Chapter Text
Ever since that day in the movie theater, Junpei felt so much more at ease. He finally found a kindred spirit in the form of Mahito, a walking curse of a man who killed three of his tormentors on a whim. So instead of spending his days alone in his thoughts, he would stop by the sewers to pay his friend a visit. There the two would chat about this and that, whatever was on the spirit's mind. It was quite a pleasant time, no matter how brief it could have been.
Today was much like any other day. It was raining and Mahito was currently lounging in his hammock. Junpei could hear the water dripping from the ceiling as it splattered onto the stone cold floor. He leaned against the wall as his friend began today's discussion.
"There are cursed spirits known as special grade potential apparitions," Mahito said as he skimmed through a maroon book. "Cursed spirits are a collection of the curse energy emitted by humans. Whether it exists or not, a shared image of fear makes it easy for a powerful curse to manifest."
"So what's an example of a shared image of fear?" Junpei wondered. His personal hobby quickly came to mind. "You mean, like monsters and scary ghost stories?"
"Yes," Mahito answered as he held up the book to a specific section. "Like Toilet-Bound Hanako, the Nine-Tailed Fox, and so on. Jujutsu sorcerers label them special grade potential apparitions and keep watch for them." He held his book close to his chest as he leaned back in his hammock. "And the fact that they often categorize powerful unidentified curses as potential apparitions... It makes it feel like that's all they're focused on." He glanced towards the bashful teen. "But people constantly fear other things too, not just those old fairytales."
Junpei took a while to think about other options. "Like earthquakes?" he guessed.
Mahito chuckled slightly. "I love how stress-free it can be talking to you," he praised.
Junpei blushed slightly and glanced down at his hands, not used to being complimented. "Well, I don't really..." he stammered.
A deep growl cut off the bashful teen's thoughts. Curiosity flooded his mind as he approached the source, which seemed to come from the deep end of a nearby tunnel. He peaked in with a small 'huh', but he failed to see what was inside.
"People."
Junpei turned around as he gasped, realizing Mahito was standing next to him, his face dangerously close to his. He could feel his heart pounding from this proximity, but he was unable to move back. He could see the cursed spirit's mismatched eyes and stitch-covered face, which seemed to fascinate him for reasons unknown. His silvery-blue hair, though slightly frizzed, seemed to be shining in the low light of the sewer.
Was it okay to feel this way towards another guy?
"The ocean, the forests, the earth... They fear all of them," Mahito continued. "Because the curse energy directed towards those is far too vast, they gained wisdom before they took shape and they've remained in hiding up until now. I'm proud to call all of them my friends." He lifted his left hand towards Junpei's cheek and cupped his face, his fingers dancing slightly to play with the brunette bangs.
"Tell me, Mahito..." Junpei spoke as the cursed spirit brushed his hair aside with his coarse thumb. "What kind of a curse are you?" Yet he mentally begged the dark beauty to stop touching him like this. Those rough hands were making him feel uncomfortable, like sandpaper against his skin. And the way his hair was moved felt like part of his burn scars were visible, taking him back to those days...
"Human," Mahito answered as the teen's gasps became ragged. "I'm a curse that was born from the hatred and fear that people hold deep inside toward others."
Neither side changed position for a good number of minutes. Junpei tried to will his body to move, to shove aside the rough hand so he could hide behind his bangs once more. But staring into his eyes gave rise to something else entirely. This was the first time someone who wasn't his mom was touching him in such a kind manner. Even if Mahito's skin was dry and rough, his touch was surprisingly gentle. He wanted more.
He needed more.
"Your hair is very long for a boy," Mahito remarked, tucking the long curtain of bangs behind Junpei's ear. He slowly withdrew his hand, but it was held in place by a sudden grasp on his wrist. "Hm?"
"...Don't," Junpei begged. "Keep going."
Mahito chuckled lightly. "So you're that kind of person," he noted. "How interesting..."
Junpei closed his eyes as he leaned in towards Mahito's touch, loosening his grasp on the stitched wrist to cover the coarse hand. Mahito's fingers were long with brittle fingernails, but he felt so happy. He knew how wrong this felt getting close with another guy, but he couldn't get enough. This gentle touch was enough to overwhelm his sense of reason. He let out a breathy sigh as he allowed his body to enjoy this feeling while it still last.
Olive green made contact with gray and blue once more. Was it just his imagination, or did that silvery-blue hair from before shine brighter?
And what exactly was that sinful feeling within Junpei's still-beating heart?