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Satoru Gojo sat with his legs pulled up to his chest, staring over one of the thousand cities of Earth. His hair was flattened from the rain, and his clothes were torn from the many branches he had run and fell past.
He had never wanted to be here, he had heard stories of ancient gods who had been sent here in banishment. He was little better than them now, he had let himself be blinded. And he still was.
Satoru had made a mistake, whether he knew it or not was difficult to tell, harder to know if he accepted it. That mistake was what brought him to Earth.
Damp footsteps approached from behind him, with as much purpose as any. Satoru curled up more into himself instinctively, either expecting a human or one of the many who sent him here.
“Satoru…” The voice began, surprising the moon god, he would never expect the star god, Suguru, of all gods to follow him here. Suguru Geto, who rarely spoke to anybody yet was everywhere. Suguru, the god who nearly snuffed out the light in the night sky. It was simply uncharacteristic.
Suguru persisted, “Satoru.”
“I'm listening.” Satoru didn't bother to hold any manners anymore, they didn't matter in a world where he was nothing.
“Why are you out in this rain?” Suguru asked after a moment, “You're the god of the moon, you shouldn't soak yourself.”
Satoru did not answer, maybe he didn't even know. Suguru couldn't really tell.
They sat in silence for a bit, then Suguru held a bit of his own clothing over Satoru, who finally broke the silence.
“Why are you here?” Satoru shrunk in on himself just a bit more. “I'm worthless.”
“You're not worthless, you never were and are far from it.” Suguru immediately responded, not willing to let Satoru break himself.
“Then why am I here?!” Satoru didn't mean for it to come out so loud, but he didn't bother correcting it. “I should be in the sky with [Sun god]!”
Something flickered in Suguru’s eye and he pulled his clothing back to himself, no longer protecting the other from the rain.
“Because the gods who banished you are wrong.” He spoke quieter but firmer, “You belong in the sky with them. It's just not right without you.”
Satoru went quiet again, only for a few minutes…
“Why are you here, Suguru?” Satoru repeated. “And don’t avoid the question this time.”
“...” Suguru hesitated, knowing it was easier to just tell him, “Isn’t it obvious?”
Satoru looked at Suguru finally, obviously confused, “No?”
“I couldn't just let you be sent down here, Satoru. You didn't deserve it.” Suguru moved closer, kicking a rock off the hill with an uncalculated force.
“Why don’t I? It was my fault.”
“It wasn’t you who stole the Sky Mask. [Sun god] used you as a scapegoat!” He said in exasperation, annoyed with Satoru’s lack of realization.
Satoru shied away, “I wasn’t a scapegoat! He wouldn’t do that to me.” He looked a bit angry, not liking how Suguru blamed [Sun god]. “I probably helped by accident, may-maybe I did have it in my possession.” It was clear that he was trying to convince himself more than Suguru.
“Satoru. You can’t believe that, nobody would send you here if you were obviously blamed for it.” Suguru sighed, this wasn’t going anywhere. “[Sun god] tricked you.”
“He wouldn’t!”
“Do you really believe that?” After no answer he continued, “[Sun god] has never—and will never—love you the way… you have loved him.” The way I loved you he wanted to say, to yell. “He will never love you that way, can’t you see it?”
“He will-”
“No he won’t.” He cut off, “He’s using your naivety to his advantage!” Suguru pressed, not seeing the sting in Satoru’s eyes. “He’s using you.”
Satoru stared down at his fidgeting hands, staying silent as he suppressed tears that Suguru couldn’t see.
“Satoru. [Sun god] isn’t a good god, he isn’t worth loving.”
“Yes he is!” Satoru spoke too harshly than he intended, causing Suguru to recoil a bit, but he continued despite knowing how he could hurt Suguru, “How could I love anybody else? He’s all I’ve ever wanted, now I’m stuck even farther away than before because of- because- of the other damned gods!” Satoru had stood up at some point as he spoke, frustrated at Suguru’s “blindness.”
“Gojo…” Suguru felt bad for his shallowness, Satoru couldn't see what was really happening. “It wasn't entirely their fault.”
“Well it wasn't fucking mine!” Satoru snapped back, “Just-Just– leave me the hell alone!” Tears were streaming down his face now, Satoru stumbled a bit, then turned around and ran into the forest.
Suguru stood up, watching Satoru run, “Satoru!- Gods…” He pursued him, nimbler than Satoru.
It took a little while, but Suguru caught up, Satoru had tripped and hadn't bothered getting back up.
“Gojo…” Suguru crouched next to him, resting his arm over the other's shoulder. “Please listen to me…”
Satoru moved to cover his ears and Suguru gave up trying to reason with him, it'd be a topic for later now. Instead of continuing his futile attempts, Suguru wrapped his arms around Satoru in an unconfident hug.
Satoru just sobbed, no longer fighting back and leaning against Suguru, “I- hic -I.. Ge-to–”
“Shhh…” Suguru hushed, holding the younger god closer to him, “Breathe. Feel Earth's damp air, relax.”
Even if his hug was awkward and unpracticed, Satoru felt the intent and shut himself up, holding Suguru like a lifeline while he sobbed into the other god’s shoulder.
Suguru was a bit tense, naturally inexperienced in comfort and even less in physical touch. But, he made do.
Once the tears subsided, Satoru pulled away slightly to speak, “Suguru… you shouldn’t be down here, you should be in the sky.”
Suguru shook his head and leaned closer to Satoru, “No, the sky doesn’t need me.”
“Geto, you don’t belong here, you lit up the sky sometimes even brighter than I did when it was dark.”
“If either of us here should be up in the sky with the other gods, it should be you, not me.” He persisted, voice raising.
“You belong in the sky as much as I! Why don’t you want to go when you can?” Satoru looked squarely in the others’ eyes.
“BECAUSE IT'S EMPTY!” Suguru finally spat, irritated by Satoru’s obliviousness "The sky without you in it is nothing! Do you think I want to sit down here while they forget us? While-While they act like we never existed?”
“Of course not! But I'd rather burn with you than shine alone,” Suguru breathed heavily as he shifted away from the older god.
“I-I don't want to be in the sky if you're not there. They'll realize soon enough that Earth cannot survive without a bright night, so please just let me stay with you while it's only us.” He pleaded.
Suguru took a minute to breathe while he let Satoru think it over, though if anything, the older god was overthinking all of it. In fact, Satoru was frozen stiff, eyes wide and slightly shaking.
“I-” Satoru stumbled through his thoughts, then fell softly over Suguru, forehead on shoulder, “Stay.”
Suguru hesitated, then wrapped his arms back around Satoru.
“Don't leave me again.”
“I won't, Suguru. I won't.”