Chapter Text
"What the f*ck, Shura?"
Hashido calls, Hari turns to see him. He's hard to miss, he's got rich blond hair up in a ponytail and a fringe at the front with two stands falling at the sides, to match if coursed. And beautiful cyan eyes, and shiny dark skin. Hari is stood near a tree, underneath it's leaves with their hand behind their back politely like a Victorian man. They're at the fayre, it's set up in inner Tokyo, the bright light of the attractions flash off of the talk buildings windows. It's a large park, it's fitting all the attractions cozily, however crowds will always find a way to make traversing a nightmare.
"Hello, how are you? Too you too!" Hari waves as Hashido walks over. "What's with the uniform, *ugh*, I spent so long getting ready and you just rock up in your uniform!". He begins shaking them by their shoulders, grabbing tightly as Hari's face blurs in the motion. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" he exasperates. Swiftly, Hashido shoves a foreign object in his mouth, quick like. It's content now in Hashido's mouth, Hari smartens up, holding a half eaten doughnut in the hand they had hidden.
"What the f*ck!?" Hashido screams with his mouth full. "Chew your food, you pig! I didn't rock up to a farm to steal away a big to bring to the fayre! CHEW MAN!". Hashido swallows, making a presentation of their face while doing it. "What the hell was that?" Hashido asks with his throat now clear. "Doughnut!" Hari responds, they guide the doughnut still in its wrapper towards Hashido's mouth. "Say ahhh"
"You're not gonna feed me!" Hashido moves away their hand with a gentle hold. "Fine then, I'll eat it" Hari protests, opening her mouth to eldritch proportions. "NUH-UH!" Hashido reaches over and kidnaps away the doughnut, itching closer to Hari in the process. "I've already got my saliva on it, it's mine now!" he takes another munch off it.
"Fine, but your paying for mine!" Hari begins walking to the fayre entrance gate, leaving behind the Hashido stuffing their entire face with the doughnut. "Hey wait!" he catches up with them, "do you chew!?" Hari's response is. "What do you think I am!? Of course I chew most of the time, I'm just like you!" Hashido jokes, nudging their side with his elbow while giggling. Hari returns the giggle.
Well in the crowd now, Hari and Hashido with their hands together flow through gaps in the crowd and make their way to a small patch without pedestrian to converse. "Wa'cha wannu' go on?" Hashido asks, face meeting Hari in the bustle. "Idiot, I told you I wanted to eat!" they jest, biking Hashido's head playfully. "But if we eat we'll totally throw up!" his awnser. "So? Wouldn't that be funnier?" "… FINE!" he laughs, dragging them by their hand and locating the food stand like their foodie-scenses guided him to it, like spider-scenses except he was bitten by another foodie.
"Hoshi and Hakri are totally missing out~" Hari jokes, their classmates deciding on a quiet evening at school doing…whatever. It's not their problem. "Do you think Hakari has ever driven?" Hashido asks. "What brought that on?" Hari deflects. "I mean, doesn't Hakari seem like the type of person to by a really expensive car and then bearly ever use it other than for bragging rights?"
"…No". "You're right *ehe*. Buy maybe he couldn've driven us! " giggles between the two ensue. They knock into each other and obscure the others steps, landing head first into strangers or structures. The dark late evening sky makes the lights of the fayre alot brighter, faces mix with clothes and memorabilia and merchandise. Stupid teenager fun overspilling onto the surfaces around them. Other people's words turn to numbers, ride conductors speak instructions over the crowd and those eager to ride.
Hashido stands at a game, those ones where you have to hit the cans with a ball or any rendition of that formulae. Of course, without the help of cursed energy manipulation assisting in their arms strength, the poor cans stood no chance against absolute unit that was Kito Hashido when it came to useless games. Others will call it cheating, and it is, but it's casual so there's nu'hin to worry about. His reward, a oversized teddy bare. The moment the bees is handed to Hashido kicking and screaming, he turns to Hari who was there next to him the entire time.
"Here!" as he shivers the gluttonous fur in Hari's face. "Don't you want to keep this?" Hari bats away the beast with her hands. "You won it, it's YOUR prize!" . "Yeah! I won it for you!!!!" he protests. Hari falls still, hugged by the fur ball. "Really?". They grasp the the teddy to their body, eyes bearly visable over the bear. "Thank you" Hari thanks wetly, eyes suddenly big and grateful.
The duo bearly realise how far they walk until suddenly, they're atop the ferris wheel admiring the roofs of all the buildings surrounding the park they see below them. Far away mountain rest yonder of the concrete jungle, the Pacific ocean a massive hole in Tokyo's night lights with golden waves ripping over the shore illuminated by the megatropolis.
"I like the sunset better." Hashido states. "I like the pretty colours in the sky, like how the clouds go all pink and the sky is orange." he turns to face Hari, who's been keeping her gaze on him for the rides majority. The wind blows form what seems like all angels, tugging at their clothes and hair to fly in each and every direction. Hashido is wearing a blue jumper with a white box in the middle, along with some brown trousers. Thanks to their blonde hair, "you look like a f*cking minion" raises out of Hari's teeth.
"Hey!", Hashido pouts, looking down at his blue adornment and clasping a chunk of his gold hair. "no! I can't totally see it now! Ugh! I hate you!" Hashido walks in Hari's general vicinity, making them blink.
They both settle back into their seat, human stuffed animal seated in between them as a shield, more like sacrificial lamb. Not a teddy bear, just some bloke. Silence befalls the two. It doesn't harm the atmosphere they'd created for themselves a top the wheel, on their own little cart. Not even a lack of speech could harm the relationship they'd created for themselves.
They'd done everything together since their first few days at the technical collage. Hardly separable, they bounced off each other like those weird marbal on a string things you see in offices in movies. Someone smashes one ball against the pack, the ball on the other side jumps, then comes crashing back into the pile to repeat the process. Indefinitely so it seemed.
Unlike Hashido, who's entered the jujutsu world wish fresh unbiased eyes, well, as unbiased the beliefs Gojo holds and shares with Hashido. Shura Hari was raised in a respected clan, not sat with the big three clans, the Zen'in, Kamo, and Gojo. But high enough for a few bad Google reviews left.
Hari's technique involved their cursed energy manifesting in fleshy and squishy poisonous tree roots sprouting fae their skin husk. Thick, strong things capable of shaping a neck easily. Such a powerful technique made Hari the pride of clan Hari.
"I never got to live as a child, in another life maybe…" they had said once, in a conversation with Hashido. "Why not this once?" he'd responded, staring off into nothing in particular. Hari didn't respond, they stayed silent, like they always did. Was.
"Hey," Hari begins, their eyes set in focus. Hashido turns to meet Hari's eyes. Their kind face illuminated by the bright lights below. They're beautiful.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"Hmmm?" Hashido tilts his head, pausing to ponder his awnser. His eyes focus on a particularly tall building to assist in his awnser.
"Honestly" he starts, taking his merry time like he's got all the time in the world. "I've not thought about it much". He takes a moment to readjust his stare back to return Hari's gaze.
To be honest, Hashido probably wouldn't oppose existence's end sometimes. That we wouldn't amount to much, that his death wouldn't ruin someone's life. He's accepted that a someone like him, so weak and feeble, would just get floored by the gust of air a door makes when it closes. He'd accepted that, he hadn't made any future plans. He was happy he wouldn't have to mourn others, that others wouldn't hav to mourn him for too long. Maybe it's be a relief to some, nice to have some extra time to rhense not tending to him.
"I've not thought that much about my future, I dint exactly envisom anything", he smiles, the wind suddenly tugs at his tears and the noise from people below becomes a tad overwhelming. "I always just thought …I don't know…"
"Disappear."
Hari stays silent, listening intently. Their facial exoress drops, a breath they didn't know they were holding releases.
"But…" Hashido chokes on sick words stuck on the tops of his mouth like gunk, his tongue suddenly uncomfortable and hands lost. Body all too real, eyes drooping, eyes drawn back to Hari.
"Even though I've not imagined a future for myself, in it's place I imagine you."
"I want… to stay with you. I want you to be in my future."
He giggles, his admission awkward in his mental review, noting Hari's silence. His cheeks notice a small tear stroll over a hill and rest on his jaw, his radiant brown skin shining. He dried it with his sleve.
"What about you, Shura? You've obviously got lots of exciting plans, don't you?". He laughs a dry mimic, body wracking and shaking ever so slightly. Hands twitchy and suddenly unable to find a comfortable position, jumpy where he holds to the chair.
Hari's silent. Finally, like an ice bucket being poured. "I want to become strong, and help lots of people.". They manage though tears so new, surprise to her face.
"I imagine you in my future too, Hashido" they continue. He turns to fully face them, eyes clear and wide, tiny and blue. "I see you, too" they smile. "You've been one of the first… only people to actually spend time with me. Laugh genuinely with me. You're so kind, careing in your own mysterious ways". They fall silent.
"We're going to become strong together! We'll help each other and lots of other people."
They're back on solid ground now, the concrete floor feels hard and uncomfortable under their shoes. People push and pull past, faces you grudge against and quickly forget. Multiple aromas meld into one sweet and potent smell.
"C'mon! Let's go ride the bumpers!" Hashido shouts from in front of Hari. Their hands have fallen our if each others touch, Hari is desperately trying to keep up, teddy bear still in their arms.
Yesterday, Hari received a mission request. An abandoned building rumord to be housing a curse which lured victims into an untimely demise. With her technique, it'll be fine, ok, bearable.
"Speed up, SLOWPOK-" Hashido is cut off by Hari's embrace, tight from behind him, they tuck the teddy bear in his arms. Squeezing him tightly, their body like a wall against his body, like an iceberg. Their head resting in the nook of his neck, hair painting Hashido's cheeks in intimacy. Arms around his waist, he's shut-up, practically lived off of the ground.
"I love you, Kito."
That same iconic way they had of pronouncing his name, love carried between the syllables, "K" louder on their tongue. Those words, new, foreign, nostalgic. Like everyone stops, it's them. They're they are, you could see then from space or so it felt.
…
"I love you too, Shura."
Their hands already untangled from his form, presence away from his back. Hashido turns with the teddy bear in his hands, Hari is nowhere to be found, the sound of their voice replaying. Where are they, wher've they pondered? Why did they say that like that? Like this? "I unsure if they heard me." he thinks, "did they?"
"Shura?" oh so quietly.
…
Maybe they felt like they needed to prove themselves, as strong, caring, kind, compassionate. Something to learn one is, one you know is of first sight. Maybe it was him who pushed pressure on them to be caring, be kind and compassionate. Why wasn't he there? Our future my ass. The table is cold, the room is cold, the walls couldn't hold in heat as it slipped away like sand through fingers.
Shura is cold. Shura is on the table, they're in the cold room. Shura is dead. Their beautiful face smashed and disfigured, if it weren't for her uniform, lost forever maybe.
Gashes, bruises, cuts, broken bone. They all make up the unforgettable figure of the same Shura Hashido said he wanted in his future. To be with. To see. Their hollow body once dark now revealed, red and gross.
Why wasn't he there? He should've been there? He would died if he was there? That's why he wanted to be there. What happens after death? Is it so bad? Could it be a future? Would they be together?
His feet hurt. He's stood there next to the table Hari lies on. He didn't even recognize Hari as Shura for a few seconds, denial? It should've been me, it was supposed to be me, why wasn't it me's ring out. Why didn't she run, from a much more powerful curse. Why? Did they know by that hug? Why a lot of things? Isn't it human to not have awnsers?
He stands there, sounds run from his teeth. Firsts clenched and figure still, Shoko's in the room too. Tears, lots. Hell forever remember them for this messy pile views from blurry eyes. He sways back and forth, like a thin tree.
"I don't know if they heard me." he remembers.
