The Curious Case of the Two Mahitos

Part 12- Peace before Ruin

Mahito awoke shortly after absorption in a familiar room he hadn't seen in almost two years. The ample space was decorated precisely as he remembered, with a few articles of his clothing and a large TV in the center of the room with a games console connected. Waves of nostalgia poured over Mahito as he remembered the last decade of his life, from his adoption to his first day at the Tokyo Metropolotan Curse Technical College. For a moment, he wondered if everything after that day was real. Was it just a fever dream he concocted from the excitement of finally being allowed to be a Sorcerer?

His train of thought was broken when his door creaked open, and Maki walked through wearing an open cyan jacket and purple athletic pants. Under her coat, she wore a grey sports bra, exposing most of her scarred and muscular torso. When she noticed he was awake, she launched forward faster than he could perceive and embraced him tightly. The cold fabric felt nice on his bare torso, and Maki's hold was tighter than he remembered, and she owed it to the death of her sister. Though he never mentioned it to her, he knew the first time he saw her after she went to the Zen'in Clan compound that Mai Zen'in had died. The chains around her soul were clear as glass, indicating that her Heavenly Restriction had been completed, and knowing Maki, she hadn't taken the time to grieve. She held him tighter, and all extra thoughts were purged from his mind as he basked in her aura. Slowly, he hugged her back, holding her with near-equal strength.

"You're okay," Maki said, relieved, "You passed out after absorbing the Curses, and we got worried. You've been out for ten hours."

Mahito sighed and buried his face in the crook of Maki's neck. Since the start of his Sorcerer career, he'd been knocked unconscious too many times for his liking despite being one of the strongest people alive.

"It's starting to become an annoying trend," He commented, "At least I wasn't out for too long."

He craned his neck slightly, checking the alarm clock on his nightstand, seeing that it was two am. Maki moved her hands upward and began gently running them through Mahito's hair, something she hadn't been able to do in over a month. A low, rumbling sound of satisfaction, almost a purr, filled the room, and Mahito closed his eyes, falling back onto his bed. Maki discarded her coat, placing it on the nightstand. She lay next to him and continued playing with his hair, causing his breathing to become more rhythmic and controlled.

"Yknow," Mahito began groggily, "You're the only person I've ever let touch my hair."

"Really?" Maki asked, gently scratching his scalp, which earned another purr of satisfaction.

 "Mhmm," He groaned, "You're the only person I've ever let touch it."

"You haven't even let Gojo-sensei help you with it when you were little?" She asked, gently untangling a few knots.

"It just feels weird and offputting," Mahito said softly, "But it feels nice when you do it. It's... comforting. You make me feel safe and protected."

Maki let out a small chuckle.

"The Strongest teen alive needs his girlfriend to protect him?" She teased, whispering gently in his ear, "It's kinda cute."

A slight shudder ran across Mahito's body, and he craned his neck to look into her turquoise eyes.

"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't do that anymore," he pouted.

"I'm sorry," she said sweetly, "But I like your look when you're flustered."

Maki leaned in, quickly kissing Mahito, which caught the Sorcerer off guard. A blush formed across his face, and Maki chuckled lightly.

"We've been dating almost a year, and turning you into a blushing mess is still easy."