Archive of Our Own ^beta

(Sight)

Yuuji tilted his head as he rested it on the stack of his arms, a delighted smile playing on his face. Today Gojou-sensei was still as ethereal as ever, with his upright white streak of hair, illuminated by the morning sun that fell from the class’ window, slick black blindfold that hugged his eyes snugly, and tall posture that could tower over Yuuji too easily. So beautiful…

His teacher’s svelte yet unwavering hands flailed around as he went forth with his explanation about jujutsu techniques, smirking widely to show his impeccable rows of teeth. Yuuji felt his heart skipped even if it wasn’t directed at him. Well actually it was, but it wasn’t only for Yuuji. Fushiguro and Kugisaki were here together with him, and Gojou-sensei’s smirk was reserved for the three of them.

How Yuuji wished it was shown to him and only him, though.

Gojou-sensei clapped his hands to signal that the theory lesson had ended, and now was the time to apply it in real life. Kugisaki beamed, hammer and nails out for them to behold, exclaiming that she would do her best today. It made Gojou-sensei’s face brightened, clasping Kugisaki’s shoulder in mirth as if he was infected by her excitement. Yuuji would be lying if he said he wasn’t as well. On the other side, Fushiguro merely hummed, following them without a word to the forest, their most preferrable training ground.

Yuuji liked training in the forest. The livid green canopy with leaves so lush that veiled them from the stinging sun was a refreshing sight, not to mention he got to see his friends working hard to hone their techniques and see Gojou-sensei laugh out of amazement every time they met his expectations. Yuuji noted the shifts of his shoulders as he did so, the way his lips seemed to reach his ears and the way his cheeks slightly puffed. It was so cute, Yuuji couldn’t believe his teacher was two years short of reaching his thirties.

Since of course, Gojou-sensei’s handsome features were sometimes too hard for Yuuji’s heart to bear. Yet he liked it. He liked it every time his heart raced because of his teacher alone. He wondered what would become of his poor heart if Gojou-sensei was to be on his side anytime, anywhere?

Yuuji blushed, and Fushiguro’s shikigami managed to catch him off guard.

.

Satoru chuckled as Yuuji was thrown to the tree by Megumi’s shikigami, the dark-haired boy immediately ran over to him to check if he was alright. Yuuji waved him off, grinning as he rubbed the back of his head and accepted the hand Megumi offer to him to haul him back to his feet. Satoru hoped he wasn’t injured, he didn’t possibly want to see the filthy yet mesmerizing blood to paint his student. Though the sight would be incredulously striking, Satoru had to remind himself that this was Itadori Yuuji, Satoru’s precious student.

Satoru mulled with a tiny chortle, tapping his forefinger to his cheek as he approached both of them. He patted Megumi’s shoulder, telling him that even if it was Yuuji, he shouldn’t show too much mercy for they were playing pretend for today’s training. It was something that Satoru thought late in the night, of what would become of his students if they were to face each other as enemies? Satoru wished the day would never come, but still, it was fun to act!

Megumi nodded, expression hardened as he called his other shikigami and surged forward with them. Yuuji was quick to counter his attacks, face contorted into one of solemn yet playful façade as he sparred with Megumi. Satoru laughed again, his precious students learnt so fast! After twenty minutes, Satoru jumped into their fight, ultimately freezing their movements. With a grin, he announced that it was the time for Nobara to face Megumi. The said girl cheered loudly, and Satoru tugged Yuuji back as she wasted no time to attack Megumi.

Satoru eyed the way Yuuji’s sweats trailed down from his temple to his collarbone, disappearing beneath the bundle of his red hoodie. The sunrays were scarce by the leaves that coated them, yet Satoru swore Yuuji’s face was shining right now. His honey-coloured eyes lit up after he was given the chance to breathe properly, wrist wiping the drips of sweat from his chin and the flush brushing his cheeks caused Satoru’s heart to stutter inside his ribcage.  

Now that Satoru thought of it, why did Yuuji let himself to be attacked by Megumi’s shikigami? If Satoru wasn’t wrong, the two of them were so concentrated and wary of each other’s movements to the point Yuuji flinched every time Megumi’s breaths quickened even just a tad. Then out of blue, Yuuji’s cheeks were coloured in red and Megumi’s shikigami landed a harsh blow on him. Oh dear, what was on his precious student’s head that time?

Satoru stole a glance at Yuuji, and his smirk grew broader as their gazes met. Yuuji’s sparkling own with Satoru’s masked own. It was so adorable, Satoru was itching to tear his blindfold away so he could behold Yuuji properly. His precious student’s cheeks flared yet again, and Yuuji threw his gaze to somewhere else, abashment prominent of his face. Satoru guffawed at the sight.

(Smell)

Despite having his own dorm in Jujutsu High, Gojou-sensei preferred his own house. Though Yuuji heard from Fushiguro that his teacher usually rested and slept in his dorm until this year, the year of their arrivals in Jujutsu High. Yuuji didn’t know what caused Gojou-sensei’s preference to change like that. From what Yuuji knew from his times in his teacher’s basement (and by addition, his house as well), Gojou-sensei always seemed happy when he came home. Could it possibly be that Yuuji’s residence in his house cause the change?

Nah, that thought was too sanguine. Yuuji was just another student for Gojou-sensei, no matter how he wished for more.

Yuuji liked Gojou-sensei’s house, he adored it even. It was large and comfortable, nothing like Yuuji’s old, cramped house. At every corner, there would be at least a faint scent of his teacher lingering. It was the most notable in the bedroom since surely, he slept in it. The bathroom had that scent as well, mostly from the cologne his teacher wore that smelled quite strong. The basement was filled with it, for Gojou-sensei often accompanied him with his movie training. He would sit right beside Yuuji, his mind as if knew nothing about personal space.

Yuuji’s breath would hitch at how his teacher’s scent was engulfing his nostrils, and he was doubled over by the cursed doll in no time.

Currently Yuuji and the others had just come back from their training, and each of them immediately dashed to their respective bathroom to wash their sweat and ease their throbbing muscles. Yuuji groaned in satisfaction as the cold shower hit his body, its prickling temperature loosening his shoulders. As he scrubbed the soil and dusts from his body, he wondered what should he make for lunch.

(Ever since he made breakfast for the others and Gojou-sensei, they had been longing to eat his cooking again. It made Yuuji really happy)

Somehow, Yuuji found Gojou-sensei’s coat over the windowsill as he slid the common room’s door open. He was surprised to see it there, for he thought his teacher was supposed to wear it. Or maybe not, because in the moment Gojou-sensei was taking a bath in his own dorm. Yuuji pondered as he took the coat to his hands. What was it doing here? Since they were all but sweaty and damp from their training, shouldn’t this be in the laundry to be washed?

Yuuji blinked as he sat down, leaning his back to the wooden wall. Gojou-sensei’s coat was so thick, Yuuji wondered why hadn’t he suffocated from heat during the training. He wore it almost every time Yuuji saw him, it should be ragged and heavy by now, but to Yuuji’s fingers it was really soft and light. Special material, perhaps? Curious, Yuuji brought the coat close to his nose and sniffed.

Ah, this was unmistakably Gojou-sensei’s scent. Yuuji buried his face onto the sleek cloth and inhaled sharply. He caught whiffs of blood and scant puff of his teacher’s cologne. There was something else beneath them. Musky, masculine, and so alluring that made Yuuji’s skin heated up and his lips dry. Yuuji could be drunk by this scent alone. He suddenly felt like keeping the coat for his own so he could sniff onto it anytime, to be enveloped by Gojou-sensei’s scent.

.

Satoru almost squealed when he found Yuuji snoring on the common room’s tatami with his coat on his chest, gripped by his hands. Satoru put his coat there because his balcony was hindered by the trees, so he needed to find a place bright enough for his coat to be dried. He only left it for a while in order for him to take a shower, yet the sight greeting Satoru made him regret his decision to bath.

If only he could find Yuuji awake with his coat in his hands, then there was no saying of what could Satoru possibly do to Yuuji.

Alright, he needed to hold his horses there.

Satoru kneeled beside Yuuji, hand reaching to stroke his strawberry locks. Yuuji leaned into his fingers almost immediately, and Satoru’s nose caught the fresh scent of shampoo from his precious student that made his unrestrained eyes narrow. Unabashed, he scooted closer to Yuuji until his nose bumped with Yuuji’s temple, drawing a long breath out of curiosity.

Other than the scent of shampoo, there was something else beneath it. Natural, sun-kissed, and so appealing that it made Satoru’s lungs heaved excitedly. He inched ever closer, lips almost missing behind Yuuji’s pink strands. His precious student smelled so good, how come Satoru never realized this before? How many times their shoulders had been glued to each other’s during the movie training? How many times Satoru had slept on the same sofa as Yuuji’s? How many times Satoru had stayed by his student’s side but didn’t realize his scent?

Yuuji shifted in his sleep, and Satoru took it as his cue to pull back. His eyelids fluttered open, then Yuuji yelped as he saw who was right beside him.

 (Hearing)

“Sensei, good morning!” Yuuji exclaimed cheerily, waving his hand as Gojou-sensei entered the class. Beside him, Fushiguro and Kugisaki perked up, and while Kugisaki greeted their teacher as well, Fushiguro didn’t do anything besides nodding to acknowledge his presence. Gojou-sensei’s amused chuckle was a calming melody, and it sent butterflies across Yuuji’s stomach.

“Good morning, minna-san!!” Gojou-sensei said back just as loudly, and as usual, he would begin to explain about short theories behind jujutsu techniques before they went to train the said techniques. Gojou-sensei’s voice echoed in the class, and despite the volume, it was convivial for Yuuji, and he took in every single of his words. Trying to, anyway. Yuuji was too distracted at how Gojou-sensei drawled every word rather than meaning behind the words themselves.

How could Yuuji not? Gojou-sensei’s voice was truly something else.

Yuuji propped his cheeks with his palms as he closed his eyes. Maybe this way he could listen to Gojou-sensei better and focus to his explanations.

Yuuji’s eyebrow twitched as he found out that, no, he didn’t focus to his teacher’s explanations at all. Instead, Yuuji was lost. He was lost in the exuberant voice of Gojou-sensei, combined with his distinctive husky voice that made his stomach to churn with something sudden, but not unpleasant. Yuuji felt his cheeks warmed up as the time ticked on. Before long, Gojou-sensei’s voice morphed into a faint buzz that tingled Yuuji’s ears, and it caused his blush to deepen.

Incomprehensible murmurings filled Yuuji’s mind, as if the words were nothing but a thread that ridiculed his yearning self further, yet Yuuji didn’t mind being fooled if it was Gojou-sensei. How could one’s voice be comforting but tantalizing at the same time? Every aspect of his teacher seemed a bit too perfect for Yuuji, he kept longing to have Gojou-sensei for himself at every second passed.

Finally a more firm sound entered his voice, swatting away the ringing inside his mind. It was a little breathless but joyful, and Yuuji peeked an eye open. He jumped when he was met with Gojou-sensei’s lustrous blue eyes, and Kugisaki joined in his teacher’s laughter. Even Fushiguro snorted from amazement, and Yuuji hid his reddening face in his hands, too mortified to face them.

“Huwaaa!! Don’t look!!” Yuuji shrilled, and their laughter increased in volume.

“You look like a tomato, Itadori! Hahahahaha!”

“So cute, Yuuji-kun!”

.

Exhausted but deeply sated, Satoru plopped his head onto Yuuji’s chest, nose bumping with one of the bitemarks he scattered on the muscled skin. His precious student let out a sigh in return, eyes gazing down to meet Satoru’s dazzling own. “Sensei, your hair tickles…” Yuuji’s lips curled into a shaky smile, voice brimming with a sense of playfulness that drew a low chuckle from Satoru.

“Sorry, but Yuuji-kun will have to try harder to remove sensei from your chest.” Satoru challenged, and his ears relished in the tiny snickers Yuuji echoed.

“But sensei is so warm, though. You feel so nice…” Rather than pushing his head away, Yuuji’s hand found purchase on Satoru’s hair once again, only his fingers weren’t gripping onto his roots like before. “Tonight’s really cold, so I’m glad to have sensei by my side.” Yuuji hummed, causing Satoru’s grin to widen.

“Not fair, Yuuji-kun~. Since when you’re so smooth?” Satoru faux-whined, his heart thundering in his ribcage at the hearty laugh from Yuuji that resonated in his bedroom. Satoru slightly tilted his head to the side, easing another laugh out of Yuuji in process due to how his strands were tickling his sensitive skin. His ear was pressed to his precious student’s chest directly, and Satoru closed his eyes to savour the most beautiful melody from his student.

Heartbeats.

Regularly, strongly, and most importantly, lively. Satoru’s eyes softened at the sound that his brain registered as the sign of being alive. If a human’s heart didn’t beat, then they were already dead. Yuuji’s heart stopped beating on that drizzling day, thrown away like a ragdoll to the watery ground. Yuuji returned to Satoru without a heartbeat, and he almost snapped right here and there.

But it was present right now, no longer reposeful like he feared. Satoru’s lips made contact with the still flushing skin, feeling its constant thump against his pads. It was comforting. It was the reassurance he needed. Yuuji was alive, and it was all that mattered. His Yuuji was on the warm, white mattress of Satoru’s bed, not on the frigid, silver table of Shouko’s morgue. His Yuuji wasn’t dead anymore.

“Sensei?” Yuuji’s voice and breath also confirmed Satoru’s thoughts. While his voice was soft and lovely, his breath was fleeting and almost too fast. Too fast that Satoru might miss it if he didn’t listen solemnly.

“Love you, Yuuji-kun. Good night~.” Satoru cooed, and he definitely didn’t miss the surprised, elated jump of Yuuji’s heart on his ear.

“Uhm, good night, sensei… Love you too.”

And Satoru was lulled to sleep by Yuuji’s heartbeats underneath him.

(Taste)

For tonight’s dinner, Yuuji was making nikujaga. He noted how the temperature seemed to drop all of the sudden lately. The air got crisper at every morning, Yuuji’s breathes even coming out in misty puffs. If it wasn’t for his trainings, he swore he could get a frostbite soon or later. He longed for something warm.

And so he settled for nikujaga. He ought to make a bigger portion though, for he figured his upperclassmen would like to have a taste as well. Nothing’s better than a warm food in midst of a frigid weather, right?

Fushiguro helped because it was his turn to assist Yuuji in the kitchen. At first the atmosphere was calm since Fushiguro was never a talker, he did his tasks silently but acutely. Yuuji appreciated it as he took a sip of the broth, but then he almost choked when Kugisaki’s yell drummed his ears first before sliding door’s.

“I want to help! It’s too cold in the dining room!” Yuuji would never refuse another helping hand, so he let her be. Fushiguro frowned, but he didn’t say anything and opt to continue cutting the meats without a word. Yuuji was in charge of the vegetables, and Kugisaki was quick to work when Yuuji tasked her to take care of the potatoes. The chatter they shared not long after that was unexpected, but Yuuji found that he liked it.

True to his suspicion, his upperclassmen were present in the dining room along with Gojou-sensei. They looked at Yuuji as if he was Heaven-sent, judging by the way their eyes sparkled when he, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki entered the room with a boiling pot of nikujaga. Gojou-sensei slid his blindfold down and Yuuji took his shades away because they could get fogged when he ate. Gojou-sensei puckered his lips, but he relented. It was surprisingly easy of him.

Yuuji jumped when Kugisaki beamed at him, throwing compliments about the taste and Yuuji’s skills in overall right to his face. Before long, the others followed, and Yuuji was completely overwhelmed. He had tasted it, sure, but he never thought it would gain such positive responses.

His face was still warm when he washed the dishes with Gojou-sensei. Yuuji could only laugh sheepishly as his teacher came out victorious in jankenpon against the other students to decide who would help him with the dirty dishes. Gojou-sensei turned his head to Yuuji as he placed another bowl in the rack. “You know, maybe I could ask Principal Yaga to make you as Jujutsu High’s chef.”

“Eh, no need to trouble yourself, sensei!” Yuuji dismissed a wet hand hastily.

“But I want to, Yuuji-kun.” Gojou-sensei smirked, and Yuuji’s eyes were blown wide as his teacher’s lips met his own in spur of moments.

.

Savoury, Satoru concluded at the first contact of their lips. Yuuji’s lips were soft and plush as ever, and he liked the aftertaste of meats combined with potatoes and onions on them already. They were rich and strong and everything that Satoru was more than willing to devour.

Sweet, Satoru corrected as he slipped his tongue into Yuuji’s damp mouth, eliciting a surprised sound from him that Satoru swallowed greedily. He caught the remnants of sugar and mirin from the broth, along with the scant taste of salty soy sauce. It wasn’t prominent enough to beat the sweetness Satoru loved, so he let it slide this time. Yuuji was already sweet enough for him.

Noting of Yuuji’s quickened breath, Satoru gave a teasing prod to his tongue before he pulled back, and Yuuji was desperate to search for air. His face was blushing deeper from the shade of his hair, mouth parting to gulp more oxygen than his nose could. It was a sight so sweet that Satoru couldn’t help but to nibble on Yuuji’s cheeks as if they were mochi reserved only for him.

Yuuji bristled, hands gripping his shoulders. “Sensei!”

“Sorry, sorry.” Satoru said as he peppered kisses along the reddening skin even if he was everything but apologetic. “Yuuji-kun is just so sweet, and you know how bad my urges for sweet foods are~.”

“You should control yourself better, sensei. It’s not good for your health.” Yuuji chided gently, forefinger poking Satoru’s nose. His smile was wide from their kiss earlier, the glints of affection and care never left his eyes. “What would the world do if the strongest jujutsu sorcerer got sick?”

“Ask yourself, Yuuji-kun.” Satoru cooed, arms bringing his precious student’s body flush to his and lacing their hands together. “For you’re my world.”

“Don’t flirt in the kitchen!!” Yuuji yelped when Nobara’s hammer hit Satoru’s head from behind. Thankfully the term of hard-headed Gojou Satoru was never a false rumour. “Come here, Itadori. Fushiguro and Maki-senpai will take care of your perverted teacher.” The brash girl growled as she dragged Yuuji away from him, and the said two students emerged from behind her, aura malicious.

Well, time to activate his Infinity, then!

“Cheater.” Fushiguro and Maki spat as none of their attacks managed to hit him.

(Touch)

“Soft…” Yuuji murmured as he traced his fingers along Gojou-sensei’s bare, refined chest, fingertips sending feather-light touches to the amusingly fair skin. So clean, prettily untainted yet he could feel the numerous relicts of scar on it, hidden and silent. Yuuji adored them. The skin below him was supposed to feel taut, firm, and unyielding, yet Yuuji was touching nothing but a supple canvas.

“Thanks, I tried.” Gojou-sensei snickered beneath Yuuji, boastful and sincere. His teacher held Yuuji’s waists in his grip, unfaltering and powerful but never strong enough to hurt him. He slid his body upwards and took Yuuji along with him, a yelp accidently falling from his lips at the sudden movement.

Yuuji found his chest against Gojou-sensei’s own, their head nearly bumping if it wasn’t for his reflexes that drew him back just in time. Gojou-sensei’s lips quirked to the side at that, and he pressed them against Yuuji’s earlobe, marveling down to his neck to litter another series of kisses. Yuuji smiled in return, placing his chin atop of his teacher’s shoulder blade that felt so broad, so securing.

Almost absentmindedly, Yuuji toyed with Gojou-sensei’s strands. They were damp and unruly but Yuuji’s eyes, hazy by the afterglow, comprehended them as sparkling curtains of white. It was like the shade of snow, nascent from the clouds and landed to Yuuji’s hand with the gentlest of flutters. They were the tuffs that Yuuji could find anywhere because they stood out the most. Yuuji liked it, because that meant he could find his teacher whenever, wherever he wanted.

“Sensei.”

“Yes, Yuuji-kun?”

“May I have your hand?”

“Sure, no problem.”

Yuuji distanced himself from Gojou-sensei even though he stilled on his lap, accepting his teacher’s large, warm, mighty hand into his smaller and calloused one. He giggled at the differences in size, and his teacher arched an eyebrow.

“What’s the source of your joy this time, I wonder?” Gojou-sensei prompted playfully with an amused smile, fingers bending to entwine with Yuuji’s. His teacher’s slender, delicate fingers around his bloomed something akin to butterfly dances in his chest. Akin to a field of flowers. Fuzzy and just perfect.

“You.” Yuuji breathed out, bringing their intertwined hands to his lips.

.

Winter was approaching them, fast, so Satoru held the slumbering Yuuji close to his chest, propping his chin atop of his spiny strawberry locks. Having to train under the crisp air was cruel of him, but what would be of his students if they couldn’t stand mere changes of weather? Satoru wasn’t that cruel though, he let them to rest in the common room around the kotatsu.

Nobara buried herself under the table, only her brown locks peeking from the thick blanket as she slept with a faint snore. Fushiguro leaned his back to the wooden wall, his shikigami wolves nuzzling to his sides and providing him with their warmth as he drifted to the dreamworld. Satoru smiled longingly, it was truly peaceful and felt almost domestic. As if they were just normal students and teacher in a normal boarding school, taking a nap after a particular big test.

Satoru snuggled his cheek to Yuuji’s hair, hand patting his arm in gratitude (because without even doing anything, Yuuji’s sole presence was something that Satoru would always be grateful for). Yuuji was warm like a personal heater on Satoru’s lap, the warmth emitting from his gakuran and seeping into his bones. Their outstretched legs on the tatami were tangled together, Satoru’s gangly ones with Yuuji’s stiff ones, and Satoru couldn’t think of a better moment to sleep.

Satoru was still a human, thus he needed sleep. Sleep was essential to maintain one’s health, Yuuji told him once during a dinner in his house as he stirred a pot full of vegetable soup. Well, his precious student wasn’t wrong, it was just Satoru had his minds elsewhere that strayed him further from slumber.

What else would occupy his mind if it wasn’t the said precious student?

Recalling last night where Yuuji took his hand gently as if it was a piece of jewelry and kissed them chastely, Satoru mused as he lifted Yuuji’s own. Yuuji shifted only the slightest bit, fingers twitching to grab Satoru’s as if he could sense them.

So cute, to see his Yuuji was yearning for him even in his sleep.

Unlike Satoru who fixed every single of his injuries, Yuuji wasn’t free from flaws. His hand was rather calloused, his knuckles a bit bruised but not torn. Since Yuuji fought with his fists, Satoru understood how the combats had morphed the structure of his hands into sculpture fitted for battles. It was enticing in its own way, for it showed how far Yuuji trained, how deep his determination flowed.

Satoru kissed his knuckles, hoping to ease any swelling pain he had away. His lips lingered to savour the radiating warmth across Yuuji’s skin, so perfect for his cold temperature. They traveled upwards to Yuuji’s cheek, Satoru closed his eyes as his arms tightened around Yuuji, feeling the rumbles of their heartbeats.

As if knowing his intention, Yuuji tilted his head sluggishly and caused Satoru’s lips to meet Yuuji’s. In a rare moment of surprise, Satoru blushed profusely.

(Emotion)

Yuuji plopped down onto his bed, shower had been taken to wash away the lukewarm sands from his feet and the salty scent of ocean from his skin. As Yuuji glanced down to see how the water flow steadily beneath him, bringing the light brown bits away, his mind would drift to the beach he visited earlier today.

The wave fluttered forth to greet his toes, freezing and comforting and refreshing. Yuuji’s ears caught its boisterous, constant voice along with the chatters of his friends that varied into many sounds. Fushiguro’s breath was steady beside him, Kugisaki’s and Maki-senpai’s laughter engulfed them, and the sound of sand being kicked around by Panda-senpai and Inumaki-senpai was fleeting yet pleasing.

Yuuji had a selfish thought, but he wished Gojou-sensei could join them.

Gojou-sensei could be a perfect touch for this fragment of fragility. He imagined how his teacher would look as he was basked in sunset’s goldish lambency. He imagined how his teacher would scent as he met the water and sands by the shore. He imagined how his teacher would sound as he chuckled and sang with the ocean. He imagined how his teacher would taste as his lips and skin was kissed by the frigid autumn breeze. He imagined how his teacher would feel as his hand, mixed with sea and land, laced with Yuuji’s to drag him along the beach.

But his teacher was busy. He always was. Yuuji knew although Gojou-sensei overlooked the tasks thrusted to him, he eventually did them with no flaw left behind. Those were the tasks he simply couldn’t neglect, because they involved lives. People’s lives he had to protect, and curse’s lives he had to obliterate.

His teacher was so strong, wasn’t he? Just by a mere glance of his towering figure, Yuuji knew how much strength and wonder he wielded. Just by mere touches of his lips and hands on Yuuji, Yuuji was left breathless and all but complying to his pleas. Just by mere words he enunciated with so much faith akin to a prayer, tears would prickle Yuuji’s eyes and his chest would overflow.

Love, he named the emotion he felt for Gojou-sensei. This love he had for Gojou-sensei was alike to the one he had for Gramps, to the one he had for his friends, but in the same time it was different. How was it different when the warmth was similar? How was it different when all of it blossomed the same, wide smile from Yuuji? Well, this one was more prominent, protruding, and blazing brilliantly that roused fear in the depth of Yuuji’s dim, veering mind.

Because there was no guarantee no one would take Gojou-sensei away from him.

“Don’t think about that.” Yuuji shook his head, half of it was already buried on his white, fluffy pillow. His hand scrambled for his phone on the nightstand, checking for any notifications either from his friends or Gojou-sensei but he found none. Understandable, since all of them were worn out, but delighted nevertheless, from their small trip. They went back when the sky morphed into purple, after all. Like Yuuji, maybe they had taken a shower and slept to ease their exhaustion.

He turned off his phone, put it back onto its previous place, and draped his blanket over his figure. Their trip was fun, really, but Yuuji was starting to feel the effects of going out to the beach when the winter was near. He huffed a misty sigh that dissipated into the darkness of his room, from faint white into nothing. He wondered if someday he would be like that too, when the time finally came. Nothing but the foul vessel of the King of Curses.

Yuuji closed his eyes, and that was when he heard a knock on his window.

.

Satoru realized that he, by no means, was a strong man.

Truthfully, Satoru was nowhere near strong when he was with his precious student. How could he be? His precious student was so blinding when he smiled, scented so alluring when he was bathed in Satoru’s scent, sounded so lovely when he called out his name, tasted so sweet under Satoru’s whims, and felt so warm and just perfect in his arms. This adoration surged further than any other emotion that Satoru still preserved, to the point Satoru couldn’t keep up with the flow anymore. It kept on flowing and flowing until he failed to see its end.

Just a hint of presence from Yuuji could make Satoru’s heart hammering in his ribcage, a silly feeling he only heard in cheap romantic movies. Though Satoru knew he was digging his own grave by loving the boy who would be executed someday in the future, Satoru stayed stubborn with his shovel. Why should he care about people’s opinion? This was his life, and he would lead it by himself.

Thus Satoru came by Yuuji’s dorm after his mission, curious about his students' trip to the beach for it was a break all of them deserved. In this dark, dangerous reality of jujutsu world, a vacation as simple as a trip to a secluded beach was a nirvana of its own. He knocked on Yuuji’s window, and despite the sleepy façade Yuuji had, he bolted up from his bed to open the window and greet Satoru. “Sensei! Welcome back!” Yuuji exclaimed cheerily, arms extended.

And Satoru was fast to oblige. He tackled his precious student to the bed and hugged him tight, breathing in his grandiose-scented shampoo and something that was unmistakably Yuuji. Yuuji laughed as he pushed the window closed, hands ruffling Satoru’s hair in a way that surfaced butterfly wings in his chest. “I’m back, Yuuji-kun! How’s the beach? Did you and the others enjoy it?”

“So much!” Yuuji nodded against Satoru’s collarbone. He shifted their position so they lied on the bed, facing each other. With this Satoru was granted by the sight of Yuuji shining with silver glitters from the moonlight. Breathtaking, and Satoru grinned so widely that it almost hurt. “The beach was really cold, though, and we could only play around the shore, but it was super fun!”

“Aww, glad to hear that.” Satoru gushed, sneaky lips starting to litter kisses along his precious student’s face. “How I wish I could join you guys…”

Yuuji smiled, accepting Satoru’s kisses too easily. “Yeah, I hope so too, sensei. The fun would be multiplied if you were there! Imagine all of the commotion!”

“Oh, I definitely would cause so many commotions, I can tell you that.” Satoru promised, nose nuzzling to Yuuji’s slightly chubby cheek, and Yuuji giggled at that. Melodic and sincere. “Maybe we could do it again someday, yeah? You’ll drag your friends and the second-years, while I’ll drag Shouko, Nanamin, and Principal Yaga to come along! It would be a big party on the beach!”

“Ooohh, great idea, sensei!” Yuuji beamed at him, and Satoru almost squinted his eyes. Even his hand was already lifted to cover his vision. What was the time the last he checked it? Nine in the evening, right, yet he could feel or see no darkness of the night when he literally had a sun right here. A sun that lit up Satoru’s world into a clearer, brighter scenery. His own sun.

“Right?!” Satoru beamed back, opting to par with the light of his life. “It’s settled, then! Since we couldn’t do it in winter, then we’ll go in spring! It wouldn’t be too cold or too hot like summer, and the sky would be clear!”

They continued to share their ideas about the upcoming trip, cheery voices that was unbeaten by the late hour echoing in Yuuji’s room. Satoru felt like he could live in this moment forever, where there was no one else but Yuuji and him in this room, where everything was serene and the world decided to slow down for once. His emotion swirled lively in this chest, dancing by a gentle breeze akin to the ending autumn air. Dancing with movements so swift, so fluid like his river of affection and love for one Itadori Yuuji.

“Sensei, do you have plans for Halloween? I just remember that tomorrow is October 31^st!” Yuuji suddenly asked when sleepiness managed to reach him and Satoru thought it was their time to sleep.

Satoru perked up at the reminder, humming to himself. “Maybe I’ll treat myself with desserts and gift my students with candies. For you, Yuuji-kun, I’ll get you the best of sweets. Just you wait for it.” He said with a confident grin, poking Yuuji’s flushing nose with his own that Yuuji chuckled at.

“No problem, sensei! I’ll wait just for you!” Yuuji retaliated with a grin of his own, leaning forward to kiss Satoru’s lips properly. “Good night, sensei. Love you!”

“Love you too, Yuuji-kun. Good night~.” Satoru’s lips lingered longer on Yuuji’s forehead than he intended, and they slept in each other’s arms, leaving the calm night of October 30^th behind them.