Chapter Text
Geto was in the bathroom again. He was sitting against the wall holding his stomach after eating another curse. The taste was rotten. It was so bad he sprinted to the bathroom as soon as the fight was over. Gojo was still dealing with the final parts of the mission when he left so he was alone. He couldn't worry the others but this time felt worse than before. The curse had been bigger but it felt like he ate food that was spoiled and then pulled out of the garbage and fed to him.
A wave of nausea hit and he curled in on himself more. He was pale and covered in sweat laying on the bathroom floor of jujutsu high. After what felt like thirty minutes he heard footsteps approaching him. He tried to get up but Gojo walked in before he could uncurl and leave.
"Suguru? Hey what happened? you don't look well."
Geto pushed himself up and leaned against the wall shaking his head.
"I'm fine, I just had a harder time with that curse than usual. How are your injuries? Please tell me you saw Shoko before coming to me."
"I'm not worried about that right now it's just a few cuts but I saw you leave I had to make sure you were okay." Gojo said holding a spot on his arm that was bleeding.
Geto sighed and straightened himself up. He looked Gojo up and down taking in the injuries and saw a gash on his leg. He moved and slung Gojo's arm over his shoulders and started walking him to Shoko before there was any protesting. He still felt queasy and slightly dizzy but he couldn't show that.
They got to Shoko who sighed when she saw Gojo bleeding from at least four places and then gave a sympathetic look to Geto when she saw his face. She was the only one Geto told about how bad it was after he ate a curse. She told him it was just a part of the ability but she couldn't do anything about it. He smiled at her and sat Gojo down who grinned at Shoko.
"Satoru I'm not sure how you always get beaten up like this... At least it wasn't as bad as the battle with Toji... I still feel bad for that girl. What was her name? Riko?"
Geto flinched hard at the memory and the other two noticed. That fight changed him. He lost a lot of hope in the world he lived in after that and always blamed himself for the death of Riko. His breathing picked up a little even with his efforts of trying to stay calm. After that fight happened he lost weight from the stress. He barely left his dorm and turned down most of the missions he got. Even now a few years later he still could barely talk about that day. Thinking about Riko hurt enough but the memory of almost losing Gojo felt like getting stabbed
He was lost in his head. Shoko looked at Gojo confused but Gojo knew what was happening. He brushed Shoko's hand off of him even though she hadn't finished with his wounds. He moved in front of Geto and cupped his face in his hands. Geto flinched and his eyes that darted everywhere slowly met Gojo's. He wiped his cheek as soon as a tear fell and tried to look away. He calmed down thanks to Gojo but was now met with the embarrassment of it all. He pushed Gojo's hands down and stood from the chair he was in.
"I'll be in my dorm. I'm suddenly feeling tired, sorry." Without another word he walked out away from Shoko and Gojo.
Gojo tried to follow him but Shoko wouldn't let him. She guided him back down onto the examination bed and kept looking at the wounds on his arms and legs from the curse they fought.
"What was that about?" Shoko asked quietly.
"He never forgave himself for what happened to that girl. You remember how bad it was right? He stopped talking and rarely left his room. I took most of his missions because I was worried and when he did get missions he turned them down."
Shoko had paled a little. "Oh shit I triggered that memory for him."
She shook her head and silently finished cleaning and dressing Gojo's wounds. She sent him off when she finished and sat at her desk quietly feeling bad for bringing that memory back when he already didn't feel well.
Gojo thanked her as soon as she was done and sprinted out of the room taking a shortcut to Geto's room. He knocked but there was no answer. He twisted the doorknob and it was unlocked which was nothing like Geto. He walked in but the room was empty. He didn't wait before leaving the school grounds and thought about where Geto would be.
As soon as he had an idea he only moved faster. A while back Geto told him about a little hill over a river where he went whenever he was stressed. Gojo had barely listened as he was too busy and focused on the video game he was playing but he picked up that part. When he got to the hill he saw Gojo sitting at the top. He had liked Geto for the longest time but couldn't tell him. It was moments like this where he wished he had the courage to tell him most of all.
He walked up to him slowly and sat down. The first thing he noticed were the tears dripping down his face. The pain in his eyes. Gojo didn't speak at first but he moved so their shoulders brushed just to let Geto know he was there.
"Hey Suguru... You know what happened wasn't your fault... You couldn't have stopped him. He was fast and we didn't plan for anything like that happening. You can't do this to yourself." Gojo said quietly
"But it feels like it haunts me Satoru. Like wherever I go it follows me. I should have been able to stop that and people got hurt because I wasn't ready. It scares me to think about..." Geto said as his voice cracked at the end.
Finally he broke completely. The tears spilled faster and he just slumped sideways. Gojo caught him and they just sat quietly over the river. One of them was grieving while the other offered quiet support he didn't fully know how to give.