Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sukuna starts the first day of his third year in high school, waking up almost forty minutes later than he intended to. Great. Not his fault, though. Whoever added the nap button to his alarm app was the real culprit here. Sukuna sits on his bed and yawns. Whatever. It's not like he cares that much about school or being late.
 
You could say that Sukuna is popular among his peers if you take into account the way they avoid interacting with him. He wouldn't say he's treated like a plague, but more like an annoying bug. Since Sukuna is well known for his sharp tongue and bad personality, no one wants to talk with him for more than a few minutes. Not like he's complaining. Being a loner is better anyway. People at his age are utterly stupid, and Sukuna won't waste his precious time on social interactions to boost his ego by having more friends than brain cells. It's worthless.
 
His homeroom teacher, Getou-sensei, seems to be worried about Sukuna's way of thinking, talking a lot about the bad influence of isolating himself from others and not creating healthy relationships. Oh, well. Sukuna didn't really have any good examples of those in his life so far. Getting away from a toxic household and cutting off bonds with his entire family was the best thing he did for his own mental health. The fact that Sukuna was almost independent at his age should be as concerning as it is admirable. Still, he couldn't pull it off without help from his only friend, Uraume. They were kind enough to let him live with them in their apartment, which Sukuna is currently taking care of since Uraume went to study abroad. Being rich sure is nice, he snorts.
 
He goes through his morning routine effortlessly, even making toast for breakfast. Better to be late with a full stomach than late hungry. Logical. When he is about to leave the apartment, Sukuna pauses and goes back to his room to take a black leather shoulder bag and pack his sketchbook inside. You never know when you will come across something that will inspire you.
 
Sukuna comes to the metro station and gets on the line with the quickest route to his school. Figured it would be crowded at this hour. Sukuna scowls at every person that touches him. He hates it, but he also knows nothing can change it. When the robotic voice says his station name from the speaker, Sukuna breathes a small huff of relief and gets off. There are a lot of people here, too, but when you know where to go, you just need to smartly avoid them, and it's bearable.
 
Unfortunately, right at the station exit, a person in front of him pauses, blocking the passage. Sukuna has to look down a little to realize it's a boy with oddly pink hair who seems confused, looking around hesitantly.
 
“Oi.”
 
The boy doesn't react, so Sukuna scowls, annoyed, and grabs him by the arm to move him forcefully. He definitely didn't expect the boy to get so startled that Sukuna had to hold him so he wouldn't fall. The pink-haired boy snaps his head at Sukuna, his amber eyes looking at him with surprise and uncertainty.
 
“You are blocking the exit.” He informs dryly, letting go of the boy, and those amber eyes slip to Sukuna's lips when he speaks. Then realization hits, and the boy opens his mouth with a silent “o”. He smiles sheepishly a moment later and bows his head in apology. Sukuna is flabbergasted at this point, since the entire time the boy didn't make a sound. Mute, perhaps? Deaf?
 
Those amber eyes leave Sukuna's face to make more glances at the surroundings, their owner frowning, and Sukuna sighs because he notices they are wearing uniforms from the same school. What a pain. But Sukuna is late. Apparently not only him, though, so better make it quick before he would have to listen to Getou-sensei's complaints on the first day. He waves his hand in front of the boy's face to grab his attention, and the amber eyes immediately snap to his lips. Deaf, then, Sukuna decides. No sight of hearing aids, though. Must be tough.
 
“Lost?” Sukuna speaks slowly. The boy blinks, then looks up at Sukuna's eyes suspiciously and stares there for a moment, searching. Then he nods hesitantly, so Sukuna brings his hand to the school’s emblem on his uniform and taps it several times. “Same school.” He says anyway, and those amber eyes go wide. “Go with me?” He asks, and he feels really stupid for doing so. Since when does he care about some random lost boy? Yeah. Sukuna blames everything on the fact that he's late.
 
The boy blinks several times, thinking, and then beams at Sukuna. He has to squint his eyes, completely unprepared for the positive reaction directed at him. The boy nods then and moves, so Sukuna can lead the way. What a weird man. He agreed to easily. What if someone wanted to use him? Sukuna shakes his head to himself and exits the station, the pink-haired boy following.
 
The nice thing about walking with a deaf person is the silence. There are no stupid questions, awkward pauses, or irrational topics. Sukuna can even convince himself he is going to school alone if not for the boy happily strolling by his side. It makes him think of taking the dog for a walk, and he snorts.
 
Since the school is close to the station, they reach their destination pretty quickly. The boy observes everything around them curiously. Sukuna brings him to the shoe cabinets for the first years, since the boy clearly is there for the first time, and amber eyes survey every one of them, searching for his name. He pauses at “Itadori Yuuji” and opens it to change his shoes. Sukuna leaves him there, so he can do the same. When Itadori walks up to him casually, Sukuna raises his brows and snorts.
 
“You know we are late?” He points, and the boy shrugs. “Yeah, same, actually.” Sukuna admits. Itadori smiles, amused. “Let's go.”
 
They walk to the gym, where the entrance ceremony is taking place. When they get there, it seems that it just ended. Students pour out from the inside, and Sukuna turns to Itadori.
 
“Will you be okay alone?” He mouths, and the boy smiles, nodding. Then he bows and beams again. A ‘thank you’, huh. “Whatever.” Sukuna grumbles, irritated. People usually don't thank him for anything.
 
Itadori searches through the faces around them, looking for someone. Then his face lights up, his amber eyes get those warm tones, and he throws himself at... Gojou-sensei? Sukuna scowls at that. This is, like, the most annoying teacher in this school. He would say ‘person’, but this title is already taken by Mahito from his class.
 
“Yuuji~!” Gojou-sensei hugs the boy gladly. Huh. They seem too close for a student and teacher, so people around them whisper among themselves, surprised. Then the man pulls away and starts to make gestures with his hands, with Itadori responding to them in the same manner, smiling. Sign language, huh? Interesting.
 
“Sukuna.”
 
Ugh. Getou-sensei's disappointed voice interrupts his observation. Sukuna turns towards the teacher, impassive.
 
“Sensei.” He greets him dryly. The man sighs.
 
“Why couldn't I see you at the entrance ceremony?” Getou-sensei asks tiredly. Sukuna blinks.
 
“I don't know, Sensei. Maybe you should check your eyesight. I heard it can get worse with age.” Sukuna responds calmly, and his teacher sends him a very unimpressed stare.
 
“You overslept.” He states.
 
“I overslept.” Sukuna agrees, and his teacher sighs again.
 
“Well. I'm glad you are here at all.” Getou-sensei murmurs and smiles at the students that greet him. Sukuna scowls. He searches discreetly for pink or white hair, but the duo is already gone. “Oh? Looking for someone?" His teacher sounds surprised. Getou-sensei and his observation skills, tch. "That's unusual for you. You're not interested in others, after all."

"Your husband might have a thing for minors, Sensei." Sukuna deadpans. His teacher blinks several times, taken aback, and then chuckles.

"It was just Yuuji, who is like a son to both of us. It wasn't that kind of hug." Getou-sensei shakes his head, amused. "Come on, let's go to the classroom.”

Sukuna goes obediently only because he doesn't want to hear more of his teacher's lecture. But that's kinda interesting that the school's male married couple knows the deaf kid. How did they meet? Why do they know each other? He doesn't really pay attention to Getou-sensei's words in the class; he just sits at his desk and doodles in his sketchbook absentmindedly, pondering about the boy's identity. When he realizes he drew a happy dog with a wagging tail, he snorts, then changes the page.

Well, it doesn't matter, after all. It's not like he will see Itadori a lot in the future, right?

Chapter Text

A day later, Sukuna comes to the school fifteen minutes before the lessons start and is immediately hit by a déjà vu.
 
Because right in front of a building plan pinned on the notice board on the first floor stands the pink-haired boy, frowning deeply and blocking the passage again, but in the hallway this time. Sukuna sighs and almost turns around to bolt and pretend he didn't notice. Getting himself involved with people is not really his thing. But then some random second-year student holds out his hand to tap Itadori, and Sukuna scowls at that.
 
“Don't touch him.” He orders gruffly, coming to the scene, and the other boy freezes, then realizes it's Sukuna speaking and bows, sputtering apologies. Sukuna sighs again. “He's deaf, so don't approach him like that, or he will get startled.” He grumbles, annoyed, and brings his hand to the building plan, tapping their position. Those amber eyes snap to him instantly, and Itadori blinks, then smiles happily after recognizing Sukuna, waving to him shyly in greeting. He snorts at the reaction. “Lost again?” Sukuna asks slowly, even if he already knows the answer. The boy nods sheepishly. Sukuna raises his eyebrows and points with his head at the people around them, so Itadori follows, his eyes going wide. He bows to no one in particular, then sends Sukuna a panicked look, so he sighs for the third time. He can't help it. “Come with me.” Sukuna says, and other students gape at him, some whispering about him wanting to bully a deaf kid. But Itadori just nods, relieved, so Sukuna walks to the stairs, glaring at anyone who dares to say a word about it. 
 
Let's be realistic here. Sukuna is kinda antisocial; he doesn't have any friends here and prefers to spend his days in school alone, reading, drawing, or listening to music or podcasts, but he is not a bully. He would never stoop so low. He's not like Mahito.
 
On the second floor, Sukuna turns to Itadori.
 
“Which class?” He asks, and the boy smiles again, then shows one and three with his fingers. Sukuna nods this time and makes a gesture for Itadori to follow. They pass the first-year students in the hallway, but no one bats an eye since they are all new here, so their duo comes unnoticed, people unaware that one of them is deaf and the other one is infamous for being unapproachable. “Here.” Sukuna shows the right class, and before Itadori can thank him with another bow, the door opens, with Gojou-sensei peering right at them from the class. Oh, no.
 
“Yay! My Yuuji sense was right!” The man exclaims excitedly, signing his words, and Sukuna rolls his eyes. But the boy next to him beams happily and throws himself at the teacher the same way as yesterday, Gojou-sensei catching Itadori effortlessly. Then the man locks his eyes with Sukuna and grins, opening his arms. “Do you want a hug, too, Sukuna?” He asks, the pink-haired boy looking up at the teacher, but Sukuna just sends the man a deadpan stare in response. The way Itadori glances between them and then blushes intrigues Sukuna. He has no idea what the boy is signing to the man, but his movements are very pointed. “Oooh! So you are the one who helped Yuuji yesterday, Sukuna! Heee, who would have thought?” The teacher smiles teasingly. Sukuna scowls.
 
“Whatever.” He grumbles, shifting the bag on his arm.
 
Itadori tugs at Gojou-sensei’s arm and then points at him, signing something. Sukuna raises one of his eyebrows.
 
“Ah! Yuuji wants to know your name, so I will fingerspell it for him.” The teacher informs, then makes some gestures with his fingers, with the pink-haired boy following. Then he glances at Sukuna again and makes two gestures instead. Gojou-sensei snorts. “He just gave you a nickname.” He explains and smiles. “Sukuna is a third-year student, Yuuji. He's grumpy and doesn't like anyone.” Gojou-sensei blabs, signing everything. "He doesn't respect teachers and thinks he's the smartest one here."
 
“Oi.”
 
Itadori frowns, his amber eyes snapping to Sukuna again, and then he smiles, signing to the teacher. The man raises his eyebrows, sending Sukuna a surprised look.
 
“I have no idea how you made such a good impression on Yuuji, Sukuna.” Gojou-sensei admits it thoughtfully. “But you hurt him in any way, and I will kill you.” He grins.
 
Sukuna snorts.
 
“Not a very teacher-like thing to say, Sensei.” He scoffs, then sighs. “I don't intend to harm him, but I also don't think we will have a lot of interactions in the future.” Sukuna says it flatly and bows mockingly. “I will be going then.”
 
“Oh! You have classes with Suguru now, right?” The teacher asks cheerfully. That's why Sukuna can't stand him. People in high spirits are exhausting.
 
“No, I won't tell him or give him anything from you.” He replies dryly and ignores a whine of "Meanie!" turning to leave when his hand is grasped, and Sukuna snaps his attention to Itadori to find those amber eyes watching him intently. Then a beaming smile and an energetic handshake make him wince at the pure positivity radiating from it. “I get it.” Sukuna says it pointedly. “Just don't get lost again.” He adds, smirking, and the pink-haired boy averts his eyes, pouting. Sukuna snorts and catches an utterly dumbfounded expression on Gojou-sensei’s face, so he pulls away from the boy and scowls. “Not a word.” He growls warningly, and the man raises his hands in a defeat gesture.
 
While he is leaving, Sukuna thinks that he won't hear much about Itadori in the future.
 
He is wrong.
 
On the same day, in the cafeteria where most of the students are eating lunch, Sukuna becomes a witness to a very disturbing behavior.
 
He is just eating his curry and minding his own business by, per usual, reading a novel when Itadori's name pops out of nowhere. His ears pick up the conversation instantly, Sukuna pretending to still read, unbothered.
 
“Itadori Yuuji? That's the name of a deaf kid?” Mahito’s annoying voice asks, and Sukuna scowls at his book. He hates him so much.
 
“Yeah. Oh, you see that one boy with pink hair? That's him. I heard he is deaf as a post.” One of his lackeys laughs.
 
Mahito hums in response, and Sukuna grips his novel tighter. Because it isn't a normal hum that people are making in conversations. It's an indication of someone finding a new toy to play with and being fascinated by it.
 
“Oh? Will you make the deaf kid your new target?” Not only Sukuna realized it, which is even worse.
 
“I wonder. Let me see him up close and decide.” Mahito snickers, and his lackeys echo the sound like the empty-headed puppets they are.
 
Disgusting.
 
Mahito is known for picking one person at a time to torment them until he becomes bored and moves on to another one. As much as everyone is aware of it, no one can do anything since his parents are some high-ranking people who cover every case, protecting their dumb son and letting him do as he pleases. Getou-sensei, as his supervising teacher, is always interfering; Gojou-sensei is helping him with that, but even they can't stop Mahito sometimes.
 
Sukuna looks up from his book, searching for the pink hair and amber eyes in the crowd. After finding the boy, he angles himself so he can observe Mahito and his group from above his novel.
 
“Look, look, he's coming here.” One of them whispers, and the other elbows him.
 
“He can't hear you, stupid. You don't have to talk quietly!” He exclaims loudly, and the rest chortle.
 
Sukuna scowls harder. So immature. So annoying.
 
“Hey, let's try and trip him!” The first one says it excitedly, and a moment later, a leg actually appears right before Itadori is about to pass their table.
 
Sukuna mentally facepalms. The pink-haired boy stops, looks at the leg and then at the group, frowning. Sukuna watches those amber eyes snap straight to their lips, and he smirks knowingly.
 
“Oh, shit. He's deaf, not blind. Sorry, I got it wrong.” The same boy claims, and the band laughs.
 
Sukuna observes, ready to intervene if something goes too far. Itadori glances at the leg in front of him again. The pink-haired boy is holding his tray with the food, and he tilts his head in silent question, making it seem like he can't read lips. Huh. Interesting.
 
“Sorry, sorry! I didn't realize someone was about to pass. Oh, right, you can't understand what I'm saying!” The lackey says, and they all try to stifle the cackles.
 
There is a twitch on the pink-haired boy’s lips, and then he smiles. But Sukuna saw his real smile already, and this one... Sukuna snorts at his novel. Because Itadori smiles at them with pity. And they didn't notice.
 
Then a girl with short light brown hair appears behind Itadori, raises her eyebrow, and smiles too. Her smile, on the other hand, is definitely threatening.
 
“Come and eat with me, Itadori!” She proposes, locking their arms together, and this time the boy doesn't even flinch, just sending her a genuine smile. A safe person, then. The girl tugs Itadori away from the group, glaring on the way out. Sukuna approves.
 
But then.
 
“So? What do you think, Mahito?” His puppet asks, and there is another hum in reply, so Sukuna grits his teeth.
 
“I would love to wipe this smile from his face.” Mahito chuckles darkly, and Sukuna closes his book with a loud noise, rising from his chair abruptly.
 
He lost his appetite.

Chapter Text

The next day, Sukuna finds lost Itadori at the metro station again, and he just sighs tiredly, because what has his life become? While he approaches, some middle-aged woman bumps into the pink-haired boy, and Itadori startles, then bows his head in apology. Sukuna scowls, because it was clearly not the boy's fault.
 
“I can't believe this! Stop standing so uselessly in one place! People are trying to pass!” She nags, and Sukuna's scowl deepens.
 
Itadori is thankfully still bowing, so he doesn't have an opportunity to understand the woman's words. When the pink-haired boy looks up, Sukuna comes between them, hiding Itadori behind him and facing the annoying hag.
 
“He will move right away, Baba. Also, he's deaf, so be more conscious of your surroundings in the future. You scared him by touching him unexpectedly.” Sukuna says gruffly, glaring. He turns to the boy, ignoring her rude response. Amber eyes blink at him, and then Itadori smiles happily. Typical. Sukuna nods in greeting. “Let's go.” He says this and walks out of the station, knowing that the boy is following.
 
Outside, Itadori tugs at his forearm, so Sukuna stops and glances at him, raising one eyebrow in question. The boy shifts his hands like he wants to sign, then thinks better of it and makes a frustrated sigh. Sukuna huffs a small, amused breath and holds out his palm. When Itadori immediately gives him his own hand, he snorts. A dog, indeed. “No. Give me your phone.” Sukuna orders and smirks at the blush appearing on the boy's face. 
 
Itadori takes out the phone from his pocket and obediently gives it to Sukuna. He's flabbergasted again at how trusting the boy is. But he just sighs and prepares himself for whatever outcome it will all bring. Sukuna quickly searches his bag for his own phone to exchange their contact information. He gives back Itadori's phone and earns a big, grateful smile in response. Sukuna rolls his eyes, and because he is petty, he changes the pink-haired boy’s contact name in the app to “Good Boi” since he still can't stop comparing him to the dog. He gets the message a moment later. 

Sukuna looks up from his phone at Itadori and rolls his eyes again, typing the reply.

The boy smiles at him sheepishly. Still, Itadori was in school yesterday morning without any problems. Sukuna wonders how that happened if the boy seems to be lost every time he sees him. So…

Then, the response.

Itadori looks at Sukuna, those amber eyes full of mirth and fondness. Huh. Not only ‘Onii-chan’, but also ‘my’. No, Sukuna doesn't want to ask anything further about it. But it's good to know that the pink-haired boy has a family that he loves, and they love him back.
 
“We should go.” Sukuna notices the hour, and amber eyes must have observed his lips because Itadori nods and starts walking… in the opposite direction. Sukuna quickly blocks his way and points behind the boy. He blinks, and when the realization hits him, he facepalms. Sukuna types another message, chuckling.

Itadori glances at his phone, wincing, and the response comes almost immediately. 

Sukuna snorts. At least the boy is aware.
 
They reach the school on time and part ways after Itadori waves to Sukuna with a smile, going to his class.
 
Sukuna wonders if giving his phone number to the boy was a good idea. He's not the type to socialize or text with others. Gods, he can count all his contacts on his fingers.
 
After that encounter, two things become habits of sorts.
 
The first one is whenever Sukuna finds Itadori in the crowd, clearly lost. Every time, he does the same thing. Sukuna takes out his phone, taps at Itadori's contact name, and types a simple “Oi”. And he watches, amused, how the pink-haired boy realizes that Sukuna sent him a text. Itadori smiles at his phone, then instantly turns in all directions, searching for him. After spotting Sukuna, the boy beams and waves happily. Then, like a good boi he is, he comes to his owner, wagging his invisible tail, and asks for directions via messages. At least that's how Sukuna projects it.
 
And Itadori gets lost a lot. Sukuna can understand it on some level since the school is big and most of the time students need to move to different classes for a lesson. It's fine when the boy's friends are with him—that gloomy, dark-haired boy or this brown-haired girl from the cafeteria. Sometimes he walks with Gojou-sensei or even Getou-sensei, but from time to time he is alone, and then Sukuna needs to intervene. Which is odd, because the truth is, he doesn't really have to. Still, seeing Itadori with this hopeless expression, trying desperately to find a way with no result, just irks him, and before he realizes it, he's already typing a message.
 
Then comes the second habit that he hates. Because that's the other reason why Sukuna refuses to leave Itadori alone.
 
Mahito seems to notice when the pink-haired boy is by himself and then likes to pick on him. Pathetic. Sukuna observes every single time, ready to strike if necessary. But the thing is, Itadori is very liked in the school, and someone is always there to meddle. Sukuna has no idea how the boy was able to make all those close connections. That's his third year, and he has, like, zero. Sukuna can't decide if it's admirable or annoying.
 
It's on the fifth day of school, Friday afternoon break. Unfortunately, Sukuna's classes and Itadori’s classes are next to each other, which triggers the issue. Mahito and his puppets are just passing the pink-haired boy, who, left by Gojou-sensei, waits for the teacher alone. Sukuna instantly senses that something is going to happen. Then Mahito hits—actually hits Itadori, colliding with him on purpose and spilling orange juice at the boy's uniform, making it look like an accident. Sukuna scowls. Yeah, accident his ass.
 
Itadori looks up, completely shocked.
 
“Oh! Sorry! Didn't see you there!” Mahito chuckles lightly, his eyes sadistic. The pink-haired boy blinks, the juice dripping on the floor from his blazer. Sukuna grits his teeth and makes one step toward the scene. “What’s wrong? Are you going to cry?” Mahito asks excitedly, bringing his hand to cup Itadori's cheek, but then...
 
“Brother!” A loud voice booms, and Sukuna winces, while the others freeze at the sound. Yeah, everyone wants to be deaf right now, look at this. “Brother!” And Sukuna knows this voice from the time when he was forced by Getou-sensei to join a club in his second year; he played basketball for almost two months until he was kicked off the team for constantly fouling everyone. A second later, its owner runs up to Itadori and gasps, pushing away Mahito by his big frame, not even noticing him. “My brother! Why are you wet?!” Toudou asks incredulously, signing? Huh. And then, in one smooth move, he takes off his own blazer to carefully put it on the pink-haired boy's shoulders. It's, like, two times too big, and Sukuna snorts at the sight. “It will probably stain, but let's try and wash it anyway, brother!” Toudou exclaims, still signing everything, and Itadori signs back, smiling with clear amusement. Sukuna glances at Mahito and snorts again at the disgusted and flabbergasted expression there.
 
Toudou puts his arm around the pink-haired boy's shoulders and escorts him to the bathroom. After savoring Mahito’s dumb face, Sukuna follows, invested.
 
He finds them there, both signing aggressively, the boy's ruined clothes soaking in the water, and it's weird to witness a silent Toudou, but what's even weirder is to see Itadori without his blazer and shirt, all firm, sculpted muscles. Sukuna blinks. That's unexpected. How did he get those?
 
“Sukuna?” Toudou notices him, so Sukuna snaps at the gorilla in the human body.
 
“Toudou.” He greets him flatly and squints his eyes. “Where did you learn sign language?” Sukuna asks, crossing his arms.
 
“Oh! Takada-chan was doing promo videos with sign language two years ago, and I watched them so many times, it just stuck with me.” He chuckles.
 
Oh. The idol obsession that everyone knows about. Makes sense.
 
“Well. I don't know what you are both talking about, but if he's saying it was an accident, then no, it wasn't.” Sukuna grumbles, pointing at Itadori, who just watches him, frowning.
 
“Ah. I thought so too. Is my brother a new Mahito's toy?” Toudou guesses.
 
‘My brother’. No, Sukuna won't address this weird man's delusions. He grunts positivity in reply. “But I'm watching, so don't worry.” He assures with a smirk.
 
Toudou booms with laughter. “I don't need to. My brother is strong, after all!” He states, signing this part.
 
Well. If Toudou says so, who is Sukuna to disagree?

Chapter Text

On Sunday afternoon, Sukuna's phone lights up, and he expects to see Uraume's usual control message. They are always making sure that Sukuna is still alive, demanding answers and reminding him to eat, sleep, and study. Even with the time difference. Like Sukuna is not responsible enough. Uraume is such a worrywart sometimes. Well, it's true that after what happened with Sukuna's family, they became more caring towards him, but they are, like, a few years apart, for god's sake. Uraume acts like his foster parent. He doesn't need that.

But instead of their prodding, Sukuna gets a text from Itadori. He blinks at his phone, surprised, and taps at the message.

What? He reads it several times. Where did that come from? He raises his eyebrows and types the reply.

And that's it. When the other message comes, it's actually Uraume this time, and Sukuna is oddly disappointed.

Itadori doesn't text him again that day.

He texts him on Monday, right after school, though.

Sukuna is confused. He has no clue what this is about but still types an affirmative response, and after gathering his bearings, he comes down to the first-year floor with a sigh.

When he opens the door to Itadori's class, he finds the boy already there, playing with something on the teacher's desk, facing the windows. Beside him, the class is empty. Itadori must have sensed the door’s vibrations because he turns to Sukuna and, per usual, beams at seeing him.

And then he holds up a small bag full of cookies.

Sukuna closes the door and blinks at the sight. “Is that for me?” He asks, dumbfounded.

Itadori nods with a big smile and approaches, so he can place the bag in Sukuna's hands. Then he comes to the chalkboard and starts writing there. Oh, that's why they are in class. Smart.

“I wanted to thank you for always taking care of me, so I baked the cookies. I hope you will enjoy them.” Sukuna reads and gapes.

Baked?

Baked?!

He looks down at the cookies in his hands.

“You baked them yourself?” Sukuna mumbles, flabbergasted.

Amber eyes observe his lips intently, and Itadori nods, still smiling widely.

Homemade cookies…

Sukuna is taken aback for two simple reasons.

First, his kouhai just gave him a present. Sukuna is not used to it. It's so weird! People usually hate him or ignore him. Not… doing whatever this boy is doing.

And second, the cookies are apparently homemade, which means all the effort and feelings went there. Sukuna is terrible in the kitchen; that's why Uraume always cooks and makes sure he eats properly. Baking though? That's like, another level entirely. Which kinda impresses him.

“Thank you.” Sukuna finally utters, not knowing how to react properly, but Itadori beams again, so he thinks he passed this test.

Before he can say something embarrassing, the door to the class opens behind Sukuna and Gojou-sensei peers inside.

“Yuuji, are you done~?” He sings and then notices Sukuna, so he smirks, covering his mouth with his right hand. “Oya~? Am I interrupting something?” The teacher wiggles his eyebrows.

And Gojou-sensei does this all on purpose to irritate Sukuna since he leaves Itadori out of the teasing, so Sukuna scowls, clicking his tongue. “Don’t make it weird.” He grumbles.

The annoying teacher invites himself to the classroom, closing the door, and then pauses, sniffing. He turns abruptly to them, and his eyes search for something until they stop at Sukuna's hands. Gojou-sensei gasps. “Those are…!” And he starts signing. “Yuuji, did you make enough for Sensei?” He whines, almost drooling.

Itadori huffs a breathy laugh through his nose, and Sukuna likes the sound of it. The pink-haired boy nods enthusiastically, then goes to grab his backpack.

“Sukuna. You have no idea what you are holding right now.” Gojou-sensei says so solemnly, putting a hand on Sukuna's shoulder.

“Cookies?” He states it dryly, slapping the hand away.

“No!” The man argues heatedly. “Those are not normal cookies! Those are cookies made by Yuuji! Do you know what it means?!” He asks incredulously. Sukuna sighs and raises one brow questioningly. “It means that they are divine!” Gojou-sensei ends and makes grabby hands for the bag that Itadori just took out of his backpack.

The boy gives it to the teacher with a knowing smile. Gojou-sensei immediately opens it and starts eating, only to throw himself at the boy after one bite.

“Yuuji, I love you so much!” The man declares and kisses Itadori on the cheek, the boy scrunching his face cutely, totally fine with the affection. “You are so cute~!”

Sukuna stares. “You sure are close.” He deadpans.

Gojou-sensei shamelessly envelopes the boy in a hug, putting his head on Itadori's head, still eating the cookies.

“That's because our love languages are matching, Sukuna. It's a physical touch.” The white-haired man points at their proximity. “And presents.” He shakes the bag with a grin. “But also, look at him. He's like a cute cat!” Gojou-sensei pats Itadori's head, and the boy actually leans into the touch. The teacher chuckles. “When his brother is working, Yuuji doesn't get much affection, so I need to spoil him!”

“I should report it to Getou-sensei.” Sukuna decides, but the teacher just snorts.

“Oh, please.” He snorts again and taps Itadori on the shoulder. Amber eyes snap up at him. “Who is more affectionate, me or Suguru?” He asks, holding one, then two fingers. To Sukuna's surprise, the boy shows two fingers with a warm smile. “See?” Gojou-sensei points with a grin. “You should have seen Suguru when Yuuji was still a baby! He was like a devoted mother.” The man laughs, and Itadori hits him on his arm. “That's true, Yuuji! I think seeing Suguru like that made me realize that yes, we are going to have children at some point, and here we are.” He smiles warmly.

That's… a lot of information to process. So, this married couple has known Itadori for years now. Interesting. There was also mentioned his mysterious brother. But what Sukuna focuses on is...

“You have children?” He asks, dumbfounded.

Because that's the first time he hears about it.

Gojou-sensei nods. “Yeah. Two daughters. They are still in middle school. We don't really like to reveal details about our private lives.” He adds, shrugging.

Itadori just watches them, accepting the hug and smiling all the time, those amber eyes observing their lips to follow the conversation.

“Then why are you telling me?” Sukuna squints his eyes, fiddling with the bag in his hands.

“Oh! Because I know you won't tell anyone! Like, you have so many people around.” He teases, so Sukuna raises one brow, unimpressed. “But also… Yuuji trusts you, and that's enough. You are officially one of his friends now!” The teacher cheers, pointing at the chalkboard. “Since he made you the cookies, it's all settled. He chose you. You can't get away.” He smirks.

Itadori kicks him on the shin this time, blushing. Sukuna approves, at least the first part. The pink-haired boy wriggles from the embrace and starts signing in pointed moves.

Friends?

Only Uraume achieved this title in Sukuna’s entire life. He met Itadori a week ago. But if Sukuna has to be honest with himself, he does act around the pink-haired boy differently than around other people. And it's not even because Itadori is deaf. There is not an ounce of pity there. It's more like… he just makes Sukuna care naturally. And, what is more shocking, he's not repulsed by it. 

“Whoa, Yuuji is mad.” Gojou-sensei mumbles to himself. “Yuuji, I was just kidding! Sukuna knows you are not forcing him to do anything. It's the opposite, actually. He's not the type to get involved unless he wants it. Right?” The man signs and grins at Sukuna, Itadori also glancing at him hesitantly.

His teacher is right. Sukuna was keen on helping Itadori from the beginning, for whatever reason. Since they are already getting along, it can just stay like this.

“Yes.” He admits it with a sigh. The pink-haired boy beams happily at this, and Sukuna decides he has enough positive emotions for a day. “Thanks for the cookies again. I will eat them.” He assures him and quickly excuses himself.

Is he running away? Maybe. Talking about feelings or relationships is just not Sukuna's thing. But he guesses he is not entirely opposed to it.

Being friends with Itadori, that is.

Later that day, Sukuna finds out that Gojou-sensei’s description was, in fact, very accurate.

Itadori’s cookies are divine.

Chapter Text

On Wednesday’s morning, Sukuna takes his usual metro to school when a small commotion catches his attention, so he stops sketching and follows the noises to the end of the subway car.
 
“I told you to move, you stupid piece of shit!” Some aggressive-looking guy spits at... Is that Itadori? Sukuna instantly rises from his seat, with the sketchbook still in hand, pushing through people. The pink-haired boy doesn't even realize that this man is talking to him, just looking through the window and, of course, blocking the passage. Shit. “Oi, are you ignoring me on purpose?! I said, move!” The man yells at Itadori but still gets no reaction, so he grabs the pink-haired boy by his arm, and Sukuna scowls, observing the flinch. Amber eyes snap to the man, widening at the pure anger there, but before he is able to bow in his typical manner, the man tightens his hold, and Itadori winces. Sukuna is livid now. “Are you fucking deaf?!” The man yells even louder. The pink-haired boy blinks, clearly uncomfortable, and then nods. Sukuna grits his teeth. Useless people who just observe and don't do anything. He pushes through the crowd with more effort, almost there. “Are you fucking kidding me?! If you are deaf, stay at home and stop being a burden to others around you!” The man growls, and Sukuna has had enough.
 
“Oi.” He finally comes close enough to butt in. The man glances at him, then makes a double take. Sukuna glares at him with all his might. “Let go.” He demands, and the man actually listens, pulling away from Itadori. Sukuna has to grit his teeth very hard to refrain himself from harming this motherfucker.
 
Then his attention snaps to Itadori, and Sukuna immediately softens. Because those amber eyes are dull now, just staring at nothing. Sukuna takes another step to stand right before the pink-haired boy, hiding this dipshit from sight. “You okay?” He mouths silently, and the amber eyes gain some warm tones at the edges. Itadori blinks and makes a small smile, then nods. Sukuna recalls that this boy seems to always look more reassured when touching someone, so he offers his right hand. Just like that, without much thought. Itadori looks between Sukuna’s eyes and his hand, then smiles more honestly, the boy accepting it. “Come with me.” Sukuna mouths again, and Itadori just squeezes his hand in response. He pulls him a bit, and Itadori follows.
 
The man is still spouting nonsense, and Sukuna ignores the words, but he glares again, silencing him. “He moved.” He grumbles pointedly and pulls Itadori further into the car.
 
A kind woman taps Sukuna lightly on his shoulder. “There is a free seat here.” She offers, and Sukuna nods with gratitude, then gently sits the pink-haired boy down there, letting go of his hand.
 
Itadori lets himself be manhandled obediently, looking down the entire time. Sukuna feels people around them staring, so he clicks his tongue, annoyed. Well, he can't do anything with that. But he can do something with the pink-haired boy.
 
Sukuna crouches down, holding the bar next to the seat, so he can be at the same eye level as Itadori without losing his balance. The boy blinks up at him, surprised. And as Sukuna predicted, amber eyes are still slightly dull and oddly sad. He doesn't like it. This stupid man said some unnecessary words, and those clearly hurt the boy. So, Sukuna places his sketchbook on Itadori's lap and taps it. The pink-haired boy frowns, glancing at Sukuna hesitantly. “Open it.” He says it softly.
 
Itadori tilts his head in wonder and opens the sketchbook. Amber eyes go wide at the sight, and Sukuna smiles. When the boy looks up at him, he quickly schools his expression to indifference, raising one of his eyebrows.
 
On the first page, Sukuna drew branches. The entire page is full of those, making it seem like a viewer is wandering through the forest, looking up at the sky. Itadori stares at it, touching the paper carefully. He turns the pages and gasps softly at the sight. It's the lake this time, with mountains and trees in the background. Then the third page with an owl. The fourth one with flowers.
 
But Sukuna doesn't look at the drawings he knows better than anyone. He observes Itadori's reactions instead. The way those amber eyes absorb every detail, surveying the black strokes, the usual warmth tones come back to them with every turned page. How his fingers hold the sketchbook gently, almost with reverence, careful not to damage it, sometimes sliding through the drawing in wonder.
 
And Sukuna lets himself smile again.
 
Until Itadori comes to the page with the cartoon dog wagging happily its tail, and the pink-haired boy tilts his head, mimicking the dog.
 
Sukuna can't help it.
 
He barks a laugh.
 
Amber eyes snap to him suspiciously, so Sukuna shakes his head. “It's you.” He points at the dog, then at the boy, smirking. Itadori gives him a very judgmental stare, but Sukuna is good at it too, so they have a staring contest until the pink-haired boy pouts and looks away. Sukuna snorts. Itadori raises his hand like he wants to sign and pauses, shaking his head. Sukuna takes a pencil from his pocket and gives it to the boy. “You can write here.” He permits, tapping his sketchbook. Itadori glances uncertainly and then nods. Sukuna waits until the boy writes the message.
 
“I'm not a dog, Senpai.”
 
Sukuna raises his eyebrows at it and smirks. “Right. Sensei said that you are a cat.” He reminds the boy and is delighted to see Itadori blushing, then scrawling furiously.
 
“Please, don't listen to Gojou-sensei!”
 
Sukuna shrugs. “I never listen to others anyway.” He deadpans, and amber eyes widen.
 
“That's not good, either!”
 
Sukuna chuckles. “I'm joking, Itadori.” He admits it, smiling.
 
Amber eyes open even wider, almost gleaming, the boy’s mouth parting slightly. Itadori's fingers twitch, and he writes something only to cross it out.
 
“You are very talented, Senpai.”
 
“You mean the sketches?” Sukuna asks, and Itadori nods. He shrugs. “It’s just related to something I want to do in the future.” He says it slowly, but the boy frowns, so Sukuna takes the pencil from his hand and writes it down. Then he glances at Itadori and adds: “You are talented, too.” with a small drawing of his cookies.
 
The pink-haired boy reads it and beams. Mission accomplished.
 
“Senpai ate them?”
 
Sukuna reads and nods. “They were delicious.” He praises truthfully. Itadori radiates happiness.
 
“I'm so happy!!”
 
Sukuna snorts. “I can see.” He smirks to turn the pages for the one with the dog again. “You look like this now.” He points at the drawing. The boy huffs a breath that sounds like a laugh, and Sukuna is even more proud of himself now. Then Itadori’s features soften, and he looks at Sukuna for a moment, until he scrabbles something down.
 
“Thank you, Sukuna-senpai.”
 
He doesn't specify, but Sukuna knows. He rolls his eyes and hesitates for a moment. No, fuck it. Sukuna reaches out his hand to pat Itadori on the head like the good boi he is. “You're welcome.” He whispers. Of course, Itadori leans to the touch, which makes Sukuna snort. “Maybe you really are a cat.” He teases, and the pink-haired boy gasps, offended.
 
“Don't tease me, Senpai!”
 
Sukuna smirks wider. “Oh, I will.” He frowns then, remembering something. “Is your arm okay?” He asks, pointing with his finger at the arm this motherfucker was gripping. The boy smiles.
 
“I’m more tough than I look, Senpai.” 
 
Sukuna nods in acknowledgement. “I know.” He murmurs to himself and closes the sketchbook. “Our station.” He points at the screen, and the pink-haired boy nods.
 
They get off the subway together, with Sukuna making sure no one touches Itadori suddenly, followed by multiple smiling people. Noisy fuckers.
 
They go to school just enjoying their presence alone, and Itadori is smiling the entire time. When they reach their destination, Sukuna notices Getou-sensei coming from his car, missing his other stupid half, and he smirks. He takes the pink-haired boy's hand again without trouble, pulls him gently, and throws at his teacher.
 
Getou-sensei catches him with a reflex and looks at Itadori, who is already hugging the man, then at Sukuna, perplexed. “What is this about?”
 
“I just heard recently that you are a very affectionate person, Sensei.” Sukuna says it innocently and then gets serious. “Please give him a hug. He needs it.” He asks politely.
 
Getou-sensei brings the pink-haired boy closer and starts rubbing his hands into Itadori's back soothingly. Whoa, Gojou-sensei was right. Such a mama.
 
“Something happened?” The man sounds worried.
 
Sukuna shrugs. “Everyone sucks; that's it.” He states it dryly. “Since Itadori is in good hands, I will be going to my class then.” He bows a bit.
 
“Sukuna.” Getou-sensei calls him, so he glances at the teacher and sees a soft smile there. “I'm glad you are making friends.” He sounds genuine.
 
Sukuna scowls and leaves without a comment. He would take the man more seriously if he wasn't swaying Itadori in his arms. Probably.
 
After school, Sukuna remembers his sketchbook and curiously deciphers the words Itadori crossed out.
 
“I like Senpai’s smile.”
 
Sukuna stares, then stares more. Was he smiling unintentionally?Shit. He's not a smiling type in the first place. Right! It's all his kouhai's fault!
 
Sukuna is not sure how he feels about it.
 
“I like Senpai’s smile.”
 
“Stupid.” He mutters and closes the sketchbook.
 
The next morning at school, Sukuna finds a bag of cookies next to his shoes. He snorts. 
 
The cookies look like dog paws.

Chapter Text

In the next three weeks, Sukuna finds himself texting with Itadori a lot, not only at school but also after it. It's weird since he's not used to socializing and having, well, a friend. Uraume is a different case. They have known each other for years already, and their constant contact is natural. Itadori, on the other hand, seems very determined in his approach to taking out every possible piece of information from Sukuna in his cheerful manner.
 
So they text. It's mostly the pink-haired boy who starts the conversations with some kind of innocent question, and it goes from there. Sukuna notices that Itadori is a very responsive and expressive person, and maybe it's better he doesn't talk; Sukuna fears his ears would wilt otherwise. Then, whenever Sukuna answers him, the boy simply gives his own answer too, without asking, like a give-and-take rule.
 
Thanks to that, he learns that Itadori loves his older brother dearly, but they don't live together; his Onii-chan works a lot and travels. The man is close friends with Getou-sensei and Gojou-sensei, and that's how they all met, treating each other almost like family. The pink-haired boy mentioned his mother several times too, but seemed weirdly vague about her. Sukuna didn't prod. His own family is non-existent to him, so he knows something about issues with parents.
 
Sukuna receives regular godly sweets baked by Itadori now, and he's obligated to always give his honest opinion about those. Apparently, it's Itadori's hobby but also a way to release stress. Sukuna can only hope that the pink-haired boy bakes so much because of the first reason. And the pink-haired boy is so good at it; it's amazing. Sukuna can only shake his head, dumbfounded at the variety of flavors and recipes.
 
They start to take the same subway lines too, on Sukuna’s insistence, since it's the easiest way for him to make sure Itadori won't be approached by some weirdos.
 
Sukuna also finds out that the pink-haired boy is surprisingly good at sports, and that's how he befriended Toudou. He also has two friends in his class that Sukuna sees with Itadori a lot: the girl named Kugisaki Nobara, who is always loud, and Fushiguro Megumi, the complete opposite with his gloomy attitude. Both don't use sign language yet seem unbothered by the pink-haired boy's deafness, minding his inability and trying to help him around. Sukuna approves.
 
Then one day, at the end of April, Mahito strikes again. Or he tries. It's again at the cafeteria, with Sukuna eating and doodling absentmindedly in his sketchbook, occupying his usual seat, when he hears a very loud slap. He looks up and can't help but smirk at the sight.
 
Mahito holds his slapped cheek, gaping, while Zenin Maki, a second-year green-haired girl, the most respected person in the school, glares at him with disgust, her hand still in the air, standing right between Mahito and Itadori. Oh, it would be a waste not to take a photo, so Sukuna quickly snaps one and laughs internally at Mahito's dumb expression.
 
“Touch him once again, and it won't be a slap next time.” Maki warns, her voice full of poison.
 
From what Sukuna knows, the girl is probably the second biggest Mahito's hater, right behind Sukuna himself. Their approach is slightly different, though. She's always actively opposing his bullying, while Sukuna doesn't even acknowledge Mahito's existence, only observing and waiting for the right moment to strike and destroy him completely if needed.
 
Since Maki comes from a well-known martial arts dojo, everyone respects her strength and skills in fighting. Mahito's bullying has decreased right after she enrolled in this school, so it's not a surprise to see her protecting kouhai.
 
But what Sukuna doesn't expect is the girl wrapping her arm around Itadori and leading him to her table, which is right behind Sukuna. Interesting. He goes back to drawing so he can shamelessly eavesdrop and observe from his peripheral vision.
 
She sits in her usual spot between a big man who everyone calls Panda and Inumaki, who is mute, and, oh, the latter immediately engages Itadori in a sign conversation, the pink-haired boy taking a seat opposite them and right behind Sukuna. He's not sure if Itadori didn't see him or pretend not to, knowing well that Sukuna wouldn't like to be involved and socialize.
 
Then come Fushiguro and Kugisaki, both sitting on Itadori's sides, respectively.
 
“Thank you for the intervention, Maki.” The gloomy boy sounds grateful.
 
“You were so cool, Maki-senpai!” The other girl exclaims with awe.
 
“I was just aching to slap this bitch for a while, Kugisaki.” Maki scoffs. Sukuna nods in understanding. “And of course, everything for my cousin's first friend.” She responds with a tease.
 
Oh? A family connection. Very interesting.
 
“Maki, don't be too snarky.” Panda reprimands.
 
“It's okay, Panda-senpai. I'm used to it.” Fushiguro sighs, and Sukuna hides a snort. That's sad.
 
“But I have to admit, it's nice to see you making friends, Megumi.” Maki sounds genuinely relieved.
 
“Ua, are you not a friendly person, Fushiguro? I wouldn't figure it out with your ‘don’t approach me’ aura.” Kugisaki mocks.
 
“We both know Itadori can stand you only because he can't hear your annoying voice all the time, Kugisaki.” The dark-haired boy replies dryly.
 
“HA?! That's not true! Itadori, tell him!” She demands, and then her tone softens. “Oh, look, he's texting with his Onii-chan again.” The girl snickers. “What is he saying this time?” She probably glances at the boy's phone. “Itadori sent him a photo of his lunch. Onii-chan wants him to eat all the vegetables. His brother is so overprotective!” Kugisaki snorts.
 
“I couldn't imagine being like that with my sister.” Maki comments disbelievingly.
 
“And they are not even fully related.” Fushiguro adds, and Sukuna pauses, surprised. He didn't know that. “Itadori's brother is from their mom's previous marriage.”
 
Huh. They are very close, despite not being real brothers, then.
 
“Oh! Onii-chan is coming back in a week!” Kugisaki informs excitedly. “I want to meet him! I've accidentally seen his photo once. He's such a hottie!” She squeals.
 
Sukuna doubts it was an accident, deciding right there that this girl is extremely nosy.
 
“Kugisaki, you prefer women.” The gloomy boy reminds her.
 
That's not information Sukuna needed to know.
 
“You just haven't seen him! That man could make me straight again.” She declares. “I guess Onii-chan, Gojou-sensei, and Getou-sensei created some kind of club of super hot men or something.” The girl snorts, then gasps. “Oh gods, Onii-chan is probably gay too. The most handsome ones are always gay!” She complains loudly.
 
“Stop calling him Onii-chan.” Fushiguro pleads weakly.
 
“Then how am I supposed to call him? Itadori can be so secretive sometimes! We don't even know his name.”
 
“Maybe he's famous.” Maki points.
 
A pause.
 
“Now that you went and said it, Senpai, I can't help but think you are right.” Kugisaki mumbles.
 
“Then what about the other person? The one he's also texting all the time?” Fushiguro asks.
 
Sukuna blinks. Is this about him?
 
“Aaah! The mysterious senpai that always helps him!” The girl snaps her fingers. It is about Sukuna. What the hell. “Itadori always makes this cute happy face while texting them.” She snickers.
 
Oh. Sukuna also wasn't aware of it.
 
“So, your theory assumes that Itadori's senpai is also famous, and that's why he's hiding his identity?” Panda sums it up.
 
“Well, we don't have a lot of famous senpais here.” Maki informs. “There is Mahito, but we all know it's a piece of shit. Then Toudou?”
 
“Oh. We know about him.” Kugisaki admits.
 
“Then it leaves…” Sukuna suddenly feels Maki’s eyes boring into his back. He casually continues to eat with his left hand and draw with his right one. “Nevermind.” She ends, and Sukuna huffs a silent laugh because it's hilarious.
 
They are having this entire conversation around Itadori, and he's not even aware. Also, Maki just hit the jackpot but gave up on a prize. Ironic.
 
“Whatever it is, he will tell us if he decides we should know.” Fushiguro, a voice of reason, says. Sukuna agrees. That's not their business.
 
“Welcome back, Itadori! Did you discuss everything with your brother already?” Kugisaki asks excitedly, and Sukuna decides he can leave now since the pink-haired boy will definitely text him about it himself, so he takes his sketchbook and a tray with unfinished food. Then. “Or were you texting your lovely senpai?” She teases, and Sukuna almost trips.
 
Yeah. He will stay away from nosy people.

Chapter Text

On Tuesdays, Sukuna and Itadori have a silent agreement to go to the station together and take the same subway home. The pink-haired boy lives further, so Sukuna leaves first, a little worried, but Itadori always lets him know he reaches his house safely.
 
On the first Tuesday after Golden Week, Sukuna waits for the pink-haired boy at the entry gate. Gojou-sensei tends to stop Itadori from leaving his classroom right away, and Sukuna prefers to stay outside rather than give the man more reasons to tease him.
 
But today, he's not alone. There is this motorcycle parked next to the entrance, with a mysterious man leaning on it, also waiting for someone. Sukuna would normally ignore him since he doesn't care about people, but this man is fashionable, and he can't help but stare, assessing his outfit. Call it his habit. Sukuna aspires to be a fashion designer in the future; his secret sketchbooks at Uraume's apartment full of ideas and designs—would be more of those if it weren't for his father.
 
And the man is, objectively speaking, very handsome. There is this dangerous aura around him, maybe because of the tattoos and piercings. He has black hair reaching to his shoulders and an odd hairpin in it. It looks like a… donut? A weird choice, looking at his letter jacket, black pants, and heavy boots. The lances in the latter match his violet scarf, which is connected to the hoodie underneath, and Sukuna squints.
 
“Is that from the latest Yuki-san's collection?” He wonders aloud, and the man snaps his attention from observing the school’s front door to Sukuna, clearly surprised.
 
“It is.” He admits fixing the scarf with an amused smile. “I didn't expect to find here someone knowing anything about fashion.” The man comments.
 
“Same, actually.” Sukuna snorts.
 
A moment later, he's been curiously scanned from top to bottom, and the man smiles. “I see. Your fixes are subtle but well done.” He praises with a respective nod.
 
Sukuna gapes. “How can you tell? I've been wearing my uniform the same way for three years already, and no one realized I changed it a bit.” He's impressed.
 
“Well, my friend was aching to get her hands on my little brother’s uniform, too, thankfully he refused.” The man smiles fondly. “But it's probably because of the experience.” He shrugs. “If you are in the industry as long as me… Oh, right. I didn't introduce myself.” He approaches Sukuna with his hand outstretched. “I'm Chousou.” He smiles friendly.
 
Sukuna gapes more. “Chousou?” He needs to make sure he heard it right. “The photographer Chousou-san, who works exclusively with Tsukumo Yuki-san, one of the most famous Japanese fashion designers?” He asks on one breath incredulously.
 
The man smiles wider. “That's the one. I had a hunch you would know me.” He chuckles.
 
Sukuna snaps from his shock and takes the man’s hand carefully. “It's an honor to meet you, Chousou-san. I respect your work a lot.” He bows.
 
The man pats him on the shoulder with a laugh. “Oh, don't flatter me. It's nice to meet young people interested in modern fashion since Japan is still…” He's eyeing Sukuna's uniform.
 
He grunts. “I know.” And nods.
 
They mourn the fact that Japanese people still choose simplicity and tradition when it comes to clothes in a companionable silence.
 
“So? I know you can sew, but that's it?” Chousou-san prods, glancing at him curiously.
 
“I might have sketchbooks full of designs.” Sukuna admits it with a casual shrug.
 
“Ho? Interesting. I wonder what kind of fashion you create.” Chousou-san makes a thoughtful face, then searches his pockets to take out a small piece of paper. Sukuna's eyes go wide. “If you promise not to share my contact information with the outside world, we could meet one day and have a real talk.” The man gives him his business card with an encouraging smile.
 
“Chousou-san, I—I don't know what to say.” Sukuna is so taken aback. That's definitely not how he expected this afternoon to play out.
 
“Don't mention it. In this industry, contacts are everything, so take it and try not to lose this opportunity.” He grins.
 
Sukuna can only nod in bewilderment and take the business card from the man.
 
At that moment, Itadori finally leaves school, his pink hair visible from a distance. He's looking at his phone with a frown and walking towards the entry gate. Then he peers up at them both and stops dead in his tracks. Those amber eyes don't look at Sukuna, though; they are watching Chousou-san intently, and something inside them sparkles. Then such an elated expression overtakes Itadori's face that he needs to blink. Sukuna always thought that the pink-haired boy was happy to see him, beaming. But this reaction is not even comparable. Then Sukuna dares to glance at Chousou-san and needs to blink again. The man is equally ecstatic, smiling widely at the pink-haired boy.
 
No way.
 
In one moment, Itadori is just silently radiating happiness; in the next, he runs to tackle the man, Chousou-san catching him effortlessly, shifting the boy's weight in his arms. They hug like they haven't seen each other for ages. Sukuna knows it was just weeks instead. Because…
 
“Chousou-san, you are Onii-chan, aren't you.” He doesn't even ask, he just states it tiredly.
 
The man turns towards him with Itadori still hugging him like his life depends on it, and recognition crosses his face.
 
“Are you Sukuna-senpai, then?” Chousou-san realizes, and they both lock their eyes, then shake their heads in disbelief.
 
“So we were waiting for the same person all together.” Sukuna snorts.
 
“Oh. Sorry, but I'm going to kidnap my little brother today.” The man chuckles sheepishly.
 
Sukuna nods several times. “From Itadori's reaction, I can already tell it was supposed to be a surprise.” He raises his eyebrows at the pink-haired boy pointedly. "I don't mind as long it makes him happy."
 
Chousou-san smiles fondly. “I love to see my cute little brother so full of energy. It wasn't—it wasn't like that in the past.” He frowns and sighs. “I guess you will find out if you ever get the pleasure of meeting our dear mother.” The man spits bitterly, then looks at Sukuna with a grin. “Well, it was good to finally see this amazing, supportive Senpai in person.” He teases.
 
“Yes. I can see that you are friends with Getou-sensei and Gojou-sensei, Chousou-san.” Sukuna snorts. “But I respect you more.” He adds solemnly.
 
That makes him laugh, and Itadori finally lets go of his brother to see what triggered it. Amber eyes snap at Sukuna and widen, like only now realizing that he's still here. He raises one of his eyebrows, and the pink-haired boy blushes, then starts signing to his brother.
 
“I know he's embarrassed that I saw him reacting like that. Tell him not to worry. No, he doesn't need to apologize because I'm going home alone. I can live with it.” Sukuna says it knowingly.
 
Chousou-san huffs a laugh and signs back to Itadori, the pink-haired boy glancing between Sukuna and his brother to nod at the end with a smile.
 
“You sure are a very interesting person, Sukuna.” The man decides, amused. “My offer still stands. If you want to see Yuuji's embarrassing photos from his childhood, I'm also all in.” He grins.
 
Itadori gasps and flails his hands at Sukuna while shaking his head, then hits his brother on the forearm with a pout. They both laugh at that, with the pink-haired boy pouting more.
 
“Have fun with your Onii-chan.” Sukuna ruffles Itadori's hair and bows to Chousou-san. “Thank you for the offer and for being there for Itadori. He loves you a lot.”
 
The man looks surprised at it, then smiles. “Thank you for being for him either.”
 
Sukuna is not embarrassed.

Chapter Text

It turns out that Chousou-san got out of work only for that one day. Sukuna gets the entire report about it from Itadori, with another apology that he was left to go home alone as a result. But it doesn’t really matter until the pink-haired boy is happy. Sukuna wonders a bit about Itadori’s family situation with the way his older brother was talking about their mother. Yet if his friend wishes to tell Sukuna something about it, then he will hear it gladly. He is not going to be insensitive and ask himself.

After Maki warns Mahito about laying his hands on Itadori, things become relatively peaceful. Which can mean two things. Mahito gives up on making the pink-haired boy his prey, or he changes the target. Sukuna observes carefully, watching with distaste how this disgusting excuse for a man and his puppets prevail around the school. Getou-sensei is right. Those are monkeys. The teacher always calls that person in class who interrupts his lessons when he loses his patience. It’s kind of endearing.

It doesn’t take a long time to figure out that Mahito, in fact, has found a new toy to play with. It’s also a boy, a first-year student from a different class. But this one is just taking the bullying without much fighting, not asking for help. Sukuna wonders if he should get involved or at least inform someone about it. Well, it won’t hurt to make things harder for Mahito.

With this thought in mind, Sukuna stays after class on Thursday, packing his sketchbook and pencils with slow, deliberate moves, glancing at the slowly emptying classroom. Getou-sensei’s sharp mind instantly catches at it, and the man starts mimicking Sukuna’s pace, saying goodbye to the students with his usual smile. Then, they are finally left alone, and the teacher closes the door, coming back to his desk with a frown.

“It’s so unusual for you to seek my advice that I’m kind of afraid of what this is about, Sukuna.” Getou-sensei admits it and smiles. “But I’m also glad that you are coming to me for help.”

Sukuna scowls. Of course, he is. “This is not about me.” He grumbles.

His teacher makes a surprised face and blinks, then squints his eyes. “Then what is wrong with Yuuji?” He asks as if the pink-haired boy can be the only other reason for Sukuna to be here.

He sighs. The man is not entirely wrong. Sukuna really is getting soft because of Itadori, damn it. “Were you aware that Mahito targeted him, Sensei?” He wonders.

Getou-sensei’s raised brows are enough of an answer. “No? Since when?” He stands up, alarmed.

Sukuna rolls his eyes. “Calm down, it’s under control.” He snorts. “Basically, from the beginning. But every attempt at bullying was interrupted by someone, and last time Zenin Maki made it clear to Mahito to better stay away from Itadori.” Sukuna smirks at the memory. “Don’t worry, I’m watching.”

His teacher frowns again. “That’s good, then?” He offers hesitantly. “So if everything is fine, why are you here, Sukuna?” Getou-sensei looks confused.

“Mahito has a new target, Yoshino Junpei, from the first year.” He informs him dryly.

The man makes a thoughtful face, probably trying to recall the mentioned student. “Oh. The quiet boy.” He makes a worried face. “That’s not good, he is always alone without any friends.”

“I am aware.” Sukuna replies curtly. “That’s why I am telling you this, Sensei.”

His teacher smiles. “I understand. Thank you for telling me, Sukuna.” He looks so smug that Sukuna averts his eyes, annoyed. “I also heard you met our Chousou.” Getou-sensei adds knowingly.

Sukuna straightens with respect at the name. “I did.” He grunts. “It was a very interesting encounter.” He smirks. “Especially watching Itadori become a living embodiment of happiness after seeing his brother.”

The man chuckles. “Yeah, Yuuji’s favorite person in the world is his older brother. If not for Chousou, he wouldn’t be able to attend high school like any normal person his age or even communicate with sign language.” Getou-sensei sighs. “Kaori-san, their mother, is just very, hm, overprotective.” He winces with the last word.

A helicopter parent, then. That explains Chousou-san’s bitterness.

“Because of his disability?” Sukuna asks, already knowing the answer.

Sensei nods. “Yes. It took us all a lot of convincing to make Yuuji more independent.” His teacher admits.

“So it’s Itadori’s first experience with normal life.” Sukuna realizes it out loud.

And it checks. The way the pink-haired boy is so eager to make friends, how lost he seems to be with normal things sometimes, and how he can be a little clumsy and oblivious at times.

“Yuuji is very grateful to have such a reliable senpai.” Getou-sensei teases, and yes, they are done with this conversation.

“Well, my job is over. Do whatever you want with that information, Sensei.” Sukuna bows and leaves.

It’s almost hilarious how on the next day, at the lunch break, Sukuna actually almost walks in on Mahito's group bullying session behind the school building. Call it Sukuna’s luck; he just wanted to chill outside. He almost turns around, but then pink hair catches his attention, and Sukuna instantly pauses, trying to decipher the situation.

There is the boy, Yoshino Junpei, lying on the ground, coughing, and Itadori standing protectively in front of him in a fight stance, an angry expression on his face.

“What do we have here? A two-in-one deal!” Mahito cackles, delighted. “Don’t touch the deaf one; he’s mine.” He purrs and, in a quick move, grasps the pink-haired boy's arm.

Or at least that’s what was supposed to happen, but before Sukuna can even blink, Mahito is already facing the ground and whimpering in pain, with Itadori casually sitting on top of him, twisting his arm in a painful hold. Sukuna gapes as well with everyone around.

What?

So this entire time, the pink-haired boy didn’t need any protection?

Of course. It’s not like Itadori is weaker than every normal person. Just because he’s deaf, it doesn’t mean he can’t take care of himself.

But it’s also not it. From what Sukuna already knows about the boy, no, his friend, there is also something else here.

Itadori cares about others a lot. So he might be one of these people who endures everything, but when someone threatens those around him, he becomes feral.

And in the next few minutes, Sukuna calmly observes how Mahito’s group tries to overpower the pink-haired boy, who easily dodges their pathetic attacks to throw every one of them on the ground too.

Impressive.

That’s another thing Sukuna didn’t know about Itadori—his friend is strong and apparently can fight pretty well. He decides to take a photo of this heartwarming sight and add it to the folder with Mahito’s most embarrassing moments that Sukuna collects with pleasure.

Then Itadori helps Yoshino Junpei stand up. Leaving battered Mahito and his puppets, they both head towards the school and Sukuna, so he approaches first with a smirk.

“Why did you do that? I was fine alone! Are you stupid?” The boy, Yoshino, hisses at the pink-haired boy, but Itadori doesn’t look at him since he already spotted Sukuna and comes to wave at him happily.

This boy, Sukuna swears.

“You never told me you could fight.” Sukuna says it slowly, without real accusation. Itadori smiles, rubbing at his neck sheepishly but still smiling. Sukuna snorts and pats him on the head. “You did good.” He praises, and the pink-haired boy beams. Still a Good Boi, it seems. “Wanna spar someday?” He proposes. Amber eyes go wide, and a second later, Itadori nods eagerly. Sukuna smiles.

Well, he used to train a lot with Uraume some years ago. Maybe he remembers something from that time. Also, Sukuna is curious how good the pink-haired boy really is. That could be interesting. Hm. He will need to ask Itadori, who taught him how to fight.

“Um. Sorry to interrupt, but what the hell just happened out there?” Yoshino butts in, pointing behind them.

“Oh. The biggest bullies in this school were just beaten by my deaf friend.” Sukuna deadpans.

Yoshino gapes. “He’s deaf?! Then how?!” He stresses, looking between them both.

Sukuna smirks and pats Itadori on the head again. “Isn’t it obvious?” He looks straight into those amber eyes with a proud smile. “He’s strong.”

His friend beams again.

Chapter Text

Sukuna has no idea how Itadori does it, yet the bullied boy, Yoshino, quickly becomes the pink-haired boy's friend. It seems that no one is able to resist those puppy-amber eyes. Sukuna reports vaguely about the situation to Getou-sensei, leaving the part in which Itadori alone defeated Mahito and his group.
 
Speaking of Mahito, he is absent from school after this incident, but no one even says a word about what happened, his puppets probably afraid to ruin Mahito's reputation. It's hilarious.
 
Itadori texts Sukuna about it all, learning that the pink-haired boy was trained to defend himself by another acquaintance of his older brother and senseis with a cutesy nickname, Nanamin. Itadori claims to be confident in his fighting until he is able to see his opponent, not being able to hear them. They decide to have a sparring session on the summer break, and isn't it surprising? Sukuna is going to meet someone like that for the first time in high school. Like real friends, in their free time.
 
What amazed him is how many people support Itadori. This approach is entirely opposite of what Sukuna knows. He was always alone, even if his home used to be full of people. People who didn't care about him at all, who had only rules and expectations, never caring about his own needs and dreams. Uraume, a friend he only managed to gain, was the only reason for Sukuna not to give up on relationships with others.
 
And now there is also Itadori.
 
But the weird thing is that with the pink-haired boy comes an entire army of other people, suddenly butting into Sukuna's life. Yet he isn't so opposed to it.
 
Maybe because it's him.
 
There is just something in this pink-haired boy—in those amber eyes, in his cheerful manner, in the way Itadori is just simply his authentic self—that makes Sukuna oddly soft inside—the urges he wasn't aware of flaring up to observe, to protect, to care.
 
He starts paying more attention to his own actions towards his kouhai.
 
It's their usual Tuesday, on which they always come back together after school. But today it’s raining. Luckily, it was in the forecast, so they both have their umbrellas. It's not like they need to walk a lot to the station, anyway.
 
But, of course, something happens. At this point, Sukuna is sure that it's just Itadori's luck.
 
The car passing the pink-haired boy drives into a puddle next to him with force, splashing him completely. Itadori stops and just gapes, the car already gone, an umbrella in his hand still protecting him from the rain. Sukuna shouldn't laugh; he knows that he shouldn't, but the sight is just so ridiculous, he can't help it. That's actually the second time his friend has unintentionally gotten wet. Itadori turns to him, his amber eyes full of betrayal.
 
“That's not my fault.” Sukuna utters it, still laughing.
 
The pink-haired boy pouts, looks at his wet pants with mud stains, and frowns deeply. He shakes his head and resumes the walk, but the frown doesn't disappear.
 
In the subway car, Itadori starts trembling next to Sukuna. Well, it's May, so the weather is pretty warm, but getting wet can make his friend catch a cold.
 
“Are you okay?” Sukuna asks after tapping the pink-haired boy on his shoulder to read his lips.
 
Itadori shakes his head and takes out his phone. A moment later, Sukuna gets a text.

So he's just that afraid to face her? Shit. Sukuna knows enough about Itadori’s mother that this situation sets an alarm in his mind.
 
He makes the decision spontaneously.

His friend glances at him hesitantly from his phone, bites his lip with a frown, thinking it over, and then nods with a small smile.
 
Huh. Sukuna just casually invited Itadori over. He is not nervous because of it.
 
They get off at Sukuna's station together and walk to Uraume's apartment. The pink-haired boy gapes again, at the building this time. Yeah, Sukuna knows that Uraume is disgustingly rich, and it shows. Itadori clearly wasn't prepared for such a sight, though.
 
Inside the apartment, Itadori’s reaction is still the same, so Sukuna chuckles. The boy is looking around in awe, his amber eyes curiously surveying everything around him—the spacious space, big windows, and every small decor Uraume picked carefully. It’s too much of everything, in Sukuna’s opinion, but he can’t complain, having a roof over his head after everything that happened.
 
Sukuna needs to wave his hand in front of his friend’s face to gather his attention, and the pink-haired boy blushes, caught at staring. “Follow me.” He orders, leading to the bathroom. “Put your clothes here.” Sukuna points at the washing machine. “I will lend you something. Stay here.” He waits for the nod and goes to his room.
 
Sukuna knows his size might be slightly too loose for Itadori, but Uraume’s clothes... better not. Their fashion style is very, hm, extravagant. He comes back with a towel, the smallest t-shirt he possesses, and comfy regulated pants in his hands, wanting to knock on the door and realizing the pink-haired boy won’t hear it. So, he can just barge into the bathroom or leave the items in front of the door, praying that his friend will notice them.
 
His inner worry is interrupted by Itadori opening the door and peering from there, then spotting Sukuna and beaming as usual. Huh. Sukuna blinks, then his eyes involuntarily slide from his friend’s face to his body, the boy standing with his underwear only. Now it makes sense where those muscles come from, since Itadori is a very physically active person. Sukuna tries very hard not to look too much because it’s inappropriate, and he hands the boy his clothes without a word, looking away. His friend gets the memo and eagerly takes the items, then closes the door to change.
 
When he comes out again, Sukuna realizes that he also wasn’t prepared to see Itadori wearing his clothes. It’s weird. Those shouldn’t fit, yet he looks simply cute in the pants tightly tied to his hips and an oversized t-shirt. Yes, fucking cute.
 
He clears his throat and focuses on the washing machine instead, clicking the right program and adding the detergents. Yeah, now they need to do something for an hour and a half…
 
Sukuna glances at his friend to find him sniffing his t-shirt with a smile, and he chokes on his spit, needing a moment to compose himself. Itadori looks at him and points at the clothes he’s wearing, then at Sukuna happily. “Are you saying that you smell like me now?” He utters weakly, and the pink-haired nods with a grin.
 
Oh, gods. That’s why Sukuna is usually the type who thinks first, then acts earlier. This sudden decision to bring Itadori here comes back to bite him now.
 
“Are you not cold?” He asks, because this part still concerns him.
 
His friend shakes his head. That’s good. Sukuna wasn’t sure if he should have offered him a shower.
 
“Want to eat something, then?” He proposes, and the pink-haired boy perks up. “No, I don’t cook.” Sukuna snorts, knowing that his friend probably got excited at the thought of tasting something he would make. Itadori pouts, then lights up instantly. “Now you think of cooking something for me.” He guesses, squinting his eyes. The boy blinks and makes a surprised face, then an amazed one. “You are just too easy to read.” Sukuna points out with a smirk.
 
They come to the kitchen, and Itadori’s amber eyes sparkle, then he snaps to Sukuna, his fingers twitching in need to sign. Sukuna smiles and opens the drawer to take out a note and a pen. He puts those on the worktop, and his friend takes them, smiling gratefully.
 
“Senpai, are you actually rich?” Is the question.
 
Sukuna snorts.
 
“I used to be. This is my friend’s place, though. I am living here temporarily, and they are paying for everything since I’m still in high school.” He writes back.
 
The pink-haired boy frowns at it and hesitates for a moment.
 
“What about your family?”
 
Sukuna ponders, for a moment, what to write. How much to reveal?
 
“We don't keep in touch.” He states simply.
 
Itadori makes a sad expression and lightly touches Sukuna’s wrist. “I’m fine.” He assures his friend, patting the boy’s head, but the hold on his wrist tightens a bit, and that’s the moment when Sukuna realizes that Itadori’s hand is, in fact, cold. “Oi. You lied to me.” He clicks his tongue, taking both of the pink-haired hands into his, amber eyes widening at it. “You are cold.” Sukuna mutters, rubbing circles to stimulate blood circulation. Itadori averts his eyes, and that’s enough of an answer. “Stupid.” He grumbles and pulls the boy to the living room. Sukuna is a bit irritated, so his friend is promptly manhandled into the couch, then wrapped into the blanket, only his face visible, with amber eyes looking at Sukuna in bewilderment. “I’m making you hot tea.” He declares and leaves the bundle to do so.
 
And Sukuna explicitly told Itadori that he didn’t want him to catch a cold. Stupid, reckless little shit.
 
While waiting for the water to boil, Sukuna takes some of the instant noodles and comes to the pink-haired boy. “Which one?” He asks, showing him several options. Amber eyes blink, and there is sudden mirth inside them. The pink-haired boy points at the simple ramen. Sukuna nods and goes back to the kitchen, now preparing the cup noodles and the tea.
 
They eat together in silence, which is obvious. Then Itadori makes a content sigh and tries to unwrap himself from the blanket, but Sukuna immediately stops him. “Give me your hand.” He demands, and amber eyes roll at the request, but the hand obediently appears, and Sukuna grabs it, checking. It’s warm, so he nods, satisfied, and takes the blanket from his friend.
 
Itadori reaches out for the notebook.
 
“Senpai can be surprisingly caring.”
 
Sukuna scowls at the words. Then the boy writes more.
 
“And clumsy.”
 
And his friend’s shoulders shake. Oh. Itadori is laughing. His face is scrunched in amusement, his amber eyes warm and happy. Sukuna stares. And stares more.
 
Cute.
 
Then the washing machine beeps, and Sukuna makes another impulsive decision.
 
He is going to pretend it didn’t finish its work so they could spend more time together. Itadori couldn’t hear it after all.

Chapter Text

Sukuna catches his own irrational thoughts and odd actions only after Itadori goes home in his freshly dried clothes. It’s almost like a fog is lifted from his eyes, and he’s finally able to see everything clearly. Since when Sukuna cares so much and freaks out because of someone wearing his clothes or admiring their nice sculpted body? That’s ridiculous.

And yet he can’t deny that everything happened because of his own honest feelings. Just what is this pink-haired boy doing to him?

Later, Sukuna gets a report from Itadori. His mom was only a bit irritated that he came back home later than usual, but she didn’t notice any difference in his clothes. Then Sukuna gets a lot of thank-you messages and a promise to receive brownies tomorrow for helping his friend. He snorts at his phone and shakes his head at the cheerfulness coming from the text.

On Wednesday morning, Sukuna kind of expects to see a package with the sweets on his shoes as usual, but finds nothing. He searches the school's corridors on the lunch break, trying to spot a familiar pink hair in the crowd, but to no avail. He sighs and goes to the top floor with access to the roof, and... there is Itadori sitting on the stair, curled up in himself, leaning sideways on the wall, his head between his knees. Sukuna pauses and checks that yes, this is his friend, and yes, no one is around him. He crouches down in front of the pink-haired boy with a frown and, hesitantly, very lightly touches his arm.

His friend raises his head slowly, only amber eyes peering at Sukuna, and they are watery yet seem dull. It takes a moment for Itadori to comprehend who exactly is in front of him, but then he makes a sound . An actual sound between a whimper and a whine, and Sukuna was never more worried.

“What happened?” He asks, his hand reaching out to touch and comfort, but not knowing what to do or how to help.

Then Itadori raises his head completely, and Sukuna instantly knows. The boy’s cheeks are pink with the fever, and he breathes through his mouth, but Sukuna still checks his friend’s forehead, Itadori leaning into the touch with a soft moan. Sukuna winces at the temperature. Yeah, he’s definitely feverish. Sukuna has an urge to scream because he couldn’t prevent it after all. Instead, he grits his teeth and takes a few moments to calm himself down. Itadori closed his eyes at some point, taking comfort in Sukuna’s cold hand on his forehead. When he tries to pull away, his friend’s amber eyes snap open, and he grasps his hand desperately, making another pitiful sound. Sukuna smiles.

Cute.

“I’m taking you to the infirmary.” He decides then and cups Itadori’s cheek, angling him to look at Sukuna. “Can you walk?” The pink-haired boy blinks, thinks it through, and shakes his head. “Want me to carry you?” Sukuna asks carefully. He doesn’t expect his friend to smile dreamily and nod several times. Oh, well. “Is piggyback okay?” Another nod. “Then we are going.”

Sukuna turns around and waits. A moment later, Itadori leans on his back, bringing his arms around his neck. Sukuna hopes that the pink-haired boy won’t fall. He places his hands on Itadori’s thighs and raises up. Huh. His friend is lighter than he thought. Then Itadori hides his face in Sukuna’s neck, puffing hot breaths into it. Sukuna ignores the sensation and shifts the weight to find the center of gravity. Since they are on the last floor and an infirmary is on the first one, he is going to walk a lot of stairs. A leg day, it is.

Sukuna was never more glad that it’s a lunch break; most students in the cafeteria or classrooms are eating. Still, every person he passes stares at them, shocked or curious. They can’t tell that he is carrying a sick boy since his friend hugs Sukuna so close that they don’t see his face.

They manage to reach the infirmary right when the bell rings for the end of the break. The woman inside, Ieiri-sensei, raises her head at the introduction and immediately stands up to help.

“What’s with Yuuji?” She asks, concerned, securing the pink-haired boy while Sukuna lets him sit on the nearest bed.

“He caught a cold.” He grunts and blinks. “Of course you know Itadori, Sensei.”

“Well, I don’t have many pink-haired students here who are deaf. Also, he is a little brother of my friend.” Ieiri-sensei scoffs and starts signing to his friend, with Itadori responding slowly.

Sukuna huffs a tired breath and takes a second bed, laying on it boneless.

“Oi. You are fine, so go back to your classroom.” The woman nags.

“You are wrong, Sensei. My legs are dying. I carried Itadori on my back from the fourth floor. And you want me to climb those stairs again? No. No, I refuse.” He grumbles grumpily.

“Sukuna, you are worrying Yuuji, you idiot.” She says it dryly.

Sukuna sits up instantly and glances at the pink-haired boy who is looking at him with a sad frown, refusing to lay down. “You are sick, not me. Stop with that face.” He stands and pushes his friend onto the bed properly. “Rest here, or I’m taking you home.” He warns, amber eyes going so wide at the threat that it’s hilarious. “I’m joking.” Sukuna adds softly and takes the blanket to cover the boy with it.

“I have to admit, witnessing it firsthand is amusing.” Ieiri-sensei murmurs, coming with an ice compress to put it on Itadori’s forehead, the pink-haired boy sighing with relief.

“What exactly?” Sukuna asks, suddenly on guard.

She turns to him with a smirk. “The way you are treating Yuuji, of course.”

Sukuna raises his eyebrows, unimpressed, and decides to sit on the edge of Itadori’s bed, the boy smiling at him deliriously. “He’s my friend.” He points.

“Huh? I never thought I’m going to hear such words from your mouth.” The woman teases.

He scowls. “I do have friends, you know.”

Well, two people still mean plural, so he’s not lying.

Ieiri-sensei hums, bringing some pills with her this time, then signs. Itadori frowns and shakes his head. Then she points at Sukuna, signing something again. The pink-haired boy tries to sit up, so Sukuna helps him by pushing his back gently, gaining a grateful smile at it. Itadori takes the pills and signs to the woman, then lays down and closes his eyes.

She sighs. “Okay, you can stay here too. He said he feels better with you around.” A teasing smirk again.

Sukuna rolls his eyes but can’t help a small smile bloom on his face.

Ieiri-sensei closes the curtains around the bed, giving them privacy but also dimming out the light, making it easier to rest. Yet for some reason, the pink-haired boy can't sleep, snapping his amber eyes open every few minutes to look alarmed at Sukuna. He needs to watch it a couple of times to realize that his friend seems uneasy that Sukuna won’t be there anymore. So, the next time this happens, he holds out his hand expectantly. Itadori blinks several times, eyeing the offered hand, and then smiles giddily while taking it. Then his friend changes his position to lay on the side, his left hand in Sukuna’s right, a relieved smile on his face. After a few seconds, Itadori finally relaxes and falls asleep. 

Sukuna has a lot of time to observe the pink-haired boy, who is sleeping peacefully. He smiles gently at the sight and at the way their hands are clasped tightly together. It feels oddly content.

On the next break, Getou-sensei visits them, his inner mother showing up and fussing over Itadori. He is trying to take Sukuna back to class, but he just raises their intertwined hands and smirks wordlessly. His teacher stares, flabbergasted, and then he gives up.

Every excuse is good enough to skip school.

Chapter Text

On Friday, Itadori is already fine, with Sukuna being impressed and dumbfounded at the speed at which the pink-haired boy healed from the cold. At least he doesn’t have to feel remorseful because his friend caught it.

But Fridays also mean that Itadori’s class and Sukuna’s class meet on the same floor, next to each other. And today Mahito is finally back at school. The anticipation crawls under Sukuna’s skin. He can tell that something is going to happen.

As he expected, Mahito approaches his friend and pulls him hard. “You are coming with me.” He snarls and takes him somewhere, Itadori following obediently with a frown.

Sukuna knows he doesn’t have to worry about the pink-haired boy, but his friends don’t, unfortunately. Fushiguro and Kugisaki just came, being held back by the teacher after the previous lesson, and they both look livid after finding out what happened from their peers.

“What do you mean Mahito-senpai took him? And no one did anything?” The girl spits, enraged, then pulls up her sleeves violently. “So, where are they?” She sounds feral, ready to bounce at the older boy and bite him.

The dark-haired boy seems calmer, but there is a murderous intent pouring out of him.

Sukuna ponders for a moment if he wants to get himself involved or not and decides to be nice for once. Also, he really hopes to see Mahito utterly defeated again.

“I can lead the way.” He offers it gruffly.

Both snap their attention at him, and Sukuna ignores surprised reactions from his own peers, focusing on the two.

“And how do you know where they are, Senpai?” Fushiguro is distrustful.

Sukuna smirks. “There is nothing I don’t know about this school and its students.” He admits it smugly.

They exchange glances, and then Kugisaki nods. “Show us.”

Sukuna takes them to the basement level, where Mahito likes to take his special toys to play with. There are no cameras here, and students are forbidden from entering, yet some of them use it for their own sake—couples for making out, bullies for, well, bullying.

They come around the corner, and there is Mahito, holding a utility knife, right before Itadori. Those two are further into the hallway, so they don’t see them yet.

“I’m going for the teacher.” Fushiguro decides and bolts.

“What the fuck?” The girl mumbles and takes a step to interfere, but Sukuna catches her shoulder. Kugisaki sends him a very nasty glare. “Let me go! That motherfucker has a fucking knife!” She hisses.

Sukuna raises his eyebrows, unimpressed. “You are not giving enough credit to your friend. Just shut up and watch.” He grumbles.

“What? Not so bold now, huh?” Mahito grins at the pink-haired boy, the latter eyeing the weapon. “I should try it from the beginning with that other boy too.”

And that’s what snaps Itadori. In one swift move, the pink-haired boy disarms Mahito, the knife hitting the floor with a loud noise. Then Mahito is turned and pushed to the wall, his face squishing on the surface, and Itadori grips his arms in a painful hold. His friend is clearly angry. Mahito makes a very pathetic sound, trying to wriggle out of the hold, yet the pink-haired boy doesn't cease.

Kugisaki gapes, and Sukuna snorts. Then he starts clapping slowly while approaching, knowing that only Mahito can hear him. The latter looks in their direction, alarmed, with Itadori following. Amber eyes go wide, and then the pink-haired boy smiles.

“Look at you, Mahito.” Sukuna coos. “It’s not fun being the one on the receiving end, hm?” He taunts, taking pleasure in doing so.

“Shut up, Sukuna!” He spits and tries to break from the hold, but Itadori’s grip is steady. “Tell him to let me go!” He drawls through his teeth.

Sukuna winks at his friend, and the pink-haired boy huffs an amused breath, then releases Mahito, also taking a few steps back.

“Since I’m in a good mood, I will give you advice, so listen carefully.” Sukuna purrs darkly and grips Mahito by his hair, peering into his wide eyes with a sadistic smile. “You have been on thin ice for some time now, Mahito. One day you will pick the wrong person, someone who you wouldn’t be able to fight with on the same ground, and not only will you lose; you will crumble. And no one, no one, will be there to help you anymore.” He ends in a hushed tone, then barks a laugh at his shocked face.

Itadori touches Sukuna on his shoulder lightly, so he lets go of Mahito’s hair, softens his expression, and glances at the pink-haired boy, who frowns in disapproval. “Your friends were worried.” He points at the girl, amber eyes following.

“Itadori, that was something! Where did you learn those moves?!” Kugisaki asks, amazed.

His friend blushes, looking away shyly, and Sukuna shakes his head with a small smile. They leave Mahito to join the girl, and that’s when it happens.

Sukuna hears it more than he senses it, and he knows that Itadori won’t be able to react at all. Mahito, in his last desperate attempt, reaches for the knife on the floor and swings it with a clear intention to harm the pink-haired boy. Sukuna doesn’t even think; he just turns and catches Mahito’s forearm to change the trajectory. The cutting edge grazes his cheek slightly, but he doesn’t even pay attention to it, instead boring his eyes into the attacker, his grip going vice. For a second, Sukuna actually wants to kill this motherfucker.

“You are going to regret this.” He growls.

But then he hears a shaky gasp, and Itadori clutches to Sukuna’s uniform with trembling hands, making small, distressed noises, so he releases Mahito to focus on his friend. His friend, who is clearly freaking out that Sukuna got hurt, which leaves him dumbfounded.

“I’m okay, it’s nothing.” He murmurs softly, trying to touch his injured cheek to see if there is much blood there, but the pink-haired boy stops him, taking Sukuna's hand. Itadori shakes his head, amber eyes wide and panicked, tears gathering there. Sukuna huffs a small fond laugh. “I’m really okay. It probably looks worse than it really is. It doesn't even hurt.” He says it slowly so his friend can understand, and Itadori nods hesitantly.

The girl comes to see. “Shit. He actually managed to graze you.” Kugisaki whistles and frowns. “Why is Itadori reacting like that?”

Sukuna sighs. His friend is still trembling all over, making a visible effort to calm himself down, yet unable to do so, eyeing Sukuna’s cheek with guilt. “Come here.” He decides then and pulls the pink-haired boy into a hug, much to the shock of the others. Itadori wraps his arms around him eagerly, taking comfort in his warm body. Sukuna starts rubbing his friend’s back soothingly, knowing from his observations that physical touch always helps the pink-haired boy with emotions.

“Wait. Do you two know each other?” Kugisaki asks, tilting her head in thought.

“What happened here?” They hear Gojou-sensei’s voice, so they all turn to him and Fushiguro, who brought the man.

Mahito looks like he wants to run away, but he can’t; he's already surrounded.

Their teacher takes a glance at the sight, his eyes widening. “Shit, Sukuna. That looks deep. Megumi, take them to Shouko, to the infirmary. Mahito, you are with me. We are going straight to the principal’s office. Also, give me the knife. Those are prohibited on the school grounds. Since you harmed your peer with it, we may have to treat it as evidence. Nobara. Go to my husband and tell him what happened. But, please, nicely. Don’t give him a heart attack.” Sensei orders. “Sukuna, take care of Yuuji.” He adds with a pointed smile.

“As usual, then.” He snorts.

“You two do know each other!” The girl exclaims, sensing something interesting.

Sukuna ignores her for now, taps the pink-haired boy on his shoulder, and waits till amber eyes look at his lips. “We are going to the infirmary.” He informs, and Itadori nods, unwrapping himself from the hug and looking more composed now. Good.

Itadori’s friends both seem surprised at the way the pink-haired boy trails after him, his fingers clutching on his blazer. If they were alone, his friend would surely have taken Sukuna’s hand instead.

“Who are you, and why is Itadori so attached to you?” Fushiguro asks after Gojou-sensei disappears with Mahito, going in the opposite direction.

Sukuna smirks. “I guess you know me only by the ridiculous nickname you gave me.” He chuckles and turns to face them. “I’m Itadori’s mysterious senpai, the name is Sukuna.” He grins.

When the realization hits them and they gape, Sukuna can only cackle.

Chapter Text

Sukuna needed to inform Uraume about everything that happened since they are his legal guardian now. He learned from them that this incident won't stop Mahito all together. Unfortunately, without real evidence, such as a recording from a security camera, they can't prove that Mahito wanted to harm Itadori; the same is true of hurting Sukuna. In court, cases based on words versus words are usually won by those who have more powerful people behind them. And even with Uraume's influence and their entire family full of the best lawyers in the country, Sukuna can't win against Mahito. Not this time, at least. He needs irrefutable evidence.
 
Their principal is also aware of that fact, and the entire situation is, per usual, swept under the rug. On Monday, Getou-sensei takes Sukuna on the side after the lessons ended to inform him about it all. The man seems to be extremely frustrated with the situation, his eyes glancing at Sukuna's cheek with the same guilt and worry as Itadori.
 
His friend was so concerned about him on Friday that it was almost overwhelming. Sukuna has never felt so cared for his entire life, period. Then the pink-haired boy was in constant contact with him the entire weekend, asking at least five times if his wound was healing okay and if it hurt badly. Which, no, is still a small cut that everyone freaked out about. Sukuna's father was better at inflicting pain. Huh.
 
“I wish I could do something more about it.” Getou-sensei sighs, dejected.
 
“I understand, Sensei. But I have connections with the greatest lawyers, and they told me this case is lost.” Sukuna shrugs.
 
The man shakes his head with an angry frown. “That's ridiculous. Monkeys like Mahito should live behind bars.” He mutters.
 
Sukuna raises his eyebrows, amused. “Sensei, your bad habit is showing.” He informs him dryly.
 
Getou-sensei gasps. “Sorry, Sukuna.” He chuckles and pats him on the head, which makes Sukuna scowl. “Also, my husband was asking for you, so go visit his classroom.” The man adds with a smile.
 
Sukuna rolls his eyes. “Then I am off to see Gojou-sensei.” He emphasizes it with a smirk.
 
“That's my husband, and I'm proud of calling him that!” His teacher yells after him, and Sukuna snorts.
 
Those two are as insufferable as ever.
 
Sukuna goes to the first year's floor and peers inside Gojou-sensei’s classroom to find the man alone there, writing something at his desk.
 
“Where is Itadori, Sensei?” Sukuna asks with a frown, coming inside.
 
He was sure that whatever his teacher wants, it's definitely related to the pink-haired boy.
 
"Oh, Sukuna." The white-haired man glances from his papers and points at the seat nearby for Sukuna to take. “Yuuji is in the library, studying. I have a request for you regarding this, actually.” He grins.
 
Sukuna squints his eyes. “Because he is not used to the school's program and the teaching methods?” He guesses.
 
Gojou-sensei smirks. “Sharp as ever, I see.” He teases, then gets serious. “Yes, it's about Yuuji. Since the midterm exams are next week, he will need help with studying…”
 
“But you and your other half can't do it as his teachers, and his brother is in France.” Sukuna ends knowingly.
 
The white-haired man whistles. “I have no idea how you are doing this, Sukuna, but you always know everything.” He looks impressed.
 
“Staying vigilant and informed is my way of survival.” Sukuna deadpans.
 
His teacher blinks. “Are you okay?” He asks. “It sounds like a trauma response.” Gojou-sensei frowns.
 
Sukuna snorts. “You want me to teach Itadori, right, Sensei?” He raises one of his eyebrows.
 
The man makes a thoughtful face. “Yes. The thing is, Yuuji won't ask for help himself, even if he needs it. So I was thinking that you can offer your skills without making it seem like that.” He grins.
 
Sukuna hums. “So, how bad is it?”
 
Gojou-sensei winces slightly. Oh.
 
He sighs. “That bad, huh? I see why you came to me with this.” Sukuna nods.
 
“Well, you are one of the best students in this school.” The white-haired man points out. “Also, Yuuji likes you a lot, and you can spend more time with him, so it's only a win-win!” He cheers.
 
Sukuna blinks. “I am doing this only for Itadori's sake.” He grumbles.
 
Sensei grins. “Of course!” He wiggles his eyebrows.
 
He scowls. “Since I hate wasting time, I will be going to assess the situation.” Sukuna grunts and leaves the madly grinning man alone.
 
He finds his friend in the library, chewing on the pen and frowning deeply before his notebook. Sukuna huffs a small laugh and takes the seat next to the pink-haired boy, his amber eyes snapping at the vibrations. Itadori beams, but then he glances at Sukuna's cheek, and his smile falters.
 
“I'm fine. It doesn't hurt.” He assures his friend once again, and the boy nods hesitantly.
 
It turns out that Itadori is pondering about math, so Sukuna casually takes out his sketchbook and draws there, observing his friend in the peripheral vision. After some time, the pink-haired boy gives up and glances at Sukuna's drawing with curiosity. He closes the sketchbook.
 
“I can show you when you solve the equation.” He smirks. Itadori blinks, then pouts. “What are you having problems with?” Sukuna asks softly. His friend glances between him and the notebook and sighs with resignation.
 
Then he shows him the issue, and Sukuna tries to explain the equation, scribbling the tips next to every single step so Itadori can understand the process even afterwards. When the boy manages to solve not one, but three equations, he looks thrilled.
 
“Thank you, Senpai! You are amazing!!”
 
Sukuna smiles at the words written on the margin and wordlessly gives his friend a sketchbook. The pink-haired boy gasps and takes it into his hands eagerly with a big smile. Then he frowns at the drawing of a cartoon puppy with big, exaggeratedly sad eyes. Sukuna takes his pencil and writes next to the picture.
 
“That's how you look when you see my face now.”
 
He waits for Itadori to read it, then goes back to the drawing he made after meeting the pink-haired boy for the first time, with a happy dog wagging his tail, and writes the rest here.
 
“I like it better.”
 
His friend pauses, his amber eyes going wide. Then a slight blush appears on the boy's face. Itadori glances at him with a giddy smile.
 
“Yes. That's the one. I want you to smile at me.” Sukuna mouths silently, not letting anyone hear. He smiles back and lightly caresses the boy's cheek with the back of his fingers. “Every time. Just like that.”
 
Itadori leans to the touch, his expression soft, and it warms Sukuna's heart from the inside a bit.
 
Not for the first time, Sukuna wonders where those feelings are coming from and how this pink-haired boy is able to make him experience emotions he deemed unable to feel anymore. It's dangerous. The more he gets from Itadori, the more he craves. He becomes greedy. Sukuna knows that it's just the way his friend influences those around him. Itadori is that kind of person who cares about others and gives himself all to them.
 
Yet Sukuna can't help but wish, deep inside, to be the only one.
 
He wants to be special for this boy.

Chapter Text

Teaching Itadori is kind of amusing. They spend their time after school together in the library now. The pink-haired boy struggles with almost every subject, and Sukuna gives his best to be helpful without making it look like the boy owes him anything. He watches an entirely new side of his friend, seeing him frustrated with himself a lot and also observing his focused face and determined expressions. He likes it.
 
Then, on Friday, the library is full of other students who decide to study too. Sukuna glances at Itadori, and the pink-haired boy is frowning.
 
“Should we go to my place?” He asks quietly when amber eyes look at him.
 
His friend blinks, surprised, then beams and nods.
 
Huh.
 
This is the second time Itadori will visit him.
 
When they get off at Sukuna's subway station and start walking to the apartment, the pink-haired boy tugs at his blazer, so he stops and glances at his friend expectantly. Itadori points at the convenience store with a big smile.
 
Sukuna raises his eyebrows. “Do you need to buy something?” He guesses.
 
The boy nods and holds up one of his fingers in a “wait a second” gesture. He takes out his phone, and a moment later, Sukuna gets a message.

Not only is he proposing to cook for Sukuna, he even added “please”. He sighs, resigned.
 
“If it makes you feel better.” Sukuna shrugs.
 
He is a bit interested in Itadori's cooking skills, he is not gonna lie. Since his friend is able to produce all those delicious sweets, maybe he also has talent when it comes to simple meals. Yet, Sukuna doesn't let himself have too high expectations to not get disappointed if reality turns out to be different.
 
They buy chicken, eggs, and onions, agreeing on simple oyakodon. Right after entering Uraume's apartment, Itadori washes his hands in the bathroom and eagerly goes to the kitchen. And oh. Of course, his friend just wanted to cook here in this overly expensive kitchen. Sukuna snorts, seeing amber eyes sparkling at the utensils and variety of pans.
 
The pink-haired boy works in silence, giving Sukuna only one task to do—wash the rice and then let the rice cooker do the rest. So he sits on a bar chair, his chin resting on his palms, and admires Itadori at work. It's like his friend fits here. The way he seems to be so at ease in the kitchen, every single move is measured and deliberate. Itadori knows exactly what he is doing, glancing from time to time at Sukuna and smiling.
 
Then there is the sound of someone unlocking the front door, and Sukuna freezes.
 
Oh, shit.
 
“Sukuna?” Uraume's voice comes from the entry. “You home?”
 
Shit, shit, shit.
 
Of course Itadori doesn't realize yet; he can't hear after all.
 
Why are they back suddenly? Wasn't Uraume in England, like, yesterday?
 
Shiiit.
 
A gasp. “Are you cooking?!” They ask incredulously, their steps coming closer. “Oh gods, please don't burn my beautiful apart—” Uraume stops dead in their tracks and goes quiet, taking the sight in.
 
At the same moment they appear, the pink-haired boy notices them, his amber eyes going wide. He stops stirring the chicken and glances at Sukuna hesitantly, then back at Uraume, titling his head.
 
“And who is that?” They ask curiously, an amused expression on their face. “Since when do you invite someone over, Sukuna?” Uraume raises one eyebrow and hides their smirk under a hand. “Your boyfriend?”
 
Sukuna chokes on his spit. “Wrong, you fool! This is my friend, Itadori.” He grumbles, glaring at them.
 
He might not have mentioned to Uraume that he had gained another friend. It just—it felt weird.
 
“Hooo? A friend?” They smirk teasingly. “That’s interesting.” Uraume declares. “So, what does a friend have to say about it?” They snap their attention to Itadori.
 
Sukuna looks at the pink-haired boy and finds his friend with his lips pressed together into a line, stirring the chicken. Amber eyes glance at them from time to time nervously. Itadori is definitely misunderstanding this situation somehow. Sukuna sighs and stands up from his seat.
 
“He won't say a word. He's deaf.” Sukuna informs Uraume calmly and approaches the pink-haired boy, who smiles at him slightly. “This person is Uraume. My friend. Owner of this apartment.” He explains patiently, waiting for Itadori to comprehend. Amber eyes widen and snap at Uraume instantly, then at the small mess in the kitchen with fear. Sukuna chuckles and pats his friend on the head to stop him from freaking out. “They won't be mad for cooking.” He assures the pink-haired boy with a smile when amber eyes rest on his lips. Itadori blinks and smiles back, nodding along. He huffs a breath and then peers at Uraume, waving shyly.
 
They have a big, knowing smile on their face, which makes Sukuna scowl deeply. “He's cute.” They decide with a light chuckle and… start signing.
 
Sukuna closes his eyes. Of course, Uraume knows sign language. He opens his eyes only to see how amber eyes sparkle at realization, and the boy smiles widely, signing back. They go back and forth, Uraume sending Sukuna very amused and pointed looks, and he sighs tiredly. He is going to be teased about Itadori a lot from now on, he can tell.
 
The pink-haired boy pauses only to stir the chicken, then eagerly goes back to signing until his cheeks turn pink suddenly and he makes a small sound, glancing at Sukuna and shaking his head vigorously. His hands sign something in a different manner now, more hectic and urgent, and Uraume snickers at it. Itadori goes back to cooking after that, pouting.
 
“Interesting reaction.” They comment quietly, also glancing at Sukuna.
 
He glares. “Are you done interrogating my guest?” Sukuna asks dryly. “Don't make him all embarrassed, Uraume.” He clicks his tongue, annoyed.
 
They smirk. “I see. I see.” They repeat it with emphasis. “Well, your friend just invited me to eat with you.” Uraume smiles. “And I agreed since the smell is divine.” They chuckle.
 
“Shouldn't you be in England?” Sukuna points.
 
Uraume hums. “I am back for the weekend.” They shrug. “Didn't expect such a surprise.” They add innocently.
 
“Wish you would say earlier that you were coming.” Sukuna mumbles, irked.
 
“Oh? Should I?” Uraume grins and nods solemnly. “You are right, Sukuna. Who knows what I will walk on next time, hm?” They hum pointedly.
 
Sukuna rolls his eyes.
 
They do eat together, and Itadori's cooking turns out to be equally amazing as his baking. Even Uraume praises his oyakodon, and they do know how to cook.
 
Then Sukuna sits the pink-haired boy in the living room, and they have a proper studying session, the last one before the exams. They go through the subjects that are the toughest for Itadori. Uraume checks on them several times, teasing about the suspicious silence between them.
 
“I don't know what you are doing when I'm not looking.” They point it out with a smirk, and Sukuna throws his pencil at them.
 
Before the pink-haired boy goes home, he signs some more with Uraume. When the doors are closed behind Itadori, Sukuna tries to bolt.
 
“He thought that I was your girlfriend.” Is what stops him from running away.
 
He gives Uraume the most disgusted face he can manage. “Ew.” He comments.
 
They laugh. “Yeah, same. I told him that he doesn't have to worry about competition.” Uraume smirks.
 
So that's why Itadori was embarrassed.
 
Sukuna scowls. “He's easy to tease, but you shouldn't take it too far. He is very sensitive.” He admits it fondly.
 
Uraume raises their eyebrows. “I can't get used to it.” They murmur.
 
“Get used to what?” He frowns.
 
“Oh, Sukuna. You are not aware of how you act around him at all, are you?” They shake their head, amused. “It’s like you are softening everything. Your expressions, your voice, and even your movements. I have known you for years, and I never witnessed you being this gentle with anyone.” Uraume smiles. “I'm glad you found someone special.”
 
Sukuna blinks. “Hah?”
 
They pat him on the shoulder. “Oh, you will get there one day. Both of you, I think.” Uraume smirks. “Also, I have Itadori's contact info now, so I am going to ask him a lot about the development between you two.” They snicker and leave him hurriedly.
 
“HAH?!”

Chapter Text

As he expected, a weekend with Uraume, still in Japan, is torture. Sukuna is constantly teased about Itadori, until he snaps and stays in his room the entire Sunday, sulking and drawing in his sketchbook. He also takes his time to pick his best designs, pondering about sending them to Chousou-san. But he knows that the pink-haired boy’s brother is busy right now in France, so Sukuna decides to show his work in person one day. That will be more professional.
 
From Monday to Wednesday, they have midterms. He is not bothered about it at all since paying half-hearted attention in classes is always enough for Sukuna to understand the material.
 
On Thursday morning, they have results already, and, unsurprisingly, Sukuna is placed second in school, his name in bold on the notice board. He has the pleasure of witnessing Itadori's reaction to finding out, his amber eyes going wide and his mouth agape. Sukuna smirks, then chuckles when his friend starts searching for him in the crowd. When the pink-haired boy spots him, he brightens as usual and comes to his side with a big smile. So happy for Sukuna's success, ridiculous.
 
“So? How about you?” He asks curiously. Itadori beams positively, making an “ok” hand gesture, and Sukuna swears that he can see a wagging tail behind his friend. He snorts and pats the pink-haired boy on the head. “Good job.” He praises him, and his amber eyes sparkle.
 
“Woah, so they are always like that.” Sukuna hears and turns to Itadori's friends, the girl looking at them judgingly, while the dark-haired boy bows his head in respect.
 
Sukuna raises one of his eyebrows and pets the boy casually. “Itadori deserves to be rewarded. He did his best.”
 
“Itadori is still at the bottom of our class.” Kugisaki points out dryly.
 
“But he's not last, and that's what matters.” Sukuna argues and smiles at his friend. “Good boy.” He mouths silently, and the pink-haired boy blushes, which makes him smirk.
 
“Congratulations on your second place, Senpai.” Fushiguro offers, so he nods. “I guess Itadori's development is also your doing.” He states it thoughtfully.
 
Sukuna hums and pulls his hand away from the pink hair. “That's true. Unfortunately, it led to a very unexpected outcome.” He sighs, wincing. “Did you tell Uraume about the results?” Sukuna asks Itadori, and the boy nods cheerfully. Of course.
 
“And who is that?” The girl asks, nosy as ever.
 
Sukuna raises his eyebrows with a smirk. “My lawyer.” He replies, and she gapes while his friend hits him lightly on the forearm with a disapproving stare. He snorts. “And my roommate.” Sukuna adds with an eye roll.
 
“Oh! Senpai lives on his own!” Kugisaki gasps. “That's cool.” She declares. “Are you rich?” The girl prods shamelessly.
 
Itadori nods with big eyes, but Sukuna flicks him on the forehead, which gains him a pout. “Not me. Uraume is.” He admits. “I am basically living on their expenses.” He shrugs.
 
“Huh. What about Senpai's family?” She wonders.
 
Sukuna instantly scowls. The pink-haired boy notices and takes the girl’s hand and shakes his head with a frown.
 
“Oh. Sorry.” Kugisaki mumbles and tugs at his friend eagerly. “It was nice to talk with you, Senpai. You are less scary around Itadori.” She grins, takes Fushiguro too and bolts with them both.
 
Sukuna snorts and then feels a looming presence behind him. “Surprised?” He asks, not even turning away.
 
“Ah.” Maki admits. “A thought that it might be you had crossed my mind once, but I was sure that the infamous Sukuna-senpai is too antisocial to get a friend.” She taunts.
 
Sukuna chuckles mockingly. “I guess there are always exceptions to the rules.” He grumbles.
 
“I heard about that scum. Too bad he got away again.” Maki spits, her voice full of hate for Mahito.
 
“Don't worry. He is going to end up exactly where his place is.” Sukuna turns with a dark expression. “At his lowest.”
 
She offers him a similar face. “Glad to know we agree.”
 
He nods and goes to his classroom since it's almost time for the first period.
 
The day passes quickly, with Sukuna getting a text from Uraume praising him for the exam results, at which he scoffs. Making Itadori their spy, tch.
 
After school, Getou-sensei holds him for a moment in his classroom.
 
“Without your help, Yuuji would have to go through make-up classes.” The man admits it with a soft smile. “Thank you, Sukuna. You are great at taking care of him.” He teases.
 
Sukuna closes his eyes tiredly. Can everyone stop doing that all the time? It's getting annoying.
 
“I'm glad that it worked well.” He grunts and leaves.
 
But right after he closes the door to the class, someone collides with him, and... A familiar pink hair tells Sukuna enough. Itadori grabs his hand hurriedly and pulls him to the next classroom that is already empty, hiding them from view. The boy looks up at him then, placing a finger on his lips in a “don’t talk” gesture, his expression determined, and Sukuna frowns. What is this about?
 
A moment later, there are quick steps approaching, and someone opens the door to Getou-san’s classroom.
 
“Suguru? Are you hiding Yuuji?” Gojou-sensei asks, and Sukuna raises his eyebrows.
 
“No, why would Yuuji be here?” His husband sounds confused.
 
“Because I wanted to review with him his wrong answers on the tests, and he ran away.” The white-haired man sighs, his voice getting distant. He probably went further into the classroom. “I swear he was going upstairs.”
 
Getou-sensei chuckles lightly. “I see. Yuuji is as enthusiastic about studying as ever.”
 
So that's why the pink-haired boy is hiding now. Sukuna needs to refrain from snorting aloud. Itadori peers hesitantly at the corridor from their spot and then glances at him with a tilt of his head.
 
Oh, look at this, a lost puppy. Cute.
 
Sukuna shakes his head and gestures to come closer. His friend smiles and nods, still holding his hand.
 
“Satoru, we are at school.” Getou-sensei scolds, and Sukuna doesn't get the muffled reply clearly, but it's one of typical Gojou-sensei's whines. “Stop kissing my neck, what if someone sees us?” And, ugh, that's definitely not something Sukuna wanted to know, see, or even hear. “Sa. To. Ru.” The man drawls warningly, but he sounds amused.
 
“No. My husband is too beautiful to leave him now~” Is the cheerful reply.
 
Then there are kissing sounds, and Sukuna never wished to be deaf as his friend more than now. He must make a face, because Itadori tugs at his hand and raises his eyebrows in a silent question.
 
“They are kissing.” Sukuna mouths silently with a wince, and the pink-haired boy's lips form an "o". Then he smiles awkwardly and nods several times, averting his eyes.
 
The atmosphere is weird now, awesome. Suddenly, Sukuna becomes too aware of their holding hands. Why is Itadori so okay with that?
 
A giggle interrupts his thoughts, and a moment later the last juicy kiss is placed, then Gojou-sensei’s steps come closer. He is going to pass the classroom they are hiding in, and, oh shit, the angle is less fortunate for them now, but they can't move too much because of the desk next to them. Sukuna acts on pure impulse, tugging Itadori towards him and wrapping his arms around the pink-haired boy to squish them both tightly to the wall. He holds his breath when the teacher’s steps indicate that he is almost next to the door. Sukuna prays to gods now.
 
Don't peer inside, don't peer inside, don't peer inside!
 
But the man just goes for the stairs casually, and Sukuna breathes with relief, glancing down at the pink-haired boy; then he pauses at the sight.
 
Itadori is pulled to his chest closely with his head turned to the side, fitting there perfectly, his amber eyes wide, a blush adoring his features. Sukuna stares, awestruck. The pink-haired boy’s left hand clings to Sukuna’s blazer tightly, the right one still in his own hand, squeezing. And he should break the embrace, he should let Itadori know that the corridor is clear and they can stop hiding already. But he doesn't want to. The boy's warm body and his cute expression make Sukuna feel all weird inside. He needs to stop himself from hugging Itadori even closer.
 
Then the pink-haired boy finally glances up at him, or, well, at Sukuna's lips. Of course, he is looking at his lips because he expects that Sukuna is going to say something! But the fact that those two dumb teachers were kissing earlier messed up Sukuna's mind. He pushes Itadori away, surprised at his own line of thought. He needs to take a deep breath, and then he looks at his friend. “He's gone. It's clear.” He whispers slowly, and the pink-haired boy blinks, then nods with a smile. “He almost saw us earlier.” Sukuna explains. “Sorry for hugging you suddenly.” He mouths.
 
Itadori gulps, and something akin to disappointment crosses his face, but it quickly fades. His friend beams at him, giving him a thumbs up, the blush gone.
 
They decide to go home together, and even if nothing really changes between them, Sukuna catches himself several times touching the pink-haired boy more, almost absentmindedly, aching for it.
 
It kind of terrifies him.

Chapter Text

Yuuji is fully aware that his sense of direction is awful. He pretends it’s because he was just born like that, not because he spent most of his life in one room without seeing the outside world much. It's easier this way.

So, it shouldn’t be a surprise to him when he gets lost on a one-day school trip. At this point, Yuuji knows the drill. One second of zoning out, and boom, he is alone in an unknown place. The fact that he doesn’t hear is not helping. Just a moment ago, he was walking with Fushiguro and Kugisaki when he stopped, looking at the cute plushies on a shop window. Now he has no idea where he is or where the others are.

Yuuji stands on a pretty busy street, so he tries to find a place where he won’t be blocking the passage. Then he reaches into his pocket for his phone and freezes. It’s not here. He tries to push down the uneasiness settling in his guts. He searches his backpack, going through every single pocket, but it’s not there either!

His hands start shaking, and he needs to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

Okay. Okay, focus. Where did he use it last time? He took a photo in a museum and sent it to Onii-chan. It was, like, half an hour ago. Then, what happened? Yuuji got distracted by Sukuna-senpai’s biceps. Senpai was standing at the end of the crowd with his arms crossed, looking bored out of his mind, and it made Yuuji crack a smile. He also observed how those muscles flexed with Senpai’s every move, and yeah, he has no idea what he has done with his phone. But Yuuji is so glad that all the trips are together with Suguru-san’s class since the man always travels with his husband. Thanks to that, he can spend more time with Sukuna-senpai.

So, no phone. What now?

Normally, people wouldn’t have a problem with that kind of situation, trying to navigate themselves, or simply asking for directions. The thing is, Yuuji can’t do that. Firstly, he is terrible at reading maps. Secondly, he is deaf, and finding someone who knows sign language is a miracle. He has no clue where he is now or where he should go.

He is lost.

His legs give out underneath him, the realization hitting him hard. His mother’s words echo in his head.

“There will be times when you are going to find yourself helpless because of your disability, Yuuji.”

Yuuji never wanted his mom to be more wrong. He takes a shaky breath and tries his best not to start panicking, pushing the anxiety to the back of his mind. Gods, he wants his Onii-chan so bad now. Or Sukuna-senpai. Yuuji sniffles at the thought. No, he can’t cry. He bites his lip and blinks the tears away, focusing on the surroundings.

Okay, there are shops here, a restaurant, and a lot of people. He stands up hesitantly. Where are the signs so he can read the street name? Yuuji searches desperately and finds it. He reads it. Yeah, it doesn’t change anything. He is trembling all over his body now, scared. What is he supposed to do? Wait until someone finds him? Go back to where he came from? He blinks. He has no idea where he came from, actually.

His breathing is getting too quick, which, no good, now he is dizzy. He crouches down and tries to calm down again, but it’s harder. Maybe he can find a police station? But where? He stands up again, determined. Yuuji checks his surroundings slower this time, trying to find anything that could help him. He decides to go back to the shop with the plushies. Yes, they still look cute. And he doesn’t know what to do next.

An involuntary sound comes out of him, yet he can’t hear it. Some people glance at him, and he turns away. If someone approaches him, he is going to cry. Oh, too late. He is already crying. The tears blur his sight, and Yuuji gives up. He crouches down and hides his face in his arms, crying silently in fear.

Then he feels a double tap on his forearm and hesitantly looks up. Someone is crouching in front of him, and Yuuji needs to blink several times to see...

Sukuna-senpai?

Yuuji stops crying, holding his breath. He is not seeing things, right? Senpai has a worried furrow between his eyebrows, and he is saying something, but Yuuji can’t focus on reading lips right now, trying to decipher if Senpai is real first. Then Sukuna-senpai touches his forearm again, and Yuuji gasps. He is real. Senpai is real.

The tears pour from his eyes for an entirely different reason this time, with Yuuji feeling such a big relief that he can’t stop crying. He knows he is a mess, and he is going to be embarrassed about it later, but he doesn’t care for now. Steady hands help him stand up, and then Yuuji is pulled into a warm embrace, with strong arms holding him in one place. He sags into the hug, crying silently into Senpai’s chest, his hands clutching into the older boy’s back desperately. He can feel the vibrations of Sukuna-senpai’s voice, so he wipes his tears and glances up to find him talking to someone on the phone.

Oh. Yuuji probably worried his teachers and friends. He feels so bad about it.

What if they told his mother?

The thought takes the breath out of him, and he starts trembling in fear again.

She will forbid him from going to school. He will lose all his friends and senpais.

Before new waves of anxiety take control, Yuuji is gently pushed from the hug, and Sukuna-senpai takes his hand instead, then pulls him somewhere. Yuuji is so confused by the sudden change that he follows obediently, sniffling all along. They are getting out of the busy street and coming to the park. Senpai stops at the first free bench and lets go of Yuuji’s hand to take off his blazer. Then Sukuna-senpai sits on the bench, pulls Yuuji sideways on his laps, covers him with the still warm piece of cloth, and places Yuuji’s head on his shoulder, hugging him closely.

And oh .

He has no idea how Senpai is doing that, but he always knows what Yuuji needs at times. He gives him so much, reading Yuuji’s mind and understanding him effortlessly. That’s what made Yuuji fall for him so badly.

He relaxes in an instant, surrounded by Sukuna-senpai’s pleasant scent. He feels so safe that he stops crying, the trembling ceasing slowly. Yuuji closes his eyes, exhausted from his own outburst. He sniffles, and a moment later, Senpai gives him something, so he opens his eyes to find tissues. He uses them with gratitude and sighs afterwards.

Then his cheek is cradled gently, so he looks at Sukuna-senpai, waiting for the question.

“Feeling better, Yuuji?” He reads from the lips and gapes.

Did Senpai just say his name?

Sukuna-senpai frowns with this soft expression that is only reserved for him since Yuuji hadn’t seen Senpai looking like that at anyone beside him, even at Uraume-san.

“Yuuji?” He repeats, and yes, that’s definitely his name.

He nods weakly and hides his face in Sukuna-senpai’s shoulder again, feeling his cheeks getting warmer and ignoring sudden butterflies in his stomach.

That was so unexpected! Senpai needs to stop giving Yuuji those small heart attacks all the time!

He wants to know how Sukuna-senpai says his name. Kugisaki said once that Senpai has a rough, low voice, and he is grumbling at people a lot, but it softens every time he talks to Yuuji. He wants to hear it so bad.

He can feel the vibrations from Sukuna-senpai’s voice again, so he looks up, then follows his line of sight. Oh. That’s Satoru-san! Yuuji sits up on Senpai’s laps instantly. The white-haired man smiles with a frown while signing.

“Honey scared me, Suguru, friends.”

Yuuji bows his head, feeling the tears of shame and guilt gathering in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Then Sukuna-senpai turns him towards himself protectively, an angry expression on his face.

“Stop making him cry. I just calmed him down.” He says to the teacher.

Yuuji blinks and then pats Senpai’s hands in a "it’s okay" gesture. His features soften while looking at him, but he still makes a disapproving face. Yuuji turns back to Satoru-san.

“I lost my phone.” He admits.

“No problem. Chousou will buy a new phone.” The man reassures him and frowns worriedly. “Is Honey okay?”

Yuuji glances at Sukuna-senpai. “Yes.”

Satoru-san grins. “I see.” He raises his eyebrows pointedly, and Yuuji pouts at the teasing.

“Please don’t tell Kaori I was lost.” He asks, his hands trembling a bit. “Kaori won’t let me out.”

The man smiles, but his eyes are sad. “I know. It's okay. Sukuna called Chousou.”

Yuuji blinks several times. “Really?”

Satoru-san nods and smiles. “Don’t worry, Honey. I will call a taxi and take you to Suguru.”

The man leaves them to do as he signed. Yuuji looks at Sukuna-senpai and only then realizes that he is still sitting on his lap shamelessly. He tries to stand up, but Senpai stops him with a head shake and tugs him closer.

“I need to know that you are okay first.” Yuuji reads from his lips, so he smiles fondly and nods.

Sukuna-senpai doesn’t look convinced, his eyes flickering between Yuuji’s ones with concern. Senpai brings his hand to caress Yuuji’s cheek gently.

“Are you sure?”

He rolls his eyes and nods again, with more force this time. Senpai looks relieved, and he smiles with that soft smile that’s also only for Yuuji to witness.

“I’m glad, Yuuji.”

He is caught off guard again, butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the sudden use of his name. How can he not fall for him? Yuuji is so overwhelmed with the feeling that his hands sign before he can stop himself.

“I like you.”

Senpai frowns, not understanding, and oh gods, what did Yuuji just do?! He bows, pretending that he was just thanking him while his cheeks burn. Sukuna-senpai doesn’t know sign language, so he’s safe, but... It's also true that he wants to confess to Senpai one day. And the language barrier between them is obvious.

Yuuji avoids Sukuna-senpai’s eyes while getting up. He joins the grinning Satoru-san and waves to Senpai before they close the door to the taxi. 

“Honey is in love. I knew it.” The man signs instantly when they are seated.

Yuuji freezes with wide eyes. “Am I obvious?”

Satoru-san laughs. “Sukuna doesn't know.”

He breathes with relief and then hesitates. “Does Satoru think Sukuna likes me?”

The man looks amused. “Honey is special for Sukuna. Sukuna needs more time to understand feelings.”

Yuuji smiles shyly. “Sukuna helps me a lot. I can’t imagine my life without Sukuna now.”

Satoru-san pats him on the head with a fond look. Then. “I think Sukuna feels the same.”

Chapter Text

After that one-day school trip in June, when Yuuji got lost, Sukuna decided to learn sign language. He starts with the books and videos that he finds online. He even asks Getou-sensei for some advice after school, and the man eagerly lends him materials.

“Yuuji is going to be thrilled when he finds out.” His teacher states this with a warm smile.

Sukuna scowls. “Please don't tell Yuuji, Sensei. I want to surprise him when my skills become good enough.” He grumbles.

Getou-sensei chuckles. “You need practice, Sukuna. With people.” He points with raised eyebrows and hums. “So, Yuuji , huh?” The man grins.

Sukuna clicks his tongue. “Yes, that’s his name.”

His teacher hums again. “I heard from Satoru how you calmed down Yuuji back then.” He sighs. “Our poor boy was terrified that someone told his mother about the incident.”

“Why?” Sukuna frowns.

“Well. Knowing Kaori-san, she would probably restrain Yuuji even more, imposing other limits and rules.” The man winces. “She believes that because of his disability, Yuuji is unable to live a normal life, deeming everything around him a possible danger.” He explains, crossing his arms.

“That's bullshit.” Sukuna declares heatedly.

Getou-sensei laughs lightly. “I agree.” He admits and frowns. “But sometimes love mixes with fear and worry, creating unhealthy thoughts. I think she just really wants to protect her baby from the outside world.” The man smiles sadly.

“Do her intentions matter if she is hurting Yuuji in the process?” Sukuna asks slowly.

His teacher hums in thought. “Both matter, Sukuna. But you are right. People pay more attention to the results. That's why we are all helping Chousou however we can.” He smiles fondly. “Even if it meant visiting Itadori’s house almost every day to teach Yuuji sign language or taking him somewhere so he could experience the world that his mother is so afraid to harm him.”

It’s unnerving. The thought of taking such a free spirit as Yuuji and bonding it to one place. It makes Sukuna angry. He wants to have a talk with that woman in the future.

Instead, Sukuna starts studying signs so he can communicate with the pink-haired boy properly. He quickly learns that what Yuuji signed in the park back then was "I like you". It brings a smile to his face. If Sukuna has to be honest, he likes Yuuji a lot too.

It was a whim to start calling the pink-haired boy by his name. But it also felt right since they are already close after spending those four months at getting to know each other better. Also, Yuuji’s reaction was so precious that Sukuna couldn’t get enough of it, delighted to see the pink-haired boy’s cute blushing face.

Everyone teases them about their relationship, yet Sukuna can’t help but think that they might be onto something. He does treat Yuuji special. He also wishes to be treated in the same manner by the pink-haired boy. But Sukuna is not good with feelings, so it’s tough for him to sort them out. He can’t tell for sure if the "like" he feels towards Yuuji is just like, or like . Same with the pink-haired boy’s confession. Sukuna doesn’t want to jump to conclusions too early and give himself false… hope…

He sighs. When did he get so smitten with Yuuji? How did that even happen? He doesn’t even think of the pink-haired boy as a friend anymore, the word not enough to describe their connection.

They spend a lot of time together, with Sukuna teaching Yuuji again before final exams. He even gets along with all the pink-haired boy’s friends, not exactly liking them but giving his best to tolerate them for Yuuji’s sake. And Sukuna is fully aware of the looks they are sending them both behind their backs—a bit amused and pointed. As if everyone knows already that there is something more going on between them, but only Sukuna and Yuuji don’t act on it. It’s annoying.

Then comes the summer break, and they remain in contact by regularly texting. Uraume takes Sukuna to England for a week, and he is obliged to send Yuuji updates every day from the trip. The pink-haired boy is floored by the other country, giving excited replies to every single photo and message.

After he gets back to Japan, at the end of the August, Sukuna receives an invitation to the summer festival, and Yuuji’s friends demand that he needs to join them. So he does.

To his utter surprise, the pink-haired boy is wearing a green yukata. Kugisaki takes at least ten photos, all from different angles, making Yuuji blush, and Sukuna’s hand aches for his own phone. She notices.

“Don’t worry, Senpai. I will send them to you.” The girl grins knowingly. He nods solemnly, which makes her cackle.

The problem is, there is a big crowd at the festival, and they get separated, or maybe Yuuji’s friends leave them two on purpose; it doesn’t matter. Sukuna needs to take the pink-haired boy’s hand to not only to prevent losing him but also to reassure Yuuji that he is safe with Sukuna. If he can do anything about it, that kind of situation is not going to happen. Ever again.

Is this a date? Sukuna glances at the pink-haired boy and observes the small smile adoring his face and the way his amber eyes are warm with happiness. It makes him all warm inside, too. Yeah, maybe it is a date. Sukuna is not opposed to it being a date at all.

They have fun, joining some of the contests to win prizes. Sukuna keeps an eye on Yuuji the entire time, staying vigilant for anything that could somehow harm the pink-haired boy. Call him paranoid, but Yuuji’s well-being is his priority now. Maybe he can understand his mother to some point.

The pink-haired boy is winning in everything that they are trying, making all the stall’s owners angry. Sukuna laughs at them. A bunch of people are trying to earn money from others misfortune. Too bad that Yuuji is just so amazing.

In the end, they both need to carry all the prizes, some of them food that they eat and some just little things that the pink-haired boy wants to present to others, thinking about his friends first. Sukuna is the one to give him something for Yuuji himself: a big doggie plushie that the pink-haired boy carries with a giddy expression. So cute.

They find a good spot to leave all the things on the grass and enjoy fireworks. Sukuna wonders, then, how it is to only see the show without being able to hear it. He quickly realizes that Yuuji is not bothered by it at all, his amber eyes wide in awe, looking at the various colors in the sky with the fireworks reflecting in them.

For a second, the pink-haired boy glances at Sukuna and gives him one of his prettiest happy smiles.

“Fireworks are beautiful.” Yuuji signs and then catches himself doing it, so he makes an apologetic face.

“Yes. Beautiful.” Sukuna signs back, thinking more about the pink-haired boy’s smile, and then waits.

Yuuji’s hands falter, his mouth opening slightly instead of smiling. His fingers twitch, and his amber eyes widen. The pink-haired stare at Sukuna, completely forgetting about the fireworks, festival, everything, just gaping in shock.

Sukuna laughs. “I’m learning. Surprise.” He signs slowly, still a bit unsure.

He doesn’t expect the tears gathering in those amber eyes, Yuuji’s lips wobbling. “For me?” He asks, his hands trembling.

Sukuna immediately softens and nods. “For you.” He confirms it honestly.

A second later, he has the pink-haired boy in his arms, Yuuji squeezing him tightly, buring his face in Sukuna’s chest. He shakes his head fondly and hugs back.

They stay like that for some time, with fireworks painting the sky above them until the pink-haired boy pulls away and gives Sukuna expression so gleeful that he has to smile.

Yeah. It’s worth the effort.

Chapter Text

On the first Monday of September, they start a new semester at school. Sukuna arrives alone this time, and right from the entrance, he can feel eyes on him, then hear the whispers.

For a second, he thinks that someone saw him with Yuuji at the summer festival, and some kind of false rumor is what made everyone excited. But no.

On the usual notice board, there is a new sheet of paper. Sukuna comes closer to see, and people are letting him pass while glancing at him as if shocked and unsure.

He doesn't need to read the entire thing; he just skips to the point. Sukuna can't help it. He laughs . Everyone looks at him as if he's insane, but it doesn't matter. And it doesn't matter because it's clearly Mahito's poor attempt at attacking him. So Sukuna takes his phone to send a photo, or more accurately, evidence, to Uraume.

They respond almost immediately.

Sukuna snorts. Yeah, Mahito is done for.

He snatches the evidence and goes to his class with a smirk.

So, Mahito did a background check on Sukuna, yet everything he wrote there is just utter bullshit. Claiming that Sukuna lives with an older woman and is in an inappropriate relationship with her is one thing. But adding his family to the picture and stating that they disinherited him for it is another. And the best part is that Mahito has no idea what he just got himself into.

Sukuna knows he's not even a real target here. It's Yuuji. The pink-haired boy is supposed to read it and become uneasy, maybe even guilty since Sukuna is the one who is being poorly bullied right now. What Mahito doesn't know is that Yuuji won't believe those lies. He met Uraume himself and has regular contact with them. Also, the pink-haired boy will definitely come to beat the shit out of Mahito, being aware of Sukuna’s distaste for his own family. Well. This is going to be interesting.

Sukuna opens the door to his class to a shit-eating grin plastered on Mahito's face, his lackeys surrounding their owner. He rolls his eyes. Too predictable. Sukuna comes to Mahito's desk leisurely to put the sheet of paper there and then hums in amusement.

“This happens right after I was so kind to give you great advice.” Sukuna starts, his expression full of pity, his tone of voice as if he speaks to a toddler. “It's hilarious how you thought that ruining my non-existent reputation could hurt me somehow. It doesn't. At. All. Do you want to know why, Mahito?” He leans closer with a smile, whispering in a staged voice. “Because I don't give a fuck what others think about me.” He admits with a smirk and pulls away, observing how Mahito's face changes with every word, from confidence to confusion. “And this.” He taps at the paper several times. “This is all a bunch of lies.” Sukuna grins. “A bunch of lies that you are going to pay for, Mahito. Because you didn't listen to me last time. And now you just started a war with the wrong person.” He ends darkly.

“Ha?!” Mahito rises up from his seat, annoyed. “You think I'm afraid of you?”

Sukuna shakes his head with an exaggerated sigh. “It's not me you should be afraid of.” He smiles. “But those who are on my side.” He grins and pats Mahito's shoulder condescendingly. “You will see yourself.”

As if on cue, exactly at that moment, Yuuji opens the door to their classroom with a loud thud. He looks so enraged that Sukuna whistles lowly. The pink-haired boy only glances at him once, then throws himself at Mahito. Sukuna catches Yuuji by his waist, tugging him close to his chest before he is able to touch the bully. But the impression is already made; people are gasping and moving away. Mahito stares at the pink-haired boy with wide eyes, probably having flashbacks about their every other encounter, his puppets scattering in fear.

No one dares to utter a word. Yuuji turns in Sukuna’s hold to look at him, a murderous expression on his face, his breathing heavy with emotions.

“Let me hurt him.” He signs in an erratic way, and Sukuna snickers but shakes his head.

“Now if you would excuse me, I need to calm down my puppy.” He says this to Mahito in a fake polite voice and ignores the incredulous reactions so he can pull Yuuji with him out of the classroom.

In the hallway, the pink-haired boy pouts with an angry frown.

“I want to kill him.” Yuuji admits and huffs a frustrated breath.

Sukuna laughs. “I know. Don't worry.” He replies and smiles. “It’s okay. Trust me.”

Amber eyes assess Sukuna in thought, then the pink-haired boy’s shoulders relax, and he nods solemnly. Sukuna pats Yuuji on the head like the good boi he is.

“Sukuna.” Getou-sensei approaches them. “We need to talk about this later.” He shows him another copy of the paper.

Oh, this part is not something he is looking forward to. But it's inevitable.

Sukuna scowls. “I guess we need to, Sensei. But I can't tell you the truth without my guardian, actually.” He admits.

The man blinks, perplexed. “Well, I'm sure that it's all lies. But can I ask why you can't talk about this without one of your parents?” He asks, tilting his head.

Sukuna winces. “No parents, Sensei. My guardian . You need to sign an NDA with my lawyer before I tell you more.” He explains.

“NDA?” Getou-sensei mumbles, taken aback, and stares at him as if seeing Sukuna for the first time in his life.

Yeah. That's why he doesn't like to talk about his family's circumstances.

“What's that?” Yuuji signs with a frown.

“Don't worry.” Sukuna repeats and ruffles the pink hair. “ I will tell you everything one day .” He promises aloud and snaps his attention back at the teacher. “My guardian should be here in a few hours. They need to take a flight from Korea, but they will be there for sure.” He informs Getou-sensei. “For now, I recommend you take down those papers so my lawyers won't have to sue the entire school.” He smirks.

The man looks genuinely terrified at that. Good.

Uraume sends him another message two hours later, which is quicker than he anticipated. He responds.

After sending the message, he thinks better of it.

No reply.

Still no reply. Sukuna sighs, preparing himself for the show.

Then there it is, the sounds of footsteps approaching, and Sukuna instantly recognizes Uraume's warrior heels, accompanied by more heavy steps, and... Oh, shit. Mahito is so fucked right now.

They are having a lesson with Gojou-sensei, which is even more hilarious since the man shuts up about physics—and that's an achievement—right after Uraume opens the door to the classroom. They peer inside, then spot Sukuna and turn to the teacher to bow in respect, in all their professional glory.

“I apologize for interrupting the lesson. We are lawyers representing Ryoumen Sukuna, and we believe that the false accusations from today's morning regarding our client risked revealing information that could put him in danger.” They raise their head with a lovely smile. “Yet, since it’s a confidential matter, I am asking for a place to discuss everything in private with the culprit and his respective guardians.”

The white-haired man is so flabbergasted that he can only silently look at Sukuna for help. The rest of the class gapes between him and the intruders, two lawyers in black suits standing behind Uraume… Ah, those are their older brothers, grinning at Sukuna, so he sighs. They all just have to go a bit overboard.

“I'm sorry, but can I at least get an explanation of what is happening right now?” The teacher asks slowly, turning to the adults.

Uraume smiles, all polite in the work mode. “I'm afraid it won't be possible without signing the NDA, Gojou-san.” They say patiently.

Some of his pears gasp at it, others seemingly confused at the unknown word.

Sensei looks at Sukuna in alarm this time. “I—I understand.” He sounds like he doesn't understand at all. “Sukuna, do you need me to—”

“No, it's okay, Sensei. Please continue your lesson. Do you know where your—where Getou-sensei is now?” He corrects himself.

Gojou-sensei blinks. “Ah. Yes. My husband has a free period right now, so he will be in a teachers' room.” He informs them with a worried frown.

“Mahito, you should call not only your parents, but also your lawyers.” Sukuna smirks at the bully’s petrified expression.

They separate, with Sukuna coming with Uraume to find Getou-sensei while the brothers take Mahito straight to the principal’s office, but only after ruffling Sukuna's hair affectionately. Uraume’s family is always like that. He rolls his eyes.

The dark-haired man stands up from his desk in the teachers' room, surprised at their sudden appearance.

“Getou-sensei, this is Uraume, my lawyer and guardian.” Sukuna points at them. “Uraume, this is Getou Suguru, my homeroom teacher. He is trustworthy enough to reveal my situation to him.” He glances at Uraume pointedly.

“That's unexpected.” They comment, flashing his teacher with a pretty smile. “It's hard to gain Sukuna's trust.” Uraume chuckles.

His teacher blinks, equally taken aback as his husband was not so long ago. “I wasn't aware that Sukuna trusted me himself.” He admits quietly, and really? That's the part he is shocked about?

Sukuna clicks his tongue. “Of course I trust you, Sensei. I asked you for advice several times already.” He scoffs. The man looks on the verge of tears. Tch. “Please, don't cry.” Sukuna utters weakly with a scowl.

He visibly composes himself, amusing Uraume. “So, the NDA, right?” Getou-sensei sighs, pointing at the free table and chairs for them to sit on, so they all do.

They nod. “Yes, please sign the papers that we had prepared, and then we are up to sharing some of Sukuna's villain backstory.” Uraume grins, taking out the said papers from their bag.

Sukuna kicks them on the shin under the table. “Don't call my life a villain backstory.” He grumbles, annoyed. “I'm a very decent human being.”

The teacher glances between them curiously. “So Sukuna can also be like that.” He smiles warmly.

Sukuna scowls. “Uraume is first and foremost my friend, Sensei. Also, the said woman from the rumor.” He snorts.

The dark-haired man raises his eyebrows in surprise.

Uraume laughs. “I was cackling the entire flight in my jet while thinking about our inappropriate relationship.” They laugh more. “So ridiculous. Where did that even come from?”

“You took the jet.” Sukuna focuses on that part, with one eyebrow raised.

“I had to! It was the quickest way to fly from Korea.” They shrug and smile at Getou-sensei. “Please sign here and here.” They point while the man reads through the papers with a frown, then signs obediently. “Thank you for your cooperation.” Uraume grabs the papers and hums. “My brothers took care of the Mahito boy, so we don't need to worry about him for now, but I'm also thinking about gathering all his victims and filing a proper lawsuit so he could stand before the law for his bullying.” They smile.

Sukuna and his teacher are both bewildered now.

“Is your family sure about it?” Sukuna asks incredulously.

Uraume hums. “You know they would do anything for you, Sukuna. But I'm also pissed that this Mahito was targeting our Beam.” They mutter with a huff.

Sukuna needs a moment to comprehend the meaning. Then it clicks. “Please don't give Yuuji weird nicknames.” He utters it flatly with a disapproving stare.

Getou-sensei raises his hand to gather their attention. “I'm sorry, but I'm a bit lost. How do you know our Yuuji, Uraume-san?” He asks with a frown.

Now it's their time to blink in confusion. “Wait, wait, wait. Your Yuuji? What is this about? Sukuna, you didn't tell me anything about it!” Uraume complains, offended. “Why does your homeroom teacher know Beam closely?”

Sukuna sighs tiredly. This will take some time. “I guess I need to explain everything from the beginning.” He turns to his teacher and takes a deep breath. “You had to sign an NDA because I'm under the witness protection program, Sensei.” He informs him calmly and savors the way his teacher’s eyes widen at the statement.

“So you are not...” Getou-sensei mumbles, alarmed.

“Yes. Ryoumen Sukuna is my new identity.” He admits and scowls. “I had to change my name and disappear after my father almost killed me.”

Chapter Text

Getou-sensei looks like he can't believe what he just heard. Well, that's a normal reaction.
 
“Due to Sukuna's circumstances, we can't reveal his real identity to you, Getou-san.” Uraume butts in with a smile. “But he has been Ryoumen Sukuna for a few years now, and I think he got used to it.” They ruffle Sukuna's hair, and he slaps their hand away, irritated.
 
“I don't even want to think of my name from that time. Brings bad memories.” He spits in disgust. “My family never cared about me, so it's only for the better.” He grumbles.
 
“What happened?” The dark-haired man asks breathlessly. “Why was your father trying to…?” He can't even finish.
 
“Kill me?” Sukuna raises his eyebrows and huffs a bitter laugh at Getou-sensei's small nod. “That's a funny story, Sensei. Please don't look at me like I'm about to break. The only thing I feel towards my family is resentment.” He says dryly. “And it only sounds that bad. I always knew that my father loved alcohol more than me.”
 
“Sukuna.” Uraume interrupts gently.
 
He sighs. “I know.” Sukuna softens his expressions a bit. “My mother loved me.” He starts with a small smile. “She loved me, supported me, and taught me to not give up on my dreams.” He closes his eyes. “But she got sick and died when I was nine. Cancer.” He snaps his eyes open. “Without her, I was on my own. My dear, prestigious family cares only about appearances, so in front of others they pretended. A happy house, they said. But inside, I was alone in a big, cold mansion full of people that didn't acknowledge me.” Sukuna pauses to scoff. “My father remarried not long after my mother passed away. They didn't have other children. I was their only hope, a perfect heir, a perfect child.” He smiles mockingly. “But I was never good enough. My father would beat me up, so I would learn to be better. Always the same way, dragging me to his alcohol room, picking one, pouring himself a drink, and hitting me until he took the last sip.” Sukuna leans on the table, staring at his teacher’s horrified expression. “Sometimes he didn't take that last sip for hours, Sensei.” He whispers and laughs. “Crazy, right?”
 
Getou-sensei covers his mouth, his eyes full of terror.
 
“But my old man was also too smart.” Sukuna clicks his tongue. “He left the bruises in places that were hard to see so no one would find out that I was getting abused.” He points at Uraume. “Then I met them.”
 
“Oh.” Uraume smiles and nods. “It was all a coincidence that we spent winter break at the same place. Sukuna was avoiding his father back then, and I… Well.” They chuckle with a wince. “I wanted to have some fun on a frozen lake and decided to skate. I think I was... seventeen at that time? So Sukuna was twelve.” Uraume hums and smiles. “Long story short, the ice broke under me, and I almost drowned in the ice-cold water. Sukuna saved me without hesitation.” They glance at him gratefully. “My family took us to the hospital because of hypothermia, and there we all found out about the bruises.” Uraume scowls. “But we couldn't do anything without proof. We slowly gathered evidence against Sukuna’s father, trying to help the boy that saved my life once.” They smile. “That’s how we became friends and how my family unofficially adopted him.”
 
Getou-sensei listens intently with a deep frown and dejected expression.
 
Sukuna nods. “What changed everything was actually my dream that, as my mom taught me, I didn’t give up on.” He pauses here, a bit afraid of being judged for it. “I was always drawing as a kid, and I remember my mother’s smile whenever she saw my drawings.” Sukuna recalls it nostalgically. “She sewed as her hobby, and I was so entranced with the idea of creating clothes from scratch that at six I decided to become a fashion designer.” He admits hesitantly.
 
The dark-haired man looks surprised, and then a realization flashes on his face. “That’s why you are always carrying sketchbooks.”
 
“Sukuna is good.” Uraume grins, hitting him with their elbow on his side, so he looks away with a scowl. “My family supports him in his goal. But we don't have much to offer since we are all law geeks.” They chuckle.
 
“Oh. So meeting Chousou must have been life-changing to you, Sukuna.” Getou-sensei realizes out loud.
 
Sukuna grunts in affirmation. “That’s true. I didn’t expect Yuuji’s older brother to be a genius fashion photographer.” He admits.
 
“Wait. The Chousou?” Uraume asks with wide eyes. “You didn’t tell me a single thing about it either?!” They make an offended sound.
 
“Because I promised Chousou-san.” He grumbles and sighs. “But going back to my story, I wasn’t supposed to have my own dreams at that house, so I was drawing and designing in secret. And my father found out eventually.” Sukuna pauses again, and tries to continue, but he can’t find his voice because it still fucking hurts.
 
Uraume pats him on the back and takes the lead. “To gather proper evidence, we gave Sukuna a spy camera that he sneaked into his father’s alcohol room, which gave us the live input. Only thanks to that device we were able to save his life back then.” They glare. “When Sukuna’s father found out about his drawings, he burned them.”
 
“All of them.” Sukuna spits, feeling the same rage from that time. “Even the drawings I made as a child when my mom was still alive. I came back from school and was forced to watch as everything that I put such effort into turned into ashes. All those years, all the drawings, the designs, all my work for nothing.” He laughs bitterly and then smiles emptily. “So I snapped.” He says, looking at the table with wide eyes. “I went to his favorite room and started to pour out alcohol from every single bottle into the sink, watching the liquid disappear and feeling better with every single drop. Because, wasn’t it fair? If he took everything for me, then I had to repay him equally.” Sukuna growls and flinches when his teacher touches his hand, but he doesn’t pull away. “He was so pissed. I wasted all the rare alcohol he collected his entire life, but I didn’t care. I wanted him to feel the same as me, desperate and in pain.” He says quietly and frowns. “But then…”
 
“Then that motherfucker took one of the bottles and hit Sukuna from behind with all his might, the glass shattering everywhere. And he didn’t stop.” Uraume grits through their teeth coldly, Getou-sensei looking at them both petrified, squeezing Sukuna’s hand tightly. “He didn’t stop, and we got our evidence, but for what cost? After the bottle shattered, Sukuna lost consciousness from the impact, and the glass shards hurt him severely. His father just left him there without help. He was only thirteen.”
 
“If not for the camera and Uraume's family's quick reaction, I could just bleed out there, Sensei.” Sukuna murmurs and hears a sniffle.
 
Oh. Getou-sensei is crying. Shit. “I’m so sorry, Sukuna.” He whispers, tears streaming down his cheek. “I’m so sorry that you have to go through this.”
 
He frowns. “Why are you apologizing, Sensei? As you can see, I’m still fine and alive.” Sukuna shrugs and smirks. “Actually, if not for that old man’s mistake, I couldn’t be free like I am now.”
 
Uraume nods. “My family has the best lawyers in our country, so we put Sukuna’s father in jail for abuse, neglect and a murder attempt, took our boy under our guidance, and gave him a new identity since the rest of his family didn’t like the outcome.” They smile dangerously. “It’s funny what you can do with one small camera’s footage.”
 
Sukuna breathes with relief that the torture of saying this shit is finally over. “That's all you need to know about my situation, Sensei. Uraume is my legal guardian, because it’s convenient for us both.” He explains.
 
“And that Mahito boy won’t get away this time since he just broke the protocol for a witness protection program.” Uraume adds cheerfully. “That’s why I want to add another lawsuit and gather all his victims. Let’s take him down completely and show him that actions have consequences.” They smile devilishly.
 
The dark-haired man blinks several times and wipes his tears away. “I’m sorry, but I’m still processing the fact that one of my students had such a traumatic experience that it made him distrustful of others and gave him antisocial behavior.” He sniffles with a deep frown.
 
Uraume snorts. “No, Getou-san. Sukuna was always like that, so don’t worry.” And then they smirk. “Also, he is getting better thanks to that one cute pink-haired...” Sukuna kicks them under the table again. “Aw!”
 
His teacher smiles. “Ah, yes. Our Yuuji is like that. He influences people around him a lot.” He chuckles fondly.
 
“Again with the "our".” They squint their eyes in suspicion.
 
“Because Yuuji’s older brother, Chousou-san, is Getou-sensei’s and Gojou-sensei’s close friend, Uraume.” Sukuna says it matter-of-factly.
 
“Aaah.” Uraume nods. “So that’s how it is. Amazing. We are all connected somehow.” They smile widely.
 
Then bells announce the end of the lesson’s period, and they need to move to Getou-sensei’s now empty classroom to discuss more details about Mahito’s case. Sukuna zones out, letting the adults talk to inform the earlier-mentioned boy about his friend visiting.

The response comes almost instantly.

Sukuna rolls his eyes. A few moments later, Yuuji hesitantly opens the door to the classroom, peers inside, and beams at them, which stops the discussion.
 
“Beam!” Uraume gasps, and okay, Sukuna sees the potential now.
 
The pink-haired boy hurriedly closes the door and approaches them with a big smile, waving at Uraume. They stand up and, to Sukuna’s utter irritation, pull Yuuji into a hug, with the boy happily accepting the affection. He glares at them heatedly, and Uraume turns toward him with a knowing smirk.
 
“Since when are you two so close, ha?” Sukuna growls, his left eye twitching in annoyance.
 
They hum as if in thought. “We are texting a lot, you know.” Uraume sways the pink-haired boy into their arms with ease. “What’s wrong? Jealous much?” They smirk teasingly.
 
Sukuna clicks his tongue and scowls. His lesson for the future is to keep these two away from each other as far as possible.

Chapter Text

Of course, Sukuna gets sick after all the revelations about his past. That’s so typical for him that he is not even surprised. It’s like his body still remembers all the terror, and when reminded of it, it suddenly goes all weak, and he catches a cold. Odd, but there is some logic behind it.
 
He doesn't tell Uraume, not wanting to be a victim of their maternity instincts—his friend is protective of him enough, he doesn't need them fretting over him. They would definitely get back to Japan only to nurse him. Ugh. No. It's just a cold, after all. He can manage alone.
 
Sukuna needs to inform his teacher about taking a few days of rest from school, though.
 
“And Uraume-san is with you?” Getou-sensei asks.
 
For a second, he wants to lie, but they do have some level of equal trust, and Sukuna doesn't want to abuse it.
 
“No, Sensei. Uraume is back in England.” He rasps.
 
Sukuna is lounging on the couch under a few blankets in the living room, surrounded by tissues. His nose is stuffed and his throat hurts like shit, but he needs to go through this conversation.
 
“How about their brothers?” The man doesn't give up.
 
Sukuna scoffs. “I'm not going to bother them. They have more important matters than taking care of me.” He grumbles. “Also, I'm perfectly fine.” He declares and sneezes violently, suppressing a frustrated groan.
 
He used more than twenty tissues already, and it seems like the pile is only going to grow. Sukuna takes the phone away from his ear and switches to hands-free mode, putting it on the coach. Then he blows his nose shamelessly.
 
“Sukuna. Don't give me this bullshit. You are clearly sick.” His teacher snaps.
 
“It's just a cold.” He repeats, raising his voice, and winces at the pain. “I'm fine.”
 
“You don't know that. What if it gets worse? Maybe you should go to the hospital?” Getou-sensei worries.
 
“No hospitals.” Sukuna replies instantly, not fond of those places. Again, bad memories.
 
“Oh.” The man probably realizes his mistake, then sighs. “I want to help you, Sukuna. At least let me or my husband check on you after school, hm?” He pleads.
 
Sukuna closes his eyes and sniffles. “What if one of you also gets sick?” He counters, and his teacher moans in frustration.
 
“Sukuna, I swear to gods, I will bring suppositories with me and force one deep into your—”
 
“I think it's sexual harassment, Sensei.” He snorts and regrets it immediately, his throat not liking the sound. He takes a deep breath and ignores the gasp on the other side. “If you leave me alone afterwards, then go on, pay me a visit, Sensei.” He sighs tiredly. “Just don't do anything unnecessary.”
 
Getou-sensei hums happily, as if Sukuna just gave him something much more valuable than simple permission. “Please take care of yourself. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me.” The man says solemnly before hanging up.
 
Sukuna sighs and sneezes again. Great.
 
He checks social media, but quickly looses interest, so he takes a nap. When he wakes up, Sukuna groans quietly, sensing that it has gotten worse. His throat is burning, and his nose is still stuffed, but he also feels sluggish and oddly warm. Oh, no.
 
Sukuna reaches for the clinical thermometer on the table and checks. Yeah, he has a fever. Shit.
 
He tries to get up, but he's dizzy, so first he lets himself readjust to the sudden position change, sitting on the couch patiently. Then he stands slowly and goes to the kitchen. Now Sukuna is cold after leaving his blanket. He shivers. Wonderful, his fever will probably get even higher.
 
He searches for the throat spray and ibuprofen in the drawer with medicines and finds both. He checks if those are not expired, but they are still okay. That's good.
 
Sukuna takes two small bottles of water and ponders if he wants to eat something. He feels like he should, but he doesn't have an appetite. He also makes a stop at the bathroom since he's up, and then goes back to the couch. Sukuna takes the medicine and lays down again, enveloping himself in the blankets. He waits until his body stops shivering and then checks his phone.
 
Oh, Yuuji texted him earlier.

Is he stupid?

The reply comes quickly.

Sukuna huffs a small laugh and then shakes his head fondly.

But the pink-haired boy is persistent.

Sukuna sneezes and wipes his nose, thinking. If Yuuji is so adamant about it, who is he to stop him?

He blocks the screen, places the phone on the table, and takes another nap, hoping that his fever will drop.
 
This time the doorbell is what wakes him up, and he snaps his eyes open, needing a moment to comprehend reality around him. Is it Yuuji? He checks the time and frowns. They exchanged texts less than an hour ago.
 
There is no way that the pink-haired boy ditched the school because he was this worried, right?
 
…
 
Sukuna sighs when the doorbell repeats, resigned. Then his phone vibrates, so he checks it.

Sukuna involuntary snorts. Of course. That's so Yuuji. He should have expected it all. He types the reply.

Sukuna stands up and sits up instantly. Shit. He's so dizzy. He waits a bit and tries again. Okay, he got this. What he needs now is to wear a mask to not pass the cold on to the pink-haired boy. He puts it on, a bit uncomfortable with breathing in it. Sukuna slowly goes to the door, which takes him longer than it should, but he tries really hard not to fall, leaning on the wall for support.
 
When he finally reaches the entrance, he's tired. At this exact moment, he's not sure if it's just a usual cold. Maybe Sukuna really needs help.
 
He opens the door to the already worriedly frowning Yuuji, holding a plastic bag full of food. Amber eyes instantly survey Sukuna's entire figure from top to bottom, and the frown deepens.
 
“You look terrible.” The pink-haired boy signs, and Sukuna huffs a laugh.
 
He brings his hands together to sign a sarcastic thank you, but it turns out to be a mistake—Sukuna gets dizzy again, and he sways like a leaf on a windy day. To his utter surprise, Yuuji catches him, his steady arms supporting Sukuna without issue. Oh, right. The pink-haired boy is strong.
 
Yuuji closes the door with one hand, still holding Sukuna with the other, then takes off his shoes, places the plastic bag on the near cabinet, and focuses entirely on him, tugging Sukuna further into the apartment.
 
It's oddly comforting to be treated like that, with the pink-haired boy effortlessly navigating them through Uraume's apartment, only glancing at Sukuna from time to time with clear concern. They pass the kitchen, and when the living room comes into sight, Yuuji spots the couch with blankets and tissues, so he makes a small smile and pushes Sukuna there, forcing him to sit. He's really glad since the entire wander made him tired.
 
The pink-haired boy leans towards him and places his hand on Sukuna's forehead. He closes his eyes at the touch, enjoying the pleasant coldness of it. Coldness? He snaps his eyes open to find Yuuji making a disapproving face, probably realizing the same thing. Sukuna is promptly pushed further into the couch, forced to lay down, the pink-haired boy gently tugging the blankets all around him. Then he checks Sukuna's temperature and frowns at the result. So the fever hasn't gone down. Sukuna sneezes and winces, taking off his mask to blow his nose.
 
Yuuji is observing him with a thoughtful expression. Then he points at the ibuprofen. “When?” He signs simply.
 
Sukuna blinks. “Hour ago.” He admits.
 
The pink-haired boy nods. “Have you eaten?”
 
He shakes his head. Yuuji seems unimpressed. Sukuna can't help but think that it's nice to use sign language when your throat hurts. The pink-haired boy takes the mask from him, and Sukuna frowns at it. Yuuji shakes his head. “Breathe.” He signs with a smile. “Wait here.”
 
The pink-haired boy disappears somewhere, leaving Sukuna confused. Then he comes back a few moments later with a small towel and a bowl with water and ice. Sukuna raises his eyebrows, surprised. Where did he find those? Yuuji places a cold compress on his forehead, and Sukuna hums with relief.
 
“I will cook you something.” The pink-haired boy decides. “Sleep.”
 
Sukuna doesn't have the strength to argue, so he lets himself be pulled into a half-asleep state. He is aware that Yuuji regularly comes from the kitchen to change his compress, always petting Sukuna's hair gently afterwards.
 
It kind of reminds him of the times when his mother was still alive, nursing him while he was sick. It's soothing.
 
The pink-haired boy wakes him up exactly like this, by petting his hair after he took the compress and didn't replace it. Sukuna is not sure if the fond smile on Yuuji's face is real or if it's just a feverish dream. But he likes it either way.
 
Then Sukuna is pulled into a sitting position, the pink-haired boy placing the pillows behind him for support. He spots the soup in a bowl, waiting on the table. Udon? Sukuna glances at Yuuji, dumbfounded, to find him looking at the thermometer's results with a satisfied smile. Sukuna raises his eyebrows and smiles, too. The pink-haired boy notices and beams, his hand coming to pet Sukuna again, almost as a habit at this point.
 
“You have to eat.” Yuuji nags and places the bowl in Sukuna's hands. It's warm, but not too hot. “Need help?” He asks, tilting his head.
 
Is this seriously an offer to feed Sukuna? As much as he's tempted to accept it, he's not that sick. He has no idea how the udon tastes because of his stuffy nose, but since it was made by Yuuji, it's definitely delicious.
 
The pink-haired boy seems pleased with Sukuna eating more than half of the portion, smiling at him proudly.
 
Then there is another doorbell, and Sukuna is sure that it's one of his teachers this time. He waves at Yuuji to get his attention. “The door.” He signs, and it's enough for the pink-haired boy to understand.
 
Yuuji quickly goes to let the person in.
 
“As I thought!” That's definitely Gojou-sensei.
 
Then it's almost silent, so Sukuna is not sure what they are signing about, but when they both show up in the living room, the pink-haired boy is pouting, and the white-haired man looks disapproving.
 
“Yuuji didn't tell anyone that he was going to visit me, did he?” Sukuna rasps knowingly, and his teacher winces sympathetically at the voice.
 
“Don't push yourself, Sukuna. You sound like it hurts to talk.” Gojou-sensei states and sits on the near pufa. “And yes, Yuuji didn't tell anyone, he just disappeared from the school.” He adds, glaring at the pink-haired boy.
 
“I was worried.” Yuuji pouts harder.
 
The man sighs exaggeratedly and looks at Sukuna with concern. “So? How do you feel?”
 
“Better.” He signs truthfully.
 
His teacher hums and grins. “That's good. I'm sure that after being nursed by Yuuji, anyone would feel better~” He teases. The pink-haired boy rolls his amber eyes. “But I have to take him home.” Gojou-sensei admits with an apologetic expression. “Need anything else, Sukuna? Medicine? Food? Hug?” He opens his arms expectantly, grinning again.
 
“No.” Sukuna instantly scowls.
 
The man laughs. “Don't worry, Uraume-san is on their way.” He informs him.
 
What. Why.
 
Sukuna sighs. “Who told them? Your husband?”
 
Gojou-sensei hums, amused. “Yuuji.”
 
He knew it. Letting Uraume meet the pink-haired boy was a mistake. Those two are a menace together.

Chapter Text

It’s easy to forget about Yuuji’s disability since the pink-haired boy doesn’t seem to be bothered by it at all, having a lot of people around and happily living his life. Yet there are moments when Sukuna is reminded that Yuuji is, in fact, deaf, and it does affect him in various ways.
 
It happens at the end of September, on a normal Thursday morning. It’s a pure coincidence that Sukuna is going to school later today since he overslept. The fact that he is spotting familiar pink hair in the crowd outside the subway station near their school is more of a habit at this point. He smiles and decides to surprise Yuuji, not letting him know beforehand that they can go the rest of the walk together. Just when Sukuna starts to approach him, there is honking, so he turns instinctively and witnesses two cars going into a head-on collision. He winces at the uncomfortable sound of metal screeching.
 
Then he sees it. No, not only him, actually. Everyone sees it. There is another car driving after the one that just got into the accident, and the driver panics, not being able to slow down enough not to hit it, so he desperately takes a sharp turn towards the sidewalk. And he goes straight at the completely unaware pink-haired boy. Because Yuuji didn’t hear a thing. He doesn’t know that the car accident just happened; the same is true of the other car driving right in his direction.
 
And all the people are screaming, equally panicked, trying to warn him. But he can’t hear them.
 
Sukuna doesn’t think, he is moving before he realizes it. He is sure that he was never this quick in his entire life.
 
There is only one thought in his mind right before he pushes the pink-haired boy away from the trajectory.
 
Save Yuuji.
 
Those are just seconds, but to Sukuna, it all seems oddly slowed. He wraps his arms around Yuuji tightly, ignoring the pink-haired boy’s startled reaction, because it doesn’t matter now. Then he waits for the exact moment to throw them both right on the car’s hood so they do not get hit directly by the vehicle. Thankfully, it works. Unfortunately, the impact still makes them bounce from it, and Sukuna shifts so he can take all the impact when they fall, protecting Yuuji. He hits his head hard and blacks out for a moment.
 
When he comes to himself some time later, he is laying on the sidewalk, and there are people around him, but everything is oddly blurred, and it’s tough to think clearly.
 
What happened? Where is he?
 
Then the pain gets to him, and he groans, wincing. His head is pulsing uncomfortably, and he is nauseous. The sounds come to him slowly, with people talking around.
 
Then he remembers everything, the most important thought appearing in his mind instantly.
 
Yuuji.
 
But the pink-haired boy is not in his arms anymore.
 
Where is he? Did he save him?
 
“Yuuji.” He mumbles and tries to sit up, but people force him to lay on the ground.
 
They are saying something about the car accident and the ambulance.
 
Ambulance? Is Yuuji hurt?
 
“Yuuji.” He repeats, squinting his eyes and searching through the forest of people’s faces for the familiar pink hair.
 
Where is he? Where is he? Where is he?
 
Sukuna doesn’t see him anywhere.
 
But he needs to make sure that Yuuji is safe. He grits his teeth and wriggles with an effort from some random man’s hold until he sits up to the crowd’s disapproval.
 
“You are injured, you should lay down, Nii-chan.” The man nags, so Sukuna snaps his attention at him, trying to form coherent thoughts, ignoring the nausea and his throbbing head.
 
“Yuuji.” He utters, because that’s everything he cares about. “Where is he?”
 
“Who?” The man frowns.
 
“Hey, hey, maybe he knows that boy who he saved.” Someone butts in.
 
It takes some time, but the words click.
 
Saved.
 
Sukuna breathes with relief.
 
But why is he not here?
 
“Where is Yuuji?” He asks, searching for the pink-haired boy again, but he has to close his eyes for a moment since his head is killing him.
 
“Oh gods, stop moving your head, it’s injured!” Someone shouts.
 
“Where is Yuuji?!” Sukuna shouts back desperately and winces, the back of his head pulsing more painfully after raising his voice.
 
“Who?”
 
“The other boy, I think.” Some random woman leans toward him. She is smiling, probably. Sukuna can’t see clearly. “He is fine, just in shock. He only cries and doesn’t talk, the rest is trying to calm him down. He didn’t want let go of you, so we had to force him away.”
 
Force him away?!
 
Sukuna seethes with rage. “Give him back.” He demands, angered.
 
They all look at him weirdly.
 
“That’s not a good idea. You are clearly injured, and…”
 
“I don’t care!” Sukuna yells and tries to stand up, but his left wrist is also busted, and he doesn’t have enough strength to do it alone. He swears and scowls.
 
“Oh gods, stop moving! We will get him, we will get him, just don’t move!” Someone from the back shouts again.
 
Sukuna huffs a frustrated breath and makes a mistake by touching the back of his head, where the source of his pain is. He hisses, and then his hand is gently taken away from the wound. There is blood on it.
 
“Don’t touch your head. You have a concussion, but we don’t know what kind of head injury it is. So don’t touch it, okay?” The woman speaks slowly.
 
Sukuna needs a moment to comprehend it. He starts to nod, then catches himself and just hums. Then he sees pink hair in his peripheral vision, and that’s the only thing he cares about now, focusing his entire attention on it. He ignores the people telling him to stop moving, he ignores the pain, the nausea to just take a proper look at Yuuji.
 
He is all right. He is alive. He is fine.
 
The boy approaches him quickly, and Sukuna finally sees that Yuuji is crying and trembling all over his body.
 
He has to hug him. He needs comfort.
 
Yuuji jogs up to him and crouches down, his amber eyes watching Sukuna intently. Then something akin to relief passes through his face, and the pink-haired boy sags into the ground next to Sukuna, making small whimpers, his hands coming to clench into Sukuna’s clothes, and he cries more. Sukuna tries very hard to hug him, but his left hand is not cooperating, and his right one is in his blood. Also, he is sore all over his body, so hugging may not be the best idea now. He frowns.
 
Yuuji needs him now. But he can’t hug him.
 
Sukuna grits his teeth and carefully takes the pink-haired boy’s hand into his left one, ignoring the pain. Yuuji stops crying and looks at him, sniffling, taking his busted hand delicately. Sukuna wipes Yuuji's tears away with the back of his right hand, hiding the blood. Amber eyes stare at him, and the pink-haired boy fingerspells something, but it’s too hard to focus and understand it.
 
“I can’t do sign now.” Sukuna speaks slowly, needing more time to formulate the words. “Are you okay?” He needs to know from Yuuji himself.
 
The pink-haired boy nods, suppressing the tears, still trembling all over his body.
 
Yuuji needs comfort. He needs a hug.
 
He needs…
 
Who? Who can hug him if Sukuna can't?
 
…
 
Sensei.
 
“Can you call Sensei for me, Yuuji?” He asks, every word coming out of him with more effort. The pink-haired boy frowns in confusion. “I will talk. Can you?”
 
Yuuji wipes his tears away, more composed after getting a task, and he nods. He takes out his phone with trembling hands and calls Getou-sensei, giving the device to Sukuna. He will apologize for smearing it with blood later.
 
“Yuuji?” The man picks up after the first signal. “Why are you calling, honey? Something happened? Is someone with you so they can talk?” There is question after question.
 
Sukuna focuses on his goal, but it’s hard with his throbbing head. “Sensei.”
 
“Sukuna?” The teacher sounds surprised. “Is something wrong with Yuuji?”
 
“Yuuji is safe.” Sukuna reports, because that part feels important. “But I can’t hug him now.” He utters slowly. “Can you come here?”
 
“What happened? Where are you?” Getou-sensei asks, alarmed.
 
“The car hit us. But I saved him. He’s safe.” Sukuna mumbles and frowns, trying to come up with facts. “He is crying. He needs a hug. I can’t hug him. I’m injured, Sensei.”
 
For some reason, Yuuji starts crying even more after those words, squeezing Sukuna’s harmed hand, and the latter needs to suppress a hiss of pain. The pink-haired boy places his head slightly on Sukuna’s shoulder, scooting closer to him. Sukuna lets him.
 
“Where are you? I’m coming right away.” His teacher declares. Sukuna needs a few moments to recall the place. “Sukuna?”
 
“Thinking is hard.” He pauses and finally remembers. “Near the station. Next to school.” He takes a break again from talking, feeling that his limbs are getting more numb and cold with every passing moment. “I’m going to pass out soon, Sensei.” Sukuna admits, knowing the sensation from the experience.
 
“Please don’t hang up. I’m taking the car, and I will be there in two minutes.” Getou-sensei says it in a calm voice. “I’m sure everything will be okay.”
 
Sukuna hums. “Yuuji needs you.” He repeats.
 
“I think you need me more now, Sukuna.” The man argues, and Sukuna frowns.
 
“I’m fine.” He murmurs, his speech getting more sloppy, his head pulsing horribly. “But my head is heavy. And there are dark spots in my vision.” He babbles. “I lost blood too. It happened before, Sensei. But now it’s different. I was scared then. I’m not now.” He pauses again. “I just want Yuuji to be safe.”
 
“Go on, Sukuna. Talk to me more. I’m almost there.” His teacher encourages him.
 
He hums and frowns. “I don’t care if I die here, I saved Yuuji.” He mumbles incoherently, yet truthfully.
 
“No one is dying, Sukuna. Oh gods, what the hell happened here?! I’m coming, so hang on there, okay?!” The man sounds rushed.
 
Sukuna hums again, absentmindedly, blinking slowly. “I’m tired, Sensei. My head hurts. I want to rest.” He murmurs quietly, his speech sluggish. “Are you far away?”
 
“No! No, I’m almost there. Wait a bit more, Sukuna.”
 
He leans on Yuuji, feeling dizzy and cold. The pink-haired boy raises his head and looks at him with panic.
 
“I’m okay, Yuuji. Just tired.” Sukuna drawls quietly.
 
“Okay, I see you.” Getou-sensei hangs up.
 
A moment later, the man appears right in front of them with a terrified expression, crouching to their level.
 
“Oh gods, Sukuna.” He surveys him with wide, scared eyes. “How are you even talking in this state?”
 
Sukuna frowns. “I’m fine.” He repeats and points at the pink-haired boy. “Take care of him, okay?”
 
Getou-sensei gives him a sharp glance. “Sukuna, stop.”
 
“Promise me. You are going to hug him. And comfort him. Because I can’t.” He makes an effort to say it, finally feeling how cold his body is, with black spots already dancing in his sight.
 
“Oh gods. Where is the ambulance?!” The man shouts, and someone responds to him, but Sukuna tugs at his teacher’s pants desperately.
 
“Promise me.” Sukuna pleads.
 
“Sukuna.” He chokes out, frightened.
 
“I’m tired, Sensei. Please. Let me rest.” Sukuna utters weakly, forcing himself to remain present. “Promise me.” He asks softly.
 
Getou-sensei looks on the verge of tears. “Okay. Okay, I promise. Just stay with us, hm?”
 
“Thank you, Sensei.” He whispers.
 
One more thing.
 
Sukuna turns to the pink-haired boy to place a quick kiss on his forehead, his amber eyes going wide. “I love you, Yuuji.” He murmurs and only then closes his eyes, letting himself be consumed by darkness.

Chapter Text

The consciousness comes to him from time to time, turning into flickers of moments when he is aware of everything around him.

He is in the ambulance, sirens howling loudly. Getou-sensei is sitting next to him with a deep, worried frown, and Yuuji is holding Sukuna’s right hand while crying silently on the other side. Sukuna tries to squeeze this hand reassuringly, but he is not sure if he managed to do it or if he just wishes he could, already passing out again.

He opens his eyes to the white ceiling, the steady beeping of the machines, and the smell of antiseptic. Sukuna instantly starts to breathe quicker, and the sounds rapidly increase in speed too. Because he is in the hospital.

The back of his head is throbbing in pain, and his left hand also hurts, but it's milder and more bearable. His limbs are heavy and sore. He can't get up, he can't think clearly.

Was it his father? Did he try to kill him again?

“Sukuna, calm down.” Someone says and then leans towards him, appearing in his field of view. “You are safe.”

White hair.

Gojou-sensei.

Sukuna makes an effort to breathe slower, trying to understand what he is doing here.

Then there is only one thought in his mind, a familiar one.

Yuuji .

“Yuuji.” He chokes out, desperately grabbing his teacher’s forearm and looking around, but they are alone here. “Yuuji.”

“Yuuji is fine. He is fine, Sukuna, you saved him, remember?” Gojou-sensei says in a patient, soothing tone.

Sukuna frowns, trying to sort out his memories. “Where is Yuuji?”

“He has his own examination, my husband is with him. Yuuji didn’t want to leave you, but he had to.” The man explains softly. “Do you remember what happened?”

The car. Yuuji. Pain. Helplessness. An urge to protect and comfort.

He frowns even deeper. “I saved Yuuji.” Sukuna mumbles. “I couldn't hug him. I was injured. My head hurts.”

Gojou-sensei nods. “You have a concussion and a sprained wrist. You hit your head hard, but luckily, your brain is intact. It will take some time for you to gain proper consciousness, though. They gave you morphine, so the pain should be dulled.”

“Still hurts.” Sukuna complains and pauses for a moment. He frowns. “Where is Yuuji?”

“Yuuji is in a different room now. He is fine. Don’t worry about him.” His teacher smiles reassuringly.

He blinks several times, comprehending. “Is Yuuji hurt?”

The man shakes his head, looking amused. “No, he is not. Honestly, you had it the worst out of all the victims.” He grins. “You just had to jump there and save Yuuji, huh?”

A moment to think. Then.

“I had to.” Sukuna mumbles. “Yuuji is important. He couldn't hear the car. He could…” He pauses, feeling sad suddenly. “Yuuji could die, Sensei.” He whispers.

Gojou-sensei pats Sukuna’s hand that is still clutching the man’s forearm. “I know, Sukuna, you did well. You really saved Yuuji’s life. We are all proud of you.”

After those words, Sukuna is finally relieved and closes his eyes.

He senses a commotion, and it makes him aware for a moment, so he forces himself to open his heavy eyelids and pay attention. There is Getou-sensei sitting on his left, looking at the door to the hospital’s room, so Sukuna follows. A woman stands there, looking panicked and out of breath. Before her stands Yuuji, curling in himself as if scared.

“Kaori-san…” His teacher starts hesitantly.

Sukuna blinks.

He had heard this name before.

He blinks more. Then it clicks.

It’s Yuuji’s mother.

She makes a beeline for her son and takes him into her arms, hugging him tightly. A second later, she pushes him by the arms gently to check him all over and then hugs him again, sagging into the embrace. There are tears on her cheeks, Sukuna observes.

“My baby, I thought I had lost you.” She cries, sniffling. “Don’t scare me like that ever again, Yuuji.” She sobs, even if her son can’t hear her.

There is a nagging thought in his mind, then. Yuuji’s mother. The way the pink-haired boy is always afraid to disappoint her. She could simply forbid him from going outside after this.

“Kaori-san.” Sukuna calls weakly, and the adults snap their attention at him. He needs a moment to formulate words. “I saved Yuuji. I will always save him, no matter what.” He rasps, trying to sound confident. “So please don’t take Yuuji away from me.” Sukuna pleads quietly.

Her shocked expression is the last thing he sees before he is pulled into the darkness again.

This time he doesn’t freak out after realizing that he is in a hospital bed, connected to medical equipment, all weak and hurt, because the first thing Sukuna notices right when he opens his eyes is Yuuji. The pink-haired boy is sitting on a chair on Sukuna’s right side, holding his hand with his own two, his head leaning on them like in a prayer, hiding his face.

Sukuna opens his mouth to call him, then he remembers that Yuuji won’t hear him, so he decides to just squeeze his hands as much as he can, which is only a bit. He is very weak.

Yuuji instantly looks up, and they just stare at each other for a moment. Amber eyes fill with tears in an instant. Sukuna frowns.

“Why are you crying, Yuuji?” He asks, confused.

The pink-haired boy looks at him with a disbelief expression, and Sukuna goes with the usual instructions in this kind of situation.

He scoots over to the side with an effort, making free space for Yuuji to fit. “Come here.” Sukuna says softly, tugging at the pink-haired boy’s hands.

Yuuji stares at him more, his expression hard to decipher.

“Come on. Let me hug you.” Sukuna smiles gently.

Amber eyes glint with sudden warmth, and the pink-haired boy hesitantly lets go of Sukuna’s hand to sit on the bed.

“Lay down with me.” He murmurs, and Yuuji shakes his head but still complies.

Sukuna doesn’t care that the bed is definitely too small for two people or that his head and wrist are still hurting. He wants Yuuji. The pink-haired boy carefully lays next to him, his face peering at Sukuna with his usual puppy expression.

“Cute.” Sukuna decides, and amber eyes widen, a small blush appearing on Yuuji’s features. “Cuter.”

Sukuna brings his arms around the boy, minding the wrist, and tugs him even closer, taking comfort in the pink-haired boy’s presence.

Yuuji is safe.

He kisses Yuuji’s top of the head almost subconsciously and cuddles to him tightly, chuckling at the small noise the pink-haired boy makes. Sukuna blacks out, feeling content.

He loves him so much.

There is a sound that makes him alarmed, but then he sees Yuuji’s sleeping face after blinking the blackness away, and Sukuna holds his breath to stare. The pink-haired boy is lying next to him, his hands fisted in Sukuna’s hospital gown, his face calm and relaxed. He looks so adorable that Sukuna smiles lovingly, and then he hears the odd sound again.

He snaps his attention to the source and sees the… camera? Sukuna frowns in confusion, then forces himself to be more aware of his surroundings, and he notices a familiar-looking person.

“Chousou-san?” He asks hesitantly.

The man lowers the camera a bit but still points with it at them two, his wide smile showing. “Hey, Sukuna. How are you feeling?”

Sukuna blinks and then blinks more, trying to decide. “Terrible.” He admits after a moment and then glances between Yuuji and his brother, only to bring the pink-haired boy even closer to his chest. “I’m not giving Yuuji back.” He warns.

Chousou-san laughs. “They were right. You really are obsessed with my brother after you hit your head, Sukuna.” He hums. “Personally, I think the concussion and the morphine just made you drop your filter, so now you are acting completely true to your instincts.” The man chuckles.

Sukuna frowns, failing to comprehend the words. “Yuuji is mine.” He states possessively.

“Oh? Do you want to try and call me Onii-chan, then?” Chousou-san grins.

“No.” He refuses instantly, and the man laughs. Then something occurs to Sukuna after staring at the camera. “Are you recording this?” He asks suspiciously.

“Of course not.” The man denies, putting the camera down, but his smile says otherwise. “Don’t worry, Sukuna. You are going to thank me for this one day.” He declares with a knowing grin.

“Why?”

“Because you will probably forget every single embarrassing thing that you have done since the accident.” Chousou-san says it matter-of-factly. “But I think you could learn a lot from this honest version of Sukuna.” He admits softly.

Sukuna frowns again, not understanding a thing. “Whatever. I’m tired.” He grumbles and finds a more comfortable position with Yuuji in his arms to fall asleep again.

This time he snaps his eyes open in full awareness, snippets of hazy memories from the accident and hospital giving him enough information to get the picture, or so he believes. Sukuna realizes that he is in a private room, which makes sense given his situation. Then he spots Uraume, who sits on the windowsill, scrolling through the phone.

“Where is Yuuji?” Is the first question Sukuna asks, and, for some reason, that makes them burst out with laughter. “Why are you laughing, stupid?” He frowns.

“Good to have you back and alive, Sukuna, but it would be awesome if you could stop saving people only to land in hospitals or get more concussions.” Uraume sneers and leaves the window to sit on the chair next to his bed. “How do you feel?” They sound concerned.

“Like I was hit by a car.” Sukuna deadpans, and they snort. “So? Where is Yuuji?” He repeats impatiently. “Is he okay?”

Uraume shakes their head, clearly amused. “Oh, Sukuna. I feel sorry for you already.” They say it with a grin. “But to answer your question, Beam is perfectly fine, aside from getting scared that you will die on him.” They point sarcastically.

Sukuna rolls his eyes and regrets it, his head hurting. He scowls. “Like I would die this easily.” He scoffs. “But it sucks. I am all sore and weak.” He complains with a tired sigh.

Uraume hums. “Well, thank gods that your brain is still working properly after you hit your head on concrete. You know that it can be tricky with head injuries, so we didn’t know if you were going to wake up as you or, well, as a plant. You had a big ass concussion, Sukuna. And this is not your first time.” They glare with disapproval, then smile devilishly. “You don’t remember much from the last two days, do you?” They raise their eyebrows curiously.

Two days?! Two days?! But something in their face and tone…

“What have I done?” Sukuna asks slowly, squinting his eyes. They giggle. Oh no. “Please don’t tell me I did something stupid when I was out of it.”

Uraume snorts. “Like confessing your love to Beam at the verge of blacking out, begging his mother not to take him away from you, or declaring to his brother that Yuuji is yours?” They grin.

What.

No.

No!

No way!

“You are joking, right?” Sukuna sits up in alarm and almost throws up at the sudden nausea.

“Oi. Take it slow, idiot.” Uraume is instantly next to him to change the bed’s settings for a more upright position.

“Uraume. Tell me that you are joking.” He growls desperately, ignoring the increasing pang in his head.

They glance at him with pity.

“Fuck.” Sukuna spits, petrified.

Not only did he become too honest with himself, he also fucked up in the worst possible way. Fuck. Who confesses while not being in their right mind?! Also, what about the reply…?!

“Yeah. I knew it would come to this at some point, and by this, I mean you realizing your feelings, but I didn’t expect it to be that dramatic either.” They chuckle lightly. “Wanna see the video that Chousou made?” They raise their eyebrows expectantly.

Sukuna groans. “You even have evidence against me.” Then he freezes with wide eyes. “What kind of video, and has Yuuji seen it?” He asks slowly, dreading the answer.

“Oh, don’t worry. We made a group chat with all the adults, it’s only there.” They inform him, scrolling through their phone eagerly, and Sukuna groans again.

Of course, they have a group chat to torment him!

“So, everyone knows. Great.” He mutters.

Uraume snorts. “Like you could hide it now. After the accident, the only thing you had on your mind was Beam. Even the other witnesses said so. They were so done with you, Sukuna. You acted like a wild, cornered animal, trying to protect Yuuji and prioritizing his well-being over your own injuries.” They shake their head in disbelief. “Apparently, when you called Getou-san, you were talking mostly about Beam needing a hug while you were fucking bleeding from your head, concussed, you lovesick moron.” They snort again and show him their phone. “Now look.”

And Sukuna watches himself snuggling into the sleeping pink-haired boy, looking extremely pale and tired, yet still gazing at Yuuji with such affection that his feelings are impossible to deny. A memory he has no recollection of. He closes his eyes in defeat.

“Wait, that’s not the best part.” Uraume giggles.

They mouth Sukuna’s words from the video with a dramatic expression, as if they watched it enough times to remember every single moment, and Sukuna feels his entire face burning. He is bright red. Fuck .

I’m not giving Yuuji back.

Yuuji is mine.

Well, at least he was telling the truth.

Yet…

“I think I’m going to pass out again. Or better, die from embarrassment.” Sukuna utters weakly.

Chapter Text

He is still a bit shocked, processing the fact that he spent almost two days in this state, blacking out several times, with everyone visiting him and making sure he's okay. Then, after waking up, the doctors decide to supply him with strong painkillers for a few days since his head is still in a lot of pain.
 
He stays in a hospital for an entire week, with Uraume not leaving his side. Their family also visits, as do Getou-sensei and Gojou-sensei, together or separately, yet they come every day. Sukuna is not really paying much attention to it, tired and sore, sleeping a lot, and healing. On Sunday, his teachers bring Yuuji with them, and the pink-haired boy cries in relief after seeing Sukuna in better shape. But there is clear guilt in those amber eyes, and for the next three days, Yuuji stops coming all together. He is also not replying to Sukuna's texts either.
 
Sukuna is fully aware that he becomes harder to deal with because of that, asking every person what happened. He is deprived of Yuuji. He needs to see his pink-haired boy to feel better and make a quicker recovery. Yet they all only shake their heads or spread their hands helplessly, equally taken aback.
 
Is this Yuuji's reply to Sukuna’s confession? He fears that it might be the thing. And the thought hurts.
 
Then, on Thursday morning, right before Sukuna is discharged from the hospital and sent to rest at home, an unexpected person pays him a visit.
 
“Yuuji's mother?” Sukuna makes sure when the woman hesitantly enters his room after knocking.
 
Uraume looks up from their laptop, surprised.
 
“I'm Itadori Kaori, it's nice to meet you properly, Sukuna. You can call me Kaori.” She bows slightly and smiles unsurely. “Can we talk for a moment, please?”
 
Sukuna glances at Uraume pointedly.
 
They gasp. “Look at the time, I should get my coffee break!” Uraume stands up, and after some small pleasantries, they leave them alone.
 
“Please, take a seat, Kaori-san.” Sukuna points at the empty chair on his right.
 
He is sitting on the hospital bed himself, feeling much better than a week before. His wrist is healing correctly, and all his test results are also promising. The doctors are proud of how quick he makes a recovery, only a headache still persistent and not willing to disappear, but they gave him a prescription and demanded that he rest at home for at least a week more, then come back for a checkup. That's nothing new to him. He has been through this procedure once. Dealing with migraines is not something that Sukuna is going to enjoy, yet it's inevitable. He will manage, as he used to.
 
The woman sits obediently next to him and purses her lips, glancing down at her hands tightly gripping her bag. She seems nervous and stressed.
 
“Are you the reason why Yuuji stopped visiting me and responding to my messages, Kaori-san?” Sukuna asks instantly.
 
She looks up at him with a frown. “I don't know why everyone assumes that it's on me, but no.” She sighs, relaxing her tensed shoulders a bit. “Let me first thank you for saving my son's life.” Kaori-san bows deeply. “I can't even describe my gratitude. Thank you so much for saving Yuuji, Sukuna.” She rises back with tears in her eyes, her fingers white from the strength she's clutching the bag with. “If not for you, my baby would be on this bed now, or even—” The woman cuts with a choke.
 
Sukuna nods in understanding. “I did it on my own accord, and I don't regret it. I would do it again if I needed to.” He admits softly.
 
The woman makes a small smile at this. “You said the same thing when you saw me first.” She seems a bit amused.
 
“I did?” Sukuna asks, surprised.
 
He doesn't remember, only hazy snippets of the encounter are present in his mind.
 
She nods. “You said that you saved him and that you will always save him, no matter what. Then you asked me not to take him away from you.” She gives him a full smile now.
 
Sukuna clears his throat and gulps audibly, embarrassed. “I'm sorry about that, Kaori-san. I was a bit out of it back then.” He winces.
 
She hums. “I don't mind giving you my son, Sukuna. I don't think anyone could convince me more of how much you care about him. You saved his life, and not even once, from what I heard from my older son.” The woman smiles teasingly.
 
Sukuna gapes at her, so she raises her eyebrows in a silent question. “I'm sorry, Kaori-san, I just didn't expect you—”
 
“To be like this?” She ends knowingly and sighs. “I am aware that I made mistakes while raising Yuuji. I was so afraid that something would happen to him the moment I took my eyes off him.” The woman pauses, making a remorseful expression. “But it's my fault that Yuuji locked himself in his room now. I taught him how to run away from the outside world when it seems unbearable.” She sounds pained. “That's why I came here. I know I'm asking for too much since it's my own fault and you are still recovering, but I believe that you are the only person who Yuuji needs and is willing to listen to right now.” Then she bows again. “Please try to encourage my son to not give up on living the life that he started to love so much, Sukuna.” Kaori-san looks up at him desperately. “I don't want to see my boy so heartbroken and upset ever again.” She utters through tears. “When we went home that day, he took out his phone, noticed your blood on it, and he said—and mind you, Sukuna, I haven't heard my son talking in years—he said that he was so scared of losing you and then just completely broke down in my arms.” The woman quickly wipes her tears away and sniffles. “I didn't even know about your existence before this accident, but to think that my baby could care about someone so dearly and deeply without even telling me a thing…” She shakes his head with a self-deprecating grimace. “It's also my fault he doesn't trust me. But I love Yuuji too much to let him give up now. Going to high school changed him for the better, and I guess you are one of the reasons. I never… I never saw him more cheerful and lively before.” Kaori-san admits quietly and bows again. “So please, save him again, Sukuna.”
 
Sukuna feels his heart squeezing painfully in his chest at the words. So it's worse than he anticipated. Of course, Yuuji was scared back then. But Sukuna was scared too. Does the pink-haired boy can't see that, if not for Sukuna's inference, it could be even worse? If Yuuji ended up in a coma, severely hurt, or—gods forbid—dead, Sukuna would never forgive himself for that. And he can understand what made the pink-haired boy want to escape reality. Knowing Yuuji, he probably feels guilty and fears that such a thing will happen again. Which is ridiculous since it wasn't his fault at all and it's impossible to predict the future. Sukuna decides then.
 
“Kaori-san.” He looks her in the eyes. “I said that I would always save Yuuji no matter what, so I'm going to keep my word. But, please, tell me. If I manage to get through to him, will you…” He pauses and hesitates, but leaving this opportunity would be foolish, so he straightens, determined. “Will you really give me your son?” He asks, completely serious. “Whatever happens in the future, I am going to take full responsibility.” He adds with all his confidence, putting his right hand on his chest.
 
She stares at him, her eyes wide, and then bursts out with laughter until she starts coughing and tearing up. After a few moments, the woman takes a deep breath and gives Sukuna a big, amused smile.
 
“I was just joking earlier, but I guess I don't have a choice now, huh?” She realizes out loud and hums in thought. “If you can make Yuuji safe and happy, I am not against you two dating, Sukuna. But.” Kaori-san gets serious in an instant. “My son is still only fifteen, so please have it in mind.” She leans closer. “Also, if I hear even once that you hurt him somehow, I am plotting your murder. And since you are talking to the most popular author in our country of crime books, better watch your back, Sukuna.” The woman grins warningly.
 
Sukuna blinks, perplexed. The most popular author of crime books? That would be Kenjaku, known for its extremely intricate and addictive stories with unexpected plot twists. He even read some of the books himself. Oh, shit.
 
He chuckles. “Of course Kaori-san is famous and has a pen name.” Sukuna grunts. “As expected from the Itadori family.” He nods with respect.
 
She huffs a small laugh. “Yuuji's father was the most average person on earth, Sukuna. Too good for this world, actually.” The woman says nostalgically.
 
“That sounds familiar.” He points out with a fond smile.
 
“Ah. Yuuji resembles his father a lot.” Kaori-san admits, matching his expression.
 
Then Uraume comes back and is pissed at Sukuna for wanting to visit Yuuji.
 
“You aren't healed completely, you idiot!” They hiss, hitting him lightly on his arm. “You need to rest and recover properly!”
 
“Ow.” He says on purpose, and Uraume instantly apologizes with a guilty frown. Ha! “It's important, Uraume. I need to make sure that Beam is still beaming.” Sukuna explains curtly, ignoring Kaori-san’s incredulous face.
 
They frown. “Well, that's concerning. What happened to Yuuji? Is it the shock after the accident? Or something with his health? How can we make it better?” Uraume asks, in all their fretting mode.
 
Sukuna shakes his head with a huff. “Yuuji became a hikikomori.” That's what he settles on.
 
They blink and hum, making a thoughtful expression. “I was about to propose it later, but I guess it's the right time.” Uraume turns to Yuuji's mother. “I believe both our boys should go through mandatory therapy after this accident, Kaori-san.”
 
Sukuna scowls. “Again with the therapy?” He grumbles.
 
“Yes, again.” They confirm solemnly. “It helped you back then, and now you should just do it for Yuuji to give him a good example.” Uraume points with crossed arms.
 
Well, if they are saying it like that…
 
The woman looks unsure. “Will it really help my son?” She asks reluctantly. “Not that I'm not believing in the method. It's just… Yuuji is deaf, and it would have to be someone at least knowing sign language.” Kaori-san mumbles.
 
Uraume smiles reassuringly. “I’m sure we can find a specialist with the proper experience from working with patients needing sign language to communicate.” They say softly. “Also, if the therapy worked on Sukuna, it could help anyone.” They grin.
 
“Oi.” Sukuna barks, and they laugh while Yuuji's mother looks at them, perplexed.
 
“Oh.” Uraume notices, so they smile sheepishly. “It's not Sukuna's first time getting a head injury and a mental trauma from it.” They explain simply, leaving out the details.
 
The woman raises her eyebrows and hums. “Better fix that habit, Sukuna. I don't want Yuuji to be constantly in this state after you get hurt.” She nags jokingly.
 
“Yes, future mother-in-law.” He deadpans, and Uraume chokes.
 
“I'm sorry?” They utter, dumbfounded. “With all the respect, just what in the world happened when I left for a few minutes?!” Uraume asks incredulously.
 
Sukuna exchanges looks with the woman, and then they both smile politely at them.
 
“Kaori-san?” They turn to her expectantly, and Yuuji's mother chuckles.
 
“We just made a small deal, but I see that Sukuna is very confident here. And that's good. It makes me less worried about my son.” She smiles at him.
 
Well, Kaori-san is definitely different from what Sukuna expected based on the stories, but maybe it's just the accident’s result. Maybe the woman also realized something important afterwards, as did Sukuna.
 
That he can't imagine his life without Yuuji in it.
 
Loving this pink-haired boy is as simple as breathing, and Sukuna wasn't sure that he was able to still feel this emotion towards anyone.
 
Yet, when it comes to Yuuji, everything seems to be exceptional.

Chapter Text

Uraume is the one to drive them all to Itadori's house, explaining to Kaori-san along the way the benefits of going through therapy and even offering to pay for it. The woman is taken aback by that.
 
“I assure you, we can afford it, Uraume-san. If it's for Yuuji's sake, I can pay as much as needed.” She declares.
 
Sukuna smiles. Maybe they are more alike than it seems, both willing to do anything when it comes to Yuuji.
 
Turns out that the Itadori family lives in an actual house, with the woman inviting them inside and showing Sukuna to her son’s room while Uraume is left in a living room full of literary awards.
 
“Can I really just go there like it’s nothing?” He makes sure when Kaori-san presses the door handle, so she turns to him with an amused smile.
 
“It’s not like Yuuji will hear you. Just don’t startle him. He is probably hiding under the blankets.” Then she peeks inside and nods. “Yeah, definitely under the blankets. I’m leaving Yuuji to you.” The woman glances at him in thought. “But I’m coming back after twenty minutes to check the situation.” She warns.
 
Sukuna nods solemnly and goes inside.
 
Yuuji’s room is so like him. Cute. Sukuna looks around curiously and spots cooking books on the shelves and a lot of plushies scattered everywhere. Yet, the big dog that he won for the pink-haired boy at the summer festival is nowhere to be seen. Unless…
 
He approaches the bed and hesitantly pulls the cover up to reveal Yuuji curled up underneath with the said plushie pressed tightly to his chest. Sukuna gulps, not prepared for such an adorable sight, fighting with the urge to snap a photo. Then he catches familiar amber eyes looking up at him in shock. They just stare at each other until the pink-haired boy sits up in an instant and frowns as if not believing what he sees.
 
“I’m real.” Sukuna says gently with a smile.
 
Amber eyes widen and then sparkle, Yuuji’s fingers twitching in need to touch and hug, yet he refrains from acting on it. Then the pink-haired boy reaches for the cover and tries to pull it back, but Sukuna doesn’t let him.
 
“No running away, Yuuji.” He forbids.
 
Yuuji’s lips tremble, and his frown deepens, but he only pulls at the blanket harder. Sukuna knows he shouldn’t do it, but that’s the easiest way to get a reaction. He lets go of the cover to bring his right hand to his head, wincing in pain. He is not even pretending, since the painkillers only dull the migraine a bit. The pink-haired boy stands up from his bed immediately, dropping the dog plushie to the floor so he can grab Sukuna’s arms in alarm, his amber eyes peering up at him with worry.
 
“I’m okay, I'm sorry.” Sukuna assures him, and then, without warning, he brings Yuuji close, hugging him tightly.
 
And for the first time, it’s not only for his lover’s comfort but also for Sukuna’s own. The pink-haired boy tenses in his arms and then goes completely slack, as if the strength had left him. A moment later, there are arms around him, hugging desperately, and sounds of quiet sobbing, with Yuuji trembling all over his body, so Sukuna hugs him closer, rubbing the pink-haired boy’s back soothingly with his right hand. But he needs to push away his lover a bit, feeling dizzy.
 
“Can we sit?” He asks, after wiping the pink-haired boy’s tears, to read his lips.
 
Yuuji sniffles and nods in permission. Sukuna sits them then, mimicking the position from that day in the park, with his lover tugged on his lap, the pink-haired boy’s head hiding into his shoulder, his arms tight around Sukuna’s neck. They stay like this until Yuuji calms down, with Sukuna waiting patiently. Better to let the pink-haired boy process his feelings and not hurry him.
 
Then Yuuji glances at him hesitantly, so Sukuna takes a deep breath, preparing himself mentally for the conversation.
 
“Why did you start avoiding me?” He asks, and amber eyes look down, ashamed. The pink-haired boy untangles himself from the embrace to stand up before Sukuna with a guilty expression.
 
“It’s my fault.” He signs, not even glimpsing at him. “You got hurt. It’s my fault. I bring misfortune. I shouldn’t be near others.” And then come more signs that Sukuna doesn’t understand, the movements getting more hectic and harder to recognize, so he catches Yuuji’s hand gently to stop him, but his lover still refuses to look at him.
 
Knowing that the trick with the hurting head won’t work anymore, Sukuna stands up and cups the pink-haired boy’s cheek lightly, yet those amber eyes stubbornly look down. He huffs a small laugh. Well, it doesn’t leave him a choice.
 
Sukuna leans towards Yuuji and catches his lover’s lips in a chaste kiss. When he pulls away, the pink-haired boy openly gapes at him, not daring to blink, his amber eyes wide and stunned.
 
Sukuna smiles softly. “You finally looked at me, Yuuji.” He says softly. “Now listen, please. It wasn’t your fault.” Sukuna speaks slowly. “It could happen to anyone. I knew that I was going to be injured, but I still decided to save you. And I will do it again.” Sukuna opens his mouth to say more, but the pink-haired boy seems as if in a trance, only gazing at him with the same expression. Sukuna leaves his lover’s cheek to wave his hand in front of Yuuji’s face, and the pink-haired boy gasps for air. “Did you forget to breathe?” He asks, dumbfounded.
 
Yuuji blinks abruptly, like he just went back to reality. Then he quickly places both of his hands on Sukuna’s face and stands on his tiptoes to place a peck on his lips. The pink-haired boy lets go of him and takes a step back equally suddenly. Sukuna is caught completely off guard, not expecting his lover to kiss him in return.
 
Then a slight blush appears on Yuuji’s face, his features softening, amber eyes glinting with affection, and his lover gives Sukuna the most beautiful, fond smile that he has ever seen on him. Forget the beaming at finding him in the crowd, the embodiment of happiness when the pink-haired boy saw his older brother after some time, or the smile he witnessed at the summer festival—no, this. In this exact moment, Yuuji looks so pretty and breathtaking that Sukuna can’t take his eyes off him, a sudden warmth appearing in his chest.
 
Per usual, when it comes to his lover, Sukuna doesn’t think, he just acts.
 
He closes the distance and kisses him again.
 
The pink-haired boy makes a soft, surprised sound at it and then kisses back while closing his eyes.
 
Sukuna brings him close by tugging on his waist, and they get a moment to just explore each other’s lips and find the most fitting way to enjoy the sensation. He is the one to pull away, smiling lovingly, amber eyes already fully focused on him.
 
“I heard that I confessed to you, but I don't remember it, so let me say it again.” He pauses and smiles. “I love you, Yuuji.” He whispers while signing at the same time.
 
Something sparks in those beautiful amber eyes at the words, and then his lover takes a deep breath with a focused expression.
 
“I love you.” Yuuji says carefully, also signing along.
 
It's Sukuna’s turn to gape incredulously. Because he surely didn't imagine it, right? Yuuji just said that he loves him! Reciprocating his feelings aside, that's the first time Sukuna heard him talking! The words were monotone and the pronunciation was a bit off, yet Sukuna understood it either way, and he fucking loves it.
 
His lover gets anxious, though. “Was it weird?” He asks hesitantly with his hands.
 
Sukuna shakes his head with a small smile. “It wasn't weird. I was just surprised, Yuuji.” He assures him. “Can you repeat it, please?” He asks, hopefully.
 
The pink-haired boy blinks several times and then hides his face behind his hands shyly, a more prominent blush overtaking his features. That's probably a no, then.
 
“I was practicing.” He admits after a moment, and Sukuna is, again, surprised. “With my brother.”
 
“Really?”
 
“I wanted to confess.” He adds, looking away in embarrassment.
 
Why is Yuuji so cute, oh gods?
 
“That makes us a couple now, right?” Sukuna points with a grin when amber eyes finally rest on his lips.
 
His lover blinks and then smiles giddily. “Yes.”
 
“Good. Because I'm not giving you to anyone.” He declares, and Yuuji gasps, hiding his face again with a quiet whimper, so Sukuna laughs. He brings his lover close and gently takes his hands away. “My boyfriend can't lock himself in his room since we are dating now.” He adds, and the pink-haired boy blinks, then huffs a silent laugh, shaking his head fondly. “Also, one more thing. Please don’t think that you bring misfortune to others. Since you appeared in my life, it only became better, and I'm grateful that I met you.” Sukuna confesses, saying every word slowly, and his boyfriend seems moved by the admission. “Stop blaming yourself that I got hurt because of the accident.” He pleads softly. Yuuji frowns. “Wanna know why?” The pink-haired boy tilts his head like a puppy and nods hesitantly. “Because I don't regret saving you. And you would have done the same for me.” He states it with a knowing smile. He can see that those words hit his lover deeply, a realization slowly blooming on his face. “Or am I wrong? If the roles were reversed, wouldn't you do anything to save me?” Sukuna prods, already aware of the answer.
 
“You are right.” Yuuji admits with wide eyes and smiles warmly. “Because I can't lose you. I love you too much.”
 
Oh, this boy… Sukuna hugs him again, close to his chest, and then waits until his lover looks up at him. “I love you too, Yuuji. Please stay by my side forever.” He whispers. “I am going to take care of you. Make sure nothing will ever harm you. Protect you from everything fearsome.” He vows.
 
“Me too. I will take care of you, too.” The pink-haired boy declares it with a determined expression. “I will cook for you. And hug you. And kiss you. A lot!”
 
“Oh?” Sukuna leans closer, and amber eyes widen, looking up for a second. “That's a very interesting proposition.” He smirks and then winces. “But can we lay down for a bit? I'm still weak.” He admits with a tired sigh.
 
Yuuji instantly pulls him to his bed, where they cuddle in an accompanied silence, taking comfort in just being together. That's how Kaori-san finds them, only raising one of her eyebrows at their close proximity while her son panics, but Sukuna holds him tightly.
 
“Mission accomplished, Kaori-san.” He reports. “We are dating from now on, and Yuuji is going to spend a lot of time with me in the future.” Sukuna smiles confidently. “So no hikikomori.” He smirks.
 
The woman hums. “I understand. Welcome to the family, Sukuna.” She smiles back.
 
His lover glances between them, lost. “Oh. Your mother just gave you to me, Yuuji. I will take the responsibility and marry you one day.” Sukuna explains calmly.
 
Yuuji gapes at him and turns to his mother in betrayal. Then. “Mama!” His boyfriend squeals accusingly, running to her with a red face to smack her arm several times lightly, embarrassed to no end.
 
Kaori-san seems glad and happy while petting her son's head gently with a wide smile. Sukuna can only chuckle fondly.

Chapter Text

Yuuji still refuses to go back to school, so he can visit Sukuna every day instead, until the latter has to stay at home and rest. Kaori-san permits it, deciding that her son will only cause trouble since he is too worried to think clearly.
 
So, they go into their newly leveled-up relationship by mostly lounging together on the couch in Uraume's living room. Sukuna doesn't complain. At. All. He has Yuuji in his arms, cuddled closely—and isn't it nice to be picked instead of the doggie plushie?—it's safe, and he feels content. They mostly just hug, but his boyfriend is very affectionate, always touching him somehow as if in reassurance, even by just interlacing their pinkies. It's so cute that Sukuna can't take it. They kiss a lot too, but they keep it light and sweet. Sukuna doesn't want to rush things, knowing how sensitive his lover is, waiting until Yuuji is ready to go further. They have time, so there is no need to hurry.
 
He is still coming to terms with the fact that they are boyfriends now. It's amazing. Sukuna didn't plan this; he didn't expect to find a partner to spend the rest of his life with, but since it already happened, he is not only going to enjoy it but also give his best to become a decent boyfriend. Because Yuuji deserves it.
 
So, they have almost an entire week for each other, with Uraume supervising them. Thanks to that, Sukuna gets better at signing, but sometimes they just write things on paper if it's easier. They exchange information to get to know themselves even better. There is no end to it—they talk about their pasts, both getting equally angry at things that happened to them unfairly, then comforting each other and wondering how it affected them as people today. Sukuna doesn't reveal that he is in a witness protection program yet, wanting to explain this part when his boyfriend will be able to sign the NDA himself.
 
They also discuss their future, expectations, goals, and boundaries as a couple. Yuuji is surprised to find out about Sukuna’s dream to be a fashion designer.
 
“My Onii-chan can help you!” His lover is delighted about it, writing it in a notebook. “Yuki-nee-san too!”
 
Of course, Yuuji is calling Yuki-san an older sister. Iradoris are really amazing. But only Sukuna getting help because he is dating the pink-haired boy is unacceptable.
 
“What about you, Yuuji? What can I do to help you accomplish your dreams?” He writes it down, determined.
 
His boyfriend beams at him. “Just be. I don't need anything else.”
 
This adorable puppy, oh gods.
 
“Is there anything you want to do in the future?” Sukuna prods curiously.
 
Yuuji makes a thoughtful face. Then he writes while biting his lower lip and gives the notebook to Sukuna, blushing a bit.
 
“I want to make you healthy food every day and take care of you.” He reads. “I want to be with you forever.”
 
What. It sounds almost as if…
 
“Yuuji, do you actually want to be my wife?” Sukuna deadpans and laughs when amber eyes widen, and his boyfriend produces a small squeaky sound, hiding his face behind Sukuna's shoulder.
 
“I heard something interesting.” Uraume peers into the living room with a mischievous smile. “But if you want to take Beam’s surname as yours, then technically it makes you a wife, Sukuna.” They point and cackle, bolting when Sukuna throws a pillow at them.
 
Well, Uraume is not wrong. At least in the first part. Sukuna really wants to become Itadori one day, taking a real surname instead of a fake one. He won't go back to his old name, though.
 
His boyfriend looks at him in confusion, not knowing what Uraume said. Sukuna shakes his head. “They just teased me, don't worry about it.”
 
Then the couple changes the place for the kitchen, with Yuuji cheerfully getting to work. The pink-haired boy was adamant about being the one to cook for them all this week, making sure that Sukuna eats healthy meals to recover quickly, with Uraume complying, amused. His lover's presence is comforting enough for Sukuna to forget about his headaches, but the food is just an additional pleasure.
 
This time, Yuuji is making sweet bread buns to snack on. While the pink-haired boy is kneading the dough, Sukuna hugs him from behind, observing above his boyfriend’s shoulder. Then he realizes how easy access he has to his lover’s neck, so he curiously kisses it lightly. Yuuji doesn't react—he is too focused on the task, shaping the dough into smooth balls. Sukuna grins and kisses him again, a bit higher. His boyfriend still doesn't seem to be bothered by it, so Sukuna huffs a small laugh and decides to be a bit bolder. He starts sucking on Yuuji's neck gently to leave a hickey, and only then can he feel that his lover’s movements falter, but also that the skin under his lips gets warmer. Sukuna pulls away, curious at the reaction, and finds his boyfriend gripping the counter tightly, his fingers almost white, while his entire face down to his neck is painted in a beautiful shade of pink, his amber eyes glistening. Yuuji is also biting his lower lip as if refraining himself from making a sound, and Sukuna smiles, satisfied. His lover definitely felt that, huh?
 
Then a pink-haired boy turns to glare at him, but how is Sukuna supposed to take him seriously with this flushed face? He laughs, which makes Yuuji pout, and oh gods, this expression does something to Sukuna, so he clears his throat and hangs his head in a silent apology, yet he can't help but smile at the cute reaction.
 
That's how Sukuna is temporarily banned from the kitchen—his boyfriend shouting a loud “out!”. Since they started dating, Yuuji has become more comfortable using his voice. He is still shy about it a bit, but from time to time, Sukuna has the honor to listen to his lover, and he cherishes those moments dearly. So he's not really sulky about the outcome, taking it as a win anyway.
 
He found out during one of their discussions that Yuuji wasn't born deaf but with limited hearing, and after a few years, it just got worse and worse until it vanished, so the pink-haired boy still remembers how to talk and formulate words from his childhood. His lover isn't sure about using his voice, though, being embarrassed about the way it might sound, but Sukuna assured him that he loves everything about it. That's how Yuuji started slowly warming up to talking.
 
The sudden shout attracts Uraume, and they come to the kitchen in alarm, then take one glance at the still blushing Yuuji and triumphant Sukuna to make an incredulous expression.
 
“It was Beam?!” They ask in disbelief, eyeing the pink-haired boy with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Then they turn to Sukuna with suspicion. “What have you done to make him all pink like that?” Uraume hisses with disapproval.
 
Sukuna sniffs, unbothered. “Look at his neck and find out for yourself.” He shrugs.
 
They squint their eyes at the indicated place in an instant and gasp after a moment of eyeing it. “Sukuna.” Uraume grabs his arm tightly and shakes it several times. “You little shit, Kaori is going to kill you.” They mumble, and, oh.
 
“Fuck.” Sukuna realizes out loud.
 
“At least mark him somewhere where it's not visible, you idiot.” Uraume sighs. “I know how to make it disappear, but be careful in the future.” They send him a pointed stare.
 
Sukuna remains silent, taking this advice deep into his heart. Yuuji gains two more hickeys in the next three days, both hidden from the world’s view under his clothes.
 
Sukuna’s check-up turns out to be successful—he is on a path to full recovery without any side effects. He still needs to be careful and take medication, but his headaches should get better after a few weeks. The same is true of his sprained wrist, gently tugged into the brace.
 
They are both going to go through therapy, with Uraume finding them good specialists, and surprisingly, Sukuna's lover is actually pretty excited about it.
 
Then it's time for them both to go back to school, and Sukuna takes the responsibility to bring Yuuji from the Itadori's house to school and back safely by waking up earlier to ride a subway and walk to his boyfriend’s place to escort him, holding his hand or wrapping his arm around him protectively the entire time to his lover’s amusement. Sukuna doesn't care about ruining his previous day’s schedule if it's for Yuuji's sake, adjusting it to spend as much time with his boyfriend as possible.
 
The moment they reach the school, they are both surrounded by the pink-haired boy’s friends, all equally worried about Yuuji and, to an extent, about Sukuna since he was the main victim.
 
Then it's Kugisaki who surveys them with a glint in her eyes, noticing their holding hands, close proximity, and soft smiles. She gasps.
 
“You two are dating!” The girl states, thrilled.
 
Sukuna glances at his lover, and they have a silent conversation with their eyes only.
 
“Yes, we are.” He admits, and Yuuji nods eagerly.
 
They both don't expect the sudden enthusiasm and all the shouting at that, with everyone giving their thoughts and words of support.
 
“Congratulations, my brother!” Todou exclaims loudly while signing all along. “I'm so happy for you!” There are tears in his eyes.
 
Inumaki signs them congratulations, while Panda just nods in acknowledgement with a small “finally”.
 
“I can't believe Sukuna, of all people, got a lover before me.” Maki comments scornfully, huffing a small laugh.
 
“I will pray for the longevity and stability of your relationship, Sukuna-senpai, Itadori.” Fushiguro promises solemnly.
 
“No, wait, wait, wait!” Kugisaki butts in, silencing everyone. “When?! When did you start dating?” She asks in an urgent tone.
 
Sukuna instantly senses trouble. “Why do you need to know that?” He asks back suspiciously.
 
“Because we have to decide who won the bet!” She explains and clasps her hand. “Please tell us.”
 
“A bet?” Sukuna repeats and blinks. “You all had a bet about us becoming a couple?” He makes sure with a confused frown.
 
“Of course, Senpai!” The girl admits shamelessly. “You were so clearly into each other that it was only a matter of time for you two to get together. And that time is very important. So please tell us.” She makes a hand gesture, as if hurrying him to spill the tea.
 
“Oh, I know that!” They all hear a cheerful reply, and Sukuna immediately scowls at the widely grinning Gojou-sensei, who approaches them with light steps.
 
“No, you don't.” Sukuna scoffs, bringing Yuuji closer possessively to not let their teacher hug his boyfriend.
 
The white-haired man makes a displeased face at it and then chuckles darkly. “Really, Sukuna? Is that how you want to play it? Don't you remember a certain video that I have oh-so-accidentally saved on my phone?” He shows the device with a devilish grin.
 
Sukuna is instantly on guard. “You wouldn't dare, Sensei.” He grumbles with a glare.
 
Gojou-sensei wiggles his eyebrows. “Hee~? Why though?”
 
Sukuna feels all the eyes between the two of them—or three if you count Yuuji in his arms—and he smirks. “Because the lawyers are on my side, Sensei.”
 
The man blinks and then pouts. “Tch. That's boring~” He mumbles.
 
“Can someone tell me already when you started dating?” Kugisaki demands, frustrated.
 
It's Yuuji who replies to her, actually. “Se-cret.” He drawls each syllable with a beaming smile.
 
They all freeze with different shocked expressions, from wide eyes to mouths hanging open, equally dumbfounded. Then everyone starts fussing again, screaming over each other, and Sukuna catches his boyfriend’s fond expression only to lean and kiss him quickly. The shouting changes to squealing, so he smiles and lets himself enjoy the moment.
 
With Yuuji by his side, everything is easier to bear.

Chapter Text

So maybe Kaori-san gave Yuuji to him a few years ago, when Sukuna was young and too bold for his own good, but they never really discussed getting married before. Which is weird since they've been dating for almost four years now. They are even living together, renting their first shared apartment. It's not as fancy as Uraume’s one, but also not the shabbies out there. And since his boyfriend finally graduated from high school and became a proper adult, their relationship shifted into a more intimate one, so they started sleeping together. Yuuji was a bit reluctant about having sex at first, unsure about his own reactions and possibly embarrassing moans or groans he could make during it, unable to hear himself, being self-conscious about it. Yet Sukuna reassured his lover that every single sound coming out of Yuuji's mouth is extremely rare and treasured by him, so his boyfriend warmed up to the idea. And here they are—still together and still in love with each other, happy with the way things turned out for them.

Sukuna is doing his degree in fashion design at university, currently in his third year, and—thanks to Chousou-san and Yuki-san—gains more contacts in industry while promoting his own brand online. Already made clothes from his collections sell unexpectedly well, especially abroad, giving him enough income to afford living with his boyfriend. Yet it's still Yuuji, who earns more money by… baking custom cakes at home for special occasions. Sukuna was surprised at finding out how much profit his boyfriend is able to make from only one order, yet his skills and the way he decorates cakes are splendid, so the high prices are understandable. The only thing Sukuna mourns is forcing him to smell his divine baking but forbid him from tasting the cake. So unfair!

They still meet with Yuuji's friends from time to time, same with Gojou and Getou, as well with their daughters—his boyfriend bakes them birthday cakes every year. At least once per month they get an unannounced visit from Kaori-san. The woman sold her house and started traveling, officially for her bloody novels purposes, but honestly, she's just enjoying the freedom of being single, not worried about both adult sons with promising futures. Uraume, for a change, is working in their family’s law firm, also paying them regular visits. Those are at least announced. But sometimes Sukuna suspects that more than for him, Uraume does it for Yuuji or even themselves, still calling his lover Beam and seeming much happier around his boyfriend. Well, that's how Yuuji affects people.

But going back to the issue. Sukuna feels like their relationship is stable enough to make another step forward and finally become an Itadori. Especially after coming out about his past to Yuuji, his boyfriend moved to tears while reading Sukuna's backstory, hugging him close for an entire night that day, completely heartbroken about everything Sukuna had to go through. His lover also learned his old name, promising to never use it, claiming to love no one else than Ryoumen Sukuna. That happened not long after Yuuji's eighteenth birthday, which was a few months ago.

So, it's time to propose.

It's time to propose, but since it's Sukuna who is proposing and Yuuji the one being asked the question, it has to be exceptional. And as a fashion design student, he can't allow his lover to wear an average engagement ring on his finger. No, not a chance. Sukuna is going to craft the ring himself.

Thankfully, there are people majoring in jewelry design and craft, so he just asks the most approachable person for a favor, explaining the situation. The woman seems to be shocked after finding out about his lover. Sukuna likes his privacy, yet after that one talk, he's suddenly being teased about his relationship by everyone around, as if his life is some kind of telenovela. Their faces when he admits that he's been dating his boyfriend for more than three years are priceless, though. Why people always seem surprised that he is able to maintain a healthy, romantic relationship is a mystery for him.

When it comes to the ring's design, Sukuna doesn't pick a diamond for the main gemstone. No. He wants Yuuji to wear amber in the exact color of his eyes. Is it sappy? Sure. Yet Sukuna can't imagine it in any different way. The style is also unique—wing-like elements with small diamonds hugging the gemstone, the ring in a slight V-shape. The woman helping him raises her eyebrows at the drawn design in his sketchbook, then smiles and wordlessly pats Sukuna on his back in approval.

He quickly regrets making such a complicated design. Maybe because he's a perfectionist. Definitely because of that. The shape, the gemstone’s placement, and the color—everything needs to be right. Fortunately, Sukuna is great at every single thing he tries, and the woman even asks if he doesn't want to change major afterwards, amazed by his skills. On the contrary, Sukuna still is not completely satisfied with the work, even if the produced ring does look amazing.

Now the only thing that's left is to take Yuuji to a nice place, kneel, and ask the big question. Easier said than done. Sukuna spends a few days researching for a perfect spot, preferably not crowded, with a breathtaking view.

Finally, he is ready for the day; the plan is already in progress.

Sukuna takes his boyfriend on their typical weekend date, driving them to unfamiliar surroundings. From the reviews online, he learned about a sightseeing place with a beautiful view of the sunset, and after making sure that the spot isn't so full of people, he chose it for the proposal.

First, they have a dinner nearby, and Sukuna observes Yuuji eating happily with a fond smile. Surprisingly, Sukuna isn't nervous about the question, more excited to see his lover's reaction, having tissues at hand in case Yuuji bursts into tears from happiness. What? He knows his boyfriend well.

It turns out that Sukuna was a bit overconfident, unprepared for what occurred next. But how could he know that Yuuji has a fear of heights?!

After the dinner, they take a walk to the chosen spot, taking a bunch of stairs to get there. And sure, the sight is incredible, with a wide panorama and a pretty sunset. But one glance at his slowly greening on the face boyfriend, and Sukuna is immediately forgetting about the proposal. For the love of him, he can't understand why Yuuji is stubbornly looking down. And they are pretty high right now.

“Look at me.” Sukuna signs, but it goes unnoticed by his lover, Yuuji being too busy with gripping the safety barriers, his knuckles white from the force.

Then his boyfriend glances at him with a pure dread, now getting pale instead of green. Oh, gods.

“Just like this. Keep looking at me, then slowly let go.” Sukuna advises, hiding his own panic.

Yuuji shakes his head with a small whimper, shivering like a leaf, helpless.

Well, it leaves Sukuna no choice.

He wraps his arms around his lover carefully from behind and angles his boyfriend's head with his right hand for better access. And then he's kissing Yuuji affectionately. His boyfriend sighs into his lips and turns towards him to reciprocate the kiss eagerly, forgetting about the barriers. Good. Sukuna slides his hand from his lover’s face to cup it delicately, his left hand on Yuuji's back, tugging him closer. His boyfriend follows obediently, stumbling. Sukuna catches him, hearing a soft thud of something dropping from his pocket, hoping for it to be tissues. He repeats the process, their kiss getting more heated with every passing moment. Sukuna doesn't stop, pulling his lover away from barriers and occupying his mind as long as it's needed to make him feel safe. He's grateful that the place is secluded today, because when Yuuji starts moaning softly into Sukuna's mouth, pressing his hot body towards him, he needs to withdraw from the kiss, only to see his boyfriend blushing seductively, his eyes glistening from want. Sukuna gulps. He would need to kill anyone who sees Yuuji like this, fuck.

He lightly brushes his boyfriend’s warm cheek with his fingertips, gaining another sweet noise. Yuuji closes his amber eyes at the contact, only to open them and gaze at Sukuna pleadingly. He chuckles.

“Do you want to have car sex?” He jokes, but when his lover nods, holding eye contact while biting on his lower lip, then tiptoes to place a promising kiss on Sukuna's lips, he needs to remind himself about the mission at hand, his self-control slowly fading away.

Sukuna gulps again, watching his boyfriend hungrily. Shit, not now. At least let him propose… He freezes with his hand in his right pocket.

The ring box is gone.

He checks the left pocket, finding tissues.

“Fuck.” He utters, the mood leaving him in an instant.

Yuuji notices and furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “What's wrong?” He asks in sign.

“Wait here for a moment.” Sukuna replies hurriedly and goes straight to those damned barriers, crouching down to see the ground closely.

There is no ring box in sight.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

He stands up, leaning out behind barriers to look down at all the stairs below, and feels Yuuji's hands clutching to his t-shirt desperately before he can even take a proper glance. Sukuna turns, seeing his still-pale yet brave lover with a frightened expression. He quickly kisses Yuuji on the lips and strokes his trembling fingers, which are gripping his t-shirt stubbornly. His boyfriend tugs him away from the barrier, and Sukuna chuckles since their roles were reversed just a few minutes ago.

“Did you lose something?” His lover asks the moment they are keeping enough distance to not see how high they are standing, noticing the issue.

“Yes. I prepared a present for you.” Sukuna admits, sensing a lost chance to surprise his boyfriend the way he planned.

“Really?” Yuuji beams, delighted. “What is it?”

Sukuna sighs. “A ring.” He reveals truthfully.

His lover opens his mouth, bewildered. “We need to find it!” He decides and huffs with determination, so Sukuna smiles, endeared, nodding in agreement.

He explains that the ring should still be safe in a black ring box, and then they are slowly going down, searching every single step on the stairs. Yuuji purses his lips tightly, clearly trying to get over his fear of height for the sake of finding the ring. Sukuna smiles softly while holding his hand all along.

When they are in the middle of the way down, his boyfriend gasps audibly and points at the grass, where… there it is, the ring box.

Opened.

Missing the ring.

Sukuna closes his eyes, accepting the defeat. There is no way they can find it now, with the ring’s small size and the amount of grass everywhere. And shit. This ring wasn't cheap. What is he supposed to do? Make another one? Is this a sign from the universe to not ask…

Yuuji pecks him on the lips, so Sukuna opens his eyes, finding his lover with his fists raised in the air, grinning. “Don't give up, Sukuna!” He signs enthusiastically. “The ring is below.” His boyfriend points out.

Well, it does make the searching easier to know that the ring has to be somewhere below, but finding it still seems impossible to Sukuna. The sun is almost setting, so it gets darker with every passing minute.

“Come on!” Yuuji nudges him and starts looking for the ring more carefully, going as far as to check the grass nearby.

Sukuna follows, not letting himself feel too expectant for the successful outcome. He's proven right when they reach the bottom on the stairs empty-handed, helping themselves with the flashlights from their phones. Lanterns light up, announcing their defeat.

Or so he thinks, because Yuuji gasps again and points with his finger on the grass right below the first few steps while jumping happily. The light of the near lantern reflected the gemstone, making the ring unable to miss. Sukuna breathes with relief and reaches for it, then groans at the sight. The amber cracked slightly from the impact. He knew that it's easier to break than diamonds, but this? This is a tragedy.

“What's wrong?” His boyfriend doesn't seem to grasp the problem, coming closer to inspect the ring curiously by leaning on Sukuna's arm. He glances at Yuuji to find him utterly mesmerized, his amber eyes sparkling. His lover grips his arm to shake it a few times. “It's beautiful!” Yuuji signs eagerly and beams. “For me?” He asks as if he doesn't know already, then tries to snatch the ring from Sukuna. He blocks him, so his boyfriend frowns.

“It's broken. I'm sorry.” Sukuna signs, resigned, and points at the crack in amber.

Yuuji squints his eyes, leaning closer to see. “It looks fine. Still pretty.” He decides.

“No. It was supposed to be perfect.” Sukuna argues instantly and pushes his boyfriend's reaching hands away from the ring.

“It's mine. I want it.” His lover states his ground, more hectic with his signs. “I like it more that way.” He adds, and Sukuna freezes, his eyes going wide.

Because why does it feel like Yuuji is talking about Sukuna now? That his lover is fine with him even if Sukuna is a bit broken himself with his troubling past and antisocial behavior?

“You want it?” Sukuna asks before he can stop himself. His boyfriend nods solemnly, making grabby hands. “Then marry me, Yuuji.” He says aloud, amber eyes on him.

His lover stares at him with his mouth slightly parted, unblinking. Sukuna snorts at the reaction. That's so Yuuji. Then, his lover’s lower lip twitches, and a second later, Yuuji is hugging Sukuna strongly, making a squeal-like sound.

“Is that yes?” Sukuna wonders, and his boyfriend looks up at him with tears in his amber eyes.

“Yes, love.” Yuuji replies loudly and nods to emphasize, then sniffles, attacking him with a hug again.

Sukuna laughs with mirth and hugs back, minding the ring. He picks Yuuji up, and his boyfriend—no, his fiancé—yelps in surprise and looks at him expectantly, raising his eyebrows. “We are going back to the car where I'm going to put the ring on your finger, and that's the only thing you are going to wear, Yuuji.” Sukuna declares with a smirk. His fiancé hits him lightly on his chest, blushing. “I love you too.” He whispers and kisses his future husband.