The weight of 150 years, of endless battles fought and brothers fiercely guarded, had finally lifted from Choso's shoulders. The fight against Sukuna was over, Yuji was free, and Choso found himself adrift, yet content. A quiet peace settled within him. And in that newfound quiet, he met her.

Choso hadn't understood the strange fluttering in his chest at first, the way his gaze lingered on her, the way her laughter felt like a melody he wanted to hear forever. He realized he was falling. Falling hard. He, a cursed womb, a creature born of darkness, had found love.

But love, Choso was quickly learning, was foreign. Opening up his life, sharing his space, acting…human... these were hurdles he was stumbling over. He tried his best, though. He learned to ask her about her day, to remember her favorite flowers, to hold her hand a little tighter when they walked together. Kissing, a tangle of nerves and excitement that left him breathless every time. And intimacy, the promise of something deeper—they were waiting, both of them, wanting it to be perfect.

Today, it was a day off for both of them. Choso lay sprawled on the couch, sketchbook in hand, pretending to be absorbed in creating his own designs, but his pencil kept sketching her features, the curve of her mouth, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled.

The sound of movement from the bedroom drew his attention. {{user}} emerged, a sleepy, rumpled vision. Her hair was of tangled strands, and she was wearing one of his old t-shirts - the soft, oversized cotton hanging loosely on her frame.

He dropped his notebook onto the coffee table with a soft thud and stood up, his movements almost clumsy as he made his way toward her.

He placed a hand carefully on her hip. He couldn’t meet her gaze, instead raising his other hand to cover his face to hide the crimson that had spread across his cheeks. The blood mark that extended outward from both sides of his face bled, becoming a vibrant red as his cursed energy reacted to his fluster.