, he changed into new clothes and ignored his growling stomach. 

Today was clothes shopping for the boys. Nanami had visited the boys and noticed their laundry hanging outside in the backyard- they were pretty old or seemed a little short on them. The boys shrugged, asking when was the last time they had gone shopping. It wasn't much of a priority for them, and they hadn't thought about it. Shockingly. 

Seeing Yuuji come downstairs, he noticed his pants looked a little short. Yuuji had grown again. 

Hence their situation now. Yuuji came out wearing the new outfit, and the onlookers all nodded in agreement. This was another good look on Yuuji. Black cargo pants with an oversized black tee and red hoodie with black stripes along the arms. 

"This is better; the orange washed him out." Sukuna pulled up the hood on Yuuji's hoodie and nodded. "Look, Tora-san has the same hoodie as you." Holding up the tiger, Yuuji giggled. Tora-san never wore clothes, but matching with Yuuji, he liked it. 

"Oh, suddenly you're a fashion expert?" Choso scoffed. 

"Better than you. You always wear the same thing-"

"Hah-! Rich from Mr. I-only-wear-black t-shirts."

"At least I wear diff-" Ignoring the bickering boys, he paid for Yuuji's clothes and asked one of the staff to take off the price tags on Yuuji's clothes. Keeping the bought clothes aside until they left, the staff showed Nanami clothes recommendations for the older boys. Looking around, he grabbed a bunch of options and pushed the still bickering boys into the changing room. 

"You two are being too loud; lower your voice and change." 

"He's louder than I am!"

"I think I can hear the birds crying as you speak-"

Closing the curtains on the boys, he went back out to see Yuuji sitting and waiting. "Shall we hope they don't bicker like old men and do as they're told?" Yuuji giggled, knowing his brothers would bicker when they came out. Nanami heavily sighed as he waited for the boys. 

After a few minutes, the two came out, and Yuuji's eyes lit up; his brothers looked so cool! Sukuna was rocking some black trousers with an oversized white short-sleeve button-down. Choso had tan plaid pants and a white knit sweater, and his hair was down! 

"Suki-nii and Cho-nii so cool!!" 

"You think it looks good, Yu-chan?" Choso beamed at the compliment as Yuuji nodded. 

"mmh!!" 

"Not picking anything up, old man?"

"I have enough clothes at home. We're here for you boys." 

"Nanami-san, you should get something for yourself while you are here."

"Nanamin! Nanamin!" 

"Yes, Yuuji-kun?"

"This-! Nanamin will look good!!" Following the finger to where Yuuji was pointing, he pointed at the clothes the mannequin was wearing- a grey plaid suit with a blue turtleneck. Sukuna and Choso stared at the dummy and back at Nanami. Yuuji had picked a nice outfit.

"... Trying it on can't hurt."

"Yayyy!!" 

Changed into the chosen suit, Yuuji began pointing at outfits that would suit his brothers and Nanami. The employees constantly went back and forth, fetching clothes and taking measurements to alter the clothes a little. After the fifth outfit, Yuuji had grown bored and slumped into his chair. 

"Shall we move on to the next store?" Nanami suggested seeing how bored Yuuji had become; the boys agreed and grabbed the shopping bags.

"I'll bring these to the car so you guys can look around in the meantime." Grabbing the bags, they agreed to meet at the next store. "Yuuji-kun, do not let go of either one of their hands, or you may get lost, okay?"

"Okay, Nanamin!" Promising with a smile, Nanami returned with a small smile. 

"Sir, allow us to help you!" Three employees rushed after Nanami seeing the amount of bags he had. 

"I can just call my assistant; there is no need for you to leave your work-"

"No, please allow us to do this small thing at the very least-!!" Nanami had bought more than half the store, and knowing who Nanami was made them all the more desperate to try to get some brownie points with the CEO. 

Sighing in defeat, he allowed them to help as they followed him like ducklings to the car. Sukuna scowled as he looked around the shopping plaza; there wasn't a single place selling ice cream- at least anything that seemed decent.

"Stop scowling; you'll get lines." Choso said as he looked through his phone. 

"The brat wants ice cream, but there's nothing." 

"Isn't that an ice cream store?" Choso pointed to the small store in the corner at the far right with a small line forming outside its doors.

"He hates that place."

"I do?" Yuuji doesn't remember going there.

"Yeah, it's not good enough for you." Sukuna pulled out his phone and began scrolling to find a decent place to get Yuuji ice cream. Choso held back laughing out loud; his brother was such an idiot sometimes, not that he could blame him. Yuuji deserved the best, after all. 

"Suki-nii, I like anything! Anything is okay!" 

"... No, not good enough." Yuuji wasn't sure if his brother was really saying it for his own good or maybe Sukuna was being picky. It's not good to be picky; Nanamin always told him he needs to eat everything in mo- mod...monoration??? Moderation. Did he tell him that for fruit and vegetables? 

But, right now, his older brothers needed to finish shopping! Ice cream can wait until later! He's a big boy! He can wait. 

"Suki-nii!! Shopping!! Need to finish shopping!"

"Huh? Oh yeah. 

Can you wait a little longer?" Asking in genuine concern but Yuuji smiled and nodded.

"Mmh!" 

"Alright." 

"Yu-chan is such a good boy!" Choso praised as he held back his happy tears. Yuuji was so patient and a good boy; where else would you find the best little brother such as Yuuji?!

Yuuji shyly smiled at the praise; he always felt a little shy whenever his brothers said such compliments. Grabbing both hands, they walked to their next store, but a sudden crowd flooded through when an announcement was made.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. 

Next Level is having their annual special sale until all stock is out for today- 50% off!!"

A sudden flood of people began making their way to the very store the three were going to. Practically pushed forward, Yuuji had let go of their hands amid the chaos. 

"The fuck?!? Move out of the way, you single-minded fleas!! "

"YU-CHAN!!! GRAB ONE OF OUR HANDS!!" 

"BRAT!! GRAB MY HAND!" Having each grasped Yuuji's hand, they pushed out of their way of the crowd and panted to catch their breath. Damn crazy shoppers. 

"Yu-chan, are you alright?"

"Brat, you okay?"

"Yu-chan-"

"Brat-" 

They were holding each other's hands.

Immediately letting go, Choso and Sukuna glared at one another- the fact they were holding each other's hands during that made their skin crawl. Choso took out his hand sanitizer and emptied the entire bottle on his hand. Sukuna felt a vein pop. That piece of s-

"What are you two doing??" Nanami had come back.

"Nothing, old man."

"Yes, nothing." Choso smiled as he slathered the gel all over his hand. Yuuji was the only one he allowed to hold his hand for an extended time; hell, he could hold Yuuji's hand forever if needed. 

"... Where's Yuuji-kun?"

"..."

"..."

Turning around, they saw the crowd; to the left were stores, and to the right was the plaza fountain. 

Shit.

"YUUJI-KUN/ YU-CHAN/ BRAT!!!!!"

And back to our precious bean...

Yuuji held Tora-san's paw and walked along the plaza street. Mister Baggins had run into the forest and caught up with the dwarves at the start of his adventure. They saw elves, stone giants, skin changers, orcs, and much more! But unlike them who ended at Erebor, Yuuji's end would be to find his brothers and Nanami. Yes, he can do this, but...

He's been wandering around for 10 minutes now and was pretty lost. This place was too big for Yuuji, and he wasn't exactly sure where he was going. 

He was tired from the long shopping spree earlier and had no energy left. Maybe, he should've been asked for that ice cream before. Forget the adventure- he wants to find-

"Are you lost?" A stranger had come up to Yuuji. He looked nice, but Yuuji knew better than to talk to strangers, so he looked away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you; I just wanted to ensure you were okay." 

"... I can't talk to strangers."

"Ah, well. I'm Jin, not a stranger now, right?" He wasn't wrong; Nanami had told him that he should always be polite. The stranger- Jin, did introduce himself to him. 

"... Yu." 

"Yu-chan? That's an adorable name." Smiling, Yuuji felt a shiver go through his body. He was weird... "Yu-chan, are you lost or waiting for someone?"

"... nii-chan."

"Ah, I guess you got separated from him. Can I wait with you?" Yuuji didn't see any reason why to decline, so he nodded. Thanking Yuuji, the young man sat next to him. 

A few minutes passed, and Yuuji glanced over to see Jin was staring at him. When they had made eye contact, he smiled at Yuuji. Looking away, Yuuji decided it best to try and look for his brothers again. It's better than just waiting here with this guy.

Walking away from the bench, Jin followed behind Yuuji. "Yu-chan, isn't it better to wait for your brothers here? I'm sure Sukuna and Choso-san will come for you soon."

Yuuji froze; he never told the man he was waiting for his brother(s), he only said brother, and he's never told them their names. So how does he know...?

"Something wrong, Yuuji-chan???"

He knew his name!?! 

"I-I didn't tell my name..."

"Oh? Hahaha, a slip of the tongue, sorry, Yuuji-chan. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to see who you were. Why Sukuna decided to walk away..." 

Did he know Sukuna? 

"Oh, speak of the devil. It looks like they're here." 

"Yu-chan!"

"Yuuji-kun!!" 

"Cho-nii!! Nanamin!" Running to them, he jumped into Choso's arms. "Cho-nii-"

"Are you alright? I'm sorry, Yu-chan. You must've been scared-"

"Did you get hurt anywhere?" Nanami worriedly glanced up and down to see if the boy had any injuries. Yuuji shook his head, saying he was alright. 

"Yuuji!" Sukuna had arrived to join the worried group. "Are you hurt? Where did you go?" 

"M'kay, but he- huh?" Pointing to Jin, he was no longer there. Looking around, Yuuji was confused; where did he go?

"What's wrong, Yu-chan?"

"... N-nothing." Staring at Sukuna, he wondered if he should say anything. He remembers how annoyed his brother was when he had gotten a call from what he calls pieces of garbage. Maybe it's not a good idea to tell him about the stranger, Jin. He didn't seem to like Sukuna either. 

"Can we get ice cream?" 

Choso chuckled as he carried him in his arms, "Ice cream sounds good. I think we can finish shopping another day." 

"Finally, I'm so annoyed with all these fu-"

"Sukuna."

"-pests. I meant pests." 

~~

~~

"-Are you crazy?! Don't you remember Sukuna warning us not to get close?! Are you asking for a death wish?"

"I only said hi to his precious little brother. Not like I kidnapped the boy."

"Jin, whatever you're thinking, just stop. Sukuna isn't called 'The King of Curses' for no reason-!!"

"All the more reason I want to see if the rumors are true."

"You're insane..."

"Nah, just curious. I bet he'll fight again if I bring his precious little bother."

"Dude, you're seriously asking for a death wish."

"Heh, got to say Yuuji-chan was really cute."

"You and your weird interests... uck."

Chapter Text

"Y-You fucker... I-I told you *cough cough*." 

"S-Shut up, shit-head *cough cough*."

A deep sigh was heard on the monitor as the two boys glared at one another. "Make sure to drink lots of fluids, stay warm, and try not to get Yuuji-kun sick."

"I-isn't that obvious *cough cough* o-old ma- *cough cough*."

Choso threw a wet towel and a mask to the back of Sukuna's head, "Quit talking, y-you're spreading your d-damn contaminated s-spit everywhere-! *cough cough*."

"Fuc-Fuck you!" 

"I'm needed for a meeting; both of you go to sleep. I'll call Gojo-senpai to bring you some porridge, maybe even ask him to take care of Yuuji-kun until you're better." Nanami groaned, saying that sentence; he didn't want to let Gojo take care of Yuuji, but Geto was also out on a business trip, and most of Yuuji's friends were all sick. Yuuji had been lucky not to get sick from his class. 

The flu was going around pretty severely this year; it seems like the almighty Sukuna and Choso couldn't escape its clutches either. 

"Nanamin!!" Yuuji came running into the living room, beaming at the sight of Nanami's face on the screen.

"Yuuji-kun, I'm sorry, I need to go now. Please try to stay away from Choso and Sukuna until they feel better, okay?"

"O-Oh, okay." Sadly agreeing, Nanami said his goodbye and promised to read an extra chapter for tonight's story time. Reminding the two boys to rest, the call ended. 

Coughing again, Sukuna groaned as he put on the mask and wrapped the towel around his neck. He couldn't remember the last time he's gotten sick, and neither could Choso. If anyone can easily get sick, was Yuuji. "Suki-nii, hurt a lot?" 

"T-This is nothing, brat. *cough cough*. 

D-Don't get too close *cough cough*." Holding up his hand to Yuuji, he began coughing again as Choso handed him a bottle of water. 

"Cho-nii..." Trying his best to smile, he ushered Yuuji to the dining room. 

"Yu-chan, you need to e-eat *cough cough*." 

"I-I can make by myself!! Cho-nii and Suki-nii, sleep!!" 

"But Yu-chan, you've ne- *cough cough*." Choso didn't have the energy to try and argue; as much as he wanted to make sure Yuuji was fed and away from them, his climbing fever and headache made him want to just drop dead on the floor. 

Seeing Choso swaying, Yuuji began pushing Choso's legs towards the door. "Yu-chan?" 

"Cho-nii sleep!! Suki-nii, too!!" Running over to the couch, he grabbed the hem of Sukuna's pants, trying to pull him off the couch.

"I-I'm going b-brat. I'm going." Reaching to ruffle Yuuji's hair, he stopped mid-way and pulled away. Sukuna didn't want to get Yuuji sick; whenever he did, it took a while for him to recover. 

Going up to their rooms, they reminded Yuuji not to open the door for anyone unless he sees who it is on the monitor and not to touch the stove, oven, or microwave.

"I'm sorry, Y-Yu-chan *cough cough* You have to be by yourself for a little-"

"It's okay! I'm a big boy! I can be by myself." Confidently smiling as he raised Tora-san to show he wasn't lonely. Sukuna glanced at Yuuji. 

"Wake us up if you feel lonely, brat." Coughing into his hand, Sukuna held his hand up, saying good night, and closed his door. Choso apologized to Yuuji again and closed his door as well. 

Hearing the coughing get distant, Yuuji stood in the hallway alone.

"... I-I be fine! I show nii-chans I'm a big boy!"

~~

~~

Ding dong

"Yuuji-kun~!! Gojo-sensei has arrived!!" Ringing the doorbell again, Gojo waited by the door with a smile; he was beyond the moon. It was a rarity for Nanami to ask him for a favor and watch Yuuji for the day; Geto wasn't here either, so it was a double win for him.

"Who is it???" 

Oh, how adorable. Was Yuuji-kun using the intercom? Such a smart cookie! 

"Yuuji-kun!! It's Gojo-sensei!!"

"G-Goyo-sensei!!" Hearing the happiness in his voice, Gojo wanted to cry. Yuuji-kun was happy to see him! Hearing the small steps coming closer, the door clicked open, "Yuujji-kun- AH!! YUUJI-KUN, ARE YOU HURT?!?!" 

Yuuji's shirt was stained red with what looked like blood; it was too bright to be blood- ah, that was jam, but forget that, why was there peanut butter on the boy's head and was that flour? What-?? 

"First, let's get you cleaned up." Gently pushing the boy back inside, Yuuji shyly laughed. 

Helping the boy clean up and change into another shirt, Gojo came downstairs to the kitchen to see the peanut butter and jam jar sideways on the counter with a blunt knife on the floor. Bread slices were falling from its packaging to the floor, and it seemed like Yuuji had accidentally knocked over the flour and salt container. Cleaning it up swiftly, Yuuji waited on the couch, fumbling with his shirt. 

Putting everything away, Gojo walked over and stroked the boy's head. "All done! Was Yuuji-kun trying to make a PB&J sandwich?" Nodding, Gojo praised the boy for his efforts, but Yuuji began to tear up at the words. 

"Y-Yuuji-kun, it's alright-! It was an accident, and you're still too small to-"

"I-I can't do things right without nii-chans!!" Not holding back on crying out his tears, Gojo panicked and tried to console the boy. Two furious looming figures appeared behind them. 

"WHAT DID YOU DO YOU BLIND PARASITE? WHY IS YUUJI IN TEARS?"

"DID YOU MAKE YUUJI CRY, YOU BASTARD? YOU MUST REALLY HAVE A DEATH WISH." 

"Ah-! Why are you two up?? And n-nothing-! How cruel of you to assume I made Yuuji-kun cry, the last thing I want to do- 

LISTEN TO YOUR ELDERS!!!" Ignoring the older man, Choso and Sukuna kneeled in front of Yuuji to wipe away his tears.

"Yu-chan, it's alright, we're here for you *cough cough*" Leaning away from Yuuji, Choso began coughing. 

"You should've hit the idiot instead of crying, brat." Wiping away the stray tears with tissues, Yuuji began calming down. "Tsk knew we shouldn't have let the old man call for that white-haired bastard." 

"How cruel-!!" Gojo whined as Sukuna glared at the man. 

"S-Suki-nii... s-sorry..." Hiccuping, Yuuji apologized to his brother. He said he'd be a big boy, but he was bothering his sick older brothers. It wasn't even an hour since they went into their rooms. 

"..." Holding out his hand to ruffle Yuuji's hair, Sukuna pulled it back when he felt a tickle in his throat. Turning away from the boy and coughing, he muttered out an annoyed grunt. 

"Don't apologize, brat. 

But if that parasite makes you cry again, hit him there. Okay? *cough cough."

"B-but that'll hurt Goyo-sensei!" 

"It's fine; your safety matter more than the parasite's future children." 

"You are teaching your precious brother some scary things, Sukuna..."

"*cough cough. S-Shut up. Now, did you bring us food or not?" Sukuna was beginning to feel dizzy again, and seeing Gojo's face didn't make it any better. He wanted to eat and take his medicine so he can pass out in bed. The faster he gets better, the faster he can hug the little brat. 

Pouting, Gojo held up the two paper bags in his hand, "Porridge, peach jelly, water bottles, and your medicine. Oh, extra packs of tissues." 

"I-I'd thank you, but you made *cough cough* Yu-chan cry..." Choso glared as Gojo pushed the boys around to go back upstairs. 

"Stop beating down your caretaker!! Ah, Yuuji-kun, sensei will make your lunch after making sure they eat. Wait for me a moment, okay?" 

Nodding, he watched the three men disappear up the stairs. Yuuji hugged Tora-san and leaned against the couch cushions, pouting. He caused a lot of trouble already today after he promised he'd be fine and be a big boy; he wished he could take care of his brothers like they do whenever he was sick. Why did he have to be so tiny and helpless?? 

~~

~~

"Job well done, Sukuna. Now for your medicine." 

"Do you want me to punch you??" Holding up a fist, Gojo grinned and held up the medicine and water bottle. 

"Sure, sure, I'm sure in your state you'll be able to land a punch on me." Taunting the boy, Sukuna felt veins popping out on his head- the parasite piece of-

"Can you both be quiet..." Choso groaned from across the hallway. Letting out a deep sigh, Sukuna popped in the pill and washed it down with the bottle of water. 

"Shall I tuck you in and read you a bedtime story~?"

"I'm gonna fucking kill you-!" Glaring at the man, Gojo chuckled and bid him goodnight before closing the door. Sukuna turned to his side, clenching his teeth- he is going to beat that man to a bloody pulp one day. 

Gojo walked into Choso's room to see the boy leaning against his headboard, trying to ease his headache. Massaging his temples, he glanced over to see Gojo holding out painkillers and a water bottle. Taking it with a sigh, Gojo placed the tissue box by his bedside. 

"Try to just rest and not do the nasty~"

"I'm gonna kill you, old man." Crumpling the empty water bottle, Gojo laughed as he left the room, wishing Choso goodnight. Closing the door, Choso sunk back onto his pillow with an irritated sigh. This fucking cold, wish it was over already; he can't even hug Yuuji because of his damn coughing. 

Feeling the medication take control, he didn't fight the sleepiness as he closed his eyes- this damn flu. 

Hearing the soft snores from both rooms, Gojo went downstairs with a satisfied smile. Walking back into the living room, he saw Yuuji pouting and trying to sink further into the cushions. He shouldn't be smiling, but it was much too adorable. Whipping out his phone, he took photos like there was no tomorrow- yes, this was such a rarity! Yuuji-kun was pouting!! After taking many photos, he put away his phone with much satisfaction and hovered over Yuuji. 

"Yuuji-kun~"

Breathing out his pout, Yuuji let a startled 'o,' "Goyo-sensei...!"

"I'm sorry, Yuuji-kun; sensei didn't mean to make you cry." Apologizing to the flustered boy, Yuuji shook his head. 

"N-Not Goyo-sensei fault!! I-I... Uhm... I'm sorry..." Stroking the boy's head, he pulled him into his arms. 

"Shall we get you that sandwich?"

"Mmh." 

~~

~~

Yuuji was fed, the dishes and utensils were washed and put away, and the two curses upstairs had been fed and are knocked out. Perfect. Grabbing the vacuum, Gojo started to go around the living room with the door closed to not and wake the boys while Yuuji held onto Tora-san, staring at Gojo. 

Turning off the vacuum, Gojo smiled and asked. "What's wrong, Yuuji-kun?"

"... mmh, nii-chans get better when they wake up?" 

Patting the boy's head, Gojo replied, "It might take a few days, but don't worry, I'll be here to watch over-" Interrupted by a phone chime, he pulled out his phone and clicked his tongue at the caller ID.

The old man that refuses to go

Wanting to ignore the call, he knew the old man would continue to call until he picked up. With a heavy sigh, he answered. 

"Whatever could be the reason you're calling, surely it can be solved with the many other employees you possess."

"Young Master, you've been summoned-" Oh, it wasn't the shit-head. 

"Oh, it's been a while, Tanaka, and you should know by now that I'll ignore-"

"The head of the Gojo Clan is in critical condition, and all members of the clan were asked to come, no exceptions."

"Oh great, the old man is finally on his way, but as much as I'd like to come, I'm preoccupied at the moment-"

"Young Master, there is a car waiting for you out front."

"... ha-" Scratching the back of his head, Gojo let out an irritated sigh and glanced over to Yuuji, who was waiting for Gojo to finish his call. 

"Tsk. Knowing you guys, you'll pester me until I come... Alright, I'm coming out."

"See you soon, Young Master." Ending the call, Gojo let out a deep breath. There goes his plan to take care of Yuuji. Sending a text to Nanami, the man instantly responded with a simple- understood. Gojo frowned at the lack of response, he was expecting a little more panic and begging, but then again, Nanami was more than likely happy that he had to leave. 

"Yuuji-kun, sensei needs to leave; I'm sorry."

"Goyo-sensei leaving...?" Seeing the sad puppy eyes, Gojo felt his responsibilities be thrown out the window but only be dragged back into his head by his damn conscience, apparently, he still had that. 

"I'm sorry, Yuuji-kun. Sensei doesn't want to leave-"

"It's okay! I be fine!! I'm a big boy; I won't cry again! I promise!" Holding out his pinky, he nodded to himself with the promise. Gojo wanted to cry from the cuteness and the boy's conviction. He didn't like the idea of leaving Yuuji alone, although the boys were here, but Yuuji would be by himself all day- he was gonna come back tonight even if it meant sending the old man to his grave himself. 

"Yuuji-kun, sensei will come back by tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. Think you can stay alone until then?"

"Yes!" Raising his hand, Gojo smiled and held out his pinky. 

"Alright, Sensei promises to come back by tonight or tomorrow morning." 

"Promise?"

"Promise." 

"Pinky promise, if I lie, I will drink 1,000 needles, and cut my pinky~"

"D-Don't cut your pinky sensei!!!" Chuckling, he hugged the boy once more before reminding him not to touch the stove, oven, and microwave and to not open the doors to strangers. Repeating Gojo's words, Yuuji nodded and waved bye watching him walk out of the house. Left alone, Yuuji held up his arms determined and ran into the living room. 

"I be big boy!" 

Gojo got into the car and sighed heavily as it drove off. The driver felt a shiver go down his spine as he felt a murderous aura emit from behind him. Trying not to show off his fear, he glanced up at the rearview mirror and saw Gojo darkly smiling at him. 

"Drive faster."

"Y-Yes, sir." 

~~

~~

Not a minute after Gojo left, Yuuji had gotten a call from Nanami on the living room TV. Accepting the call, he happily greeted Nanami as he asked how he was. Nanami was relieved to see Yuuji was alright and not in tears-

"Yuuji-kun, Gojo-senpai may not able to come back, so I'll be coming in the morning."

"No it's okay! Goyo-sensei pinky promise! He come back!" Holding out his pinky to the screen, Nanami's lips thinned to a line. Seems like Gojo-senpai has promised Yuuji an impossible promise. There was no way Gojo was coming back when his household was in slight chaos at the moment. 

"Nanamin! I will be big boy and help nii-chans!"

"Oh, Yuuji-kun, it would be best not to get close to Choso and Sukuna. You may catch their cold-"

"I promise to be careful!" 

"Yuuji-kun-" Interrupted by his assistant, Ichiji, with desperation in his voice and holding out files, Nanami heavily sighed and returned to awaiting Yuuji. "Yuuji-kun, please do not go near your brothers. I do not want you to get sick, especially when the flu is going around.

"I'm sorry, Yuuji-kun, I must get back to work. I'll be coming home as soon as I can, alright? Do not touch the stove, open the doors to strangers, and do not go outside, even if it's the backyard. I don't want you getting hurt, okay?"

Pursing his lips, Yuuji nodded. "Yes, Nanamin..." 

"I'll see you later, Yuuji-kun." Saying bye, the call ended, and Yuuji puffed up his cheeks, pouting. He was a big boy! He can take care of his brothers! He may have cried earlier for making a mistake, but he won't do it again! He can do it!!
Grabbing Tora-san, he runs upstairs to check up on his brothers, first stopping by at Choso's room. Opening the door as carefully as he can, he peeks inside to hear his brother sleeping but with much difficulty- coughing and groaning every once in a while, Yuuji frowned and closed the door. Scurrying over to Sukuna's room, he saw that his second brother wasn't any better- coughing and drenched in sweat, he looked quite miserable. 

Not liking the sight of his brothers in such a state, he frowned and nodded to himself. Running back down, he rushed into the bathroom and opened the cabinet below, digging inside. Unable to find what he was looking for, he looked at the next cabinet, and his eyes lit up when he found the items he was looking for. Pulling the footstool towards the sink, he began filling the basin with cold water as he grabbed new hand towels from the top shelf. 

Once both basins were filled with water, he carefully placed both at the bottom of the stairs. Placing the handtowels beside the basins, he ran back into the kitchen to grab two water bottles- the bottles were too big to grab both, so he had to make two trips. Looking around the kitchen, he smiled at the sight of our wrapped onigiri sitting on the kitchen island. Gojo had left them there for Yuuji but had forgotten to set them down on the dining table. 

Unlike the counter he used earlier trying to make his PB&J, this island was taller and renovated to adjust to his brother's and Nanami's heights. Sukuna had complained about having to crouch to use the counter, so Nanami had a new kitchen island put in the next day; the counter and stove were left as it was, seeing as their late mother had chosen the counter when they moved into this house. There was no way they were going to touch that, even if it meant sacrificing a little neck pain. Nanami didn't say anything of it but only reminded the boys to stretch every once in a while. 

Stepping on the footstool, Yuuji reached his tiny arms for the onigiris, but it was too far away. His chin barely touched the top of the island. Trying once more to reach them, he struggled and gave up with a whine. His arms were too short-! Puffing up his cheeks again, he stepped off the stool and went to the living room. Coming back with one of the decoration books on the coffee table, he struggled to place the large book on the stool. 

With the added height, Yuuji carefully stepped on the large book and smiled, being able to see the onigiris in front of him. Pulling himself up, he pulled the onigiri towards him but slipped and fell to the ground with a small 'oompf'. Frowning at his clumsiness, he looked around to see the onigiris has fallen with him, and they were slightly smushed but not destroyed. It'll have to do. 

Cold water & towel-check.

Water bottle-check. 

Food-check.

Masks for him and Tora-san? Check. 

He was ready!

Stuffing the water bottles, onigiris, and hand towels into an empty backpack, Yuuji struggled to go up the stairs with the heavy bag but managed to get it up the stairs. Leaving Tora-san at the top of the stairs, Yuuji went back down to grab the water-filled basin, but it was more difficult than he thought. Reaching the top of the stairs, Yuuji had spilled more than half the water whilst coming up, and he had to go back down for the second basin. 

"...This is hard." 

With a deep sigh, he went back down but slipped and roll down the few last stairs and into the water-filled basin. Coming to a crash, Yuuji pulled the basin away from his face and looked at the large mess he made. Biting his trembling lips, he wiped away the water on his face and went into the bathroom to get some towels. Cleaning up as much as possible, he grabbed the basin and went back upstairs. His bottom and arms hurt from the fall.  

""I-It doesn't hurt... I-I big boy..." Yuuji wanted to cry and be hugged, but he promised he wouldn't be a baby today. He's a big boy who will take care of his sick older brothers.

 Trying his best to ignore the pain, he walked to Choso's room and saw the bathroom next to it. Yuuji felt like crying; he forgot about the upstairs bathroom. Wiping away the stray tears, he slapped his cheeks to shake away his misery.

~~

~~

After all that struggle, Yuuji had refilled the empty basin with cold water and brought it into Choso's room. Dragging in the backpack, he quietly looked up at his brother. His brows were furrowed and groaning; Yuuji frowned. Drowning the handtowel into the cold water, he wrung out the excess water as much as possible and climbed up onto Choso's bed to place the wet towel on Choso's forehead. 

The cold towel made Choso let out a sigh of relief as his face relaxed, and let out a small cough. Yuuji's face lit up at the sight of his brother's face relaxing. Sliding off the bed, he put the onigiris and water bottle on the chair beside his bed. 

Rushing to Sukuna's room, he placed down his bag before pulling in the basin. While doing the same thing as he did for Choso, Yuuji took an extra towel to wipe away the sweat rolling down Sukuna's face. 

Feeling small hands on his face, Sukuna roused from his sleep and opened his eyes to see a distorted image of pink.  Whispering with a grunt, Yuuji patted Sukuna's forehead. 

"Y-Yuuji...?" Fuck, why was it so damn hot and cold at the same time? 

"Night night Suki-nii. Need to sleep." Smiling at his older brother, Yuuji patted Sukuna's forehead lulling him back to sleep. 

'Suki-nii is shaking... cold??'

"Suki-nii, cold???" Pulling the covers further up towards Sukuna's face, Yuuji frantically looked around to cover his brother shivering form. 

Even in the haze of the flu, Sukuna couldn't help but be amused; Yuuji was trying to take care of him and Choso. An amused smirk grew on his face as fell back to sleep. Hearing Sukuna's soft breathing, Yuuji slid off the bed and set his brother's portion by the side table. Leaving Sukuna's room, Yuuji decided to check up on Choso once more. 

Climbing back up on the bed; the towel on Choso's forehead was warm. Choso had woken up feeling Yuuji's hands on his cheek. "Yu-chan... *cough cough* Y-You shouldn't be here-" Turning away, Yuuji patted Choso's stomach to try and lull him back to sleep.

"Cho-nii, sleep." 

"Y-Yu-chan, did you e-eat?"

"Mmh-! Goyo-sensei made me sandwich! Don't worry!" Smiling behind the mask, Choso smiled in relief to know his brother was fed. 

"Cho-nii, water?" Grabbing the water bottle on the chair, he held it up to Choso's face. Pulling himself up from his pillow, he took the offered drink- practically finishing the entire bottle; he laid back down when he finished. 

"No more?"

"M-mmh no more, t-thank you Yu-chan." Capping the bottle, Yuuji held out an onigiri. 

"Cho-nii hungry?" Choso let out a small chuckle as he shook his head. He instantly regretted that when he felt a throbbing headache. Groaning, an irritated huff escaped him. 

"Pain pain fly away!" Whispering the small charm-like spell, Choso smiled. 

"Cho-nii, sleep!" Demanding his older brother to sleep, Choso chuckled, whispered a thank you, and went back to sleep. Yuuji dipped the damp towel into the basin, but the water was room temp now; time for round two!

Dragging the basin to the bathroom, he spilled the water into the empty bathtub and ran to grab the second basin in Sukuna's room. Pulling the basin into the bathroom, Yuuji stepped on the empty basin behind him and slipped- the water spilled, and he was drenched. 

'....' 

Pulling the basin off his head, Yuuji huffed in annoyance- why did he have to be so small?! The basin was heavier than it looked! Wiping away the water on his face and stray tears, he pushed through. 

Filling both basins, he quickly dried himself off with a towel and went back to work. Pulling the basins, Yuuji stopped when he saw three tigers sitting on the shelf in the corner of the bathroom. Staring at the tigers, a small lightbulb went off in his head. Climbing the sink, he reached for the tigers to drop them on the floor- they were heavy! They were heatable plush- inside was a heat pack; his brothers always warmed them up and gave them to Yuuji whenever he was sick or cold. And Sukuna was shivering earlier- this is perfect!

But one problem was he needed to heat up the heat pads inside, which required the microwave. It was above the kitchen counter, but he wasn't allowed to use it. 

"I promised..." 

Yuuji didn't want to break his promise, but this was an emergency! Sukuna needed them! Nodding to himself with that self-explanation, he left the plushies on the floor and went back to the basins. Replacing the towels on his brothers, he went back to the plushies and went back downstairs, careful of the small water puddles he couldn't clean up. 

Standing on the footstool, Yuuji contemplated how long to warm up the plushies. He's seen Choso do it before; the inside heat pad must be removed and placed in the microwave. Once warmed up, it was placed back into the plushie. 

Tossing them into the microwave, Yuuji pressed for two minutes. Stepping down, he waited for the microwave to do its job. Hearing the beep, Yuuji opened the door and reached inside to yelp back from the sudden heat and drop them onto the floor. Blowing on his hands, he glared at the heat pads on the floor- meanies!!

Rummaging through the drawers, he pulled out tongs with a triumphant smile. This will work! Carefully climbing down from the counter, Yuuji used the tongs to grab the heat pad and put them into the plushies one by one. Zipping them up, he grabbed the plushies and went upstairs- tongs were forgotten on the kitchen floor. 

Sukuna felt at ease when a sudden warmth surrounded him- it was so warm... wait, it was soft? Opening his eyes again, Sukuna turned his head to see a tiger leaning toward him. What?? 

Another one fell forward and onto the top of his head whilst the third one was 

"Suki-nii warm?" 

Ah, so it was Yuuji who put them here.

"Yeah..."

"Suki-nii hungry? Water?"

"Later..."

"Nighty night Suki-nii." 

"...Yeah."

"Pain, Pain fly away~!"

"T-Thanks brat..." Sukuna fell asleep again, smiling, and Yuuji nodded to himself, seeing his brother was asleep again.

ZZzzzzzzz~

Once more, changing his brothers' damp towel, Yuuji was exhausted. Going back and forth was tiring- 

"Tora-san, we did lots of work! Good job!" High-fiving the tiger, Yuuji slumped against the wall and took off his face mask, letting out a heavy sigh. When are Nanamin and Goyo coming back? Glancing up at the clock on the wall, the big hang had moved a lot, and outside, the sun was setting; they should be here soon. 

"Mmh, tired..." Rubbing his eyes, a yawn escaped. "Sleep little... still need clean stairs..." Slumping against Tora-san, Yuuji fell asleep without hearing the front door clicking open. 

~~

~~

"Yuuji-kun? I'm home; I'm sorry you were alone for so long- Yuuji-kun?" 

Nanami had taken off his jacket and started to roll up his sleeves as he entered the living room, but the little pink-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. Throwing the jacket onto the couch, he looked around and saw nothing but tongs on the floor. What was this doing here? Placing it back on the counter, he made his way out to the hallway and heard a small splash. 

Hm??

Looking down, he noticed water dripping from the stairs. He had stepped in a small puddle; thank goodness he had slippers on. Assuming the worst, Nanami went upstairs, avoiding the small puddles here and there; he breathed out relief when he saw Yuuji. 

Pulling the boy into his arms, Yuuji snuggled into his chest on instinct. Grabbing Tora-san, Nanami chuckled at the sight of the tiger with a face mask. Were they playing doctor? Taking the boy to his room, he put him into bed and went out to check on the sick boys but to find more puddles on the floor and towels on the floor. Now that he thought about it, there were towels at the bottom of the stairs. Picking up the wet towels, he wrung them to the best he could before tossing them into the laundry basket. 

Nanami opened Choso's room and saw a damp towel sliding down Choso's cheek. Picking it up, he wrung the excess water and placed it back on the boy's forehead. Using the back of his hand, he checked Choso's temperature. 

'Not as warm.' 

Next was Sukuna. The boy was drowning in covers and tigers- why were Yuuji's tigers here? Grabbing them to move out of the way, he was taken aback by the sudden warmth coming out of them. 

'These... they're still warm?' Thinking Gojo had placed them here before leaving; he was surprised to feel how warm they still were. 

"O-Old man???"

"How do you feel?"

"...B-better." He did sound a little better, but his complexion still didn't look great. 

"You should eat a little." Helping him sit up, he handed him an onigiri sitting by his bedside table. 

Lazily eating the offered onigiri, Sukuna stared at the tiger surrounding his pillows. "What's with the tigers?" 

"Seems like you were cold. Gojo-san had put them around you before leaving."

"Wha- no he didn't."

"Hm?"

"The brat earlier put them on me."

"Yuuji-kun? But for these tigers, you need to heat them in the microwave-"

"YUUJI-KUN?! SENSEI IS BACK!!!" 

"Shut him up or kick him out..." Sukuna grumbled at the sudden voice in the house. Nanami sighed and handed Sukuna a bottle of water before heading downstairs. 

"How are you here, Gojo-senpai?"

"I promised Yuuji-kun, I'd be back." Grinning at his promise, Nanami raised a brow. 

"Won't you be in trouble-"

"That's my problem, now where is- Woah! What's with the water???" 

"I was hoping you'd explain the mess."

"I'm innocent! I left everything spotless before I left!" Holding out his hands in defense, Nanami stared at him, not believing him. "It's true!! I swear!!!" 

"If it wasn't you, then who-"

"Goyo-sensei...?" Yawning, Yuuji stood at the top of the stairs with Tora-san in hand.

"Yuuji-kun! Sensei is back as promised~!!" Smiling at the boy, Yuuji tiredly smiled back. 

"Ah, Nanamin! Welcome home!" 

"I'm home, Yuuji-kun."

"Ah... s-sorry Nanamin. I broke promise..."

"Hm?"

"... I-I used microwave, b-but Suki-nii was cold s-so I..." Fidgeting in his explanation, Nanami opened his mouth to speak, but Gojo ran upstairs to praise the boy for his efforts to only slip and fall down the stairs and in front of Nanami's feet.

"G-Goyo sensei!!!" Panicking, Yuuji ran downstairs but slipped like Gojo. Nanami was quick to catch the falling child. 

"Yuuji?! Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, b-but G-Goyo sensei-"

"He's fine, he'll live. 

Yuuji, didn't I say never run down the stairs?"

"I-I'm sorry..."

"... Yuuji, you could've gotten hurt. And you said you used the microwave after we asked you not to?" Speaking in a calm manner, Yuuji slowly nodded, scared. Nanami was speaking in his usual manner, but he knew that Nanami was upset with him.

"Yuuji, why do we have rules?"

"T-To help and n-not get hurt?"

"That's right. I am upset that you didn't listen."

"..."

"-But you did it with good intentions, that I will praise you for, but you could've gotten hurt, or something may have gone wrong."

"I-I'm sorry... I-I want to be big boy f-for nii-chans..."

"I should've brought you with me to work; it's mostly my fault for letting you stay home alone. It must've been hard, right?" 

"I-it was okay. I-I try to take care of nii-chans!"

Ah, so the water basin and the spillage were Yuuji. Well, it's hard to get mad at Yuuji for trying to be helpful...

"You did a good job, Yuuji-kun." Patting the boy's head, Yuuji beamed at the feeling and words.

"But. No dessert today for breaking the rules, alright?"

"O-Okay. Sorry, Nanamin." 

"N-Nanami-kun, c-can you help me up???"

"Shall we start on dinner? Porridge for your brothers and Katsudon for you."

"Yay!!" 

"Don't ignore me and leave me here-!!" 

Chapter Text

"Sbbeki-nii-!!!"

"Chew and swallow first, brat." 

"Yu-chan, finish chewing before talking." 

Sukuna wiped away the stray crumbs around Yuuji's mouth and took a sip of his coffee. Yuuji was in high spirits today, more than usual- wonder what it was? 

Swallowing, he repeated again with much enthusiasm. Where does this boy get his energy from so early in the morning every day? "Suki-nii!"

"Hm?" Humming in response as he sipped his coffee, Choso came back from the kitchen with a fresh cup and took a seat. 

"Suki-nii no pick me up today or tomorrow!!" 

Sukuna choked and spat out his coffee across the table as Choso stilled his movement allowing the words to marinate in his mind and let out a loud laugh. Putting the mug down, Choso continued to laugh whilst Sukuna tried recomposing himself. Did he hear that right? Yuuji was asking him not to pick him up today or tomorrow- has the world stopped spinning?! Was he growing a second pair of arms? What was this nonsense he was hearing????

"Hey, brat, did I hear something wrong? What did you say?" Grabbing Yuuji's head, Sukuna stared at the shy giggling boy. 

"Suki-nii, pleaseeeeee!!!"

"Looks like Yu-chan doesn't want to be with you anymore~" Choso teased; Sukuna's veins were popping in his forehead. "Yu-chan, shall your oldest brother pick you up?"

"No. No Cho-nii and Suki-nii. I want to walk alone!!" 

ALONE?!?!

~~

~~

"Bye-bye!!" Yuuji waved goodbye to his brothers as they waved back half-heartedly. "Don't pick me up today!!" 

They had managed to bargain that they wouldn't pick up Yuuji for today. Yuuji had pouted about not being able to be alone for two days, but he took it nonetheless. Sukuna tried to pry out why Yuuji wanted to walk alone, but the boy would only smile and shake his head. 

Watching Yuuji head inside, the two brothers glanced at one another and separated. 

'There's no way (I'm) going to let Yuuji walk home alone.' 

~~

~~

"What's gotten you in a rotten mood?" Maki raised her brow, seeing the annoyance radiating off of Sukuna. 

"He does look more... than usual, right?" Yuta chuckled, trying to figure out what's gotten his friend in such a foul mood so early in the morning. 

"Forehead." Toge pointed. 

"More veins are popping out of his forehead today. Might as well let your head explode." Maki chuckled, seeing another vein pop out from her comment. 

"Fight with Choso-san again?" 

"Headache?"

"Tsk... shut up." Sukuna grumbled, ignoring his friends. Staring outside, Sukuna tried to dig through his brain to wonder what made Yuuji want to go home alone. Did he say something that made Yuuji misunderstand? Maybe Choso was right- uck... the mere thought of thinking his brother was right made him want to vomit- Maybe Choso was- uck... right, his foul language might've struck Yuuji into misunderstanding or being hurt. 

"God fucking damnit..." Grumbling, Sukuna scratched the back of his head in annoyance as his friends watched.

"I think I can get his head to explode if I throw this at him."

"Maki..." 

"Explode."

"You guys..." 

~~

~~

"Choso...?" 

"What is the matter, my dear friend??" 

Choso was faced down on the table as Todo smacked his friend's back to try and get him to answer. Mai poked the depressed man- did something happen?

"Yu-chan... he's going through puberty already..." 

"Wha... He's still a kid. Did you hit your head, Choso?" Mai raised a brow at Choso's nonsensical words, but then again, this man was an idiot when it came to his precious baby brother.

"Yu-chan doesn't want Sukuna or me to pick him up after school."

"I told you, too much coddling will make Yuuji sick of you."

"Oh, little brother is sick of you? Perhaps I should step up as his brother." Mai's and Todo's words didn't help. 

"Maybe Yuuji-chan has a secret he doesn't want to tell you." Mai chuckled as Todo agreed- it seemed impossible, knowing Yuuji liked to tell his brothers everything that was on his mind almost all the time. 

"Oh! Maybe he has someone he likes and is embarrassed to tell you about." Mai laughed, imagining Yuuji bringing home a girl and Choso stood in shock. 

'A CRUSH?!'

"He's a goner..."

"He's an idiot."

~~

~~

"Bye-bye!" Bidding goodbye to everyone, sensei noticed Yuuji leaving, but his brother wasn't around. 

"Yuuji-kun. Is Nanami-san coming to pick you up today?" 

"No. I going home alone today!" 

"Alone...? Sukuna or Choso can't come today?"

"I told nii-chans not to come. I can go home alone today." Not liking the idea of Yuuji going home alone, she paused and saw Choso and Sukuna peeking from behind the gates. Ah. 

"Remember to look both ways and do not talk to strangers."

"Yes, sensei! I be careful!!" Smiling thankfully at his teacher, he said goodbye and ran off. 

Watching Yuuji run off, Choso and Sukuna followed after the youngest trying to keep a distance. Yuuji would get mad if he saw they were following him after he asked them not to come- practically begged. 

Following Yuuji and hiding behind, people passing by stared at the two brothers suspiciously- Sukuna glaring at them made them all run away. 

"You think you can glare any harder?" 

"Fuck off."

"I'm gonna slam your head into the wall one day..." The stress vein was pulsating again on Choso's forehead as Sukuna smirked, glaring at his brother as if saying, 'try it.' 

"Oh! Sei-chan!!" Hearing Yuuji happily call out a name, the two peeked out of their corner. Yuuji was picking up his pace and waving. 

Following the boy into the park, they hid behind the trees, but the lower half of their sight was obscured by the dense bushes in front. They could only see Yuuji's face and- was that a girl?!? 

"Yuuji-kun!! You came again!" The girl, Sei, smiled at Yuuji's arrival. She seemed around Yuuji's age, but she was a little taller than him; then again, most of the kids were all taller than Yuuji by a few inches. 

"Mmh! I missed you." 

MISSED?!? YUUJI MISSED HER?!?! HOW LONG DID THEY KNOW ONE ANOTHER?!

"Oh! Yuuji-kun, do you want cookies?! Nee-chan gave me extra!"

"I brought juice and milk!" The two looked at each other and giggled.

THEY'RE HAVING A MINI DATE!!!

Choso was balancing between how adorable this was and also being concerned that their youngest had found someone already. Their little cub was meeting someone- oh gosh, before you know it, he'll be in high school, not interacting with his brothers, and getting married! He'll be leaving!!

Whilst Choso was having a slight crisis for the future, Sukuna's brain was just malfunctioning. His little brat who said that he loved his brothers the most and never wanted to part from them... was he seeing things? 

"Hahahaha! Sei-chan, that tickles!! Stop!" 

"Yuuji-kun is ticklish!" 

"Aw, I wish I can bring Sei-chan home..."

"Me too..."

HOME?!?! 

Choso was not ready to give Yuuji away and Sukuna was still trying to process this in his head. 

"But... nii-chans will be angry if I bring Sei-chan home..."

"It's okay, we can just meet like this again tomorrow before I have to go back."

"Already?"

"Sorry, Yuuji-kun. I had a lot of fun with you."

THIS GIRL WAS BREAKING UP WITH YUUJI?! WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS TO BREAK UP WITH HIM-

"Me too."

"Luna!!"

"Ah, nee-chan!"

Luna??? Wait who's Luna? Wasn't that girl's name Sei?

"Oh, you must be Yuuji-kun. Nice to meet you, thank you for being friends with Luna." A taller girl with a soft smile stood behind Luna as Yuuji smiled back.

"Luna, we need to go back now. You still have a lot to pack."

"Nee-chan, can we please take Sei-chan??? Please~???" 

"Luna, you know how dad thinks about cats..."

"But look at her!!" 

Meow~

A cat...??? Choso and Sukuna felt their brain pause for a moment when a pair of ears and an orange head came into view. 

"IT WAS A FUCKING CAT?!" Sukuna unconsciously yelled out as he stood up in disbelief. He and Choso had thought something completely different. 

Startled by Sukuna's sudden appearance and scream, the two girls jolted as Yuuji let out a small gasp. "Suki-nii?"

"Ah...."

"Idiot. We're here, Yu-chan." Choso got up and smiled waving to the now-pouting boy. 

"Why did nii-chans follow me-!!!" Yuuji knew why but he still didn't like it. 

"Sorry, Yu-chan. We were worried."

"O-Oh, Yuuji-kun. Your nii-chans?" 

"We're sorry to have scared you." Choso apologizes as Sukuna picks Yuuji up and tries to coax the pouting boy to smile. 

"It's quite alright, I understand."

"Nee-chan~" Luna was holding Sei-chan in her hands and pleading to her sister with her best puppy dog eyes. Her older sister was beginning to waver. 

"Ah! Suki-nii-"

"No, brat. Not with your condition. Not taking any chances. This is risky enough, you touching that cra- cat." Sukuna was firm with his words and Yuuji pouted all the more. 

"Cho-nii-"

"Sorry, Yu-chan. But pets are a no, we can't have your condition get worse."

Yuuji couldn't get mad at his brothers for caring about him, but he still liked that answer no- the pout stayed. 

"Well... I mean dad isn't opposed to cats. He just doesn't know how to act toward them... 

Mom did say she was thinking about adopting a cat..." 

Meow~

Those eyes from Luna and Sei, oh gosh. "ugh.... alright, let's take her. I doubt dad will kick her out once we bring her in." 

Luna looked up at Yuuji and the two grinned in victory. "Sei-chan, how good for you!" Yuuji called out to the purring kitty in Luna's arms. 

~~

~~

Saying goodbye to his friends, Yuuji was taken home with Choso apologizing that they can't take the cat home with them. Sukuna butted his head against Yuuji's trying to cheer up the silent boy. 

"We can't have pets, but I'll buy you another Tora if you want."

"Pudding."

"Hm?"

"Pudding then I forgive nii-chans." 

"Ah." Having arrived home, they set Yuuji inside the living room and saw Nanami getting comfortable. 

"Nanamin! Welcome home!!!" Running to the man, he softly smiled at the boy and said hello to the other two. Choso and Sukuna nodded back in unison before glancing at one another and making a run for it out the door. Yelling back that they'll be back, Nanami stood with Yuuji in his arms with a huff.

"What are they up to now...?"

"Pudding. Nii-chans get pudding."

"Oh, what good timing. I brought back Hokkaido pudding for you." Pointing to the few jars on the table, Yuuji's eyes sparkled.

"Pudding!!!" 

"Oh, Ichiji got you these cookies too. Cat cookies." 

"Kiyo-san and Nanamin is the best!!!" Nanami smiled as he held out a spoon to Yuuji. 

"Eat slowly."

"Yes! Nanamin, eat too!"

"Mmmh. I guess I will." Grabbing a spoon for himself, the two happily dug in. 

(Side Note): 

Meanwhile in the grocery store and convenience store...

Choso and Sukuna had gone to the grocery store first but found nothing nor the brand Yuuji liked. Practically fighting to get through the automatic doors of the convenience store, they stumbled in and yelled at the cashier asking where they kept their puddings. Nervously pointing to the aisle, they ran to either side to meet in the middle and see one lone pudding sitting on the shelf. 

Reaching to grab said pudding, a man passing by grabbed the pudding and walked to the cashier. Paying for the pudding, he walked out and the cashier froze in fear when he saw the two looming men on the other side of the counter.

"WE NEED PUDDING."

"YOU HAVE MORE IN STOCK-RIGHT?"

Nodding, he scrambled to go to the back and grab more whilst in tears. 

'Those scary guys really love pudding-!! QxQ'

"JUST BRING THE WHOLE TRAY!!!" 

"BRING THE ENTIRE TRAY."

"Y-YES SIRS-!!!" 

Chapter Text

"-rolling thunders with heavy rain tonight. The winds will be picking up-"

"Yuuji-kun, it's time for bed." 

The television was turned off as a pair of arms pulled the drowsy boy from the couch. Pulling up the fallen tiger plush on the couch, Yuuji was carried out of the living room. 

Glancing back, Nanami looked at the rooms before turning off the light and closing the door. Walking out through the dark hallway, he made his way up the stairs to hear the distant rumbling of the thunderclouds. Good thing he had brought in the hanging laundry earlier; the boys had forgotten amid their packing and worry of leaving Yuuji for a few days. 

The older Itadori brothers were out of the house for a couple of days- Sukuna had gone on a school trip to Osaka, and Choso had gone down to Kyoto with his friends for a school project they had. Sukuna had argued that he could go down to Osaka anytime he wished in the future, as Choso said that the project wasn't all that important. Nanami refuted saying it'd be good for them to go out and have fun, be kids and let go of their responsibility on Yuuji for a few days. 

Begrudgingly, they complied and tearfully said farewell to Yuuji, who, compared to the older boys, took their farewell in good spirits. That made them all the more upset that Yuuji was happily saying goodbye to them. 

"Yu-chan, make sure to eat your meals well and don't forget to brush your teeth. Don't worry; nii-chan will call you every night." Hugging the boy as he spoke sadly, Yuuji giggled and patted his older brother's head. 

"I be okay; Nanamin is with me. Cho-nii and Suki-nii, have fun!!" 

"Yu-channnn~

Nii-chan will bring back lots of souvenirs, especially snacks." Squeezing the boy tighter, Sukuna rolled his eyes and glanced down at his phone to see the time. 

"We gotta go. Now move so I can hug the brat." Sukuna's foot was tapping the floor in annoyance. Choso only hugged Yuuji tighter, making the boy giggle again. 

Clicking his tongue, he roughly pulled on the back of Choso's jacket. Falling onto the ground with a small 'ompfh', Sukuna held out his arms to Yuuji. 

"Call me before you go to sleep every night and eat your vegetables." 

"Hehehehe, Suki-nii worry too much." Reaching his grumbling older brother, Yuuji smiled. 

"Ughhhhh.... fuck. I don't want to leave." Crouching down, he wrapped his arms around the smiling boy and groaned.

"Suki-nii said bad word." It was at this point, Yuuji only sighed whenever Sukuna cursed around him. Choso had given up on the boy's foul language and only sighed while Nanami would remind him every once in a while with a glare or say his name in warning. 

"You two are going to be late catching your train. Your friends will be waiting." Glancing down at his watch, Nanami realized they were cutting it close- one must always be 5-10 minutes early before the designated time. 

Grabbing their bags, Nanami pulled Yuuji into his arms and saw the two older boys off. Yuuji waved and smiled at his brothers, who kept looking back as they walked to the station. Once they were out of sight, Nanami suggested they have snack time- Yuuji was more than happy to agree. 

~~

~~

"hmm... not receiving my calls." 

Hanging up again, Choso tried for Nanami's number but it was the same result as his last two tries. Unlike Nanami's number, their home number didn't even dial through- was it just a bad connection tonight?? 

"They're probably just busy or getting ready for bed. You shouldn't worry so much." Mai tries to calm Choso, his brows were furrowing deeper the more his calls weren't answered. 

"Or probably they are talking with your younger brother." Todo said.

"Tsk. I want to talk to Yu-chan too..." 

Mai and Todo glanced at one another and just chuckled- how is this boy going to survive the day Yuuji decides to leave their arms and into the world? Choso is most likely going to have a meltdown while Sukuna refuses to let Yuuji go. 

"Oh, I did hear that there was a storm passing by tonight in Tokyo. Maybe that's your reason?" Mai remembered glancing at the weather on TV before she left her house. 

Choso's expression didn't get any better when he heard that new piece of information. If anything, it made his mood sour even more- storms were... not easy for Yuuji. 

Trying again, he ended the call when he had gotten a message from Nanami. 

New Message- Nanami-san

(It's difficult to answer calls right now. The weather isn't providing good connection. 

Don't worry about Yuuji. 

Let Sukuna know and make sure to check up on him once or twice.

Have a good time and be careful.)

Well... If Nanami said Yuuji was fine, he'll trust the man. Even if he wanted to hear those words directly from Yuuji, himself. Sighing, he began texting Sukuna. 

Sent- Angry Chihuahua

~~

~~

"Sukuna, he's fine. Yuuji is with Nanami-san."

Sukuna's brows furrowed as he continued to stare at his phone screen; Yuta shook his head as he laughed. Sukuna had been checking his phone for the past half an hour, mumbling about it being time for bed. 

"Is he still staring at his phone?" Maki took a seat with Toge. Yuta chuckled, nodding, "You coddling Yuuji will make him want to run away from you in the future, you idiot."

"Worry about your brat." Sukuna snarled.

"Bed?" Toge asked, and Sukuna gave the boy a curt nod in response. 

"Give the boy a break, he's gonna get tired of you." Rolling her eyes at Sukuna, the boy didn't bother responding to her words but continued to stare at the blank screen scowling and clicking his tongue every few seconds. 

"It's time for dinner, everyone!" Called out of their rooms, everyone began going out as Yuta and Toge ushered Sukuna to follow. Sighing, he put down his phone and plugged it in to charge. 

"He'll call. For now, let's go eat-!" Yuta grinned as he and Toge pushed the grouchy boy out the door with Maki behind them chuckling. 

Ding! 

1 unread message-

SHITHEAD

(Nanami-san texted me saying that Yu-chan won't be able to call us. Service isn't good over there because of the storm passing. Don't call, you won't get through anyway.

Not that I need to remind you but don't cause trouble and be careful not to bring trouble home.

Have fun.)

~~

~~

The storm outside was beginning to grow worse as the wind was picking up speed as the rain was pouring down harder with every passing minute. Nanami's lips thinned to a line as he tucked in Yuuji and checked the windows once more around Yuuji's room. 

'I don't think Yuuji will be able to sleep tonight...' 

"Nanamin...? No story?" 

Pulling the curtains close, Nanami turned to the drowsy boy and smiled. "Only if you're too tired."

"N-No!" Widening his eyes a little despite his sleepiness, he shook his head. Bedtime stories with Nanamin were always a must!!

As Nanami was getting his storybook, Yuuji remembered they had gone away for a few days. "Nanamin, nii-chans don't call? They promised..."

"Ah, Yuuji-kun, it might be hard for them to call."

"Why?" A little disappointed, Nanami took a seat on Yuuji's bed. 

"There's a very bad storm today so the signal is quite weak. Choso and Sukuna won't be able to hear us clearly. But you can call them tomorrow morning, the storm should be gone by then."

"Okay. I can call in the morning?" 

"I'll make sure you can call them as soon as you wake up."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"You can send them a text message." Pulling out his phone, he opened the group text and gave free rein to Yuuji to text his brothers. Taking his time, Yuuji slowly wrote out the letters and sent the message smiling. 

Taking the phone from Yuuji, Nanami set it aside and opened the book. "Ready?"

"Yes-!" 

~~

~~

"The fuck...?" 

Sukuna didn't like the text he had gotten from Choso. What the hell did he mean the brat wasn't going to call? Why can't he call the brat? And- uck... why did he send those last two sentences, being all worried. The old man must've asked him to do it- still... uck, stop with the sincerity. Ew.

Why would he not call because of a storm- no, if anything that was all the more reason Yuuji had to call him. Yuuji was scared of storms, and thunderstorms even more. 

Pressing the call icon to call Nanami's speed dial, another message popped into his notifications. Ending the call, he checked the new message- it was the group text that Nanami made. 

Ding!

New Message- Old Man

(Cho-nii! Suki-nii!! You can't heer us so Nanamin say I can messege. Good knight!! I call nii-chans in the morning-!!

I love nii-chans.

-Yuuji :) )

Sukuna looked down as the phone in his hand shook. Breathing out a deep sigh, he looked back at the screen with a smile. This damn adorable brat. Hiding his smile under his hand, he re-read the message; Yuuji was just such a cute-

Ding!

Oh, another message, must be from Yu- ugh... it was from Choso.

New Message- SHITHEAD

(Yu-chan, thank you for the message! Good night and your favorite older brother will give you the biggest hug when I get home. Miss you lots!! Good night!

Night to you too, shithead.)

Sukuna felt a vein pop in his head, he called him a shithead-?!? And no way in hell was he gonna let that dumpling head weirdo hug Yuuji first when they get back home. He got to hug him before they left, it was his turn when they got home!! Furiously tapping on the screen, he hit send and scowled at the screen- that fucker-

Message sent- 

(If you get scared or lonely, just call me or the dumpling idiot. No matter what time it is, okay brat? A shitty storm won't stop me from picking up the phone, okay? Good night.

Fuck you too, shithead.)

Ding!

New Message- Old Man 

(Cho-nii!! Suki-nii!! Please buy deelishouss stuff!! I give lots of hugss!!)

"Ah, I found you-" The door slid open revealing Yuta with a towel in hand. "You disappeared after dinner."

"Bath." Toge popped out behind Yuta with a towel on his head. "Sukuna?"

"You aright, Sukuna?" The boy was eerily quiet and not moving as he stared at his phone. "Sukuna-?"

"Yuta. Toge. We're going shopping tomorrow."

"Eh?"

No way in hell was that shithead going to buy better things than him for the brat. Yuuji will be smiling non-stop and begging him for hugs. He's gonna make sure to make Choso feel like shit when Yuuji hugs him instead of that Choso. Yes, he can see it already. Darkly smiling at his future victory, Yuta and Toge glanced at one another in worry.

"Tired? Crazy?" 

"Let's just get him into the bath..." 

~~

~~

Yuuji had fallen asleep even with the storm outside, it wasn't even the worst of it yet, but the storm was quite loud. Perhaps Nanami was worried for nothing. Brushing away the stray hairs on his forehead, Nanami re-tucked Yuuji and left his room shutting off the lights. 

'I should look over those documents.' 

An hour later in the living room with a mug in one hand and papers in the other, Nanami let out a sigh when he heard the first strike of thunder and the rain poured heavily against the house. 

Glancing up, Nanami wondered if he should go check up on Yuuji. He may have fallen asleep earlier but that thunderclap was quite loud.

'SCARY!!! SCARYYY OUTSIDE!! SCARY!!'

Choso and Sukuna were trying to calm down their frightened little brother as the weather outside continued. Every new clap of thunder would make Yuuji cry louder and latch onto one of his brother's shirts. 

"It's okay, Yu-chan. Your brother is here for you. Everything is alright."

"N-Nii-chan-AHHHH!!!!!!!" 

Another strike of thunder and Yuuji was burying himself under Sukuna's hoodie. Wailing louder from the fear, Sukuna pulled Yuuji out of his hoodie to take it off, swaddle the boy and hold him in his arms trying to ease his fear. 

"It's okay, we're here, it's nothing scary..." Patting his back, Yuuji continued to cry as he tried to bury his face further into the crook of Sukuna's neck. 

Nanami had come home to see the boys trying to calm Yuuji in their arms, taking turns as they tried to drown out the storm with their father's old jazz vinyl records. 

"Nanamin...?" 

"Yuuji-kun." Setting everything down on the coffee table, he walked over to the dozing boy by the door. Holding out his arms, Yuuji clumsily latched himself onto Nanami. 

"Did the storm scare you?" 

"A little... but I not so scared. I big boy, hallway was scary but its okay. Nanamin is here."

"That's right, Yuuji-kun. I'm here, there's nothing to be afraid of. You were such a brave boy. I'm proud of you." 

Patting the boy's back for his brave efforts, Yuuji lazily smiled and hugged Nanami tighter. Nanami rested his cheek against Yuuji's head and smiled. 

"But... I drop Tora-san. Lightning scared me..."

"We'll have to go rescue him." 

"Nanamin no sleep?"

"I will, but Yuuji-kun needs to sleep more than me." 

"Mmh...uh... mhm..." 

"Yuuji-kun?"

"C-Can I sleep with Nanamin? I-I big boy b-but... little scary..."

Tigthening his arms around Nanami's neck, Nanami let out a small chuckle. Patting the boy's back, he readjusted the boy in his arms. "I think it's past both our bedtime. Let's go to bed."

"Mmh."

Putting Yuuji down on the bed, Nanami went into the bathroom to wash up and change. Yuuji sat in the middle of the bed with Tora-san in his arms just waiting for Nanami to return. Every now and then when the thunder struck, Yuuji flinched and held Tora-sa tighter. Feeling at his limit, tears were brimming at the edge as he tried to fall deeper into the pillows behind him. 

It's okay. Nanamin is with me. Nanamin make the scary go away. Nii-chans are not here but he has Nanamin, that was enough. He was a big boy. He grew an inch just last week, that shows that he is growing into a big boy! He can wait a little longer for Nanamin- the thunder is not so scary because he isn't alone- AH!! THAT WAS LOUD!!! NANAMIN-

"Yuuji." 

Nanami was hugging him, when did he come back? Looking up, Nanami was showing Yuuji a gentle smile. It was warm... Oh? Yuuji felt his grasp around Tora-san ease up and he wasn't shaking anymore. He wasn't so scared anymore- hugs really do work!

"There's nothing to be scared of Yuuji. I'm here for you."

"Mmh. Nanamin is the best." Smiling back, he snuggled into the man's chest as they laid down and got comfortable. 

"Should we go out to eat tomorrow?"

"Nanamin not busy?"

"You have me everyday until your brothers come back. Don't worry, I finished early so I can spend time with Yuuji-kun."

"R-Really? I can be with Nanamin until nii-chans come back?!" That was such a rarity! Nanamin was always busy so he never stayed too long, even if he did stay for a month, it was hard to see him. He was always in his study or on call. 

"Are you that happy?" Chuckling at the boy's apparent happiness, Yuuji smile grew wider.

"Yes!! O-Oh then can we go to park?"

"We can go after eating."

"A-And! I also want to go to uhm-uhm- fishy!!"

"Fishy? Oh-" Swallowing a laugh, he cleared his throat. "Aquarium?"

"Yeah! That! Suki-nii said I can see lots of fish!!"

"Hm, then we'll have to go to the zoo, too. You can see tigers like Tora-san." 

"T-Tigers!!" 

"I think i heard there being tiger cubs-"

"TIGERS." Yuuji's eyes were sparkling with excitement, Nanami couldn't hold back a small laugh. 

The two continued to talk about possibilities about what they can do and go for the next few days. Before you know it, they had fallen asleep and the storm was slowly passing. 

~~

~~

(A week later)

"Yu-chan!! I'M BACK!!" 

"Brat! I'm bac- move it fucker!!" 

Practically tossing their luggage and souveinors to the side, they ran inside to expect Yuuji running out to greet them but the house was empty. Were they out? The two Itadori brothers looked at one another and sighed in annoyance- they had hastily said goodbye to everyone and ran into each other out of the station resulting to their little race home. They were back a few hours earlier than expected. 

"Tsk."

"Guess I'll unpack." Choso sighed as he grabbed his luggage and Sukuna followed. 

Halfway through their unpacking, they heard a familiar little voice downstairs. "Oh! Nanamin, Suki-nii bag! Suki-nii?! Cho-nii?!" 

The two didn't hesitate to speed out of their rooms and down the stairs. The very missed little pink haired tiger beamed at their appearance and held out his arms to them. 

"Welcome home!!" Grabbing their hands, he smiled but the smiled dropped. 

"What's wrong Yu-chan?" 

"Brat?"

"...mhmm I want to hug nii-chans but can't hug both." 

Choso and Sukuna's hearts exploded from the cuteness. 

"Ah fuck I can compromise this once."

"How humble of you muscle brain..." 

"Hah-?!" 

"Cho-nii!! Suki-nii!! Welcome hug!!!" 

Ah fuck it, he can deal with a little unwanted touching for this brat. With their little group hug, Yuuji welcomed them back home. The two older boys looked up to see Nanami smiling- god this was embarrassing. Shoving down their embarrassment, they shyly told Nanami that they were home. 

"Welcome home, nice to see you guys are getting along." 

"Was he-?" Sukuna didn't finish the sentence, Nanami knew what he meant.

"He was just fine."

"Nanamin was with me, I was big boy!" 

Chapter Text

Choso and Sukuna always... bickered. 

They would fight almost every second they were in each other's presence but there was one time the two would actually tolerate and not take any jabs at one another more than usual. It was precisely once a month when they gathered in the living room with items in hand. 

Nail clippers

Nail filer 

Base Coat & Top Coat 

Black Nail Polish

When they did their nails. 

Now. It might sound utterly ridiculous to hear them do such a thing, but they took extremely good care of their hands- especially their nails. Why? That's an obvious answer. Because Yuuji said black nail polish looks so good on them. 

It started about two years ago when Choso and Sukuna's friends had come over to visit. Mai and Maki hadn't finished their manicures at home so they finished it up at the Itadori's home. Yuta had praised their beautiful polish and the girls thanked the boy for such sweet praise. Mai had gone with olive with white line patterns while Maki used an emerald green with silver tips. 

"That was fast, you guys made it look so easy." Yuta stared at the artwork and the girls smiled. 

"Practice makes perfect." Maki said as Mai blew on her nails with a grin that just read- i know. 

"Do you want to try, Yuta?" Mai asked and Yuta chuckled saying he was fine. "At least let me file your nails and add some cuticle oil. You have such nice nails, it'd be a waste not to perfect them." 

Chuckling at the compliment, he let the older twin do as she pleased while Maki stared at the other boys. Sukuna raised a brow as if saying what and Maki grabbed Sukuna's hand without warning. 

"The fuck?"

"Hmm... Guess black would be best."

"Hah?" 

"Come on, I'm gonna give you a mani."

"Fuck off. Why would I want such a girly thing on me?" 

"Oh don't be such a baby. Lots of guys get manicures, your manliness won't be destroyed for doing such a thing. Now come on." Pulling the grumpy man next to Yuta, Sukuna begrudgingly let Maki do as she pleased. Not that he has a choice, else he be getting a hard smack to the back of the head from her- the shitty woman.

After Mai finished with Yuta, he thanked her for the little treatment and went to grab a drink from the kitchen. Mai looked behind and saw Maki was concentrating on Sukuna's hands. Oh, she was right, he does have nice hands. Who would've thought the brute who used his hands to answer questions had such nice hands- the lucky bastard...

Looking over Maki's head, she stared at Choso. His head was looking away and talking to the other guys but felt a slight shudder go down his spine as he turned around to see Mai staring at him. 

As if understanding what her stare meant, he walked over and asked what was up. She held out her hand and he confusingly held out his. Grabbing the offered hand, she inspected his nails and was surprised to see them nicely clipped, filed, and healthy cuticles.

"You do them on your own?" 

"Every once in a while. Is it that surprising?" 

"No, not really. Ever think about doing polish?"

"Sounds like a hassle."

"Pretty sure it'd look good on you." Holding out another bottle of black nail polish, he sighed. Sure, why not. Not like he'll die from it, if he didn't like it, he can always ask her to erase it. He wasn't a drama queen like Sukuna. 

Eventually, all the boys had gotten their nails done and the twins were more than happy with their handiwork. Sukuna had even gotten a pedicure and he was grumbling about how silly he looked. 

"Cho-nii!! Suki-nii!! I back!!" 

"We're in here, brat!" Sukuna wasn't allowed to move, the polish was still drying. Maki had hit him earlier for moving and making the polish smudge under his palm. Having to redo her work earned Sukuna a punch to his ribs. He let out a wheeze and suffered from the blow while cursing Maki. How the hell was she so strong? 

"Hello, Yuuji/ -kun/ -chan/ brother!!" 

Greeting everyone, Yuuji ran over to his brother last with a big smile. Not seeing his brother open their arms like usual, the twins told Yuuji would have to wait for a little due to the nail polish. 

"Nail powish?" 

Mai hugged the boy and cooed, he was such an adorable thing-! "Mai-nee, you're suffocating him..." 

"Oh, sorry Yuuji-chan. You are just so cute-!!" Squishing his cheeks, Yuuji shyly smiled and complimented how pretty Mai is too. Mai hugged Yuuji again with happy tears. 

Letting Yuuji go, the boy giggled at Mai's silliness. Choso checked his nails and was glad it was all dry. Unlike Sukuna, he sat still- "How was school Yu-"

"Wowwww~!!" Yuuji's eyes widened as he stared at Choso's hands. Hm??

"Yu-chan?" 

"Cho-nii, do color like Mai and Maki-nee?"

"Sukuna did too." Choso smiled as Yuuji turned his attention to the still grumbling man, Sukuna still thought this was ridiculous.

"Cho-nii and Suki-nii look so good in powish!!" 

"..."

"..."

"Oi four-eyes."

"You want another smack to the hea-"

"Give me the bottle."

"....What?"

"Mai, mind if I keep the black nail polish?" Choso asked. She was more than happy to give it to him with a chuckle. The Itadori older brothers were such idiots for Yuuji. 

"Yuuji-chan, don't you think another color would look good on them?" Mai asked as she held out the few colors she had in her pouch. Yuuji stared and hummed as he thought seriously about the colors. They were pretty but looking at the colors and his brothers, he shook his head. 

"Cho-nii and Suki-nii look best in that. Match their drawings!" Everyone roared into laughter when Yuuji mentioned the boys' tattoos. He was so precious. 

~~

~~

"Pick up another bottle when you come home tomorrow. I'm gonna be home late." 

They were running low on black nail polish. 

"Yeah, alright. Get me manju when you come home."

"Fine. Red bean? Oh wait, I think she has sweet potato this month."

"Both."

"I'll try. You know how popular that shop is around this time of the year."

"Just get what you can."

"Alright."

Working in silence for the next few minutes, they closed off the caps on the polish and leaned against the couch letting their manicures dry. Waiting for it to dry, the boys continued talking until their nails dried, and just in time when Yuuji came downstairs with Nanami. He had woken up from his nap.

"Nii...morning..." Yawning, Nanami set Yuuji in between Choso and Sukuna. 

"Morning Yu-chan, sleep well?"

"mmh..." 

"You're still not awake, brat. You slept longer than usual. And it's afternoon, idiot." Lightly flicking the boy's forehead, Yuuji pouted and yawned again.

"Mmh... was sleepy." Rubbing his eyes, he rubbed Tora-san's eyes saying good morning. "Oh, nii-chans doing polish again?" 

"Looks like you can say the word properly now." Sukuna ruffled Yuuji's head as he whined. 

"Suki-nii!!!" 

"Coffee?" Nanami asked from the kitchen as the boys yelled out yes in unison. 

"Nii-chans?"

"Hm??"

"Can I do polish too?" Checking their nails, they both held out their hands to Yuuji. 

"This color okay?" Choso asked.

"Not much choice, it's the only color we got." 

"I match with nii-chans!" 

Those two might not ever say it out loud but their once-a-month routine of re-doing their manicure is actually more of an excuse for 'brotherly bonding' and they actually enjoy the small moment. Don't tell them that though. Sukuna might actually beat you to a pulp... (probably from embarrassment or annoyance that you pointed it out). Nanami doesn't say anything but smile when he passes by and sees their once-a-month moment. The last time he made eye contact with Sukuna and Choso, their cheeks grew slightly red, and told Nanami to go away. 

Nanami left chuckling. 

Chapter Text

Today was February 14th. Valentine's Day. 

For the Itadori household, it was a normal day as always- Sukuna woke up Yuuji, helped him get ready for the day, and brought him down for breakfast as Choso was setting the table. They had all eaten breakfast, left the house and the older boys dropped off Yuuji before separating to go to school.

Normal. The same routine. 

~~

~~

The first thing Sukuna saw when he went into his classroom was his table was piled with gifts, Yuta was putting them into bags and Maki was observing the gifts with a raised brow. 

"The fuck is this?"

"Chocolates." Maki threw a box at Sukuna, catching the box with ease. It was his turn to raise a brow with a frown. 

"Why?"

"Are you stupid?" The vein was threatening to burst out of Sukuna's forehead. Clicking his tongue, he glanced back at the box again and saw a heart post-it note stuck on the box. 

Happy Valentines Day Sukuna-senpai!! 

Sukuna felt a shudder go down his spine as he snarled at the box. What the fuck was this? 

"Valentine's chocolate."

"There, I put them all away." Dropping the last box into the filled bag, Yuta proudly smiled at his hard work as he set it by Sukuna's desk on the floor. 

"Tsk, I don't need this. You can have 'em, Yuta."

"You sure about that?? It's a lot..." Sukuna clicked his tongue as he grabbed a box and opened it. Chocolate truffles seem like it was homemade. Maki took one and popped it into her mouth. 

"Holy crap, it's good." Shoving the box to her, he stared at the rest of the boxes- this is such a hassle. He didn't even like sweets.

"Tsk. I don't see the big deal about such a day like this. If you like someone then go up to the person and say you like them. Why the fuck would you dance around like fucking idiots mumbling incoherent shit." 

"Wow. And tell me who is your significant other?" 

"It's an annoying day." 

"It's always an annoying day for you." 

"Even more than usual."

"Hm~ I think I know why you're acting like such a prissy drama queen ~" Maki chuckled handing a truffle to Yuta, happily taking the offered treat. "Did Yuuji not give his beloved onii-chans any valentines today~??"

"....Fuck off."

"AHAHAHAHAHAAHA-!!!!!" Laughing out loud obnoxiously, Yuta sighed at Maki's teasing laughter. The vein on Sukuna's forehead was growing again. Makin continued to laugh for a minute as the other classmates stared at the trio oddly and worried. Would they have to leave the classroom again when Sukuna and Maki begin to fight...? 

"Seriously?! You didn't get anything from Yuuji? AHAHAHAHAHHAAAA-!!!" Cackling away as Yuta patted Sukuna's shoulder in sentiment. 

"I'm sure Yuuji-kun will give you something when you pick him up later today."

Sighing, Sukuna rolled his eyes as he brushed off Yuta's hand. "I don't care. Pretty sure the Pipsqueak doesn't even know what day it is."

"-AHAHAHAA. Y-Yeah, sure. Keep up the optimism. Unlike you, Nobara gave me chocolate cookies~!!" Laughing again like an obnoxious queen, she showed off her prized chocolate cookies and Sukuna's vein popped. 

Maki and Sukuna had begun to throw chocolate boxes at one another. Yuta sighed and went to grab the broom unfazed whilst the rest of the class moved away from the chaos and resumed their small talk. It was gonna be a long day...

"Here, Choso." 

Taking the offered small box, Choso looked up at Mai confused. "What's this?"

"Chocolate. Obviously.

I'm not confessing or anything, I gave a box to Todo."

"Am I missing something???" He still wasn't following. He was thankful for the chocolate but why???

"... Wha-? Are you serious? I would've thought out of all of us, you and that brat of a brother would be so excited to get chocolate from Yuuji-chan. It's Valentine's day."

"Oh- today?!"

"You hit your head or something?"

"I completely forgot..." Sulking onto the table, Mai chuckled and patted his head in comfort. Choso had been busy with the past few days with more work piling up on them. Their professor loved to give out a crap load of work to do too often. It was a miracle Choso hadn't withered away from his school work and taking care of things at home. 

"Nobara-chan give you a Valentine's gift?" Proudly showing off her chocolate heart cookies with messy icing, Choso felt a small storm of sadness pour over him. 

"Cheer up, I'm sure he'll give you something by the end of the day... surely..." 

"CHOSO!! I brought you chocolate, accept my brotherly love!!" Slamming the door open, Todo grinned and held up the box of chocolate along with two bags in hand- it looked like his fans had asked him to pass it along. "What's with the horrible mood??" 

"Todo... shut up."

"What did our smallest brother give you for today?" The storm over Choso's head got gloomier. Wallowing in his misery, Mai smacked Todo's shoulder.

"????"

~~~

~~~

~~~

"Y-Yu-chan!" 

"Junpei!! Morning!!" Beaming brightly at his friend, the boy flushed at the bright smile. Shyly pulling out the bag behind his back, he handed Yuuji the bag of cookies. 

"F-For you."

"For me? Yayyy!! Cookies!! Thank you, Junpei." Happily shaking both his hands, Junpei shyly smiled back. He was so happy to see Yuuji happy with his gift. 

"Ah! Junpei!! No fair, we said together!!" Nobara had come running with a bag of cookies in her hand, Megumi wasn't far behind. 

"S-Sorry, I wanted to give Yuuji first..." 

"Boo... but I forgive you I guess, here." Shoving the bag of cookies to Junpei, he thanked Nobara and handed her a heart lollypop in return. "Here, Yuuji!" Shoving a slightly bigger bag to the boy, Yuuji's eyes beamed with happiness.

"Wahhh-!! Thanks, Nobara." Acting unfazed by Yuuji's smile, Megumi walked up and held out a wrapped box. 

"For you."

"Megumi, too?? Yayyy!! Thank you!! You guys are best!!" Megumi smiled back and held out smaller boxes to Junpei and Nobara.

"Hmpf, it's small!! Smaller than Yuuji's!"

"Yeah." Looking at Nobara as if it'd be obvious, Nobara's face curled in annoyance, and shoved the small bag of cookies to Megumi. 

"Be thankful I gave you anything at all."

"...Mmh, thanks." 

"BE MORE GRATEFUL!!!"

"Here, Junpei." Handing the same gift as Nobara's to Junpei, the boy thanked Megumi. 

"DON'T IGNORE ME YOU FART!!"

"T-Thank you M-megumi. Here!" With that, all three had exchanged sweets. 

"But-" Yuuji had begun munching on his cookies, "-why so many gifts today?" His friend stared at him in disbelief. 

"Love day!" Nobara exclaimed pointing at the calendar hanging on the wall, Yuuji had stopped munching and stared at his friends. Around the number 14, a pink heart was drawn. 

"!!!!!" HE FORGOT TO GIVE HIS ONII-CHANS LOVE-LOVE DAY GIFT!!! He didn't make anything at all!!!

"You forgot??"

"W-What do I do??! N-Nii-chans be sad!! I-I forgot for you guys too-!!" Feeling guilty, he felt tears brimming. 

"I-it's okay!! I-I don't need chocolate, Yuuji! It's okay! I give cuz I want to!!" Junpei tried to cheer up his friend as Megumi nodded and patted Yuuji's head to calm him down.

"B-But... I-I want to, too..." 

"No cry!!" Nobara held out a tissue and wiped Yuuji's tears, "We go to my house!!"

"Nobara's house???"

"Yeah!! We make cookies together!! Then you give us gifts and Choso-san!"

"Suki-nii too-"

"No bad man."

"But Suki-nii-"

"BAD MAN GET COAL!" Megumi nodded and Junpei whispered, "I help save for your nii-chans." 

Junpei was the best.

"Someone is popular~"

"Shut up. You're the same." Sukuna and Choso had met as they were walking home from school, both hands were occupied with a bag full of gifts from classmates. 

"At least we'll have an abundance of sweets for the time being for Yu-chan."

"Don't let him eat so much, he'll get cavities." Choso held back a chuckle at Sukuna's words, looking at him being so responsible for Yuuji's oral hygiene. 

"I'll make nikujaga tonight."

"We need carrots and potatoes." Arriving at the nursery, the two brothers greeted the teacher waiting outside to greet the arriving parents; Choso being more cordial than Sukuna. 

"Yuuji-kun!! Your brothers are here for you!!" Expecting their little tiger to come running to them, they didn't expect Yuuji to scream- 

"NO. I GO NOBARA!!!"

Choso and Sukuna stood in shock as Yuuji refused to look at them and hid behind Nobara. She looked somewhat smug about Yuuji not wanting to go home with his brothers. 

"Wha-"

"Y-Yu-chan?? Come on, let's go home, hmm? Nii-chan brought you a lot of chocolate! You love chocolate!!"

"Hey brat, come on. I'll let you eat three pieces of chocolate before dinner." Trying to coax their baby tiger out behind Nobara, Yuuji did seem somewhat tempted but he stood his ground and hid behind Nobara again. 

"I-I-

I not go home!!! I go with Nobara!! Megumi and Junpei come, too!!" 

Thunder might as well have struck them. Yuuji refused to go home and rather stay with his friends. Why was he acting this way? Was he mad? Did they do something wrong? Wha- oh. It was Valentine's Day and they hadn't given Yuuji chocolate as they did last year. Was he that upset because they forgot? 

"Yu-chan, I'm sorry nii-chan forgot, I'll make you chocolate if you don't want to have these chocolates instead." 

"Come on, brat, it's not like we forgot on purpose." Continuing to try and coax Yuuji out behind Noabra, the teachers called out for Megumi. 

"Megumi-kun, your father is here for you!"

"Papa."

"Ready to go?" 

"Everyone going to Nobara." Handing his father his small backpack, Megumi grabbed Yuuji's hand and ran out the door with Nobara and Junpei following. Megumi stuck out his tongue at Sukuna as they ran past and Nobara cackled saying bye to her teachers and Yuuji's brothers- well saying bye to Choso.  

"Bye bye Choso-san! Bad man, blehhhh-!!!" 

"You snarky little brat-!! Get back here-!!" Sukuna yelled as Nobara laughed and stuck out her tongue again to tease fuming Sukuna. 

Toji glanced over at the two brothers and raised a brow. "Yuuji-chan mad at you two?" 

"ughhhh...."

Cue the thunderclouds rolling in over their heads... 

Standing on top of her step-ladder, Nobara held up a whisk and looked down at the boys. "Okay!! Everyone wash hands??"

"-Done!" 

"Apron?" Pointing at Megumi, he nodded. 

"mmh."

"Handkerchief on head!" Pointing to Junpei, he patted his head and gave a thumbs up. 

"Yes!"

"Yuuji-!"

"Here!!" Ecstaically holding both hands, Nobara smiled and nodded. They were all set. 

"We ready!!" 

"Yayyy!!!" 

Toji stood by the kitchen entrance with a worried expression. Aren't they going to make a mess? Aimi and Ogi chuckled at their daughter commanding the boys what to do. Their youngest was just so adorable. 

"It seems like Yuuji-chan forgot to make Valentine's day sweets for his brothers," Aimi explained to Toji. "-They'll just be decorating so there's nothing to be worried about Toji."

"Well someone needs to watch them-"

"Don't fret so much. We have our housekeeper watching over them over there." Ogi pointed to the smiling elder lady who was helping out Nobara with decorations. 

"Come on, Toji, time for tea." Pushing the man out the kitchen, the adults left the kids to their fun. 

~~

~~

"Oh quit your sulking. It's not like he yelled he's never coming back home. He probably just wanted to hang out with his friends, I'm more surprised he hasn't thrown a tantrum earlier." Throwing a chip at the sulking boy, Maki rolled her eyes. 

"You are both always hovering over Yuuji-kun a lot, I'm sure he wanted to just hang out with his friends." Mai agreed, but that answer just made both boys sulk in misery even more. 

"Tantrum?" 

"I'll tell you later, Toge-kun." Yuta whispered, the two older Itadoris were looking so miserable. 

Thinking the boys will continue to sulk for the rest of the day, the two surprisingly recovered quickly and stood from the couch. "Did they finally lose it?" Mai snickered. 

"Sukuna?" Toge called out, but instead of responding to him, he glanced at Choso and the two as if talking telepathically to one another, nodded and ran into the kitchen. 

"They've lost it..." Mai munched on her chips as Maki rolled her eyes at her friend dramatics. 

"Should someone stop them?" Yuta asked but everyone ignored his question and talked amongst themselves. "You guys..." 

"Leave them be. Knowing those two idiots, they're probably competing who will make the better valentine sweet for Yuuji-kun." Maki saw it too easy seeing as those two were complete idiots for Yuuji, not that she really blamed them... Yuuji was a precious bean, plus he was good friends with her youngest sister. 

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SPACE."

"GIVE ME SOME SPACE YOU SHIT, YOU'RE ONLY DECORATING."

"I SWEAR I'M GONNA PUMMEL YOU WITH THAT BOWL OF FROSTING."

"TRY IT YOU PINK BUFFON."

"See? They're fine."

Yuta's concern grew. Wondering if it was really okay to let them be, he swore he saw flames in the corner of his eyes. 

~~

~~

"I'M DONE!!!" Yuuji happily exclaimed, standing up straight, he beamed at his finished product. Putting down the bag of frosting, he grabbed the tray and carefully waddled his way to the living room. 

He had wanted it to be a surprise for his friends so he asked them to wait in the living room until he was done. Having finished, they all nervously waited on the couch as he brought out his finished products. 

"Close your eyes!!" Doing as they're told, the adults around them chuckled at the cuteness and cooed at Yuuji's gift to them. Placing the cookie in front of each of his friends on their lap, he smiled. "Okay!! Open!!"

Nobara was the first to open her eyes and she stared at the decorated cookie in silence as did Megumi. Junpei was the first to exclaim his happiness. 

"Thank you Yuuji!"

"D-Do you guys not like it..." Not hearing anything from them, Yuuji was worried his gift was terrible. 

"NO. I LOVE IT. IT BE MY TREASURE FOREVER." Megumi declared as he held out the cookie as if it was a national treasure. 

"It's good i guess... thanks." Nobara cheeks were flushed as Yuuji beamed. They all liked it!! Nobara couldn't stop her lips from smiling, Yuuji had drawn his friends on the cookie and it was quite obvious it was made by a child but Yuuji had drawn himself beside each of them with a heart in hand.

"I think we should hurry and get you home, huh? Your brothers are probably waiting." Toji chuckled. 

"Ah!!! Yes, ah, but wait!!" Looking around the tray, he grabbed a cookie and held it out to Toji. "For Uncle!!"

"Me?"

"Yes!! I make for everyone!!" Aimi hugged Yuuji saying how sweet he was for thinking of them as Ogi teared up and asked if he wanted to live with them rather than his brute of a brothers. Yuuji only laughed and said he loved his brothers making Ogi tear up more saying how lucky Sukuna and Choso were to have Yuuji. 

"Thanks you lil tiger." Ruffling Yuuji's head, Megumi smacked his father's leg for touching Yuuji for too long. 

"Enough."

"Awww is my son jealous?" That earned a jab to his knees making him buckle down to the floor. "I-I feel your love s-son..." That was gonna hurt in the morning. 

"Shall we get you home, Yuuji-kun?" Ignoring Toji writhing on the floor, Aimi let Yuuji go. 

~~

~~

"I'M HOME!!!" Yuuji called out and scurried inside. 

"Yuuji-kun, welcome back." Yuta welcomed him back first. 

"Yu-nii!! Ahh-! nii-chans and nee-chans are here!"

"Welcome back Yuuji-chan~!!" Mai squeezed the boy into a hug and kissed the top of his head. Giggling at her affection, he squirmed away and held out a box. 

"I made love day for everyone!"

"That's so sweet of you Yuuji-kun." Maki thanked him with a loving pat on the head as everyone held out a small gift for him in return. 

"YU-CHAN?!"

"BRAT, YOU'RE HOME?!" Both stumbling out of the kitchen, Yuuji saw they were a mess. Chocolate streaks on their face, aprons and arms, they were in chaos. 

"Suki-nii!! Cho-nii!! I-"

"Yu-chan. We're sorry we forgot to give you a valentines day gift." Holding out a small box, Sukuna did the same and patted the top of Yuuji's head. 

"Don't be too upset, we didn't mean to forget..."

Giggling, the two glanced at one another confused. Wasn't he upset with them? 

"Nii-chans, silly!! I forgot too!! I made for nii-chans!!" Holding out two boxes, he held it out to his brothers. "Happy love day!!!"

Choso began to weep in happiness as Sukuna was sitting on the floor stunned. Yuuji made them something?? Opening the box, Sukuna jaw tightened at the sight. 

It was a heart shaped cookie with chooclate frosting but in the center was a messy drawing of his and Yuuji's face with the words- Suki-nii love! The best!!

Choso's was the same but he hugged his brother still crying a little. "Thank you Yu-chan. I love it."

"Hehehe. Suki-nii, do you like it?"

Sukuna couldn't say a word but push Choso out of th way and pull Yuuji into a bear-tightening hug. Yuuji continued to giggle as Sukuna heavily sighed. 

Why did his younger brother have to be so precious? 

Sidenote: Maki had taken a video of Sukuna's stunned reaction and cackled saying it was perfect blackmail material. Sukuna had taken her phone and broke her phone in half. Maki began slapping the crap out of Sukuna until he said he'd get her new phone tomorrow. Mai sent her photos to Choso as he thanked her. 

2nd sidenote: Nanami was away on business so Yuuji held up Nanami's valentine sweet on screen during their nightly video call. Thanking Yuuji for the sweet gesture, Nanami said when he comes back from his business trip, they'll go get parfait together. Yuuji was excited for parfaits with Nanamin. 

Chapter Text

What... was this...? 

Why was this happening? 

This... this shouldn't be happening. So why. Why??? 

He had him in his arms and they were almost there so... why... WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHY.WHYYY?!?!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Itadori Choso. Itadori Sukuna. I understand this is a hard time for you at the moment, but I'm afraid you'll have to come with us. We are from Child Services- 

At the end of the funeral for their grandfather, a group of men and a woman with a folder in hand had come to greet them. With quick condolences, they quickly got to the topic at hand. Choso had stared at them in disbelief, it hadn't even been one day yet here they were. 

-You and Sukuna will be placed together in the same group home but I'm afraid we'll have to take your younger brother, Yuuji to another location due to his age and condition-

Choso couldn't hear the rest of the woman's words. It wasn't enough that she was going to take them away and throw them away to a shoddy place; they were going to separate their youngest away from him and Sukuna? HOW DARE THEY. 

-You should know there is a will regarding the guardianship of these boys. Wasuke-san had signed the papers before he passed, so there should be no issues. 

I understand you are doing your job, but this is highly inappropriate. This is my god-childrens' grandfather's funeral. They had not that long ago lost their parents, almost lost our youngest and now their grandfather has just passed. Take your co-workers and leave immediately-!! Otherwise, you'll be hearing from my lawyers. 

Choso had never seen Nanami speak in such a cold and intimidating manner nor seen him so angry. The woman stared at Nanami momentarily before pulling out a paper from her folder. Taking the paper, Nanami read over its contents, and at some point in between the words, Nanami's hands tightened around the paper. 

The woman softly sighed and apologized to Nanami before flicking her hand to the men behind her. All hell broke loose. 

Choso couldn't remember the rest of what had happened. The next thing he knew there was a lot of screaming and hands trying to pull someone off another. Sukuna was cursing up a storm at the men trying to pry Yuuji out of Sukuna's arms as Yuuji was crying for his brothers and Nanami. Gojo, Geto, and Toji had gotten involved in trying to get the workers off Sukuna while Nanami was arguing with the woman who only kept repeating the same words, Nanami was screaming he didn't want her to repeat the words on the paper. Choso didn't understand. Didn't their grandfather sign off his guardianship to Nanami and wasn't there a will from their parents saying they wished Nanami to be their legal guardian? 

NII-CHAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yuuji was wailing as Sukuna was trying to get rid of the persistent men. Choso dove right into the middle of the chaos to help but was only pulled away from it by a few other men. 

G-GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME! STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHERS! DON'T YOU DARE TAKE AWAY YUUJI!!!! BASTARDS-!! GET OFF OF ME-!!! 

~~

~~

~~

"FUCK-!!! THIS IS A DAMN PRISON!!" Growling in frustration, Sukuna slammed the locked door once more before sitting on the ground. 

It's been about a week since they've been brought to this place, the first thing they did since being practically thrown into their "new home" was try and escape, but the place was locked tight. The other kids staying in the same building as they had told them it was futile to try and leave, even if they had someone to go back to, they'd be dragged back here until they were "officially" freed. That and there were too many kids in the past who brought trouble so those"countermeasures" were made. Choso agreed with Sukuna- this place was a prison. 

Luck was on their side for once in their lives, Nanami had come to see them almost every day to reassure them he was not letting them stay here and they'd be back home with him soon. As relieving as that sounded, they were more worried about Yuuji. Seeing their little tiger forced away from them and hearing his cries was gut-wrenching, they could still hear his desperate cries in their sleep. 

Nanami's jaw always tightened whenever he updated them on Yuuji. He was always in tears and begging him to take him back home. 

"I-I sowwy. I-I not be b-bad anymow, I-I be g-good!! I-I eat gween peppers and i-icky bwoccy. I-I not bother Suki-nii and Cho-nii evwey day. N-Nananmin read 3- no-! 2 bedtime stowies only!!! 

I-I pwomise to be good boy. 

Nananmin!!! I want be with Nanamin and nii-chans!!!"

Choso doesn't remember how many times his palms ached as his nails dug into it. Yuuji was in another building a few streets away from theirs but it might as well have been another region. They weren't even allowed to see each other or call each other until everything was cleared. 

"-Is he at least eating properly? Taking his medicine and applying his ointment on his scar?" Choso was almost too scared even to ask if Yuuji was being taken care of. He's heard a few stories from some of the kids who've been here for quite a while. From lack of care to abuse, for once he prayed to God that Yuuji wouldn't be a victim to the long list of horrors he's heard. 

"-You have a little brother?"

"Yeah... he was separated from us... Taken to another location not far from here."

"Oh shit, that place..." 

"??? Why do you say it like that?" 

"Well... that place-"

"Dude! That was years ago! Don't freak him out over such old stories-!!"

"Don't listen to him- he's just being paranoid over an old case, it's not like every place is like that-"

"Shut up- these two should know it could happen."

"Don't be a jerk."

"Yeah, unlike us they have someone trying to take them home. Don't give them hell for it."

"Ignoring them. An old friend of mine got transferred there a few years back due to this building being too overwhelmed by the number of kids. I guess they hired a bunch of bastards to take care of the kids in the other building, but my friend was starved and had lots of needle marks on her arm. 

I heard another kid from the same group as my friend got sent to hospital for malnutrition and a few broken bones. 

And the people had pocketed the orphanage funds as their own. It was practically hell for about 3-4 years for the kids there. 

Those bastards went to jail and they brought new people about a year later. Things went well after that, but they changed it for smaller kids and moved the older kids to another location. Somewhere up north-"

"Dude, shut up... their faces have gone pale."

"Yes, they are aware of Yuuji's condition. I had them show me Yuuji was taking his medicine and ointment through a video call." Nanami had been adamant they show proof that Yuuji was being taken care of after hearing the boys voicing concern after what they heard. It was hard enough that he couldn't even take his little tiger home and see Yuuji so stressed by everything happening in the span of as little as a week. 

"I'm concerned about the building itself..." Nanami's first glance around the outside of the building was concern but the inside looked worse than the outside. 

"-I know how it looks, but it's safer than it looks Nanami-san." 

"Have you not thought of fixing or perhaps moving to another building? Perhaps a house?"

"I can't tell you how many times I've complained to my superiors about the many things that need to be fixed or moving to another building or home but my predecessor had pocketed the funds that was to help maintain this building and get necessities for the children. There is more paperwork involved now because of that incident, and we rarely even have enough funds to do both so, we mainly choose the children's needs over anything for the building.

From what I've heard, this building was bought for cheap back then due to the mass amount of repairs needed. Of course, they fixed the bare minimum and had us use it, even adding another floor to accommodate the number of children that were brought in a few years ago but we only use that floor for storage now. Almost half the building is unusable, but it could be worse..."  

"Surely they could've fixed more if they were able to add a whole floor to the building-"

"As I said, they only fix what's mainly necessary or what they want, otherwise... we deal with what we can. Speaking of, please watch your step, the rain from last night- we now have a leaky roof..."

"Was that an earthquake...??"

"Oh, that. It's a small tremor that happens once in the building once in a while, but it's been a bit more frequent lately... Another thing to report... *sigh*

Yuuji-kun! Nanami-san is here to visit you-!!" 

"..."

Two weeks. It took two weeks for Choso and Sukuna to be taken out of that prison-like place and officially into Nanami's care but Yuuji was a different story. During the week they were released to Nanami, Yuuji was bedridden with a cold- the stress of being in an unfamiliar place and being alone for so long finally took a toll on the poor boy. Wanting the boy to be fully recovered before releasing him. 

"I want go wif Nanamin-!!!"

Trying to console the poor boy, Nanami stroked his hand through Yuuji's hair and softly spoke."I know Yuuji. Just until you get better and I promise to take you home." 

Fat tears rolled down Yuuji's face as Nanami tried to calm him down, he was sleepy and still recovering from his cold. Yuuji was too stressed. 

"Yu-chan." Tearily looking up at his oldest brother, Choso softly smiled and held out his arms. Yuuji wasted no time wiggling out of his covers and into Choso's waiting arms. Crying into his shoulder, Choso began softly swaying him whilst patting his back. 

"Let's make Yu-chan's favorite cookies when we go back home. We'll go to the park and invite your friends. We'll go to the beach and play in the water. Sukuna will break a watermelon and help make you a sand castle. We'll go to the summer festival and eat lots of food and watch the fireworks at night. When you go to school, Sukuna and I will take turns to pick you up everyday-" 

Listing out the things they'll do every day gave a sense of comfort to Yuuji as his cries slowly died out and sleepiness began to take over. "Cho-nii... pwomise?"

"Mmh. Nii-chan promises." 

If only they knew- if only Choso knew, they would've taken Yuuji home. They should've just taken him home. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It was late in the night, and most of the staff members were going around checking on the kids as the other worked on other miscellaneous tasks. 

"Where's Keichi?" 

"He said he'll be back in a few minutes, think he went to grab a smoke."

"Didn't he say he was quitting?"

"I lost count, not like anyone catches him and gives him grief over it. He'll be back in about 10 minutes or so."

Who could've known that throwing away the smoked butt of a cigarette would cause small sparks? Small sparks to fire to the final pressure to let the rickety building come down...

Chaos had erupted. Facility members were screaming at the top of their lungs to get children out of the slowly crumbling building. Kids were crying and running for their lives, smoke and fire were growing by the second as the building was slowly coming down. 

"EVERYONE GET OUT NOW!!"

"DO YOU HAVE ALL THE KIDS?!"

"YES, I'M PRETTY SURE-"

"Sensei!! Kenny isn't here!"

"So isn't Aki and Yuuji!!"

"What-?! Where did you see them last?!" Getting ready to run back inside, the kids yelled at where they saw them last making the teacher stop in his tracks. 

They were on the 3rd floor.

"SENSEI. YOU CAN'T GO BACK FOR THEM, IT'S ALL BLOCKED, THERE IS NO WAY GETTING THROUGH THE FIRE-!!!"

"BUT-"

"SENSEI, WATCH OUT!!!" Another chunk of debris fell and it was barely a close one. They didn't have a choice, they all to get out now before they get buried here or even burned. 

~~

~~

~~

"What is this...?" Nanami had brought the boys to visit Yuuji again. It was supposed to be a simple visit- it was the last day today, Yuuji was coming home with them tomorrow. One last visit to reassure Yuuji that they were all going to be together again. It was supposed to be a good day but why...

Why was the building Yuuji was staying at on fire and crumbling down?

It was chaos. Children were crying and coughing from the smoke and dust, the staff members were trying to calm and count all the kids were accounted for, firefighters and police officers were on the scene trying to take care of the chaos. Sukuna and Choso were first to go through the small crowd.

"YU-CHAN?! YUUJI?!!"

"BRAT????!! YUUJI??! YUUJI WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He wasn't here. He wasn't here in the crowd of kids-where was he?!

"Another group is coming out!!!" 

"GET THEM OUT, THE BUILDING IS GOING TO COME DOWN!" 

"T-There's still kids inside-! K-Kenny, A-Ak-ki and Yuuji-kun!! th-they're stuck on the third floor!!" 

Choso stared at the coughing woman and at the entrance, he didn't have to think twice. He made a run for it right into the burning building. He didn't even hear Nanami yelling for him to stop. 

~~

~~

~~

"*cough cough* YUUJI!!!!"

Running up the stairs, Choso began yelling for Yuuji hoping to hear something amongst the crumbling building around him. Coming to the third flight of stairs, he barely managed to stop himself as he came close to the edge. The stairs had crumbled. 

'SHIT!!'

Looking for another way, he remembered there was another staircase that went straight to the fifth floor from the first floor. Choso felt like he was dying- 

it hurts

its hard to breathe

its hot

it overwhelming

why did this happen

why am inside this burning hell 

why

why-

yuuji.... yuuji- YUUJI.

PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE-!!!!!!!!

"YUUJI!!!!" Jumping down through the hole on the floor of fifth floor, Choso screamed again ignoring the pain and agony he was feeling. 

"Ch-cho- nii?!!" It was barely audible but Choso heard it. 

"YUUJI!!???! NII-CHAN IS HERE!! TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!!"

"N-NII-CHAN!!!!!!!!!!"

It was coming from this floor. Yuuji was on this floor. 

"Yuuji?!!" Choso had found him, he balled on the floor with his Tora-san. He was a little dirty from the debris but he wasn't burnt, that was a miracle. "YU-CHAN."

"N-nii-chan!!" Throwing himself onto Choso, he began bawling. "Nii-!!!"

"I'm sorry I was late, Yu-chan. Let's get out of here-"

"N-Nii, A-Aki hurt." There was a girl in tears holding her arm and a boy lying beside her, but... he wasn't moving.

"Yuuji... that boy-"

"...K-kenny not move... b-big rock h-hit him.-!" Gritting his teeth, Choso grabbed the girl, being as gentle as he can with her arm and Yuuji in his other arm. "C-Cho-nii!!! K-Kenny-!"

"We can't take him Yuuji. I-I'm sorry. Right now, getting you and this girl out is the most important." Yuuji didn't protest anymore seeing his brother's face. It was obvious Choso was in pain too. He had to say goodbye to Kenny... 

Somehow Choso managed to get down to the ground floor, it wasn't easy and he had a burn on his shoulder but he made it. They were so close. The entrance was right there- the ground had started to crumble. Losing his footing, Choso fell and lost his hold on both kids. Tumbling onto the floor, Aki yelled in pain from her arm and Choso grunted as he hit his head on impact. 

"THEY'RE OUT!!!

"GRAB THEM!!! THE BUILDING IS COMING DOWN!!" 

Dragging the two out of the way, Choso could barely keep his vision straight. Everything was blurry and he couldn't hear properly, "Y-Yuuj-"

"WAIT THERE'S ANOTHER- IT'S COMING DOWN!!!!!"

Pulling himself up from the ground, Choso struggled to run back to the door. He can see the pink hair by the door, he can see him- "Yu-Yuuji!!"

Yuuji had gotten up from his fall and was struggling to move. Looking outside at Choso, he could only say one thing. "N-nii-chan-"

"YUUJI!!!!!!"

"EVERYONE GET BACK!!!!!"

The building had collapsed.

~~

~~

~~

"Ch-!!"

"-oso!!!"

"CHOSO!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

"....N-Nanami-san...?"

"Thank god..." Hugging Choso, Nanami breathed a shaky sigh of relief. 

"...Y-Yuuji?" Choso's eyes weakly scanned the ruined building and small crowd. "Yu... Yuuji?"

Nanami couldn't say anything, he could only hug Choso tighter. "N-Nanami-san... Yuuji?"

"... gone." Choso turned his head to see Sukuna kneeling on the floor. He was crying... 

"Yuuji...??" 

Sukuna turned to Choso and cried harder, "H-He's gone...." 

"...." Pushing Nanami off of him, Choso shakily walked towards the building, "N-No... he was right there. He was right in my arms, he was-" 

"Kid, you can't come near the building-"

"M-My brother... my brother is right there. I-I need to get him-"

"Kid..."

"P-Please... H-He's right there- I-I CAN GET HIM. HE- HE WAS RIGHT IN MY ARMS. I-I CAN-

I-I CAN GET- I... I....

A-AUG.....AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

~~~

~~~

~~~

"YUUJI!!!!!!!"

3AM

"It was just a nightmare... j-just a nightmare...?" 

"Mmh..." A small hand had grasped onto his thumb. Glancing down, he let out a teary smile. It was Yuuji. 

It felt so real. The pain, the burning sensation and terror- it just... Choso couldn't help but cry as he felt a shuddering sense of relief. It was just a fucking dream. 

"Nii???" Yawning, Yuuji sleepily sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Nii-chan???"

Trying his best to calm himself, he shakily replied, "S-Sorry, Yu-chan.... Did I w-wake you up?" 

Yuuji was a little more awake hearing his brother's words. His big brother was sad.

"Nii-chan, bad dweam??" Chuckling, he replied yes. "Nii-chan." Lying down, he patted onto Choso's side of the bed. Puffing out a small chuckle, he laid down next to Yuuji. 

Gently patting Choso's forehead, he replied, 

"Bad dweam. Bad dweam fwly awayyy. 

I pwotect nii-chan!!" 

Choso couldn't help but laugh as he let the remaining tears run down. Enveloping Yuuji in his arms, he thanked Yuuji. Choso slept soundly after that, but he also had to remind himself not to listen to crime podcasts before he slept.

Sidenote: Choso woke up with puffy eyes the next day and Sukuna wouldn't stop teasing him for it, so Choso hit him with a bag of frozen peas. 

Chapter Text

To my meanie nii-chans!!!

I ruwuning awae frwm home!! 
DONTU WOOK FOR ME!!

-YUUJI. 

"--YUUJI-!!!!!!????!!!!!"

A quarter past 11 in the morning and panicked screaming from the Itadori household were heard. Ah. What a morning. 

Meanwhile, our beloved little pink-haired tiger was in the park with his backpack and beloved Tora-san in his arms. With a pouting frown and his brows furrowed, Yuuji was not returning home after what his nii-chans did! 

"Tora-san, I not going home!" 

Tora-san stared back at Yuuji. (....)

"No!! Cho-nii and Suki-nii eat my pudding!! Nanamin got me pudding but nii-chans eat it!!" 

Stare~

"Tora-san is mean too!!" Shoving his best friend into his backpack, he sat on the bench pouting. He was not going back home. NO! He was going to run away and make his nii-chans pay for doing such a terrible thing. 

Yes. Yuuji is "running" away from home.

~~

~~

Yuuji had woken up this morning excited about the pudding Nanami had brought him last night. It was a late birthday gift from Nanami's colleague to Yuuji! Staying late to tuck Yuuji in and promising he could have pudding tomorrow morning, Yuuji woke up as one happy tiger. 

"Tora-san! It's pudding time!!" Scurrying down the stairs with a big smile on his face, Yuuji opened the door to the living room to greet his brothers but was shocked to see what had happened.  

"Nii-chans! Mor- ah..." 

"Hm? Oh, Morning Yu-chan." Choso smiled as Sukuna waved to Yuuji. 

"T-That... that..." 

Choso and Sukuna had finished eating the pudding that Yuuji would eat this morning. Sukuna raised a brow at the shock Yuuji was expressing as he put down his spoon. 

"Brat?"

"Yu-chan?"

H-How could his nii-chans do this to him? It was his pudding! Nanami had said it was a present for him, he brought back manju for his nii-chans.

"N-Nii-chans...p-pudding..." 

Pudding? Choso and Sukuna glanced at one another and down at the empty glass jars. Why was Yuuji talking about the pudding- Choso froze when he saw the post-it on the bag. 

Choso. Sukuna. Please do not eat the pudding in this bag, a colleague of mine had made these for Yuuji as a late birthday gift to him. I brought back the manjus you guys like, it should be on the counter. 

-Nanami

Fuck.

"Y-Yu-chan, uhm... this-" 

"I-I'll make you pudding tonight, okay?" 

"NII-CHANS ARE MEANIES!!!" Screaming out his anger, he cried and ran back up the stairs. Slamming the door shut, the two older brothers sat there in shock to hear such harsh words etched into their hearts. Quite the critical hit. 

Yuuji wasted no time to grab his bag and fill it with things he'd need. Wiping his tears every once in a while, he changed his clothes and grabbed Tora-san. "Tora-san, we leaving!" Scribbling on a piece of paper, he put it on his bed. 

!!!! Tora-san is in shock to hear such words come out of Yuuji. 

Wiping the remaining tears and snot, he threw the tissue away and peeked down the stairs. Choso and Sukuna hadn't left the dining room yet seeing as the door was still closed. Good. This was his chance! Quickly but with quiet steps, Yuuji went downstairs and to the front door. Glancing behind, he stuck his tongue out to the door- 

Well, we've come full circle now.

~~

~~

"It was just pudding, how long can he stay mad at us for?" Sukuna grumbled as he had finished washing their spoons.

"You do realize this isn't the first time you've eaten his snacks, right? You. Who has told anyone and everyone that you didn't like sweets- you can never make up your mind." 

"I have a limit! And I don't like most sweets! And-!! Also, why am I the only culprit? You've eaten plenty of the brat's snacks too-!!"

"By accident-"

"YOU ARE STILL GUILTY AS CHARGED. DON'T YOU PIN THIS ON ME, YOU SHITHEAD."

Choso couldn't refute that... 

"..."

"...."

"...."

"...."

"It was really delicious, right?"

"....It was."

The pudding was very good, applause to Nanami's colleague baking skills. Chefs kiss. 

"Was that the door?" 

"Hmm?" 

And I think it's obvious to what happened.... Let's cue the panic and yelling.... AND~~~ back to Yuuji-!!!

~~

~~

"-So when can we have the final contract done?"

"I've been reading it over as we speak. Reading it over, I'd say everything is in order and we can go ahead-" Nanami paused mid-sentence to see Kiyotaka muttering an apology as he came into his office. Apologizing to his client on the monitor, Nanami asked what was wrong. Kiyotaka knew not to bother him when he was in meetings unless it was absolutely necessary and of course if it had anything to do with the Itadori boys. 

"I apologize Nanami-san, I thought it be faster to let you know."

"??"

"Yuuji-kun is waiting downstairs."

"Yuuji-kun????" Nanami was delighted to hear his god-son was here, but Yuuji barely came to his building- usually it was Nanami who brought him or the rare times the older Itadoris came to drop him off at Kiyotaka's office in an emergency. 

"I wasn't sure if you had asked for Yuuji-kun today."

"Ah, would you mind keeping him company? I'm almost done here, give me about 20 minutes."

"Yes sir. Oh, and there were a few emails I forwarded. You'll need to read them over." Nodding in thanks, Kiyotaka left the room and Nanami resumed his meeting. 

Having wrapped up the meeting in half the time, Nanami walked out his office and into Kiyotaka's to see Yuuji sitting on the couch with his backpack in his arms. "Yuuji-kun." 

"N-Nanamin-!!" Jumping off the couch and running to Nanami's waiting arms, Nanami patted the boy's back. 

"Yuuji-kun, did Choso or Sukuna have something today? I don't remember anything written on the calendar. They didn't call or tex-"

"No."

"Yuuji-kun."

"Sowwy. Nanamin, not done."

"Mmh. Thank you."

"mmh." 

"-so, did they have to go somewhere or have something to do today?" Waiting a few seconds after Nanami had finished, Yuuji shook his head. 

"No. I rwun away."

"??????" Did his little tiger just say he ran away from home???? 

"How did you get here?"

"I big boy!! I follow nii-chans map!!" Holding up the drawn map in his hand, Nanami wasn't sure whether he should be proud that Yuuji was able to follow it or concerned how Yuuji came here alone. Both. Definetely both. 

"Yuuji-kun, it's very dangerous for you to come here all alone. It's quite far away, you could've gotten hurt or lost. That was no good."

"N-No good?"

"What do I always tell you?"

"Careful when walking!! Looking both sides!"

"The other."

"No twaling to stwangers? White hair, no good?"

"The other..." He did tell Yuuji a lot of things...

"Ah! No going awone!! Only fwr milk pick-up!!"

"So what did you do?"

"I-I go out awone... sowwy Nanamin...."

"Mmh. As long as you know why it was bad."

"Mmh. I vewy sowwy." Nanami swore he could see tiger ears and tail deflating on Yuuji. 

Scooping the boy into his arms, he stood up. "So, why did Yuuji-kun run away from home??"

"So Nanamin-!!" Yuuji began talking about everything that happened as Nanami made his way to the couch. Kiyotaka had coffee and hot chocolate already set on the table. This wasn't his first rodeo. 

~~

~~

Nanami had taken Yuuji back to his apartment and Kiyotaka had consolidated all of the most important things needing to be read over and signed into one slim folder. This man truly was fantastic at his job, bless this man for his godly powers. 

Walking into the kitchen to start dinner, Yuuji walked around to look at the apartment. Rarely coming over to Nanami's apartment, Yuuji decided to see what Nanami had. It was spacious, and neat. Nanami had a few plants around the house and a few picture frames of the Itadori boys, but besides that- there wasn't much to see. Nanami's house was a little boring~

Peeking into Nanami's room, he saw a small tiger plush in the center of the bed. It was a tiny identical Tora-san! 

Yuuji had given Nanami a small Tora-san for his birthday. Yuuji grinned and waved at the small tiger before leaving the room and back to Nanami. 

"Nanamin!"

"Yes, Yuuji-kun? Are you thirsty? Want some juice?"

"Nanamin, i live witf Nanamin!"

Chuckling, he glanced down, "Live with me?"

"Yes! I live wif Nanamin. Nii-chans meanies!!"

"You'll be very lonely here, Yuuji-kun. I'm happy you want to live here with me, but it's better for you to live with your older brothers. Trust me. I can't be here everyday for you unlike your brothers."

"Booo. No. I like Nanamin the best." Ruffling his hair in thanks, he handed the pouting boy with a glass of juice.

"Now then I think I should call your brothers before they-" Right on cue, his phone rang- Choso. "Yuuji-kun, can you go set the table?"

"Yesh-!!" Finshing jis juice, he handed the glass back to Nanami. 

"Hello, Choso-"

"NANAMI-SAN. IS YU-CHAN WITH YOU?! HE'S NOT WITH HIS FRIENDS OR ANYONE ELSE WE KNOW. HE-"

"THE BRAT RAN AWAY, HE'S NOT AT THE PARK-!! OLD MAN, PLEASE TELL ME HE'S WITH YOU!!" Taking the phone away from his ear, he continued to listen to the boys yelling a for a few minutes. 

"Yes, I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking."

"NOT FUNNY OLD MAN. YOU SERIOUSLY ASKING FOR PLEASENTRIES RIGHT NOW?!"

"You needn't continue to yell, Sukuna. Don't worry, I have Yuuji-kun. You know I wouldn't be this calm if he wasn't with me." Nanami could practically hear the two melt from relief. 

~~

~~

"Yuuji-kun, it's time for dinner." The little tiger didn't come running. 

"Yuuji-kun?" Where did the little cub go? Looking around the living room and hallway, he wasn't anywhere. Moving upstairs, he heard shuffling in the guest room. "Yuuji-kun?" 

"Nanamin!! Ta-dah!" 

Yuuji had set up a pillow fort of sorts... it needed some adjusting. "You've been busy." 

"Yesh! I run away so I make tent!!" Ah, yes. Running away from home to make a pillow fort in his guardian's home. 

Adjusting the messy 'tent', Nanami grabbed a few chairs and helped make the ceiling of the tent. And viola. Yuuji's runaway pillow fort- i mean tent. 

"Wah! Nanamin fix it better!! Thank chu!!! I let Nanamin inside!!"

"What an honor." 

"Hehehe." Crouching down, Yuuji held up Tora-san, "Tora-san say thank chu to Nanamin. Nanamin is best!"

Safe to say dinner was forgotten. 

~~

~~

The next morning, Nanami had opened the door to Choso visiting. 

"Nananmi-san, good morning." 

"Morning. Welcome Choso. Where's Sukuna?"

"He's coming up in a few minutes."

"Yuuji-kun, Choso is here." Yuuji was pouting from upstairs and refusing to come downstairs. 

"I no go home!! I run away from meanie nii-chans!!"

"Yu-chan, I'm sorry. It was really a mistake. Nii-chan had a long night and didn't see the note. Sukuna and I are sorry."

"Hmpf, Suki-nii not here!"

"Who says i'm not here, brat." Puffing out his cheeks, he glared at Sukuna. It was honestly more cute than intimdating... "Come on, I- we didn't eat it on purpose, brat. It was a mistake. I brought you something to make up for it...." Holdin gup the bag in hand, Yuuji hesitated. 

"...Nii-chans rewllie sowwy?"

"Yes. Yuuji, come here." To others it could've sounded like a demand, but Sukuna was pleading softly that Yuuji come to him and forgive him. 

A few seconds of silence and Yuuji waddled down the stairs. In front of Sukuna, crouched down, Yuuji held out his pinky. "Pwomise?"

"No more eating Yuuji's snacks."

"Cho-nii."

"Mmh hmm. Promise or I'll swallow a thousand needles."

"NOOOO. CHO-NII DONF DO THAT!!!!" 

Sidenote: Sukuna had learned to make pudding and made it for Yuuji with a chocolate drawing of a tiger's face on top. Nanami had gotten a delivery that day from the same colleauge- she made more pudding as a favor. She had laughed seeing Nanami thanking her- she hadn't thought he'd ask a favor like this. The man really loved his children. 

Chapter Text

Yuuji's homework time!!! 

Shall we see what else Yuuji has written in his journal again? Let's dive right in!

~~

~~

1. Helping my nii-chans!

Due to his age and small stature, Yuuji had few things to do around the house, but that didn't stop the little tiger cub from trying to help his older brothers. 

"Sukuna, bring in the laundry. I need to start prepping for dinner."

"It's only 3-" Glancing at the clock, Sukuna grabbed the laundry basket. 

"I told you that I needed to go out later tonight for a group project. I'm gonna come home late. I know you have club activities later, so drop Yuuji off at Nanami-san's office." Rummaging through the fridge, Choso motioned his hand to Sukuna to hurry and finish the laundry. 

"My club activity was pushed back to tomorrow. I can finish dinner, you can just prep." 

"It's fine, I'll be done in no time. Just make sure, Yuuji has his medicine after he eats."

Waving his hand in annoyance, Sukuna pushed aside the patio door. He didn't need to be reminded of something that important- Yuuji's medicine and health were obviously his number one priority. 

Putting down the laundry basket, he pulled off the laundry clips one at a time. 

"Nii-!!" Glancing down, Yuuji was holding up a small basket of his own. Letting out a snort, he asked what Yuuji was doing. 

"I help!" Pushing up the basket towards Sukuna again, Sukuna snorted. 

"Alright, brat." 

With all the clips put into the basket, Sukuna began pulling off the clothes and into his own but noticed Yuuji was struggling. 

"Pft- brat. What are you doing?" Sukuna couldn't help but softly smile at Yuuji's struggle. 

"I-I h-helpppp!!!" Reaching up towards the lowest line of clothing, Yuuji was trying to grab the socks off the clothing rack. He was still too small to reach it. 

Chuckling at Yuuji's struggle, Sukuna went back inside the house with his basket of laundry and came out with Yuuji's stool ladder. Picking Yuuji up, placed him on his stool and held out his little basket. 

"Can your short arms get them all?"

"Yesh!! I help nii!!" 

"Don't take too long, my arm is gonna get tired." Worried about Sukuna's arm, Yuuji did his best to quickly put in the socks. Seeing Yuuji panic just made Sukuna laugh even more. So mean.... 

~~

~~

"Alright, brat. I'm gonna fold them, go play with Tora-san." Ruffling his hair as a good job, Yuuji beamed at the praise and ran off with Tora-san in hand to now help his oldest brother. 

"Nii-!!" 

"Are you thirsty, Yu-chan? Want some juice?" Choso smiled whilst continuing to mix the stew on the stove. 

Shaking his head, Yuuji held up Tora-san's paw, "Help nii-!" 

"Yu-chan wants to help nii-chan?"

"Yesh!" Smiling at the offer, Choso lowered the heat on the stove. Grabbing Yuuji and Tora-san's apron from the pantry closet, he helped them up onto the counter. 

"Alright, what should we do first?" Helping Yuuji into his apron, Yuuji held up his hands to answer. 

"Wash hands!!" 

"Good job. Yu-chan is so smart."

"Tora-san get gwoves, right?" Tying Tora-san's apron, Choso clapped praising Yuuji's answer. 

"That's right, we can't let Tora-san's paws get all dirty." Helping Yuuji wash his hands, Tora-san leaned against Yuuji waiting his turn. 

"Okay. Dry hands and we are ready!"

"Yesh!!!" Moving Yuuji to the island counter, Choso began to think about what Yuuji could help him with. 

"Hmmm, since nii-chan is done with almost everything... Can Yu-chan put the vegetables together in this bowl??" Placing the salad bowl behind Yuuji, Choso brought out the cut vegetables and placed it in front of Yuuji. 

"Yes! I can do it!" 

"Yu-chan is very helpful." Tapping Yuuji's nose, Yuuji giggled and went to work. 

Slowly tearing each lettuce into the bowl, Yuuji made sure each one was torn off properly off the stem. Tossing in the cherry tomatoes, Yuuji gave one for Tora-san to hold. Tora-san liked cherry tomatoes. 

Finished with the stew and the remaining dishes, just at the same time Yuuji finished the salad.

"Cho-nii! I done!" Holding up his hands, Choso walked over and ruffled Yuuji's head as a good jo. 

"Oh, looks like Tora-san stole a cherry tomato?" 

Yuuji only giggled as Tora-san fell leaning his chin against the tomato. Tora-san, you can't hide it now after Choso saw it... 

2. Sensei making me fwly

Gojo was always happy to see Yuuji. It was such a rare occurrence for him to be able to see Yuuji and when he did, Yuuji was always given airplane rides. Well.... he used to... 

Nanami now forbids it now...

What happened? Obviously... Gojo. 

Gojo had seen Yuuji and the first thing he did? Hug the ever-living crap out of that cute tiger cub, how can you resist hugging Yuuji?! Giggling at Gojo's over-dramatic cries at how much he missed seeing Yuuji, he took Yuuji out to the park putting Yuuji on his shoulders. 

"Goyo-sensei so tall!!! I big!!"

Smirking proud, Gojo continued to walk under the Sakura trees until Yuuji pointed out a kid being tossed in the air. He was laughing as, what they assumed was his father, who tossed him in the air. 

"He fwly!!" 

"I can do that too, Yuuji-kun!" 

"Sensei can fwly??"

"No, no." Pulling Yuuji off his shoulders, Gojo held Yuuji to meet him eye to eye. (well eye to sunglasses) "Sensei can make Yuuji fly! I can do better than that guy." 

"Woww!! Really?! Sensei make me fwly big!!"

"Of course, Yuuji-kun. Believe in your sensei!" Maneuvering Yuuji to a better position, he was ready to make Yuuji fly!

"Okay, Yuuji-kun. Ready?"

"Yesh!"

"One. Two-" Tossing him in the air, Yuuji squealed in joy as he flew into the air for a few seconds to see the Sakura blossoms a little closer.

Catching him with ease, Yuuji excitedly asked for more. Who was Gojo to deny such a simple request from his precious student? Tossing him in the air a couple more times, a little higher each time and moving a little back every time- he hadn't seen the large branch sticking out under them.

"Alright, Yuuji-kun. Last one. Sensei is gonna put in all his energy! You might even become one with the trees and see the sky!"

"Rweady!!"

"Alright, here... we.... go-! ACK!" Throwing Yuuji with all his might, he was slapped in the back of his head one second later.

"What the hell are you doing??!?!" It was Geto and Nanami a few steps behind. 

"Senpai... please stop kidnapping Yuuji-kun from my secretary's office." Nanami sighed as he had caught up with Geto. 

"What do you mean kidnap! You're so mean Nanami- what- Yuuji-kun???" Looking at his empty hands. Yuuji had not come down... 

The three men looked up and Yuuji was hanging off the branch smiling. Waving and calling out to Nanami, Yuuji began giggling when Geto began slapping the back of Gojo's back. Nanami had managed to get Yuuji down. 

Nanami banned Gojo from seeing Yuuji for a while... 

3. Supwusing Nanamin work!

Nanami had been having a hard day today. He was busy as always but things just weren't going as he planned or liked. He was getting more irritated as the hours passed and he hadn't eaten since yesterday's lunch. Adding that to the mix was just making Nanami sigh even more. With each sigh, he might as well had grown a little older from the stress. 

Taking off his glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out another sigh. 

'Few more paperwork and meetings... I should ask Ichiji to go to that bakery-'

Just as he was thinking of calling his secretary, Ichiji knocked on the door before poking his head into the office. 

"Good timing, I finished signing these-" Holding up the documents in hand, Ichiji smiled and nodded in thanks. 

"Perhaps taking a break would be best, Nanami-san."

Chuckling, he raised a brow at the man, "Didn't you say these had to be looked over by today?" Indicating to the small paper stack next to him, Ichiji smiled. 

"Well, many things are needed to be prioritized when you are the boss, Nanami-san." Chuckling, he took the signed documents and headed out the door. 

Looking down at the remaining paperwork, Nanami realized he forgot to ask Ichiji for a favor about the bakery but decided that he could handle another 2 hours with no food. He can have a late dinner later-

"Nanamin!!" Slightly surprised by the sudden voice, he looked around for the voice- obviously it was Yuuji but where-? Standing up from his chair and looking over the desk, Yuuji was grinning at Nanami with a bento-box much too big for him in his hands. 

"Yuuji-kun, I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in." Moving away from his desk and towards Yuuji, the boy put down the heavy bento onto the floor and opened his arms.

"Nanamin! Supwise!!" 

Smiling, he ruffled the boy's head, "You came to surprise me?"

"Yesh!! Nii-chans too!!" Pointing at the door, Nanami saw Sukuna and Choso opening the door to his office with a large thermos bottle and a plastic bag in hand. 

"We thought you didn't have time for lunch." Choso held up the thermos bottle as Sukuna held up the plastic bag.

"We brought dinner, old man." Staring at the boys a bit taken aback by the gesture, Nanami couldn't help but smile and let out a small chuckle. 

When did it get to the point that his boys came to take care of him?

"Nanamin! Nanamin! My idea!! I supwise Nanamin!" 

"Yeah, the brat wanted to surprise you and make you dinner." Picking up the bento box from the floor, Sukuna and Choso walked over to the coffee table. 

Nanami held Yuuji in his arms and walked over to join them. 

"I was surprised."

"Then the job is done." Sukuna smirked. Opening up the bento box and plastic bag, Nanami realized it was all his favorite food. 

"Didn't know if you wanted this or the sandwich from your favorite bakery so we made and bought both." Sukuna held up chopsticks for Nanami to take as Choso took Yuuji from Nanami's arms. Placing the smiling boy onto the couch, Choso opened up the thermos and poured out the soup in the thermos cup. 

"Eat up, Nanami-san."

Nanami was surprised but happy. His boys were the best. 

4. Visit Megumi & pway with puppies

"Hewwo!!! I'm here, Megumi!!!" 

Megumi was sure he went blind for a moment seeing Yuuji's smile practically beaming. Showing off a small smile, he pulled open the door more for Yuuji to come in. Looking up at Choso behind Yuuji, Megumi gave a curt nod as a greeting. Choso reciprocated the greeting with a smile. 

Entering inside, Yuuji tried his best to calm his excitement. He could hear them-!! Megumi's new friends!!

"Yu-chan, I'm going to go greet Toji-san and Yua-san before I leave. I'll come back by dinner, okay?"

"Yesh!!" Holding up his hand ensuring Choso that he understood. Choso smiled and patted Yuuji, "Have fun and be gentle with them."

"I be good! I promise!" Patting Megumi's head as a thank you, Megumi nodded in understanding. Choso and Megumi had somehow created a shorthand of sorts in their conversation without verbal communication. Toji was always impressed- how the hell did those two understand each other with a mere nod??? Anywho....

"Shiro. Kuro." Calling out towards the living room, frantic running was on its way. 

"PUPPY!!" Yuuji beamed at the sight of the puppies, two furry puppies- white and black each with an odd birthmark on their forehead. 

"Sit." Coming to a halt, the two immediately did as commanded. Barking back at Megumi, he gave the two puppies a pat on the head in praise. "Shiro. Kuro." Introducing his new friends, Yuuji immediately ran to them and hugged them. 

"Cute!!!" Loving the new attention, Kuro ran around Yuuji barking all happy while Shiro's tail was wagging non-stop. Any faster and he might be able to fly.

"But Megumi, why Shiro and Kuro??" Why the simple names? Megumi's face immediately soured at the question and clicked his tongue. 

"Old man named them." Lazy naming to say the least.

"MMh... it's okay, they still cute!!" Yuuji honestly couldn't care less, they were still adorable. 

5. Nobara comes over to "pway"

"Rejoice! I'm here!!" Letting herself into the bedroom, Yuuji looked up and ran over happily to Nobara's sudden appearance.

"Nobara!! You come to pway?"

"What? Don't want me to play with you?" Teasing Yuuji, Nobara turned away crossing her arms. 

"N-No!! Nobara!!" Flustered over Nobara being "mad", Yuuji ran around Nobara trying to cheer her up. "I happy! VERYYY HAPPY! Nobara best!!"

Smiling at hearing those words from Yuuji, Nobara hugged Yuuji pretending she was forgiving him. 

"I forgive you I guess."

"Yayy!! Nobara best!!" Nobara chuckled, she couldn't wait to rub this at Megumi's face. Yuuji loved her the best. 

"I bring make-up!" Nobara cheerfully held out her box of make-up she- definitely didn't steal from her older sisters. 

"M-Make-up? A-Ah l-let's play something else!" Yuuji nervously laughed as he took a few steps away from Nobara.

"I make you the prettiest! I even bring dress best for Yuuji!" Holding up a pink ruffle dress and lipstick in another hand, Yuuji bolted. 

"AHHHHH NII-CHAN!!!"

"YUUJI!!" 

6. Junpei sleeping over

"Have fun, Junpei. I'll be back tomorrow night."

"Bye bye mama." Holding onto Yuuji's hand, Junpei waved bye to his mother. 

"If for any reason you want to come home early, let Yuuji-chan's brothers call mama, okay?"

"Mmh." 

"I'll make sure to call you if anything happens." Choso reassured Yagi as she kissed Junpei head and Yuuji's. 

"Thank you Choso-kun. Have fun boys." Smiling, she left the house.

"Yu-chan, why don't you go play with Junpei. Nii-chan will call you for dinner."

"Okay!! Come on, Junpei!" Dragging Junpei into the living room, Choso went upstairs to put away Junpei's things. 

"Suki-nii! Junpei is here!!" Running over to Sukuna, he patted the excited tiger cub and look up at Junpei who flinched at Sukuna's look. 

"..." Sighing, he put away his phone and walked over to Junpei. The poor boy looked like he was gonna pass out any second. Holding out his fist out, Junpei closed his eyes thinking Sukuna was gonna hurt him but when nothing happened, he peeked his eye open to see Sukuna holding out candy in his open hand. 

"... You don't have to be acting like a kitten." Huffing, Junpei shyly took the offered candy and whispered a thank you. 

"Tsk." Rufflinfg Junpei's hair, Junpei stared at Sukuna taken back from the gesture. "Have fun with the brat and let me or vampire over there if you need anything, okay?" He sounded annoyed but Junpei oddly found his tone comforting??? 

Nodding, Sukuna got up and gently pushed Yuuji over to Junpei with Tora-san. 

"Junepi! What should we play?! Oh!! nii-chan buy new game! Let's play!"

"M-mmh."

~~

~~

Playtime, dinner, dessert, movie, bath-time, and brushing their teeth before bed. What a busy night for the boys. Before they knew it was time for bed. 

"Everyone brushed their teeth, right?" Choso asked as he tucked the boys in. 

"Yesh!! Suki-nii check!" Junpei nodded. 

"Old man in waiting." Sukuna came in with a tablet in hand. 

"Nanamin-!!"

"Hello Yuuj-kun. Hello Junpei-kun." Junpei shyly said hello as Yuuji asked Nanami what they were reading tonight.

"I was thinking Junpei-kun can pick since he's come over for a sleepover."

"Oh! Good idea Nanamin!" 

"U-Uhm..." Little flustered, Junpei looked at the books in Nanamin's hand and picked one. 

"Good pick Junpei." Yuuji praised making Junpei smile. 

Not 10 minutes in and the boys were lights out. Choso had come in to bid Nanami good-night and re-tucked the boys. Turning off the lights, he left the room without seeing Junpei holding Yuuji's hand and smiling in his sleep. 

Good sleepover. 

7. Suki-nii teach tie shoe

"Brat, do you remember everything I said?"

"Yesh!" 

"Pft- you sure?" Brow raised, Sukuna wasn't all that convinced Yuuji really knew. 

"I can!!" Puffing out his cheeks in defiance, Sukuna chuckled. "

"Sure. Now show nii-chan." Undoing the shoelace, Sukuna helped Yuuji into his sneakers and held out the shoelace. 

Grabbing the shoelace, Yuuji looked at his other shoe to see Sukuna's example. "Take bad guy over the first one and under!" 

"Good."

"Hold down and make two bunny ears! Wrap one around bunny ear and in little space. See bad guy, punch and pull!!" 

Tightening the shoelace, Yuuji beamed happily at his tied shoelace. "I did it!!"

"See, you did it." Ruffling Yuuji's hair proud, he undid both shoelaces and had Yuuji do them again. Repeating what he said and did, Choso came up behind them with Yuuji;s backpack in hand and hitting Sukuna's head. 

"What the hell are you teaching him?"

"How to tie his shoe!" 

"Do it normally!!!"

8. Bath time wif Cho-nii   

"Yu-chan! Time for a bath!" 

"Alright, brat, come on." Pulling the messy tiger off his chair, Yuuji squealed with joy as Sukuna dangled him upside down being brought to the bathroom. 

Sukuna left the bathroom with a slap mark on his back. Choso didn't like Sukuna had brought Yuuji upside down hanging like a doll. 

"Let's leave Tora-san to wait." Taking Tora-san from Yuuji's arms, Choso placed Tora-san on top of the extra towels. 

"But Tora-san needs bath too!" Choso was already on it before Yuuji could finish his sentence. Wrapping Tora-san in a small towel around his body and placing a small tiger bath headband over his face. He was ready to take part in bath time, well at least look the part. Can't have Tora-san get wet, he would take too long to dry properly and be in bed with Yuuji. 

"Alright, you messy cub, time for to get clean." Helping Yuuji out of his clothes, Yuuji giggled and raised his arms. 

Rolling his sleeves, Choso turned on the shower head with his hand under the running water. Satisfied with the temperature, he placed the shower head under Yuuji. 

"Not too hot, Yu-chan??"

"It's okay!" Turning off the water, he brought over the shampoo. 

"Yu-chan, eye closed."

"Yesh!!" Squeezing his eyes shut, he let Choso wash his hair. Skillfully massaging Yuuji's scalp, Choso worked fast knowing Yuuji wouldn't be able to sit still. Finished with his hair and a bubble hat to show for it, Choso turned on the water again to rinse. 

With his hair all clean, he grabbed a small loofah soaked in body soap, he handed it to Yuuji as he heard the bath timer go off.

"Yu-chan, can you wash yourself?" 

"Yesh! I can do it!" Taking the loofah and scrubbing himself, Choso turned to check the bath water temperature and threw in a few rubber duckies. 

"Cho-nii, rinse!" Turning back to Yuuji, Choso chuckled. Yuuji was a bubble monster- only his pink hair was visible. 

Rinsing off the rest of the bubbles, Yuuji shook his head like a puppy shaking off water. He was now squeaky clean! He can go into the bath now! 

"Nii-chan I clean now!" 

"Yup, you are." Smiling proudly at the clean cub, he helped Yuuji into the bathtub. Sighing in content, Yuuji turned to see the duckies floating around him. 

"Ah! Nii-chan! Look! Suki-nii!" Holding up a pale yellow duck, Choso looked up from cleaning the bathroom floor to see Yuuji holding up the duck. It had two eyebrows crossing downwards. It looked more like it was pouting rather than angry. 

Choso let out a loud laugh as Yuuji followed with a grin, "L-Let's not let him now, Yu-chan-pft-!!" It was more funny that Yuuji was comparing Sukuna to a pouting duck. 

~~

~~

Draining the last of the water in the bathtub, Yuuji was wrapped in a towel that buried him as Choso dried off his hair with another towel. Yawning, Yuuji rubbed his eyes. The bath made him all warm and relaxed making him sleepy. 

"Almost done, Yu-chan. Can you change into your pajamas then nii-chan will dry your hair."

"Okay~" Sleepily responding, he slowly undid his towel burrito and went to go change into his pajamas as Choso went to get the hair-dryer and hairbrush. 

"Yu-chan, you didn't put your shirt on properly." Chuckling at the sleepy cub, he helped the shirt that was on his head. 

"Mmmh... sleepy nii-chan..." Yawning again, Choso lifted him up onto the sink counter. 

"Just a few minutes, Yu-chan."

"mmh~" 

By the time Choso managed to dry and brush his hair, Yuuji had called asleep against Choso's arm. Stretching to reach for Tora-san, he undid the towel and bath headband. "Looks like it's time for nap time, Tora-san." 

Picking up Yuuji into his arms, Tora-san was put into Yuuji's arms- instinctually hugging Tora-san. 

9. Be like nii-chan at clubs! (Suki-nii in judo/ basketball now and Cho-nii in archery) 

"Suki-nii!! Cho-nii!! Ta-dah!!!" Running into the living room, Yuuji held out his arms and proudly smiled. 

Looking up from their books, Choso immediately whipped out his phone and began taking pictures of Yuuji while Sukuna laughed. 

"Where did you find that?" Twirling around, Yuuji smiled again flailing out his arms. The sleeves were too long even rolled up. 

"I look like Suki-nii!!" Scowling his face like Sukuna, more like pouting, he began punching the air yelling out "Hi-yah" Yuuji had worn Sukuna's old Judo uniform. He was dragging the pants to the floor- he was practically melting in the uniform. 

"I cool like Suki-nii?"

"Sure, brat." Taking out his phone to take pictures, Yuuji suddenly runs off leaving Sukuna without a picture. "Send me the pics." 

Choso chuckled, "Already sent em." 

"Cho-nii!!" Choso almost melted at the sight, Yuuji came back with a bow and arrow this time. It looked like Choso's old kiddy rubber bow and arrow. 

"Look at the little archer." 

"Seriously, where did you find all this?" Sukuna asked as he wasted no time taking pictures. 

"Nanamin find it!! Attic clean." Struggling to place the arrow on the bow, Sukuna helped him stabilize his posture. 

"I had thought all this stuff was thrown away after-"

PLOP.

"Ah... sorry Cho-nii." Shyly giggling, Sukuna cackled. 

"Nice shot, brat. AHAAHHAA." Sukuna took a picture. Yuuji- or rather Sukuna had aimed the plastic arrow at Choso's forehead. 

Holding back his anger, he popped off the arrow from his forehead calmly. Sukuna grabbed the basketball in the corner of the room and held it out to Yuuji. 

"Let's see if you can bounce it." Yuuji's body practically covered the entire ball. Rolling around like a cat with a ball of yawn, Sukuna laughed and took a video receiving a smack to the back of his head. 

"What-?! Look at him." 

"Nii, too heavy!! W-Woah!!" Rolling away, Choso chased after the Yuuji-basketball. Sukuna continued to film. 

10. Nii-chans help me i get a bad dream 

It wasn't all that often Yuuji got nightmares but when he did, he could count on his nii-chans to be there for him. But, I think that's for another chapter :)

Chapter Text

"N-Nii~!!..." 

Big fat tears rolled down the boy's flushed face as he croaked out to his brother- both of them. Crying out for his brothers, Yuuji whined in discomfort. It hurt-! He was dizzy, cold, and hot at the same time and he felt stuffy. 

Leaning into the large hand touching his forehead, Yuuji felt a bit of relief. It was cooling. 

"He's burning up again..." Coughing again, Yuuji spat out the thermometer in his mouth and leaned further into Sukuna's hand. 

"Nii..." Whimpering in pain, Sukuna lowered his hand over Yuuji's stomach, gently patting it to try and calm him down. 

Picking up the thermometer, Choso's brows furrowed in concern. "Hasn't gone down..." Sighing, Choso looked down at the sick cub in bed. It hurt to see Yuuji in such pain and so sick in bed. 

"I'll be back with some porridge and medicine. Try to cool him down as much as possible." Choso instructed handing Sukuna a newly wrung-out wet towel. 

"Bring up some jelly if we have any." 

"He ate the last one last night. I need to go out and get more." Making a mental note to go out later, he realized he needed to get more things to aid in Yuuji's recovery. "I should probably go out now, then. Are you okay alone with Yuuji for about an hour?"

"Yeah. Just heat the porridge before you leave to go get everything we need." Not looking up, Sukuna motioned his hand to Choso, shooing him away. He's got this. 

"Text me if you remember anything else I need to get."

"Flu medicine, jelly, oranges, ice fruit bars- strawberry, and applesauce."

There was his list. "Yeah, alright."

Gently patting Yuuji's cheek, Choso whispered that he'd be back. Yuuji only whimpered back in response and weakly nodded. Sukuna continued to wipe away the sweat accumulating on Yuuji's face and neck. 

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Less than forty minutes, and Choso had come back home. Putting everything away in its place, he saw a tray with a barely half-eaten bowl of porridge. Sighing in concern, he grabbed a pack of jelly and went upstairs to check on his cub. 

Poking his head inside Yuuji's room, he saw both Yuuji and Sukuna had fallen asleep. Sukuna was sitting on a chair with his legs up on the corner of the bed, with his hand on Yuuji's head. 

"Sukuna." Gently shaking his brother awake, Sukuna sleepily opened one eye and yawned. 

"That was quick..." Rubbing the back of his neck, he moved his legs to let Choso take a seat. Checking Yuuji's forehead again, Choso sighed. It was still warm. 

"I saw he barely ate the porridge."

"Few bites and said he was full. Was worried he'd throw it all up like last night if I made him eat more."

"Well, at least he kept the few bites down. Did he take his medicine?"

"Yeah." 

"Alright." Leaving the jelly pack by the bowl of water, Choso wrung out the towel in the bowl and placed it on Yuuji's forehead. "Let's leave him to sleep." Gently pushing Sukuna to the door, the two quietly left the cub's room. 

"It's been a week already... shouldn't we take him to the doctor again?" Sukuna asked worriedly. 

"Nanami-san called Shoko-sensei yesterday and two days ago. She said the flu was worse this year for kids, it'll take a bit of time." Choso calmly reminded Sukuna as he read the back of the flu medicine description. "I know you're worried about Yu-chan, but he's getting better."

Sukuna didn't say a word as he walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch with a sigh. Choso glanced at Sukuna and huffed. Flicking the pinkette's forehead, Sukuna only glared back. 

"He'll be fine. You heard Shoko-san, Yuuji will be fine. He's gotten much healthier." 

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Nanami had arrived at the Itadori residence a little before midnight and wasn't surprised to hear silence as he walked inside. Putting away the take-out dinner for the older Itadoris, he took off his jacket and went upstairs. Gently pushing the door open, he saw Choso and Sukuna passed out on Yuuji's couch, but Yuuji wasn't in bed. 

"Na-min...." Turning around, Yuuji had come out of the bathroom, but he was still looking bright red and teary-eyed. 

Smiling, he held out his arms as Yuuji waddled over to Nanami. Sniffling, Nanami gently swayed the cub in his arms whilst patting his back. 

"I tired... but can't sleep-!!" His poor cub. 

"I'm here, Yuuji-kun. I'm here."

"Nanamin..." Burying his face further into Nanami's neck, Yuuji grasped his shirt. Yuuji was so tired, but his flu was making it hard for him to sleep. It's a miracle he even managed to sleep earlier when he couldn't take his medicine. 

"Do you think you can eat?"  Shaking his head, Nanami nodded. He heard the boys earlier trying to feed him, but everything had come back up instead. Yuuji needed to eat so he could take his medicine... 

Taking him downstairs, Nanami looked around the kitchen and found a few things that would hopefully settle in his stomach. 

"Yuuj-kun, how about a banana? Strawberry? Watermelon? Applesauce?"

"Tummy hurt..."

"Just one bite for me, please?" Settling him down on the counter, Yuuji stared at the fruits beside him. A small growl was heard. Nanami silently chuckled. It seemed like luck was on his side. 

"Only one?"

"Just one." Nodding, he peeled the banana and broke off a small portion for Yuuji. Taking the offered fruit, Yuuji nibbled. 

"S' good..." Hopefully, his stomach would accept it and settle. Chewing and swallowing, the two waited a moment. 

"... Nanamin. Strawberry." Holding out his hands, asking for the next fruit, Nanami let out a sigh of relief. Progress.

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It's been a long week and a half for the Itadori's but thanks to their constant care, tiger cub Yuuji has been revived!!

(Sorry to suddenly end it here- as compensation I bestow my crappy art of precious Yuuji-kun.) *have mercy*