Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Kugisaki, watch out!” Itadori shouts and pushes her away from some mere curse, getting hit in the process.

The girl falls to the ground.

“I had everything under control, Itadori!” She yells back, irritated.

Fushiguro’s dog bites the curse, and it turns into goo.

“Ew.” Nobara comments with a wince and stands up to clear her skirt. “That was the last one.” She glances at the pink-haired boy. “You need to stop doing that, Ita—” The words die on her tongue at the sight.

On the ground, in a puddle of Itadori’s clothes, sits a toddler. A fucking toddler. Even better. A naked toddler!

“What the fuck?” Fushiguro murmurs behind her, and the girl agrees. “Did Itadori get de-aged by that curse?” He wonders.

Oh, right. So the toddler is Itadori. Well, that explains the tuft of pink hair—whoa, that's a natural color?!—and the markings on his face.

Hm. They are fucked. Great.

Small Itadori blinks several times with a frown, Nobara fearing that the kid will start crying, but instead the toddler looks around curiously and then gasps.

“A dog!” He says it excitedly, and in the next second, he's in front of an animal.

Shit. He's fast .

“What should we do now?” Fushiguro stands next to her, and they watch how Itadori giggles when the dog licks him.

He's so small. And so naked.

Nobara clicks her tongue. “What do you think, you idiot? We need to report it to the dumb teacher and get Itadori some clothes.” She scoffs. “I never agreed to see such a disgraceful view.”

The dark-haired boy sighs deeply and releases his dog. Itadori gasps, his hand in the air where he was petting it.

Then the toddler snaps his attention at them, frowns, and tilts his head. “Who are you?”

“He doesn't remember us, shit.” Nobara mutters, and instantly an odd smile blooms on the kid's face.

“Shit.” Itadori repeats with enthusiasm.

“Kugisaki.” Fushiguro gives her a pointed glance.

She rolls her eyes. “He's fifteen, you dipshit. He just has the body and mind of a toddler.” The girl scowls.

The kid's smile widens. “Dipshit.” He echoes, his eyes sparkling.

Fushiguro's disapproving stare makes Nobara grit her perfect teeth. Tch. Those two will pay for her dental appointment next time.

“Come on, Itadori. Let's go back to Jujutsu High.” The dark-haired boy says, approaching the toddler.

“Don't wanna.” Itadori states casually.

Fushiguro’s step falters. “Why?” He sounds genuinely confused.

“I don't know you.” The small boy says it as if it's obvious and smiles again, and seeing this smile for the third time finally rings a bell in Nobara's mind. That's not Itadori’s usual cheerful smile. No. It's mischievous . “I'm running away!” He declares and bolts.

One second, and he's gone.

Again, fast .

“What are you waiting for, idiot? After him!” Nobara orders, already following.

They are in an old, abandoned four-story building with multiple hiding spots. And the toddler is extremely fast. Wonderful.

The girl chases after the kid, coming into the dark, dusted room where the happy giggles come from. There is some old furniture and chairs in poor condition, and the floor is dirty. She pauses, surveying the surroundings.

“Come out, Itadori!” Nobara calls and goes further.

A giggle, then a small body passes right next to her.

“No! Hide and seek!” The toddler exclaims and runs into the hallway.

“You little shit!” The girl spits and runs after him. “You are going to be all dirty, Itadori!” She warns and bumps into Fushiguro, who catches her before she can run after the kid.

“I talked with Gojou on the phone, he will be there in a minute. Don't chase Itadori, I called my dogs to get him.” The dark-haired boy informs her dryly, and she scowls.

“Say it earlier!” Nobara hits him on the chest accusingly.

Fushiguro sighs. “That's a very unfortunate situation. I have no idea how to deal with children.”

“Doggie is back!” They hear it a moment later with a happy squeal. “Two doggies!” They look at each other and nod.

They come to another room and find the dogs surrounding Itadori. The kid is, in fact, dirty but happy.

The girl winces. “I knew he was going to look like that.” She sneers.

The dark-haired boy looks thoughtful. “Honestly, I don't understand what you are complaining about.” He says it dryly.

Nobara makes a face. Men.

“Your favorite teacher is here!" Gojou picks this moment to join them, coming from behind them through the door like a normal human being, and then he gasps. “Oh gods, is that Yuuji?! He's so small! So cute~!” The man crouches down and waves. “Hi, little Yuuji~!”

To their utter shock, Itadori's eyes instantly go wide, and then he squeals, passing the dogs effortlessly and throwing himself into the man’s already waiting arms. “Gojou!” He hangs around their teacher’s neck and hugs him happily.

“Oya? I thought you said he doesn't remember anything.” Gojou turns towards them, hugging the giggling kid back, completely unbothered by the dirt and nudeness.

The girl scowls. “Well, he definitely didn't know any of us.” She mutters, slightly annoyed. “Why remember this dumb adult?” She scoffs.

“Rude, Nobara-chan~” The said adult pouts like a baby and then snickers. “The answer is obvious, though?” Gojou grins. “That's because I'm the best~!” He cheers.

“Hai!” The toddler cheers too.

Nobara exchanges looks with Fushiguro.

“I guess Itadori will be good with someone as childish as him.” The dark-haired boy deadpans, and the girl snorts.

“Megumi~” Gojou whines.

“Exactly my point.” Fushiguro sighs.

“A-ny-way!” The man sings and grins at Itadori. “Let’s get you a bath and something cool to wear when we get back, Yuuji!” He proposes excitedly, and the kid cheers again, matching the enthusiasm.

They take the car, the boy sitting in Gojou’s laps with contentment and snuggling into the man sleepily.

“Yuuji is so cute, I can’t take it~” Their teacher whispers, looking at the boy fondly, his hand rubbing on Itadori’s back soothingly.

Nobara scrunches her eyes, but the only thing she sees is still an annoying, dirty, and less naked toddler—since Gojou actually brought a towel to cover him. “Yeah, I can’t share the sentiment.” She sniffs.

Fushiguro makes a small smile. “When he is peaceful like that, I can see it.” He declares.

The girl gives him a look full of judgment. “Really.”  She says dryly. “I wonder why.” He glares at her, but she ignores it. “I’m more surprised that Gojou actually seems like he knows what he is doing.” Nobara points out.

“Again, rude!” The man looks offended. “I am an adult. Also, I have experience with children already.” He grins, nudging with his elbow a deeply scowling Fushiguro.

“Heee.” The girl intones. “Get a wife, Gojou. Maybe you wouldn’t be so useless as a dad.” She offers it with a mocking smile.

“I can’t, Nobara-chan. My only love interest ran away from me, and I had to kill them.” He says it in a sad, small voice and then laughs quietly until the dark-haired boy slaps him on the back of his head.

“Stop confusing people with lies.” Fushiguro reprimands tiredly.

“Who says that it was a lie?” Gojou pouts again, massaging his head.

At this moment, they finally arrive at the school.

“So, do any of you want to help your favorite teacher with bathing your friend-turned-toddler?” The man cheers, shifting the napping toddler in his arms.

“I will pass.” Nobara declares dispassionately.

“I will also pass.” Fushiguro says, looking away. “I don’t want to be responsible if Itadori drowns or something.” He mumbles.

A beat.

“Whoa, now I feel the pressure. Thank you, Megumi.” Gojou smiles widely. “I guess I will grab Shouko for help, then. She is a doctor, so even if something happens, we should manage.” He jokes.

No one laughs.

“Please don’t kill him.” The dark-haired boy pleads weakly.

Their teacher whines some more and then finally leaves them alone.

“We should probably tell the rest. We don’t know how long it will actually last.” The girl clicks her tongue.

Fushiguro nods. “I can only hope that Itadori won’t cause us any trouble.” He sighs.

Nobara recalls that mischievous smile, and a shiver runs through her spine.

She has a bad feeling about this.

Chapter Text

“Shouko~!” Satoru intones, opening the door with his elbow to the woman’s office and peering there with a grin.

She sighs and turns on the office chair towards him from her desk, where all the papers are scattered. Shouko raises one brow questioningly, so now that the man finally has her attention, he grins even wider and pushes the door open. Then Satoru makes a mocking Lion King pose with Yuuji in his hands.

“Look at this~!” He cheers, the boy giggling, having awoken some time earlier.

The woman blinks, unimpressed. “That yours?” She asks dryly.

He laughs lightly. “No! Shouko, no!” Satoru snorts and brings the toddler close to his chest, Yuuji instantly snuggling to him.

“Did you kidnap it?” Shouko makes a very judgmental face. “I wasn’t aware you had that kind of hobby.” She mumbles.

“No!” The man opposes, offended. “First of all, it’s not it , it’s a boy. Second of all, I do not have that kind of hobby. And third of all, that’s Yuuji! Look at how cute he is~” Satoru coos, tickling the kid under the chin and getting a squeal in response.

The woman blinks again. “If you are looking for a babysitter, I will only disappoint you. I don’t have an ounce of maternal instincts inside me.” She declares and turns back to her work.

Satoru whines. “No~ I am going to take care of Yuuji and spoil him to death, Shouko~ I just need a hand while bathing him.” He smacks his lips. “Megumi said something about the possibility of drowning the kid, and now I’m afraid that something will go wrong.” He chuckles. “So~ Help us, please?” The man pleads. “Yuuji too~!”

“Please!” The boy says obediently, observing the woman with curiosity.

Shouko sighs tiredly. “Is he okay, at least? It's a curse's work, right?” She asks.

Satoru hums. “I think it will pass, so it’s fine!” He pauses.

The man didn’t consider what happened with Sukuna. Did he become a toddler too? That would be hilarious. Let’s check!

“Oi, King of Curses! Come out~!” He sings, the woman sending him an alarmed look.

“Are you insane, Gojou?!” She hisses. “What if he takes control and—”

“If he could, he would have done so already.” Satoru points out and grins. “I’m just curious if he is also a toddler now.” He snickers at the mental image of a small, grumpy kid.

“How impudent.” A small mouth appears on Yuuji’s cheek, and the boy gasps. “It’s Brat who got hit by the curse, not me.”

“Sukuna!” The kid exclaims happily and looks around, then frowns. “Where?” He asks, tilting his head to the side.

Stunned silence.

“I didn’t expect that Yuuji would remember him.” Satoru admits, raising his eyebrows in surprise. Then he smirks, a sudden idea popping into his head. “Yuuji, do you like Gojou?”

The toddler beams. “I do!”

Good. “What about Sukuna?” The man squints his eyes, observing how the mouth is scowling.

“I like Sukuna too!” He declares.

Another stunned silence.

Satoru hums. “More than Gojou?” He asks innocently.

Yuuji frowns deeply and then shakes his head. “No. I like Gojou the most!” He decides, beaming.

The man coos again and then grins. “Even now I am winning, Sukuna. Take this!” He cackles. Sukuna scoffs and disappears. Satoru snickers more and catches Shouko’s pitiful expression directed towards him. “What?”

The woman shakes her head with pity, wordlessly.

“Gojou, bath!” The boy reminds him, and he hums.

“You are right, Yuuji. Let’s take a bath!” He cheers. “Shouko?” Satoru glances at her expectantly.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.” She sighs and stands up from her chair.

They come to the common bathroom, and Satoru glances at the kid in his arms. “Yuuji, wanna go to Shouko for a minute?” He asks, pointing at the woman.

The boy’s face scrunches funnily, and he shakes his head. “No.”

“Thought so.” The man chuckles. “Shouko, could you prepare the bath then?” He asks hesitantly.

“Why not just let him down?” She points, but gets to work anyway.

Satoru huffs an amused breath. “Yuuji, what will you do if I let you down?”

“Run away!” Is the instant answer full of enthusiasm.

“Yeah. That’s the reason.” The man chuckles, and Shouko makes a knowing face.

“So he’s not only a child, he’s also a gremlin. That’s great.” She deadpans.

The toddler is placed in the bathtub with the warm water, and Satoru kneels and gently washes away all the dirt from the child. The man lets him stay there for a bit longer, and Yuuji is delighted to play with the water. One precaution occurs to him right there.

“Just don’t splash the water—” And the moment Satoru says it, the kid does exactly that, with a wild smile on his face.

It all happens in an instant. The man turns on his limitless technique, getting away from it unspotted. Then he hears a choking noise and slowly, slowly turns to glance at… very wet Shouko, the woman wincing, her eyes closed.

“—Yuuji.” He ends weakly and looks at the boy in disapproval. “Why have you done that? Look at Shouko!” Satoru points, but Yuuji just giggles gleefully and raises his hand to repeat it. “Yuuji, no.” The man warns, making a serious face and trying not to crack a laugh after seeing utterly defeated woman. “You need to apologize.” He demands, the toddler pausing with a frown. “It’s not nice to splash someone like that, baby. Now Shouko is all wet and needs to change, hm? So what is Yuuji going to say?”

The boy frowns more and glances at the woman, then at Satoru. “Gojou mad?” He asks in a small voice.

Satoru blinks and smiles slightly. “No, not mad. Just a bit sad.” He lies, but it works because Yuuji makes an apologetic face and shyly looks at Shouko.

“I’m sorry, Onee-san.” He mumbles quietly.

The woman nods and stands up. “I’m going to change.” She informs.

“Oh. I think I’ve got this, Shouko, so you can go back to work.” The man grins. “Just be careful with the water today~” He teases.

She scoffs and leaves them alone. The boy plays in the bathtub a bit more until Satoru deems the water too cold to stay in it anymore. When he’s drying the kid, Yaga comes to the bathroom and wordlessly gives him a… panda onesie.

“Really?”

“He will look cute.” Yaga says it confidently.

Satoru can’t argue with that. The toddler lets himself be dressed up and then admires the piece of cloth.

“I’ve heard what happened from Megumi, but seeing it with my own eyes is something else.” The old man chuckles. “But that’s not why I came here. They scheduled you for an emergency mission, Satoru. You need to be at the airport in two hours.” He informs him with a frown.

“Shit.” Satoru scowls.

“Shit!” Yuuji echoes immediately.

He winces. His fault. “I can’t take Yuuji with me, can I?” He sighs. “Then who is going to take care of him?”

“Me, obviously.” Yaga states and crouches down to the boy’s level. “Wanna play with me and cursed corpses?” He offers it with a smile.

The toddler shakes his head with a frown, tugging at Satoru’s pants and looking up, making grabby hands. “Gojou.” He whines.

That’s a no, then.

“Plan B. Let’s gather all the rest.” He decides.

Satoru hopes that at least one person will be accepted by the small Yuuji, so the kid won’t bawl his eyes out when the man is on a mission.

Chapter Text

No one told them exactly why the entire Jujutsu High was called for an emergency meeting in the common room, yet everyone knows it's about toddler Itadori somehow.

Then comes Gojou with the said kid in arms, the boy wearing panda onesie, and Maki snorts. Itadori also notices the similarity and tugs at the Blindfolded Idiot, then points with his fingers at Panda.

“Gojou, a panda!” He exclaims then.

“That’s right! I'm Panda!” Panda waves his… hand? Paw? Whatever.

A gasp. “It talks!”

Gojou chuckles. “Yes, baby. This panda is special. He can talk, and I'm sure he would love to play with you.” He says it in a soothing voice with a smile, and Maki raises her eyebrow at the display of responsible parenting.

She would be impressed if the man wasn't an idiot all the time.

“We gathered you here because Satoru is going on a mission and Itadori needs supervision.” Yaga explains curtly.

For some reason, it makes the first-years groan, and the toddler snaps his attention at them.

“Dipshit!” The kid calls happily.

Megumi hides his laugh in the palm of his hand, his shoulders shaking, while Nobara is glaring at him with a slight blush.

“So, who is responsible enough here to not kill a toddler~?” Gojou cheers.

The silence is loud.

Then.

“Why not the adults?” Maki points since it's the obvious choice.

“Oh. Well, Yuuji is not keen on staying with Yaga, and Shouko…” Blindfolded Idiot giggles. “She’s out of the question for now.” He settles on and shrugs, then surveys every person in the room, a grin appearing on his features. “Okay then! Yuuji will pick his caretaker himself!” He decides and crouches down to sit the kid on his leg. “Now listen, Yuuji. Gojou needs to do very important work, baby, and I have to go far, far away.”

The boy looks crestfallen, his mouth curling downward and his eyebrows tightening into a frown. “Nooo! Don't wanna!” He utters, choking on a sob. “Don't leave! Gojou!” Itadori hugs the man desperately, his small fists clenching Gojou's clothes.

“But I will be back, Yuuji! I will be back as quickly as I can!” Blindfolded Idiot smiles, and the toddler pauses to sniffle pitifully.

“Really? Promise?” He asks in a small voice.

“Promise!” Gojou agrees instantly, with a grin. “So for now, Yuuji is going to stay with everyone here, and they will have a looot of fun together!” He says it excitedly.

Itadori frowns and glances at them hesitantly. “But I don't know these people.”

The white-haired man hums. “Then, is there anyone who you would like to become friends with, Yuuji?” He smiles encouragingly.

“Friends?” The kid mumbles in thought and now starts to observe every person intently, tilting his head while sucking on his lip.

Then Itadori's eyes settle on Maki, and suddenly she has a very, very bad feeling about this. The child makes a step towards her, and the girl immediately knows that she's utterly fucked. Yet Maki can only scream internally, watching how the toddler stops right before her and then raises his small arms wordlessly.

“Hooo? I didn't expect this.” Gojou grins, amused.

Maki sends him a glare and clicks her tongue at the voices of agreement. She sighs then, resigned at her fate, and picks the boy up. He peers at her closely, eyeing her glasses, then he smiles.

“Will Onee-san be friends with me?” The kid asks, and everyone coos.

The girl scowls. “I guess I don't have a choice.” She mutters, and the boy beams.

“Great!” Blindfolded Idiot claps his hands and comes to kiss the child’s forehead. “Gojou is going, then! Be nice, Yuuji!” He ruffles his hair, getting a giggle in response. “Second-years, I'm counting on you~!” He intones and bolts.

So, Maki has a toddler in her arms now and no idea what to do with that. “Yuuta.” She turns to her friend with a wince. “Help.” The girl hisses.

It makes him chuckle. “He's just a small child, it won't be that bad.” He reassures her, but Nobara snorts.

“Just a small child, my ass.” She scoffs.

Itadori gasps. “Ass!” He echoes, smiling devilishly.

Maki blinks.

“Well, good luck with him.” Megumi offers and leaves, raising his hand.

“Yeah, you will need that. Also, he's super fast, so be careful.” Nobara advises and goes after the dark-haired boy.

Second-years look at each other.

“You are not going to leave me too, right?” Maki glares.

They, in fact, do not leave her with a kid alone. But even with four of them present, they quickly learn just how big of a troublemaker small Itadori is.

The boy warms up to Yuuta almost instantly, but still picks Maki as the one to do anything with, to her utter surprise. It's a bit uncomfortable since the toddler is extremely cuddly, but the girl repeats herself that it's just for the time being. If normal Itadori is like that, she is going to beat him up.

Something with this child makes her skin crawl, though. Maybe it's Sukuna's influence, but the kid makes this unsettling grin sometimes, right before he does something stupid or dangerous, as if taking pleasure in doing such.

In the kitchen, Maki turns only for a few seconds, and suddenly Itadori is on a frigde, giggling madly.

“How did you climb there?!” Yuuta asks, dumbfounded, and takes the toddler down.

Then the kid grabs one of the knives from the counter, and when did he even get here?!

“Oi! No running with the knife!” The girl scolds, but Itadori only giggles more and runs away. "Oi! Give it back, you rascal!"

He runs faster. Great.

So, apparently, he listens only to Gojou.

Panda catches him and takes the dangerous tool from the child. The boy pouts.

It's peaceful for a moment until they notice things going missing and witness the toddler hiding everything out of place when he thinks they don't see it.

“His parents must have had it tough when he was at this age.” Yuuta comments after two hours, and everyone nods solemnly, splattered on the floor in the common room, exhausted.

“I never wanted to have children, but today just proves that my decision is correct.” Maki decides dryly.

“Yuuji, what are you doing with that fork?” Panda asks then, his voice alarmed, so they snap their attention at the boy.

How and when did he obtain it?!

“Gonna go boom!” He replies with enthusiasm and proceeds to fit the fork into the fucking outlet!

“Itadori, no!”

“STOP!”

“Nooo! Nooo boom!!”

Toge acts here on pure instinct, unzipping his hoodie. “ Don't move! ” He orders, and everyone freezes, then breathes with relief.

That almost killed Itadori, for fuck's sake!

Toge runs to the child and takes the fork from his hands, then hugs the kid, breathing heavily. “Mustard leaf.” He utters it, frowning worriedly.

They give the toddler a lecture about it later, and the boy listens with a pout.

Everyone tries their best to entertain the child, not giving him time to come up with another stupid idea. They fed him, and Yuuta is the one who takes him to the toilet—to Maki's relief.

When she realizes that the boy has cut her hair a bit—when?!—the girl needs to summon all the patience she has in herself to not snap here and there.

“I swear, Itadori is secretly Gojou's kid.” She groans.

And this appears to be a mistake—reminding the toddler about his favorite person—because after it, Itadori starts to ask when Gojou will be back regularly, making a more sorrowful face every single time.

Then he decides to check it himself, and in one second, the child is in front of the open window on the fucking second floor.

It's Yuuta who saves him this time, calling for Rika-chan to catch Itadori when he falls. Obviously, the kid is terrified at the sight of the curse. Rika-chan doesn't look too friendly, after all. He starts crying so violently, screaming for Gojou, that no one knows how to calm him down. Yuuta rubs his hand on the child's back, saying comforting words, but it's not working. Panda tries to make him laugh while Maki and Toge frown, not really having any idea how to deal with it.

“Gojou! Wanna Gojou!” Itadori wails.

A small mouth appears on the boy's cheek, glaring at them all. “You are too loud, Brat.” Sukuna complains, and that makes the toddler pause, his eyes searching, his chest still heaving under the strength of his sobs.

“Sukuna?” He mumbles, sniffling. “Where?” He sobs out, making grabby hands.

They can only gape, flabbergasted at the fact that Itadori remembers someone beside Gojou and it's The King of Curses?!

“Tch. You are all terrible at this.” Sukuna grumbles. “I'm taking my vessel, so don't do anything foolish.” He warns and disappears, then a second later the boy passes out, sagging into Yuuta’s arms.

Chapter Text

As entertaining as it was to watch Brat create chaos in his small version of himself, hearing his non-ending cries was torture, so Sukuna snapped and brought the toddler to his domain.

He regrets it now.

The kid lands in the bloody water and looks around curiously, then spots him on his throne and stands up wobbly.

“Sukuna!” The boy calls happily, and the man, for the life of him, can’t understand where this reaction is coming from.

He takes in sight his vessel’s pitiful state: a child's body dressed in a weird white one-piece with a black ending, and he scowls at the traces of tears on his cheek. Then Brat realizes their distance, and his happy expression fades away. That's better. Sukuna can't stand such positive vibes directed towards him.

“Why so high?” Brat complains and comes to the foot of his throne. “Sukuna, come here!” He demands, pouting.

But who does this child think he is to order the king? Sukuna scoffs, smirking.

The kid tilts his head and makes a frustrated noise. Then something odd happens. In seconds, a smile appears on Brat's face. Yet it’s a smile that mimics Sukuna’s own, with a malevolent glint in the boy’s eyes. The man blinks, surprised.

He has no idea how it’s even possible, but the toddler grasps one of the bones in the man’s perfectly built throne and pulls. Then, as if a house of cards, the entire construction crumbles to the ground. And Sukuna’s first instinct is to snatch the kid away, because surely those bones would crush him.

The man can only observe, utterly dumbfounded, how his throne falls with a loud thud while Brat looks at the entire thing with awe, his mouth wide open while clapping his hands excitedly all along.

“Went boom!” The boy shouts, thrilled. “Big boom! Again!”

What the hell.

This is not a normal child.

That’s the offspring of a demon.

Maybe they are related somehow?

Sukuna is kind of proud. Who would have thought that Brat had such potential? Yes, the man is moved. 

The child gasps then, realizing that he is right now in Sukuna’s arms, and makes a happy squeal, his small hands coming to hug the man, and no. Sukuna places his vessel on the ground and takes a few steps back to maintain some distance.

The boy frowns and then lights up. “Playing tag with Sukuna!” He exclaims with enthusiasm and suddenly is in front of the man, trying to catch him.

Sukuna avoids him, obviously, a bit impressed at the speed of this toddler. But then the situation repeats, with the kid giggling happily every time the man gets away. Brat chases him stubbornly, thinking of it as a playful activity. Like the king would stand so low to entertain him. Tch.

A tag, he said. Hm. Sukuna changes the strategy and lets himself be touched, with the boy cheering and running away. The kid is not aware that the man is, in fact, not going to chase him at all. Sukuna fixes his throne with a snap of his fingers and sits at the top of it a second later.

Brat looks up at him with such disappointment that it makes the man cackle. Until the child produces a sobbing noise and the Sukuna's eye twitches, the sound shuts him up in an instant. Shit. The boy’s lips wobble, and a second later, a waterfall falls from those honey eyes, tears streaming on the kid’s cheeks, his mouth twisted into an ugly grimace. Then comes the loud wailing.

“Whyyy? Sukuna, whyyy?” Brat cries in betrayal, sitting in the water, defeated. “Sukuna is mean! Sukuna hates Yuuji! Yuuji is sad!” He screams, distressed. “Whyyy!”

The man looks at this pathetic sight with disdain, wincing at the piercing sounds the child makes.

“Wanna Gojou!” The kid wails then, and Sukuna was never quicker in his life.

“No Gojou.” The man grumbles right in front of his vessel, annoyed.

Who needs this idiotic Six Eyes Sorcerer anyway? Not his vessel, for sure.

The boy stops sobbing immediately and makes grabby hands at him. “Sukuna!” He cries out, leaping from his sitting position and jumping up expectantly. “Sukuna, up!”

The man sighs, rolling his eyes with a scowl. “Only this once.” He decides and picks up the child, securing him on his hip.

Brat latches to him instantly, his head pressing into Sukuna’s shoulder, and the man has a floating thought about the disgusting fluids that are going to stain there. Then the boy glances up at him with that mischievous smile again, and Sukuna freezes, realizing, completely shocked, that he just went straight into the trap.

What.

Him? The King of Curses? Tricked by the child? His stupid vessel at that?

The man gives himself a moment to gape and then huffs an amused breath.

“You are such a Brat.” Sukuna comments a bit fondly.

The kid frowns and sniffles. “Not Brat. Yuuji.” He corrects, pouting.

“No. It’s Brat, for sure.” Sukuna smirks. The man witnesses then how those honey eyes peering at him gather tears again, and he grits his teeth. Please no. Stop. Just no. “Okay. Okay, my bad, Yuuji.” He obliges with a disgusted face.

The boy giggles and nuzzles into him, pleased. “Sukuna is nice.” He mumbles into his shoulder. “I like this Sukuna.” The child decides.

The man blinks and sighs, cursing his vessel’s stupidity for getting himself hit by that curse in the first place. Brat is supposed to fear Sukuna, not like him, for curse's sake.

He takes them to his throne, the kid finding a more comfortable position, sitting sideways on his lap, his head still on the man's shoulder. A few moments pass, and the boy’s breathing evens out. Sukuna glances at the child to find Brat asleep contently with a small smile.

Huh.

So the toddler felt safe enough in the man's arms to fall asleep. That information makes Sukuna oddly touched. What is this? Emotions? Ew. He can't let himself feel endearing about his vessel. That's just ridiculous.

The man relaxes his hold a bit and takes a deep breath. He pauses and repeats. Oh, yes. That’s a child’s scent. Sukuna brings his face closer and takes more of this divine fragrance to his nostrils. Wait, that’s dangerous. More of that, and the man will start salivating, reminded of Uraume’s cooking. Toddlers’ brains are the most delicious snack, after all.

Should Sukuna have a bite of the kid? Fresh human flesh isn't as delectable as the cooked one, yet it's still better than nothing. The man hasn't had a meal in hundreds of years, after all. But then he looks at the peaceful face of his vessel, a slight, content smile present there. The way the child’s fists are holding gently to Sukuna's kimono and how the kid’s soft breathing tickles the man's neck a bit. Sukuna brings the boy a bit closer, the man’s arms wrapping around him protectively. That's a no, then.

“Only this once, Yuuji. Only this once.” Sukuna whispers, caressing pink tufts on the boy’s head.

It's not like Brat will remember anything about it. His vessel doesn't need to know that even Sukuna can be gracious sometimes.