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“Are you going to Gojo-san?”
“No,” Sukuna replied, totally going to Gojo since it was Saturday and he finally had some free time. He scowled at Itadori and Megumi, cursing his luck that he had to bump into them at the front gate.
“Can we go with you?” Itadori asked in his puppy voice which was annoying because it usually made Sukuna agree to the insane ideas. But this time Sukuna would not give in. The last thing he needed were those two idiots distracting Gojo from training him.
“Get lost.”
“It’s okay, Itadori.” Megumi put a hand on Itadori’s shoulder, glancing at Sukuna with a knowing look. “Ryoumen-san just wants to spend time with his crush.”
“I do not have a crush!” Sukuna growled, resisting the urge to strangle Megumi. He narrowed his eyes, ignoring the sudden heat on his cheeks. “I’m just going to train with him!”
“But you want to kiss him, hm?” Megumi continued with a raise of his eyebrows.
“He’s really handsome and strong!” Itadori added, and Sukuna hated the fact that he was right. But he would rather die than admit it.
Ever since Gojo saved him from the Prison Realm, Sukuna couldn’t stop thinking about him. He heard from Itadori how Gojo suddenly appeared in Shibuya and effortlessly exorcised curses on his way to the station, and Sukuna wished he could have seen it. Once he had been freed from the Prison Realm, Gojo made fun of him and teased him relentlessly but right when Sukuna was ready to go back to Jujutsu High, he told him he could train him.
Sukuna played it cool – grumbling that he would think about it – but internally he was curious and excited to see Gojo Satoru in action. He had thought that the other man was a selfish coward but he proved Sukuna wrong.
“Shut up, I’m only going to him because no one here gives me any challenge during training!” Sukuna growled, glaring at Itadori and Megumi. Both first years smiled at him knowingly and he missed the times when those two addressed him with respect and fear. Now they were just too obnoxious for their own good.
Whatever. It was not like he liked Gojo now. He just wanted to see how strong the other man was. He definitely didn’t have any crush on anybody.
Sukuna didn’t exactly ask for Gojo’s number or any contact information for that matter. He just assumed that once he arrived at the Gojo clan compound, they would either train or drink tea again. He resigned himself to more teasing remarks but he knew it would be worth it.
And to think that less than a month ago he thought Gojo Satoru was a selfish cowardly bastard.
During the whole ride to Kyoto, Sukuna thought about their first meeting and the words Gojo left him with. He has thought about his answer, about what he wanted from life but Sukuna still felt he didn’t exactly deserve to have much of a choice for that matter. What happened in Shibuya only showed him how foolish he had been, how he still brought death and destruction even when he chose the other side this time.
That sorcerer, Kenjaku, asked him to join his cause. Told Sukuna that he was crucial for the next phase of his plan, that he was wasting away fighting alongside jujutsu sorcerers. Sukuna felt dirty just remembering that conversation. If Gojo didn’t kill that man, what would have happened? Even if Kenjaku acted on his own volition, he hoped to involve Sukuna.
The King of Curses might have died in the Heian era but Sukuna was forced to live with a shadow of his legacy every day. The higher ups pissed him off but was there really a third option for someone like him?
For now, Sukuna wanted to simply train and clear his head. And maybe next time he would be closer to his answer.
When he arrived at the Gojo clan compound, Gojo was waiting for him already, as if sensing him before he even made himself known. Sukuna had searched for more information about the Gojo clan cursed technique but he only found general description of the Limitless that didn’t explain anything.
“Missed me already? It’s been only a week,” Gojo said with a playful smirk on his lips which made Sukuna’s blood boil in indignation. This time he was wearing a dark blue kimono with an elaborate dragon motif and a black haori. “Are you here because you found your answer?”
“No, I’m here because you wished you were my teacher so I decided to indulge you,” Sukuna drawled back, crossing his arms and looking bored out of his mind which was proving to be hard because Gojo looked really good right now even if his smirk was infuriating.
“Oh? You’re willing to spend over four hours in total on travel just because you want to indulge me? My, my, you’re so kind.”
“As kind as you coming to Shibuya just because I asked.”
Gojo chuckled, watching him with fondness that did something to Sukuna’s heart. Of course, he refused to acknowledge the warmth spreading throughout his body. He definitely did not have a crush, he just wanted to spar with someone who could keep up with him!
“Very well then, I think I can spare some time for you today,” Gojo replied with mirth in his eyes, taking his arm and teleporting them to a dojo. Sukuna immediately pulled away and tried not to puke while the bastard laughed at him.
The dojo was spacious but sparsely decorated. It was basically a room filled with tatami, a few benches near the walls and a few weapons placed at the far back. There was a door to what Sukuna assumed was a bathroom or a changing room, and another door leading outside.
“So we’re training?” Sukuna asked, grinning to himself once he was sure he wouldn’t puke.
“I already gave you a life lesson on our first meeting,” Gojo answered with a shrug. “Seems fitting to spar with you and check on your hand to hand skills.”
“You’re going to fight me wearing a kimono?”
“And I would win at that,” Gojo quipped with a smirk. “But no, I’m going to change into something more comfortable. You can start on stretching.”
“I’m not a kid.”
“And yet you got sealed like a novice.”
Sukuna clenched his teeth, hating the reminder of his greatest shame. Gojo went to the changing room while one of his servants brought them clean towels and water bottles and put them on the bench. Sukuna didn’t acknowledge them, busy stretching. He might bicker with Gojo but the last thing he wanted was to get a cramp right when he was delivering a finishing blow.
A few minutes later, long after the servant left, Gojo reappeared in the dojo. Sukuna turned to complain that he took his sweet time but any thought he had evaporated in his mind when he saw exactly what the other man was wearing.
A tight dark compression shirt that greatly highlighted Gojo’s lean muscles and a white baggy sweatpants that emphasised his fine ass. Sukuna felt his heart skip a beat and he felt heat in his stomach. Fuck, Gojo Satoru was gorgeous. Maybe he did have a crush on this man after all.
“Ready when you are,” Gojo announced with an easy smile, falling into a fighting position. Sukuna scowled at himself and then ran at him.
After that it was just a blur of motions. A high kick, a parry, a left hook, a series of fast punches, a low kick. Block, parry, evade. Sukuna winced when he got a kick in his stomach but he used that moment to deliver a punch on Gojo’s solar plexus. Too bad Gojo managed to evade it at the last second.
“Now, now, I expected something better from the infamous Ryoumen Sukuna!” Gojo taunted him with a smirk, not breaking the fight. Sukuna growled but couldn’t deny how exhilarating he felt. He barked a laugh at how fast they both moved, how relentless they both were. This was the most fun sparing he had ever had, even if he got his ass kicked.
Or maybe because he got his ass kicked by the most gorgeous man Sukuna has ever seen in his life.
“I was afraid you would be too rusty to give me a real challenge,” he teased with a smirk, managing to finally land a hit on Gojo’s shoulder. The satisfaction was short-lived because in the next second Gojo kicked him on the ankle and then threw him across the room.
“How’s that for a challenge, hm?”
“Did I hit a nerve?” Sukuna grinned sharply, getting up in a record time and then coming at Gojo with everything he got.
The fight continued and soon Sukuna lost count on who was supposedly winning. He didn’t even care if he scored a hit, he just enjoyed the simple notion of fighting with someone powerful.
But then, he threw a punch at Gojo’s face and suddenly there was some kind of force field preventing him from closing the distance.
“I think that’s all for today,” Gojo said with a smile, playfulness dancing in his eyes at Sukuna’s struggle. “You’re not bad but there’s certainly room for improvement.”
“What is this shit?” Sukuna demanded, narrowing his eyes at displeasure.
“This may be the topic of our second lesson,” Gojo said, raising an eyebrow at him. Sukuna growled, finally lowering his fist and stepping away. “That is, if you plan to commit to this training.”
“What do you mean?”
“You can’t just come here whenever you want,” Gojo started, walking to the bench where the water bottles and towels lay. He wiped his face and neck, and Sukuna let himself enjoy the view. He would definitely have a sex dream tonight. “I’m a busy man, you know? A clan head, even.”
“So what, I have to be on your beck and call? I’m busy too!” Sukuna immediately protested, glaring at Gojo and crossing his arms.
“So dramatic,” Gojo sighed with a roll of his pretty eyes. Sukuna grumbled, trying not to feel embarrassed. “I meant that we should agree when to meet via text.”
“Oh… I guess that makes sense.”
“But if that’s something you want to do?” Gojo asked him with gleaming eyes, watching him intently. “Training with me means travelling between Tokyo and Kyoto, dealing with higher-ups and of course getting teased by me all the time.”
“It is,” Sukuna replied without needing to think about it. He finally walked closer and reached for the water bottle. “You’re the strongest, which means you’re the only one who can match me.”
Gojo didn’t look surprised by his words, there was even something akin to understanding in his eyes. Sukuna wondered if Gojo felt the same about him and their sparing – did the other man also enjoy it as much as he did? He had to if he proposed this arrangement in the first place, right?
Or maybe he wanted to manipulate Sukuna? But it wouldn’t make sense and it directly opposed everything Gojo told him during their previous meetings. This offer had to be sincere.
“Good. But I have to warn you, those old cowards will throw a tantrum once they realize where you sneak out,” Gojo grinned at him and Sukuna had to busy himself with drinking water because he felt his heart clenching in something he refused to name.
“I can handle them,” Sukuna answered once he felt safe to speak again. But even then his voice was hoarse. “Here, give me your number.”
Gojo took the offered phone and quickly typed out his number. When he gave it back, his hand brushed Sukuna’s and sent shivers down Sukuna’s spine.
“So, how is Itadori and Zenin doing?” Gojo asked after a second, his expression a little softer now. Sukuna definitely didn’t feel jealous because such feelings were beneath him.
“Fine. Still being annoying brats,” he replied curtly, putting half finished water bottle and taking the towel to wipe his face. “What, are you going to train them too?”
“If they want to, why not?” Gojo snickered before taking a sip of his own water bottle. “For now I gave them a little bit of homework.”
“So I heard.”
Gojo tilted his head, watching Sukuna with a curious look in his eyes. Sukuna tried not to fidget, feeling like Gojo was looking into his soul. What was his deal? And why Sukuna even cared what this bastard thought of him?
“You can share my number with them. And remind them that I’m waiting for their answer,” Gojo said after a moment, his voice light and expression opened. Sukuna grumbled with a nod, shoving his phone deep into his pocket and then putting the used towel on the bench.
So maybe he had a crush on Gojo Satoru but he definitely wasn’t jealous about two brats!
“Sensei was asking about you,” Megumi told him simply when Sukuna came back from Gojo. He and the rest of first years was sitting in the common room, watching a movie. “We told him you went shopping with Kugisaki.”
“I hate shopping with Kugisaki,” Sukuna drawled, sitting down on the couch and glancing at the movie. From the look of it, it was some bad horror.
“Tough luck, senpai,” the girl in question huffed, leaning back on her armchair and glaring at him. “I covered for you so now we are officially shopping buddies. By the way, we’re going to Harajuku tomorrow. I need a pack mule.”
“You need to learn some respect, brat,” Sukuna growled but couldn’t exactly complain since she did cover for him. So, with a heavy sigh, he added. “But fine.”
While Kugisaki was celebrating her victory with a sip of the soda (the whole table was filled with snacks and drinks), Itadori turned to him with a small grin.
“So, how was it? Did you two seriously train?”
“We did hand to hand,” Sukuna said with a smirk of his own, his voice growing a little bit warmer than usual. He just couldn’t hide how good it felt to be able to fight without any restrictions. “Then he told me what to improve and showed me some new moves.”
“That’s amazing!” Itadori said, always so happy for others. Usually, this positivity pissed Sukuna off but today he didn’t mind it that much. “Are you going to visit him again? He’s so cool!”
“He promised to train me,” Sukuna answered with a satisfied smirk, taking a handful of chips. “He also gave me his number so we can schedule lessons.”
“So he’s like your sugar daddy but instead of buying things, he trains you?” Kugisaki asked with a teasing look, clearly enjoying herself. Megumi choked on his drink, Itadori widened his eyes and even Sukuna had a hard time swallowing the chips upon hearing that.
“I will slice you!” He threatened but she only snickered into her hand. Sukuna hated her with all his being right now. “I will tear you to shreds and make it look like an accident!”
“Ryoumen-senpai, killing Kugisaki would make wooing Gojo-san even harder,” Megumi interjected in a calm voice but his eyes shone with mirth. Sukuna narrowed his own, wondering why he was even putting up with them.
But then he remembered that Itadori and Megumi were the ones who visited Gojo to see what happened with Sukuna. And that they, along with Kugisaki, covered for him. So maybe he could let this disrespect slide for today. Besides, the first years would for sure ask him for a spar sooner or later and then he would kick their ass and take his revenge.
“Speaking of him,” he said, ignoring the jab and showing his phone to the first years. “He told me to share it with you.”
“How come you all three losers met this legendary Gojo guy and I didn’t?” Kugisaki whined, getting the phone from Sukuna and immediately typing something on her own. “Unbearable, seriously.”
“Maybe it means you’re the loser,” Megumi replied evenly, raising one of his eyebrows. Sukuna snorted, opening one of the soda cans and taking a sip.
“Shut up!” Kugisaki exclaimed, giving Sukuna’s phone to Megumi so he could also get Gojo’s number. Itadori seemed content to just watch their bickering for now.
Sukuna sighed to himself. He hoped Gojo was prepared for whatever madness those three would bring to him.