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The crickets outside coupled with the gentle breeze of the night were alluring, almost making Yuuji fall asleep had it not been because a certain someone was being a huge ass and interrupting Yuuji’s precious sleeping time with mockery and belittlement. But Yuuji was already used to it, Sukuna’s voice wasn’t any different from the one before him. A voice that sounded more like his own, seeping through during the sleepless nights Yuuji worried for Wasuke. The only difference now was that Yuuji was in a school dorm instead of an almost empty house, where sometimes Yuuji preferred to be out because of how loud the silence was.
“No matter what you say, you and I both will die together. I will make sure of that.” Yuuji huffed as he stared at his ceiling with narrowed eyes.
Sukuna sneered inside his mind. “Brat, the only fate I can see for us both is if one of us is dead,” he mocked. “And it obviously will be you.”
Yuuji groaned. “No! It will be us two!”
Sukuna sighed. “What are you, my wife?”
At that, Yuuji sputtered. His cheeks heated up as he furrowed his brow. “N-No! What!? Why would you say that!?”
“Then why do you insist on dying with me? You're not even trying to find ways to save yourself.”
“Because-”
“They told you to? Because that's your role?” Sukuna shook his head inside his domain. “Not even going down without a fight, how useless of a vessel you are.”
Yuuji rolled his eyes. “Whatever, old man.”
Silence.
“If you had to choose,” Sukuna started. “Between saving yourself or dying, which one would you-”
“We both die.”
Sukuna scoffed. “Ok, but if you had no choi-”
“I choose to die with you in this life and the next one as well.”
Sukuna found it amusing how his own vessel started to feel embarrassed after the words left his mouth. The heat on Yuuji’s face spread to his ears and nape. Yuuji put the back of his hand over his lips with wide eyes.
“My~ I didn't realize you felt so strongly about me, Yuuji.” Sukuna mocked.
Yuuji groaned. “Shut up! I know that sounded weird.”
“You mean like a proposal?”
“I-It's not a proposal! Don't make this weird!” Yuuji shrieked. There was a thud on his wall, signifying Megumi had hit it as a way to tell him to shut the fuck up. Yuuji cleared his throat. “A-Anyway! I meant-”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Sukuna dismissed him with a sigh. “Even if we reincarnate, you plan on chasing me… ridiculous.”
“T-To kill both of us!” Yuuji whispered-yelled. Although, Yuuji felt that familiar stirr in his chest anyway as his cheeks reddened and his eyes narrowed in annoyance again.
Another silence.
“Brat,” Sukuna called out, yet again, to Yuuji. Somehow, Sukuna had a problem with his vessel being so hellbent on dying together. He knew Yuuji could be selfless... but to be so willing to die? And for what? No one will even notice Yuuji had done the biggest sacrifice of all anyway. The world won’t chant his name, commemorate his image or make a festival in his name. Once he will be gone, when the ones who knew Yuuji die as well… who will be left to remember Yuuji’s sacrifice?
Sukuna furrowed his brow inside the domain, resting his chin on his right fist. “If, by some stupid miracle, I die first without us being executed…” Sukuna noticed the way Yuuji’s body tensed up. He noticed how inside his vessel a strange bitterness invaded him. Huh, shouldn't he be happy if it happened? Sukuna thought. “What will you do?”
...
Sukuna waited, but all that he got was a deafening silence.
“Well, shit, boy say something!” Sukuna exclaimed with a frown. “Say you will be happy! That you would dance on my grave or something!”
“I... haven't thought of that possibility.”
“What, dancing on my grave?”
“You, dying first.”
Oh.
This time, it was Sukuna who prolonged the silence. Sukuna was speechless. Speechless! He wasn't even sure what he was feeling anymore. It was a combination of frustration, shock and a little something more. A stirr.
“Gross.”
“What!? Why!?” Yuuji raised his voice slightly, gasping as he waited for Megumi to hit the wall again and relaxing when it didn’t happen. “Shouldn't you have known that? You're like, living rent free in my mind. Like, literally!”
Sukuna did know that Yuuji has imagined/dreamed of his own death many times. But Sukuna thought nothing of it, even if those same scenarios involved Sukuna winning. He always thought it was Yuuji's fear that Sukuna hoped came true. But perhaps, they meant something else entirely. Now that Sukuna had asked the question, there was a strange discomfort from his vessel at the mere idea of Sukuna dying first and leaving Yuuji alone. It was like… like… he was attached to Sukuna or something. He didn’t put it past his vessel to weep his death.
Impossible. It was definitely impossible.
Yuuji chuckled. “Who's embarrassed now, hm?” Yuuji's tone had come out more teasingly than intended and he sounded —dare Sukuna say it— soft.
Yuuji could feel a wave of embarrassment that felt foreign to him. So it must be coming from Sukuna. He sort of wanted to see his face now.
Sukuna's ears were starting to get strangely warm. “I don't know what you're talking about, brat. That's clearly all you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“As you say ‘ whatever ’, brat.” Sukuna huffed.
Deafening silence.
“What if I die first?” Yuuji asked.
“If I somehow managed to get the hell out of here? I would not care.”
“Ouch.”
“Otherwise, I would just take over your body and use it as I please.”
“Uuh, kinky~”
Sukuna rolled his eyes.
Yuuji felt sleep finally start to catch on. “Hey, Sukuna? Let's die together, yeah?” Yuuji yawned.
Sukuna stayed quiet for a few seconds. “Why are you making your loneliness my problem?”
“You're lonely too.”
“No the fuck am not.” Sukuna spat.
“You are.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“You are an imbecile.”
“You're just bitter that I'm young and pretty.”
Sukuna snorted. “Brat.”
Yuuji finally closed his eyes before chuckling. “You didn't deny that I'm pretty.”
The embarrassment this time came from both as Yuuji felt his face heat up again while Sukuna grumpily called him an ugly snot nosed brat.
“Would you miss me if I die?” Yuuji asked. Before Sukuna could answer, Yuuji finished. “Don't laugh, but I would miss you if you died.”
Sukuna narrowed his eyes inside the domain. “What are you, a masochist?”
“I wonder if I am,” Yuuji said before yawning some more. “Like, I hate you but... I don't know, I would miss fighting with you like this.”
Sukuna hummed. “Then, that means you don't hate me.” Sukuna pointed out before snickering. “It almost sounds like you have a strange affection for me.”
“Mhm.” Yuuji hummed, already drifting to sleep. “Love ya.”
WHAT!? WHAT!? WHAAAAAAAT!?
“What did you just say, brat!?” Sukuna exclaimed, but Yuuji was already snoring.
Sukuna felt his right eyebrow twitch in annoyance as his cheeks suddenly felt warm. Sukuna called for Yuuji inside his domain, but he must've been too tired because even when Sukuna made his body fall right in Sukuna’s lap, Yuuji didn’t wake up. Sukuna stared at Yuuji's face; looking at Yuuji’s relaxed brow, the scars under his eyes, his nose, his pink lips.
Yuuji was pretty. Even if they looked the same, somehow Yuuji managed to make himself look in ways that Sukuna certainly couldn’t pull off. Sukuna pulled Yuuji's sleeping body closer, letting the brat's head rest on Sukuna’s shoulder as he lightly snored with parted lips. Lips that look too enticing right now.
Sukuna sighed through his nose, cradling one side of Yuuji's face. “I guess you're growing on me too, brat.”
Yuuji had a dream he was on Sukuna’s lap, being gently held as another pair of lips brushed against his in a chaste kiss. Successfully stealing Yuuji’s first kiss. A kiss that Yuuji will soon forget, but nonetheless his subconscious will hold onto dearly.