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Yuta hated the idea the second he heard it. The idea of being outside of his own body and taking advantage of the one of his beloved sensei made him begin to panic on the spot.
“Yuta.” Gojo put a comforting hand on his student's shoulder and squeezed gently. “Listen to me, okay?”
“I don’t want to do this?” Mortifyingly, Yuta felt tears begin to grow in his eyes.
“Yuta, take deep breaths. Just like we talked about.” Gojo set an example, taking long, exaggerated breaths.
“I don’t want to do this!” Yuta’s voice shook and broke. “Please.”
“Come on.” Gojo hummed gently and helped Yuta sink to the ground. “Breathe. I’ll talk once you’ve calmed down.”
Yuta leaned into Gojo, grounding himself the best he could. Gojo had taken care of him in ways his father never did. The younger had grown attached in an instant, clinging to his teacher like a child. Gojo couldn’t bring himself to be bothered by it. In fact, he enjoyed taking care of the kid.
“Mhm.” Yuta held onto Gojo’s shirt as if he was afraid the older would slip away.
“We’re only going to do it for 5 minutes, do you understand? Do you think you can handle it for 5 minutes?” Gojo kept his tone calm, but strict.
Yuta nodded, but couldn’t get up without falling flat on his ass.
“I’ll get you ice cream after, okay?” Gojo patted Yuta’s face, hoping for at least a small smile.
“Okay.” Yuta’s voice was so small, so delicate. Gojo found it hard to believe that the boy next to him was so powerful.
“Do you want to hold hands? Do you think that would make it any better?” Gojo had grown used to all the little things that made Yuta more comfortable, and physical contact seemed to be the most effective.
“Yeah.” Yuta gripped both of Gojo’s hands, his palms sweaty and his fingers shaking.
“Ui Ui?” Gojo looked at the odd boy standing near them. “We’re ready.”
Yuta shut his eyes tight. When he opened them again, he was looking at himself. Everything around him was so much bigger than it used to be. He couldn’t work the body the way he was used to. He couldn’t even speak.
“Yuta.” His own voice whispered to him.
He wanted to scream, to beg whoever was in his body to stop. Hands pressed against his eyes. He was able to control them, but he wasn’t sure how.
“Gojo?” He hated the way his sensei’s usually comforting voice sounded when he was in control.
“Can you try to stand up?” Gojo said in Yuta’s body.
Yuta shook the head of Gojo’s body, not wanting to talk anymore.
“Only 3 more minutes, okay?” Yuta needed Gojo to stop talking, but he had no way of expressing it. “I know you can handle it.”
Yuta felt himself be lifted. He was so much further up than he was used to. Even his hearing had grown more intense, forcing him to hear the heartbeats of everyone in the room.
“Can you try to talk?” Having his own voice asking him to do things was nauseating. “No? No, you can’t. Hmmm, okay. Can you stand without me?”
Yuta whined.
“Can you open your eyes?” Gojo made Yuta’s voice more mature, and older. Yuta had no choice but to listen.
“One more minute.” Gojo smiled in Yuta’s body, an odd, strained expression.
Yuta shook his head, the closest he could get to saying ‘please don’t do that.’ It was dizzying.
Gojo stepped back, his arms stretched out as if he were training a toddler to walk. Yuta stumbled forward, reaching for his sensei.
“Good job.” Was the last thing Yuta was able to hear before his senses went into overload and knocked him out.
“Yuta?” Gojo held Yuta in his lap, finally back into his own body.
“Let’s never do that again, please?” Yuta rolled over on his side and curled into himself.
“Alright.” Gojo didn’t know if they’d ever have to swap souls again, but he couldn’t disappoint his student. “Are you hungry?”
“I think I’ll throw up if I try to eat.” Yuta grasped Gojo’s shirt, shaking as he came down from the stress that had overwhelmed him. As soon as his body untangled itself from the mess of senses, he began to sob. Loud, uncontrollable hiccups that scared Gojo. He couldn’t stop wailing, seizing, and hyperventilating in his teacher's lap.
When he began to go quiet, Gojo whispered to him. “Is it okay if I move you?”
“Yes.” Yuta had never liked his voice as much as he did at that moment. He enjoyed how everything he needed to say sounded right in his own tone.
Gojo carried Yuta in his arms the way he had countless times before. It was his go-to move when his student's anxiety got the better of him and caused an uncontrollable spiral.
“Are feeling any better yet?” Gojo asked as he wrapped Yuta in a blanket and held him close.
“A little,” Yuta mumbled.
“I’m going to get you some water, okay?” Gojo stood up.
“No, no, please stay!” Yuta almost started crying again, begging and panicking.
“Hey.” Gojo got down on his knee and took Yuta’s face in his hands. “I’m going to be right back. I’m just getting you water because you’ve been crying so much. Do you hear me?”
Yuta took a shaking breath as he nodded. “Yes.”
“I won’t be gone more than a minute. If you need anything, just shout. I’ll be back before you can blink.” It didn’t even take a minute for Gojo to fill up a glass of water and bring it back. Yuta poked his hands out of the cocoon of blankets Gojo had wrapped him in to take it.
“Can we watch a movie?” Yuta requested gently.
“Anything you want.” If Yuta asked Gojo to give him a million dollars and start tap dancing, he’d be in a pair of Bloches and on his way to the bank. His heart melted as his student cuddled into his side.
“You like this one, don’t you kiddo?” Gojo stopped on a calming kid's movie he’d seen Yuta watch with Inumaki.
“Sensei.” Tears slipped down Yuta’s face. It was gentle, a drizzle as opposed to the hurricane it was earlier.
“Yuta, dear Yuta.” Gojo hugged his student tighter. “What’s wrong.”
“I hated that so much.” The teen was too tired to talk, but tears came earlier. “I feel so gross. I feel like I took advantage of you. I hated it so much.”
“We’ll never have to do that again.” He was going to make sure that they never switched souls again. Gojo was willing to die for that kid, but he wasn’t going to force him to take his place. “Never, ever again. I promise. I didn’t know it was that bad for you, I’m sorry.” Apologies didn’t come easy for Gojo, but seeing his kid cry cut deep.
“It felt so bad.” Yuta shook his head and got as close to Gojo as he could. Gojo couldn’t keep his infinity on around the kid, they both needed the contact. Yuta had crawled out of the blankets Gojo had swaddled him in so he could cuddle.
“Kid?” Gojo whispered, looking down to see his dear student fast asleep. He wrapped an arm around the boy and nuzzled into his hair. The student was so soft and fragile despite being one of the most powerful sorcerers.
Watching the kid sleep, Gojo cemented his dedication to being the strongest. If he was the strongest, Yuta could remain a child. He had gone through far more than any 17-year-old should’ve, Gojo wouldn’t let him suffer anymore.