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For as long as Yuuji could remember, he was always nestled in Sukuna's arms.
It's the safest place he's ever known.
Unfortunately, being kept safe and sound also had something to do with being smothered and baby'd.
Exhibit A: the fact Yuuji forgot to tell Sukuna he was going out.
Sukuna is huge. 6'5. Yuuji is 5'8 and possibly still growing, but Sukuna said he's manifesting he stays tiny because their genetic disposition makes it impossible for them to match up to each other. Did Sukuna imply he was superior? Absolutely. It pisses Yuuji off.
The discussion of size is important because Yuuji's feet are currently dangling a foot off the floor. Sukuna grabbed him by the back of his shirt and lifted him up like a kitten and asked, "where the fuck do you think you're going, brat?"
"I'm going to my friends." Yuuji's voice cracked as his head turned to him.
"And you forgot to ask me?"
"Ask?!" Yuuji blinked. "I forgot to tell you, I wasn't going to ask you for permission!"
"Why not?" Sukuna's eyes narrowed, and he turned Yuuji to face him properly.
"Wh—" Yuuji sputtered, "I'm 15! I can get by things myself now!"
"So?" Sukuna said. "You still need my permission in my house."
"First of all, this isn't your house—"
"It's my house so long as grandpa is out!"
"Second of all, you're not my dad!" Yuuji kicked and writhed under Sukuna's grip. Eventually, like a sack of rice, Sukuna let go and dropped him. Yuuji nearly fell over as he landed on his feet.
"I'm still the adult in this house. Ask me permission before you go." Sukuna said.
"Fine!" Yuuji grumbled, "can I go?"
"No."
"What?!"
"You asked too late, brat."
"Is it like talking to a fucking genie with you?!" Yuuji asked.
"Language, you little shit!"
"I'M FUCKING 15!" Yuuji threw his arms up.
Sukuna stared at him, arms folded. Yuuji was hyperventilating from the ragebait his brother was giving him. The puffed cheeks on Sukuna's face indicate that he was trying not to laugh. Disrespectful as shit.
"Kidding. You can go." Sukuna said, ruffling Yuuji's hair.
Yuuji slapped Sukuna's hand away and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Quickly, Sukuna opened the door again and called out, "call me when you're headed home!"
Sukuna was 12, Yuuji was 3. Yuuji doesn't remember much from his childhood; just that often he had always been crying or scared, based on what Sukuna's told him. Yuuji always held things in his arms as a comfort (the theory being that he couldn't be held by his mother, for whatever reason) and eventually clung to Sukuna when he realized stuffed toys weren't enough anymore.
Even with Wasuke in the picture, it felt like they were the only ones in each other's world. Sukuna protected him from things he couldn't possibly have comprehended at such a young age. At the cost of his own.
Now, with Wasuke in the hospital, it seemed like it really was just going to be them now. Did it ever make a difference?
Well, for one thing, it made Sukuna more anxious.
Yuuji knows if Sukuna doesn't get a call or at least a text before he's close to home that he'd be grounded. And if he doesn't do either of that and doesn't come home, Sukuna will singlehandedly find him and bring him to hell.
Sukuna was only gradually getting used to Yuuji going out with friends. They never went to school together, but Sukuna was always there knowing Yuuji would come out the gates to meet him. Now, Yuuji is 15, too big, and yet too small, too young, for Sukuna to ever really leave him alone.
Hence the anxious texts not even 5 minutes after Yuuji left for the bus.
Let me know when you reach the place.
k mom
Who are you meeting?
megumi n nobara theyre like my only friends dude
No Gojo?
why tf would my teacher be with us
So it's just you and your friends? No adults?
suku nii im gonna mute ur annoying ass now see u tonight
Fuck. Absolutely nothing will happen now. Sukuna swiped his hand through his hair and tossed his phone aside, then took a glance at the boxing gloves and punching bag outside at the garden.
"This is the first time I've seen your phone not turn into a sex toy." Nobara said, seeing Yuuji check his phone again for the third time.
"I know. He's just anxious." Yuuji said, then put his phone back in his pocket.
"No, I'll put it in my bag." She said, yanking the phone out.
"What?! Why?!" Yuuji asked.
"So you won't be tempted to check! It's our day with Fushiguro, dude, get it together!"
"You and your brother have always been strangely tight knit…" Megumi said as he came back with their ice cream.
"Strangely?" Yuuji's mouth flattened. "No— no way, he just thinks I'm still a baby. Besides, you two are only children, what would you know about siblings?"
"Point." Nobara said. "But I read an article somewhere about littermate syndrome."
"That happens with dogs." Megumi said.
"Exactly! Yuuji's a bitch."
"What? Hey! What is that anyway?"
"In puppy context, if you raise two puppies in a litter together, they'll develop psych problems if you separate them. It's doggy codependency."
"You guys think I'm codependent with my brother?" Yuuji's eyes went wide.
Nobara and Megumi looked at each other.
"I mean, duh." Nobara replied.
"Why wouldn't you be? He's also your dad." Megumi said.
Yuuji frowned. "I think I've heard enough. You guys are so close to ruining my day."
"What? Ruining it?! No way, I think it's cute." Nobara protested.
"It's weird." Megumi interjected.
"It's—!" Nobara paused. Then slumped. "Yeah, it's weird. In some angles it's cute, but you guys are sooooo…"
Yuuji groaned. He caught a glimpse of the inside of Nobara's bag and swore his phone screen lit up.
Yuuji didn't come home late. He called by 6 and came in 30 minutes later to Sukuna cooking dinner.
"I'm home!" Yuuji called out, kicking off his shoes.
"Come set the table!" Sukuna called out. It smelled like fried beef and eggs and it was filling up the house— Yuuji hobbled to the kitchen excitedly to get the plates and chopsticks. The food was done in under a few minutes and Sukuna served the food with additional bowls of rice.
"How was your day?" Sukuna asked as they ate.
"Surprisingly not riddled with your texts. How was your day?" Yuuji said through a mouthful of food.
"Just got the edge off. I reinstalled Dark Souls and beat the Great Grey Wolf." Sukuna replied.
"Bruh, you speedran to the wolf?!" Yuuji asked.
"Well, not really, I just did everything really fast."
"That's what speedrunning is, dummy!"
"Ah. Well, yeah, I did speedrun it."
"Without dying?"
"Without dying."
"Bullshit!"
Sukuna paused.
"Yuuji, look me in the eye and tell me I do bullshit." He said.
Yuuji looked at him directly in the eye. "You do in fact, do bullshit."
"Okay, you got me there." Sukuna rolled his eyes. "I actually did die with the wolf. That's why I stopped playing the game."
"Wow." Yuuji snorted.
"You're doing the dishes, by the way. Don't think of trying the wolf yet."
"Damn it!"
Sukuna helped with the dishes. They splashed water on each other and dried the plates, pans and chopsticks, and Yuuji was swept off his feet and carried to the living room.
He sat on Sukuna's lap as Dark Souls booted up and spawned them in Darkroot Garden.
"Suku-nii?" Yuuji asked as he started to fight the wolf. Sukuna rested his chin on Yuuji's shoulder and wrapped his arms around his waist.
"What?"
"Do you think we're too obvious?" Yuuji asked.
"Obvious in what?"
"Being like… together. Romantic and shit." Yuuji said. "'Cause Nobara and Megumi called us weird."
Sukuna thought for a moment. "They're assholes for that."
"I dunno, I think they have a point." Yuuji said. "Don't you get tired of it just being me?"
It was silent for a bit. Yuuji's character died, and Sukuna put his hand over Yuuji's controller and put it away.
"Look at me, baby." Sukuna said, watching Yuuji turn to face him.
He smoothed his hand over Yuuji's hair before tipping his chin up.
"I could never be tired of you." Sukuna replied. "Understand?"
Yuuji's eyes went wide. He kept his eyes on Sukuna and nodded lightly.
"You're all I want to be with." Sukuna said, before his hand drifted down to meet the other as he held Yuuji close to him. "Ever since I was a kid, I knew we'd be together."
Sukuna hugged him tight. Yuuji hugged back, turning his head to kiss his cheek.
"You're all I've ever known." Yuuji said with a smile.
Sukuna held Yuuji tighter than usual. Not that Yuuji ever minded— he liked it cozy.
Neither of them can really remember a time where they slept without each other. The last time it happened, they were both so young, Yuuji, so tiny, having fallen into a crying fit when he couldn't find his big brother.
Suku-nii, Suku-nii!
Shrill, broken sobs and wails of the first name he's ever said. It haunted Sukuna when they were locked away from each other that night. Yuuji cried himself to exhaustion and woke back up crying again and Sukuna never got to sleep unless he was safe.
He crawled to Yuuji, half-blind, half-dead, held him close, protected him and cried.