The way Sukuna trips and almost falls face first on the ground makes him genuinely laugh. “Not like /husband/ husband. It’s…a bit complicated.” When Sukuna’s stunned face doesn’t change he adds with a little smile “An open marriage of sorts, if you will”

Sukuna clicks his tongue before answering “He must be fucked in the head or something” At Satoru’s raised eyebrow he adds with a half shrug “No one in their sane mind would be in an open marriage with someone like /you/”

He wants to say something like he’s got someone better, but he just laughs, loud enough some passersby eye them curiously.

I made a strawpage so come talk to me (kindly) about this there!! https://stellarran.straw.page

🌸 On the fifth day, Sukuna tells him that he's leaving that night for Budapest, that he can’t delay whatever work he has there any longer.

It makes him a little sad but he doesn’t linger on it much. There’s still one day left in the trip anyway, and Sukuna promised to call him as soon as he has work in Japan.

Suguru is still..Suguru. Satoru barely sees him. When he comes back to their honeymoon suite late at night the king sized bed is always left empty for him, even though he made sure to leave him a note saying that it was his turn to sleep there.

On the sixth and final day, he wakes up later than usual since he doesn’t have anything planned, nothing besides packing anyway.

Suguru is at the terrace drinking his coffee (at least he’s a quiet raiser, never makes any noise when he wakes up before him) & besides a polite ‘Good morning’ they don’t talk at all as Satoru starts collecting his stuff that somehow ended up on every surface of the hotel suite.

He doesn’t mean to but he startles, hard, when he turns with the third shirt he pulled from under the bed and Suguru is standing right behind him, with his hands in his pockets and his hair down.  “Sorry, didn't mean to scare you”

Satoru nods, expecting him to move past him or something but he doesn’t budge, as if he’s not done yet.  “There’s a local restaurant with a really cool concept that I’d like for you to try. I made a reservation at five. That is if you say yes”

Satoru should know by now, that when it comes to Suguru he really has no control over himself. He knows he should decline. He knows Suguru is not doing it for /him/. Maybe he was chastised by his lover for being so mean to him and he’s doing it for /them/.

Maybe he realized that Satoru can be a pain in the ass and it would be better to stay on his docile side. He doesn’t know exactly why, but he’s certain that it’s never to genuinely be his friend.

Despite it all, despite how bad it hurts to know that Suguru merely tolerates him, he says yes. With his heart beating loudly in his chest and his own mind cursing at him he says yes. For a split second, he thinks that Suguru’s little tight lipped smile is worth it.

The cool concept turns out to be making your own pasta before passing them to the chef to be cooked (if they’re good enough). Satoru can’t believe it, but he’s actually having a great time.

And it’s not because of the whole pasta making process, he loves cooking and he’s great at it. But it’s more about..the company. Because it turns out Suguru, to put it lightly, sucks. And it’s the funniest thing ever.

He can’t help his loud laugh as he watches the dough slip through his fingers and almost all the way to the floor. How he managed to make it so mushy and sloppy is a mystery. Suguru glares at him and that only makes him laugh harder.

“You’ve got flour all over your face” He nods towards him and Satoru instinctively reaches for his right cheek, wiping at it a little too aggressively with his eyes wide open.

This time it’s Suguru’s turn to laugh and Satoru just..stares at him, heartbeat picking up in his chest because he hasn’t heard him laugh this carefree since they were younger and went to the same business school. It’s beautiful.

He’s beautiful, with his head thrown back and his hair loose (and some flour on his cheeks too actually!) and Satoru is reminded why he fell in love with him in the first place.

When his laugh finally dies down Suguru looks at him curiously, head tilted to the side and the simple act of getting caught staring makes his cheeks burn into flames. He looks away immediately, eyes focusing on the vintage manual pasta maker in front of him.

The dinner afterwards goes surprisingly well (they end up using Satoru’s pasta) although a bit awkward at the beginning. Satoru is never one to hold grudges but he’s still a little wary.

He expects his so called husband to be cold and silent the entire night but he ends up the one stirring the conversation, complimenting his pasta and going as far as paying for them both.

It’s /not/ a date, he keeps reminding himself the entire night. He has to repeat it in his head like a litany every time Suguru smiles his way or does something simple like holding the door open for him as they leave.

It’s not a date. He knows that. But it’s hard to not dream and hope when he has a false taste of what he could have.

There’s one thing I’m still hesitant about for this au and I want to know your opinion. It may or may not add things to the plot👀 Should Suguru’s lover be a…

Satoru stands in front of the unfamiliar door with his lower lip caught between his teeth. It’s too early for a Sunday, and that is the /only/ reason he hesitates.

He knocks once but he gets no answer so he knocks again, and again, each time louder. After some moving and what sounds like someone bumping against something the door opens.

Suguru’s eyes are almost entirely closed, his hair, for some magical reason down but not the mess you’d expect from someone who just woke up (how does he do that?! Satoru will never know) and the worst of all, he’s not wearing a shirt.

Satoru already figured that apparently he sleeps without a shirt during their past week sleeping in the same room, but he’s still surprised, mouth going dry at the close proximity with such defined abs and tanned skin.

He must work out a lot. He must lift a lot of heavy weight to have all that- “Satoru? What is it? Do you need something?” Satoru blinks, eyes slowly moving to Suguru’s face when he hears him ask groggily.

He clears his throat then he takes a step back when he realises he was standing too close to the door.  “Yes, I need a spare room for my art supplies and paintings. They were shipped to my parents’house last week because we weren’t around. My mother’s sending them back here in-”

He pulls his phone to check the time “an hour” Suguru just looks at him,blinking slowly, words bit by bit registering in his head & Satoru has to physically hold back from letting out a squeak. “You need a room. For your art”  Satoru nods. “Okay. Give me-give me ten minutes.”

Satoru can only nod again. And before he has the chance to sneak a glance inside Suguru’s room, he’s already turning and closing the door softly behind him.

He waits patiently in the hallway, mindlessly going through his texts with his mother. Of course she would be eager to get rid of anything related to his job, the job she never approved of and always made sure to remind him how much of a waste of time it was.

Just like he said, ten minutes later Suguru comes out with a shirt on (Satoru doesn’t know if he should be relieved or disappointed) and looking notably more awake. “The room won’t be just to store your art, you will be working there too right?”

He asks carefully and for a moment Satoru fears he will ask him to rent a studio instead. It’s not like he doesn’t have one (he actually has three in Tokyo alone)

but most times he prefers working at home, where all he needs is close and he can wake up in the middle of the night and just paint when he gets the sudden urge.

Maybe he should’ve asked him first. Maybe he should’ve- “I don’t know much about art but I believe you will need a room with maximum natural light. Besides your own room, the second best would be the one right across from mine or the one upstairs next to your-”

“I will take this one!” He interrupts quickly, pressing himself to the door of the room Suguru just pointed at, the one right across from his.  “No stairs. It will be easier for me to move new canvases” He adds after a moment, heart beating loudly in his chest.

Suguru stares at him. Satoru stares back. Then just like that the tension breaks when Suguru simply shrugs. “As you like. I’m in great need of coffee right now. Let me know when the delivery guys arrive”

When he disappears down the hallway Satoru finally lets out the breath he’s been holding. He opens the door and he’s immediately met with warm sun rays coming through the big window.

He steps inside until he’s in the middle of the room and then with a little smile he closes his eyes and basks in the sunlight. He can’t wait to grab his brushes and be covered in paint again.

~I did imply that Satoru doesn’t work at the company anymore but did you guys expect him to be AN ARTIST ??! :D Also the lover will make an appearance soon…stay tuned!!

🌸 In less than two weeks Satoru finds himself establishing a routine.  Living with Suguru is like living with a college roommate that he barely sees on work days. But at least he’s not as cold.

He still spends most of his time in his room when he’s not at the office but he comes out sometimes and hangs out in the living room when Satoru is confined in his new art room. Despite always keeping the door open Suguru never takes a step inside.

The email he’s been anticipating and dreading comes one Thursday afternoon.   He was expecting it, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t rub his temples in annoyance. Their first official public appearance after the wedding is of course to be at one of the company’s big events,

where all the shareholders and journalists would be present. Satoru knew that. But the long email his mother sent brings him a headache.

The preparations, the outfits, the list of public figures who would be there, the schedule throughout the entire night, what is he supposed to say, how is he supposed to act.

The deal was to ditch company work and do whatever he wants with his career but marry /for/ the company and remain the face of the Gojo corporation, meaning attending all the public important events.

He promised to keep his part of the deal. But his mother is definitely pushing it a little too far with the highlighted names of guests he is to NOT interact with.

It’s almost impressive how Suguru doesn’t seem bothered much when Satoru asks if he received an email as well and it turns out an almost exact copy of Satoru’s (except the few points his mother exclusively saves for him)

The suits arrive two days before the event, both in black, the sleeves of his jacket embroidered in silver and Suguru’s in gold.

Maybe he puts on a little more effort than he usually would for these kinds of events while getting ready, a dark pink shade with some glitter that he knows brings out the blue of his eyes,

a light crimson on his cheeks to add a natural blush and of course, as much lip gloss as his lips can take.  When he comes out of his room Suguru is waiting at the end of the stairs and Satoru’s heart skips a beat at the sight instantly.

It’s almost sinful how the dress shirt fits him so well, the fabric stretching on his chest he fears some buttons will snap open if he breathes a little too hard.

And no he is not jealous of how his hair is perfectly styled in a secured bun, no strand out of place when he spent half an hour struggling to slick back his own hair and miserably failed.

The drive to the venue is silent, too silent that Satoru reaches out for the radio without asking. And when they finally get there he almost falls face first when Suguru opens the car door for him and guides him all the way inside with a hand placed on his back.

The touch is barely there. Satoru knows it’s all an act for the flashing cameras, the pageant smiles, the calculated nods towards certain journalists, how he reassures him that the drink he brings him is non alcoholic because Satoru doesn’t usually drink

and how he laughs that deep fake laugh Satoru actually hates when one of the shareholders’ wife comments about how much of a caring husband he is. It’s all an act. He /knows/.

But the touch still burns. His cheeks still heat up and his heart..His heart only yearns more for something he would never have.  His own father is the first to speak for the opening and despite not wanting to, Satoru listens carefully.

He won’t be surprised if Gojo ends up dropping his name and asks him to speak too. While his mother is always about planning everything four years in advance his father relishes on putting him on the spot like that.

When it’s Suguru’s father’s turn to speak, Satoru turns to him but his husband is nowhere to be found. He frowns (he was literally standing next to him a few minutes ago) then he checks his phone to make sure that he’s not mistaken.

After Geto’s speech Suguru is indeed supposed to be presenting the plans for the upcoming year.  He waits five more minutes and when there’s still no sight of him he decides to look for him himself,

first taking advantage of his height and craning his neck around then heading for the bathrooms when he still doesn’t see him.