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His skin felt warm while the room was aglow from the sun. Outside, the said star seemed to beckon, inviting him to indulge fully in its brilliance. Normally, he would harkened its call, for is there not a better bliss than a beautiful sunny day?
Indeed, if he were to spare a moment outside, he would see the sky so clear and so blue, painted in all sorts of hue. There would be no sound except of that of the wind, no movement except of that of the grass as they bend to it's will, and no smell other than that of morning spring.
Yet as beautiful as the day outside was, Itadori Yuuji found himself unable to appreciate it, for his attention was already captivated by something else entirely—you.
Sat in your velvety bed, his initial intention long forgotten, he watched as you worked with graceful fluidity in front of the vanity. For a while you were focused on your eyelids, carefully lining them up toward your temples with a fine brush. He had seen you engage in such endeavor multiple times already, and each time, he was left mesmerized. He found it satisfying how the colors mixed and harmonized with your features. Your hands were hypnotizing too, with how they always seem to move with purpose. It was akin to watching an artist paint, well, except in this case, the canvas was your lovely face.
Each time he also ponders about a specific question that, for some reason, he was only able to verbalize today.
"Why do I like wearing makeup?" You reiterate, your attention still focused on the task at hand. Itadori hums in agreement.
"It makes me feel pretty, I guess. Why do you ask?" You were now holding a mascara wand in your hand, meticulously brushing your lashes.
"But you're already pretty, even without it," Itadori said matter-of-factly, as though it's as true and obvious as the air they breathe. And while already self-assured, compliments from your friends always made you happy, especially when you know it came from a place with no ulterior motive.
You paused for a moment, mascara wand hovering in the air as you offered him a grateful smile.
"You're sweet, Itadori." He colors warmly at your words. "But that's not the only reason I enjoy doing it." You resume working on your lashes and remain silent for a while, contemplating your next set of words. That is until you realize—it's Itadori.
You can be truthful.
He won't judge, or think of you as silly.
"It feels therapeutic," you begin. "Having control over something, even if it's just something trivial like my appearance."
Itadori nods in understanding. Their lives as jujutsu sorcerers are unpredictable after all. With all the dangers they face on a regular basis, death lurks around on every corner. And having nearly experienced it once, death is a concept Itadori is well acquainted with. "Also," you add quietly, "it makes me feel like I'm a normal person."
Itadori had only been a sorcerer recently but for someone like you who had been one for most of your life, he can see how any semblance to normalcy may feel far out of reach.
With a final layer of gloss applied to your lips, you turn towards him. "So, how do I look?" He couldn't help but glance at your now orange tinted lips, his gaze lingering a second longer than he intended.
"Pretty."
Just like you always were.
You smiled at him bashfully.
"Would you like to try it?"
"Try what? Makeup?" He tilted his head in confusion, brows furrowed in confusion. His expression reminds you of a dog somehow. Cute.
You nodded.
"Historically, men have always worn makeup, you know. Kabuki performers were traditionally men and had to paint their faces with makeup regardless of the gender they're portraying. Nowadays, many actors and idols wear it too." Realizing that you may be coming off too forceful, you then quickly assured him, "But you don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with."
"Sure!" he immediately responded, a bit more eagerly than you expected. Surprised yet pleased with his enthusiasm, you beamed at him with one of your warmer smiles, the type that always made his chest feel lighter.
"Come here then," you said, gently guiding him by the arm closer to your vanity table, making him sit while you hovered behind him. Before him lay the various cosmetics you owned, as well as the mirror where he had just been observing you moments ago. He briefly looked at his own reflection before he caught yours spraying some sanitizer onto your hands. "Do you have any specific look in mind that you want to try?"
"Oh, I'm not really familiar with this stuff, so I'll let you decide!" He replied with a sheepish grin.
"May I?" you then asked, voice soft with a hint of hesitation.
He nods, and with his permission, you held both sides of his face to examine him closely. Although he had already expected it, the warmth of your hands did nothing but intensify the increasing blossom in his face. If you noticed, no words of confirmation left your lips.
"Has anyone told you that your face is a perfect canvas?"
"It is?" he asked, surprised.
You hummed. "Clear skin, good bone structure," you continued, gently maneuvering his face to the sides before tracing his eyebrows with your thumbs. "And your brows are well shaped too."
Itadori was not the type of person to dwell on his appearance. Don't get him wrong; it's not like he thinks he's unattractive. In fact, he believes he doesn't look quite half bad. However, hearing you point out his features in a positive light made pride swell in his chest. 'Does that mean you think he's attractive?' He them quickly shook the thought aside because why would that matter?
He's been having a lot of these weird thoughts around you lately.
"Since your face isn’t used to makeup, let’s stick with something simple," you said, arm extending towards the vanity table. "But first, let’s prep your skin."
Grabbing a cotton pad, you began wetting it with some clear liquid he doesn't know before gently wiping his face clean. His face contorted into disgust when he saw the cotton pad stained with dirt, making you laugh. After lathering some gel moisturizer on his face, he couldn't help but melt under your touch.
"What moisturizer do you normally use?"
"H-huh?" He stuttered, momentarily broken from the blissful state he was in. "I don't really use one."
"I have some unopened moisturizer if you want one," you offered, "Don't worry, it's pretty gentle, even for those with skin that is sensitive."
Itadori's gaze flickered to your face, his eyes analyzing. "Is it the same one that you use?"
You nodded, a proud grin on your lips. "Feel it. My skin's smooth because of it."
You reached out for one of his hands, placing them against your cheek. His eyes widened upon contact.
"Ah, it is! Like a baby's butt!"
"Are you calling me buttface, Itadori?"
"N-no! That's not what I—"
Unable to hide your amusement, you let out a snort. "Relax, I was just teasing. I know what you meant."
He exhaled a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
"Well, if you don't use moisturizer, what do you use on your face then?"
He hesitates for a moment, embarrassed by his upcoming answer. "Um...soap?"
You look at him disappointingly, which made him scratch the back of his neck.
"That's okay," you said with a sigh. "It's never too late to start. Even if you don't wear makeup, you got to take good care of your skin, you know."
"Oh, but I don't really know where to start..."
"It doesn't need to be complicated," you reassured him. "You just need 3 things: a cleanser, a moisturizer, and a sunscreen. The last one is very important since we're out in the sun a lot. It would be pretty ironic if we survive grade 3 curses then die from skin cancer."
He chuckled, his body physically relaxing once again.
"Join me next time when I'm out shopping. I'll help pick some out for you."
The prospect of the two of you going out alone made him far too giddy that he may have nodded more enthusiastically than he intended. You mirrored his enthusiasm with a beaming smile of your own.
After a little while, you began rummaging through your vanity, searching for a specific skin-colored tube. Placing some of it in the back of your hand, you began swirling it around with your fingers.
"What's that one for?" he asked, curious.
"Oh, this?" You held it up, showing him the concealer. “It’s for covering up marks or hyperpigmentation. Not that you need much of it.” You grinned playfully. “But it can also be used to highlight certain areas of the face.”
Conceal, huh?
Itadori's fingers lightly brushed the marks beneath his eyes.
"Can it cover these?"
You stop in your tracks. Realizing the weight within his words, you look at him with worry.
It was more than just concealing blemishes. His scars were a reminder. Whenever he looks in the mirror, he is reminded of the gravity of his situation—of his inevitable mortality the moment he finishes collecting the cursed fingers.
And when he met your eyes, one thought crossed his mind.
He does not want to die.
Despite not verbalizing this thought out loud, somehow you just knew.
So you hugged him. And the strength he had always exhibited falters for a moment, until finally he gives in. Returning your embrace, he slowly melted into you. The two of you remained in each other's arms in silence before it was broken by him.
"Are you not afraid of me?"
The marks not only serve as a reminder of his impending death but also of a monster, of Sukuna. While he has good control over him, what if there comes a time where he fails to do so? What if he hurts his friends?
What if he hurts you?
And the thought of that made him afraid, even more so from his own impeding doom.
"Why would I be afraid of you, silly?" you muttered, playfully pinching him in the back. And although it was brief, the feeling of your nails gave rise to small goosebumps in his skin.
"But Sukuna–"
"You're you, Yuuji," you interrupted, emphasizing each word. He realizes that it's also the first time you called him by his first name. "Marks or not, when I look at you, I see you. The kindest person I know. Not Sukuna.”
He felt the sting of emotion in his chest. His throat tight.
'Oh man, it's getting harder not to cry.'
"So don't worry too much, okay?" you added gently. "We'll figure it out along the way. You have us."
"Okay," he whispered, tightening his hold on you and blinked away the tears. Someone once told him that hugs could heal. Maybe they were right, because the longer you guys were pressed together, the more his worries began to disappear until there was only you.
The both of you revel in each other's warmth for a while before pulling apart with a newfound shyness.
“Sorry,” you mumbled, glancing at his shirt. “I think I got some concealer on it.”
He looked at the small stain and shrugged, grinning. “Nah, it’s alright. I can just wash it.”
You gave a soft, relieved smile. “Let’s continue from where we left off, shall we?”
There wasn't much for him to do while you worked on his face, so with nothing else to pay attention to, he let his eyes carefully drink you in. He takes note of the color of your lids—always matching the clothes you are adorned in. Today they were green with hints of yellow shimmer, which he felt accentuated your eyes, even more so in contrast to the slight orange blush on your mo cheeks. Finally, his eyes shifted to the plump of your lips, wondering if they're as soft as they look, before feeling self-conscious and quickly darting his gaze away. He needs to stop acting weird; what if you noticed his staring?
You noticed, of course, but this was Itadori, so you didn't mind.
"We're almost done. We just have to finish with your lips. Excuse me."
Really, Itadori had been doing fine until you gently pressed your fingertips against his lips. Now he can barely hear you saying something in the background, something about running out of disposable lip brushes. He would've paid more attention if it wasn't for the loud beating inside his chest. He just hoped you couldn't hear it as you topped his lips with a thin coat of gloss. Without thinking, he licked the inside of his lips, tasting strawberries.
'Was this the same lip gloss you are wearing right now?' The thought made him dizzy with emotion he couldn't quite place yet.
"There!" You patted his face gently with the hand you'd been using to position his head. A satisfied grin adorned on your face. "Very handsome."
Red reached his cheeks, and he was grateful that makeup concealed most of it. What he didn’t realize was that the color had reached his ears, too.
He looked at his reflection, and he was surprised to see how he looked. It was still very much him, but somehow he looked different. He felt pretty, almost like a character from a manga. A bishounen character, to be exact. He then wondered if you liked pretty guys. They’re popular with girls, right?
"Do you like men who wear makeup?" he asked suddenly.
"Like, you mean as a type?" you clarified.
"Yeah."
"Not necessarily. Though yeah, I guess I would like to date someone who I can dress up with." Itadori felt himself physically deflate at that, a wave of disappointment washing over him.
"What's with that reaction?" You giggled, finding his pouting face amusing.
Maybe he should start learning how to do makeup. There were plenty of tutorials online that could help. Would you like him better if he looked like that one Shoujo character you were talking about the other day? Should he dye his hair blond, too?
Wait… what was he even thinking?
"I don't think I have a type, to be honest," you continued. "If I like someone, I just like them. In that regard, I'm actually a little jealous of you. At least you know your type—even if it’s pretty impossible."
"What do you mean impossible?" Itadori then feigned hurt, placing a hand over his chest as if he couldn't believe the words that you just said. "I AM going to marry Jennifer Lawrence."
"Sure, sure, Mr. Lawrence. Just don't forget to invite me to the wedding," you playfully roll your eyes, grinning. "Speaking of Jennifer Lawrence, I'm assuming you've seen her recent movie already."
"Oh right!" He blinked, realizing something. “I haven’t actually.”
"That's surprising. You never miss any of her movies."
"Well, I was hoping we could watch it today," he said, a hopeful smile on his face.
"Oh, so that's why you brought your laptop with you." You chuckled. "Okay, let me grab us some snacks first. Are you comfortable with the makeup? You can take it off now if you want.”
"Nah, I think I'll keep it on for a while."
You nodded, secretly touched that he liked it enough to not remove it.
-----
As you both settled in to enjoy the movie, his usual focus started to slip away. Normally it would be on the screen; this is Jennifer Lawrence after all. But not even the aforementioned beauty can stop his gaze from constantly traveling towards you, a smile emerging from his face upon seeing one of your own.
And then he realized: Maybe he liked you more than he liked Jennifer Lawrence after all.