#modena writes

B = Breath(What could their s/o do to take their breath away?)

Watching his partner become enthralled during battle would be absolutely breathtaking to him. Bonus points if they're covered in blood as well.

C = Cuddling(Do they cuddle? If they do, how and when do they cuddle?)

Oh, Mahito loves cuddling. Wrapping himself around his partner or vice versa, laying on top of them with his head resting on their chest so he can listen to their heartbeat gives him an unexpected sense of comfort. He enjoys a variety of cuddle positions honestly, but being able to feel their soul is what he enjoys most. If his partner is unaware of his cursed technique, he finds a great deal of amusement in the fact that they don't realize just how dangerous it is for him to touch them. And if they do know about Idle Transfiguration and still allow him close, he finds himself amused at their apparent lack of self-preservation.

D = Dream(What do they dream of doing with their s/o?)

Essentially being partners in crime. His partner joining in on the chaos, aiding him in battle, hunting and messing with people along with him, giving him ideas for new experiments. He would be ecstatic.

E = Effort(How much effort do they put into a relationship?)

This might come as a surprise, but Mahito actually puts a lot of effort into a relationship. It's an interesting experiment for him, so learning about what people do in relationships and trying different things with his partner is like a game to him at first. He does struggle initially when it comes to moments where his partner needs comfort, as he's not used to truly caring about someone's distress, but he'll try to find the best ways to comfort them as he goes.

F = Fear(What do they do if their s/o is scared? How do they handle it?)

Mahito usually finds fear amusing and relishes in it, so it comes as a shock to him when his partner is scared and instead of laughing about it, he wants to ease their fears. He will have an internal crisis over this while he awkwardly tries to comfort them with words and by holding them. In time, he will get used to providing them with comfort.

G = Gifts(What type of gifts do they give their s/o? Do they want a gift in return?)

Ohhh, Mahito loves giving his partner little transfigured human sculptures that he's created just for them. These can range from a tiny transfigured human turned into the pendant on a necklace or a charm on a bracelet, to a variety of differently shaped sculptures made to look like flowers, various objects, etc. And he'd love gifts in return as well. Pretty much anything his partner gives him will make him happy.

H = Hugs(Do they hug their s/o? How often?)

Mahito enjoys hugging his partner and feeling their soul, and he will hug them at any opportunity he can get. Equally enjoys hugs where he lifts his partner off the ground or jumping into his partner's arms so he's held off the ground. He just can't get enough of the soul that's managed to captivate him so.

I = Intimacy(How romantic are they? Do they have problems with intimacy?)

While he can mimic more traditional romantic gestures just to try it, Mahito much prefers his own ideas of romance over boring human ones. Stirring up trouble to impress his partner, transfiguring anyone who bothers them, giving them morbid gifts.

As for intimacy, he does struggle with emotional intimacy. It tends to go against his views of what a cursed spirit should be, but in time he accepts that he's able to feel these sorts of emotions and that it doesn't make him any less of a curse.

J = Jealous(Do they get jealous? How do they act when jealous?)

Oh, Mahito can get jealous. He likes having his partner's attention, so if they're paying too much attention to someone else he will pout over it. Whether or not the other person can see him, he will cling to his partner to try and get their attention back on him again. If he's particularly irritated by someone, he will transfigure them without a second thought.

K = Kiss(Are they a good kisser? Do they like to kiss? How often do they try to kiss s/o?)

Mahito likes to kiss his partner, and will do so whenever he feels like it. When he gets excited about something, he'll pull them into a kiss. If they do something he finds too cute, he's kissing them. His kisses tend to be sloppy and rough, occasionally with too much teeth or tongue.

L = Love(When do they say they love you? How often do they say it? Do they prefer to say or show it?)

It takes a while for Mahito to both process and accept that his feelings for his partner are love. Once he does, it's a very vulnerable moment for him when he first tells them that he loves them. After that, he prefers to show it more than say it.

M = Marriage(Do they want to get married? If so, what kind of ceremony?)

As a cursed spirit, Mahito doesn't really care about marriage in the traditional sense. However, forming some kind of binding vow with his partner as a substitute for marriage is something he'd like to do.

N = Night out(What type of dates do they like to go on? How often do they like to go on them?)

Mahito is pretty much up for any kind of date with his partner. Going to a restaurant can prove entertaining, considering most people can't see him so it makes messing with them all the more fun. Movie dates are a favorite of his, whether it's going out to a theater or staying in to watch something. He would especially be delighted if his partner let's him hunt them for fun, or if they join him for hunting other people in the woods.

O = Out of the Ordinary(What’s something they don’t normally do with/for their s/o?)

Aside from using Idle Transfiguration to heal his partner's injuries, Mahito would be hesitant to try anything else at first. If his partner wants something like a tail, wings, horns, etc, he would need to practice on test subjects first. He won't do anything to risk seriously harming their soul.

P =Playful(Are they playful in a relationship? If so, how do they play around/mess with their s/o?)

Mahito is incredibly playful with his partner. He will tease them on a regular basis, finding immense satisfaction in flustering them. He will taunt them into play-fighting with him as well. He also enjoys trying to scare them a little bit, relishing in any little jump or noise he gets in response. He is, after all, still a curse who thrives on fear although he doesn't want to seriously frighten his partner the way he would someone else.

Q = Questions(Do they ask their s/o their opinion on things? Do they share theirs?)

He's always asking questions about something or other, whether it's about something he read or about an emotion that he doesn't understand or just asking his partner about themself. He's always interested in hearing his partner's opinion on things, and eagerly shares his own with them as well.

R = Random(How spontaneous is their relationship? Do they do things on the spot or plan ahead?)

It might seem that a lot of what he does is spontaneous, and occasionally there are things that he does on the spot, but Mahito actually plans ahead more often than not.

S = Sleep(How do they sleep with their s/o?)

As a cursed spirit, Mahito rarely needs sleep. He will, however, indulge a human partner and allow them to rest on or near him. He tends to read while his partner sleeps, although occasionally he'll watch their soul as they rest. When he's feeling clingy, he'll wrap himself around them as they sleep.

T = Trust(How much do they trust their s/o?)

With someone he's just toying with for his own amusement until he gets bored, he doesn't actually trust them at all. But with someone he's grown attached to? How much he trusts them varies. It's a very lucky soul who gains his complete trust and is shown that most vulnerable side of him that only they will ever see.

U = Unique(What makes them unique as an s/o?)

Most notably might be how he incorporates Idle Transfiguration into a relationship. He can alter his own body to entertain both himself and his partner, and he can use it on his partner as well if they'd like. He's very careful in such a case, as he doesn't want to risk harming their soul.

V = Vulnerable(How long until they can be vulnerable around their s/o? What are they like in this state?)

It would honestly take Mahito a while to be vulnerable around his partner. He prides himself on being a true curse, and more vulnerable emotions are not apart of that. So when he shows genuine concern and care for his partner, that's a vulnerable state for him. Allowing himself to be sad, to grieve over lost friends, and to admit his own fears are something even more vulnerable that he'll only show to one he trusts completely and has deeply bonded with.

W = Wild Card(Get a random domestic headcanon of the character)

Despite what some might think, Mahito does bathe when the need arises. He particularly enjoys it when his partner helps wash his hair, massaging his scalp while he hums in contentment. His playfulness certainly comes into play here, with the curse splashing water at his partner with an amused chuckle.

X = X-Ray(What would they do if their s/o got injured?)

Mahito would use Idle Transfiguration to take care of any injuries that his partner has incurred. If someone caused those injuries, he'd be pissed and would deal with them swiftly. He's not going to let someone get away with harming his partner.

Y = Yuck(Do they have any pet peeves about their s/o? Are there any habits that might bother their s/o?)

Mahito's biggest pet peeves about a partner would be if they were too nice, to the point that it became a fault, or if they otherwise kept restricting themself from truly being free in his eyes. He wants them to experience the same joy he does in life, living by their own desires.

As for his own habits, there are plenty that might potentially bother a partner. His sadism, the transfigured experiments, his often cruel sense of humor, the creepy grins. His teasing could possibly be too much at times as well.

Z = Zeal(Are they passionate as an s/o? Do they want or like passion?)

Lee wasn't sure what exactly the cursed spirit was up to that day, but the night before Mahito had left behind a tiny little creature that he had split from his own body. The little guy was adorable to the human with it's tiny limbs, curious eyes and tuft of blue hair. It had accompanied bird when they had went to the market, and had made the task much more enjoyable for them. It's comments as they had made their way around the market had amused bird. Now that they were back at the human's apartment, bird couldn't help but giggle as they watched the little guy rooting through the groceries that bird was trying to put away.

It was interesting to think that this cute little creature was actually a piece of Mahito's soul, and through it the cursed spirit was able to communicate with bird even while his main body was elsewhere. It was something he had only recently discovered that he could do, and he was having fun with it. These pieces of his soul only had limited use of his technique, however. As the human continued putting things away, Lee soon noticed that the little guy had suddenly become rather distracted and was no longer looking through the remaining items. Bird paused what they were doing and turned towards it.

"Is something wrong, Mahi?" they asked curiously.

"I'm fighting two sorcerers," the little guy responded.

Lee's eyes widened in surprise before bird groaned, smacking the counter in front of them in frustration. Bird hoped Kento wasn't one of those sorcerers, but they didn't dare ask him to find out. Bird eyed the little guy who was standing on the adjacent counter.

"Where are you?" they asked with a sigh.

"Are you worried about me, cutie?" It's voice sounded almost teasing.

Lee rolled bird eyes as they tried to ignore the teasing, blushing slightly as bird folded their arms. "I just know that you're going to get your ass kicked again. So, tell me where you are."

The little guy stared up at the human silently for a moment, blinking it's eyes slowly before finally responding. "Follow me," the creature said as it hopped off the counter.

Lee followed the creature as it led the way out of the apartment and through the city, not saying anything more. Their mind was racing, worried about too many things. What if the cursed spirit was fighting Kento again? Bird didn't want either of them to get seriously hurt. Worse, what if he had run into Satoru Gojo? The sorcerer had reduced Jogo to just his head before Hanami had rescued him, and thankfully Jogo's core was intact. But the older cursed spirit had spent some time recovering from that battle. Mahito was much younger and still learning what he could do with his technique. He was strong, but got careless in his excitement.

At one point during their trek, the little guy collapsed to the ground and the human rushed to pick it up and held it in bird arms. "What's happening?" they asked with a look of concern.

"Sukuna."

Bird eyes widened. Mahito had told them about Sukuna's vessel, and the plans to fully revive him. Bird didn't agree with the plan, didn't think Sukuna would bring about the world that the cursed spirits wanted. If they wanted to change the world for cursed spirits, then Mahito was the one who should bring it to fruition. That's what bird thought.

"Cluck... where are you?"

The human followed the directions that the little guy gave to them, not at all surprised when they had ended up in the sewers. Bird only concern right now was getting to the curse before things escalated too far. They knew how he could get caught up in his own excitement during battle, and it could make him reckless. Finally, Lee caught sight of the cursed spirit just up ahead. He was sitting with his back against the wall, his light blue hair falling loosely and his clothes having been discarded at some point which was little surprise to them. Fur covered his pelvis and legs. Bird heart was beating wildly in their chest for a moment before they managed to compose birdself and approached him.

"Dumbass," they muttered under bird breath as they bent down beside him.

Lee watched as the little guy crawled out of their arms and towards Mahito, being absorbed back into his body. Bird looked the curse over with a frown, reaching out a hand to gently touch the gash on his shoulder. It was healing slowly, not nearly as quickly as it usually would because his cursed energy was low. He noticed their soul twisting and flickering with concern.

"You could've died, y'know. You should be more careful," they huffed quietly.

"Would you've been sad, little human?" the curse asked as he looked at bird with a bit of amusement in his gaze. He already knew the answer to that.

"You're such a little bitch," the human huffed while averting bird eyes. "Let's get out of here."

Given the cursed spirit's weakened state, Lee carried him on their back as they started the trek back to bird apartment. They tried to ignore his soft chuckling that made bird heart flutter, the same frown still on their face. Mahito grinned as he wrapped his arms around bird neck, delighting in being carried like this. He could feel their feathery soul against his.

"Oh Leeeeeee~," the curse said excitedly. "Guess what?"

"What?" Lee responded with a sigh, expecting the cursed spirit to tease them about the situation.

"I used a domain expansion!"

The human blinked in surprise at this news before smiling, a soft chuckle escaping bird lips at how excited Mahito sounded about this. He really was too cute at times, and it set their heart racing.

"You did, huh?" bird said softly. "Well then, as a treat, once we're back at my apartment, how about I give you a bath?"

"Nnnn...." he breathed while leaning in, his breath hitting the human's ear. "Sounds fun!"

Once back at Lee's apartment, the human had ushered the curse into the shower.

"Mmm." The cursed spirit was humming in contentment as Lee washed his hair, the feeling of them massaging his scalp soothing to him.

Mahito tilted his head back into their touch, his eyes half-lidded as he sighed happily. Lee's face was flushed as bird rinsed his hair, their fingers running through the soft locks.

"Your hair is beautiful," they murmured softly.

Mahito turned, his mismatched eyes locked on bird as a small smirk played on his lips. He couldn't help but tease them, playfully flicking water at their cheek. Their soft giggle made his eyes light up in delight.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah," Lee responded with a smile. "Your eyelashes are really pretty, too."

Mahito chuckled at the compliment, then hummed again as the human moved on to scrubbing his body. He could've done all of this himself, of course. Cursed spirits could and would bathe themselves when the need arose. But he had preferred to feign lack of understanding bathing so that his little human would "show him" how to do it. He suspected they were aware of his trickery, yet bird didn't call him out on it.

After he was rinsed off, Lee helped dry him off much to his delight. Then he followed bird to the bedroom, watching as they rooted through drawers and pulled out some clothes. They set the clothes on the bed before looking at him.

"Which would you like to wear?"

The curse examined the choices they had laid out, then picked out an oversized gray nightshirt with cats on it. He put it on before looking at the human with a wide grin. Bird smiled at him, their snaggletooth poking out from between their lips. Then Lee had changed into a black nightshirt before the two of them laid on the bed together. Mahito picked up the book he had left on their nightstand and began to read while the human snuggled closer.

"Mahito...?" Their fingers gently traced the stitches on his arm as bird thought.

"Hm?" He paused, glancing down at them.

"I... I don't think reviving Sukuna will bring about the world you want," bird admitted quietly. Mahito raised his eyebrows at this. "I think he'll only disappoint you in the end. If you want a new world, then..." Their hazel eyes met his mismatched ones with an intensity that left his skin tingling. "... you should be the one to make it a reality."

The following day, Lee accompanied Mahito on a trip to the hot springs where the cursed spirits went to recover when their cursed energy was low. This particular area was thick with cursed energy, the air so heavy with it that the feeling of dread it likely caused in other humans kept them from actually traversing the place. So it was no wonder why the cursed spirits came here to recover. The human was tense, but not from the air laden with cursed energy. That didn't effect them the way it did most humans.

What was bothering Lee was the fact that Geto had joined them on this excursion. Bird kept a weary eye on him as they followed Mahito, who had spotted Jogo sitting nearby. The curse ran ahead, tossing off his clothes.

"Jogooooo!" he said in a singsong voice as he leapt into the water of the hot springs.

Water splashed onto the older curse from Mahito's antics, and Lee couldn't help but giggle as they got closer and noticed Jogo's expression. The older cursed spirit looked to be so done with the younger curse's behavior. The human took a seat on the rocks beside him.

"You seem to be recovering well," bird commented with a smile.

"Yeah, I see you have most of your body back now," Mahito added as he swam around in the water.

"Well, this is a good place to relax. Humans don't go anywhere near it." Jogo eyed Lee. "Well, most humans don't."

Bird chuckled softly. "I like this place precisely because other humans won't come near it. No crowds. No city noise. Birds singing. It is very relaxing."

The older curse grumbled under his breath.

"Not having a body really sucks, huh?" Mahito questioned. "It makes self-preservation so difficult."

"Mahito, you're awfully worn out yourself," Jogo observed.

"Oh, you can tell?" The younger curse looked over at Jogo. "It turns out, Sukuna and his vessel are my natural enemies." He looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "I started this whole game because I happened to acquire a new toy."

Lee looked curious at this. Mahito hadn't told them much about what he had been up to lately, just that he had been busy with trying to get their plans to move forward, so this was news to them. Bird listened intently as he continued.

"It was fun at first, but then it didn't work out," the younger curse said with a frown. "Are you sure I shouldn't have just used a hostage to force him into a binding vow?"

"Binding vows are only placed on oneself, by oneself," Geto explained. "It's not easy to forge binding vows with others."

Mahito pouted at this, sinking further into the water for a moment. He briefly contemplated if he could've done something differently so that things would've gone his way, but decided that Sukuna wouldn't have complied anyway. Finally, he swam to the edge of the hot springs and climbed out of the water. He was aware of Lee's eyes on him, their gaze tracing the stitches on his body.

"Jogo," he said as he looked at the older cursed spirit. "Touching Sukuna made me realize that we should probably proceed with Geto's plan for now."

Lee frowned at this, glancing towards Geto with narrowed eyes, while Jogo contemplated the other curse's words.

"You mean gather all the fingers and offer them to Sukuna, huh?" the older curse inquired. "Even if that means we all get wiped out in the process? Very well." He grinned. "I don't intend to be the one left laughing in the wasteland a century from now. As long as curses exist as people, that's all that matters."

Lee swallowed, wanting to say something but also not wanting to interrupt. Instead, they plucked at the hem of bird shirt as the cursed spirits continued their conversation.

"Oh, you get it!" Mahito commented as he put his shirt back on.

"First, we need to go retrieve the six fingers from Jujutsu High," Geto remarked.

"Do we have to?" Jogo asked. "I thought the sorcerers were only keeping Yuji Itadori around so that he could swallow Sukuna's fingers. If we leave 'em alone, he'll still eat them."

As October arrived, Choso found himself spending a lot of time with Lee and Mahito. There wasn't much else to do until the 31st arrived, which was the day that had been set for their next course of action. There wasn't too much needed in the way of preparations for that day, as the curse users and cursed spirits who would participate had already been briefed on it. And so the days passed somewhat peacefully, with Mahito back to spending more time with Lee. It was becoming increasingly clear to Choso that there was something between the human and the cursed spirit.

The two of them were certainly obsessed with each other, but it went much deeper than just that. He had seen Mahito try to comfort Lee when the human needed it, and there was such devotion in Lee's gaze whenever bird looked at the cursed spirit. The two of them also seemed quite affectionate with each other, cuddling on the sofa on movie nights and kissing each other whenever they felt like it. It was clear that Lee felt protective of the cursed spirit, and bird had admitted to Choso their suspicions about Geto meaning the curse harm. He had to agree that there was something about Geto that was suspicious, although he couldn't quite place what it was.

Mahito was also obviously protective of Lee, always aware of bird discomfort or unease and clinging to them as a way to try to alleviate this. It was a surprisingly effective tactic, as the cursed spirit's proximity always calmed the human. And it seemed that Lee's presence also provided the curse with comfort. The way he nuzzled into the human's neck or against bird chest and visibly relaxed seemed proof of this. Their interactions were unexpected, a display of coexistence that most wouldn't think was possible.

And then there were two particularly telling conversations that transpired...

"Choso, do you know what love is?" Mahito had asked randomly one day. Lee was busy at work that day, so it was just the half-cursed spirit keeping him company. "It's something that I've been contemplating for a while. I thought it might be like the attachment that a cat has to it's favorite blanket, but I'm not so sure anymore."

Choso tilted his head slightly as he looked towards the cursed spirit. Mahito's interest in such a thing was odd, considering he was a curse born from humanity's fear and hatred. The half-human, half-cursed spirit was no expert on the subject either but he supposed he might understand it better than the young curse did. After all, love came in different forms, not just romantic, and familial love was something he understood well.

"It's a lot deeper than just being attached to a favorite object," Choso replied. How was he supposed to describe it, though? He thought on that a moment before continuing. "You care about that person deeply. You put their well-being above your own. You trust them. You want to protect them. You find comfort in simply being around them."

Mahito tapped his chin thoughtfully at this explanation, looking lost in thought until the half-cursed spirit said something unexpected that shook him.

"You're asking me what love is... but I see it every time you look at my sister." It was his honest observation, after spending so much time with the two of them lately.

Was Choso really insinuating that the strange feeling Mahito felt around Lee was... love? The cursed spirit suddenly felt warmth in his cheeks and brought his hands up to touch his face, a look of confusion in his mismatched eyes. What was happening? Why did his face feel hot all of a sudden? This wasn't something that he had experienced before, and the curse felt a sense of panic that he quickly replaced with irritation. He huffed quietly and averted his gaze, not wanting to accept the truth of Choso's observation.

"Choso, do you think that cursed spirits feel... love?" Lee had asked suddenly.

The half-human, half-cursed spirit had joined bird on their walk through the park with their two chickens that weekend. Mahito was off elsewhere with the other cursed spirits that day, so it was just the two adopted siblings. Choso looked over at Lee as he recalled the conversation he'd had with the cursed spirit. Mahito and Lee were surprisingly similar in their inquisitiveness.

"Cursed spirits are born from the negative emotions of humans. It's difficult to say if they have the same capacity for love as humans do." He kept thinking about the interactions he had observed between his sister and Mahito. "But... some cursed spirits have shown tendencies that could resemble love." He paused for a moment. "Is this about Mahito?"

Lee's face flushed at the blunt question, and bird averted their eyes. "I... We-well... I suppose it is," they murmured quietly.

Choso's expression softened a little at bird response. He knew how infatuated they were with the curse, it was obvious in every interaction he had witnessed between the two. And he knew that Mahito had similar feelings for bird, even if the curse didn't want to fully acknowledge that.

"Are you in love with him?" He was blunt and to the point about this.

Lee felt their heart fluttering as bird nodded. They couldn't deny it, and Choso was the only one bird could really talk to about their feelings for the cursed spirit. They couldn't disclose the truth of Mahito being a cursed spirit to Kento, so it limited what bird could say to him and this caused more anxiety than anything. The sorcerer thought that the curse needed to be exorcised. Choso, however, was on friendlier terms with the cursed spirits in general and this allowed Lee to speak more freely.

"Yes... I am. He's just so cute, and silly, and he... makes me so happy. And he... he calms me when things feel too much." Bird couldn't contain their gushing about the cursed spirit, hands flapping in their enthusiasm. "I've never felt like this before. He's..." Bird cheeks flushed. "... everything to me."

It was 11pm. Mahito had insisted that they take a small reprieve inside a photo booth due to Lee getting a migraine from the effects of Gojo's domain. He was impressed they otherwise were doing well, as he doubted the ordinary humans who had been affected would be recovering any time soon. Even with bird small amount of cursed energy, they were still much stronger than the others. While the human rested beside him, the cursed spirit kept watch. And that's when he noticed the 7:3 sorcerer walking by. The man was in an horrific state, his left eye gone and the left side of his body burnt.

After a moment, the cursed spirit left the booth to follow the sorcerer, and Lee stirred from his absence. Blinking bird eyes, they got up and saw Mahito as he was heading down the stairs and bird followed after him. They were not prepared for the sight that awaited them once they descended to the next floor. Kento stood surrounded by the bodies of transfigured humans that he had just fought. He was severely injured, and had clearly encountered Jogo at some point if the burns on his body were any indication. Lee's eyes were wide as bird stared at him, feeling their heart ache as tears filled bird eyes.

"So, you're here, too," Kento murmured.

Lee's mind finally registered that Mahito was approaching Kento, and they rushed forward to grab his wrist as he reached out a hand toward the sorcerer.

"Stop!" Lee looked at the curse with a fierce yet pained expression. "Don't hurt him! He's my family. Please..."

Kento blinked as he looked at them. "Lee...?"

"Mahito... please, fix him," Lee begged as the tears fell from bird eyes. "Just the severe damage. Please. I..."

The cursed spirit stared at them with wide eyes, watching the light of bird soul dim as it twisted with distress. He didn't want to help the 7:3 sorcerer. Killing him would surely result in dealing damage to Yuji's soul from the grief. But he realized that it would also hurt Lee, and that was... something he didn't want to do. He didn't want to hurt bird, didn't want them to be upset with him. And he didn't want bird soul to stop glowing for him. He swallowed, his hand trembling slightly.

"Alright, Lee..." Mahito relented. "Do you want to enact a binding vow to ensure I fix him?"

Lee shook bird head. "I will trust your word."

The cursed spirit would consider that foolish with anyone else, but not Lee. This human affected him in ways he couldn't explain. As bird released his wrist, Mahito touched the sorcerer and used Idle Transfiguration to heal the burns on his body as well as regenerating his missing eye. Kento stared in shock, glancing between Lee and the cursed spirit. He was still exhausted, the curse hadn't completely healed him. He still needed rest.

"Thank you, Mahito. I'll meet up with you again soon, okay? And remember... you're not allowed to die before I do," Lee said to Mahito. Bird had kissed the cursed spirit before taking hold of Kento's arm. "Let's get you out of here."

Mahito watched as the human led the 7:3 sorcerer up the stairs, before he became aware that Yuji Itadori had been watching what had just transpired.

"You owe me, Lee," the cursed spirit murmured before he faced the young sorcerer.

"Patchface actually listened to you..." Kento was still trying to wrap his mind around the shocking revelation.

"His name is Mahito," Lee corrected softly.

Kento caught the hint of affection in bird voice, and it occurred to him that Lee had never actually told him their boyfriend's name.

"Mahito..." he repeated, a frown on his tired face. "That cursed spirit is your... boyfriend?" His jaw tightened at the thought.

Lee glanced at him, their gaze apologetic. "Well... we haven't exactly named what our relationship is. But, I... I am in love with him."

Kento's eyes widened, disbelief etched across his face. His mind was reeling with this information. Lee was involved with a special grade cursed spirit. Bird was in love with that cursed spirit.

"Lee, he's dangerous."

"I know what he's capable of, Kento." Lee touched the transfigured human pendant on bird necklace. "Not just in terms of violence. He's capable of so much more than that... They all are."

"They...? The other cursed spirits?"

"They're people, Kento. They have feelings. They care about each other. They have friends and family. And they want to be able to live in this world like we do."

Kento ran a hand over his face in frustration. "You make it sound like they're just like us, but they're not. They're not human, Lee. I've spent my life fighting cursed spirits... They don't care about the lives they destroy."

"This is war to them, Kento. And do you know how humans are during war? I see no difference." Lee took a deep breath. "I will say this: both sides will need to learn to be open to coexistence. If humans deserve to exist in this world, then so do cursed spirits. There can be no harmony without each other."

Kento fell silent, studying Lee's face. Bird hazel eyes held conviction, belief. They had always been a kind-hearted person, open-minded. But coexisting with cursed spirits? The thought of humans and curses living together in harmony seemed like an impossible ideal.

"I understand what you're trying to say, but it's not that simple."

"I know that," Lee said softly. "Jujutsu Society is rigid in it's stances, for one. And cursed spirits are natural predators. But... I want to create a new world, for Mahito." Bird gaze filled with tenderness. "I will give him the life he deserves."

"You really see something in him...?" Kento inquired.

Lee smiled. "For the first time in my life, I don't mind being alive. And it's because I met him... He is my home."

After Lee had gotten Kento to a safe location where they found one of the sorcerer assistants, bird went to find Mahito again. They were surprised to feel his cursed energy on the surface, indicating that he must be fighting with someone since he wasn't trying to hide his presence. The thought made them anxious, and bird rushed to the heart of Shibuya as quickly as they could. Bird barely noticed the destruction to the surrounding area, their hazel eyes going wide as bird felt Mahito's cursed energy drop to barely anything at the same moment they spotted him. He was on the ground, wounded on his left side, staring up in fear at a young pink-haired sorcerer who Lee assumed was Itadori.

"I'll kill you," Itadori declared. "And if you're ever reborn again as a new curse, I'll kill you again. You can change your name and your appearance, but I'll still kill you again and again."

Lee didn't hear anything else that the young sorcerer had said. Bird heart beat loudly in their ears as they saw how terrified Mahito was, and bird fierce desire to protect him was the thing that finally broke the binding vow they had placed upon birdself years ago. An immense amount of cursed energy flowed through them, enough to stop Itadori from advancing towards the cursed spirit due to the pressure that threatened to flatten him to the ground. So quickly they were a blur, Lee went to Mahito's side. They had summoned bird shikigami, the creature clinging to their back as bird glared at the sorcerer.

"I won't let you do that. No one is allowed to kill this curse. He is mine to protect. And I will tear anyone apart who dares to hurt him," Lee snarled.

Mahito was now staring up at Lee with a mixture of shock and awe. The ferocity in bird gaze, their intent to follow up on bird words, made them look breathtaking to him. And then there was bird immense cursed energy, that felt limitless. He hadn't realized they were hiding this from him. Bird wasn't a mouse at all. They were something far more ferocious than he had ever imagined. And bird wanted him. They... Yes, he knew what that strange feeling that both of them had been feeling was now. As bird picked him up in their arms and took flight, that feeling was all the stronger now.

Now that they were safely at Lee's apartment, everything hit the curse at once. He had been injured before, but never had he come so close to death. He had never felt anything even remotely close to the despair he felt when Yuji had begun to walk towards him in his weakened state. The sorcerer would've killed him, he was sure of that. But Lee had arrived just in time to save him, and bird immense cursed energy had startled him. But oh, they had never looked as beautiful as bird had in that moment. Their declaration to protect him, to never allow anyone to kill him, played over and over in his mind as both of them settled onto the human's bed.

"Energy Transference," Lee murmured as bird touched the cursed spirit gently.

Mahito felt his cursed energy being replenished, healing the damage that had been done during his fight with Itadori and the other sorcerer. He stared in shock as his strength was restored.

"What... is this?"

"It's my true cursed technique," Lee told him. "I am able to transfer designated amounts of my cursed energy to cursed spirits." Bird smiled at him softly, looking a little apologetic. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about it sooner. But, it's not like I could've used it before. When I moved here years ago, I placed a binding vow upon myself. One that sealed away most of my cursed energy. As you can imagine, walking around with this level of cursed energy would be a beacon to both sorcerers and curses alike. I didn't want to be bothered by sorcerers, so I made sure that I seemed weak enough to not be a threat. The only way to break the binding vow was if I ever felt a fierce desire to protect someone."

In that moment, Mahito saw just how much potential his little human had. And he was grateful that bird had saved him. Everything they knew about him, all the experiments and the way he's treated other humans, yet still bird chose to protect him. And he now understood why.

"Thank you," he whispered to them in a shaky voice. It was the first time he had said those words to a human and truly meant it, not in a malicious way, and he felt strange saying it. But he really did mean it.

"I should be the one thanking you, Mahito," Lee said while trembling slightly. Tears started to well up in bird hazel eyes as they smiled at him softly. "You may not have realized it, but you saved me first. From that very first day we met."

The cursed spirit was confused, but as he thought back to all the time they had spent together these past four months since they'd met, he realized something. The human's soul had come alive in his presence, it's now steady glow giving him comfort. Bird hands came up to hold his face gently, their fingers carefully brushing the stitches there. He didn't want bird to let go. He wanted to express how they made him feel now, and that he finally understood that strange human concept that had eluded him before.

"I love you, Lee."

Mahito had never felt more vulnerable than he did when admitting his feelings for the human. He watched as the tears finally slipped from his human's eyes and he reached out a hand to wipe them from bird face.

"I love you, too."

Lee pulled the curse into a protective embrace, kissing his forehead tenderly. It was such a simple gesture but it was also profound. It felt as if the human had reached directly into his soul and touched something that had been missing there. Mahito held onto bird tightly, his head resting against the human's chest as he listened to their beating heart. Tears filled his own eyes.

"Can I stay here with you?" the curse asked softly, feeling the need to ask bird permission.

"Always," Lee responded softly before pressing another kiss to his forehead. "I don't want to know what a world without you is like. I'll protect you, from anything and everything."

The cursed spirit was overwhelmed, having experienced the full extent of human emotions for the first time. He felt a new kind of desperation, a desire to be with this human who had given him a sense of safety and care when he was at his weakest. He nuzzled into bird neck, his body finally relaxing in their protective embrace.

"Lee," he murmured as an idea struck him. "Would you forge a binding vow with me?"

"Hm?" The human looked curious. "What kind?"

"One that will bind our souls together, so that we'll always be connected." Mahito looked up at bird face. "One that can't be broken. Even if we die and are reborn, we'll always find each other."

Lee smiled tenderly at him and nodded. "And it'll give you access to my cursed energy as well, so you'll never run out."

The curse grinned and nodded. "Yes."

With that, the human pressed bird forehead against the cursed spirit's as they forged their binding vow. It would bind their souls for eternity, connecting them in every life.

"You're my wife now," Mahito announced.

Lee giggled, pressing soft kisses across the curse's face. "And you're mine. My eternal mate."

As the weeks passed, Mahito would visit Lee's apartment often. Just as the cursed spirit had assured, Kento had remained unaware of his presence and so the two of them could enjoy their time together peacefully. The curse had been learning more about Lee with each visit, such as the fact that bird loved to draw and also wrote fanfiction for their favorite anime. He had also learned that the human "selfshipped", having discovered their art of themself with Mayuri Kurotsuchi from Bleach. And bird had also told him that they were asexual, which piqued his interest. He didn't know as much about these sorts of identities that humans used, but Lee was explaining them to him.

And the more time they spent together, the more that strange feeling that kept stirring within him around the human kept growing stronger as well. He had yet to figure out what that feeling was, just as he had yet to decipher the emotion that caused Lee's soul to occasionally blaze like a wildfire around him. But he had been learning what sorts of things would bring out those emotions in the both of them.

They were both sitting on the floor of bird apartment, each of them with a book in hand. Beside the cursed spirit was a pile of books, ranging from novels to biology textbooks and books about the supernatural, even some manga and poetry collections. Frequently, he made comments about what he was reading or would ask his human companion questions and they would answer. After a while, Mahito rested his head on the human's shoulder while his mismatched eyes watched bird intently. They seemed to be quite focused on the book they were reading, one about birds.

"Lee-eeeee," the cursed spirit said in a singsong voice to get bird attention. As soon as their hazel eyes had turned in his direction, he continued. "Have you ever kissed anyone?"

The question caught them off guard, and the curse grinned at the shocked look in bird eyes and the way their face flushed. Blushing was something the human had been doing a lot of in his presence lately, and even more fascinating was the way their soul reacted. More and more often he had noticed it's glow blazing brighter with that emotion he couldn't name.

"Um, once," the human admitted quietly. "When I was much younger. It was just an experiment I tried with a friend, because we were curious what it was like. I didn't like it. It was... kinda gross."

Lee had averted bird gaze as they spoke, and now they were staring at the wall as if it was suddenly very fascinating. Bird soul was nervous, and... was that curiosity? Mahito blinked, contemplating something before he spoke again.

"I'd like to try it. Would you kiss me?" he questioned while pointing at his mouth.

Lee's blushing had intensified at his inquiry, but slowly bird turned their head back towards him. They found birdself unable to form coherent words as they were met with the cute and eager expression on the cursed spirit's face, and instead bird simply nodded in response. Tentatively, bird kissed his lips and as they pulled away bird could feel his tongue graze their own lips which caused them to chirp in surprise.

"You taste good," Mahito commented while grinning at the human. He watched as their soul blazed more intensely than he had ever seen before.

"D-don't say something like that with such a creepy grin on your face," bird retorted with a frown.

"But you like my expressions, don't you?" His grin grew even wider as he watched them.

Lee huffed in response, looking away and setting bird book down so that they could fold their arms. It was true, of course. Bird did enjoy the curse's expressions a lot, and they had admitted as much to him once before. Something about his creepy grins especially got bird heart fluttering in such a way that they found it embarrassing. After a few moments, the cursed spirit spoke up again.

"Can I try kissing you next, cutie?" he asked. His grin was replaced with an adorable smile that got Lee blushing once more as bird glanced at him.

"O-okay," they murmured.

Mahito's lips were on birds immediately, and the kisses were sloppy and somewhat rough. Still, he both heard and felt how Lee giggled into the kisses. His mismatched eyes were narrowed, open enough to allow him to watch the human's blazing soul responding to him. It was a beautiful and fascinating display, and he felt their feathery soul wrapping around his own in an embrace that was addictive. Whatever that strange emotion was, he saw bird soul vibrating with it now. And he realized that it was the same unnamed emotion he felt within his own soul, stronger now in this moment.

The two of them found themselves in a tangle of limbs on the floor of Lee's apartment, books now scattered across the floor. The human laughed breathlessly as they met the cursed spirit's fascinated gaze. Sometimes bird wondered what Mahito saw when he looked at them, especially in moments like this when bird emotions were running wild. He could see their soul, had mentioned that different emotions resulted in different reactions in the soul. Did that mean that he could tell how bird felt about him? Did he know the level of affection that welled up within them for him? The thought alone flustered bird and they averted their gaze once more.

The sun was shining on the island and surrounding waters, as it always did in Dagon's domain. Lee had been surprised the first time Mahito had brought bird here, learning that the cursed spirits used their friend's domain as a hangout spot. That first visit had been a bit unsettling, as it had also been the moment that the cursed spirits had introduced bird to "Suguru Geto", the person they were working with to help their goal move forward. Lee had heard of someone by that name, but he was supposed to be dead now. That, however, wasn't what unsettled them about this person using Geto's name.

From that first meeting, bird had sensed something from Geto that made their phantom feathers rise like an angry rooster's neck feathers. Whoever he really was, this Geto had ill intentions towards the cursed spirits, towards Mahito. They were sure of that, could see it in the way he looked at the cursed spirits. And that had triggered bird protective instinct, causing Lee to hold onto Mahito while they had glowered at Geto. They didn't trust Geto, and bird had told Mahito this as soon as they had been alone after that. And it turned out that Mahito had his own suspicions about Geto as well. But for now at least, they needed to cooperate with Geto until the curses' biggest obstacle was out of the way so that their plans could proceed smoothly.

Thankfully today, Geto was not present as Mahito and Lee entered Dagon's domain. Hanami and Jogo were already there, relaxing in the lounge chairs on the beach, and Mahito went over to greet them.

"Hanami, Jogooooo!"

The curse's singsong voice as he greeted his friends made Lee smile as bird removed the dress they had been wearing over their swimsuit. They turned their attention to the water, where Dagon was floating peacefully, and bird waved at them in greeting. Only a few moments later, Mahito was beside them and was pulling off his shoes and quickly throwing his clothes aside shamelessly. Lee hadn't gotten used to the curse's habit of discarding his clothes like this, flustering each time even though he looked like a Ken doll. They still couldn't help but notice the stitches on his hips, their gaze tracing them, transfixed, until the curse took bird hand and pulled them into the water with him.

"Your face is red, little human," Mahito teased as he pulled bird further into the water, until it reached their waists.

With a lopsided frown, Lee splashed water at the cursed spirit before sticking bird tongue out at him. He laughed loudly at this, delighting in their playfulness with him, before splashing water back at bird. This back and forth went on for a little bit, both laughing, before Mahito suddenly pulled them closer and kissed bird. The human responded immediately, kissing him back as their arms wrapped around his neck. The feeling of their souls wrapping around each other was satisfying to the curse.

"They're at it again," Jogo grumbled in disgust.

Lately Mahito had been getting into the habit of randomly kissing his human pet, and his growing fondness for bird was becoming both irritating and a bit concerning to the older cursed spirit.

The curse was wandering aimlessly through the streets that night, distracted by thoughts of his little human pet. Jogo had voiced his concerns about Mahito's fondness for Lee, and now the younger cursed spirit couldn't stop wondering about that strange feeling that always welled up within him around bird and what exactly the human really was to him. He took long strides past dimly lit shops as he contemplated the subject. At first, he had considered Lee to be just another toy for him to play with until he got bored of it. But he wasn't so sure that was the case anymore.

Mahito had assumed that his growing fondness for Lee was something similar to the fondness that humans felt for their pets. But that didn't explain the strange fluttering sensation inside him whenever bird looked at him with that affectionate smile of theirs. It didn't explain why seeing both their eyes and soul light up around him made him so happy. Or the way he felt warmth in his cheeks when they giggled at his disturbing ideas for new experiments. Bird was so strange and adorable to him, so fearless of his touch when he could so easily twist their soul into something unrecognizable. Yet they accepted him for all he is, liked it.

Somehow, without even being aware of it, Mahito had made his way to Lee's apartment. He was somewhat surprised by this, but with a shrug he quietly let himself into the human's apartment. Bird had already given him permission to come and go as he pleased, and more often as the weeks had passed he had been finding himself spending the night here. Just as quietly as he had entered the apartment, he slipped off his shoes and walked down the dark hallway to the bedroom.

Lee was sleeping in bird bed, the covers tossed to the side due to the warm night. For a while, Mahito hovers in the doorway and watches the human's soul glowing in the dark like a nightlight. It's a beautiful sight that mesmerizes him, their soul calmly shimmering and seeming to beckon him closer. He's drawn to it, and slowly he approaches the bed. For a moment, he just admires the feathery shape of Lee's soul as he stands beside the bed. A soft smile forms on his lips before he settles onto the bed, crawling over to where bird sleeps and wrapping himself around them. Bird is soft and warm, and the cursed spirit's mismatched eyes light up with delight as he feels their soul wrapping around his.

"Mahito...?" Lee's voice is soft and quiet as bird stirs from their sleep, eyes barely fluttering open.

"Mhm," he murmured while nuzzling into bird neck.

With a content sigh, Lee drifts off back to sleep. Bird seemed to find comfort in his presence, something that was unusual. That was not how humans should react to a curse. Mahito would've considered it foolish on anyone else's part, but this human was different from the others. The feeling of their body next to his, their souls entwined, gives Mahito a sense of comfort that he's not used to. It's a strange feeling, but he likes it. And for a while, he just admires bird soul as it glows for him in the dark.

Mahito hadn't been visiting as much lately and it left the human curious as to what he was up to. Lee asked him about it casually one evening while the two of them were sitting on the sofa with the two chickens, after finishing another episode of the Bleach anime they had been watching together.

"So, what have you been up to lately? You haven't been around as much."

"Have you been missing me, little human?" the curse teased as he looked at them in amusement. Of course, he knew they had. Bird soul couldn't hide that from him. He folded his arms behind his head as he leaned back, grinning. "Well, a bit ago I found a much better hideout than the one the others are using. It has much better atmosphere, the perfect place for breeding fear!"

The cursed spirit's enthusiasm left Lee smiling, the glow of bird soul dancing happily. Mahito watched it for a moment, a strange warmth blooming in his chest, until his mind returned to the topic at hand.

"Ah, but there had been a strange old human living there. His soul glowed, too, but it wasn't like yours. I thought about getting rid of him, but... he wasn't much of a bother anyway. And he could perceive me, not because he had any cursed energy. He had none. He was rather interesting, but then..."

Mahito had been rambling in the way he usually did when he was excited about something, which Lee found adorable about him, but then suddenly his gaze had shifted to the fluffy chicken in his lap. The look in his eyes seemed almost like... grief? The human knew the feeling all too well and recognized it in their companion, but it wasn't something bird had expected to see in him.

"What happened, Mahito?" Lee's voice was soft and quiet.

"The old man died. Another human killed him," the curse told bird. He looked at them, confusion in his gaze. "I felt strange about it, Lee. Like it was... cold. And my soul trembled. I don't know what that feeling is. What do humans call it?"

The human swallowed, bird hand reaching out to touch Mahito's face. Their fingers gently traced the stitches there, and the cursed spirit's eyes fluttered as he leaned into the touch.

"That sounds like grief, Mahito. You were... sad."

Their words shook him. Cursed spirits shouldn't feel things like grief. At least, that's what Mahito wanted to believe. Perhaps, as Jogo had once commented, the fact that he was born from human fear made Mahito more like humans. He looked human, understood humans better than the others, liked human things. His blood was red like a human's, instead of purple like the other cursed spirits. But he didn't want to feel the emotions that he thought made humans weak. He was a cursed spirit, after all.

Only a few days later, Lee heard about the Kinema Cinema incident where 3 students had been brutally disfigured. Mahito was spending the night, both of them laying on the bed, when the human brought it up.

"So, I take it what happened at Kinema Cinema was your handiwork?" Bird had rolled onto their side, face propped in their hand as they looked at him.

"Oh, that?" The cursed spirit chuckled as he set aside the book of poems he had been reading and met the human's gaze. "Yeah. A few pesky humans were being rude and talking during the movie, so I taught them some manners~." A wide, unnerving grin spread across his face.

"You went to watch a movie without me," the human pouted. The curse laughed at this.

"Well, you're the one who was working that day, Lee," he retorted. "And I was bored waiting for you, so I found something to do."

"I know," the human said while flopping onto their back with a sigh. "I'm glad you had fun at least, Mahi."

Mahito watched the human in amusement for a moment before he reached into his pocket, pushing aside the tiny transfigured humans he had stored there. Finally he found what he was looking for.

"That reminds me, I made something for you."

Lee blinked in surprise, looking at him curiously as he held out his hand towards bird. They took the necklace that he handed them, examining the odd pendant on it. As they ran their fingers across the pendant, they noticed that it appeared to have an agonized face on it. Bird eyes widened as they looked at the curse.

"This is... one of your transfigured humans?"

"Mhm," Mahito hummed in confirmation. "You had mentioned they'd make interesting jewelry, so I decided to make you a necklace from one. Do you like it?"

He watched as Lee put the necklace on, then bird rolled over and kissed him. "Yeah, I do."

Lee was on their way home from work one evening when they happened to run into Kento as he was also returning home. After their usual greeting, the conversation turned much more serious. Lee was already aware that sorcerers had run into both Jogo and Hanami recently, but this news was much more concerning to them.

"There's another special grade cursed spirit that turned up," Kento told bird. "They're calling it Patchface."

As Kento described the curse, Lee's face paled in shock. He knew about Mahito's existence now. As he went on to mention having fought this cursed spirit himself, bird felt their heart drop. They had hoped this wouldn't happen. They didn't want conflict between their brother and the curse they had grown so fond of. Perhaps that was a foolish hope on their part.

"Are you okay, Lee?"

"I... I'm just worried," Lee responded, trying to stay calm despite bird racing thoughts.

Kento raised an eyebrow before a look of recognition entered his eyes. "You're worried about your boyfriend."

Lee swallowed hard, face flushing slightly, before nodding. "Yeah."

It was hard for bird, hiding the fact that this "boyfriend" of theirs was actually a cursed spirit. But they weren't sure Kento would understand the relationship bird had with Mahito. Could any Sorcerer understand it? If they were found to be on such friendly terms with special grade cursed spirits, they'd likely be branded a curse user. With their anxiety threatening to turn into a panic attack at this train of thought, they excused birdself from the conversation as soon as they reached the floor their apartments were on.

"Please be careful, Lee. If that Patchface curse touches you-"

"I... I understand, Kento," Lee interrupted before slipping into bird apartment without another word. They already knew how dangerous Mahito's technique could be. But he had touched them without harm many times before, but bird couldn't tell Kento that.

They had barely made it to the bedroom before dropping to the floor and starting to cry, holding onto the transfigured human pendant on bird necklace.

"You're upset," Mahito observed as he joined Lee and bird chickens on their walk through the park.

The human's soul was tumultuous, flickering and twisting with their emotions in a way he hadn't seen before. Usually it calmed in his presence, but not today. And that both irritated him and made him feel... concerned. He wasn't used to feeling that way. He shouldn't be. But this was his little human.

"Mahito," Lee said without glancing at him. They had stopped to let Charlotte and Cirucci scratch around in the grass for a bit. "Did you fight a Sorcerer with blonde hair and sunglasses?"

Mahito's eyes widened at the question. "Oh! Do you know the 7:3 sorcerer?"

"He's my brother. Not biologically," Lee said with a brief glance at the cursed spirit. Mahito's mouth formed an "o" as he stared at them. "When I moved here and struggled to read my mail, he helped me out. Over time, he became like family to me. He's certainly better than most of my biological family."

Mahito listened to bird, intrigued. They hadn't spoken much at all about their family until now, and he hadn't really questioned them about it either.

"So, you're upset with me for fighting your brother?" he inquired.

"Not exactly..." Lee looked into his mismatched eyes then. "I'm upset at myself, for having to hide from Kento that you're... my friend." Bird cheeks flushed slightly for a moment before they continued. "And I'm upset that sorcerers don't see the world the way I do. That they don't think of cursed spirits the same way. That they wouldn't understand us. I... I'm upset that when they look at you, all they see is something to be exorcised."

There were tears in the human's eyes, and Mahito reached out to wipe a few that had fallen. His expression was unreadable as he cupped their cheek almost tenderly.

"Do you want to change the world?" His voice was soft and quiet.

Lee had moved to Derry only a few days ago. The town hadn't been their ideal choice of where to move to, but bird had been desperate to get out of California and also wanted to avoid certain other states due to family members they'd rather not see again. So when they had actually found a place that they could afford in Maine, they had taken the opportunity. At least the scenery was nice, they supposed. It had been a while since they had lived somewhere so green, with grass and so many trees instead of the sandy desert that bird had grown accustomed to for the past several years.

Their chickens seemed to enjoy the change of scenery too, happily scratching around in the grass for treats they couldn't find back in the desert. That was enough for Lee to be satisfied with their decision to move here. As long as the chickens were happy, then so were they. Though bird had to admit that they had the strange feeling they were being watched, ever since they first drove into Derry.

The moment that Lee had come to Derry, the creature had awakened from it's sleep cycle. Oh, it had been dreaming of this moment for a long, long time. The human who could save it from death, who could free it from it's cage that was the town of Derry itself. Yes, they were finally here. How long had it waited for them to arrive? Centuries. Eons.

IT had known about Lee long before the human was even born. The way the creature experienced time was different from how humans experienced it. For IT, the past, present and future were all occurring at the same time. Sometimes this led to confusion on it's part, but right now there was no such confusion. The one it had been waiting for, dreaming of, for so long was finally here in Derry, and it was time for them to meet.

Lee was just taking a walk through town that day, getting to know the different shops and restaurants and other things it offered. As they passed by a large statue, a figure peeked out from behind it. Calculating eyes watched bird for a moment before the figure emerged. IT appeared in the form of a clown, but not the more colorful modern designs they were used to seeing. There was a vintage look to it's silver costume, the little bells on it's outfit jingling as it approached them.

"Well, well... what do we have here? A new face in town." The clown smiled as bird stopped to look at it, a knowing look in it's blue eyes.

"Yeah, I just moved here the other day actually..." Lee murmured.

The human is shy, IT knows this. That's why it must proceed carefully, not wanting to startle them. This was not a hunt, after all. No, this was something different. Something new. Something it refused to name. Still smiling, the clown plucks one of the balloons out of the batch held in it's other hand and offers it to bird with a flourish.

"For you."

"Th-thank you," they respond as their face flushes.

Bird takes the balloon, their hazel eyes looking at it for a moment. It's red, with the words "I ♡ Derry" printed on it. Lee's gaze returns to the clown, examining it's painted face and fiery hair, it's silver costume. IT's blue eyes watch bird with interest.

"Um... what's your name?" they ask softly.

The clown's smile widens, revealing it's buck teeth as it bounces back and forth in a mock dance. The bells on it's costume jingle with the motion as it responds in a singsong voice.

"I'm Pennywise the dancing clown. And you aaaaare..." Oh, it already knows their name. IT's known it for a long time. The same way it knows the name of everyone in Derry. It knows so much about Lee already. But it has to keep up the act for the time being. Play at being just another human, until the time is right to reveal itself.

"I'm Lee," bird responds with a small smile.

"Lee... Yes, Lee," Pennywise repeats their name with a nod of it's head and a giggle that has the human's face flushing even more.

Lee covers their mouth as bird smile widens. They can't help but find Pennywise cute, and it flusters them. They're not used to this feeling, at least not when it's directed at another person instead of a fictional character.

"So... how long have you lived in Derry, Pennywise?"

The clown's smile disappears, an intensity burning in it's eyes. For a brief moment, Lee swears that it's eyes shift from blue to a vibrant gold. But when bird blinks, Pennywise's eyes are blue again and it's smile has returned.

"Oh, I've lived in Derry for a very, very long time, Lee."

A silence descends between them, and IT's aware that bird is struggling to find something else to say. They're awkward at conversations, often finding birdself at a loss for what to say to keep a conversation going. They're twirling the balloon in their fingers, eyes flickering between the ground and Pennywise.

"Do you like the circus, Lee?" IT asks, seeing how their hazel eyes light up at the question.

"Yes," bird responds with an enthusiastic nod of their head. "I've always enjoyed going to the circus, since I was younger. I really like the aerial hoop performances." Bird hands flap slightly, the balloon bobbing with the movement.

Pennywise giggles again as it watches Lee, it's head shaking and causing the bells on it's costume to jingle as well. Bird finds this incredibly endearing, and they giggle softly.

"You're cute," bird blurts out unintentionally.

Lee immediately covers their mouth upon realizing they said that outloud, anxiety seeping through them. Pennywise's smile fades as the tantalizing scent of the human's anxiety stirs it's predatory instincts and desire to hunt, causing it's mouth to water. Drool drips past it's lips as it's fingers twitch, then it's shoulders. IT's holding itself back, but it's eyes shift from blue to gold and then back to blue once more.

"... Cute?"

IT wants to be upset. It's not cute. It is an Eater of Worlds. But Lee doesn't know this yet, and it needs them in order to escape both death and the cage. So it smiles and giggles again, watching as the human relaxes and smiles back at it shyly.

"Yeah..." Lee's cheeks are warm and they're once again at a loss for what to say. "I, um... I should probably head back home now, but... I'll see you around?"

A week ago, Lee had asked the cursed spirit if he had wanted to join bird on a trip to the museum this weekend and Mahito had agreed. Now, the two of them were making their way through the crowded streets as they headed for the National Museum of Nature and Science. The curse watched the human's soul trembling with unease due to the proximity of so many people around them, and he found himself feeling something strange. Was it protectiveness? He had never felt such a thing, and certainly not for a human, so he decided that it must be possessiveness. Lee was his special little pet, after all. He moved closer to bird, reaching out for their hand and taking hold of it. Their soul responded immediately to his touch, calming and glowing brighter for him as bird face flushed.

“There's so many of them, it's a bit annoying,” Mahito commented as he glanced through the crowds.

“I don't like large crowds either,” Lee said quietly as they squeezed his hand. The feathery touch of bird soul was somehow comforting to the cursed spirit.

Thankfully, the two of them reached the museum after only a few more minutes of navigating through the crowds. Even once inside, they still kept hold of the other's hand as they made their way around the various exhibits. They started with the sections for the nature and history of the Japanese islands, Lee getting excited when they came upon the exhibit of Mamenchisaurus, the first dinosaur that had been discovered in Japan. As they continued to make their way through the museum, they came to a section about different kinds of birds. This had prompted Lee to ramble on for a bit, confusing some of the other visitors who were unsure of who exactly bird was talking to as none of them could see the cursed spirit walking with them.

“Did you know that birds are dinosaurs?” Lee asked as they moved on to the next exhibit.

Mahito raised an eyebrow. “They are?” He saw bird soul flare even brighter as they smiled at him and he caught a glimpse of their snaggletooth peeking out from between bird lips. They had been avoiding smiling too wide all this time, he realized, in an effort to hide this feature. He couldn't understand why, as he thought it made them look even cuter.

“Birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs,” they told him. “They even found the DNA for long tails and teeth in chickens, indicating that their ancestors had those traits at one point. There are fossils depicting feathers on some dinosaurs... Birds are dinosaurs!”

The curse couldn't help but chuckle at their enthusiasm for this subject. He liked it when they explained things like this, the way bird looked so excited and practically bounced around, the enthusiasm in their voice. As Lee continued to ramble on, he found out that theropod dinosaurs had always been a special interest of birds and that they had a collection of theropod dinosaur figures at home. Some of their favorite movies were about dinosaurs. He was enjoying learning even more about them, and he felt a thrill of excitement at the way bird fingers laced with his own as they continued through the exhibits.

When they arrived at the exhibit for saurischian dinosaurs, bird launched into even more ramblings that had the cursed spirit grinning in delight. He listened with rapt attention as they told him about Bambiraptor, Microraptor, Herrerasaurus and Deinonychus without even glancing at the information panels. They told him the year each was first discovered, explained their names, and even went on to ramble about their possible hunting patterns, courtship rituals, and nesting behaviors.

“My personal favorite dinosaurs are the oviraptorids,” Lee mentioned as they finally left the exhibit. With their free hand, bird pulled out their phone and brought up images of an oviraptorosaurian to show Mahito. “This one is a Chirostenotes.”

The curse's gaze flickered to the phone screen, observing the images of the dinosaur that bird had mentioned. A moment later, they had tapped on a specific image and he noticed the longing in bird gaze along with a flickering in their soul.

“That's the kind of tail I should have,” Lee murmured.

The quiet comment caught Mahito's attention, and he tilted his head a little at the image on their phone screen again. This particular image depicted the dinosaur's tail as having a plume of feathers at the tip. “You want that kind of tail?”

“It's... the kind of tail that my soul knows I should have,” bird said softly before meeting his gaze. “I can feel it there behind me. Twitching in response to certain emotions, swaying with my movements. But, it's not actually there, and that's a travesty.”

“You'd look very pretty with a tail like that, it suits you,” Mahito admitted with a soft hum.

The cursed spirit considered the possibility of using Idle Transfiguration to give them such a tail, but at present there were too many risks to do so. Too many of his test subjects died soon after being transfigured, and he didn't want to risk that with Lee's beautiful soul. He would have to practice more before he considered altering bird soul in any way. But perhaps at some point, he would be able to give them the tail bird so desperately wanted.

“You... you think so?” Their face flushed as bird averted their eyes shyly, causing the curse to snicker quietly. Bird reactions were always so cute.

“Yes, I do.” He watched bird glance at him, face still flushed and their soul burning bright. “I am curious now, though. Do other humans experience these sorts of feelings?”

“Not all humans do, but some experience the feeling of phantom limbs like this. It could be the feeling of having a tail, or ears like a cat or dog, or wings. There's also the feeling of having feathers or fur, or the body being shaped differently. Such as feeling like limbs should be structured like a canid's, for example.”

“Interesting,” Mahito commented as he thought about it. Perhaps this might have something to do with the reason why Lee's soul looked different from that of other humans. It was a bit of a contradiction to the way he had been perceiving souls, that the body formed around the soul based on it's specifications. This information suggested that a soul could lack certain features that it otherwise should have, perhaps due to the constraints of the species the soul was born into. It gave him a lot to think about.

After they had left the museum behind, their hands had remained clasped together. Mahito enjoyed the contact, the feeling of Lee's soul brushing against his own, the fact that bird was now well aware of just how dangerous his touch could be but they still chose to let him touch them anyway. Did they trust him or was it that they simply didn't care if he decided to use Idle Transfiguration on bird?

“Lee-eeee,” he said suddenly in a singsong voice to get their attention. Bird had been lost in thought for a while, but now their hazel eyes glanced at him. He gave them a smirk. “I'd like to introduce you to my friends.”

Mahito had mentioned his cursed spirit friends several times since they had met, and Lee had been interested in meeting them, but it still surprised bird to hear him offer to introduce them.

“I'd like that.”

“You'll be at the park tomorrow to see Corvus, right?” Mahito had noticed the pattern, that Lee usually visited Corvus on Saturdays and Sundays, unless they had planned something with him as bird had today.

“Yeah.”