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It was around a month and a half into Junpei’s time at Jujutsu High when disaster struck. An event that could only be described as an utter shitstorm hit the school on the night of October 31st. The combined effort of multiple unregistered special grade curses working together was enough for Satoru Gojo to be sealed inside the Prison Realm. And that was only the start of it.
As jarring as the incident had been, Junpei knew that he would have dealt with it a lot worse a month and a half ago. Although that didn’t seem like a lot of time, he’d made substantial progress with both his training and his state of being as a whole. His shikigami was stronger. He was more fit, and could use a few different weapons (though throwing stars tended to be what he preferred and carried around with him). He learned how to use his speed and small size against his opponents.
He had even awoken to a variation of his poison-based technique through something called a Reverse Cursed Technique. Where he usually utilized his shikigami to hurt, he now found he could use it to heal, and even Gojo-sensei seemed impressed by how naturally such a thing seemed to come to him.
Once his possession of this power had been discovered, the medic of the school, Shoko Ieiri, had taken him under her wing to help him learn to control it and use it to its fullest. As well as some other first aid tips for the wounds that couldn’t be healed by RCT.
For once in his life, he felt as if he was actually contributing something to those around him. Like his life was worth something.
He’d been getting along emotionally, as well. He was getting to know the other first-years besides Yuuji; enough for him to actually consider them his friends now. He was even friendly with some of the second-years, too.
Along with that, on the other hand, his feelings for Yuuji had also been developing. What had started as just some innocent hand holding during movie nights had eventually escalated to the two of them snuggling together. Spending nights together, and waking up in each other’s arms with the laptop still shared between their legs. Yuuji claimed these instances were “on accident.” Who was Junpei to hold it against him if that was the case?
Eventually, though, the tension between the two became kind of unbearable. Junpei tried his best to keep from spilling his guts all over his friend and confessing, though; Yuuji had already done enough for him. He didn’t want to burden him with a relationship on top of everything else.
And then, right as Junpei was contemplating just avoiding Yuuji altogether because of how helpless the boy was making him feel, Yuuji confessed.
His feelings. To Junpei. Not the other way around. Apparently, he’d had feelings for the older boy pretty much since the two had met.
And that was almost too much for Junpei’s poor heart.
Almost.
Because now the two were together. They were a couple, and although it was hard for Junpei to believe at first, Yuuji constantly showered him with affection to remind him. They slept together, – on purpose – trained with each other, kissed, all the things that couples did.
And Junpei couldn’t be happier.
Then, Shibuya happened.
Tons of sorcerers ended up wounded, and Ieiri-san insisted Junpei help at the clinic. Not as many died, but there were many casualties nonetheless. Among them was Nanami, one of the first sorcerers Junpei had met, who had saved him from Mahito and helped him get adjusted to life at the school. His body was found disintegrated from the waist up.
It had struck Junpei hard, but even more jarring was the death of Kugisaki. Her body hadn’t been found, but she was still missing in action, and in a situation like this, that basically meant death.
The girl had been hotheaded, but kind to Junpei when he arrived, even if she had a strange way of showing it. She made sure he ate on the days he was feeling troubled, and insisted he joined the rest of the students in their activities. A little while ago, she had invited him over for a sleepover in her dorm. She gossiped with him about their relationships with Maki and Yuuji and painted his nails. Even if it had just been once, he still felt touched by her gesture, and her determination to make him feel like he belonged among the rest of them.
Now, she was dead. And she wasn’t coming back.
He had been so busy tending to the wounds of those who had arrived at Ieiri’s clinic, it hadn’t even set in yet.
He’d heard about what the others had to deal with in Shibuya, and he was glad he was able to stay on the sidelines and help from there. Even so, he felt guilty for not having been there to even try to save the others.
Even greater than his guilt was his worry. For Gojo-sensei and everyone else, of course, but especially Yuuji. Apparently, Sukuna had somehow gained control, and for long enough to use Domain Expansion. This resulted in a chunk of Shibuya being destroyed, and hundreds of civilians were killed after they got caught up in it. His boyfriend – his caring, kind, boyfriend who would never hurt an innocent person intentionally – was deemed an outlaw by the higher-ups. He was still unaccounted for.
Ieiri had seen the way the news had affected Junpei. She doubted anyone at the school who actually knew the boy would turn against Yuuji like that, – especially since Gojo had also been deemed an enemy – but it still meant other sorcerers would be after him. He had reason to be worried.
It was obvious to anyone that the two were in a relationship. Ever since Junpei had started helping at the clinic, Yuuji had been coming suspiciously often for the most minor injuries – scrapes, aches, bruises – and would spend an excessive amount of time flirting with Junpei when he was there.
It was cute. They reminded her a bit of Satoru and Suguru.
Right now, they were in between patients, and the boy was wringing his hands and staring out the window, as if Yuuji would appear there by some miracle.
He wondered where the pink-haired boy was now. As much as he wished, he doubted Yuuji was in a good place. Even if the things that Sukuna did weren’t his fault, there was no doubt he would blame himself anyway. Junpei tried to prevent his thoughts from wandering to the worst possibilities. He’d been working on keeping his anxiety in check for the past few weeks, but if something happened to Yuuji…
If something happened to him, he would fall apart all over again.
“You can go now,” Ieiri said suddenly, breaking him away from his spiral. “I have someone else to help on the way.”
Junpei perked up. “Wait, really?”
“Of course. You’ve been awake for over 24 hours. Your energy has been drained by using RCT so much without practice. It’s not my business what you do after you leave, but I recommend you rest.”
He nodded, looking at the floor.
“You’re not going to rest, are you?” He gave her a meaningful look. She sighed. “Fine, but at least make sure you both get some rest after you find him and make sure he’s okay.”
Junpei smiled at her and nodded. “Thank you, Ieiri-san.”
—
The subways were in ruins, filled with curses and the bodies of transfigured humans. Junpei recognized Mahito’s gruesome handiwork in their twisted bodies. The streets of Shibuya were empty and abandoned. The energy was still intact for some reason, and the lights from the windows cast an eerie light on the bloody streets.
There were tons of curses left in Shibuya. Junpei didn’t stop to exorcise them. He wasn’t here for that.
Eventually, he came to the crater that he assumed had come from Sukuna’s Domain Expansion. It was giant, unreal. Just being around it, he could feel how sinister it was.
He couldn’t get distracted, though. He had developed quite an acute sense to detect cursed energy during his training. So even if it was faint, he was able to detect Yuuji’s presence. It was hard to pick out among the energy from the curses and other sorcerers that he assumed had been here, but it was still present.
His instincts led him underground. Many of the lights on the ceiling had been blasted out, leaving the tunnels in eerie half-darkness. There was a fire flickering ahead, at the end of one of the tunnels.
Junpei’s feet began racing ahead without his permission. He could make out two figures sitting beside it. One was cross-legged wearing what looked to be heavy robes.
The other had their head lying in the lap of the first. And the closer he got… it couldn’t be… that dark outfit… that red hood… Fuck.
“ Yuuji! ” He raced forward even faster. He was here. Junpei had found him. He wasn’t dead after all. At least, it didn’t seem like it.
Junpei just barely managed to stop in time to avoid running into a thin line of… blood? It was floating in the air, perfectly lined up with his skull.
He realized the sitting figure was looking at him, holding his hand toward the line.
It was easier to see him closer up. He looked almost exactly like a human, albeit one with a strange fashion sense. His robes were white and dark purple, and his wiry black hair was tied up in twin pigtails. A bold, black line ran across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were sunken and shadowed by red and black markings.
But his energy was unmistakably that of a curse.
It was undeniable, even though the technique of Blood Manipulation he appeared to be using was one that Junpei knew only ran in the Kamo clan. He’d seen it during the Exchange Event.
But Yuuji was lying right there. He was so close . Junpei suppressed the overwhelming urge to launch forward and take him into his arms. And it looked like he was wounded, too. What did this man… curse… want? Was he keeping Yuuji hostage for something?
“Take one step forward,” the curse rumbled. “And I’ll kill you.”
“Who are you?” Junpei said. He could feel familiar panic rising in his throat. “Why do you have Yuuji?”
The curse glanced down at the head in his lap, then his eyes returned to Junpei. “Tell me who you are, first.”
“I-I’m Yuuji’s… partner,” he said. He wasn’t sure curses knew the meaning of the word “boyfriend.” “Can you let me see him? He’s wounded. I-I don’t know why you have him, but…”
The curse seemed to consider that for a long moment. “I will allow you to heal him once he wakes up to confirm you’re trustworthy,” he said with finality.
So he wasn’t trying to hurt Yuuji? That was interesting, but also frustrating. He clearly didn’t trust Junpei, and Junpei didn’t even know who he was, let alone trust him.
But it didn’t seem like there would be any room to argue with him.
He huffed and sat down on the other side of the fire. And then, he waited.
—
Junpei fell asleep, his back leaning uncomfortably against the cold wall behind him. Choso noted this with satisfaction. It seemed this mysterious boy wouldn’t be a problem when Yuuji woke.
After a little while, Yuuji finally stirred. Choso jumped to attention was he saw his brother’s eyelids flutter open, his dark hazel eyes slowly moving up to meet the curse’s face. Yuuji blinked. His brow furrowed. The cut above his eye that had only just begun to heal moved with it.
“…Ch-Choso?” he croaked. The things that had happened just before he passed out came back to him. He had been wandering aimlessly through the subway tunnels, haphazardly killing the curses he saw before he collapsed, half hoping that a curse would find his unconscious body before he woke up. Just before his consciousness faded, though, he saw Choso – the one who had tried to kill him just hours earlier – kneel by his side. He hadn’t been hostile. Not at all. “Didn’t you… try to kill me?”
The curse nodded, hesitant. “I… realized something as you were about to die, however.” He stared into Yuuji’s eyes, absolutely serious. “Yuuji, you’re my brother. My senses cannot be wrong with this kind of thing.”
Yuuji’s brow furrowed even more. “But… you said it yourself. I killed your two brothers. You hated me.”
Choso nodded. “That is all in the past, Ototo.”
Yuuji thought about protesting to that, but he didn’t have the energy. Choso was running his fingers through his hair softly, and he was tired. He could feel his eyelids getting heavier.
“By the way,” Choso said, pulling him back from the edge of sleep. “A human came here. He claimed to know you.”
Yuuji’s eyes shot open. He sat up, and Choso mourned the loss of his head in his lap. He scanned the area around the fire, and just barely he spotted the orange light reflecting off the golden buttons on the uniform of the person leaning against the wall. Yuuji quickly rose to his feet and rushed over to his boyfriend.
“ Junpei! ”
He woke up immediately, his eyes finding Yuuji’s. Before he could even greet the pink-haired boy, his arms were wrapped around him. It didn’t feel like a normal hug, though. Yuuji’s hugs were usually warm, all-ecompassing, cozy. He was usually the one to pull Junpei into his chest.
But this one felt desperate. Lonely. He buried his face in Junpei’s shoulder and didn’t look him in the eye, clinging to him as if he was his only anchor to the world.
Junpei wrapped his arms around his broad shoulders in return, gently patting his head with one of his hands.
“ I missed you so much ,” Yuuji said thickly, his voice muffled.
Junpei had expected this. He knew Yuuji was going to be deeply affected by what happened in Shibuya. But it still scared him, seeing his boyfriend like this. He wasn’t his usual, smiling self, and that was worrying.
Still, he knew he had to be there for Yuuji. The boy had been comforting him and helping him get through hell the entire time he’d known Junpei. It was time to return the favor.
“Hey, shh, it’s okay,” Junpei whispered. “I’m here now, you’re alright, okay? I’ve got you.”
Yuuji was shuddering. He let out a few sobs into the smaller boy’s shoulder. Junpei let him.
Yuuji pulled away, but Junpei didn’t let him go entirely. He cupped his hands around Yuuji’s face, wiped away his tears, and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Yuuji melted into it. His face was tearstained and covered with ash and grime, but Junpei didn’t care a single bit. The past couple of days had seemed like years. He was just glad they were finally back together.
Junpei guided his boyfriend to the ground, and the latter curled up between his slender legs and leaned against his chest, still letting out a few dry sobs.
Choso lingered on the side, watching the two with an unreadable expression. He was the one to break the silence after a while.
“So, you do know each other?”
Yuuji sat up and turned his head to gaze at the curse with still-red eyes. Junpei cupped his hands in his lap. “Yeah. He’s my boyfriend,” Yuuji said with a small smile.
“How… do you two know each other? Who are you?” Junpei asked. The questions were directed at both Choso and Yuuji.
The curse bowed slightly. “I am Choso, the Death Painting.” Death Painting? Junpei knew about those. The cursed wombs for three of them had been stolen (presumably by Mahito) during the Exchange Event. Two of them had attacked Junpei and the rest of the first-years during a mission involving another special grade curse.
Junpei had passed out for most of it, but he remembered enough to know it had been bad news. Fushiguro had been left to battle the special grade by himself, and had just barely won, using a sloppy Domain Expansion to save both Junpei and himself. Kugisaki and Yuuji had dealt with the Death Paintings, but not without sustaining wounds themselves.
Junpei knew there was one more incarnated out there… but why was this one acting as Yuuji’s ally when he had killed its brothers?
Yuuji rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, seeming to read Junpei’s confusion. “It’s… kind of a long story. He tried to kill me… and then realized I was maybe his… brother? And now I guess he’s on my side,” he said. “Choso, this is my boyfriend, Junpei Yoshino.”
“You are my brother, Yuuji,” Choso said firmly. “I don’t understand exactly how, but it is probably through my human half. But any friend of my brother is a friend of mine. Pleased to meet you, Yoshino-kun. It is good to know someone is taking care of my brother.” Junpei flinched slightly as the half-curse took his hand. His were surprisingly warm, even for a curse.
Once he let go, Junpei turned to Yuuji. “You’re wounded. Let me see.”
For once, he actually shied away from Junpei’s touch. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”
Choso sat a distance away, watching them again.
“No, you’re not. Show me, okay?”
“You’ve been using your power a lot already, right? You should rest. I’ll be okay.”
“I wont take no for an answer, Yuuji.”
Yuuji sighed as Junpei began to unbutton the outer layer of his uniform, before lifting his undershirt up above his head and pulling it off. Junpei’s breath caught in his throat as he gazed at his boyfriend’s chest. It definitely wasn’t the only time he’d seen Yuuji with his shirt off, but he didn’t think he would ever get used to seeing his chiseled muscles, his bare, tanned skin grazed by scars here and there. He was a work of art. How was Junpei so lucky?
Yuuji smiled, catching his boyfriend’s flushed, surprised expression. How did he manage to get even prettier the longer Yuuji knew him? The ponytail he’d been wearing recently looked amazingly fitting on him. His nose was perfectly sloped and pointed and cute. The hazel shade of his eyes was lovely and warm and deep. A darker shade of tan than the rest of his skin dusted his cheeks. How in the world did Yuuji get so lucky?
Junpei shook his head. He couldn’t get distracted now. There was a deep gash on Yuuji’s shoulder, as well as a few scrapes scoring his torso. Nothing too major, but they could be problematic if left untreated.
He focused, pouring what was left of his cursed energy into the wounds, as if to fill them. He did this until he saw the wounds close.
Yuuji sighed as he felt a sensation like warm water pouring over him. The pain from the wounds gradually faded.
“Heh, thanks, Jun,” he said, the relief showing in his voice.
Junpei smiled at him warmly. He was even more drained from using RTC again, but at least he didn’t have to worry about Yuuji’s physical condition anymore.
“We should find somewhere to rest,” Yuuji said, taking note of the dark circles under his eyes.
Junpei nodded, accepting his boyfriend’s hand and letting him help him to his feet. He knew he’d come here to take care of Yuuji, not the other way around, but he was too tired to protest. “You wanna sleep? I can carry you, if you want.”
After picking up the discarded, bloody clothes, Junpei reluctantly accepted as Yuuji’s large, gentle hands lifted him under the legs and back. He leaned against his boyfriend’s shoulder and closed his eyes as he felt warm lips press against his forehead. He clutched Yuuji’s clothes like a makeshift pillow and sighed.
Choso stood up after them.
They began moving, and Junpei quickly felt sleep consume him.