"All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose permits something not to be poisonous."
- Paracelsus
When early morning light finds the church rooftop in hazy white pre-dawn, it finds three sleeping forms tucked closely to one another beneath a brocade tapestry. The even rise and fall of breathing is the only sound and movement in the room.
When Junpei stirs softly, he stretches in bleary-eyed half sleep beneath the weight of something heavy and warm. Humming to himself in satisfied comfort, he finally peeks his eyes open. He's in a state of euphoric disbelief, finding himself to be securely nestled between his master and you. Last night was such an incredible experience. He never dreamed that his place with you would be here like this. With a happy sigh, Junpei rolls over to look at you and smiles while touching your cheek delicately so as not to wake you. He pulls the tapestry higher over your shoulder.
He rouses himself little by little, yawning and sighing in content. Eventually he attempts to sit up when a sudden strong grasp keeps him in place.
"Where are you going?" Sukuna grunts, sounding groggy with sleep. His secondary eyes have slid open just barely.
"I- ..I just need to bathe... and water the garden. I'll be right back, I promise," Junpei stammers, well aware that his cheeks are flushing.
The grip on his wrist lessens then releases altogether. He stumbles to his feet, scratching his head and looking around the floor with a puzzled expression. Last night began with such passionate force from his master. He's nearly certain his shirt may have been ripped clear from his body.
"I don't know where my clothes are…" he mutters.
He hears a tearing sound and turns to watch as Sukuna rips an edge from the tapestry covering him. Sending a surge of his cursed energy into the cloth, he changes it to his liking, altering the color, size and the material. It takes only a few seconds, then without so much as glancing back up at his servant, he hands him a breathtaking kimono made of deep blue silk.
"Oh, thank you! It's beautiful…" Junpei gasps while tracing his fingers over the flower patterns softly.
"You're welcome," Sukuna yawns, then he resettles with his arm tightly around your slumbering form. A rare opportunity to hold you this way is his main priority, and he isn't ready for it to end just yet.
Despite the tumultuous night, Junpei dresses modestly with his back turned, fumbling with the obi only a little. He's never worn something this fine before. The silk feels cool on his skin and the sleeves fit his slender frame perfectly.
As he opens the attic latch to descend to the main floor, he's halted by the sound of his name being called by his master. When he glances up, a pair of wooden geta are slid toward him from across the floor.
"No dallying. Come right back," Sukuna rumbles again in reminder.
Junpei nods, slips the shoes onto his feet and treads down the attic stairs tentatively, dropping himself to the chapel floor. He makes his way to the washroom, treading the hallways of the ramshackle building with the click of his geta on the wooden floor reminding him of footsteps on temple stairs.
The gentle swish of silk on his skin is so rich. Junpei feels regal being dressed in such finery, hugging his arms tightly around himself. More than it has before, the sunlight feels particularly nice today as it streams in through each broken window he passes by. His face also feels warmer than it usually is when he rubs his cheeks with both hands. A curious touch over his chest however still confirms his heart is still resolutely silent. He shrugs this off yet again. If you and Sukuna can live without a heartbeat, then he can as well. Apparently it isn't all that important.
Once he reaches the washroom, Junpei turns on the faucet to the tub, unties his obi then hesitates. An idea strikes him and he extends a hand to the cold water pooling at the bottom. It takes several seconds, but he's able to adequately manipulate his cursed energy to change the temperature of the water in the same way Sukuna had done before for him. Triumphantly grinning, he disrobes and steps into the tub once it's full enough. He makes a note to be thorough while also being mindful of the time, though the fear of being reprimanded doesn't cross his mind even once. The tone in his master's voice only indicated that he would be missed. That sentiment makes him sigh happily as he reclines in the warm bath.
An oddly pleasant soreness throbs throughout his body. Looking down over himself, he touches his limbs with fondness, counting the minor bruises and cuts left behind on his thighs from his master's claws. These injuries fill Junpei with an odd sense of pride since he earned them through Sukuna's favor, not as a punishment. Smiling again, Junpei leans his head back and closes his eyes. The warm water feels so nice on his skin. There's no need to rush too much. He can tend to the garden once he's done, water a few things, and then return upstairs hopefully before you wake up. The idea of lying down beside you again fills him with an immense joy he didn't think was possible for himself. He sighs and unwittingly falls into a light slumber.
In the attic space above, Sukuna tugs your body closer to his, silently cursing each ray of sunlight for stripping this enchanted moment away from him. Why does the night have to end when everything is finally aligning so perfectly? He doesn't dare to make a sound to risk waking you yet. What if your temporary truce dissolves when your eyes open? Your Curse holds his breath as he leans in, pressing a kiss to your forehead, lingering to inhale your scent. You hum in response, a sleepy smile growing slightly before receding back into slumber.
He replaces his hand on your hip and closes his eyes again, feeling an oddly painful twinge in his chest despite how happy he is.
It's been so long since he's seen you like this or held you in his arms this way. He knows that you'll wake soon and likely resume your icy emotional distance. Cautiously, and with many regrets, he places his hand over your motionless heart, feeling the same agonizing stillness he knows all too well.
His lips brush over yours and he whispers your name while embracing you closer.
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.
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By the time Fushiguro returns to the split in the road where he and Itadori parted ways, he's reached his wits end. There's been no sign of his partner along the way and he's growing worried. He only has a few minutes left before Gojo will start becoming suspicious of their delay and possibly come to collect them himself.
He shouts out into the darkness, foregoing all stealth for time's sake.
"Itadori?! Hey! Where the hell are you?!"
"I'm here…" a voice calls.
He recognizes the familiar red hood of his teammate who'd been sitting on the curb. Already he can tell that something is wrong. As Itadori turns his face into the light, the shadow user's eyes go wide.
"What… What happened? What did you do?!"
Sukuna's gleeful eyes and wicked grin are planted firmly on the side of Itadori's face, stretched grotesquely as he recognizes the sound of his favorite human target in distress.
"Ahh, you aren't excited to see me? No matter… I've certainly you, little priest. Hehehehe! What utter failures you both turned out to be!"
Fushiguro slaps Itadori hard on the cheek. Whether it's to shut the Curse up or to punish his friend's foolishness he doesn't know, but when his partner fails to respond, he nearly does it again.
"How did this happen? Was it Mahito?!" he demands, but he already knows that it must have been him.
"We cut a deal. I let him leave and he gave me what I needed." Yuji stares back down at the asphalt. If his partner felt like taking another shot, he wasn't going to stop him. It was meaningless compared to his actual plight now.
When the authorities at Jujutsu Tech find out about this, he'll be right back where he started when he was first enrolled. The call for his imminent execution will be reinstated within hours if it takes that long.
"What were you thinking?! You didn't have to do something this idiotic!"
Every tear Fushiguro has been working so hard to contain behind his crumbling emotional wall bursts through and spills down the shadow users cheeks. He feels so useless at every corner he encounters. Why can't he make one right decision?! He shouldn't have let him go off alone like that! If he would have stuck by Yuji responsibly this wouldn't have happened.
A light touch on his arm attempts to reassure him. Itadori hugs his partner close.
"You're probably right…. But this was my choice to make. I'm sorry but I'm not letting my failures fall on anyone else's shoulders. Sukuna will have to eventually accept my body being his only vessel. It shouldn't be anyone else's burden to bear. Then when I'm gone, he will be too."
Fushiguro's mind is reeling. He feels sick with grief. Why is all of this happening all at once? First you…now Itadori again. It's as if everything he tries to hold onto is being ripped away from him.
Again Yuji smiles bravely. "I can control him. I promise."
A tight squeeze seizes the shadow user's throat. He tries to assimilate any shred of hope to hang on that sentiment, but nothing comes.
"So? Did you have any luck?" Yuji asks.
Silence makes his partner's eyes widen in concern.
"Y-you did see them, didn't you?! Well? What happened? What did you say? What did they say to you? Where–"
With a heavy sigh, Fushiguro squeezes Itadori's hand. "They wouldn't come back with me. I told them it would be best to just… let the superiors take over for their best interest and stop running, but they weren't interested."
Itadori's jaw drops and he pulls his hand away. "You… you wanted them to go back to prison? Why the fuck would you say that?!"
"What other choice do they have? There are sorcerers pulling double and triple shifts out looking for Sukuna now. In the air and on the ground. It'll only be a matter of time before….."
His sentence remains unfinished with the worst case scenario hanging over both their heads. Any sorcerer's orders upon encountering Sukuna were to call for backup from all available units. From there it would be a massacre.
Itadori's eyes fill with regretful tears. "I… I just wanted to know that they're safe. I don't think they deserve to be imprisoned or alone… Do you?"
The shadow user turns away, wiping his eyes angrily on his sleeve.
"... Gojo is waiting. Let's go."
..
In Satoru Gojo's office, the sparking light of his portal snaps and bends rapidly. He's counting the seconds as they pass. This lingering silence isn't a positive sign. Where the hell are they?
Checking his watch again, he sees it's already been twelve minutes since he called. He decides to give them three more. Each minute feels hours long.
He pulls down his mask, rubbing his tired eyes and heaving an exaggerated sigh. He's covering up for too many people right now. He can't handle one more.
"Come on, Megumi. Don't make me regret this."
When fifteen minutes have finally passed, Gojo replaces his mask and strides toward the portal, but before he can enter, he's stopped by the crackling flash announcing someone is coming through the other side.
"Finally! What took the two of you so–"
His words are silenced, caught in his throat by pure shock when his students come into view at last. Fushiguro's expression is even more grim than usual, but when a dark and familiar aura floods the room unexpectedly, Gojo understands why it took them so long.
"What the– Itadori! How? Why?!" he demands, grabbing his reckless student roughly by the shoulders.
"We were ambushed while we were returning to the portal." Fushiguro blurts, causing both his sensei and teammate to stare at him with surprise.
"Ambushed? Why didn't you alert me?!" Gojo demands.
"Because…It happened too fast. A low level curse had come across a finger of Sukuna. We were able to deal with it accordingly before it could become a bigger problem."
Even Fushiguro is secretly impressed by how effortlessly his lie flowed. A low level curse would no doubt be attracted to the wreckage of the amusement park to feast on any residual energy traces left behind by Sukuna. It was a common occurrence. Special grade encounters resulted in residual sightings all the time.
"But how did this happen?" Gojo demands, nearly shaking Itadori in place by his uniform.
Taking the assumption that it was now his turn to cover for his partner, the boy sinks his chin down to his chest.
"I ate it before Fushiguro could stop me. I acted on my own. He had nothing to do with my decision."
Beneath the veil of his mask, their senseis brow furrows with disbelief. "Yuji... It was a miracle that you were soared from Sukuna the first time around. Why would you do this to yourself again?"
"Because I took the responsibility to destroy Sukuna when I came to this school, and I'm not backing down from that promise. He can't have anyone else! He's going to have to choose me as his vessel."
His words come easily because they're actually true. It's too bad his guts are still twisted in a guilty knot despite his honesty. What does it matter now anyway? Gojo Sensei trusted him despite knowing this is what he wanted all along and now he's gone and thrown that all away.
Gojo tries to steady himself but this is just one more thing going wrong to add to the list.
"Sukuna was never meant to be your burden, Yuji. I am sorry that you felt that way..."
As his sensei hugs him tightly, Itadori casts a baleful glance at Fushiguro. He doesn't feel like he deserves any comfort at this moment. It feels… empty.
"You'll have to report me again…" Itadori reminds his sensei needlessly.
Already knowing this, Gojo nods in agreement but looks miserable.
"Yes… I know. I should call them immediately. Why don't you boys… just go get some sleep. We'll handle this tomorrow. I don't see any reason to detain you any further since your control over Sukuna is secure. It is secure, right?"
"Yeah. He isn't going anywhere," Itadori attempts to smile bravely, but from within he can hear the mocking laughter of his Curse reverberating from each of his doubts to the next.
One slip up, and I'll take such great pleasure in slaughtering each of these pitiful fools one by one. Starting with the ones you love most. Hehehe! Sukuna's glare focuses on Megumi, who stares right back in resolute anger.
The two boys leave their sensei's office quietly, exchanging somber glances at one another as they head back to their respective dorm rooms. Yuji has his hands in his pockets, carefully winding his fingers around the film he'd pulled from the photobooth for a shred of comfort.
Even though he missed out on seeing you in person tonight, at least he can look for you here.
.
.
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Kok-e-kok-o-OH!
Water splashes to the floor as Junpei startles awake from his spontaneous nap, looking around in confusion.
"Huh? Wha-?"
Kok-e-kok-o-OH! comes another shrill cry from the garden.
"Now what the hell could that be?" he grunts as he steps out of the tub and slips his arms through the sleeves of his yukata.
It sounded familiar, definitely something he's heard before. He peeks his head out the back door of the living quarters. At first he sees nothing, until a flurry of black feathers scuttles by, kicking up dust and making that awful racket once more. It's a chicken. With the property wall not being very high, it must have flown over to peck and scratch around in the garden. With the sun rising, his instincts are kicking in, prompting his raucous morning song.
Kok-e-kok-o-OH!
"Stop that! Shut up!" Junpei hisses loudly in a nervous whisper, shooing the rooster away with both hands without result.
Kok-e-kok-o-OH!
"Go on, get out of here! Master Sukuna will eat you if you wake him up!"
He groans again while chasing after the chicken, trying to herd it to the back wall, but the stupid bird only doubles back, nearly making Junpei trip over a long trailing squash vine.
"Godammit, hold still!" he hollers, which to his surprise causes the bird to turn and stare up at him abruptly. Beady little eyes study the human shouting at him and the rooster cocks his head.
"...Don't try to play cute now. You're not staying."
Junpei grabs up the bird in both hands, keeping its wings covered so it won't flap in his face. It feels scrawny. He marches to the back wall and, as carefully as he dares, manages to toss the rooster over to the other side with only minor squawks being heard.
With a sigh he dusts his hands off and turns around– only to hear the sound of flapping behind him. The rooster flew right back over the wall and is looking rather smug about it.
"Oh, come on! Don't you have a home? Or a roost? Just go away!"
He plucks up the chicken once more in both hands, chucking it over the wall again and letting it flutter clumsily to the other side. This time it only takes a few seconds for the bird to reappear over the bricks, flapping and kicking his scrawny little black feet into the grass as he lands. He throws his head back in preparation to crow again.
Kok-e-k-AWK! it sputters as Junpei swiftly silences the crowing with a hand around its neck.
"I swear to God," he mumbles and tucks the bird under his arm. It doesn't struggle but looks up at him curiously, twitching its head nervously from side to side.
Junpei looks over the back wall, reaching up on tiptoe. The additional height of his geta actually allows him to see over the edge. It looks like there's an old footpath that leads deeper into the woods. Could the rooster have come from someone's farm back there? There's no way someone within the city limits would keep a noisy pet like this around.
"What a pain." Junpei sighs as he heads to the front gate of the church property. He has to take the long way around through the front gate and back around just to get to the woods.
"Stupid bird," he mutters at the now softly clucking chicken beneath his arm. Apparently it likes being held this way.
The woods are quiet and peaceful. The walk down the overgrown path is nearly enjoyable at this hour except for the ridiculousness of this task. The bird beneath his arm makes more quiet clucking sounds to itself as the woods slowly begin to thicken around them.
"Where the hell does this even lead?" Junpei wonders out loud.
He grows more uncertain with each passing minute when nothing civilized comes into view. Just more trees and shrubbery as far as he can see. The energy of the forest is sending chills down his spine. He can't help the feeling that he's being watched, yet he can see nothing beyond the trees. The pathway seems to stretch infinitely ahead. He can't just keep walking forever.
Kokokokokoko–
"Shush," he jostles the chicken lightly, but it only grows louder, wriggling and kicking both legs to break free from its captor.
KOKOKOKO!
"Hey! Watch it!" Junpei scolds, letting the chicken fly free to the ground, landing in a heap before scuttling into off a dense thicket. Looking up, he notices a large wooden post covered with vines sprouting from the same place the rooster disappeared into. Something is carved into the post, but time has done its best to wear away the paint that once marked it. He can barely make out a name:
Fujita Farm
Beyond the curtain of vines trailing from the post marker, Junpei sees the peak of a rooftop covered in even more vines. It's tiny and looks so run down as if the forest had begun reclaiming it years ago. There are a few old chicken coops on the side of the property, but they appear to be empty.
"Huh… I guess this used to be the farmhouse," Junpei murmurs to himself.
He can still hear the energetic footsteps of the chicken trampling around in the underbrush, clucking and cawing with growing excitement. While turning to leave, Junpei's eyes remain glued to the odd little cottage, catching a glimpse of what he thought looked like movement in one of the dusty windows. With many reservations, he decides to try the door. If there really is someone living here, they should pen up their chicken properly so it doesn't get out again. Next time the bird may not be so lucky.
Trudging through the brambles as carefully as he can, he stands at the front door and raises a trembling hand to knock.
Rap…Rap-rap
The wood sounds hollow and dry-rotted. He's certain he can hear tiny pieces splintering inside too. How old is this place exactly?
"Hello? Is… anybody home?" he calls cautiously, hearing the tremble in his voice.
The little black rooster clucks again rapidly in succession behind him, which only makes Junpei feel more anxious.
"Hush! I can't think with all of your racket!"
He jerks his head to shush the annoying bird once again, but when he turns back around he's startled to see the door is now cracked open. A pair of dark, shining eyes are staring back at him.
"Who's there? Who is it? I haven't tidied up for visitors, I'm sorry," a soft voice apologizes.
The door creaks open wider and Junpei realizes it's an old woman. A tiny, wrinkled thing twisting her head this way and that, giving him the impression that her eyesight must be failing. Her clothes are worn and shabby, as if she hadn't changed out of them in a very long time.
"Uh.. Hi. Are you…Miss Fujita?" he inquires respectfully.
"I am," she replies with caution but doesn't say anything further. She's in the middle of nowhere. Having a surprise guest like this must be making her very nervous.
"M-my name is Junpei Yoshino. I live up the hill and, um… Your chicken got loose in our yard? I think it's yours anyway. I brought him back for you." He can feel his face flushing for some reason. Why does this feel so embarrassing?
She looks very apologetic at once, clasping her leathery hands together and bowing her gray head.
"Did he get out of his pen again? Ah! The little rascal... I hope he didn't cause you any trouble. I've been meaning to mend his fence, but I haven't been able to make it outside ever since I fell and hurt my back."
She points to the side yard adjacent to the cottage, and Junpei can clearly see a weatherbeaten chicken coop with the metal fencing torn back from its post. The hole left behind is the perfect size for an adventurous rooster to wiggle through.
"I see… I can take a look at that for you," he offers.
"Would you? Ah, such a sweet girl you are! Come in for some tea when you're done fixing it, eh? I'll thank you properly."
She promptly closes the door again before he has a chance to correct her on his gender. Maybe her eyesight really is terrible after all? Or it could be the kimono he's wearing that confused her.
He sighs and carefully ventures forward to look closer at the fence. Fortunately the ripped wire of the initial fence was still exposed enough for him to piece together. Folding the broken edges back, he's able to push it back to the initial post. Now he just needs something to tie it up with.
Looking around in exasperation he finally sees no other option, so he reaches down to his obi and unties the smaller obijime cord lying on top. Pulling it free, he feels his robes loosen only slightly, then he quickly ties it into place in and out of the fence loops to make it secure. Hopefully his master won't be cross with him for leaving this part of his kimono behind. Satisfied that the hole is mended, Junpei wipes his forehead and walks back to the front door. Before he can knock however, it opens wide for him and Miss Fujita motions for him to come inside.
"My that was fast! Thank you so much for doing that, sweetheart. You didn't have to, you know. Come sit here at the table with me, dear girl."
"Um, it was no problem. And actually, I'm not a–"
"Where did you say you lived?" She interrupts before he can correct her.
"I-... I live just up the hill," he repeats obscurely. Telling anyone where he was really staying would probably be a bad idea. You and Sukuna value your privacy.
Miss Fujita pauses while arranging two tea cups on a small wooden tray.
"Sorry? Up the hill you said?"
Nodding his head, Junpei sits at the dusty kitchen table. She must be too blind to see how dirty the place is getting. "Yes. That's right."
"Ah, you poor thing. The woods must have you turned around. You mean to say you live down the hill. Nobody lives up the hill. No one except for bad people, that is," she murmurs the last part to herself but Junpei still overheard what she said.
"Bad people?" he asks with a confused expression.
Her eyes turn forlorn. "Poor souls…. They go there for help, but there's not much that can be done for them by the time they get to that point."
Junpei leans forward with intrigue. "What do you mean?"
Miss Fujita shakes her head dismissively and waves her hand after setting the tea tray on the table. "Oh, it's far too sad for a pretty thing like you to be worried about. How old are you, sweetheart? Are you a student anywhere? And where did you get that pretty kimono?"
"Um, I'm–"
"You know I have a niece who's probably about your age. Not that she visits me on her own since moving out of my sister's house. Ah, but that's life, isn't it? Youth lives on and forgets the old. I'll probably starve here. That's what'll happen to me." She rambles as she pours their tea, not bothering to give her guest an opportunity to respond.
He holds the teacup she'd filled for him and takes a sip. He should be more shocked to find that it's merely water, and not even hot water at that, but this day keeps getting stranger and stranger. Junpei decides to just roll with things for now, and try to find a chance to excuse himself to leave. He's wasted enough time here and you're going to be looking for him when you wake up.
Miss Fujita continues talking about a hundred things at once. Her family who lives miles away, her meager little chicken farm that failed when her hens all flew away through the open coop, her aching back, all without getting much response from Junpei other than oh and hm.
"You're such a polite young lady, you know that? And helpful too. Ah! Wait right here. I'll be quick," she smiles and hops up from her chair, disappearing into the back room.
Left alone at the table, Junpei looks around the meager little house once again. The walls and ledges of everything are filthy with years of dust. There's piles of junk everywhere. Magazines, abandoned fabric scraps with what looked like hand embroidery stitched in, antique dolls in glass cases caked with too much dirt to see their painted faces, electronics that looked too old to be in working order, suitcases that must be filled with even more junk… It looks like a lifetime's worth of memories all stacked up and forgotten about.
He finds the sight to be entirely bleak and suffocating. Has this poor old woman really been here by herself for years? Could she really be in danger of starvation like she says? He stands up, taking a quick look through the cupboards in the kitchen around him. Empty. All of them. And dusty just like everything else. He returns to his chair with more questions than ever.
"Pretty girls still like pretty music these days, yes?" she calls from the back room.
"I suppose," Junpei sighs. He rolls his eyes, giving up on trying to tell her that he's a boy.
The soft sound of music playing makes him turn in his chair. It sounds different than what he's used to hearing. It sounds scratchy, but still quite pleasant. When Miss Fujita reappears, she's carrying what Junpei at first thinks is an open suitcase, but upon further inspection, he sees the inner workings. It's a vinyl record player. A very old one too.
Hearing the melody spilling from such a spectacular thing as this, Junpei can't help but smile. "That's pretty amazing!"
"Still in working order. Sounds as good as when I first bought it. Of course I was your age then. A very long time ago." She smiles and offers the case forward in both hands.
"Go on. You take it."
With wide eyes Junpei shakes his head in immediate refusal. "Ah, I.. I really can't accept something like this. It's clearly very special to you. You would miss it."
She shakes her head. "Eh, not really. It's really all junk. You can take whatever you want home with you if it's something you may need. I don't care about my stuff anymore. It all seems so… unimportant now."
Looking around with a fearful sadness overtaking her features, Miss Fujita sets down her record player. She rubs her fingers over the chipped edges from where her sister borrowed it for months without properly taking care of it.
"I wish I would have spent more of my life loving people. Maybe then I wouldn't have ended up here by myself," she whispers.
Junpei can't bear to see this. She really was just a sad old woman living on her own. How long had it been since she saw or heard from her family?
"… I can come back to visit you if you'd like? I'll even bring a few things from my garden so you don't have to worry about going hungry."
Her eyes twinkle with grateful tears. "You're such a dear to offer, but you needn't bother yourself. We aren't even blood related."
"That doesn't matter to me. And it's no trouble. We have more than we need," he insists.
"Who is 'we?'" She perks up with sudden interest.
"Are you married?"
His cheeks tingle with intensity at her question. He purses his lips momentarily, but replies, "No. No, I'm not married."
A little smile tugs the corner of her mouth, almost knowingly. She chuckles lightly.
"But you are in love aren't you? I can tell."
He doesn't deny her accusation, but he nervously rubs the back of his neck and stares down at the dusty floor. There's a blatant smile on his lips that he couldn't restrain even if he tried. The old woman lightly clasps his shoulders in both her hands, giving Junpei a comforting squeeze.
"Good for you," she smiles approvingly.
"Thank you," he replies with a soft laugh.
Miss Fujita resumes her place at the table, drinking her room temperature water as if it were piping hot tea. "You'll be fine. You're young and in love. What more could you want?"
"You're right… I guess I'm in love…" he echoes with a laugh of realization.
Outside in the yard, he hears the loud crowing of Miss Fujita's rooster again.
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.
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Something warm against your cheek prompts you to open your eyes. You blink at the bright light of what must be early afternoon sun, yawning as you turn over in place. Someone is lying next to you. You smile, closing your eyes as you snuggle in closer with a gentle sigh…. Junpei.
The sensation of claws caressing through your hair snaps your eyes open. You realize… it isn't Junpei who's beside you.
"Good morning," your Curse greets you gently.
"Uh…m-morning?"
Sukuna chuckles easily. "Well, it's nearly afternoon now. Did you.. sleep well?"
He's being covert, not wanting to directly ask if you still feel the same way about him as you did last night. You can tell this right away and pull the tapestry up to cover your chest absently while blushing.
"Where… Where is–"
"Junpei was restless and got up to tend to the garden. He hasn't been gone for very long," he reassures you immediately.
"Ah… Okay," you mutter without relaxing one bit.
Waking up beside him is so… unexpected. What was going through your mind last night? Did you forgive him? No.. No you wouldn't have. Something had been altering your state of mind though. Because now with clear thoughts, all you wanted was to get dressed and go look for your friend downstairs.
Sukuna's gentle voice calls to you by name. When you glance in his direction, you see that he's holding out a neatly folded kimono in his hand. "For you."
You freeze and inhale sharply. It's identical to the one he made for you before, the same one you'd left behind at Jujutsu Tech. Seeing the familiar patterns and colors does not make you reach for it. You stare blankly for a moment before snatching your discarded shirt and pants from the floor. Beneath your clothes is a small glass bottle filled with some sort of oil. You recognize the sweet pine scent you'd smelled last night seeped into your shirt, but you continue dressing anyway.
"I'm good. Thanks." You turn your back to him, pausing when you feel his touch once again on your shoulder.
"About last night," he begins cautiously.
Clearing your throat you try shrugging him off. "Ah, yeah… I'm not… sure what happened exactly."
He rubs the back of his neck, fighting the rising discomfort between you.
"You and I…and Junpei–"
"Oh, I definitely remember that." Your face flushes as you cut him off.
He doesn't pull his hand away from you. Keeping the same gentle pressure, Sukuna attempts to turn you around to face him once more.
"I do miss holding you in that way… my little lamb."
There's a pang in your chest at the mention of your old endearment. You stand up and give a quick glance around in search of your shoes. Your eyes are stinging with tears. Why is he behaving this way? You run your fingers through your hair and sniffle quietly, once again feeling the weight of warm hands on your shoulders. He says your name again, this time sounding strained.
"Please look at me… I need to see you."
You allow him to turn you around, but you fail to meet his gaze. He cups your face in his hands and raises your chin.
His warm eyes look deeply into yours. You feel his claws outlining your lower lip, but he doesn't try to kiss you. "I know you have no reason to believe my words, so I will show you that….this time things will be different. I'll keep you safe…and Junpei. We can be…"
"We can be what?" you press, genuinely curious what his intentions are.
He swallows hard, pressing his forehead to yours.
"We can be happy. All of us… as one."
Without a word you take a deep breath, taking his hands in yours as you pull back.
"I…. I don't know right now."
"What about last night then? Did you know then?"
"I don't know!" You shake your head, clenching your eyes shut and letting go of him as you turn to leave.
Of course he follows behind you, manifesting his own familiar robes along the way. "Wait!"
Ignoring his calls, you seek the open air in an attempt to clear your mind. What made you give in to such crazy impulses last night? You sincerely hope that Junpei isn't feeling the same way. Opening the back door, you step outside and immediately hear the sound of it being opened again behind you. Your Curse isn't letting you walk away from this conversation despite your efforts to ditch him.
Hearing his footsteps behind you drawing nearer, you finally stop and let him catch up with you.
"Why won't you answer me?" he demands with no real anger in his voice.
"I… I don't know if I can handle more disappointment … or betrayal."
"You won't have to, because that isn't going to happen." He takes your hand and holds it over his chest.
"I swear by everything holy and unholy, I will not hurt you."
"Again."
He winces, but dutifully nods at your reminder. "Yes. Again. I will not hurt you.. again."
"Or Junpei?"
"Of course not. I would never do that. I know what he means to you," Sukuna vows solemnly. He sounds like he means it too.
You bite your lip in deliberation. You want to believe him… but why should you?
"See for yourself that I am promising you this. Please…" Sukuna tightens his grip on your fingers, imploring you to use the ability he bestowed upon you to read his thoughts with a touch.
You accept his offer, squeezing tightly and looking directly into his eyes. There is warmth that passes through you as his intentions are shown clearly. There is no malice, no deceit that you can sense. It all feels… so open. Sukuna is telling the truth as far as you can tell. A moment passes before the expression on his face changes. It seems to crumble slightly. You realize the reason why, but it's much too late. If you can feel that he isn't concealing anything, then he must be able to sense your secrets as well.
He knows you saw Fushiguro.
Quickly you release him, ending the contact.
"Alright. It, uh, looks like you mean it," you state with an easy shrug, turning your gaze away from him. You can't handle the strange hurt way he's looking at you or his sudden silence.
The sound of footsteps growing closer grabs your attention and you see Junpei coming around the corner of the church. You frown when you see that he's wearing a kimono which Sukuna must have made for him. And what's that he's carrying?
"Where did you go?" you ask him eagerly.
He laughs in embarrassment, "Uh, well–"
Sukuna points to the large case Junpei is carrying. "What have you found?"
"Oh! This was a gift."
You and Sukuna wear matching looks of concerned curiosity as Junpei rubs the back of his neck nervously.
"It's kind of a funny story…."
...
After Junpei recounted his earlier adventure of finding a house in the woods, you and Sukuna were both adamant to see this place for yourselves. The three of you tread the wooded path behind the church wall in the same direction Junpei had gone earlier. He insisted upon bringing food along with him this time, and packed a small basket he'd found with all the loose fruit and vegetables from the garden that it could possibly hold.
"How much further is it?" Sukuna gripes.
He's lagging behind you and Junpei, falling back on purpose. A nature walk isn't exactly in his keen interests. He unfolds his arms from within his sleeves to swat at the flies buzzing about his face in annoyance.
"Not too much farther. The clearing should come up before long, it's just really hidden away back here." Junpei tries to sound certain, although even he is having his doubts now. The change of the sun's position is making everything look different from this morning.
Finally a break in the monotonous trees gives way at last and a structure comes into view. You look back incredulously at Sukuna. He matches your expression, bewildered that any human would be entirely undetected by him for so long.
"Aha! There it is! You see? There is a house!" Junpei shouts while pointing ahead triumphantly.
The entire thing is nearly consumed by plant life except for the dry dirt patch that must have been a garden at one point. Although you of all people shouldn't be critical of anyone's home, you can't help but wonder how someone could really be living here like this.
Wasting no time, Junpei knocks at the door. "Hello? Miss Fujita? It's Junpei again. I brought food for you."
There's no response from the inside. Once again you give your Curse a suspicious glance. He looks pensive as the three of you stand awkwardly in silence, giving no indication that he senses anyone on the other side of that door. So you reach for the doorknob yourself and twist it open.
"Hey! We shouldn't just barge in," Junpei protests.
"What if she needs help and can't come to the door? We should check to make sure she's okay."
He can't argue with that, remembering how Miss Fujita had mentioned hurting her back. Still he feels intrusive as he follows behind you. Sukuna leaves the door open, ducking his head to fit through the narrow entrance, mumbling in annoyance that humans never seem to make anything large enough for his stature. He sniffs the air, detecting mostly dust and the presence of stale human. It's settled into every inch of the house, which is modest in structure and crowded with junk, but resoundingly empty.
"Miss Fujita? Miss Fujita?" Junpei calls again while checking the kitchen, his voice reaching a level of panic.
He's so confused. Even the sound of Miss Fujita's rooster is absent, which only alarms him more. When Sukuna catches you looking up at him, he shakes his head. Frowning, you follow your friend into the kitchen and find him staring at a small wooden table where two cups are set next to one another.
"See?" He indicates with a hapless wave of his arm. "We had tea earlier. Right here! She talked on and on and didn't let me get a word in edgewise. She kept calling me a girl too. I remember because it annoyed me. Why would I imagine that?"
You study the table carefully, noticing that there is a disturbance of dust on the table, but only on the side where Junpei is sitting.
"Maybe she left? It's not that far of a walk to get back to the city limits…"
He shakes his head. "I... I don't know. She didn't mention leaving when I told her I would come back. Why would she do that?"
You take the basket from his hands and place it on the table. "Let's leave this for her just to be safe, that way she knows you stopped by."
Junpei still looks dejected but nods nonetheless. "Yeah. Okay."
A noise from the back of the house makes you realize Sukuna is no longer with you. You cautiously peer around the corner down the unlit hallway. "Did you find anything interesting back there?"
You nearly walk back to check for yourself before your Curse reappears suddenly from the back bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
"...No. There isn't anyone here." He has an odd look on his face but says nothing further.
"Well, Junpei? What do you want to do?" you ask aloud while returning to the kitchen.
He fumbles with the cup he'd used that morning and shrugs. "I… I don't have a clue. I know she was really here, but we probably shouldn't be trespassing like this."
"Then why don't we go home? We can always try again later," you suggest.
That seems to break him from his trance. He looks at you with wide eyes, then he smiles as warm color creeps into his cheeks.
"Okay… Let's go home," he agrees.
You leave everything the way it was, heading back into the woods with more questions than when you arrived.
As the three of you retrace your steps back through the forest, you feel Junpei's grip close softly around your hand and squeeze back in response. When you look over at him, your expression changes completely when you see he is also holding hands with Sukuna.
..
No one said much on the walk back to the church. You can still see that Junpei has been left incredibly unsettled, so you decide to try some small talk to distract him.
"We should take another crack at that movie projector in the basement," you suggest.
"Maybe we can get it to work and we can have something new to entertain ourselves around here."
He seems to like that idea, smiling a bit and squeezing your hand in his. "Sure. We can do that. But first, let me at least show you something."
Before the three of you had left, he left the record player Miss Fujita gave to him inside the chapel. Retrieving it, he opens the case and selects a record from the storage compartment beneath the lid. He lays it flat and sets the needle, then turns the crank until classical music begins.
At once Sukuna's attention is on the odd device, all eyes wide in amazement.
"It sings with no mouth!" he marvels.
He stoops over to inspect this odd human device with an amused grin showing he is clearly pleased.
"I thought you might like it. We don't have to wait for the orchestra to play at the music school anymore when we want to listen to something." He extends a hand in invitation. Sukuna stares hard, unsure of what is being asked of him.
"I had to learn how to dance for one of my cousin's weddings. Would you like to?" Junpei asks in a shy voice.
Sadly your Curse still does not understand. "Dance?"
Seeing Sukuna's is almost endearing, so you step between them and decide to show him how it's done. You take Junpei's hand in yours and slip one arm around his back.
"Like this," you instruct while allowing him to take the lead to get things started.
The waltz is easy enough to remember, especially with your friend who dances surprisingly well, but then again, this really isn't your first time dancing together.
You smile together, enjoying every second of your physical contact as his hand tightens around yours and he leans in closer. You can't place the melody of the song playing but it's something easy to keep up with thankfully, though it isn't long before you hear a huff from Sukuna.
"Yes, this appears simple enough. I can certainly master this technique easily."
Sensing he was being signaled to bow out, Junpei stops.
"Of course. Why don't you take my place, Master?"
There's a single beat of silence and you cast a wide eyed glance back at your friend. You didn't mean to get caught up in the moment this much, but when Sukuna's hands replace Junpei's, you can't find it within you to refuse this innocent request.
"It doesn't look so hard," he mutters again while staring down at your feet and taking the lead.
You follow along, holding his hand much tighter than you had with Junpei. Sukuna glances up at you through his furrowed brows, checking your response to this asinine activity and finding it to be to your liking. You catch yourself staring at his reddening cheeks as the dance continues. At the contact of your hands again, of course you unwittingly see into his mind as you did earlier. You can feel his growing discomfort while dancing the waltz, his embarrassment when he misses a single step...and the shadowed sense that he is keeping something from you.
It sits like a gray blur, wrapped in a dense fog to hide the image. You focus again and push against the memory. When it clears you're surprised to see familiar piles of junk lined up along a narrow hallway. You're in Miss Fujita's house again, but seeing things through Sukuna's eyes this time. His hand pushes open the door to her bedroom as you and Junpei sit in the kitchen. There, at the floor of her bed lays a pile of bare bones wrapped in tattered rags. The only thing left of the old woman.
"What's that face for?" Sukuna grunts.
You shake your head slightly. "N-nothing. You.. You're doing a good job."
He scoffs lightly. "It's a simple pattern of footwork, nothing too complicated to memorize."
Despite what he says, his face remains flushed. He still looks uncomfortable, yet doesn't voice any complaint.
As the music continues, Junpei watches with his fingers lightly resting on his face, shielding an amused grin that's only growing by the second. There's something about seeing the two of you together this way that warms him inside. Maybe it's the way your hands are touching, or the way you're looking at one another, but he senses something else at work other than simply music. When the melody begins to fade, he resets the needle and keeps the handle cranked to play the song again.
Neither you nor Sukuna object to the idea of dancing for a bit longer.
.
.
.
To Be Continued…