Chapter Text
Satoru always regarded himself as extremely intelligent in a lot of things. He graduated with his master's in physics when he was 23, got awards for his thesis papers, grew up with parents that enrolled him in the most prestigious schools and set him up with the best tutors and music instructors' money could buy. Growing up as privileged as he was, he had everything at his beck and call.
The only thing Satoru was not well equipped to deal with was, unfortunately, genuine human interaction. All the maids and housekeepers that he grew up around were forced to be nice, paid to cater to his every want. He had never been allowed out without some form of supervision, never had actual, genuine friends. It suffocated him, stifled him to the point he was rebelling constantly. Sneaking out, throwing fits, breaking expensive art pieces to get his parents attention. None of them worked. Nothing Satoru did seemed to get his parents attention, only serving to annoy staff and drive people off.
That’s probably how he ended up in the situation he was in now. So ready to rebel against his parents and his family, he fell for the charms of the first decent guy he knew that would piss off his parents. Since he had never been allowed to date, he didn't notice how fast everything had been moving, how quickly this guy had changed once he had Satoru chained down. He had grown too attached to him, unwilling to leave the first relationship that he had forged for himself. To up and leave would be a big change, especially once he had his son. He didn't want to rely on his parents anymore, so he stayed. He let his husband fill his brain with these standards on how relationships should go, and how no one would love Satoru like he loves him.
Satoru was 30 now, and as much as he hated the term, he was a glorified single mother. Yes, he was married, but did his husband help at all? Did his husband change their son’s diapers, wake up in the middle of the night to feed, do any type of chores around the home? No, of course not. Satoru was the one to do practically everything, including funding their lifestyle. Even though he no longer spoke to his family, he still had a substantial amount of money he could pull from thanks to them. His husband only worked at a cushy office job just to keep up appearances that he was the breadwinner, not simply riding off Satoru’s coattails.
He was so busy all the time; Satoru really had no time for what he had loved to do. Teaching had been one of his favorite things to do, nurturing the minds of his students and pushing them to do better. Once he had Megumi, though, his husband had been reluctant to let him keep working. They would argue, his husband saying that Megumi needed him around and that his job would take away from their son. He thought it was absolute bullshit of course, but honestly? He didn’t care. It was nice to just have someone around him, someone that loved him and wanted to be around him. His husband satisfied that urge of companionship, the one that Shoko couldn’t help him with.
Satoru felt like a zombie, going through the motions to keep Megumi well taken care of. He wasn’t a difficult baby or toddler, just quiet, but on top of everything else Satoru unfortunately must deal with it led him to neglect other parts of his life.
Knock, Knock, Knock!
Satoru jolted from where he had been staring off into space, settled firmly into the couch with a half-folded sweatshirt held firmly in his grasp. Satoru blearily looked around, getting his bearings as his eyes adjusted to the brightness of his living room. His house was very plain, very minimalist, and not looking very lively. Satoru hated it. He always loved color, little knickknacks and decorations, but his husband liked to keep things simple. Glancing over to the floor, Satoru couldn’t help but smile softly at the sight of Megumi asleep and safe in his play pen among his toys.
He stood, stretching out his legs as the front door continued to ring with knocks. “I’m coming, can you shut up already?” Grumbling to himself, he opened the door prepared to chew out the solicitor on his front porch. Before he could speak, his eyebrows shot up.
“Shoko?”
“So you aren’t dead. Ignoring me, then? Not very nice of you to throw me away like that you know.”
Shoko stood on the porch, arms crossed. She looked significantly more drained from the last time he had seen her. Dark bags made a permanent residence under her eyes, and a light frown on her face. “I thought you were dead, dingus. You like to disappear on me.” She flicked his forehead, making him flinch and swat her hand.
“Not my fault I have a kid! He keeps me busy.” Rolling her eyes, she stepped past Satoru into the house. Satoru watched as her eyes did a quick sweep of the place as he walked over to sit back on the couch.
“You’re acting like you’re doing a welfare check on me. I'm fine you know! Heaven forbid a guy want to nurture his son!” He threw his hands up, an exasperated sigh leaving him as Shoko walked over to sit beside him on the couch.
“...Are you done?”
“...Yes.”
“Good.” Clearing her throat, she leaned back into the couch. Her analytical gaze swept over Megumi. “Has he been doing good?” Satoru looked over as well, heart squeezing at the sight of his boy. Megumi was always so cute while sleeping.
“Mhm. He’s been fine. On a real grape kick though. I think at one point his body weight was like 5% grapes. He couldn’t stop asking for them.” He snorted, brushing some hair out of his own face. Shoko laughed too, albeit lightly.
“That’s good, that’s good. So, you haven’t noticed anything wrong? Have you taken him to get his checkup?” She pressed, making Satoru crack a grin.
“Man, for someone who hates working outside of work hours you sure are asking me a lot of work-related questions!”
Shoko didn’t reply, her gaze locked on Satoru with an unamused expression. A moment of silence passed before he spoke up. “He’s been fine. Nothing unusual.” He glanced over to Megumi once more. “Doctor said he’s shorter than average, but since I’m tall hes not worried. His diet is good, hes been exploring more with what he eats.” Shoko nodded, smiling some.
“See, was that so hard? You could've just responded to my texts, but instead I was forced to come bombard you in your home.” Satoru glared, nose scrunching up in a way that made Shoko laugh. “Seriously, Satoru. You usually reply within a few days. It’s been almost three whole weeks. I was starting to worry you’d went off the deep end.” Though her tone was light, there was a hint of concern. Shoko had known him the longest, so he knew she’d be able to sleuth out if something was wrong.
Dismissing her words, he waved an unconcerned hand in the air. “I know, I know. See? Perfectly alive and healthy.” He smiled at her, not faltering as she crossed her arms once more.
“Where’s that sack of meat you keep around?”
Satoru sighed. He knew she was going to bring him up. “Business trip again. Said he was meeting with some people down south. He’s supposed to be back in a few days.” Shoko let out a hum, nodding her head.
“I don’t like him.”
“I know, you’ve said that a lot.”
“Let me finish talking, you ass.” Shoko smacked his arm. “When’s the last time you went out for yourself without Megumi? I know you love him, but you have to have some ‘me time’.” Her voice was laced with concern; thin eyebrows furrowed. Honestly? Satoru couldn’t remember. He had been converted into a homebody, hardly venturing out without his son attached to the hip. Taking his silence as an answer, Shoko stood. “Up. Up, get up.” She grabbed his hands, pulling him off the couch. “Go take a shower and put on something other than pajamas. You’re going to go out without Megumi.”
Satoru felt a little pit of dread take form in his stomach. “Why? I don’t need to go out. Megumi is going to be confused when he doesn’t see me here.”
Shoko rolled her eyes. “You say that like he’s a Velcro baby. Megumi will be fine, especially cause Auntie Shoko is going to look after him.” She continued to press Satoru to the stairs.
“I don’t want to bother you by forcing you to babysit. You work so often at the hospital, it isn’t fair to you.” Satoru argued, digging his heels into the ground to resist the shorter woman’s effort.
Continuing to push into the small of his back, Shoko gritted her teeth. “First of all, I at least get time to myself twice a week, you do not. Second of all, you’re not making me. I’m offering. I’m serious, go get changed. You’re going to go enjoy yourself this afternoon child-free.”
Satoru finally let himself get pushed towards the stairs, sighing with reluctance as he climbed. What would he do with a whole afternoon without Megumi? Ever since he had been born, the two hadn’t really had a moment apart. It was going to feel weird without his son by his side. Regardless, he knew if he didn’t get ready, Shoko would have his head. Taking a quick shower to wash off the grime, he primped himself in the mirror. Brushing his teeth, doing his forgotten skincare routine, brushing and blow drying his hair. It made him feel like a person once more, going through these forgotten motions.
Moving to the bedroom, he rooted around his dresser for actual clothes. Whenever he was forced out of the house for some errand or activity he set up for Megumi, he always dresses down. He liked to be comfortable, especially since Megumi was quite active. He decided on a pair of shorts that showed off his lovely long legs and one of his cozy sweatshirts with his college alum on it.
After he was sure Shoko would be satisfied with the amount of primping he did in the mirror to make himself presentable, he trekked down the stairs. Satoru couldn’t help the light smile that spread onto his face when he saw Shoko settled on the couch and eating some of Megumi’s fruit snacks. “Are you going to reimburse him for that? He doesn’t even like me eating those.”
Snorting, Shoko rolled her eyes as she popped another gummy in her mouth. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to buy the best quality fruit snacks he could ask for when he gets up.”
“You better. He got me good in the head with one of his blocks a few weeks ago because I accidentally ate the last pack. Had a knot on my head for two days afterwards.” Satoru sighed, rubbing a spot gently on the top of his head where the block had struck him.
“That’s because you ate the last one, idiot. I would’ve thrown a block at you too.” Shoko flicked on the TV, going through the channels and settling on some random trashy TV show.
Satoru couldn’t help but scoff at her choice, yelping as a pillow smacked him square in the face. “Ow! What was that for?”
He picked up the pillow; eyebrows furrowed in irritation as Shoko snickered to herself. “You act so high and mighty about your TV show choices. Besides, aren’t you supposed to be leaving now? You know, enjoying some time to yourself?”
Oh, yeah.
The thought of leaving Megumi alone was nerve-wracking, even though he would be with his most trusted friend. It ate away at his insides, making his gut feel heavy with a form of anxiety he never really was used to having until Megumi came into his life. The sigh Shoko let out snapped him out of his thoughts, glancing over to where she was staring at him from her spot on the sofa. “You’re not good at hiding what you’re thinking. Megumi will be fine, trust me. We’re not going to burn down the house, and I will call you if anything happens. Okay?” Shoko’s voice was kind but left no room for Satoru to worm his way out of going out.
Begrudgingly, Satoru nodded his head. “Fine, I got it.” He raised his hands in defeat, heading to the front door to tug on his shoes.
“Some separation is always good you know.” Shoko added, watching as Satoru slipped on his shoes and grabbed his wallet from the bowl beside the door. “It’s not healthy to just stay cooped up all the time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Satoru couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that sentiment.
“Point taken.” He sighed, fidgeting by the door. “Are you sure-”
He stopped, lips zipping closed at the pointed glare Shoko gave him from her spot. “Okay, okay. I’ll be back later, I guess.”
Shoko hummed. “Good. Go enjoy being an adult. You have to stay out for at least an hour, otherwise I’m locking you out of the house.” Sighing, Satoru nodded as he pushed open the front door and stepped outside into the bright autumn day.
-
Turns out Satoru really had grown dependent on Megumi. He walked along the sidewalk, letting his mind wander as the warm sun beat down on him. As much as he tried to relax, he couldn’t stop thinking about what he needed to do. Chores, Errands, Cooking, the works. Satoru had been so lost in thought that he had even walked all the way to the park Megumi loved to frequent.
Blinking underneath his sunglasses, he watched as parents with their own children play and enjoy the afternoon. Seeing fathers with their children, bonding before kissing their wives and mothers made something squirm deep in his chest. Disregarding the feeling, Satoru continued walking down the street with his hands shoved firmly in his pockets.
As he traveled further into the shopping district, he picked up the smell of something sweet. This made him perk up, similar to that of when a dog hears the word ‘treat’. Satoru could never resist a delicious baked good. He located the source of the smell, a small coffee shop with a cute little wind chime hanging from the awning. Looking through the large glass windows, he could see it was relatively empty.
Perfect.
He sauntered in, giving a polite nod to the cashier as he was greeted. He would’ve replied, but he was currently eye fucking the pastry cabinet, stomach growling in anticipation. They had so many lined up, from sweet danishes to crepes with fresh fruit it was practically making drool pool in the corners of his mouth. Satoru stood quiet for a few more moments before making his decision, placing his order of a strawberry and blueberry danish, along with a caramel crepe, and a disgustingly sweet latte that even the cashier couldn’t help but crinkle her nose at.
After successfully obtaining his goodies, he sat outside the cafe at a small table with an umbrella. Satoru always enjoyed people watching, plus the weather was incredibly nice. It would be a shame if he didn't sit outside! Munching on his crepe, his eyes wandered the street thoughtfully. It had been quite a long time since he could sit and enjoy something like this without the worry of Megumi getting bored or needing to rush home to do some sort of housework. It was...relaxing. He would have to thank Shoko somehow. Maybe paying for her tab at a bar for a night?
As he thought about the various ways he could repay Shoko for her kind deed, his eyes fell on a shop further down the street. He couldn’t read what the sign on the door said, but judging by the amount of people stopping to read it, it just had to be interesting. Eating the rest of his pastries and grabbing his latte, he crossed the street in quick strides.
The building itself was small, painted black with brown accents. Potted plants were placed in the windows, with white and purple lettering spelling out ‘UZUMAKI - TATTOOS & PIERCINGS’. Satoru had never had the opportunity to do any type of body modification. Growing up in a very traditional household, self-expression like that was frowned upon. Since his parents had always detested this, he had been interested in it growing up, just wanting a reason to piss off his parents. However, as he grew up, the interest dwindled out after he got out of the scrutiny of his parents' gaze. Finally, his eyes fell on a bright yellow flyer taped to the window. It was flashy, jagged edges and bright bold lettering:
FLASH SALE!
PICK A DESIGN INSIDE
ONLY $60
WALK-INS WELCOME
Satoru could feel his lips purse, squinting at the text on the flyer. He hadn’t thought about getting a tattoo in so long, but something was calling to him. Maybe if he got a tattoo, his husband would finally want to sit down and talk to him instead of retreating back into his office. Riding off of his absolutely flawless logic, with no chance of failing whatsoever, he marched inside with his head held high.
The inside was bright, natural light pouring from the windowpanes. It smelled of incense and antiseptic, with the faint buzzing of a tattoo machine and light classical radio playing somewhere overhead. The room was set in warm tones, various shades of brown and green thrown about that gave the place a welcoming atmosphere. It made Satoru let out a soft sigh, his eyes falling on the woman working the front desk. She looked bored, twirling a strand of pink hair with her finger, eyes trained on an old computer. Satoru approached, feeling a little bit of anticipation curling in his stomach as he cleared his throat to speak.
"Hey there, I saw that flyer outside. You know, for the um…flash sale or whatever it was called. I'm interested. Can I see some designs?" His voice was even despite the feeling of nerves.
The woman from the desk glanced up at him, watching as her gaze did a quick once over before nodding. "Sure, we have one artist available." She stood, grabbing a laminated piece of paper that she slid over the counter to him. Satoru glanced down, blinking at the tattoos sketched out on the sheet. The designs were relatively simple in nature, with a few fruit sketches and some basic tattoos that hes seen freshly 18 year olds get to prove that they were mature to their parents. The bottom of the paper caught his interest though, with text saying 'Simple Lettering Available.' Satoru rubbed at the side of his neck as he thought about his choices. Lettering could be a good idea, simple and tasteful.
Pointing to the text, he gave a little smile to the woman behind the desk. "I think I want to do this one."
She glanced down at the paper, nodding her head. "Great." She smiled. "Geto will be with you in a minute. He needs to set up his station. You can have a seat over there." She pointed over to an old saggy couch nestled firmly in the corner.
Riding off the anticipation of getting his first tattoo, he gave a soft smile and settled down. He watched as the woman disappeared back behind a curtain, his eyes staying locked on the doorway for a hair longer before glancing down at the coffee table in front of him. There were a few thick portfolio books with designs on the front, along with some magazines talking about different tattoos. Curiously Satoru picked up one of the black portfolios with the name 'Suguru Geto'. This he assumed was the man that was going to be tattooing him, so curiously he flicked through the portfolio.
The work was absolutely beautiful. Japanese Traditional designs, with bright colors and realism pieces littered every page. Satoru felt in awe. This was the work of the guy tattooing him?! He was completely enamored with the work, so much so that he didn't notice the shadow looming over him.
"Are you a fan?"
Satoru jolted, startled out of his reverie, eyes snapping up to the man standing in front of him. His heart felt like it was going to jump up into his throat as his eyes fell on 'Suguru Geto's' face. He was incredibly handsome, with strong angular features, long inky black hair with an undercut tied into a neat bun, facial piercings and many, many tattoos. Suguru had a subtle smirk, hands on his hips as he waited for a response.
Slowly Satoru nodded his head, a little breath leaving him. "M-mhm. Yeah, your work is…really amazing." In retrospect, he should feel guilty thirsting after a stranger like this. He was married after all! However with the way Suguru looked, how kind and caring he looked made Satoru lower his guard. He would never see him again after this appointment, so was it really wrong?
Suguru couldn't help but laugh some, smile widening some as he stuck out a large hand. "Suguru Geto. I will be tattooing you today."
Satoru felt like his brain was lagging as he stared at the offered hand, reaching up to shake it. "Nice to meet you..I'm Satoru Gojo."
Suguru's smile was bright, eyes crinkling at Satoru's awe. "Thank you. Follow me, my booth is ready." Motioning effortlessly, he walked back behind a black curtain. Satoru felt like he was in a trance as he followed, letting Suguru guide him to the tattoo chair. He was too busy staring at his face that he didn't even register he was speaking until a pair of tanned fingers snapped in front of his face. "You okay? Don't tell me you're already going to pass out on me." He teased, making Satoru's face flush a deep crimson and quickly shake his head.
"I'm okay, just a little nervous. I've never gotten a tattoo before."
Suguru seemed pleased with that, shifting on his stool. "I see, well, lucky me then." The way his voice almost turned into a purr made a light shiver run up his spine, squirming slightly in the seat.
Now that Satoru wasn't totally ogling Suguru, he took the time to look around his workspace. It was very neat and orderly, with the warm natural colors from out in the lobby making their home in the space. Suguru had a lot of plants everywhere: hanging from the ceiling, on shelves, on the floor. It made everything feel relaxing, just like the lobby. He wondered if Suguru had helped design the parlor.
There were also framed photos of a lot of Suguru's work, dated and signed with different sheets of flash designs. In the corner there was a small desk, piled high with art books and a tablet that Suguru rolled over in his stool to grab. In the air there was a distinct smell, similar to the incense, but something more attuned to the man getting ready to tattoo him.
"Manami said that you wanted to do the calligraphy option, right? What did you want it to say?" Suguru questioned, his expression kind and patient as he watch Satoru flounder. He felt so embarrassed. What about this guy was making him lose his cool so bad!
Satoru gave a little nod, swallowing and fidgeting with his ring. "Yeah, um..I would like it to say 'infinity'." Suguru smiled and nodded, eyes focusing slightly on the ring nestled on Satoru's ring finger. He didn't comment, or even made a facial expression in response, however Satoru could see the way he straightened up and back slightly. It made him feel…weird. Why did he care so much?
"That's a nice idea." Suguru replied, grabbing his tablet to begin working on the design to print it off. "What made you think of it?"
Satoru smiled lightly, settling back into the chair. "I went to school for physics, astrophysics to be specific, and I was a physics teacher. I really loved it. There's just something about how vast everything is and we are just a little blip in it all that's so intriguing to me." His voice was soft, crossing his ankles as he looked up at the ceiling. "I always thought how amazing it was, that everything goes on for seemingly infinity, just like how people have infinite choices. I thought it would be a fitting tattoo." His cheeks were still red, glancing over to Suguru.
He swallowed thickly when he saw Suguru's eyes trained firmly on him, a light crinkle in the corners due to his soft smile. "You sure you haven't thought about this before? That's a very beautiful idea."
Satoru laughed some, shifting. "Ah, well, I have a little bit when I was younger. I just wanted an excuse to piss off my parents. They hated tattoos." Suguru laughed, turning his attention back to his tablet.
"Classic teenage rebellion story. I love it." Suguru purred, finishing up the design and turning the screen of the tablet to Satoru.
He felt excited when he saw the design, a big grin breaking out on his face. It was simple calligraphy of the word Infinity, with tiny little stars surrounding the word. It was simple, tasteful, and Suguru even included little things relating to his conversation about astrophysics. "Wow..it's amazing. Yeah, I really like that." Satoru smiled, with Suguru following suit.
"I'm glad you like it. Now, where do you want it at?" Satoru paused briefly, glancing down at his body. He didn't really think about where exactly, but…
"Maybe here?" Satoru pulled up his shirt slightly, pointing at the area around his hip bone. Suguru hummed softly, scooting closer to observe the area before nodding.
"Good placement. Since it's your first, I'll move it around so we're not hitting your hip bone. It might be a little painful, but nothing too crazy." Satoru nodded, shivering slightly at the feeling of Suguru's hand against the soft skin of his hip. He can do this! He's not going to whine or cry, embarrass himself in front of his hot tattoo artist! Suguru patted his hip, pulling back to begin printing off the stencil. Satoru was hypnotized, watching as Suguru worked in a methodical nature. After shaving, prepping, and lining up the stencil how Satoru wanted, Suguru smiled from his stool. "Alright, Satoru. Are you ready?" Satoru felt another shiver up his spine.
God, the way this guy said his name was so hot.
Giving a little nod, he swallowed thickly. "Mhm. I'm ready as I'll ever be."
Suguru hummed, settling close and grabbing his tattoo machine. "Just let me know if you need a break, okay?" Satoru nodded in agreement, letting out a little breath as Suguru began to tattoo. It definitely burned, with Satoru biting his lip hard in an attempt to stifle any type of sound, fingernails bit into the skin of his palm and eyebrows drawn up and furrowed. Suguru, the saint he was, encouraged Satoru to talk about anything under the sun to take his mind off the stinging and burning sensation on the sensitive skin of his hip. He took him up on the offer, rambling about all things physics, his son, his life, how his husband wasn't too attentive to him anymore. Suguru would give little responses, asking questions in turn to keep Satoru talking and giving tidbits into his own life. Suguru had been tattooing officially for five years now, and he had his own two little sisters to take care of.
It just felt like Satoru could talk to Suguru about anything. Before Satoru knew it, Suguru was cleaning off the tattoo with a damp paper towel. "There we go. All done. You did good." Satoru felt his cheeks warm at the praise, looking down at the new ink in his skin. Suguru did a beautiful job, with the line art delicate and purposeful.
"It's beautiful. I'm glad I decided to come in." Suguru nodded in agreement, beginning to clean up his workstation with practiced ease. Satoru watched the way his muscles moved underneath the shirt he was wearing, a soft sigh leaving his nose. After today, he would never see this man again. He wasn't sure why that left a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, choosing to ignore it for now. Satoru slowly slid off the chair, taking a brief glance in the mirror. "I owe you $60, right?" He asked, glancing back behind him. His cheeks reddened when he saw Suguru was already observing him with a soft expression.
"Usually, yes…however." Suguru hummed some, shifting on his stool. "I think I'd rather take you out for payment. Would you like that?"
Satoru felt his heart stutter in his chest, like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs as he stared. A date? "Um…" Glancing down at his ring finger where the silver band now felt like a brand, Satoru swallowed some. Suguru was definitely hot, but he was no cheater, even if his husband was neglectful. "Well…it can't be a date." Satoru frowned slightly, lifting up his left hand again to show off the wedding band as a reminder.
Suguru's face shifted slightly to an emotion he couldn't quite pick out, almost like he was disappointed. "Ah, yes. Forgive me. It slipped my mind." He said, backpeddling as he shifted his stool away.
Seeing him back away like that made something stir within his chest, a frown quickly tugging on his lips. "But…I would like to hang out, just not as a date." His voice was careful, slow as he eyed Suguru where he had backed away to give him space.
This made Suguru perk up, smiling some more as he rolled over to his desk. Writing down his number on a business card, he pushed it into Satoru's palm. "Here, you can text me when you decide where you want to go." He said, squeezing his hand gently before scooting back. "Be sure to pick up that packet from Manami at the desk to help with tattoo care." Suguru turned to a small cabinet, pulling out a small tube of cream. "Here, use this on it when you take the second skin off. It'll help heal."
Shoving the cream into his pocket, Satoru gave a shy little smile. "Thanks for that. I'll…be sure to text you, and I'll let you know how my tattoo heals up."
Suguru seemed satisfied, nodding his head. "Good. Can't wait to hear back from you. Bye, Satoru. Be safe." Again with the purr of his name! It was going to drive Satoru up the wall with how good it sounded. He just nodded, murmuring a soft 'you too' before stepping out of the room and heading to the front desk. After picking up the after care packet, he felt like he was in some sort of trance as he walked home with the business card burning a hole in his pocket. He definitely had some things to think on, but for now, he needed to talk to Shoko.