Chapter Text
At fourteen, Suguru is already the most powerful sorcerer of his generation, bar Six Eyes.
He doesn't know what to expect when he gets offered the deal. It's a good one that will keep his parents comfortable for the rest of their lives, no matter what happens to him. And if nothing happens, he'll be comfortable too.
Be at Gojo Satoru's side at all times.
The Gojo heir and inheritor of Six Eyes has a bounty on his head, after all. Not even old enough to warrant a ticket for a bus ride and people already want you dead. You have to wonder.
But then, he meets Gojo Satoru. And Suguru thinks that he must be the loneliest five year old in the world, with every thing a child could ever want under the sun except for the one thing money can't buy.
He's just a child.
Geto Suguru has always had a soft heart. He says yes.
Gojo Satoru is six when he first meets Suguru.
He is old enough to know that crying does nothing and getting attached to something only leads to it being taken away. He is old enough to know that comfort is for other children, even if he has all the toys and books in the world. He is old enough to know that he is Gojo Satoru, and that being Gojo Satoru means he cannot be a child.
The first thing that Suguru notices: how quiet and serious this six year old is.
Suguru is an only child. But he's spent enough time around his cousins and the younger kids back in his neighborhood to know that no six year old should look so solemn, should sit so still. Suguru, frankly, doesn't know what to do with him.
During his first week, he learns:
1. Being raised as Gojo Satoru, emphasis on Gojo, emphasis on Six Eyes, leaves little room for Satoru.
Suguru stis across Gojo Satoru and knows that he is being perceived just as much, if not more, by the child in front of him.
"I don't need a minder," Satoru says.
"That's great," Suguru replies. "Because I'd be a terrible minder."
The thing is, Suguru can want to be Gojo Satoru's companion. But he has no idea where to start. Until one day, Satoru refuses to do something and Suguru tries to persuade him like he's one of the little kids back home.
"I'll give you candy," Suguru says.
Satoru frowns. "I'm not a kid."
He says it in all seriousness, three feet something tall dressed in a kimono worth someone else's car.
Still, it's a child's kimono. Still, he is a child.
"You are though," Suguru says, ungracefully. What would a more graceful response have been? He maybe could have agreed. That is what others in this household would probably do. Encourage, even.
Of course not, Gojo-sama, they would say. You are the heir to the Gojo clan, inheritor of Six Eyes. You are not a child.
Suguru disagrees. Gojo Satoru is a child. The rest of it is secondary. He realizes the irony of his thinking. If it was true, he wouldn't even be here.
"And anyway, what's candy got to do with how old you are, anyway? Grownups eat candy too." To show him, Suguru pops a candy in his mouth. Melon. Not his favorite.
Satoru considers this. Frowns. "What flavor?"
Suguru grins. Holds our his palmful of candies. "I've got lots. You can pick, as long as you do your work."
Satoru chews it over. Huffs as he stomps to his table with the open book. Standing, he's only a little bit taller than Suguru, who's still sitting crosslegged in his original spot beside Satoru's desk.
"I get two," Satoru says imperiously. He holds out two fingers as he says it.
Suguru smiles. "Sure," he says. Thinks gladly, So, the child is still there after all. "But, only if you finish your work."
During Suguru's second week, he also finds out:
2. Gojo Satoru is a real bratty kid.
Suguru figures it's what that kind of upbringing gets you. That insane combination of having everything you could ever want but also nothing you do. Spoiled and neglected at the same time. Gojo Satoru, raised by the world's most expensive wire mother. But, he'd never even had the option of choosing any other kind.
So, Suguru is admittedly real soft on him. Sue him, that he can't help but see Satoru as a kid first before the would-be weapon or even the figurehead. The elders disagree, of course. Or would, if he had shown it in front of them. But Satoru is a smart kid, and Suguru isn't stupid either. The Gojo clan wants its heir to act a certain way. And so, Satoru only whines and pouts when the two of them are alone. Holds all his complaints until it's just the two of them before he turns back into Satoru, platinum-certified brat.
Suguru is very proud and very fond of him. He's come so far from the serious little boy who had insisted he wasn't a boy. In fact, maybe not even a person at all.
The Satoru currently talking Sugur's ear off about Digimon is worlds away from him.
"Suguru," Satoru says suddenly.
"What?"
The expression on Satoru's face is uncharacteristically serious. "You're the strongest sorcerer in the world, right?"
It's so out-of-nowhere that Suguru takes a moment to respond. From Digimon to this. "Well," he says slowly. That would be you, actually. Except he doesn't want that weight on Satoru. Not yet. He's still a kid.
"I don't know about strongest," he says instead.
Satoru huffs. "You don't need to be all humble about it. You wouldn't be here if you weren't. I might have Six Eyes and Limitless, but I've still got a long way to go before I can use it in a fight."
Satoru, lying on his front as he plays Digimon on his console, legs swinging carelessly in the air, says it so easily. Suguru doesn't know what to say to that. So he just makes some vague sound of affirmation.
"But once I can, we'll be the strongest, won't we?" Satoru says. He flops over on his back to look Suguru in the eyes. He grins, wide. "I'll finally be able to come with you on your missions You'll let me ride the Rainbow Dragon, won't you?"
It's something Satoru hasn't been able to let go of. Sugur's technique isn't known to be pretty. It's the furthest thing from nice. He's swallowing curses, after all. To make them his. To get them under his control. But that doesn't change the fact that they're still curses and no one really wants them around.
Except for Satoru, who upon hearing about it, thinks it's sort of like Pokémon, isn't it? That's cool, even though Digimon is way better. Then, when Suguru had mentioned the Rainbow Dragon, he'd gotten it in his head that he had to ride it, because that would be really awesome, wouldn't it, Suguru? Imagine how fun it would be! It'd be like taking it on a walk, except flying. Taking it on a fly!
Taking it on a fly! Suguru thinks. When the thought of using his curses as anything but weapons had never occurred to him. Suguru doesn't hate his technique, per se. It's saved too many lives, including his. But, sometimes, if he's being honest to himself, he wishes it was something else. He's always been a bit of a clean freak. Sometimes, he wishes it was less... dirty.
"My curses are not for your amusement, you know," Suguru says dryly. In fact, if the elders had their way, Suguru probably wouldn't have been their first choice. The boy who swallows curses to be the Gojo heir's companion? Too bad they don't have the choice. Geto Suguru is the best there is. Bar Gojo Satoru, of course.
"Apparently, they're not for my anything," Satoru grumbles. "Since I still haven't seen them."
The thing is, Suguru wants to put it off as long as possible. Right now, Suguru is the strongest in Satoru's eyes in an abstract way. But once Satoru sees his reality. there will be no going back.
It won't be what he expected, Suguru thinks. And he'll be disappointed. Or worse. Can you blame him for not wanting to burst the bubble for a little while longer?
"One day," Suguru says instead. He musses Satoru's hair. Makes him yell a little before he shuts his mouth, not wanting to draw the servants' attention. They're always watching, always listening in this house. "When you're older. Beat me in a match, and then we'll talk."