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i;
'Sukuna… let's try again. Not to curse someone, but to live with someone…' Itadori says softly, 'even if no one accepts you… I alone can live with you.'
Itadori looks down at the blob resting in his palm, smoke already steaming from it with a solemn expression as Sukuna screeches at him to not look down at him and remind him that he is a curse before he sizzles away completely.
He stays kneeling there for a long time, staring down at the remains in his cupped hands and he starts to feel his tears prick with the familiar stinging sensation of tears. He brings his hands closer to himself and squeezes his eyes shut, silent tears rolling down his cheeks. He doesn't mention this to anyone after and is quick to wipe away his tears before anyone notices.
'So, what did you do with it anyway?' Fushiguro asks.
Itadori replies with a casual smile, his hands in the pockets of his pants, 'hm? oh, I got rid of it,' he shrugs, shocking Fushiguro who widens his eyes at him.
'Are you sure that was the right thing to do?'
'Why not? It was useless anyway and look at it this way, now Sukuna won't have anything he can use to resurrect himself.'
Kugisaki let's out a snort, 'and thank god for that, we don't need him coming back anytime soon.'
Itadori let's out a small hum, glancing down at his missing fingers.
Later in the dead of night, Itadori makes his way towards a secret location somewhere in the middle of the woods, a place that only he knows about and knows how to get to. He comes across a small wooden box like hut and opens up the doors. He lifts himself up into it and once he's settled on his knees, he pulls out a small wooden box with a talisman plastered on the lid.
Itadori slowly pulls back the lid to reveal a single corpse like finger, the nail sharp and pointy, a dark purple colour. He gazes at the finger for a long time before replaces the lid and lifts the box to his lips where he brushes a kiss against the front, his eyes fluttering closed.
'Don't take too long… please,' he whispers against the box before he reluctantly places it down and gets out of the hut, shutting and locking the door firmly.
ii;
'Something seems off about you…' Kugisaki observes, her eye narrowed with suspicion and it catches Fushiguro's attention and he too glances over at Itadori.
Itadori slowly lifts his gaze and meets their eyes, blinking out of his thoughts. 'What do you mean?'
Kugisaki purses her lips, shrugging her shoulders, 'I don't know but you don't seem like the usual you… normally by now you'd be talking my ear off about who knows what, but lately you're just…'
'Distant,' Fushiguro finishes, frowning in slight concern, 'it's like you aren't fully here every time we see you, you may be physically here with us but your mind isn't,' he says and Kugisaki nods in agreement.
Itadori gives them a small smile that feels hollow, 'I'm okay,' he laughs, 'just… I have a lot on my mind, that's all. I'll be fine in no time, trust me.'
Kugisaki and Fushiguro share doubtful looks with each other but reluctantly let it go for now. Itadori gives them another smile before his eyes drop back to his hands, his smile slipping from his face as he gets lost back in his thoughts again, a numb hollow feeling settled deep in his chest as he gazes at his missing fingers.
'…But you'll come to us about anything right?' Kugisaki then says tentatively, 'no matter what it is, we'll be here for you.'
Itadori lifts his head back up and gives them another smile, this time a real one and his eyes soften with gratefulness as he nods.
'Yeah, I will… thank you.'
'…I miss Sukuna,' Itadori admits in a quiet whisper a few months later, unable to meet Fushiguro's gaze.
Fushiguro slowly turns his head to stare at him and blinks hard, the air going tense between them.
'You miss him?'
Itadori nervously flicks his eyes back up towards him and gives a tense nod, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallows thickly, hands starting to tremble slightly.
Fushiguro frowns, '…miss him in what way?' he asks, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Itadori doesn't answer straight away but his body language gives him away, the way a blush creeps up his necks and settles high on his cheeks, the adverted gaze, the way he fiddle nervously with his fingers and—
'Ah.'
Itadori winces at the coldness in Fushiguro's tone, looking back with a pleading expression as he desperately rushes to explain, his voice shaky. 'P-Please, Fushiguro it's not like I had meant for this to happen—'
Fushiguro cuts him off with a sharp scoff, standing up from his seat to glare down at him. 'Didn't mean to… what? Develop feelings for that curse? Have you forgotten everything he's done?'
'N-No, of course I haven't—'
'Well it sure seems like it! After everything that has happened, you still went ahead and caught feelings for him?! He killed Gojo-sensei, he killed my sister and you're telling me you're in love with him?!'
Itadori flinches and stands up, his expression twisted into one of panicked desperation, 'Fushiguro, please—'
Fushiguro cuts him off by holding a hand up, shaking his head with disappointment. 'Save it. I can't believe you'd do something like this,' he mutters, turning around to leave.
Itadori let's out a panicked whimper, his eyes pricking with tears, 'Fushiguro, please! I never intended this to happen! Please, you have to understand—'
But Fushiguro just cuts him off by slamming the door closed behind him, leaving Itadori alone to wallow in his own self pity.
'Fushiguro tells me you have feelings for a certain curse?' Kugisaki hisses sharply as she stops in front of him, where he's sat on the stairs and glares down at him with her arms crossed.
Itadori swallows nervously, his eyes briefly flicking towards where Fushiguro stands behind Kugisaki, his expression blank and cold.
He glances back at Kugisaki and slowly nods his head, straightening up his spine as he meets her gaze head on, 'yes, it's true.'
Kugisaki's eye widens, anger twisting at her features as she stares at him coldly.
'What is… wrong with you?!' she snaps sharply, 'you're in love with Sukuna?!'
Itadori sucks in a sharp breath, his jaw clenching, 'yes… I am. I miss him.'
Kugisaki let's out a scoff at that, 'and what, you want him to come back or something?' she asks sarcastically but Itadori's answer shocks her.
'I do.'
Kugisaki stares blankly at Itadori, her remaining eye wide before she barks out a laugh, cold and mocking.
'Well good luck with that, you got rid of his remaining finger, remember?'
'…I didn't, actually.'
Both Kugisaki and Fushiguro freeze in shock, their eyes widening as they stare at Itadori, their expressions paling with horror and dread.
'…What did you just say?' Kugisaki chokes out, her voice strained.
Itadori keeps their gaze, his voice firm as he says, 'I didn't get rid of his finger, I have it stored away somewhere in secret.'
Kugisaki stares at him like he's lost his mind, a deep sense of betrayal settling deep in her chest before her expression twists into one full of rage and she's suddenly lunging herself at Itadori, delivering a hard punch towards his jaw. The impact causes Itadori to be knocked off the steps and land on the ground with a hard thud, he doesn't have time to register the pain he feels in his jaw when she's suddenly grabbing him by the collar and jerking him upright.
She stares down at him with a fiery gaze, her eye twitching in anger, 'you kept it and lied to us about it?!'
Itadori still meets her eye with a persistent gaze, 'of course I did… I miss him, I want him to come back—'
He's cut off by Kugisaki delivering another hard punch towards his face, sending him sprawling backwards back, blood gushing from his nose as he cups it and curls on his side with a soft groan, his brows pinched in pain. But his gaze is still unwavering as he looks back up at her.
'Are you insane?!' Kugisaki spits, 'after everything he's done, you want him to come back? All because you miss him,' she mocks.
Itadori slowly pushes himself up onto his knees, wiping the blood from his nose with his sleeve, 'yes…' he mutters, eyes flicking downwards, 'I want him to come back to me someday.'
Kugisaki stares at him like he's grown a second head, her trembling hands clench and unclench by her sides. 'You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Sukuna is a curse, he brings nothing but misery and misfortune and you want him back?? You're out of your damn mind!'
'I don't care!' Itadori suddenly shouts, his head whipping up to stare at her, his gaze full of fire and desperation, 'I don't care if I sound insane, I need Sukuna by my side. I told him before that I will be the one who will accept him and live with him by his side—'
'You did what?!'
'Because I don't want to feel lonely anymore! For as long as I could remember, I have always felt alone and it wasn't until I swallowed his finger that I stopped feeling that way. Since that moment he has been with me during every second of every day, constantly in my head and I didn't feel alone! I never felt alone again when he was around, I'm the only one who can live with him and I crave for him to return back to me every single day!'
Kugisaki falls silent as she and Fushiguro stare at him with aghast expression, processing his words.
'…And what about us?' Kugisaki then asks in a hoarse voice, 'didn't we make you feel less lonely?'
Itadori squeezes his eyes shut and glances away, swallowing thickly, 'it wasn't the same, I don't feel for you two the way I feel for Sukuna… He and I shared a body, a soul, we were never apart and I just want to feel that again. You two aren't going to be here with me forever like I am, soon your time will be up and I'll be left completely alone again. But that isn't the only reason why I need him with me, I need him like I need air to breathe.'
Kugisaki sucks in a sharp breath, sharing a look with Fushiguro at the mention of Itadori's newfound immortality and she slowly looks back at him.
'…Why did it have to be Sukuna of all people?' she mumbles, sounding exhausted at this point.
Itadori body trembles, his eyes glassy with tears, 'I love him…' he whispers.
Kugisaki closes her eye, letting out a tense heavy breath before a new wave of anger rushes through her, her hands clenching by her sides.
'Fuck you…' she whispers in a hissed breath, looking back down at him, 'I hope you never end up finding him.'
Itadori's head snaps up towards her, hurt flashing across his eyes, 'd-don't say that…' he whimpers, 'please don't say that—'
Kugisaki let's out a cold laugh, 'what, you don't like hearing that? I hope you never find Sukuna, I hope he never comes back,' she hisses, blind with feelings of betrayal and anger that she doesn't think about how her words might affect him, 'I hope you stay lonely after we're all gone and if he does come back, I hope he wants nothing to do with you—'
'Shut up!' Itadori snaps, squeezing his eyes closed as he slams his hands over his ears, 'shut up shut up shut up! Don't saythat! He will come back, he has to!'
'And then what, huh? You think Sukuna actually cares about you? He's nothing but a damn curse who only cares about himself, he won't even give you a second thought if he returns—'
'That's enough, Kugisaki.'
Kugisaki snaps her head back towards Fushiguro, opening her mouth to snap back at him but pauses when he places a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head and sending a pointed glance towards Itadori.
Kugisaki glances back and her eye widens, her stomach sinking with guilt at the sight of what her harsh words have rendered Itadori to. His body is hunched over on his knees, hands pressed firmly against his ears as his body trembles and silent tears slide down his cheeks, his expression twisted into one of pure anguish.
Kugisaki swallows, guilt eating away at her when she realises how much she was hurting him and she bites down on her bottom lip, debating if she should say something or apologise but the hurt and betrayal is still running deep and it leaves her feeling conflicted.
In the end, she doesn't say anything else as she turns her head away from Itadori and closes her eye tightly, swallowing past the lump in her throat before she turns away completely and start to leave before a quiet dejected voice stops her.
'I thought you said I could come to you guys about anything…'
Fushiguro sucks in a sharp breath, flicking his eyes over towards Kugisaki and seeing her shoulders tense, a slight tremble in her fingers. It's silent between the three of them, tense and full of sorrow before Kugisaki finally moves and continues on walking without a word or a glance back.
Fushiguro watches her leave before looking back at Itadori, the others expression is downcast as he stares dully at the ground before him and a mixture of conflicting feelings also trouble Fushiguro. In the end though, Fushiguro also leaves and follows after Kugisaki, leaving Itadori behind.
iii;
That dreadful day had been the last time he saw Kugisaki and Fushiguro, right before he disappeared off the face of the earth.
He spends his days in hiding, only going out in search of Sukuna. He keeps close tabs on any reports of sightings that would suggest Sukuna had returned, he's gotten many blanks and few false reports that had gotten his hopes up on more than one occasion, but he still never stopped searching.
The years go by him in a blur but each day felt endless, the torturous routine of waiting and searching. The aching loneliness he felt never went away and only worsened as the years went by, the hollowness in his chest growing the longer Sukuna is not by his side.
He feels a mixture of emotions as each day goes by. Sadness, anger, confusion, desperation, but it always leads back to numbness, back to grief.
It had gotten so bad that one day he had actually debated swallowing Sukuna's finger again. The pain and desperation he felt in wanting to see the curse again grew stronger and he craved to have Sukuna back with him again, back inside him again where the curse would be safe from the world who rejected him, where he'll be in the only place where he belongs, where he's actually wanted.
But he couldn't do it, he had promised Sukuna that they would live side by side together and he wasn't going to go back on it now just because he wanted to see him again. He would wait, even if it caused him pain.
Some days he would feel angry towards Sukuna, cursing him out for taking his sweet time in getting here, then the doubt will come as Kugisaki's final words to him bounce around in his mind, eating away at him and building up insecurities.
What if she was right? What if Sukuna never returns or he's already come back but has no plan to come find him? That the curse truly doesn't care for him the same way Itadori cares for Sukuna.
Anger gets replaced with sadness and tears will fall from his eyes as he tries desperately to shake the thoughts from his head, telling himself that it's all lies and that Sukuna will return to him.
He has to he has to he has to.
'Come back…' Itadori sobs out in the darkness of his room, 'come back to me, please…'
iv;
It wasn't unusual to see Itadori visiting the cemetery often, he would always come early in the morning just before the sun had even begun to think about rising, or late in the evenings as dusk falls. The hood of his jumper pulled up over his head and covering his scarred face as he makes his way through the cemetery, tracking through the same path he's walked almost a thousand times by now.
He only ever visits one grave while he's here, at least for now and as much as he would like for it to be the only grave he'll have to visit, he knows that's just wishful thinking. Like always, he'll sit beside the tombstone and fiddle with the grass beneath his fingers as he talks to the grave.
'Choso, I've gotten better at piercing blood,' he says softly with a small wistful smile, 'I think you'd be proud of me if you saw how much I improved.'
He flicks his eyes up towards the headstone and reaches a hand forward to brush his fingers over the characters carved into the stone, a forlorn smile tugging at his lips as his eyes grow sad.
'Do you think he'll come back to me, Onii-chan?' he mumbles wistfully, shifting in his spot until he's resting against the side of the headstone, lowering his head to rest against the top of it, his eyes slipping closed.
A few minutes later, he feels something brush along his cheek and when he slips his eyes open, he sees a small snowfall has begun and if he looks in the distance, he can almost imagine two figures dancing in the snow, one laughing brightly and the other with an affronted scowl, their hands linked intimately together as they stumble around in a clumsy dance.
A small smile touches Itadori's lips, his eyes slipping back closed.
v;
Itadori stares into his reflection, turning his head left to right as he looks over his features. He still looks as young as the day he was 14, the signs of aging have only just started to show up and even then you'd have to be looking really close to be able to see it. His hair has gotten longer, long enough for him to have to push it back and out of his face and in doing so, he's always reminded of Sukuna and how he used to always push his hair back anytime he got control of Itadori's body.
Itadori lifts his hand, his nails are painted a familiar dark purple colour as he trails his fingers lightly underneath his eye, void of that same brightness he had back in his youth, now replaced with a dull sadness to them. He tilts his head slightly and brushes his fingers over a spot near the corner of his eye, where a slit used to sit and a crimson eye would form from, a mouth appearing underneath to sneer at him.
He didn't realise how much he had gotten used to seeing those slits under his eyes until they were gone. It was like another painful reminder to him that Sukuna was gone. Letting his hand drop back to his side, Itadori's eyes flick over to where a switchblade sits on his vanity, the blade glinting in the moonlight shining through his window.
He gingerly picks up the blade and turns it over, running his fingers lightly over the flat surface of the blade before his meets his gaze in the mirror, the switchblade held firmly in his hand. He doesn't look away as he lifts the blade up to his face, the tip of it resting against the skin underneath his eye.
A voice in the back of his head tells him that this is going to far, that his grief is causing him to take things a little too far but he ignores it as he pushes the tip of the blade into his skin, blood immediately beading to the surface, a sharp sting following.
Itadori breathes out a shaky breath at the sting, in this moment he's finally feeling something that isn't numbness and he bites down in his lip, his eyes squinting slightly at the pain as he curves the blade against his skin, creating a bloody slit underneath his right eye.
Blood drips down his cheek as he moves the blade to the other side and does the same thing, sucking in a sharp breath through his teeth at the sting but the feeling also has his body reacting to it strangely, his heart rate increases, his skin flushes hot and he feels a pulse come from between his legs and his breaths start to come out in ragged puffs.
The switchblade clatters against the wooden vanity as he drops it and he stares at his reflection, admiring his handiwork. His cheeks are stained with blood but he's more focuses on the small slits that are now under his eyes, the exact same shape and in the exact same spot as the ones he had before.
Itadori breathes deeply through his nose, lifting his hands to cup over his mouth as a giddy smile suddenly twitches on his lips, his pupils dilating and his cheeks flushing under the blood as he stares at the slits with bright eyes.
They're back right where they belong and he couldn't be more happy.
vi;
It's a month later when it finally happens, the moment he's been waiting for for years.
Hearing that Sukuna is back, he's finally come back.
It had happened late one afternoon after Itadori finished visiting Choso's grave for the day, slowly making his way back towards the entrance gates when he overheard these two teenage boys talking nearby.
'Do you remember when we saw that guy with the face tattoos? Man, he looked scary, I'm glad we didn't run into him.'
Now, Itadori had gotten his hopes up about people seeing someone with face tattoos before, only to find out it was about some random guy, but something about what the boys said next made him stop in his tracks.
'And his eyes… he had four of them! Do you think they were real?'
'Nah, they had to be really realistic tattoos… right?'
'I swear one of them looked at me, though.'
'Oh shut up, that did not happen!'
'I swear, dude! It looked right at me—'
'Did you say something about someone with face tattoos and four eyes?'
The two teenage boys nearly jump out of their skin, snapping their heads towards where Itadori is now standing before them and they exchange a cautious look, immediately noticing the crazed look in his eyes.
'Uh… yeah?'
Itadori takes a step forward, his stare growing more intense as he looks down at them, 'where? Where did you see this person?'
The boys slowly inch themselves away from Itadori, starting to feel creeped out by his presence and questioning and they exchange another cautious look.
'I-I don't know, we saw him like a week ago—'
'But you did see him, right?' Itadori interrupts, 'and you're sure that you saw him with tattoos and four eyes?'
The two boys nod their heads and are taken aback by the wide grin suddenly spreading across Itadori's face and somehow his crazed eyes look even more creepy when they're sparkling with joy and hope.
'Thank you so much!' Itadori calls over his shoulder as he runs out of the cemetery at an impossible speed.
He runs all the way towards his secret location in the forest, coming across the small wooden hut and he skids to a sudden stop, his breath catching in his throat when he sees the doors have been pried open.
Making his way over, Itadori pushes open on the doors and his heart lurches in his chest when he sees the wooden box has been opened. Inside, Sukuna's finger is missing and in its places lies a small folded up piece of paper.
Picking up the paper, Itadori eagerly opens it to reveal not word but a simple scribble of cat face winking at him. Itadori stares down at the drawing for a long moment before a memory suddenly flashes through his mind
( 'Brat, go walk over to that cat over there. Right now.'
Itadori is startled by the voice, his body jolting in surprise as he snaps his head around before he registers that the voice came from his cheek. A singular red eye has manifested itself in the slit underneath his eye, with a sharp tongue mouth underneath it.
'Huh?' he responds dumbly, blinking.
He hears Sukuna click his tongue in irritation, 'that black cat over by the bushes,' he says and Itadori's eyes automatically move over to where the bush is, where a stray black cat sits grooming itself, 'go to it.'
'Um… why?' Itadori asks in confusion, already making his way over before he stops dead in his tracks, a horrifying thought coming to mind and has his body rearing back, 'I'm not letting you eat the cat!' he screeches.
There's a second of silence before Sukuna let's out the most exasperated sigh Itadori has ever heard from him, he can practically feel Sukuna wishing his could smack him over his head for that, or maybe kill him.
'I'm not going to eat the cat, just walk over to it before it runs away!'
Still confused, Itadori slowly makes his way over to the cat, being careful to not move too quickly or make any loud noises that will scare it away while also still feeling cautious that Sukuna may be lying and he's about to gobble this cat up any second.
When Itadori reaches the cat, he slowly crouches down in front of it and sharp green eyes look up at him as the cat pauses it's grooming session to stoke Itadori out. The two stare awkwardly at each other as Itadori feels unsure of what to do next. He doesn't even know why Sukuna wanted him to approach the cat in the first place.
He doesn't even know why he even listened to Sukuna in the first place.
'Well? Don't just sit there, pet the cat!' Sukuna then huffs out, annoyance coming off him in waves.
'Okay okay!'
Itadori rolls his eyes at Sukuna's snippy tone but does what he's told and reaches his hand out towards the cat first, the black cat extends it's head forward and takes cautious sniffs of his fingers before it seems to deem him worthy enough to rub it's face against his hand. The action brings a small smile to Itadori's lips and he slowly begins to run his hand along the cat's back.
'Good. Keep patting it,' Sukuna mumbles.
Itadori gives a suspicious side eye towards the red eye on his cheek, continuing to pet the cat, giving it scratches behind it's ears and under it's chin. He still feels cautious and confused about why Sukuna had him walk over to the cat just to pet it.
He keeps his focus on the curse as he continues to pet the cat and when it suddenly flops on it's side and shows it's fluffy belly to Itadori for him to pat, a purring sound starting up. That's when Itadori notices a shift in Sukuna.
He can feel the skin of his cheek twitch as the sides of Sukuna's lips quirk up into a small smile at the sight of the cat wriggling it's body against the pavement, loud purrs escaping it as Itadori rubs at it's stomach. Itadori's brows raise in surprise by this, he doesn't think he's seen Sukuna smile in a way that wasn't malicious and it's all because of this stray cat.
Itadori doesn't say anything as he continues to pat the cat but his focus is completely on Sukuna, paying attention to every subtle shifts of emotions that the curse gives off at the sight of the cat.
He likes cats, is the thought that passes through Itadori as he flicks his eyes back towards the cat, his hand reaching up to give it scratches under it's chin, feeling an unexpected and unfamiliar wave of warmth and affection coming from the curse when the cat closes it's eyes with contentment at Itadori's scratches.
When the stray had decided it was satisfied enough with Itadori's pats and walked off, Sukuna had returned back inside of his domain without another word to Itadori but the boy couldn't take his mind off what he had just learned.
Sukuna loved cats, he was a big 'ol cat lover.
This new information had surprisingly delighted Itadori so much that he nearly ran over towards Fushiguro and Kugisaki when he saw them to tell them about it. But when he stopped to think about it more, the more he decided against telling them. He doubted they'd be interested in learning anything about Sukuna that wasn't about how to get rid of him and he doubts they'd be less than amused about how excited he seemed to relay this information to them.
And plus… a part of him didn't want to see them making fun of Sukuna's love for cats either, so he kept it to himself. A secret between him and Sukuna.
The thought excited him more than he realised. )
Blinking back to the present, a giggle bubbles past Itadori's lips and he turns and runs off again, the drawing clutched tightly in his hand.
A few weeks had passed since that day and he still hadn't seen Sukuna once. Normally by now he'd start spiralling, telling himself that Kugisaki was right, that Sukuna really didn't care about him and wanted nothing to do with him.
But it wasn't like Sukuna had disappeared completely, Itadori was still receiving folded sheets of paper with drawings of cats in various locations, most of them being at his apartment. He knows they're from Sukuna, the drawings may be simple doodles but they still looked expertly drawn and Itadori had gotten to know Sukuna well enough to know that the curse was a phenomenal artist when Sukuna had once shown off his skills to an amazed Itadori.
He thinks fondly on the moments he'd stay up late at night and let Sukuna take control of his left arm and would watch the curse draw for hours, fascinated and amazed by how effortlessly Sukuna glided the pen across the paper.
But he now knows Sukuna is out there somewhere and also seems to know where he lives too. Itadori had wondered how long it had been since Sukuna reincarnated if he had enough time to find out where Itadori was living without him realising it.
Itadori had been a ball of nervous excitement and anticipation, he went out more frequently in search for Sukuna, looking around every corner and down every alleyway, trying to spot a familiar figure amongst the crowd and shadows.
He grew antsy the longer he went on without a single sight of Sukuna and he was starting to feel a bit peeved, it was like Sukuna was purposely toying with him now when another week went past and he found himself huffing and pouting more frequently. He just desperately wants to see Sukuna again, he doesn't want to collect another drawing of a cat pulling a face, even if he does gaze at them fondly each time. He wants Sukuna to physically be here, to be right in front of him again.
He tried to stay up late, hoping he could catch Sukuna as the curse leaves another drawing for him, but he failed every time and he always woke up to another folded piece of paper laying next to him.
But soon, his long wait finally comes to an end on one fateful afternoon as he walked through the streets at a leisurely pace, his hood pulled up and concealing his face.
Itadori feels someone roughly bump into his shoulder as they pass by him, followed by a rough, 'watch where you're going,' and Itadori freezes because he knows that voice.
He snaps his head up in time to catch a familiar smirk being directed at him, a familiar tattooed face looking back at him over a shoulder before the person turns and takes off down the street.
Sukuna.
Itadori's breath catches in his throat and before he knows it, he's sprinting off after Sukuna, his heart beat pounding in his chest.
'Wait—!' he calls after Sukuna as he sprints after him, weaving through the crowd of people and all he gets is a loud cackle in response as Sukuna continues running from him.
Sukuna has him chasing after him through two more streets, but this game of chase has Itadori feeling more alive than he has felt in years and when Sukuna turns down into an alleyway, Itadori had finally gotten close enough to tackle the curse to the ground.
Sukuna let's out a grunt when he collides into the rough surface, Itadori as a heavy weight above him and he can feel how tightly he's holding on him him, can feel his heaving chest against his back as Itadori catches his breath, can feel how quickly his heart is racing.
It's silent between them, nothing but the sounds of their respective panting before Sukuna let's out a low chuckle and shifts himself underneath Itadori, rolling onto his back to face him. He snakes his arms up and around Itadori, yanking off his hood with a grin.
'Finally caught me, huh brat?' he murmurs.
Itadori's breath hitches when he meets familiar crimson eyes, the same ones he's dreamed about seeing again for years. He doesn't respond at first, his wide eyes flicking over Sukuna and soaking up every detail he hasn't seen in forever, greedily taking in his fill.
'…You look like me again,' he mumbles with awe, in a daze as he stares down at the curse.
Sukuna let's out a snort, 'I know, it's tragic. Who would've thought I'd be cursed to look like a fourteen year old brat when I got reincarnated again.'
It takes a moment for Itadori to register his words, his mind still reeling in the fact that Sukuna is here, right in front of him and he immediately scowls.
'Hey, don't be mean…' he pouts, 'and you shouldn't be calling me a brat anymore! Aren't I technically older than you now or… something?'
'Not with that baby face, you're not.'
'I do not have a baby face!'
Sukuna let's out a laugh in response, lifting up on his elbow as he looks up at Itadori with a smirk, his free hand moving it's way into his hair and tangling them through pink strands. Itadori bites his lips, his eyes fluttering closed at the touch as he fights back a shiver. Oh god, he missed feeling Sukuna's hands on him.
'Did you miss me?' Sukuna then murmurs, his smirk turning into a wide cocky grin when Itadori flushes red.
'Of course not,' Itadori mutters, flicking his eyes away.
'No? And yet you chased me down quite desperately just now.'
'T-That was— I was just— y-you— ugh, shut up!'
Sukuna throws his head back with a loud laugh and Itadori goes red with embarrassment, glaring down at the curse but his heart still skips a beat at the sound of the others laugh and his hands tighten around Sukuna's arms.
'Are you going to stay?' he asks, his voice meek and shaky.
Sukuna stares at him, crimson eyes swirling with amusement as they flick back and forth between Itadori's before he grins, leaning forward closer.
'So you did miss me.'
Itadori let's out a huff and smacks his shoulder, 'just answer the question, asshole!'
Sukuna let's out another loud deep laugh before he calms down and looks back at Itadori.
'Yes, I'll stay.'
'…With me?'
Sukuna smiles, not a mocking or condescending smile, but a real one, his fingers gently petting Itadori's hair.
'Yes, I'll stay with you.'
Itadori let's out a breath of relief, the tension in his shoulders lifting as he drops his head to rest his forehead against Sukuna's shoulder, breathing in his scent and snakes his arms tightly around the curses waist.
'…I love you,' he admits in a whisper, lifting his head to look back at Sukuna.
Sukuna looks back at him with an unreadable expression, his fingers idly playing with the ends of Itadori's hair before a wild grin breaks out on his face, his eyes turning hungry.
'Of course you do,' he murmurs, tilting his head up enough for his lips to brush against Itadori's and he can hear the others breath catch in his throat.
'I love you too, Yuuji~' Sukuna purrs out in a way that has Itadori shivering, his heart lurching in his chest but a bright smile warms up his face, tightening his arms around Sukuna as he closes the gap between them in a rough kiss.
Sukuna let's out a grunt when their teeth clash together, grinning into the kiss as he parts his lips and slides his tongue back against Itadori's, tilting his head to the side as they both lose themselves into the kiss. It's not a soft kiss by any means, it's not even a particularly sweet kiss either, it's full of tongues and sharp teeth, their lips pressed together in a bruising way but it feels perfect to them. To Itadori it feels real.
Itadori pulls back from the kiss as his hands find themselves wrapping around Sukuna's throat as he looks down at the other. Sukuna tilts his head back into his hands with a smirk, his lips red and shiny from the kiss, his crimson eyes dark.
'Don't leave me again,' Itadori whispers, his eyes flicking between Sukuna's with desperation.
Sukuna gives him a sharp grin, his eyes glinting as he stares back at him, 'or what? You'll kill me again?'
Itadori's hands tighten around Sukuna's throat, his eyes flashing with warning but Sukuna finds everything about it delicious.
'Yes,' Itadori hisses out, 'yes, I'll kill you if you leave me again.'
'But then you'll be lonely again,' Sukuna mocks, his lips parting when Itadori applies even more pressure to his throat and a thrill of excitement shoots up his spine.
'Then I'll kill myself afterwards.'
Sukuna let's out a deep loud groan that sounds sinfully erotic, crimson eyes rolling to the back of his head and he lets out a pleased chuckle and Itadori can feel it vibrate against his hands.
'That's what I like to hear,' Sukuna murmurs, his voice slightly strained from the grip around his throat, 'come here…'
Itadori let's out a small wounded noise and rushes forward, connecting their lips again, his hands moving from Sukuna's throat and up to his hair, gripping hard and giving the strands a firm tug as he moves his lips frantically against Sukuna's.
Sukuna pulls back from the kiss and cups Itadori's cheeks, lifting his head to get a proper look at the other. His thumbs brush along the two scars underneath Itadori's honey eyes.
'Did you do these yourself?'
Itadori bites down on his swollen bottom lip, lifting a hand to cup over one of Sukuna's, 'I did.'
Sukuna gives him a soft smirk, continuing to rub his thumbs along the scars, 'hmm, should've waited until I came back, I could've done them myself.'
'I wasn't sure if you were ever going to come back…'
Sukuna let's out a soft snort, flicking his eyes up to meet Itadori's, 'I was always going to come back,' he whispers.
'…I missed you.'
'Mm, I'm starting to see that,' Sukuna murmurs, grabbing the hand that was covering his and lifts it up, eyeing Itadori's chipped nail polish that's painted in the same dark purple colour as Sukuna's.
'…I missed you too, brat.'
Itadori immediately takes Sukuna back to his apartment. He's been waiting for about 63 years for the curse to return and he doesn't want to waste anymore time now that he's got his hands on him again.
They stumble through the front door of his apartment, lips immediately locked together and hands scrambling to remove clothing and run across heated skin. Itadori thinks that maybe he should slow down a little, be a little more gentle, especially with the way he practically shoved Sukuna into his apartment, but he can't seem to bring himself to do so. He feels so desperate for the curse, a craving deep inside of him that only Sukuna can satisfy.
Then he remembers that this Sukuna he's dealing with, if there was anyone who could handle him it was Sukuna. Sharp canines nip at Itadori's bottom lip, almost hard enough to make it bleed as rough sharp nailed hands tear at his jacket and shirt, tossing them to the floor.
They hadn't even made it out of the genkan, too busy getting lost in each others touch. When Itadori does try to move them further into apartment, his hands firmly on Sukuna's waist as he guides the curse backwards, Sukuna ends up tripping over the small step and they both go tumbling to the ground.
Sukuna let's out a grunt when he lands hard on the ground for the second time that day, Itadori's heavy weight falling on top of him again. Itadori lifts himself up on his forearms, looking down at Sukuna as he pants, his cheeks flushed.
'Are you okay?'
Sukuna rolls his eyes, wrapping his arms around Itadori's neck, 'who do you think you're talking to? I'm not made out of glass,' he pants, 'now keep going.'
Itadori blinks in surprise, flicking his eyes around them, 'what, right here? Don't you want to go into the bedroom?'
Sukuna raises an eyebrow at him, 'what's wrong with right here? Just earlier you were close to fucking me in the alleyway.'
Itadori let's out a groan of embarrassment, his face flushing further and Sukuna let's out a laugh, lifting his head to press his forehead against Itadori's.
'It's fine, let's do it right here… I know you want me,' Sukuna whispers.
'And what about you?' Itadori whispers back, 'do you also want me?'
Sukuna's lips quirk up into a smirk, 'hard to say no to that, brat. I always want you.'
A grin forms on Itadori's lips, hands moving to undo the button and zip on Sukuna's pants, 'and here I thought you said I was boring.'
Sukuna clicks his tongue, scowling at Itadori, 'shut up…'
Itadori let's out a snort and focuses back on removing Sukuna's jeans and underwear, his eyes growing dark as they land on the curses glistening pussy. Sukuna does not look embarrassed or try to hide away and instead confidently spreads his legs, putting himself on full display for Itadori's hungry eyes.
Itadori's pants come out ragged, his mouth watering as he stares at Sukuna's cunt, his hands rubbing up and down along his tattooed thighs, biting down on his bottom lip as he looks back at Sukuna.
Sukuna smirks back at him, giving him a wink and Itadori leans forward again to connect their lips, his own hands scrambling to undo his pants as well. He lets out a breathless gasp, hips jerking when he feels one of Sukuna's cold hands reach down and wrap around his cock, giving it a firm squeeze.
Sukuna chuckles against his lips, pulling back to smirk at him with dark eyes, 'you're quite desperate for me, aren't you?' he purrs.
Itadori blushes, his eyes fluttering closed and brows pinching together when Sukuna starts to move his hand against him, letting out hitched gasps.
'I, mmm, o-of course I am,' he stutters out, forcing his eyes back open, 'I've been waiting you for years.'
At that, Sukuna pauses, blinking his wide eyes in surprise, 'surely you must've have done this with others at some point while I was gone, right?'
Itadori bites his lip, shaking his head shyly as he looks at Sukuna through his lashes. Sukuna stares at him in astonishment.
'You've been waiting for me this whole time?' he breathes out in wonder and Itadori nods his head, his blush deepening.
Sukuna let's out a fond chuckle, his surprised expression melting into a soft smile as he gazes up at Itadori, 'how cute~' he murmurs, 'well… I better not keep you waiting any longer than, show me what an 83 year old virgin can do.'
Itadori let's out a groan at Sukuna's cackle, cutting him off with a kiss as he runs his hands along Sukuna's naked body. Even with his eyes closed, his fingers are able to perfectly trace all of his tattoos along his chest and stomach. He's been dreaming about these tattoos for years.
He pulls back from the kiss and moves down Sukuna's neck, peppering it with hot wet kisses. Sukuna relaxes back against the cold surface of Itadori's floor, tilting his head to watch his lover continue to move down his body. His eyes flutter closed, biting on his lip when he feels Itadori's tongue trace against the tattoos on his stomach.
Itadori pulls back to lift himself up, staring down at Sukuna and his hands slide up his sides before settling them possessively against his chest, giving Sukuna's pecs a firm squeeze and his eyes go dark as he looks down at his hands fondling Sukuna's chest.
He ducks his head back down, flicking his tongue along Sukuna's dark nipple as he squeezes his pec with a moan and continues his way down his stomach.
Sukuna lets out a pleased sigh, his hands moving down and tangles them into Itadori's hand, messing up his slicked back hairstyle and scratches lightly at his scalp with his sharp nails. Itadori groans against his skin at the feeling, teeth nipping at his navel before he moves further down, settling his head in between Sukuna's thighs.
Sukuna arches his back with a moan, pressing his head back against the floor when he feels Itadori's tongue connect with his clit. Itadori eats him out like a starved man who hasn't eaten in days, his movements desperate and hungry, his fingers digging hard into the meat of Sukuna's thighs as he moans and whines against his cunt.
'Yes, yes— oh god, that's it,' Sukuna whines, moving his hips back against Itadori's mouth, his grip painfully tight on his hair.
Itadori groans against him, his eyes fluttering closed in pleasure as he loses himself in the taste of Sukuna. He flicks his tongue sloppily against the curses clit, pressing his face closer like he wants to be buried in Sukuna's pussy and reaches his hand up to brush his fingers against the curses hole, slowly slipping in his middle finger.
Sukuna tilts his head back, panting out loud as he moves his hips back against Itadori's face, his entire body feels hot and his skin clammy, tears of pleasure prick underneath his trembling lashes as he feels the heat in his abdomen grow stronger. He parts his legs more when he feels a second finger enter him.
Sukuna's upper body jerks upwards, his moans a mixture of curses and Itadori's name as he reaches his release, his grip impossibly tight in Itadori's hair as he squeezes his thighs tightly around the others head, pressed tight up against his ears. He feels a drawn out moan vibrate against his clit as Itadori moans against him and it makes Sukuna let out a shuddering whine, his head falling back.
Itadori flicks his tongue in slow circles against Sukuna's clit, his middle and right ring finger slowing down their thrusting motion before he gently slips them out. He lifts his head with a breathless gasp once Sukuna's thighs release their tight grip around his head, his face flushed a bright red colour and his eyes are dark with lust, a hazy look to them as he looks up at Sukuna.
Sukuna pants heavily, his eyes half lidded as he tilts his head to look down at Itadori, giving a tired satisfied smirk at the sight the lower half of Itadori's face looking completely soaked. Itadori huffs out a breathless laugh, lifting himself up with his hands to crawl back on top of Sukuna, leaning down to connect their lips and spread the mess on his lower face against Sukuna's.
Sukuna purrs out a pleased moan, flicking his tongue back against Itadori's as he wraps his legs firmly around the man's hips, tugging him closer. Itadori let's out a whimper against his lips when the tip of his cock brushes against Sukuna's folds.
Sukuna pulls back from the kiss to glance down, sneaking his left hand down in between them and grabbing a hold of Itadori's throbbing cock, causing the other to let out a groan, resting his forehead against Sukuna's temple, his brows pinching in pleasure.
Sukuna slowly moves his hand along Itadori's cock, circling the tip with his thumb before he places the tip of his sharp thumb nail against a spot slightly underneath his cock head. Crimson eyes flick back up towards Itadori's face, watching his every reaction as he slowly pierces the skin with his nail.
Itadori cries out, his body jolting at the sudden pain, fluttering his eyes open to look back at Sukuna. The curse bites his lip, his eyes flashing with heated excitement and mischief when he feels warm blood slide over his thumb and down the side of his hand. He begins to move his hand again, spreading Itadori's blood along the length of his cock.
Itadori let's out a moan, his body shuddering with a mixture of pain and pleasure. Sukuna retracts his hand and carelessly wipes the excess blood off on Itadori's skin, making the other huff.
'Thanks,' he mutters sarcastically and Sukuna hums.
'You're welcome,' he grins, 'now get inside of me.'
Itadori shifts, glancing down to see his cock is now stained with blood, the wound underneath the head is still producing beads of blood to the surface but it's nothing major. With a fond exasperated shake of his head, Itadori shifts his knees on the hard surface of his floor and reaches down to line himself up.
Sukuna's hands tighten against Itadori's shoulders when he starts to enter him, sucking in a sharp breath as he lets his head fall back against the floor, his eyes fluttering closed as he focuses on the feeling of Itadori's cock sliding against his walls.
Once Itadori is fully inside, there's a brief pause to let the two of them adjust to the feeling before Sukuna digs his nails into his skin, letting him know to start moving. Itadori feels like he's in a daze as he begins to move his hips, his head feels fuzzy at the warm insides of Sukuna's cunt squeezing around him, having never felt anything but his own hand before and he can't stop the noises from coming out.
He's at least thankful that he doesn't seem to be the only one who's affected as he watches Sukuna roll his head to the side and arch his back up in pleasure, groans and whimpers escaping past swollen parted lips. Itadori let's out a deep groan, snapping his hips forward at a harder and faster pace.
Sukuna wraps his arms tight around him, hands grabbing desperately at his bare back and Itadori let's out a hiss of pain and pleasure when he feels the pinprick of Sukuna's sharp nails digging into his skin before he cries out when those nails suddenly drag down his back, cutting deep scratches into his skin.
'Fuck, Sukuna—' he gasps, slamming his hips forward and Sukuna let's out a pleased hum, moving his hands flat along Itadori's scratched back and smearing his blood over his skin.
He pulls one of his hand away and lifts it towards his face, it's stained with Itadori's blood and he flicks his tongue out and drags it through the mess, licking up the blood and he lets out a heated moan at the taste, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.
Itadori let's out a groan at the sight, hanging his head as he squeezes his eyes tightly closed, trying to focus on not cumming so fast just from the sight of Sukuna licking his blood off his hand. The movements of his hips grow desperate, his hands around Sukuna's waist getting tighter and he lifts one to press it firmly against Sukuna's abdomen.
Sukuna's moans quiver as he arches up into Itadori's thrusts, his mouth watering as he flicks his eyes over the man's hot, flushed and sweaty skin, his teeth ache to sink into the firm meat. Trembling hands reach up and cup Itadori's face, lifting him up to face him again. His thumbs find the two scars underneath again before he digs his nails into them, breaking the skin once again as he drags his sharp nails over the scars.
Itadori hisses out in pain, panting against Sukuna's lips as his thrust grow sloppy, feeling the fire in his abdomen grow and he lets out a desperate whimper. His free hand comes up and closes around Sukuna's neck as his thrusts grow harder and slams the curses head back against the hard floor, making the other see stars.
'Ah, yes,' Sukuna gasps, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as a hot thrill shoots up his spine, letting out a sharp gasp when he feels Itadori's free hand slip from his abdomen to circle his clit with his fingers.
Sukuna struggles to open his eyes, his lashes fluttering as he blinks away the blurriness in his vision before focuses back on Itadori, gasping hoarsely against the tight grip around his throat.
'You're mine, aren't you?' Sukuna whispers breathlessly, smearing his thumbs through the blood underneath Itadori's eyes and watches it drip down his cheeks. The dark red colour of blood looks beautiful against Itadori's skin.
Itadori nods his head immediately, gasping in pleasure. 'Yes,' he whines, 'yes, I'm yours. I-I'm gonna cum, please—'
'Aww look at you, such a good boy, you're already saying please~' Sukuna teases, grinning when Itadori lets out a whimper.
'Sukuna please…' cries Itadori, his body shuddering as he tries hard to hold off his orgasm and he tightens his hand around Sukuna's neck in desperation.
Sukuna pauses to bite his lip and arch his back in pleasure at the firm circles Itadori makes against his clit, his hot hand choking him and he lets out a breathless chuckle when he looks back up.
'Okay, you can cum,' he gasps, 'be a good boy and cum for me, Yuuji—'
Itadori cries out a sharp noise as his orgasm crashes down on him in waves, pressing his hips firmly against Sukuna's and locking himself deep inside the curse as ropes and ropes of his cum spill out and fill him up.
Sukuna let's out a deep groan, head smacking back against floor as he lets it drop, his own orgasm crashing into him.
They pause, panting heavily together as they come down from their orgasms before Sukuna's eyes suddenly snap open, lifting his head to stare incredulously at Itadori.
'How the fuck are you still hard?'
Itadori blushes bright red, letting out a whimper as has hips unconsciously twitch forward, the head of his cock knocking deep inside Sukuna.
'S-Sorry, I just…' he pants, letting out a groan, 'I just need you so badly… please, just one more time.'
Sukuna lets out a groan, hissing out a breath of overstimulation when Itadori twitches his hips forward again.
'Fuck… okay, keep going,' he breathes out.
Itadori lets out a whimper and hangs his head, watching his hips draw back slowly before they slamming forward again, causing Sukuna to let out a sharp gasp.
Moans spill past Itadori's lips as he thrust his hips sloppily, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. His cock easily slips in and out of Sukuna, his cum making it easier and he feels hot with desperation.
'Oh god, oh fuck,' he moans loosely, his hair plastered to his sweaty forehead and he bites down on his lip, letting out a deep groan.
He hands clutch desperately at Sukuna as his second orgasm crashes into him, letting out a sharp cry as he cums inside the curse for a second time.
Sukuna lets out a deep groan at the feeling, his eyes fluttering closed in pleasure as he runs his hands gently over Itadori's arms. Itadori hums softly, letting his forehead rest against Sukuna's shoulder.
A few minutes later, Itadori lifts his head to look back at Sukuna.
'…Let's go to the bedroom.'
'…' Sukuna narrows his eyes suspiciously, 'to do what…?'
The only answer Itadori give is a mischievous smirk, hands grabbing at Sukuna and picking him up off the floor, ignoring the curses startled yelp and complaints as he carries him towards his bedroom.
vii;
Itadori makes his way through the cemetery, holding a small bouquet of flowers as he hums softly under his breath. He pauses briefly to look over his shoulder, a smile tugging at his lips when he sees Sukuna still waiting for him in the distance, leaning up against the side of the gate. The curse hadn't wanted to come along with Itadori to visit who he needed to visit and Itadori didn't fight him on it, it's not like Sukuna was ever close with anyone Itadori knew.
He had already gone and visited Choso's grave but there was still one last grave he needed to visit and Itadori crouches down in front of a headstone, a sad smile touching his lips as he reads over the characters of Fushiguro's name craved into the stone.
He gently places the flowers up against the headstone, pausing to gaze at the grave before he rises back up to his feet.
'Itadori?'
Itadori freezes at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name from behind and he slowly turns around, his eyes widening when he sees Kugisaki standing behind him, her own bouquet of flowers clutched loosely in her hand as she stares at him in shock, her eye wide and lips parted.
'Kugisaki…'
It had certainly been a while since Itadori last properly saw Kugisaki, the last time they had been face to face like this was when they got into that argument about Sukuna. She had gotten older since then, wrinkles around her eyes and lips and her hair was starting to go grey.
There's an uncomfortable silence between them as they stare at one another, neither of them really knowing what to say or who should speak first. Kugisaki ends up being the first one to break the silence as she lets out a huff and looks away.
'I didn't expect to see you here,' she mutters, flicking her eye past Itadori and landing on Fushiguro's grave, '…I didn't realise you visit his grave, we never saw you at the funeral.'
Itadori rubs the back of his head, looking down guiltily, 'yeah… I, uh, I didn't think you'd even want me there, that's why I didn't go… but I visited it after the funeral ended and every other time since then.'
Kugisaki stays silent for a moment and she hugs her arms around herself, letting out a sigh, 'well… you made the right choice, I didn't want to see you there,' she says bluntly, making Itadori wince.
His shoulder slump forward, his eyes flickering towards the ground sadly but he can't blame her for feeling they way she does. He knows he had hurt her and she felt betrayed by him and yet, he still doesn't regret anything he's done or what he feels.
Kugisaki slowly flicks her gaze back towards him, taking a moment to take in his appearance. He still looks the same as he did the last time she saw him, maybe just a bit older and slightly taller with his hair grown a bit longer, now pushed back and out of his face, but he still has his youthful complexion. It makes her feel slightly envious.
'You look… good,' she says awkwardly, her voice stiff.
Itadori snaps his head up in surprise, honey eyes blinking at her before a small smile twitches on his lips.
'Thanks… so do you.'
Kugisaki let's out a scoff, looking away again, 'I look old, you mean.'
Itadori gives her a sad smile, shaking his head, 'I think you always look beautiful to me, Kugisaki.'
Kugisaki's eye widens at that, her breath catching in her chest as she slowly looks back at him and she feels herself blush at the sincerity in his gaze. Her chest feels tight, her throat tightening up with emotion.
She flicks her gaze away again, clearing her throat, 'well… thanks,' she mumbles and her lips twitch as she debates on asking her next question. A part of her doesn't even want to know the answer but after a moment, she reluctantly manages out a, 'and how have you been? have you found…?'
A warm smile lights up Itadori's face as he ducks his head and gives her a nod. When he meets her eye, he nods his head vaguely towards somewhere behind her and Kugisaki glances over her shoulder.
It takes her a second before she finally sees Sukuna, still waiting by the front entrance, leaning up against the gate with his arms crossed. The sight of the curse makes something bristle inside of Kugisaki, leaving a bad taste in her mouth but she brushes it off and looks back at Itadori with a forced smile.
'That's great… and you're… happy?'
Itadori's smile softens, his eyes warm when they look over at Sukuna before he looks back at her, 'I am… I'm really happy.'
Despite everything and Kugisaki's grievances towards Sukuna, she does feel her chest grow warm with affection and relief at the sight of Itadori's warm and cheerful expression.
She nods, giving him a tight smile, 'I'm glad.'
Itadori returns the smile before he gives her a look of curiosity, 'and you? I overheard that you and Maki are…?'
'Married?' Kugisaki snorts and nods, looking down at her wedding ring on her finger with a warm but sad smile, 'well, as married as one can be in a country that still doesn't allow same-sex marriage.'
Itadori huffs out a snort, 'oh I know the feeling, trust me.'
Something about the tone of Itadori's words has Kugisaki looking curiously towards his left hand. Of course, with two of his fingers being gone, one of those being his ring finger, there is no sight of a ring and she flicks her eyes back up towards his face.
'Oh—' Itadori fumbles with the zipper of his jacket, pulling it down and he pushes down the collar of his shirt, exposing the left side of his chest where a scar rests against his skin, characters carved into a familiar name.
'Oh… so you and Sukuna are…?' Kugisaki asks dazedly, her gaze locked onto the name on Itadori's skin. It didn't look like a tattoo but more like someone had taken a knife, or even a sharp fingernail, and carved out the characters deep into his skin, leaving behind white ragged scarring.
The sight leaves her feeling sick, the bad taste returning to her mouth but when she looks back Itadori and sees only fondness in his eyes as he looks down at Sukuna's name carved into his skin, she realises then and there that she will never be able to understand the bond he and Sukuna share.
'Married? yeah, we are,' Itadori laughs warmly, 'you can't expect someone like Sukuna to be normal and get me a ring.'
'No… I suppose you can't,' Kugisaki mutters, pushing away her nausea.
Itadori fixes up his shirt, zipping his jacket back up and he looks back at Kugisaki with a smile, 'and Maki? How has she been doing lately?'
Kugisaki bites her lip, looking back down at her ring. 'Yeah she, uh… she's passed on, actually. Three years ago in fact.'
'…'
'Oh…' Itadori says quietly.
A faint breeze brushes past them, mixing in with the solemn air that surrounds them.
'I'm sorry, I didn't know…' Itadori mumbles.
Kugisaki shakes her head, a sad smile on her lips, 'It's okay… her grave is just down that way,' she points in the general direction, 'if you… you know, ever want to go visit her as well.'
Itadori nods, 'yeah, I'll do that… thank you.'
Kugisaki smiles, nodding her head before she lets out a sigh. 'Well, I better let you get back to your… husband before he comes over here and tries to bite my head off for keeping you.'
Itadori snorts out a laugh at that, nodding as he steps off to the side and the two awkwardly move around each other, swapping places with Kugisaki now standing in front of Fushiguro's grave.
'I'll, uh… goodbye, Kugisaki,' Itadori sighs quietly, turning away to leave.
'…Wait.'
Itadori freezes, their backs turned towards each other as he waits for her to continue.
Kugisaki tightens her shaky hand around the bouquet, staring down at Fushiguro's headstone. '…D-Don't be a stranger anymore, come visit me sometime… just don't bring him along.'
Itadori's eyes widen at her request, his chest tightening with a flurry of emotions. He doesn't turn around to look at her and neither does she as another gust of wind passes by, dancing through the ends of their hair and Itadori feels his eyes start to prick with hot tears.
'Sukuna probably won't even want to come anyway,' he laughs and Kugisaki let's out a snort, 'but I'll, um, d-do that. I'll come see you.'
Kugisaki nods her head, her shoulders sagging with relief and she lets out a sigh when she hears Itadori's footsteps retreat. She focuses back on Fushiguro's grave and slowly crouches down in front of it, a small wistful smile on her lips as she places her flowers down next to Itadori's.
Itadori makes his way back towards Sukuna, a smile lighting up his features when he sees the curse and he immediately wraps his arms around the others waist. Sukuna rolls his eyes at the way he clings to him but by now, he's gotten used to it and he returns the embrace by wrapping his arms around Itadori's shoulders.
'Have you finished here?'
Itadori hums, resting the side of his head against Sukuna's shoulder and closes his eyes at the feeling of his warm pressed against his own.
'I'm finished…' he mumbles, his hand slipping under Sukuna's sweater and settling on his chest, squeezing at his left pec firmly as he whispers, 'let's go home,' into his ear.
'…Fine, but just as long as we don't do anything, my lower back still hurts after going five rounds yesterday,' Sukuna huffs, a grimace on his face and he gives Itadori a suspicious side eye, 'aren't you supposed to be an old man? Where the hell is all this stamina coming from?'
Itadori laughs, 'I may be old mentally but physically I still have the body of a teenager, that includes the endless amount of stamina.'
Sukuna's groan of dread has Itadori barking out another bright laugh, feeling a warmth spread across his chest as he leans forward and presses his lips against Sukuna's.
'…'
'Stop squeezing my chest, you pervert!'
Itadori's laugh echoes throughout the cemetery.