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— How about staying here for another day? — Gojo glances at the droopy Amanai.
Geto tries to object but doesn't even have time to say anything. It seems Satoru has already made up his mind, and if that's the case, arguing with him is pointless. Suguru sighs and takes out his phone to text Haibara about the delay. Nanami’s displeased face pops into his mind, and Geto can't help but smile. Gojo is a master at getting everyone around him into trouble.
Suguru puts away his phone and slowly surveys the beach, as if mercenaries are hiding behind every boulder, hunting for Amanai. But no, in the shade of the large stones and nearby trees, no one is hiding, and Geto's gaze lands on Satoru, who is having fun. He and Riko are racing in the shallow water, sometimes stopping by something in the sea. Despite all the splashes, his jacket remains dry.
Amanai emerges from the water reluctantly, her lips turning blue. Kuro immediately wraps her in a towel, muttering something about the need for moderation.
When Gojo walks off the beach and lines up with Geto, he stops, as if expecting his friend to say something.
Are you sure we should stay? — Suguru makes a desperate attempt to appeal to common sense, after all, trying is better than not trying, — You’ve been staying up God knows how long, and you’re constantly maintaining your technique!
Gojo lightly punches Geto in the chest.
I'm fine, besides, — his heavenly eyes are hidden behind glasses, but Suguru thinks they’re definitely not sparkling as usual right now, — you’re here too.
Gojo smirks and walks away from the beach, leaving everyone behind. This long day has only just begun.
*
Amanai wanted to visit so many places. Suguru thinks that Nanami definitely wouldn't have handled this and should be thankful he was left at the airport with Haibara. Maybe this will even help them get closer? Kento is certainly quite the quiet one, but even Geto couldn't help but notice how he looks at Yu.
While the whole group floats down a small stream, curses from Suguru's arsenal accompany them all the way. Fortunately, there’s no suspicious activity in sight. Nevertheless, Geto, having learned to discern Satoru's state from the tiniest details, clearly sees the tension in him. And there's nothing he can do about it. As much as he wants to throw everything away, they can only relax after arriving at college tomorrow morning.
Lunch and the trip to the aquarium seem to pass by unnoticed. It appears Riko is the only one feeling somewhat calm despite the upcoming merge. Gojo laughs, goofs around, and teases Amanai, leaving Geto with nothing but a warm smile. Satoru looks at the whales swimming by and says Suguru is somewhat like them. The latter frowns in confusion. Gojo looks satisfied at his flustered classmate, waves his hand, and says:
Make your face simpler, I didn't mean anything like that.
Oh right, of course. Suguru thinks Satoru has already achieved his goal, and there’s no point in continuing to respond.
*
For safety reasons, of course, they should have stood guard right in Riko's room. But for some reason, she, blushing, shouted the bodyguards out of her room. Suguru wearily shrugged and once again said:
— Any of her whims are law now! It can't be helped; we’ll have to watch from another place.
Satoru, having sensed some advantage in the situation, smirked and said he urgently needed to run downstairs, quickly retreating and leaving Geto alone in the hallway.
Gojo returned quickly, triumphantly twirling the keys to the neighboring, conveniently empty, room on his finger.
— Let me guess, they only had rooms with one bed? — Geto reluctantly entered the room after his friend, simultaneously examining the decor.
— Oh come on, you hurt my feelings! I would choose a single bed even if there was a choice, — Satoru looks around the quite spacious room, — plus, with a view like this, it would be a crime to complain! Alright, jokes aside, you left a couple of curses outside, right?
— Of course, — Suguru lets out a quiet sigh as he removes the tight hair tie, shaking his head a couple of times, allowing the black locks to settle messily on his shoulders, — it's quiet for now.
Satoru nods slightly and practically falls into the chair by the window. It seems the wind outside is picking up, causing the palms to lean towards the ground. The last thing they need is to get stuck in Okinawa because of a closed airport!
— You can take a shower, I’ll keep watch, — Gojo takes off his glasses for a couple of seconds and, after wiping them, puts them back on almost immediately.
Suguru, without saying a word, quickly slips into the bathroom. The hot water seems to be doing wonders for his mind and body. Of course, tough assignments have happened before, but Geto probably will never get used to this fatigue. Just the thought that this state might become the norm scares him.
Geto puts on the hotel-provided robe and tries to dry his hair with a towel. When he opens the door to the room, letting out a bit of steam from the heated space, Satoru still appears to be sitting in the same position. His unblinking gaze looks somewhere through the air, while his fingers occasionally form seals.
— Satoru.
No response.
— Satoru, — Geto makes another attempt to call his friend, this time louder and stretching the sounds a bit.
Gojo glances at his friend but almost immediately returns to his previous state.
— If I didn't know you, I would think you’re ignoring me, — Geto sits in the chair opposite, crossing his legs, — by the way, your eyes aren't always visible behind those glasses, so I’d prefer if you spoke to me with your mouth.
Satoru nods but remains silent. Suguru doesn’t mind a little silence; after all, it has been a long and eventful day. The only thing that scares him is the order for Riko.
The cultists and the people from Q don't pose a great threat, but such an announcement could attract a lot of shamans ready to kill some girl for a decent reward. Time runs out tomorrow morning, and until then, they cannot lose vigilance, and then—
— Go to sleep, — Gojo's voice unexpectedly pulls Suguru from his thoughts.
— What? — Geto needs a couple of seconds to understand the meaning of what was just said, — and you?! You need to rest, you know it!
— Nothing bad is going to happen, — Satoru casually removes his glasses with a flick of his hand, carefully placing them on the coffee table, and closes his eyes. He leans back in his chair, allowing himself to relax a bit.
As long as you’re here, nothing bad is going to happen.
— That won’t do, — Geto, with a hint of irritation, crosses his legs, — think about it! Yes, we’ll be at college in the morning, but we still have to make the trip back! We might be the strongest, but in a state of an amoeba, you won’t even be able to use Infinity.
— Exactly, it’s us! You’re just— — Satoru stops mid-sentence, as if he changed his mind about speaking, — never mind. Just go to sleep already.
— No way, — watching Gojo roll his eyes dramatically is oddly pleasing, — you go if you want to put someone to bed.
To Geto's surprise, his friend actually flops onto the bed a second later. Suguru didn't throw words around lightly, but he definitely didn’t expect this outcome.
— So, are you happy now? — Satoru fidgets a bit, as if really trying to find a comfortable sleeping position, — and you just sit there and look at those depressing palms!
— They are not depressing at all, — Geto mutters, looking away from his fidgeting partner.
Okay, this is what he was ultimately aiming for. Satoru, no matter how strong he is, also needs rest, and Suguru is there to ensure he gets it. Geto listens to his surroundings. The curses left at the door of the room as sentries remain silent, so at least for now, everything is calm. Gojo quiets down, and to the regular sound of his friend's breathing and the ticking of the clock, Suguru didn’t notice how he drifted off himself.
From speculating about what sickly sweet thing Satoru would make him try next, Geto was pulled back by a quiet call.
— Hey, Sugu-chan! Sugu-chan, can you hear me?
— What do you want? — Suguru casts a quick glance at the bed.
— Sugu-chan, I’m cold, — Satoru stretches the syllables a bit (where did he even pick that up?!).
No attempts to shield himself with anything, of course, were made.
— I’m not sure I have a curse that controls fire, — Geto pretended to ponder, acting as if he didn’t understand what his partner was really talking about.
— Sugu-chan, in this room, I only see one person hot enough to warm me up, — Satoru turned in bed and fixed his small blue abyss-like gaze on Geto. Realizing he might have gone too far, he added, — I mean, I’m hot, but I don't count right now!
— Heat yourself up since you’re so incredible, — Suguru shifted his gaze to the window. The night still continued, and it seemed like it had no intention of ending.
— Come on, I was just kidding! — Gojo shifted a bit and then propped himself up on his elbows to look at his friend, — and actually, I really get cold quickly.
— Alright, I get it, — Geto stood up from his cozy spot, stretching his clasped hands above his head, trying to loosen up. If Satoru wants something, there’s no point in resisting; he will definitely get it.
Picking up the unused blanket on the go and quickly spreading it out, Suguru flopped next to his companion and with a triumphant shout swiftly wrapped him in the fabric. Satoru quickly stopped trying to break free, and when Geto wrapped his arms around him from behind, ensuring he couldn't escape, he settled down, trying to find a balance between a comfortable position for him and one in which he could hug the formed cocoon, and fell silent.
The curses left as sentinels still hadn’t detected anyone, and lying like this next to Gojo felt like the highest blessing. The even breathing of another relaxed him, and gradually, his eyelids seemed to grow heavy. It would be good for them to sleep separately so they could immediately come to Amanai's aid if necessary. But there was no desire to get up, nor to stay awake at all. Geto didn’t even realize how he drifted off to sleep. The room became completely quiet, and only Satoru, that night, kept his eyes wide open. He listened to the snoring from behind and savored the situation they found themselves in. After all, they were both the strongest, and any curse or spellcaster was nothing to them. Even the challenge from Tengen could be faced together, and once the order for Riko was completed, there would be no further reasons for concern.
***
In the morning, the flight, as planned, returned the whole group to Tokyo. Apparently, no one wanted to test their luck and attack during the flight. The barrier that protected the school was already behind their backs, and all that was left was to lead the Vessel to the Star Tomb. It didn’t matter what awaited them next: both Satoru and Suguru would follow Amanai’s wishes, even if that meant declaring war on the entire magical world.
— Thank you for your work, Satoru.