All is quiet in the hall of mirrors after you and Junpei have departed. The only sound to be heard is the steady drip of blood through the floorboards, puddling underneath to the ground below in a thick, dark mud.
One by one, the droplets of blood still clinging to the walls snake their way down across the floor, pooling together at the point where they originated. The compounded mess of bone and flesh, teeth and hair, and seething eyes agape with wonder. Mahito stirs at last. His body rejects his commands to regenerate, roiling slime over slime in a failed attempt to reconstruct himself. Pain doesn't register in his body, but the frustration of immobility is taking its toll.
"What an interesting sensation…Although it would be most unfortunate if it lasts.
How did this happen? Junpei wasn't bestowed with that type of power when Mahito had his fun with the pathetic little human waif. That was something else entirely. So the brat finally found some friends, did he?
The Curse's headless body twitches on the sticky floor, jerking inadvertently as he struggles to restore himself. The bloody mass at his shoulders swells and ebbs, subject to the purity of the bullet still lodged in his body. Despite having no feasible brain, his entire being is alight, vibrating with one intention.
Junpei…
That little shit is going to pay for this dearly. Whatever hole in Hell you dug him up from is too good for what the patchwork Curse is planning,
"Yes…We'll see what our old incarnation of Sukuna has to say about this. Then they'll all pay." he surmises to himself, sinking between the cracks in the floor with a sizzle, leaving nothing behind.
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When he arrived at the park, heeding Aoi Todo's call for backup, Kento Nanami had no idea what he'd be getting himself into. His shift already ended hours before the radio alert, allowing him the rare chance to catch a bite to eat with a coworker, discuss things other than curses and duties and just relax. His heart stopped for a full minute when the radio alert came through. Hearing that you were near motivated him like he didn't think was possible. He'd blown through every red light with his foot slammed to the floor and Ino Takuma clutching the passenger side handle for dear life.
He had no idea what he would do when he encountered you, running in blind and without a plan was his biggest mistake, but he couldn't risk not being the first one to reach you. Seeing you leaping from the shadows should have triggered his trained response to defend himself, but when he saw your eyes alight with recognition and fear, he was unable to raise his weapon. Had you decided to carry out your attack, he would have been at the mercy of your hands.
Relying on blind luck is one of the worst mistakes any sorcerer can make.
By the time Nanami and his colleague reach the funhouse, the air is eerily quiet. The thickness of the fog obscures the surrounding attractions despite being only a few meters away. Both men survey the broken wood warrily. Someone kicked their way out recently.
"Nobody in sight, and I don't hear anything. What makes you so sure this is where we're supposed to be right now?" Ino demands breathlessly.
His mentor motions for the younger man to remain quiet. His thoughts are a tumultuous mess and he needs to plan his next move with precision.
Mahito is in the funhouse, you'd warned him. And he believed you.
In that split second, Nanami made up his mind that you were no longer his top priority. That's what he keeps telling himself. Not that he'd been anxious to get you the hell out of the way before someone saw him with you. In any other scenario he imagined, he held onto the hope that he would get the chance to speak to you freely, but of course he didn't have that opportunity tonight.
There's a pain in his stomach that pangs far beyond any jogger's cramp. A seed of shame is nestling deep.
But he can't think of that right now.
The air is laced with gunpowder.
Mai must have been through here. She's the only one licensed for open carry.
Nanami speaks in the lowest whisper he dares.
"Takuma, I want you to listen to me very closely. The curse inside isn't Sukuna's vessel. He's someone much more dangerous."
"Huh? What the heck are you talking about?" he blinks in confusion, wondering just exactly who could be more dangerous than Ryomen Sukuna's vessel and how his partner could possibly know something like that before going inside.
"Stay out here until I give you the all's clear signal."
"Wait!" Ino protests, but Nanami climbs through the splintered wood.
His blade is drawn before him, wrapped but ready to strike at any shape that may move in the dark. Cautiously he enters the space, the crackle of broken glass beneath his feet breaking the resolute silence. The smell of copper reaches his nose. He removes his glasses and surveys the mess of smashed mirrors and blood splattered across the floor. It's deathly quiet.
Good God… What happened here?
Opening his senses, he finds shocking residual traces of cursed energy. He recognizes Mahito's right away, relieved that you were telling the truth. Another unknown trace is heavily residual as well. It weaves in serpentine sparks of red, scraping the very molecules of the air itself and stifling the room in its aura. Something whipped through here like a hurricane recently, but it wasn't you. Every sorcerer was tasked to memorize the exposure patterns of Sukuna's cursed energy when you escaped your prison. This must have been someone else.
Nanami's shoe brushes against something soft. Fabric. Clothing perhaps? He recognizes the insignia button of the Jujutsu sorcerers on its collar when he kneels down. Shit…It's Mai's uniform. But where is she?
"Hey!" Someone whispers directly behind Nanami, causing him to startle and nearly swing his weapon. He catches himself just in time, finding a wide eyed Takuma had grown impatient of waiting for an invitation.
"Jeez! Calm down, will you? It's just me. I got worried about you, sorry," Ino reassures, holding his hands up harmlessly.
Breathing heavily through his nose, Nanami attempts to recompose himself. He's in no state to chastise the younger man for ignoring his orders, but makes a mental note to bring it up later.
"Any sign of Mai?" Ino asks, looking around himself for any other clues. He turns on the flashlight of his cell phone and shines it around the room.
"Just her uniform. And this is her gun for certain," Nanami comments, eying the discarded revolver. He picks it up against his better judgment. It feels lighter than he expected.
"It's empty," he confirms after checking to make sure.
The radio receiver at his hip buzzes with static and a voice comes through on the line, sounding groggy and far away.
"Hello? Is anybody there? This is Momo. Over…"
"This is Kento Nanami. I have Ino Takuma with me on site for your teammate's distress call. What's your location? Over."
Tensely they await her response, each second feeling heavier as it crawls past.
"I…I-I'm in the car… Someone knocked me out and strapped me into the passenger seat. I think they drove into the big pirate ship ride. I'm okay, but–"
The line cuts off mid sentence and both men exchange frantic glances. Nanami clicks the receiver again. "Momo? Are you there?"
Her frantic voice comes back on the line, tight with urgency.
"We need medical attention! Repeating, we need medical attention for Aoi Todo! …Oh, my God, there's so much blood. H-he isn't moving! Please, come as fast as you can!"
"We're coming, just stay where you are. There may still be a special grade Curse within the park. Over, out."
"More than one," Ino reminds him with a nudge. His partner is acting unbelievably odd tonight.
As the men turn to leave, Ino pauses.
"Nanami-san… Who do you think that belong to?" he asks, spotlighting something on the other side of the room.
"Christ," Nanami mutters.
A human hand lies palm up on the floor. Bloodless and pale.
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Junpei was many things in his old life, a film enthusiast, a mediator between friends when discussions became heated, and when needed, someone to cram study with to prepare for final exams.
One thing he was never good at was negotiating. He and Sukuna are in the attic of the church tower. The air between them tense as your Curse prickles with indignation at what his servant had suggested to the two as they redressed after bathing.
To leave your body voluntarily.
"Forget it!" Sukuna snaps defensively.
"It's just for a little while. So their body can rest," Junpei insists.
Sukuna growls again in protest. "It's my body too!"
Junpei shrugs his shoulders sympathetically. "Yeah, except…not really though. Is it? You just use it. Alot. Besides, you can make your own for now."
"It's none of your concern! Just because you're happy with a body made from dirt, you think that would be suitable enough for me?"
"What's wrong with your earth vessel? You don't like it?"
That question makes your Curse's eyes burn with hate.
"Why would I?! It's insulting! My true form was tremendous and struck fear into the heart of any mortal who dared look upon me. It's appalling that I only have enough cursed energy to manifest two arms. Pathetic!"
"I guess I don't see it the same way. Honestly, I wasn't scared of you until you manifested in your own body," Junpei mutters.
"Come again?" Your Curse's eyes turn toward the boy, all four of them.
"Well…I guess I've just gotten used to the way your current vessel looks. And I'm definitely not afraid of them at all. I have no reason to be."
"No, I suppose you don't."
The boy's infatuation with you does get in the way when he's being chastised. Even when Sukuna raises your voice at him, he gets an odd little smirk that makes your Curse want to reach out and smack it right off.
"You're much more terrifying face to face. Plus, it would be easier to keep my head below yours if you were at your normal height. Wouldn't it, Master?"
He's right. Your Curse is growing tired of constantly reminding the boy to behave more submissively. A lousy servant indeed. He constantly forgets to kneel when his master sits, his bows are a joke, and he makes far too much eye contact. Sometimes it seemed like Junpei was doing it on purpose just to annoy him. Instilling a little more fearfulness could be worthwhile.
He crosses your arms, visibly reluctant to be separated from you for any reason.
"...Only for a day?"
"Until your preferred vessel is rested. It can't take too long since you're both incredibly strong."
"You don't have to be a little kiss-ass about it, just bring me some damned earth. And be sure to clear all the fucking pebbles out," Sukuna grumbles.
"Yes, Master." Junpei retreats from the attic to retrieve the dirt, hiding his grin by keeping his head low.
He hopes he isn't making a huge mistake by suggesting this, but he remembers how happy you were to have your body to yourself for those precious few minutes at the amusement park before everything went to hell. Besides, everyone deserves their privacy. You'll appreciate that effort, he hopes.
When he cleaned through the living quarters, Junpei discovered a few useful things amidst the ancient kitchenette. A few ceramic bowls had lasted the years with minimal cracks and chipping. A little hot water and elbow grease made them look much better. He takes one outside with him, scooping it to the brim with dirt from the clearest patch he can find, still taking the time to sift through it to pull out the gravel the same way you did for him.
A part of him is incredibly nervous to be alone with Sukuna without you. He's much bigger than you are, and his temper is both short and unpredictable. One moment he would be harping on his no eye-contact rule, only to be insistent that Junpei speak while facing him. He'd been told that staring at the floor was country slave behavior, whatever that meant. Where exactly was he supposed to look? Your chest? That also irritated Sukuna. Eventually he settled for staring at your lips most of the time, which made him feel tingly and a little giddy inside. Of course his master noticed that too and would yell at him even more. Hopefully he'll be able to remain on what's left of Sukuna's good side while you're resting.
When he's sure the dirt is smooth and clear of debris, Junpei returns to the attic loft. He offers the bowl to his master with what he hopes is subdued enthusiasm.
Sukuna sneers contemptuously at the dirt but reaches in to take a fistful.
"Clothes too," Junpei reminds him, not wanting a repeat of last time.
"Fine…But only because I don't feel like having you stare at my loins while you speak," he agrees.
With visible chagrin, Sukuna channels his energy through your body, activating your cursed technique as you slumber within your unconscious mind. The dirt within your fist begins to pulsate and grow, pouring from your palm to the floor in one fluid motion. As it falls, each particle expands and seeks out one another, shaping the complete figure of his body.
It takes only a matter of seconds for the transformation to be complete, kimono and all. Fortunately he positioned your body to fall directly onto the mattress as his control over you slipped away.
Regarding your slumbering form with a pensive expression, he covers you and descends the attic steps to the main floor with Junpei close at his heels.
"Where are we going?"
"I want to see the God who lives beneath me," Sukuna replies.
"The…What? Who?"
As he crosses the threshold into the main chapel, Sukuna extends a finger toward the large marble statue of the virgin Mary.
"This one. The one for whom this shrine was dedicated."
"Oh…."
Sukuna turns to regard his little human shadow with new curiosity. "Do you know this god?"
"Uhhh….." Wow. Junpei really isn't prepared for this.
"Don't just stand there croaking like a frog. Answer me!"
Okay. No big deal. Just tell the spirit who brought you back to life about…
"Jesus Christ," Junpei swears in disbelief under his breath. Unfortunately not quite low enough for Sukuna not to hear him.
"What was that?"
"Ah. She's, um, the mother… of Jesus Christ."
Sukuna nods, eying the statue without a change in demeanor.
"And who is that?"
Oh, my fucking God.
This is not the type of subject Junpei was ever good at discussing. His mother never took him to church except when his grandmother was in town. They weren't even Christian or anything for that matter. His mother always put more importance in life rather than death and what happened afterward. The irony does not escape him.
"Come here and sit. Tell me more," with a wave of his hand Sukuna motions his servant to come closer. He takes a seat in the front pew directly at the feet of the statue, folding his hands together in thought.
"I…don't know as much as other people." Junpei confesses, taking care to sit with adequate spacing left between the two of them.
"More than I know. Speak freely, servant," Sukuna commands, using the phrase Junpei had been told means he could drop his airs and be candid.
Licking his dry lips nervously, he starts off the way his grandmother had told the story to him when he was younger, hoping the simplicity won't bother his master.
"Well...In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…."
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Nanami's hands haven't stopped shaking. Tiny tremors in his twitching fingers cause him to fumble his cell phone again and again as he punches the numbers for his speed dial.
Emergency response teams arrived on scene moments before, wheeling Todo to the ambulance at the front lot. A few paramedics are getting statements on what happened and checking vitals from Momo as well.
To make matters even more confusing, upon directing paramedics to the disaster at the remains of the ferris wheel, Ino Takuma spotted Mai Zenin wandering out of a nearby alleyway half dressed and inconsolable. When he asked what happened, she succumbed to hysterics, raking her nails across his face as he attempted tying his sweater around her waist.
The line finally clicks open and rings on Nanami's phone. Anxiously he holds it to his ear, holding his breath and bouncing his leg in place in the driver's seat of his car.
"Mmm…Hello?" the groggy voice of Satoru Gojo answers, half-asleep on his first night off in two months.
"Hey. It's me," Nanami whispers.
"Nanami? What's…Oh, shit. It's really early. I've got alot of messages here. Hang on."
"It's important!" he urges before his coworker can put him on hold, hoping the desperation in his voice won't betray him on the recorded line of their company phones.
"...How important?" Gojo counters.
"You should have been here five minutes ago."
A pause and a sigh dictate the sorcerer is getting out of bed.
"Okay. Looks like someone already forwarded me the address. I'll get there as soon as possible….Should I talk to you first when I arrive?"
Good. He picked up the hidden message Nanami was trying to get across.
"Yep."
"Alright. See you in a few."
As he hangs up and pockets his phone, Nanami once again prepares his statement in his head. He'll need to give a summary of the events of this evening when he returns to campus. Thankfully Ino can corroborate most of what happened, save for the few minutes they were separated to cover more ground.
There's that pain in his stomach again.
A fit of sobbing pulls him out of his headspace. The paramedic escorting Mai to one of the ambulances is having some trouble convincing her to get inside.
"No! Stop it! Get off of me, you bitch! Don't touch me!"
Grief-stricken, the elder sorcerer can't help himself. He walks over slowly, making sure that Mai can plainly see him approaching. The paramedic is bargaining with her, speaking in a gentle and placating tone that's clearly wearing thin.
"We can't help you if you don't come with us, dear," she attempts again. Her outstretched hand is swatted again.
"Keep away from me! I said, get back!" Mai shrieks.
"Mai!" Nanami calls to her, demanding her attention. Her pupils are pinpoints even in the dim lighting of the parking lot.
"Your feet," he points to them. They're scraped raw and bleeding from stumbling along the pavement.
She stares down, seeing the blood between her toes and her bare legs sticking out from an oversized shirt that she doesn't recognize. It's covered in blood, but it isn't hers. Disgusting.
Tears stream down her cheeks.
"I…I'm out of uniform," she says in a tiny voice, sounding very much like a child even to herself.
Nanami holds up the bundle of clothing he picked up earlier. Nearly folded and awaiting to be returned to its owner.
"I have it here. You can get dressed in my car. Then I can drive you to the hospital."
"Okay," she sniffles.
The paramedic interjects, trying once again to place her hand on Mai's arm.
"We really should have her taken right away. The longer we wait–"
"I said I want Nanami to take me, you cow!" Mai shouts.
Marching over, she snatches her uniform from the older sorcerer and makes a beeline for the car and slams the passenger door shut behind her.
Nanami thanks the paramedic with a bow of his head.
"I'll get her to the emergency room. I'll have her sister notified as well. Thank you and your team for your quick response."
"Sure. I'll call to get a room ready for her. And she should probably speak to one of our counselors as well."
"Couldn't hurt," he agrees. Who knows what the poor girl went through.
The pain in his gut tightens.
"Yo!" A familiar voice calls.
He turns, seeing his coworker jogging up at double time. Gojo must have teleported as soon as he got dressed.
"Satoru! That was quick."
"We'll, you know me. I'm always fashionably late once invited to any party."
He gives a precursory glance around, surveying the aftermath unfolded before him in the far from empty lot. He gives a low whistle when he sees someone pumping oxygen for Todo by hand.
"Damn. I'll make sure Shoko stops by his room. They'll put him in the sorcerer's wing of the hospital."
"Platinum service," Nanami mutters, quoting a line directly from their health benefits package.
Oh, that reminds him.
He flags down one of the medical staff to get his attention.
"There is a severed hand in the funhouse hall of mirrors. Ino will escort you to recover it. Have that taken to the same wing as the rest of our students, and put it on some ice."
"Uh..Sure thing," the wide eyed boy responds.
As he departs, the two sorcerers are once again left alone in the center of the lot.
"Didn't get to eat tonight, huh?" Gojo attempts with a cautious smile.
It doesn't get any response.
"You're more somber than usual. What happened here?"
Nanami swallows hard, giving a wry laugh.
"Satoru, I think…I think I fucked up."
Making sure they're well out of earshot from anyone else, Gojo speaks in a hushed voice.
"Tell me what you saw."
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Many people may find enjoyment in discussing the paradigms of religion, or at least the philosophies within the stories passed down.
Junpei is not one of those people.
Debating religion for him was about as interesting as watching the grass grow outside, except he would much rather be doing that. At least then he could tend the garden and be doing something he felt was much more productive. The tired expression on his face betrays his thinning patience with all of his master's questions. He thought he was doing a good job explaining until he got to the one subject that caught Sukuna's attention and held it in an iron grip.
Hell.
"I thought you said this god was loving. What kind of a loving god creates a torturous pit for whoever doesn't obey him?" he demands.
"I…It's complicated. Like parental love I guess. They want their children be good and do the right things, but sometimes they have to remind them if they don't- "
"They'll burn for all eternity while still cognitive enough to feel the excruciating pain." Sukuna supplies.
"Er…yes."
Your Curse thinks about that for a moment with a look of puzzlement.
"Why do humans require the threat of violence to be good if they were made in their god's image, who they claim to be perfect and good? Does their God require the same penalties? Or is it 'perfect and good' to threaten violence to get your way?"
"I-I don't know."
"And furthermore, why did this god create Hell if he's so full of love?"
"Hell is just where sinners go," Junpei shrugs.
"Ahh, sin. Yes, like murder and rape?"
"Um, right. Those are definitely sins."
He strokes his chin and ponders on this concept of hell and sin being entwined. In the prime of his days, Sukuna enjoyed many sins fervently. There was no right or wrong within the scales of his mind when everything tipped in his favor. There was nothing he could not possess or destroy. It brought him unrestrained joy to force another's demise and watch the hope and light flee from their eyes. His happiest memories were a horrorshow of those conquests muddled into one screaming, writhing bloody reel.
"If hell is never-ending, there must be more than just those humans who murder and rape down there. What else is a sin?"
"Um…you want me to list them all?"
"Please, do." Sukuna smiles lasciviously.
A tall order, but Junpei can't refuse to answer. Wait a minute. Weren't there seven deadly sins? He strains to recall them.
"There's anger, envy, and laziness. Greed is another. Gluttony, pride….Oh, and uh, l-lust."
"These are the main components of a human! I've never met one who didn't exhibit all of these things," Sukuna crows in amusement.
Sheepishly, Junpei has to agree.
"Yeah…It's supposed to be a challenge to keep your soul on the right path."
Sukuna scoffs with a dismissive wave of his clawed hand. "The boring path, you mean. How are humans supposed to go on procreating without lust to drive their evolution? They would all die out. It's hypocritical."
"I think, um, it actually means…..masturbating?" Regret seizes the moment the word leaves his lips.
That grabs Sukuna's attention. He leans in, grinning profusely.
"So let me see if I understand this….An all powerful being, capable of knowing your every thought and fantasy, but he made touching yourself a sin?"
Junpei wishes he could crawl under a rock somewhere, anywhere else but here.
"I'm only repeating what I've heard."
Sukuna's brow knits with consternation.
"Why would an omnipotent being care where and why humans are squirting their seed? And sending them to hell for it? You must be making that up."
The boy throws his palms up. "No! I'm not, I swear."
An evil smile plays across Sukuna's lips, enjoying the distress in his servant's voice. "Heh…Well, that only leads to my next question. Are you a sinner, Junpei?"
"A what?" His voice breaks into a near falsetto.
"I want to know. When you were living your old human life, with the belief that a higher power could be watching you at all times…Did you ever spill your seed in recreation?"
Why was Sukuna asking about that? Junpei's fingers curl around the edge of the pew, knowing he'd be caught in a lie at once. He gulps and nods curtly. Just once.
"Interesting. Even though you knew you'd probably go to hell?"
Again he nods, clasping his hands between his knees. It's so shameful admitting something like that here in a chapel, but Junpei reminds himself that at the end of his life there were no gates to welcome his soul, made of pearl or otherwise.
"I…don't believe in it. I never have," he states plainly.
Sukuna chuckles, amused by his servant's insolence with any higher power. At least no one could accuse the brat of favoritism. He was loyal to no one.
"You know…You are interesting for a human."
"Oh….Th-thank you?"
"Come now. This place has suddenly become too stifling to bear any longer."
He rises to leave, motioning that Junpei was supposed to follow behind dutifully.
With a small glance upward, he regards the spot where he imagines you lying peacefully above. You'd be getting the best damn sleep of your life.
When the sun sits heavily and nightfall comes and you still haven't awoken, your friend grows anxious. The initial idea of having Sukuna leave your body seemed like a simple task, until Junpei remembers that your Curse doesn't need to sleep. And apparently refused to let the boy out of his sight for even a minute, meaning he had to follow wherever his master led, even if that happened to be the very steeple of the church itself.
"P-please slow down, Master! I hate being up here," Junpei whimpers.
He clings firmly to the winding banister of the bell tower staircase. The dry rotted wood offers little comfort. If he were to lose his footing, it would surely snap from his weight.
Sukuna ignores his servant's pleas, leaping to the roof with little effort from the main structure of the dilapidated tower.
"Quit being so helpless. Your body isn't frail. Besides, I'll repair you if you should fall."
"Gee, thanks," Junpei mumbles, much preferring to not need mending in the first place if he could help it.
What the hell were they even doing up here? Each step is becoming more and more treacherous between the wind and the dark. It's been hours since the sun set. The remainder of their day had been spent in the garden with Junpei busying himself with groundwork while his master surveyed from a distance, complaining vocally about everything.
Sukuna undoubtedly hated being outside. Sunlight annoyed him. The way the grass tickles his skin annoyed him. The birds singing in the trees annoyed him. He wants nothing more than to recant on this asinine agreement and go back to the solace of your body, sheltered away from these obnoxious sensations that irk his mock-human form. This location would make for a glorious, smoldering pit if he had any say on the matter.
But for now he is appeased with the cold, quiet of night. His features are nearly relaxed as he takes a seat on the slope of one of the many stone buttresses overlooking the city from the sea of green separating it from the church.
"Um, Master? C-can you help me?" Junpei calls in a trembling voice from the precarious ledge. He'd made it as far as getting himself over the wooden support beams of the tower, but the drop to the ground below is now perilously daunting in the dark.
With clear irritation, Sukuna extends his hand for the boy to grab onto without bothering to turn his head to look at him. "Come on then."
Is he serious? But it's so high up…..
Junpei doesn't move, his eyes enormous with fear. His master turns to glare dangerously at him, refusing to repeat himself. He begins to withdraw his hand, creating a much wider gap to cross. This spurs Junpei into action. He leaps with both hands outstretched, catching his master's hand who pulls him over with ease to sit between his feet. Junpei's back is rigid with tension from being up so high.
"Relax. You aren't going to fall," Sukuna reassures.
"W-why are we up here?"
With a jostle, he's lightly shushed.
"There. Listen."
Your Curse closes his eyes, letting the single melody of a solo violin ripple through the silence of the night.
"It's just one player, as always, up late every night practicing. They're absolutely perfect," he murmurs with what could be admiration in his tone.
Something strange takes over him when those notes play, stripping your Curse of his predilection with his past conquests and even his unforeseeable future with you. The music, even just one instrument's song, seeps beneath his skin to his core.
"Vivaldi," Junpei comments when he recognizes the piece.
"You know it?"
He nods. "My mom had a recording of it on CD. The Four Seasons. It was four songs to demonstrate the changing seasons."
"Which one is this?" Sukuna asks.
He strains to hear more notes, working on putting together the entire piece in his head as the strings sing sad and low. Junpei's late mother Nagi would play that same CD for him while he studied, insisting it would be helpful to his focus. Maybe she was right. The memory comes pouring back in a most overwhelming manner that causes his throat to tighten.
"Winter..." he says at last, and runs his palms along frigid shoulders.
"What's the matter?"
Junpei shivers. "It's too cold up here. I hate how my skin feels."
"Again with this complaint? Your temperature doesn't matter in this form. Why are humans so obsessed with warmth anyway?"
"I dunno. It's comforting? And safe… Like being held by someone you trust."
A secret smile grows as your friend thinks fondly of you.
He's startled out of his fantasy when two strong hands place themselves on his arms, sliding up and down to create gradual warmth.
"Mm…That's nice."
Finding himself leaning back, Junpei hesitates before trusting that he is free to recline against his master in this way. It doesn't seem like Sukuna minds it, almost guiding him to do so.
"May I ask a question?"
"Speak freely," Sukuna whispers in a surprisingly hushed voice that sends tingles down Junpei's spine.
He can't believe he's about to ask this, but if he doesn't do it now, he won't have the courage to ask you to your face.
"At the park, when I was afraid to split up again…. Was it you that kissed me?"
Caught off guard, Sukuna pauses his movements, but keeps his fingers wrapped around the pale smoothness of his new servant's forearms.
"...No."
"Oh." The fluttering in Junpei's stomach grows.
It was you.
You'd held his face, leaned in and kissed him on your own. Subconsciously his hand hovers over his chest. He doesn't know how to feel and is too overwhelmed to speak.
The boy's silence is unreadable to his master.
"Do you want me to kiss you?"
"What?" Junpei stiffens again all at once. What should he say? If he declines, would that be insulting? But then… What if he said yes?
Your Curse scoffs in dismissal, judging by the resounding silence that he had his answer
"Humans are so contradictory. They enjoy kissing, but are particular about who with."
"...Y-yes," comes a shaky reply finally.
"I thought so," Sukuna prepares to drop the whole subject until the boy sitting between his legs slowly inches to turn around, keeping his eyes on his master's lips to avoid looking down.
"I mean..y-yes, you can kiss me," he clarifies.
A pause comes that nearly overstays its welcome. Neither one dares to be the first to lean in. Sukuna's body is rigid as if he were made of stone. He can't bring himself to budge. Junpei is growing uncertain, thinking he was just being teased again, but when he glances up unabashedly into his master's eyes, he finds a glimpse of something unexpected.
Panic.
Breathing in deeply, Junpei holds onto the stone ledge where they're perched with every finger curled tight, praying that he won't be rebuked for this. He brings himself closer, brushing his nose against chin. He looks up and a sigh tickles over Junpei's lips as he's met with the soft, yielding warmth of Sukuna's mouth sealing over his.
When the smoothness of his master's tongue beckons him to open his mouth, Junpei discovers the biting wind isn't so unbearable anymore.
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You roll over in your sleep, groaning softly as the brightness of the afternoon sun warms your face. It's so peacefully quiet. Too quiet, you realize.
Creaking open one sleepy eye you glance around in near lucidity. You're lying on your futon mattress in the attic with a torn tapestry curtain laid over you as a blanket. Stretching out your arms you yawn loudly, you pop the joints in your shoulders and neck in satisfying cadence.
"Wow, I must've slept a long time, huh?"
When no response comes you repeat yourself, thinking inwardly.
"How long was I asleep, Sukuna?"
The only thing you hear is the fluttering of birds on the roof. Sitting upright, you throw back the tapestry and scramble to your feet. Your wrists and arms still bear his markings, but ….. your Curse isn't with you.
"What the hell is going on here?" you murmur in quiet shock.
There's a creak behind you and you whirl in surprise. It's Junpei coming up through the tiny hatch from the main floor. He greets you with a smile.
"Good morning. I thought you might be hungry."
"Where is Sukuna?" you demand at once.
He sets down a small tray you've never seen before, closing the hatch behind him.
"He's in the garden."
"How in the hell–"
Without waiting for further explanation, you bolt to the nearest window and throw back the curtain. You can't believe what you're seeing.
Down below lies Sukuna draped in his white kimono, reclined back on his elbows in the grass with his eyes closed. He appears to be sunning his face.
"What do you think you're doing outside?!"
He turns at the sound of your voice, opening a single lower eye to roll up toward you.
"Warming this flesh prison with ultraviolet radiation."
"I meant…How did you get out there?! Outside of me?"
"What do you mean? I made one of your ghastly little clay poppets you love so much, of course. Like it's so hard to do," he huffs with a little snobbery.
"You can do that? Without me?" The prospect never crossed your mind that he may want to opt to leave your body on his own. Not that you're complaining. That was the best sleep you've had in what feels like an eternity.
Junpei clears his throat, still kneeling on the floor beside your bed. "I hope it's okay, but I'm the one who suggested it. I thought it would be best to let your body rest."
"And he listened to you?" You're still in shock.
Your friend shrugs. "We were both worried about you. You've been unconscious for two days. You must have really needed to recharge."
Two days?! Your mouth hangs open in disbelief. You can barely remember the walk back to the church. You're positive that you restored Junpei's hand, seeing it now confirms that. What else has been going on while you were sleeping?
You look around the room again, noticing it looks different than before. Someone has been cleaning. Cobwebs have been swept away, every surface looks dusted and even the floors look as if they've been recently washed. There's a new addition to the attic space as well. A low table tucked into a corner of the room is decorated with flowers and fruits from the garden, as well as a bowl of what appears to be dirt. What could this be? It looks like an altar of some kind. You recall Junpei mentioning his mother when he fought Mahito. This must be for her to ease his loss, but why would he set it up here? It's probably best not to say anything about it…
You look back to your friend who invites you to sit beside him, motioning to the tray of fruit he brought up. "Are you hungry?"
It's more of a rhetorical question. You don't feel hunger the way you used to, but you are aware that your stomach is resoundingly empty. Two days of sleep…Practically a hibernation. It would probably be a good idea to eat something, but your concerns are on your Curse first and foremost.
"Let's go downstairs. I could use some fresh air too."
Luckily your friend doesn't question you as you breeze right past him, making your way to the open courtyard at once to where your Curse lay sprawled out on the ground, like a lion that escaped his pen at the zoo without a care in the world.
He doesn't look up when he hears your footsteps approaching on the grass.
"You're on your feet again," he states with little interest.
"I- …Yep. Um, thank you…for letting me rest. It was nice of you."
Now he turns all eyes to you, pausing before muttering a hushed "you're welcome" in response.
"-And for looking after Junpei too. Thank you," you add as an afterthought.
"Bah! You worry too much over him. The little sprite has been busying himself day and night around here scouring the place. He hardly requires my supervision."
"Wow. So that was all him?"
You had a feeling. It's hard to imagine Sukuna willing to get on his hands and knees for any reason.
"Indeed. He's been bored without you," he mutters despondently, turning back towards the sun.
You're beginning to get the feeling he isn't just talking about Junpei anymore.
"Is that so? What else have you both been up to?"
Now an odd look crosses Sukuna's face as his eyes dart over to Junpei's with what almost looks like embarrassment. It's quickly replaced with an annoyed scowl.
"What makes you think we've been up to something? I only said we've been bored, and we haven't done anything!"
Wow, that's not suspicious at all, you think sarcastically as you turn to Junpei for any kind of explanation, but your friend's face is currently glowing the pinkest hue you've ever seen.
"Is someone going to fill me in here? What's up with you two?"
"We sort of made plans while you were sleeping…In case you slept through Thursday, which you nearly did by the way," your Curse explains while leaning up.
Thursday?
"Oh! Shit…I didn't miss the music did I?" you ask in a panic.
Junpei smiles. "Actually, no. But Mas–um, I mean, Sukuna and I thought it would be nice to go to where the music is when they play later."
"But…It plays at a music school. We can't exactly walk in."
"That's what we thought at first. But Sukuna has been watching the rooftop of the school for as long as you've been here. He says no one ever goes up there, so…" he trails off, leaving you to fill in the rest.
"I don't know if you both have forgotten or not, but I'll remind you just in case. I was shot the last time we tried to go out and have fun. Twice."
"But this time it's just a music school. It's not–"
"And speared!"
"It won't be anyone but us. We can listen just for a half hour then leave," Junpei resumes.
You nod enthusiastically. "I'm pretty sure I listened to every bone in my chest snapping like cornchips."
He looks as if his hopes have been utterly dashed. Remorseful, you pat his shoulder.
"Maybe next week we can try. Okay?"
A whole week?
That's unacceptable. Your Curse is dying from the tedium of laying around having his new servant telling him stories all day and night. The odds of you fulfilling a request from him are low…but the boy may have a chance. He catches Junpei's attention, clearing his throat to make him look up as he's been trained to do. Sukuna points to his own eye, seeming as if he's only casually scratching his face.
But Junpei understands what he wants.
He slumps his shoulders defeatedly in a pout. Then, in an odd shift, he tucks his hair behind his ear, tucks his chin and rolls his enormously sad eyes up to meet yours.
"That's too bad. It's such beautiful music. I just really wanted to hear it… up close." He smiles sweetly, at the same time looking near the verge of tears.
What the hell is this? "Oh, come on…That's not fair! Don't give me sad puppy eyes!"
"What are you talking about?" Junpei asks innocently, tilting his head to the side.
"That! How am I supposed to say we can't go when you put it like that?" you groan.
His eyes light up and he claps his hands together.
"Does that mean we're going?"
You throw your arms up in disbelief. "Ugh! Sure. Why the fuck not?"
"Yay! Thank you so much! I've been really looking forward to it."
Under your breath you add low enough that he doesn't hear you.
"Maybe this time I'll get set on fire."
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To Be Continued…