Work Text:
Freshman Year
Suguru had thought it was bad enough to be in the same class as that loud, egotistical sky dragon and his obnoxiously pretty eyes. While the heir of the Jupiter Clan wasn’t the ominous, conniving ‘affront to magic’ that his grandmother would have had him believe, from her various offhanded ramblings about the only other line of (still living) dragons out there, he still wanted little to do with him. Suguru had never thought much of this scenario before, because there wasn’t going to be any chance that they would cross paths for at least a few hundred more years, with his life solidly within Briar Valley as the heir apparent… until Night Raven College sent him an application.
That was its own nightmare, trying to fight his way through making the Council let him attend (and pave the way for Mimiko and Nanako to do the same, next year), but ironically enough, it was the discovery that the sky dragons also had a new adolescent dragon and that he was going to be attending the school that made the Council let up.
So Gojo Satoru had his uses, but Suguru still found him annoying. For many reasons. He was loud, tall (okay this wasn’t fair, but Suguru wasn’t used to being shorter than anybody, horns included), way too energetic, egotistical—and that wasn’t even counting all of his grating quirks. Gojo was also ridiculously goofy and by no means a threat to him or to humanity, but by the Seven, he was a threat to Suguru’s sanity.
And maybe to his grade. Because that was a thing, in human magic schools.
“Quit it already,” Suguru huffed, throwing in the towel of trying not to care and subsequently let his not-rival know that he was this close to losing it over something ultimately inconsequential. He gestured to their (struggling) vat of potion. “You can’t fucking see the colors right. Just stop showing off and take those things off already.”
One of Gojo’s many, many baffling quirks was his tendency to wear ridiculously dark sunglasses indoors. The first time Gojo came to class with those things on, Suguru had been perplexed because what the hell, but he was also secretly glad to be rid of those distracting blue eyes of his, reminiscent of the sky that he belonged to. It got old fast, though. He could see and navigate even with obstruction to his vision because his magic eyes saw everything, big whoop. Apparently, it was some hereditary spell that served as one of the treasured magics of the sky dragons, rare and only able to be cast by those born with the capability for it, unlike the dependable and learnable sleep magic passed down through his own family, from the lineage of the Thorn Fairy herself.
Why he felt the need to flex his magic in history class was a mystery that Suguru didn’t care to unravel. Alchemy class was even more of an annoyance. Especially since it was directly affecting Suguru and that was a line he didn’t want to be crossed.
Gojo made an affronted noise, as dramatic as he always was. “I can see colors just fine! I can see colors you don’t even know exist!”
“Then focus on the real ones and stop ruining our assignment. I don’t care about your fancy sight spells, just our grade.” It was already a lamentable fact that he and Gojo were often stuck as lab partners, because when the school year started, most of their classmates were cowed by their reputation, and now it was just becoming a matter of course, with no one looking to switch partners when things were settled and growing comfortable. Suguru couldn’t say that he wasn’t getting used to it either, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still annoyed.
Blessedly, Gojo didn’t immediately argue, though the silence was odd on him. With a click of his tongue and an aggravated snort, he pushed the sunglasses up to his head. “It still looks right to me,” he pouted, squinting at the potion. “I think it’s not hot enough. The magic isn’t merging right.”
You just don’t want to admit you added too much blue, Suguru didn’t say. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure about the temperature, because it was difficult to gauge by feel alone when Suguru could put his entire palm to the cauldron and not get burned. Maybe it could stand to be hotter, if Ice-Breath wanted to add more fire to the mix.
In the end, their potion turned out fine. Somehow.
—o0o—
For the next few days, Suguru noticed that Gojo gave up on toting around those sunglasses indoors. Not that Suguru was paying exceptional notice to that other dragon or his shiny eyes, or anything. He really didn’t think much of it, aside from a passing thought and observation.
Not until he ran into Gojo after class, one day.
Suguru had realized that he forgot his cellphone…somewhere…when he returned to the dorm and it wasn’t in his bag. He still wasn’t used to carrying it around with him, or having it in general, so admittedly it wasn’t part of his mental checklist when it came to keeping up with his supplies. He should really work on that, especially since Nanako was becoming increasingly efficient at cellphone communication, so much so that she claimed it was better than mirrors. She was admittedly right, from what Suguru knew about the technology, but damn pressing the little buttons was hard…
He had a hunch that it was left in a classroom somewhere, so Suguru combed through them until he spotted it. Otherwise, he would have to wait and ask around on Monday, and admittedly, Suguru wasn’t looking forward to the embarrassment that would cause, disregarding any panic he could cause by not responding to the girls. He knew they were safe in Briar Valley and busy with their training leading up to their inevitable enrollment (because Suguru could not imagine that they would not be accepted, considering their magic ability), and they should know that Suguru was fully capable of handling himself, but they tended to worry anyways. Kuroi claimed it was because of the plentiful time he spent with them when they were infants, but in Suguru’s defense, babies and young children—especially humans—required a lot of attention. He was the one who found them, so it was only natural that he should be the one to care for them too… especially considering the lackluster reactions of the palace staff, Kuroi and one of the councilmen’s daughters, Amanai, being the notable exceptions.
Suguru was too distracted thinking about those back home that he completely didn’t notice that the next classroom wasn’t empty until he flicked the lights on.
“Shit,” someone hissed. Meanwhile Suguru was too startled by the unexpected presence, and though this was not his finest moment, it didn’t stop the reflexive lightning cast from his fingertips.
Before Suguru could comprehend the chance that he could have fried one of his classmates or teachers for the grievous sin of merely catching him off guard, the spell stopped short of its target before fizzling out of existence. The piercing blue eyes of Gojo Satoru glared at him through a curtain of white hair and equally white eyelashes.
“What the hell?!” the sky dragon sputtered, and Suguru… honestly did not have a good response.
“Sorry. You surprised me,” he apologized simply, because regardless of the fact that Gojo creeping around unlit rooms was completely uncalled for, trying to fry him was also uncalled for. Especially since Gojo was just…sitting on the ground, hunched rather miserably in the corner of the room. Huh.
“Whatever,” Gojo mumbled, and Suguru took notice of the way his tail was curled around him. Protective. Pained. Like Suguru, the sky dragon didn’t always allow his tail to exist in his human form, but since his wasn’t as bulky as Suguru’s, it was easier for Gojo to keep his. Suguru was almost jealous at the ease of it, though a side effect that Suguru hadn’t considered before was how indicative tails were of one’s emotional state. Seven knew that Kuroi had taken advantage of his multiple times, once she learned his tells. (Or perhaps even after his grandmother divulged them to her; he would likely never know.)
“What are you even doing?” Gojo asked, a note of derision in his voice. “What kind of night dragon goes around turning on lights?”
“What kind of sky dragon sits in dark rooms?” Suguru shot back, puzzled by Gojo being, well, weird. Nevermind the fact that him being traditionally known as a ‘night dragon’ didn’t mean that he didn’t need light at all. Just that they were nocturnally inclined and darkly colored. Sheesh. Although, Mr. Magic Eyes probably had just as good of night vision as him, so his retort was likely just as stupid.
Wait…
Gojo didn’t answer. Instead, he closed his eyes—a little tighter than what was necessary—and sighed. “If you’re looking for your dinky little flip phone, it’s underneath your desk, a little to the right. Just… turn the lights off when you leave.”
Sure enough, his phone was where Gojo said it was. He retrieved, and, bemused but also with a growing hunch, he turned the lights off as Gojo had requested. Suguru didn’t leave, however. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, though it was still incredibly dark in the room. He had to maneuver more by sound, smell, and memory, since night vision wasn’t foolproof. For standard dragon eyes, at least.
Because that was the problem, wasn’t it?
“Why are you still here, Getou?” Gojo asked when Suguru made it back to his corner.
Suguru’s answer was a question of his own. “Do…your eyes hurt?” he wondered, not unkindly. It really wasn’t his place to ask or even care, but now that Suguru noticed, he couldn’t easily forget about it. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand. Adjusting to how bright Sage’s Island was compared to Briar Valley had been a tough few days, and sometimes Suguru was still caught off guard by how often the sun shone at full intensity. He didn’t realize how cloudy it was in his homeland until that was no longer the case.
“…I can handle it,” Gojo replied, which was an affirmative answer as much as it was a deflection. The remnants of the Jupiter Clan were no longer in any position of power, like the Draconia lineage was, with the Kingdom of Heroes having transitioned to democratic governments long ago; yet, knowing how old and proud dragons were, as pinnacles of magic that would forever be watched as such, Suguru could imagine that he still had some share of expectations to contend to. Perhaps the Gojo matriarch that his own grandmother complained about had been just as insistent on using this school tenure to prove his strength to the world as Briar Valley’s council had eventually asserted.
Suguru really wasn’t sure. For all that he and Gojo were compared to each other, as they stood in a realm all their own, he really knew very little about him and the way his family lived.
“Sure.” In a moment of impulsivity, Suguru sat down beside the sky dragon, in the back of that dark classroom. Gojo was annoying, yes, but there also wasn’t any real reason not to get to know him better. “Doesn’t mean it can’t be helped, though. I know a few good spells for eye strain.”
He could hear Gojo’s ear flick, hitting his hair with a quiet snap. “Those won’t work.”
“Well, maybe your spells didn’t work, but—”
“No. It’s not that kind of eye strain,” Gojo interrupted, and the pain in his voice was more obvious now, in the breathless way he talked. “I fucking wish it was, but it’s not, so just… just shut up.”
Suguru blinked, surprised by both the level of discomfort that was radiating from the other dragon and by the nature of it. Perhaps this was his cue to leave it all alone, but that really wasn’t his strong suit. His curiosity was still going strong, and now so was his concern. (And, if Suguru was being honest with himself, his own loneliness was just as powerful as a motivator, if not more so.)
“Is it a kickback from overusing your eye spell?” he guessed. Well, it was clear that Gojo had an incredible pool of magic, his eye magic was supposed to be the equivalent of his unique magic, wasn’t it? While Suguru’s was a bit different in terms of activation cost, most UMs were high. Hell, Mimiko had passed out the first time she managed hers for longer than a few seconds. That had been frightening…
When Gojo cracked his eye open to glare sideways at him, his eyes glowed. Was he using his spell right now?! What kind of idiot—?!
“It’s not a spell.”
What?
“What… what do you mean, it’s not a spell?” It was coming from him, wasn’t it? There was no way it was some enchantment, because then it wouldn’t be controllable to a user. Because that would imply it was intrinsic, despite having its own magic output, and that…
Gojo’s eyes slipped closed again. “Six Eyes is passive. Like if eyeballs were powered by magic instead of just nerves and electrical signals. The magic it requires is literally nothing to me, it’s just…”
He trailed off, but Suguru had already gotten a much clearer picture than he had before. Eyes that were entirely magic… No wonder it was so rare and powerful. It must be akin to an elemental fairy’s wings. Except, to be so inextricably attached to the already powerful senses of a dragon fae… That must be utterly overwhelming.
“Loud?”
Gojo shifted, some part of his body relaxing audibly. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had no reason to be tense anymore, now that Suguru knew of his plight. “…yeah. Loud.”
He wished he had realized it sooner—though he imagined that part of it was by Gojo’s design. Still, had Suguru known how finicky his eyes were, he wouldn’t have given him grief about it. Seven knew that there were plenty of other things more appropriately Gojo’s fault, without Suguru inadvertently harping on something he hadn’t understood. The extra effort to curtail his larger range of vision in a world not meant for it was surely tough. It was tough enough to be a dragon in a world where everything else was more… fragile.
Ah shit, now Suguru felt bad. He would have to be more careful, in the future. More thoughtful.
“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Suguru whispered, deciding it was probably best to take his leave. Clearly Gojo had picked this spot for being dark and easy on the senses, and having a companion likely wasn’t helping. Plus, Suguru suspected he had a migraine from it all, and Suguru knew that any sensory input, save for perhaps touch, was a beast for those.
To his surprise, though, there was a split second when Gojo startled, the feathery tip of his tail sweeping against Suguru in an aborted motion to reach for him before it snapped back to Gojo’s side. It was enough to make Suguru pause, sensing Gojo’s hesitance for him to leave. He had no intention of making assumptions again. “Unless… do you want anything? I don’t mind.”
“It’s…” Gojo snorted softly as he cut himself off. “Don’t worry about lil ol’ me,” he continued, tone controlled and close to its usual tenor. Perfectly crafted. “Go about your princely day.”
He ignored the attempt to chase him away for what it was. Gojo was being dodgy and now it was in his personal interest to know what he wouldn’t say. “I’m not busy.”
“…it’s not a big deal.”
“So?”
Gojo didn’t have a good retort or excuse for that one.
“It helps to…have a single thing to focus on, when my eyes get like this,” Gojo finally admitted. He gestured vaguely to Suguru. “And you’re plenty distracting.”
“Um. Thanks?”
Gojo hummed in response.
The entire ordeal was truthfully far from how Suguru had assumed he would spend his Friday evening, but he hadn’t been lying when he was said that he wasn’t busy. He was in this deep, so he was committed now. The wall wasn’t the most uncomfortable place, at least. He shifted around to settle in, and on a whim, he released his tail while he was at it. It wouldn’t get in the way when he was just sitting here like this, and if it bothered Gojo, then he could deal with it. Although he suspected that Gojo was the opposite of upset, judging by the way he shifted further into the lean of his tail against his legs.
Suguru slipped his eyes closed and relaxed. His breath warmed him from the inside, and he could have napped if he had wanted to. In fact, he did doze a little in his meditative silence, being more intent on keeping still and calm than going through his magic regulation exercises. He had always been one to find ease and comfort in stillness…though that might have been a natural outcome, considering how little outlets for activity he had growing up.
Time passed smoothly and without consequence. Before he knew it, Gojo was the one breaking the peaceful stillness, stretching his arms and legs and arching his spine. “Whelp,” he said, “we should probably get back to our dorms before your housewarden gets funny about curfew.”
As if his housewarden would do anything but insist that Suguru should be the housewarden, on account of being ‘a noble dragon from the Thorn Fairy’s lineage.’ Suguru might not be able to avoid him for much longer. (Suguru was flattered, honestly, and as a prince he really should be readily accepting of the position, but Suguru still didn’t know what ‘cc’ meant on emails so suffice to say, representing a whole dorm in a school that wasn’t five hundred years behind the times was a little daunting.)
“Don’t tell me that your housewarden wouldn’t do the same,” Suguru replied, shoving those thoughts aside.
“Puh-lease,” Gojo scoffed. “He would have to come out of his room to even notice.”
Suguru chuckled. It was hard to imagine Ignihyde’s reputation of being shut-ins was true when his main exposure was Gojo. Then again, after today… Well, there was evidently merit to the rumors after all. “I don’t blame him. Dealing with you must be a nightmare.”
“I’ll have you know I’m delightful, and all of my ideas are brilliant. Speaking of which…”
After so long of sitting in the dark, Suguru was surprised by the soft blue light orb that Gojo cast, leaving it to hover in the air between them. It was a gentle light, though, so after a few blinks, Suguru’s eyes were adjusted—just in time to see Gojo make a grabbing motion with his hand. “Let me see your tiny phone.”
“Why do you keep calling it small?” he retorted, though he handed it to Gojo anyway.
“Because it is. Flip phones are tiny and very much outdated technology.” He paused. “Though if it works for you, power to you I guess. I didn’t even realize they had cell reception in Briar Valley.”
Suguru would be more offended if it wasn’t right. “It’s…not a good signal, but we have it. And my guard said that that phone was a good one. I trust her.”
Gojo gave him a pitying look. “It is, for its time,” he acquiesced, doing something with his phone while he talked. “Hell, I had one of these… twenty-five years ago? Eh. But if you ever wanna upgrade, come ask me next time.” Gojo handed his phone back to him, while taking out his own. Like many of the other students, his was larger and rectangular, being entirely based off of a single screen. While it looked more like a magic mirror, where were the buttons? Technology was more confusing than it should be, and Suguru was still scrambling to catch up with it.
“There. Now you have my number and I have yours,” Gojo said. “So, uh… if you ever lose your phone again, I can call it. Or anything else.”
“Oh.” Everyone he had a contact for was back home, making Gojo the first person from Night Raven. Their close proximity almost made it redundant, but Suguru had also learned that there was merit to that kind of communication. It was…nice to know that Gojo had granted him that kind of permission. “Thank you.”
Gojo cleared his throat. “And thanks for…” He gestured around to the room. “This.”
Neither of them had anything else to say on the matter, but the significance was there. And, perhaps, the start of something. A shift, their edges softening and their walls gaining doors. It wasn’t what Suguru had anticipated, but… he did not mind in the slightest.
“Of course.”
The smile he received was small and tired but genuine—a far cry from the obnoxious thing he had come to associate with Gojo. With that, the sky dragon teleported away, leaving only his light spell behind.
Suguru cupped it into his hands, admiring the care taken into its duration and durability. It was not unlike the torches that were plentiful in Briar Valley, and even in his dorm, but the mobility of this one was a nice touch. There was no one around to freak out or ask questions, so in light of studying the spell, Suguru employed his own bizarrely intrinsic ‘unique magic,’ a trait he once thought to be more of a fluke than anything impressive. Now he was just grateful it wasn’t something he had to contend with twenty-four-seven, weird cravings and hungers aside.
He inhaled and swallowed the spell, breaking it down to its magical components. Huh. He applied fluidity to the light, making it more akin to a luminescent water spell than a non-heated fire spell. Suguru would be offended that he hadn’t thought of the (frankly insane) method sooner, but he settled on being impressed and filing away the idea for later use.
It was another reason he should give Gojo more credit for qualities aside from being a menace. The thought of spending the next three years in his immediate vicinity was no longer quite as daunting.