Work Text:
"Hey, Kugisaki…" Yuuji pipes up.
Nobara looks back at him from her teacup. "Yeah?"
"You know I… I can feel him." Yuuji says, fingers tapping against the table. "Sukuna, I mean."
Nobara raised a brow. "What does that even mean, Itadori?"
"It means, I…" Yuuji trails off, trying to find the words. "I don't know. Ever since he left my body I just felt like something was missing. I have his cursed technique, I have some of his essence with me, but there's something more to it. I feel like he's with us again. I feel him the same way I used to when we shared my body."
"Oh, Itadori…" Nobara says. She puts a hand over Yuuji's. "I wonder if you're going senile too."
Yuuji chuckles softly. "Maybe I am. But I swear I'm not crazy. I feel the connection— something binding us together. I just need to find him."
"You sure about that?" Nobara asks. She takes a sip of her tea.
"I swear on it." Yuuji says. "He's home, Kugisaki."
It doesn't take long to find Sukuna. The "essence" Yuuji was feeling, that sensation in his chest where Sukuna lived in his heart with, he was right about it all along. In his consciousness he could only feel the way his world was too silent without Sukuna's voice. When he died, Yuuji felt incomplete. He couldn't move on from that pain no matter what happened. Sukuna became his whole world that moment and he left just as quick.
But Yuuji wanted to fulfill that promise. They'll be together. They can be together again now.
And thus, Yuuji finds Sukuna on his walk to high school. He's so tall and big, the uniform definitely tailor made because nobody else could have his size. He doesn't have tattoos, the four eyes, the extra arms, and Yuuji realizes he's just an ordinary human now. He couldn't be older than sixteen at this rate, he looks… like such a baby, despite it all.
Cute.
It makes Yuuji's heart warm.
But what would he even say to Sukuna in this state? He doesn't know. Yuuji thinks about it as he follows Sukuna within the streets at a certain distance. He follows him to the school campus until Sukuna turns around, and Yuuji sees, behind a bus, that people are moving away from him.
Does he have friends? People look so afraid of Sukuna, but he doesn't look like he cares. Sukuna disappears into the school building, so Yuuji waits at the nearby pachinko parlor to pass the time.
When it's late afternoon, Yuuji leaves and catches Sukuna on his way back. He stops by a convenience store and Yuuji watches as he buys a ton of packaged food that he stuffs into a shopping bag and walks home with. Yuuji steps quietly, follows Sukuna block after block, until Sukuna comes home to a simple, but sizable house in the peaceful neighborhood, kicks off his shoes and shuts the door.
It becomes routine for Yuuji to stalk Sukuna. Days turn to weeks turn to months. He keeps telling himself that things will let up, that he'll find the strategy to just walk up to him and speak, but what would he even say? Hey, you're the reincarnation of evil but also the love of my life?
Not to mention, Sukuna's just sixteen. He's not going to take kindly to a college-aged looking man just approaching him with no reason but that. Yuuji feels crazy about it. In his mind, all he wants is Sukuna back, but he has to remember that this isn't the Sukuna he loved before. But maybe… just maybe, this could turn out just right.
Sukuna turned out to be a troubled kid. Infamous in the school, but there are girls who confess their crushes to him and he rejects them altogether. He has no friends, doesn't seem to wish for any. He just eats alone at the rooftop reading books and scarfing down on big portions that he cooks himself at home. His mother, who Yuuji still doesn't know the name of, is always asleep in her room from late nights of working. If she's not doing that, Sukuna's getting yelled at and all he does is take it before storming off to his room to do his homework. He goes to the gym every other day, and he works out heavily, and Yuuji wonders if he's so stressed that the heaviest weights started to mean nothing to him.
What a poor thing. Yuuji doesn't know where to begin. The gym? The convenience store? The school? The house? He doesn't want Sukuna to call the police on a stalker, is the thing. He'll have to think on it.
Yuuji tries his luck when Sukuna gets into a street fight in an alleyway. He took a detour, on his way home. Some homeless person with a knife manages to stab him in the side and he ends up bleeding on his way home.
Yuuji steps as close as he can. He catches up to Sukuna and places a hand on his back.
"Hey," Yuuji says, "let me help you, kid."
Sukuna elbows him in the face. Yuuji's knocked down to the ground.
"What the fuck?!" Sukuna says, but he keels over because of the pain in his side. "Don't do that!"
Yuuji's nose is bleeding. He yelps when he pinches the nose bridge, but he takes it like a man and looks back up at Sukuna, getting up.
"Like I said— let me help you. I think we both have to go to the hospital."
"You can go by yourself, I don't need help." Sukuna replies, glaring back.
"Are you sure? You're literally in pain." His jacket stains with his blood. Damn it.
"I know how to handle it!" Sukuna snaps.
"Doubt that." Yuuji says. "You ever been stabbed before?"
"N-no, but—"
"Come on," Yuuji says, grabbing Sukuna by the wrist with the strength the boy definitely didn't expect, "we're making a trip to the ER."
Sukuna nearly passes out from blood loss with the way they had to walk to the hospital. Yuuji holds him up as he brings them to the ER and they're treated immediately, and Sukuna gets carted off with painkillers and something to stop the bleeding. He learns that Sukuna's a type AB, so he's a universal recipient, so Yuuji volunteers to give him his blood.
Sukuna wakes up after the third hour of being there. "You again…" he mutters as he glances to his side to see Yuuji, who's sporting a tissue clogging up his nose and a splint on his bridge.
"Yep." Yuuji says, smiling. "You know, your mom hasn't called you. I thought she'd be worried sick by now."
Sukuna lies back against the pillow. "She doesn't worry." He croaks.
"I see." Yuuji replies, leaning his chin on his palm. "What's your name, kid?"
Sukuna doesn't look at him, just stares at the ceiling. "Ryoumen."
"Call me Yuuji." Yuuji replies.
"Yuuji," and he feels the joy surge in his heart because his name sounds so wonderful when Sukuna says it. "… Thanks. For the help." He strains.
"You don't thank people that much, do you?" Yuuji muses.
"No." Sukuna replies.
"Sad." Yuuji says. "This is a start, then."
Sukuna stays quiet.
Then he pipes up.
"I know you've been following me."
Yuuji stiffens. "Whaaat? No, I haven't!" All these years, and he's still a terrible liar. Nobara would call him an idiot.
"It's fine. I don't care." Sukuna says. "I just didn't think I'd be interesting enough to be stalked."
"Eheh…" Yuuji tries to follow the no-comment response, but his shoulders drop and he frowns. "You have no idea."
"What?"
"It's complicated."
"I don't know what's complicated. What the fuck do you mean?"
"Hey, look," Yuuji says, holding his shoulder. "If you let me see you again, I'll tell you eventually."
Sukuna goes quiet. "… What a bargain you're going for, Yuuji."
"I know." It'll mean I can be with you for real this time. "So?"
"Fine. Whatever." Sukuna replies, rolling his eyes.
"Looks like we're friends now, Su-Ryoumen." Yuuji says.
"You can call me Sukuna, I don't give a shit." Sukuna says.
"Brat." Yuuji says with a smile.
They start to see each other. Yuuji walks him to school, walks him home. Yuuji buys him a lot of food because Sukuna's always hungry, and Sukuna scarfs them down like a wolf while they hang out by the park tables and talk.
He missed Sukuna so much. He didn't even think it would register until he really looked at how Sukuna was just enjoying himself. Even if he didn't show it, at least not in the face, Yuuji picked up how subtle his smile would get or how fast he moves as a way to express his excitement. He watches Sukuna down his soda. The sun is about to set.
"What are you looking at?" Sukuna asks through a stuffed mouth.
"Don't speak while your mouth is full." Yuuji says.
Sukuna swallows, clearly irritated. "Okay. What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face?"
"No." Yuuji says. "I just… I don't know. I like you-" -Yuuji's eyes go wide- "-as a friend!"
"You like me?" Sukuna repeats.
"As a friend." Yuuji replies, face flushed.
"As a friend." Sukuna repeats again.
Yuuji hopes Sukuna accepts the answer. He does not.
"Bullshit."
"Are you gonna call the cops on me?" Yuuji squeaks. "I'm like, way too old for you for me to say that, you know."
"I don't care." Sukuna replies. "It's fine. I'm not a baby."
Yuuji begs to differ. But he's not going to risk involvement with the police.
"You're so passive about everything, it's crazy." Yuuji says.
"I lived through enough bullshit. I can take more." Sukuna replies. "Besides, you saved my life and give me food."
"Fair." Yuuji replies.
"…And keep me company." Sukuna says quietly.
Yuuji stares at him. Sukuna puts his burger down and looks away. "I don't mind." He says. "Really."
Yuuji stares at him a bit more, then—
he reaches out, pinches Sukuna's soft, full of baby fat cheek. Sukuna really is just a boy. "You're so cute, you little brat!"
"I'm neither!" Sukuna says, frowning as he tries to smack Yuuji's hand out of the way. The sky is a dark purple when they walk home together.
Yuuji knows Sukuna's home situation isn't ideal. He hates that he can't do anything about it. Sukuna won't hurt his mother but he seems frustrated every time Yuuji knows something's happened.
Sukuna's not eating the food Yuuji got him. He's just staring at it until Yuuji puts a hand on Sukuna's much larger one.
"Hey." Yuuji says. "Are you okay?"
"I'll just take the food home. I'm not hungry right now." Sukuna replies. He doesn't move away from Yuuji's hand, though. Yuuji moves to sit next to him.
"You didn't answer me." Yuuji says.
"I…" Sukuna trails off, not looking at him. "I don't know."
"Is it your mom?"
Sukuna swallows. "Yeah. I'm tired, Yuuji."
Yuuji puts an arm around his back. He wraps another on Sukuna's front and hugs him. "I know, kid."
"… I'm not used to this."
"What? Hugs?" Yuuji replies. He chuckles. "Yeah, me neither. Grandpa wasn't a hugger. It's fine."
"It was just you and your grandpa?"
Yuuji leans his head on Sukuna's arm. "Yeah. Just like how it was just you and your mom."
"And now I have you." Sukuna replies, looking at him. He raises his arm and wraps it around Yuuji's shoulder, pulling him closer.
"Mhm." Yuuji smiles.
"Yuuji…" Sukuna says, tipping Yuuji's head up by the chin.
Yuuji doesn't expect it. The kiss is gentle and inexperienced. But to be fair, Yuuji's never kissed anybody— at 83, he's never wanted anybody but Sukuna.
"I like you." Sukuna says, "please don't leave me. I don't think I can bare being alone anymore."
Sukuna's eyes look glassy. Yuuji cups his face.
"I never will." Yuuji replies, smiling. "You'll never have to endure again."
Sukuna sneaks Yuuji into the house when his mom isn't around. When she is, Yuuji's hidden under the bed or jumping out of the window when she comes into the room.
But when she's away, they eat dinner together, watch movies, makeout in Sukuna's bedroom.
Sukuna's smile is bigger now, and Yuuji thinks it's the most beautiful thing.
"Can you tell me now?" Sukuna asks one night as they're lying together and staring at the ceiling.
"Tell you what?"
"You said you had a reason to stalk me. On the day we met." Sukuna replies.
"I…" Yuuji's eyes widen. "I don't know how to say it. You won't believe me if I explained."
"Try me, Yuuji." Sukuna says, getting on his side to look at him.
"You're…. you're a reincarnation. Of the Sukuna I fell in love with." Yuuji replies. "I thought— I knew you wouldn't be the same person I loved but it's amazing just being with you, this new Sukuna."
Sukuna looks at him.
"And. I'm not… I'm not a college student. I'm immortal. Unaging. I'm 83." Yuuji sputters.
Sukuna stares at him. Yuuji cringes.
"Say I believe you." Sukuna replies. "What would that mean for us?"
"I just…" Yuuji looks away. "I just wanna be with you. I promised you last time that we'll live together, so… I want to make it possible now."
Sukuna blinks. He sits up. Yuuji braces for impact. He's probably going to—
"If I'll be with you forever, then I'm fine with it." Sukuna says instead. Yuuji sits up.
"You have no idea how much this means to me." Yuuji says, smiling. There's that feeling in his chest again. He kind of feels like crying.
"We're on the same boat." Sukuna replies, cupping Yuuji's face. "I love you."
"I love you," Yuuji's voice cracks as he says it.
It was worth the wait. Sukuna really is home.