It's just a question of balance. ( And watching until a bunch of other people have put enough money into the machines before swooping in. He knows how to play the game. ) It sounds like fun.
( A little wistful. )
Keep eating, you. I did have a mission here today.
( He keeps his entire body still, half afraid that Gojo might move if he so much as twitches. )
People listen to me now, you know. They do what I say without questioning it. Maybe I've gone mad with power. ( Well, he's gone mad with something. Today is not one of those days where it peeks through, but it's there. Maybe they both needed the break. Maybe this is for the best. ) Someone should keep me humble.
( Except not, because he does want Gojo to eat and sleep. That's the point of this. )
Without questioning it, huh? [ gojou slurps a helping of noodles before letting his head tip back onto getou's shoulder, peering up at him. ]
You were never humble, then or now. [ he snorts, grinning that lopsided grin. ] You still need an unruly brat in your life, so all that obedience doesn't go to your head.
Why would I need an unruly brat when there's already you?
( It is a terrible idea in a series of terrible ideas. Geto should not be here, he does not have the right to be here. He walked away from Gojo all those years ago in a desperate attempt to spare him somehow, now this. Now he's here, basking in his company, letting it all seem as though no time has passed. What does that make him? What right does he have to go back on his convictions? )
Aish, it's fine. There'll always be pushbacks in a world like this. I'm not getting too big for my boots. ( One would argue being a genocidal cultist is, in fact, too big for his boots. Oh well. ) You don't have to worry.
Yeah, and look what happened without me. You walk around wearing a monk's getup and letting people worship you. You need me around so you don't get any weirder.
[ he hums, and it's a gentle tease, even though he knows that there's something darker under all of getou's showmanship. he knows who he is and what he does. it shouldn't be okay - he shouldn't be okay with it but. ]
[he knows a few different choices and they could be in opposite positions. or on the run together. ]
[ instead, they're here together after all this time. ] Suguru?
( His laughter is silent, though Gojo will feel it. )
There's nothing wrong with my outfit, it's traditional. ( And also, a gojo-kesa, because Geto is nothing if not terribly obvious even when he's ignoring his own feelings. Still, he puts his chopsticks down, tilts his head towards Gojo, hair brushing the top of his head. )
[ he noticed - the gojo-kesa wasn't subtle, and he's seen those photos of the scrolls hanging around getou's cult compound love to the strong. it's something, but it doesn't feel like enough. ]
I miss you. [ it isn't the whole of what he wants to say - i love you, i'm sorry, but it's a start. ]
( Easier than saying that he does too, that he feels like half of him has been missing all these years. It was something he forced himself to ignore, but here, the absense is glaring. )
Are you finished eating? Do you have a bed here? I can stay and clean up and guard the place, you can get some rest.
[ he could let getou stay and tidy up after dinner, sit watch on the couch while he sleeps in what's technically his bedroom. ]
[instead, he watches getou for a long moment before setting his bowl down and flopping right down into his lap. his arms wind around getou's waist and even if it's too familiar, gojou buries his face into getou's stomach and exhales. he thinks half the tension in his head melts just from that. ]
( It's so typically Gojo to do that Geto doesn't even consider pushing him off. Instead he merely reaches to the couch behind him to get a cushion, wedge it in the space between furniture and himself. )
And you said I'm the demanding one. I can't clean up like this.
( He can cover things though, maybe that will help. He busies himself with it for a second, and then as if unbidden his hand drops away from the table to bury fingers in his old friend's hair. )
[ mumbled against the loose fabric of getou's shirt, he sighs softly against. each pet of his hair has him humming happily, tension leaking out of his neck and shoulders when getou's fingers brush the short, sheared undercut. ]
That twists something in his chest, a sharp desperate little feeling. Instead of speaking more, he falls silent, fingers sliding to briefly cover Satoru's eyes with the palm of his hand. Let it be easier, let him rest. That's what he's here for, isn't it? To give his old friend the chance for a break. )
[ and - he wants to stay awake, he does. he'd forgo sleep for days to sit and catch up more with suguru. make him laugh, be teased mercilessly like no time has passed at all. pretend, just for a night, this is their life and things are okay. the way they should be.
but he's always felt safest sleeping near getou, even if he's a man most people would be too terrified to let their guard down with, now. it's not long before he's curled up against him, breaths evening out, no trace of infinity anywhere between them.
( Gojo sleeps, Geto lets him sleep, and then when he wakes up again the parting is a little less strange, a little more sweet. Promises are made, plans hatched. He shows up at their appointed meeting time as he says he would, dressed casually again in loose trousers and a t-shirt with some anime character on, hair up in its half bun. He's carrying two drinks, one slightly more neon than the other, and when he sees Gojo on the street he raises it in greeting cheerfully. )
Do you still like to rot your teeth, Satoru? ( A cheerful, boyish greeting. ) I thought you might, so I picked for you. Mimiko likes this one anyway, I think it's grape?
( Ice cold and sweet, his own slightly more bitter. He passes it over anyway, his gaze on Gojo's face and his covered eyes. )
[ he doesn't have a headache for a week straight. they bid goodbye, and he wonders if it means anything to getou to be the place the strongest sorcerer of the modern age feels safe enough to rest his head, in spite of it all. ]
[ maybe it does, because getou shows up to their date, drinks in hand. he had to have gone into a shop with humans to order it and been fawned over by the girls in the process. ]
Suguru. [ a warm smile, before he pulls the covering off his eyes, hair falling around them like a blanket of snow. ] I could run my technique without it, these days, but I never shook the sweet tooth. [ he takes a long sip of it through the straw, eyes crinkling at the corners. ]
So at least one of your kids didn't inherit your old man tastes. Good!
[ gojou falls into step with him, dressed in dark jeans and a white tee, pristine white sneakers to match. ] Better, now. [ after a full night's sleep or upon meeting getou again, he doesn't specify. ] You look good with your hair like that, did I ever tell you?
( He snorts, and it's amused even as his gaze never leaves the unnatural hue of Gojo's eyes, his own far too earnest for the time and the place. ) The three of you all say the same things, do you know that?
( Not that he's ever minded the gentle teasing. From Gojo it's habit, from the girls it's a sign of their comfort with him. In a world where so many people are ( rightfully ) afraid of him, it says something maybe that there is a small circle willing to tease. Or compliment, apparently. It flusters him for a brief second, eyes lifting away, vague colour returning to his cheeks, one hand lifting to push some of said hair behind his shoulder. )
It feels better mostly down. The hair ties had started to give me a headache. ( And then, because he knows he doesn't really have to justify it. ) I'm glad you like it. I'd wondered if you might.
What, that there's an old man trapped in that body? [ he grins and bumps shoulders with getou, laughing as they walk on together toward the arcade. ]
Mmm. [ gojou hums, chews on the straw a little as his eyes scan the streets and skys ahead of them. ] I always thought you looked good with it down. The bun was too straight-laced for how you really are, anyway.
[ something gojou doens't seem to have a problem with, not because he agrees with all of getou's choices and actions... but because he understands them, at least in retrospect. at the time it seemed impossible to accept the reality of what his best friend had done. now the only thing he can't accept is why getou never turned to him at any point. gojou's own failing, or both of theirs, it doesn't matter now. all there is is to accept what's right in front of him. ]
No need to be embarrassed. [ he grins, sly. ] A cool guy complimenting you is enough to fluster you these days? Should I touch it and whisper that it suits you like they do in manga?
( His face twists into an old expression, play-pretend disdain, his eyebrows arching towards said hairline. ) When you find me a cool guy, Satoru, then maybe I'll answer you.
( His teeth catch the edge of his straw, holding it in place as he grins. It makes him look mischievous, even a little older. Like there's the promise of something. It feels too natural to fall into old habits, the teasing. He even leans closer to bump their elbows together - or possibly the space around his elbow, considering they're on a busy street. If infinity's up ( and it better be ) he won't be offended. He'll just sip on his drink. )
All right, remember you're going to win me prizes. Let's go.
Tch! You won’t meet anyone cooler than me and you know it. [ he sticks out his tongue, then takes another long sip from the straw, exhaling and smacking his lips noisily. ]
[ if infinity flickers just a moment, just long enough for getou to touch him, well, it’s fine isn’t it? he’s scanned the area for curses and other curse users and found nothing. Getou wouldn’t let anything happen to him. ]
Ehh?! You’re going senile! You said you’d win me prizes like before! [ he makes a fuss, and it feels like the first time he’s gotten to do it in a while where he knows he’ll be ultimately indulged, if teased a little first. and he continues to whine and protest until they toss their drinks and enter the arcade, where if all falls away when he sees a giant cinnamaroll plush. ]
[ he hasn’t had anything like it since school, and he really has no place for something so childish, but. he clears his throat and looks around, shoving his hands in his pockets. ] So! What should we try first?
( He does not miss the way Gojo's focus narrows down so tightly on the gigantic plushie, because despite how many things he has to focus on now, devoting part of his attention to his old friend is easy, natural, like falling into an already formed groove. Still, he hums, hovering near the open entrance and letting his gaze scan the waiting room, the crowds of people, the lights and the machines and the noise. Tension has crept into his shoulders, but that's nothing he cannot handle himself. )
Is that what I said?
( Voice affecting playful distraction, but then he's moving, a straight line to the token machine. He pulls his wallet from his pocket, a battered thing with a polaroid of two tiny little girls in the id slot, feeding his notes into the machine and using a tub to collect the output. Then he flashes Gojo a bright, wicked smile and strides straight on back to the cinnamoroll machine. )
Hold this.
( His token tub, he means, fishing two out as Gojo takes it. )
[ it is what he said - and despite his teasing he seems committed to the job already, getting out a number of bills out of a dingy wallet. does he need a new one? gojou could maybe find one to win here. ]
Eh? Suguru? [ when he turns Getou has already honed in on the machine Gojou looked at before - damn. he forgot no blindfold. He’s too easy to read like this, and he hates that these days. when he reaches getou’s side the bucket is shoved into his hands. gripped, but forgotten, in the wake of that dazzling smile. oh. ]
That’s a bit ambitious for someone so rusty, isn’t it? [ he could protest it, but Getou seems so pleased with himself already. a playful tease will do. ]
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[ as long as getou doesn't get too preoccupied with the kids to win gojou his prize. ]
Oh? I get a private preview all to myself? It can be a trial run so you don't have to cheat in front of the kids.
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( Says the man who just thought about it. )
It's just a question of balance. ( And watching until a bunch of other people have put enough money into the machines before swooping in. He knows how to play the game. ) It sounds like fun.
( A little wistful. )
Keep eating, you. I did have a mission here today.
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[ he gives a little huff at being ordered around, but picks up his bowl and shovels another hefty serving into his mouth. ]
You're as bossy as ever. [ said as he leans over and slumps right up against getou's shoulder while he eats. ]
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( He keeps his entire body still, half afraid that Gojo might move if he so much as twitches. )
People listen to me now, you know. They do what I say without questioning it. Maybe I've gone mad with power. ( Well, he's gone mad with something. Today is not one of those days where it peeks through, but it's there. Maybe they both needed the break. Maybe this is for the best. ) Someone should keep me humble.
( Except not, because he does want Gojo to eat and sleep. That's the point of this. )
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You were never humble, then or now. [ he snorts, grinning that lopsided grin. ] You still need an unruly brat in your life, so all that obedience doesn't go to your head.
[ he'll volunteer, if there's no one else. ]
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( It is a terrible idea in a series of terrible ideas. Geto should not be here, he does not have the right to be here. He walked away from Gojo all those years ago in a desperate attempt to spare him somehow, now this. Now he's here, basking in his company, letting it all seem as though no time has passed. What does that make him? What right does he have to go back on his convictions? )
Aish, it's fine. There'll always be pushbacks in a world like this. I'm not getting too big for my boots. ( One would argue being a genocidal cultist is, in fact, too big for his boots. Oh well. ) You don't have to worry.
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[ he hums, and it's a gentle tease, even though he knows that there's something darker under all of getou's showmanship. he knows who he is and what he does. it shouldn't be okay - he shouldn't be okay with it but. ]
[he knows a few different choices and they could be in opposite positions. or on the run together. ]
[ instead, they're here together after all this time. ] Suguru?
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There's nothing wrong with my outfit, it's traditional. ( And also, a gojo-kesa, because Geto is nothing if not terribly obvious even when he's ignoring his own feelings. Still, he puts his chopsticks down, tilts his head towards Gojo, hair brushing the top of his head. )
Mm?
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I miss you. [ it isn't the whole of what he wants to say - i love you, i'm sorry, but it's a start. ]
I'm glad you came.
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( Easier than saying that he does too, that he feels like half of him has been missing all these years. It was something he forced himself to ignore, but here, the absense is glaring. )
Are you finished eating? Do you have a bed here? I can stay and clean up and guard the place, you can get some rest.
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[instead, he watches getou for a long moment before setting his bowl down and flopping right down into his lap. his arms wind around getou's waist and even if it's too familiar, gojou buries his face into getou's stomach and exhales. he thinks half the tension in his head melts just from that. ]
Mm'fine here.
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And you said I'm the demanding one. I can't clean up like this.
( He can cover things though, maybe that will help. He busies himself with it for a second, and then as if unbidden his hand drops away from the table to bury fingers in his old friend's hair. )
You're going to get a bad back, Satoru.
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[ something a younger him would have said, too, uncaring for anything except what they're doing in the present moment. ]
[ he's more than happy to sacrifice leftovers, especially the second getou's hand comes to bury in his hair, pushing into the touch greedily. ]
I have reverse cursed technique running 24/7 so my brain doesn't cook, remember?
... but we can move to the couch or the bed if you need it.
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You're already comfy, it's fine.
( He's busy petting him either way. )
At least for a little while, and then the bed. You want to actually get some good from resting.
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[ mumbled against the loose fabric of getou's shirt, he sighs softly against. each pet of his hair has him humming happily, tension leaking out of his neck and shoulders when getou's fingers brush the short, sheared undercut. ]
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That twists something in his chest, a sharp desperate little feeling. Instead of speaking more, he falls silent, fingers sliding to briefly cover Satoru's eyes with the palm of his hand. Let it be easier, let him rest. That's what he's here for, isn't it? To give his old friend the chance for a break. )
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but he's always felt safest sleeping near getou, even if he's a man most people would be too terrified to let their guard down with, now. it's not long before he's curled up against him, breaths evening out, no trace of infinity anywhere between them.
time skipping ~
Do you still like to rot your teeth, Satoru? ( A cheerful, boyish greeting. ) I thought you might, so I picked for you. Mimiko likes this one anyway, I think it's grape?
( Ice cold and sweet, his own slightly more bitter. He passes it over anyway, his gaze on Gojo's face and his covered eyes. )
How are you?
thank you for the skip!!
[ maybe it does, because getou shows up to their date, drinks in hand. he had to have gone into a shop with humans to order it and been fawned over by the girls in the process. ]
Suguru. [ a warm smile, before he pulls the covering off his eyes, hair falling around them like a blanket of snow. ] I could run my technique without it, these days, but I never shook the sweet tooth. [ he takes a long sip of it through the straw, eyes crinkling at the corners. ]
So at least one of your kids didn't inherit your old man tastes. Good!
[ gojou falls into step with him, dressed in dark jeans and a white tee, pristine white sneakers to match. ] Better, now. [ after a full night's sleep or upon meeting getou again, he doesn't specify. ] You look good with your hair like that, did I ever tell you?
yw 🥰🥰🥰
( Not that he's ever minded the gentle teasing. From Gojo it's habit, from the girls it's a sign of their comfort with him. In a world where so many people are ( rightfully ) afraid of him, it says something maybe that there is a small circle willing to tease. Or compliment, apparently. It flusters him for a brief second, eyes lifting away, vague colour returning to his cheeks, one hand lifting to push some of said hair behind his shoulder. )
It feels better mostly down. The hair ties had started to give me a headache. ( And then, because he knows he doesn't really have to justify it. ) I'm glad you like it. I'd wondered if you might.
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Mmm. [ gojou hums, chews on the straw a little as his eyes scan the streets and skys ahead of them. ] I always thought you looked good with it down. The bun was too straight-laced for how you really are, anyway.
[ something gojou doens't seem to have a problem with, not because he agrees with all of getou's choices and actions... but because he understands them, at least in retrospect. at the time it seemed impossible to accept the reality of what his best friend had done. now the only thing he can't accept is why getou never turned to him at any point. gojou's own failing, or both of theirs, it doesn't matter now. all there is is to accept what's right in front of him. ]
No need to be embarrassed. [ he grins, sly. ] A cool guy complimenting you is enough to fluster you these days? Should I touch it and whisper that it suits you like they do in manga?
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( His face twists into an old expression, play-pretend disdain, his eyebrows arching towards said hairline. ) When you find me a cool guy, Satoru, then maybe I'll answer you.
( His teeth catch the edge of his straw, holding it in place as he grins. It makes him look mischievous, even a little older. Like there's the promise of something. It feels too natural to fall into old habits, the teasing. He even leans closer to bump their elbows together - or possibly the space around his elbow, considering they're on a busy street. If infinity's up ( and it better be ) he won't be offended. He'll just sip on his drink. )
All right, remember you're going to win me prizes. Let's go.
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[ he sticks out his tongue, then takes another long sip from the straw, exhaling and smacking his lips noisily. ]
[ if infinity flickers just a moment, just long enough for getou to touch him, well, it’s fine isn’t it? he’s scanned the area for curses and other curse users and found nothing. Getou wouldn’t let anything happen to him. ]
Ehh?! You’re going senile! You said you’d win me prizes like before! [ he makes a fuss, and it feels like the first time he’s gotten to do it in a while where he knows he’ll be ultimately indulged, if teased a little first. and he continues to whine and protest until they toss their drinks and enter the arcade, where if all falls away when he sees a giant cinnamaroll plush. ]
[ he hasn’t had anything like it since school, and he really has no place for something so childish, but. he clears his throat and looks around, shoving his hands in his pockets. ] So! What should we try first?
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Is that what I said?
( Voice affecting playful distraction, but then he's moving, a straight line to the token machine. He pulls his wallet from his pocket, a battered thing with a polaroid of two tiny little girls in the id slot, feeding his notes into the machine and using a tub to collect the output. Then he flashes Gojo a bright, wicked smile and strides straight on back to the cinnamoroll machine. )
Hold this.
( His token tub, he means, fishing two out as Gojo takes it. )
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Eh? Suguru? [ when he turns Getou has already honed in on the machine Gojou looked at before - damn. he forgot no blindfold. He’s too easy to read like this, and he hates that these days. when he reaches getou’s side the bucket is shoved into his hands. gripped, but forgotten, in the wake of that dazzling smile. oh. ]
That’s a bit ambitious for someone so rusty, isn’t it? [ he could protest it, but Getou seems so pleased with himself already. a playful tease will do. ]
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