Work Text:
Geto is distant, and Gojo blames Toji for it. Of course he does, because practically everything that’s going wrong with his life right now can be traced back to him. Sure, there were a lot of problems before that summer, too, but nothing’s been the same since Amanai was killed. Most importantly, Gojo and Geto haven’t been the same. They don’t get to go on missions together anymore, either, so they’re spending less and less time together. Gojo didn’t think it’d change anything. He thought they had the kind of bond that can’t be severed with distance or time. But he’s been feeling the chasm between them growing day by day, unable to stop it from happening.
It’s when he runs into Tsukumo by chance that he realizes just how bad things have gotten. She tells him about meeting Geto, about what they talked about, lamenting that she never did get to hear what his type is. Gojo feels both furious and terrified by the fact that Geto’s thinking about these kinds of things and has never once mentioned it to him. Of course, there’s not much chance to, these days, with how busy they both are with missions, but still. It solidifies for Gojo that something needs to happen, and it needs to happen right now.
He’s been so focused on perfecting his own techniques and working through the endless piles of curses that get sent his way that he never noticed how far Geto was slipping. Of course he knew that the dark circles under his best friend’s eyes hadn’t always been that deep, and that there was nothing normal about the way they didn’t even have stupid, meaningless squabbles anymore. He feels vaguely guilty about it. He’s only been doing what he had to, really, but Geto’s been running away from him and he hasn’t even noticed.
Gojo marches into Yaga’s office and informs him that the special grades are taking a week off. Yaga doesn’t even have the chance to try to argue before Gojo’s already gone again. It doesn’t matter. There’s nobody in the world who can force Gojo Satoru into doing something he doesn’t want to do. Any argument would’ve been futile anyway.
Gojo’s next stop is Geto’s dorm room. He can rely on the other teen being there, since he knows that he only got back from a mission earlier today. Geto doesn’t spend time outside his room for anything but missions anymore. Gojo doesn’t even bother knocking before letting himself in. His assumption is proven correct when he sees a lump hiding under the covers in Geto’s bed.
“Suguru! Get up. We’re leaving,” Gojo declares, slapping the light switch with more force than is strictly necessary to turn the lamp on. There’s barely any reaction from Geto. Everything Tsukumo said keeps playing back in Gojo’s mind. Geto’s rotting away in here, thinking about mass murder, so deep in the spiral that he doesn’t even bother asking where Gojo wants to take him after so many months of not having the time to do anything together.
“C’mon. You gotta pack, or I’ll pack for you, and you know you don’t want that,” Gojo coaxes, poking at the bundle of blankets. That earns him a groan, at least. Geto turns around to see eerie blue eyes staring at him, faces way too close for what’s considered a normal amount of personal space. It doesn’t phase either of them, and something about it makes Gojo feel at least a little bit relieved. He’s still allowed near Geto, even if emotionally he’s the furthest he’s ever been.
“What for?” Geto grumbles, giving in enough to entertain Gojo’s plan on a theoretical level, at least. It’ll be enough, Gojo’s sure.
“We’re leaving, I told you. For a week. Pack your bags and tell me where you wanna go,” Gojo instructs, smiling unnaturally brightly. Internally, he feels terrified and insecure, but he can’t allow for that to show right now. They’ll have time for heart-to-hearts once they’re out of here, once Geto has some life in him again. Geto furrows his brows, confused.
“Is there some string of special grade curses or something?” Geto asks. Of course, the only logical explanation for them going anywhere together would be a situation drastic enough that they can’t count on one special grade being enough. It makes Gojo consider for a moment how things got to the point where special grade curses popping up at unprecedented rates sounds more possible than the two of them getting a week off. This was always going to be Gojo’s life, with his lineage and powers, but he never wanted Geto to suffer through it, too.
“No. I saw Yuki, and apparently you two had a very fun little chat. Then I told Yaga we’re going to be unavailable for the next week, and now we’re going to leave before he can come and try to stop us,” Gojo explains. Geto’s face falls when he hears that Gojo knows what he said to Tsukumo. Nothing makes sense, and he’s looking increasingly agitated. It’s the first time Gojo’s seen him be anything but passive and apathetic in months, and he wonders how he never paid attention to that before.
“I haven’t done anything. I just- I was just talking about theory,” Geto mumbles, shaking his head. He sounds scared, defensive. Gojo doesn’t understand why. How is this the part that Geto’s getting stuck on, when he’s just been told they’re in a hurry so they can go and finally have the break they’ve both needed for the past year?
“Yeah? I know?” Gojo says, uncertain what he’s supposed to say to that. He shrugs with a sigh, seeing that Geto’s still not getting up and packing like Gojo told him to. He turns around to go grab a bag and just start packing for Geto himself, since the teen can’t seem to get to it fast enough. He’s stopped by a hand grabbing onto his sleeve. Gojo turns around, confused.
“Are you… what are you planning?” Geto asks. He looks and sounds so worried that it hurts. It takes a moment for Gojo to even begin to connect the dots. It never once crossed his mind, of course it didn’t, but Geto must be scared of being reported or punished or judged for what he said. It’s understandable. The higher-ups definitely wouldn’t take too kindly to the sort of sentiments that Gojo heard about.
“I’m planning a vacation. Suguru, just trust me, alright? We’re just gonna hang out, like we used to, and we’re gonna talk, and I’m not ratting you out. Neither is Tsukumo, for that matter,” Gojo tries to reassure Geto. It’s not exactly something he’s used to doing, and it feels weird and awkward. Geto’s never needed reassurance like this. He’s always seemed unshakeable to Gojo, the only person who can take whatever the strongest has to dish out.
“Don’t lie to me,” Geto chokes out. The words barely make it out of him. He’s hardly breathing, Gojo can tell. He’s never seen his partner this broken. He wonders if he would’ve, if he’d looked a little harder. Gojo removes Geto’s hand from his sleeve and takes it into his own instead, squeezing it reassuringly.
“I’m not. I just want to know what’s up with you, okay? I just want to talk,” Gojo reiterates. He’s not sure he’s ever been this genuine about his emotions with anyone. It’s terrifying, and he sort of wants to run away and tell Geto to forget he ever said anything, but he can’t. This is too important. Geto chokes on a sob and shakes his head.
“I’m a horrible person, Satoru, I don’t understand,” Geto says quietly, words broken by his crying. Gojo can’t think of a response at first. He just scoffs, staring at the other in shock.
“Dude, I was gonna kill a roomful of people for no reason. I couldn’t judge you if I wanted to,” Gojo argues. His voice is just as soft as Geto’s, somehow afraid of speaking the words louder than that even if they both well know the truth in them. It takes a moment for Geto to calm down and breathe normally again, tears still quietly rolling down his cheeks. He looks at Gojo, uncertain.
“We’re really going to have a break?” Geto asks. Gojo nods, beaming. He knows he’s gotten through to Geto on at least some level. That means he can make it the rest of the way, too.
“Yeah, we are. I mean, we’re the strongest, who’s gonna stop us? We should’ve done this way earlier,” Gojo says, smirking. Geto seems to falter at being called the strongest with Gojo, but that’s another conversation to have later. Right now, they’re going to get the hell out of here and get some well-earned rest. Geto sits up and nods. He’s still a bit hesitant, but Gojo’s sure he’ll start feeling better once they’re finished packing and on their way to wherever they’re gonna go vacation.
The first day or two are gonna be dedicated to doing nothing, Gojo thinks. Unhealthy food, bad movies and worse jokes. They need to gain some strength back before they can take on all the burdens that are bound to come up in conversation once they start talking. But he’s sure they’ll be fine. They’re the strongest. There’s no way this is going to be enough to break them.