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Yuji is a little surprised by how quickly he adapts to having a murderous spirit trapped in his body. Sure, Sukuna’s naked thirst for violence puts some pressure on Yuji to keep him contained. And yeah, his pending execution hangs over his head like a sword that could drop at any time. But after the first week testing Yuji’s boundaries, Sukuna stops launching into graphic descriptions of what he’d like to do to some of the people around him. And as for the execution, Yuji puts that in the “we’ll get to that another day” corner of his mind.
If there is one thing that does bother Yuji about his reluctant pseudo-roommate, it’s Sukuna calling him a brat all the time. The word itself isn’t the problem; Yuji’s been called that a few times over his life by teachers, upperclassmen, and even his grandpa when he was being really difficult. The real issue is the way Sukuna says it. Spits it out, like he’s swatting at a particularly annoying gnat.
Well, whatever. It’s not that big a deal. Give it enough time and it would stop bugging Yuji so much. He’s sure of it.
It starts as an innocent question.
“Sooo,” Kugisaki drawls over lunch. “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?” Yuji asks as he chews.
Her face twists up at that. “Gross! Swallow that first!” She waits for Yuji to do just that before continuing. “And, well, you know… having that thing you ate inside you?”
“Sukuna? I dunno.” Yuji shrugs. “He was kinda annoying at first, but he doesn’t talk much now. I guess he just got sick of me. Which is fine, I wasn’t interested in anything he had to say.”
“He talks to you?” Fushiguro turns to Yuji, brows furrowed. “What about?”
“Eh, you know. How much he wants to kill people, all the ways he wants to kill people. Honestly, if it weren’t for the things he says, he’d sound like a rambling old geezer.”
A few seconds after that word leaves Yuji’s lips, he feels his cheek twist up in that awfully familiar way.
“Brat,” Sukuna growls. “What did you just call me?”
“An old geezer?” The question is mostly innocent; the last time Sukuna decided to pop up when others were around was when he threatened Gojo. This time, Yuji’s curiosity over what’s provoked Sukuna this time keeps him from slapping over the mouth manifested on his face.
“You imply that I’m some feeble old man after everything you have learned about me?” Sukuna asks, voice low with a promise of future retribution. “All that I’ve done when I was active?”
“Spoken like someone’s gramps talking about how much better things were back in his day,” Kugisaki jumps in.
“Kugisaki…” Fushiguro says with a put-upon sigh.
“What? He’s already evil and murdery. Probably planning to kill me in a gruesome way even if I was nice to him. So why shouldn’t I point out how musty and decrepit he is?”
“Go ahead, little girl,” Sukuna seethes. “Keep pushing it. Whatever fate you think I’m devising for you when I get free, I promise it will be so much worse.”
Kugisaki sticks her tongue out at him. “See? What’d I tell ya?”
At this point, Yuji figures that both Sukuna and Kugisaki have gotten everything they needed to off their chests. So, he slaps over the mouth. “Alright, already! Just go back to your nap or whatever you were doing before!”
Instead of retreating, another mouth forms on the back of Yuji’s hand. “A nap?!” Sukuna snaps. “That’s what you think I was doing? Because you think I’m a doddering old fool who can’t stay awake for six hours without nodding off? I’m not that old!”
“You are, though?” Yuji answers on instinct. “Like, you’ve got to be over a thousand years-old, dude. There are old people living in Japan who are over a hundred. So, you definitely count as an old person.”
“Ancient is more like it,” Kugisaki snickers. “Ancient old fart!”
“You just used the same word twice! Stupid little brat!”
”That’s because you’re super old and crusty!”
“Itadori,” Fushiguro pipes up in the midst of Sukuna and Kugisaki’s shouting. “Not that I want to defend Sukuna or anything, but class is starting back up in a few minutes. If Gojo finds out what he’s upset about, we’re not going to learn anything for the rest of the day.”
“Killjoy!” Kugisaki shouts.
“Okay, I got it!” Yuji stands up and heads to the hallway. “I’ll figure out something to get him to go back to his corner or wherever he’s staying in.”
Once the door closes behind him, Yuji presses both his palms against his face and lets out a long groan. “What is your problem, anyways?” he asks after that release of his frustration. “Why are you so mad about being called ‘old?’”
“I’m not mad. How can I be mad over the juvenile antics of a couple of brats?”
“You’re literally complaining like an old man!”
“Don’t give me that!” Sukuna snarls. “You’re the one who started this whole mess, brat!”
“See?! You even call me a brat like an old person! You know that you’re older than me, so what gives?!”
“What? You’d rather that I address you by name, Yuji?”
Yuji stops, mouth open. Did he hear that right? Did Sukuna actually use his name?
That’s not the only thing that takes him off guard. It’s how Sukuna speaks it. Draws out the first syllable like he’s rolling it on his tongue, tasting it. Lingers on the second one, a little longer than it normally is.
It makes Yuji’s cheeks heat up. “Sukuna?” His voice cracks at the end.
Sukuna chuckles. The rumbling sound sends a shiver down Yuji’s spine that isn’t unpleasant. “I like the way you say my name, too.” His mouth sinks back into Yuji’s flesh, leaving him in the silent hallway.
Yuji swallows a trickle of saliva down his suddenly dry throat. He makes a beeline for the bathroom to splash cold water on his face and get rid of the redness that’s surely bloomed on it. The last thing he wants is someone asking questions, because then it would lead back to Sukuna and whatever the hell just happened between them.
And the question of how Yuji is supposed to adapt to the evil murderous spirit inside him flirting with him.