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It had been nearly a year since the Shibuya incident, but that was not how sorcerers referred to it. Heavy casualties had been prevented thanks to the information from a curse, which helped Satoru Gojo avoid being sealed and the attack plans to be known beforehand. Kenjaku had managed to escape when he realized he had been betrayed and the element of surprise was gone.
The identity of the spy curse had not been revealed to the students of Jujutsu Tech, and Gojo had judged it safer to not reveal it to the higher-ups either. The curse, despite how much help he had been, was now forced into hiding both from Kenjaku, other curses, and the highest sorcerer authorities.
Nanamin's running late , Yuji thought as he checked his phone. That was unlike him. He'd never missed one of their lessons, and Yuji imagined that if he ever did, he would've called to apologize. Just as he was about to get up and leave after waiting for nearly thirty minutes, Gojo barged into the room, phone in hand.
"Nanamin's in trouble."
Yuji had expected Nanami to be the one to save, and not the 'spy curse', as Gojo said. He'd explained it all in a rush after teleporting them both to some abandoned building. How they won in Shibuya, the fact that Nanami was the one who hid the spy curse in his apartment for a year, and that Kenjaku had come back for revenge and abducted the curse.
"How do we know it's not a trap?" Yuji asked.
"We know it's a trap." Gojo replied calmly. "He couldn't get me, Nanamin and you in Shibuya, and if he can do that and take vengeance on his former ally all at once…"
"Then why are we here?"
"Because there are very few who know the full story, and it's better this way. For the safety of the curse, Nanami, and others. Getting too many people involved isn't always the best idea. Come on, Nanamin is already in there."
Yuji nodded. He didn't mind going straight into a trap to help those he cared about, even when he wasn't sure he was strong enough. But it seemed Gojo trusted his abilities, so that had to count for something.
"I'm going to find Kenjaku. Look for the curse."
"Wait, teacher! How will I recognize him?"
Gojo had purposefully delayed the moment he'd reveal exactly who the spy curse was.
"You'll know. You've fought him before. But make sure not to hurt him this time, okay? Nanamin would never forgive us."
Yuji quickly went through all the curses he'd fought before and who made it out alive, and realized there had been more than one.
"Give me another clue!"
Gojo thought for a while. If he uttered the words 'patchwork curse', he knew he could consider Yuji out of the mission, so he tiptoed around the issue again.
"He's pregnant."
"Wha-"
"Now if you'll excuse me, I got a long overdue fight to finish. Good luck!"
And with that, Gojo was off and out of Yuji's sight.
Yuji had never been told in school that curses could get pregnant; he'd never even questioned whether they had genitalia, let alone a reproductive system. But he didn't have the time to overthink it as he soon heard a muffled cry coming from the hallway to his left.
The building was falling apart, covered in ivy and graffiti. Probably a good spot for urban exploration, and Yuji had to be careful when jumping over some large holes in the concrete ground.
He heard another scream of pain less than two minutes later, and he picked up his pace. It didn't sound like Gojo or Nanami, and although he'd never heard Kenjaku's voice, he assumed it wasn't him either. There were no sounds of fighting or struggle; the one they came from had to be alone, with only the broken walls to echo their cries.
He took another turn, and he found him. Sitting in a corner, back against the wall and chin resting against his chest, long blue-gray hair covering his face and stitched arms draped over a massive round belly.
The patchwork curse.
Mahito.
Yuji felt bile rise in his throat at the sight of the curse who had laughed right after brutally killing a boy his age. A friend, who Mahito had taken pleasure in torturing and watching him cry, crawling and begging at Yuji's feet until his last moments. Someone who would've been a second year by now if it wasn't for Mahito's cruelty. An innocent who trusted the patchwork curse and considered him his friend, and who genuinely believed it enough to tell Yuji he was not a threat.
Another sharp cry left the curse's mouth, and Yuji was brought back to the present moment. Mahito was right there , helpless and at his mercy. The curse hadn't even realized he was here, too caught up in his own suffering. Yuji's possibilities to snuff him out were endless.
Yet he found himself staring at the swollen stomach that contracted once more and prompted Mahito to whine, bare legs spreading wider as blood mixed in a pool of clear liquid. He cursed Gojo for not telling him who he would find, and that he'd find him minutes away from giving birth.
Yuji took one step closer.
"Mahito."
The curse's head shot up and he gasped, protectively wrapping his arms tighter around his middle.
"No…" He choked out, the expression on his face switching from pain to visceral fear. The sight of Mahito's features constricted with absolute horror satisfied Yuji's need for revenge, but Gojo's last words rang through his mind.
Nanamin would never forgive us.
Yuji suddenly felt the gears in his head turn, and nausea settled in his gut.
Nanami had been the one hiding this curse in his own home for a year. Yuji couldn't jump to conclusions, but the thought of him knocking up Mahito of all curses made him want to laugh and puke at the same time.
Yuji was tempted to tell him Nanami was dead, just to see his reaction. Maybe grief would kill him and that monster baby.
But if Nanami truly was the father of that soon-to-be-born child, Yuji couldn't bring himself to do something so selfish, no matter how good it would feel to see if Mahito was capable of crying. Instead, he inched closer and crouched by Mahito's side. When the curse desperately tried to crawl away from him, face turned the other way to avoid his gaze, Yuji uttered words he would've never thought he would say to a cursed spirit.
"It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you."
Mahito looked up to meet Yuji's eyes and stared in disbelief, trying to decipher whether or not the boy was genuine. The curse was aware he had it coming should Yuji decide to take advantage of this moment of unparalleled weakness.
Before he could think of a reply, another contraction racked his body and he whimpered so pitifully "Where's Nanami?..."
Mahito didn't seem to have an ounce of fight left in him, and instead cowered further into the corner, and that was when Yuji saw them.
Tears in the curse's eyes.
It didn't feel as satisfying as Yuji would've thought. He sighed and held his hands up to prove he wasn't here to do Mahito any harm.
"He got here before me and Gojo's helping him fight Kenjaku. He'll join us soon, so don't, uh…"
The look Mahito gave him said it couldn't wait, and Yuji's jaw clenched. He'd rather chew glass than help his worst enemy give birth, and he could hear Sukuna laughing his ass off at the situation his host was stuck in. But Yuji reminded himself this was also Nanami's baby.
He checked his phone, but as he expected, no signal within the screen surrounding the building. He breathed out a defeated sigh and kneeled in front of Mahito.
He racked his brain to try and gather information on emergency delivery from his memories, but he'd never been taught that in first aid training. He'd have to rely on what he saw in movies.
"Okay." He said, more to reassure himself than to comfort Mahito.
He forced himself to look down to assess the situation, and couldn't help but note "At least you have the right parts for this."
Mahito couldn't hold back a nervous chuckle, and they stared wide eyed at each other for a moment, both wondering if this was really happening.
Well, not like they had a choice. Another contraction hit harder and longer than those before, and Yuji ordered "Push!"
Mahito complied, eyes screwed shut and canines digging into his lower lip deep enough to draw blood.
"Hey, you can scream, you know. That'll probably help with the pain too." Yuji said flatly.
"Don't tell me what to do." Mahito groaned in response, and Yuji huffed.
"Do it alone, then." Yuji snapped, and to illustrate his point, he took a couple steps away and sat with his back to Mahito.
"Push when you feel the need to, catch your breath between contractions, and you should be fine on your own. That'll spare both of us the effort of acting like we don't want each other dead."
Yuji didn't look back for long minutes, staring at the cracks in the wall in front of him while Mahito's cries filled the air. They began to feel less and less pleasant the more Yuji realized how human they sounded.
It got to a point where he had to cover his ears to block out the screams tearing through Mahito's throat. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to stop his mind from overlapping Mahito's voice with Junpei's last words.
He felt fear seep into his heart when he realized Mahito had suddenly fallen silent. He couldn't run from the situation completely, not when Nanami's future child was involved. So he turned around and saw the look on Mahito's face. He looked exhausted and defeated.
"Mahito?"
"I can't keep going. I'm scared …!"
Yuji didn't think before kneeling in front of Mahito again. He took a deep breath before looking between the curse's legs. He wasn't sure, with all the blood, but he thought he could see the head.
"You can't give up now, you're so close."
"It hurts too much." Mahito whined, and Yuji sighed.
"Here. Take my hand. When the next contraction comes, I want you to push as hard as you can, and you can break all my fingers if you want."
He counted on Sukuna to fix them after.
Mahito looked at him like he was crazy.
"Why are you acting so friendly…?"
"Come on, Mahito."
Yuji insisted as he extended his hand further.
"I just learned you're the one who saved our asses in Shibuya and Nanamin trusts you with his child. Surely you must be strong enough to handle this."
Mahito didn't know why his eyes welled up with tears. Maybe it was the mention of Nanami and knowing he was out there fighting a dangerous battle instead of being here when Mahito needed him most. Maybe it was getting praised by someone who by all means should kill him on the spot. Maybe it was the excruciating pain. Maybe it was the thought of past actions he'd grown to despise.
"Mahito. You're almost there. Let's get it over with now so that Nanamin can meet his baby when he gets here."
The words tasted strange on Yuji's tongue, but he felt relieved when Mahito finally grasped his hand.
Sukuna was kind enough to allow the touch without protesting or taking over. Yuji made a mental note to thank him later — it seemed today was the day of telling curses the words he would've never thought he'd say to them in any situation.
Especially not this particular one.
Mahito's breath hitched in his throat and he squeezed Yuji's hand tighter.
"When you feel ready to push, give it all you've got!" Yuji encouraged the curse, barely feeling the bone of his little finger snapping in two.
The broken cry that Mahito let out next nearly made Yuji deaf. He cursed himself for standing so close to Mahito, but he didn't let go of his hand. Not like he had a choice, considering the vice grip the curse had on his fingers.
Idly, he wondered if Nanami could hear Mahito from wherever he was in the building. The place was big enough that the sounds of struggle and bursts of cursed energy were faint and distant. Yuji hoped Nanami and Gojo wouldn't be too long, in case the teenager wasn't enough to deal with the birthing process properly.
He caught himself overthinking. What would he do if the child wasn't breathing? Or if the umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck? Was there even an umbilical cord to begin with?
Despite how upset he'd felt being kept in the dark for so long about the identity of the spy curse and Nanami soon becoming a father, he didn't let his feelings get the best of him. Nanami was like a father to him. He would bring Nanami's child into the world, he'd be a part of their life as much as he could, and he'd try his best to forgive Mahito.
If Nanami really did love the patchwork curse, then that meant he wasn't completely irredeemable.
"Itadori…"
Mahito looked like hell, face flushed and sweaty and hair a mess, eyes half-lidded and glazed over, but it was the first time Yuji could look at him without wanting to puke.
"It's too much, I'm gonna die."
"No you're not. Come on, surely you've been through worse. On a scale from one to ten, five being our last fight-"
Mahito didn't know where he found the energy to play along, but he managed a cocky smile through the tears.
"Compared to this?... Our fight was barely a one."
Yuji's face paled and he nodded stiffly. He used his free hand to feel between Mahito's legs while maintaining eye contact.
He gasped when, through the blood and other slimy bodily fluids, his fingers met with the unmistakable texture of thin, sticky hair.
"Hold on for a couple more pushes, okay? I can't see the color yet, but once we dry them up, you'll find out whether the baby inherited your hair or Nanamin's."
That was what Mahito needed to hear to keep going. Something tangible to look forward to and to keep fighting for. He'd been dying to know how exactly his and Nanami's DNA would mix. He didn't really care anymore whether their child was a half-curse of a full human; he just wanted to see the color of their eyes.
The next contraction tore through Mahito, but he gave the strongest push and broke two more of Yuji's fingers.
Then he suddenly felt a deep emptiness. The pain wasn't completely gone, but a weight had been lifted off of him and he felt dizzy. When he opened his eyes again, Yuji was cradling a wrinkled heap of reddened flesh covered in white grease bundled into his jacket.
Mahito stared breathlessly at the tiny being for a few seconds that seemed to last an eternity before the silence was broken by wailing surprisingly powerful for someone with lungs this size.
The curse didn't know where he found the strength to lift his arms and reach for his baby, and Yuji wondered why his brain accepted to hand what looked exactly like a newborn human to a special grade curse, but soon Mahito was holding his crying child with the biggest smile on his stitched up face.
Mahito closed his eyes as he pressed his nose to his baby's forehead, feeling the flickering and wavering of their brand new soul.
Yuji caught himself smiling when he heard the curse call his baby "my little love", and he finally relaxed, letting himself fall back and lay on the ground with a deep sigh.
He'd done his job right.
"Mahi!"
A breathless voice called out from the corridor to Yuji's right, and both he and Mahito's heads snapped toward the direction of the noise. There was the sound of two pairs of feet, one more hesitant than the other, quickly followed by Nanami emerging from the shadows, leaning against Gojo. The blond man had a gash in his side and his leg, as well as other scratches and tears in his clothes, but he was still standing and even outran Gojo when he spotted Mahito. He stumbled and fell to his knees by his side, barely noticing the pain when his wounded calf hit the ground.
"Mahito…" He sighed in relief as he took hold of his curse's forearms.
"Are you okay?" Mahito asked, his brow knit together at the sight of all the blood.
"I'm…"
Nanami was rendered speechless when his eyes fell on the whimpering bundle in Mahito's arms.
He blinked a few times when he felt his head spin and his vision blur with tears. Most of the blood and vernix had been wiped away with Yuji's jacket, so Nanami could see every little wrinkle on his child's scrunched up face and noticed that their fine hair was a light shade of blond.
"I'm so proud of you." Nanami breathed out as he wrapped his arms around Mahito and pressed a kiss to his cheek, then bent down to place one on the top of their baby's head.
Gojo sat down by the spot where Yuji was still lying on the floor and the teenager turned to look at him.
"Did you kill him?"
Gojo looked past Yuji, uncovered eyes staring at his old friend's family. He was less banged up than Nanami, but it was still obvious that the fight hadn't been the smoothest.
"Yeah. It's over."
Yuji had a whole year to learn about Geto and Kenjaku after Shibuya. He knew what his relationship with Gojo used to be, before everything went to shit.
Still, Gojo was smiling at those lucky enough to not be alone at the end.
"You know, I think it's just the beginning." Yuji said, and Gojo's smile grew wider.
"You're right. Now we get to be the most embarrassing uncles."
Yuji burst out laughing and held his fist up. "Deal."
Gojo fist-bumped him, then looked back to the couple in front of him. Mahito was falling asleep on Nanami's shoulder while Nanami held their newborn, looking at them in a way Gojo had never seen Nanami look at anyone else before.
Or maybe he had, once, a long time ago.
As cliché as it sounded, Yuji was right.
"Deal."