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Sukuna glared at the small cat Yuuji had bundled up on his lap and was kneading its paws on the latter’s oversized shirt. It regarded Sukuna for a moment before returning its whole attention to Yuuji, purring so loudly Sukuna could almost feel the vibrations in the air.
"Look at it Suku! He's so adorable!" He lifted the cat to Sukuna’s eye level, but it suddenly bared its claws against him and hissed. "Wha-? Why's he acting out? He warmed up pretty quickly to Megumi and Nobara earlier."
Sukuna frowned. “Maybe it recognizes a threat when it sees it.”
“But you’re not a threat?” Yuuji said. “Occasionally a pain in the ass, sure, but my brother’s not a bad person lil’ kitty. He can get pretty scary when he’s angry though so try not to piss him off.”
The cat meowed with a small dismissive lift of its head as though he understood Yuuji and decided that no, it would be its absolute pleasure to piss Sukuna off in the near future. It planted a paw on Yuuji’s cheek and the younger Itadori melted. “Oh my god. Sukuna! Sukuna, look! Quick take a photo,” he said while reaching for his phone in his pocket and waving it at Sukuna.
Sukuna snarled as he grabbed the phone and snapped a quick photo of Yuuji being too enamored at the ugly-looking thing, unlike most strays Sukuna has seen around the block. It had a thin face and its fur clung to its body like a second skin. One of its ears had been badly clipped off by another cat if Sukuna were to guess just by looking at the wounds on its body. One of its eyes, hidden by the black mark that ran across its cheek and over its head, remained closed, while its other large, round eye reflected the sky.
It was pathetic to look at. Sukuna could see why Yuuji picked it up. It was weak and helpless. Yuuji has always been too empathic to let someone suffer, be it a person or animal, alone. Still, that didn’t mean he was going to let his brother keep it. Helping a cat, and keeping a cat are two different things.
“Where did you even pick that thing up? It might have rabies, or worse, it might be sick.”
“Oh don’t worry,” Yuuji assured him. “Nanamin said it was brought over in the shelter a few days ago and they needed someone to foster it.”
Sukuna cursed that old man. Nanami wouldn’t have asked Yuuji to foster it if he didn’t intend for him to keep it. The last time Nanami and his rescue center asked them to foster an animal, Yuuji refused to part with it until it died of a health condition. “And you said yes?” he hissed. “Remember the last time you-”
“Yes, yes, I do, but just look at it!” Yuuji argued. “Who could say no to this?” The cat tilted its head and meowed, obviously selling itself to the younger, more gullible Itadori. “I’ll just help get it back to its feet then we can have it up for adoption.”
“You better. We don’t have enough resources to foster a cat for too long,” Sukuna said. While that was one of the reasons, Sukuna mostly didn’t like the idea that Yuuji’s attention was now going to be divided between him and this cat. Yuuji was his. There was no way he was going to share it with some fucking cat.
A week passed and the cat Yuuji fostered began showing signs of habilitation. The gluttonous rascal put on some weight and seemed to grow some muscle that made it seem larger than before. Its wounds started to heal, and the patches were soon covered by a soft, silky-white overcoat. Over time, its hair grew, and Yuuji realized Nanami didn’t just pick up any other stray cat. It was a Ragdoll.
Nanami was more than surprised when he found out, and quickly set it up for adoption. When he came to pick it up, the cat hissed at him and hid under the couch. Yuuji managed to drag it out but the thing clung onto his pant leg while meowing anxiously.
Yuuji couldn’t stomach its cries and finally decided to keep it for good. Nanami didn’t have a problem with it and was more than happy to let them adopt it instead. Sukuna grit his teeth. Of course. Of course, it would lead to this. That damned old man. He planned this.
It didn’t take long for Yuuji to completely welcome it into their family.
He bought him a brand new black collar to match its markings, and a metallic purple name tag with the name Gojo engraved on it. Every day since adopting it, Yuuji brought home more gifts for Gojo than he did for Sukuna. It included, but was not limited to, a large cat bed, a bunch of toys, and food. Food.
Sukuna could understand if Yuuji bought a logical amount of pellet, or wet chicken or fish foo but cake? Cat’s aren’t meant to eat sweets. It wasn’t even anyone’s birthday. Hell, they didn’t know when the fucking cat was born. Yuuji didn’t need to go out of his way to make a custom cake, but he did.
Suffice to say, Sukuna was starting to feel as though he was just an afterthought in Yuuji’s life now that they - he - owned a cat. It didn’t help that Gojo felt bolder around the house and did as he wanted whenever Yuuji wasn’t around.
Contrary to what Sukuna knew or has read about Ragdoll cats, Gojo was not docile. He was a menace around the house, knocking things over, scratching furniture, and spraying everywhere. He was definitely intelligent and affectionate though. Affectionate to the right person that is.
He knew when to be a nuisance and when not to. Whenever Yuuji was around, the devil acted like an angel. It followed Yuuji around the house like it was his own shadow. It constantly pawed at him to be picked up and cried for attention. Which effectively took most of Yuuji’s attention away from Sukuna. To make matters worse, Gojo was smart enough to understand when Sukuna vied for Yuujis's attention. In the time Sukuna tried to start something with Yuuji, Gojo was there to squeeze himself in and put a stop to it.
Sukuna was starting to grow restless. It’s been months since they’ve last done it, and he wanted to get his fill. He knew Yuuji yearned for it too. Yuuji was just a lot more repressed about it than Sukuna was, always second-guessing the nature of their relationship, his words, and actions, but was not quite against it either.
There were a few times they got close to making it all the way but Gojo figured out how to open doors and always walked in on them halfway through undressing each other. Sukuna wouldn’t mind an audience but the way that bastard always jumped on the bed, crying loudly until Yuuji tended to him, and stared unblinking, at Sukuna until he moved off of Yuuji, ruined every chance of them getting it on.
Sukuna can only manage soft kisses in the morning because at night, Gojo had the gall to take his side of the bed and protested every time Sukuna tried to remove him. Yuuji bought him a cat bed for a reason! His brother found it adorable though and just dismissed the behavior as a thing cats did. Sukuna was certain that it was not.
Gojo’s devilish claws didn’t stop there, however.
When he realized that Sukuna would sometimes pull Yuuji away to hog him for himself, Gojo would purposely push something off the table. It always, without fail, broke Yuuji’s attention off him. Yuuji once again dismissed it as typical cat behavior, which, under circumstances would be. Sukuna this time was certain it was because a cat wanted to monopolize his brother’s attention and wasn’t willing to share.
Two can play that game.
He made his move when Yuuji was gone for the weekend and he had to settle with babysitting. Sukuna felt Gojo’s eye at the back of his head as though cursing him to shrivel up and die. He caught him hiding under the shadows of the kitchen table.
“Listen here you, bastard. You’re only here because Yuuji adores you,” he goaded the feline. “But he loves me. You may get your way sometimes but I will win this war. Count your days, I’ll find a way to get you out of that door.”
Gojo blinked and walked away. For the first time since the cat barged in on their lives, Sukuna thought he’d finally gotten through him. Unfortunately, the cat only found another way to make his life more difficult. In the short time that Yuuji was out, Gojo refused to eat in his bowl and instead demanded food off Sukuna’s plate. If he ignored him, the little shit would turn over his bowl and roll around on the floor, spreading around his food pellets and wetting his fur. Then he would walk around with wet paws, forcing Sukuna to clean up after him.
If cats had the capacity to look smug, Gojo definitely looked like it as he watched Sukuna mop the floor from a high place. Sukuna didn’t need to read or understand cat language to know that this fuck was shit talking him behind his back. To who? He didn’t know did he care. He just knew.
Clearly, the pest knew when to be a problem if Sukuna fought back, so he tried something new and didn’t fight back. To his surprise, Gojo actually started being amiable to him. The cat still didn’t like him, but he started being less of a problem as long as Sukuna did as he wanted.
That’s when Sukuna had a thought. If he can’t win against Gojo, then he’d just have to win Yuuji over instead. He can’t push his luck and seek Yuuji’s attention. Gojo would just notice it and steal it for himself instead. Rather, Sukuna was going to do the opposite. He would stop reaching out to Yuuji and wait for Yuuji to do it himself.
His brother was patient. Far more patient than he ever will be, but when it came to their desires. Sukuna was confident that they shared the same thing. He had to control himself from giving Yuuji more than the bare minimum of affection to make him come to him instead. They only exchanged soft, quick kisses in the morning on the cheeks, never the lips; with no lingering touches. He slept on the couch instead of the bed, letting Gojo revel at his temporary win.
Then one night, Sukuna finally reeled his brother in.
Gojo had taken his spot on the couch during movie night, and Sukuna, for the first time since he hatched his plan, did not fight the cat for his rightful place beside Yuuji. Instead, he sat on the floor by his brother’s foot.
Yuuji shifted while he scratched the back of Gojo’s ears, who was content with this arrangement as the movie played. They watched in complete silence until Yuuji slipped himself out of the couch and unto the floor to settle beside him.
The younger Itadori guided Sukuna’s arm around his waist and leaned his head on the latter’s shoulder. Sukuna grew still. This was it. Yuuji was making his move instead of him. Sukuna spared a glance over his shoulder to check the thorn on their side and grinned when he found the cat sound asleep.
“Is something wrong?” Yuuji asked in a low whisper.
“Hm?” Sukuna feigned not knowing. “What makes you say that?”
“You never…” Yuuji avoided his eye and bit his lip. “You know…”
Sukuna shook his head. “No, I don’t. Why don’t you remind me?” He leaned in close, brushing his nose with Yuuji’s, their lips only centimeters apart. The closest they’ve been to each other’s face since Sukuna decided to abstain from anything more than a peck on the cheek.
Yuuji lightly punched Sukuna’s side and huffed. “You know, do that! We don’t even make out anymore. Is it - is it my fault? Did I do something? Did I -” Yuuji stopped and gasped. “Did-did you get a girlfriend?”
Sukuna blinked. “What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know, the last time you stopped reaching out to me like this was when I dated that girl in high school… But since I don’t have one, I thought maybe you did,” Yuuji reasoned out, which made Sukuna at a loss for words.
He knew if he wanted to get away with tonight without Gojo meddling, he needed to be quiet, but he just couldn’t keep it in. Sukuna laughed, making Yuuji’s face flush in embarrassment. “It’s not funny! How did you get a girlfriend and you never told me! I’ve been waiting for you to -” he shut clasped his hands over his mouth and Sukuna smirked.
He’s got him.
“Oh, dearest brother. I don’t have a girlfriend. How could I when I have you?” Sukuna whispered, and Yuuj shivered at the sensation of his breath on his skin.
Gojo tried to squeeze himself between them but Yuuji moved unto Sukuna’s lap with his arms around the latter’s neck. “So you don’t have a girlfriend?”
“No, Yuuji, I don’t.”
“Then why haven’t you had sex with me?”
Gojo started to paw at Yuuji and meowed, needy. Sukuna rolled his eyes and the realization settled unto Yuuji’s face. “Oh… You’re bothered by Gojo.”
“No, I’m pissed he’s always interrupting us, and when we do keep him locked outside, he pushes things over and you go and fix it. It ruins the mood,” Sukuna said.
Yuuji briefly glanced at Gojo and picked him up, and for the first time since they adopted the damned thing, locked the cat in his carrier. “Let us have this for a few hours, please? I’ll take you out for a spa day, just the two of us? Alright?”
Gojo pawed at the door, disagreeing for a moment before Yuuji pleaded with him again. The cat lowered his paw and conceded with a weak meow. “Thanks, Gojo.” He lightly patted the cat’s nose and turned off the TV before pulling Sukuna unto the couch.
Yuuji tenderly pushed his lips unto his and forced Sukuna’s mouth apart with a slip of his tongue. Sukuna’s hands roamed through Yuuji’s body, greedy and excited as he pulled his shirt off. “You’ll make up for the months we didn’t get to do it right?”
Sukuna couldn’t see much in the dark, but he could feel the smirk on Yuuji’s lips as the latter placed kisses down his neck. “Sure, if you can keep up.”