#i swear this sounds funnier in my head | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

starmapz · 11 days ago

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what you know - ch5: hero || r. sukuna

❦ ryomen sukuna x f!reader [college au] [ongoing series]

❝ you've heard his reputation and you've seen first-hand the way he's late to class if he even bothers to show up. paired with him for the most important project of the year, you choose to give him the benefit of the doubt- but maybe that's more than he deserves when your perfect grades depend on him, or maybe there's more to the aloof and irritable sukuna than meets the eye. ❞

❦ cw ; mdni, 18+ only. contains explicit sexual themes and content. use of alcohol. use of cannabis. use of nicotine/cigarettes. angst. hurt/no comfort. hurt/comfort. implied injury. family trauma. smut. reader has a vagina. slow burn. anxiety. tags will be updated as series continues.

❦ additional tags ; college parties and themes. sukuna ooc warning as this is a realistic take on modern sukuna. reader is fairly preppy and implied to be smaller than sukuna, but he's 6"11.

❦ words ; 12.2k.

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[email protected] - Tuesday, 10:44 PM Have lunch with us tomorrow!

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[email protected] - Tuesday, 11:03 PM Nope! :)

[email protected] - Tuesday, 11:05 PM lucky me

If there’s one thing you can say about your friendship with Sukuna, it’s that he’s a lot funnier than all the rumors surrounding him give him credit for.

That, and that you’ve gotten a lot better at checking your email.

Pulling into the parking lot nearest to the campus library, you put the car in park and turn to the passenger’s seat to grab your bag. When you turn back, a startlingly tall figure is trudging through the snow towards you, salmon hair poking out from his hood standing as a dead giveaway as to who it is.

Rolling down your window, you call out to him. “Sukuna?”

He jogs towards you at the sound of your voice, resting his forearms on the edge of your car where the window is lowered. A paper cup adorned in a local coffee shop logo in each of his hands grabs your attention as he dips his head into your car and, more importantly, right into your personal space. Your heart races at the close proximity, keeping your attention on the cups in his hands in an effort to keep your thoughts in order.

“Shit, it’s cold,” he grumbles. “I swear it was just fall.”

Don’t say it, don't say it, don't say it- “You could always light yourself on fire again.”

Sukuna’s face deadpans. “Play your games, brat. I’m more than happy to have your drink,” he sneers, ducking his head back out of his window and into the cold as he attempts to turn away.

“Wait wait wait!” You giggle, reaching out to tug him back into the window as you pull on his coat sleeve. He scowls at you, letting you pull him back into the heat of your car despite his grumpy demeanor.

“D’you want your drink or not?” He grumbles, holding one of the cups out a bit further.

Curiously, you take it from him, smiling as it warms your hands. Bringing the cup up to your lips, you cautiously take a sip, your tongue swiping your lips when you pull it back to look at it with a crease between your brow.

“How’d you know my exact order?” You ask, wracking your brain for if you had told him at some point.

“I’m just that good,” he smirks, taking a sip of his own drink that smells like the most caffeinated black coffee you’ve ever bore witness to.

You narrow your eyes suspiciously at him, but you’re not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, and Sukuna clearly isn’t about to let you in on his secret. With a soft sigh, you resign yourself to not knowing.

“Thanks, Kuna.”

He grunts in reply, taking another sip of his overpoweringly aromatic coffee.

“Are you gonna come study?” You query as you set your drink down in a cup holder to zip up your coat and pull your backpack up over your shoulder. Sukuna backs away from the door as you get out of your car and grab your drink.

“Nah, gotta turn in a paper.”

“See you at lunch, then?” You tilt your head to get a better view of Sukuna towering over you.

He grimaces, a muscle in his jaw tensing. “Suppose so.”

“Don’t sound so excited,” you tease.

“Can’t say I’m lookin’ forward to getting torn apart by your friends.” He takes a sip of his coffee, tucking his other hand into his pocket to fiddle with his lighter, though he’s careful not to start a fire this time.

“I’ll talk to them. It won’t be that bad,” you promise, giving him your best reassuring smile.

Sukuna pauses to examine your expression, his gaze flickering between your eyes and down to your smile. He knows you well enough to spot the crack in your facade, the barely-there flash of doubt in your eyes that tells him that your friends won’t forgive him so easily, but he owes you regardless, so he doesn’t have much of a choice at the end of the day but to trust you.

And trust you, he does. He’s not sure what it is about your calming presence and sunny demeanor, but you seem to pull the best from him and even in the turmoil that his life has become, he finds himself seeking that familiar warmth.

It’s for that reason that he’ll bear whatever it is that your friends deem a necessary punishment for him, even if it irks him.

He hums in reply, glancing down at his watch as he sets the thought aside. “Gotta go. Later,” he says abruptly as he turns to leave in usual Sukuna fashion.

“See you later, thanks for the drink!”

He casts a glance over his shoulder at you with a smirk before throwing his hood up over his head and trudging off into the snow. You follow suit, pulling your hood up with a shiver as the wind whips around you, reminding you just what season it is. Tucking your hands into your pockets, you jog towards the library and barge through the doors with as much poise as you can muster given the cold you’ve just run from.

Shoko’s head lifts from her book as you approach the table where she and Kento are hunched over their textbooks while Haibara is typing away on his laptop. With a huff, you take a seat across from Shoko and beside Kento.

“I can’t believe it got this cold and snowy so quickly,” you whisper, shivering as you toss your coat over the back of the chair.

“Welcome to winter,” Shoko sighs, fiddling with a coffee cup that matches your own.

“Oh!” Haibara looks up from his laptop with a pleased expression. “Good, you did get your drink!”

With a tilt of your head, you hold the paper cup out in front of you, glancing around the table as you realize all three of them have matching cups to yours.

“Yeah, um, Sukuna brought it for me,” you smile, bringing the cup towards your chest as if the thought makes you starstruck. Maybe it does, just a bit.

“I ran into him at the cafe. He actually came up and said hi, would you believe that? I mean, he just wanted your order, but I thought it was pretty nice for him.” Haibara beams, leaning back in his chair with a bright smile that you share. Kento and Shoko exchange a less enthusiastic glance, privy to information Haibara doesn’t have on your former project partner.

“That explains how he got my order right,” you giggle to yourself, pleased when Haibara laughs along with you. Maybe it’ll be good to have him at your side for lunch today to break the tension between Sukuna and your friends. “Oh yeah, he’s gonna join us for lunch.”

With Haibara sitting at the table, Kento and Shoko keep their mouths shut, but their displeasure doesn’t need to be voiced based on the frowns you receive.

“Can we talk, actually?” Shoko speaks up, pushing herself up from the table.

Your heart drops, but you nod, gingerly following as she leads you into the hall outside the library. It’s dead quiet, even more so than the library itself which was filled with the sounds of paper turning and pens scratching. Now, the silence seems to close in on you as your closest friend turns to you with an exasperated sigh.

“Listen girl, you know I love you.”

“That’s just about the worst start to this I could have hoped for,” you joke with a nervous laugh in hopes of lightening the mood.

Shoko smiles. “I promise it’s not that bad. I’m just worried and I won’t sit by with Kento and watch while Sukuna breaks your heart. Once is a mistake, but twice?”

The guilty look on your face causes her to sigh again, but before you can give her a better explanation, she continues.

“You’re too forgiving for your own good sometimes and I know you didn’t want to mention the kids to Kento, but can you at least tell me what his excuse was? I just want to make sure he isn’t taking advantage of you.”

You chew on your lip, knowing your explanation won’t help Sukuna’s case. “Well, he hasn’t exactly told me, but-”

“He hasn’t told you?” She parrots with a raised brow, rubbing her temple.

“Wait, wait, just listen!” You plead, grabbing her shoulders. “He told me there was an emergency with the kids and he doesn’t want me involved in it. I told him this is his last chance and he’s trying, Sho.”

She grimaces, the gears turning in her mind as she weighs her opinions on him based only on what you’ve told her. “You better have meant it when you told him this is his last chance,” she crosses her arms over her chest. “I know he’s got a lot on his plate but that doesn’t give him any excuse to treat you like you’re disposable.”

“I won’t let him,” you promise. “And he won’t,” you assure her. He hasn’t gained the entirety of your trust back, but you can see that he’s putting in a notable effort to earn it and you want so badly to believe that the Sukuna you’re getting to know will stick around.

In all honesty, you think the begrudgingly kind and thoughtful version of him you’re getting to know is the real Sukuna, beneath the layers of grumpiness and stress and anger that go hand-in-hand with that warmth that he seldom shows around others. Hardened by a life that’s been nothing but tough on him, you’re privy to another side of him. One that has a good time teasing and making jokes, who enjoys music, movies, and video games and has a love for art. Sure, he’s still got an attitude and a penchant for being easily annoyed (and annoying), but behind all those walls is a person that anyone would be happy to spend time with.

He just needs a little bit of help and some rest to show that side of himself, help that he has a hard time accepting over his pride.

With a deep sigh, Shoko resigns to your beseeching. “You really like him, huh?”

Your cheeks warm, unable to hide the smile that finds its way to your lips, although you don’t respond. She has her answer in the form of your giddy smile as you shuffle from one foot to the other.

“I’ve never seen you like this before. The heart wants what it wants, I guess.”

“So you’ll give him a chance at lunch today?” You plead, squeezing her shoulders lightly.

She takes a moment to consider your words before dramatically rolling her eyes as she pulls you in for a hug. “One wrong move and I’m whooping his ass.”

“I won’t stop you, promise.”

She pulls back and begins heading back to the library. “He’s been helping you with History, right? Can we go over that? I’m so behind,” she whispers as she crosses into the library. The sound of pages turning and pencils scribbling is a relief in comparison to the silence of the empty reading week halls.

“Sounds good!”

–

With a shiver, you brush the snow from your jacket as you make your way into the lunch hall, unzipping it as you’re met with warm air. There’s a few more students around than there has been the last few days, likely the result of the power going out in some of the dorms from the whispers you’d been hearing.

Making your way to your usual table, you pull out some leftovers from a couple of nights ago and make your way to the microwave.

When you return to your seat, the table has gained an air of awkwardness that you suppose you were expecting, and Sukuna is seated to the right of your chair. Haibara seems to be doing what he can to mediate the table and Shoko’s half-hearted replies are better than nothing, at the very least. Kento seems less than pleased, but he’s entertaining Haibara if nothing else.

“Hey!” You beam at Sukuna. His gaze flickers up to you and he nods in reply. The rest of the table seems to relax at your arrival, but the tension remains palpable. Tough crowd.

Taking a seat beside Sukuna, you turn to him as Shoko and Haibara talk about something they watched the night before, entertaining Kento with the drama of it all. “How did turning in your paper go?” You ask the tattooed man who’s leaning against his knuckles, propped up by his elbow on the table.

He yawns before he replies. “Fine. Should get a good grade,” he shrugs nonchalantly.

“I’m glad,” you smile, taking a bite of your lunch. “Did you bring anything to eat?”

“Yeah, leftovers from last night.” With a grunt, he leans down to his bag as though it took a nominal amount of effort, pulling a container from his bag. Setting the container down, he sighs heavily.

With a sympathetic smile, you lower your voice. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” he mumbles, rubbing a hand over his face as he glances around the table to make sure no one’s listening. “Cho’s been having nightmares and it’s catchin’ up with me.”

“Aww,” you pout. “Poor kid.”

“He’ll be alright,” Sukuna assures you, or at least you think he’s assuring you. “They both will.”

You purse your lips, examining the distance in his sunken eyes. You may be sitting beside him, but there’s a strange feeling that you’re watching him from outside, as though there’s a barrier of glass between you. Before you can question him any further, he changes the subject.

“How’s studying for History goin’?” He casts a glance at Shoko, just long enough to catch her eye and invite her into the conversation. It’s small, but it is a noticeable effort from Sukuna to include her.

“We were just going through it, actually. I feel way better about that final already,” you smile, eyes bright as you exchange a glance with Shoko.

Her cautious gaze softens and she nods in agreement. “Yeah. Thanks for the help.”

“Mm.” Sukuna hums, turning towards you with a smirk. “So if I ask about the Berlin Blockade-”

“Oh no,” you groan.

“- you can tell me how many air corridors the Soviets granted for cargo and trades and where they were granted to?”

Sukuna’s pretty sure he sees your eyes glaze over in dread and confusion from just one question, as though your confidence has fizzled out. He chuckles, amused.

“One question at a time. D’ya remember how many air corridors there were?”

You sigh. “This isn’t what I was hoping for when I invited you for lunch,” you grumble as you pull your history textbook out. “Three. There were three.”

“Good. Where were they granted to?”

“Um…” you take a deep breath, wracking your brain for information. “Frankfurt.”

“Mhm.”

“Hamburg.”

“Good.”

You chew on your lip, peering over at him with a blank stare that tells him you haven’t the faintest clue.

“Open your textbook,” he instructs.

You flip to the chapter about the Cold War, searching for information about the Berlin Blockade. Your eyes scan the pages and eventually come across all three locations. “Bückeberg.”

“Good. Who was the foreign minister at the time?”

The look you shoot Sukuna is too cute. You look completely and utterly lost, immediately searching your textbook. “Vyacheslav Molotov,” you reply after a moment, pointing at a black and gray photo of a man.

“Yes,” Sukuna agrees, reaching for your hand. His fingers are rough and calloused when he wraps them around yours, moving your hand an inch to the left to a different photo. “But you pointed at Stalin.”

“O- oh.” You tear your gaze from his much larger hand wrapped around yours to the two photos, using every shred of willpower you can muster to commit the photos to memory. Whether it’s because you’re burnt out on studying, or because the size of Sukuna’s hand is sending your mind reeling to places you’re not willing to admit aloud, your heart is pounding and you can only pray Sukuna’s fingers aren’t low enough on your wrist to feel your pulse. “My bad,” you barely manage to whisper.

Sukuna pulls his hand back, laying it next to yours on the table. “You were close,” he shrugs, not thinking much of it.

With a sharp intake of breath to clear your head, you pull your notebook aside and write down the answers you missed. “I should know this by now,” you mutter more to yourself than anyone else. Barely audibly, you tack on, “we’ve studied so much.”

Sukuna arches a brow, thoughtfully looking down at you. “It’s not a big deal. You actually know the history itself well, you’re just bad with names, dates, and faces.”

With pursed lips, you give him your attention, considering his words for a moment.

“What’s the reason for the Berlin Blockade?” He quizzes.

“To weaken Germany,” you reply without a moment’s thought.

He smirks, nudging your shoulder and keeping in close proximity with you. “See, you’re fine. That’s why I’ve been quizzin’ you on the more important shit.”

“I guess you’re right. Won’t there be a lot of names on the test though?”

“Nah. It’s like a seventy-thirty split,” he shrugs.

“Thirty’s a lot,” you mumble, your face falling at the thought of getting a seventy, and that’s only if you get a perfect score across every other question.

“Seventy is a lot,” he corrects, a playful smirk slathered across his lips. “Or are you a princess about your grades?” He teases as his lips turn up into a grin.

You force a smile, entertaining his teasing. “I know you’re right, but-” you pause, looking up into those striking crimson irises. He’s so close to you and regards you with so much mirth that your breath unintentionally hitches in your throat. “- um,” you continue shakily, “I could lose my scholarship if my grades aren’t good enough.”

Sukuna’s eyes briefly widen. “You’re on a scholarship?”

“Yeah, I need higher than a seventy on this final.”

He lets out a long breath through his nose. “Alright then, princess. We’ll aim higher.”

Did your mouth just go dry from one word? God are you really in that deep?

“Thanks, Kuna.” You nudge him back, earning you another entirely too handsome grin.

“Mm.” His grin falters at the nickname, but he forces down his disdain for it.

You’re so caught up in your conversation with Sukuna, that you don’t see Haibara kick Kento and Shoko from under the table and direct their attention to your interactions with Sukuna. Even stoic Kento who was beyond pissed with Sukuna can’t deny that the sight could weaken even the hardest resolve against the man.

–

“I don’t WANNA!”

You lower your fist from Sukuna’s door the following night, pausing at the chaos from within his apartment. The anger and frustration just beyond the door is practically bursting out into the hall and you’re sure the moment it opens, it’ll metaphorically slap you in the face. Taking in a sharp breath, you raise your hand again.

“I won’t ask again,” comes Sukuna’s raised voice, straining to keep his anger down.

… And now you can hear sobbing.

You softly tap your knuckles against the door, half expecting to need to wait for someone to let you in but Sukuna swings the door open immediately. It slams shut behind you once you’ve cleared the entryway and the scene inside is equally as ugly as it sounds.

Choso is nowhere to be seen, Yuji is in tears and Sukuna is about to blow a gasket.

Oh boy.

“What’s- um-” You pause, debating whether you should even ask. “- Going on?” You question mousily.

“Go on brat, what’s going on?” Sukuna hisses, his chest rising and falling as fury courses through his veins.

Yuji’s too busy sobbing to reply, shaking his head adamantly as he wipes at his face, snot running down his chin.

“Fucking christ,” Sukuna mutters, exasperated. He runs a hand through his pink hair, turning on his heel away from the scene in an effort to keep calm. Whatever patience he’d had for this had run dry during their walk home from school and with the mess his life had become, he was already worn extremely thin.

As Yuji continues to bawl and Sukuna leans over the kitchen counter gathering himself, you decide to step in.

You make your way across the living room to Yuji, kneeling down in front of him. “Hey, sweetheart.” Your voice is gentle and you offer a sympathetic smile. “Everything’s alright, don’t cry,” you soothe as you reach out and gently rub the sides of his arms. “Do you want a hug?”

Yuji nods adamantly, hiccuping through the tears as he reaches out for you. You pull him in for a tight hug, rubbing his back reassuringly. Sure to keep your voice soft and gentle, you give him a moment before speaking up.

“What happened, Yu?”

“K-Kuna’s-” sniffle. “- he’s m-making me get a-” Yuji’s voice breaks as the tears set in again. “A-” hiccup. “- needleeeeee.” He sobs into your shoulder, burying his face into your neck. You let out a breath at the realization that it’s just an argument that’s been blown completely out of proportion. Life was so much easier when the hardest thing you had to endure was vaccinations.

“I’m sorry honey,” you coo, continuing to rub his back. You let him sob into your shoulder before pulling back to look at him. At the sight of your face, so gentle and calm, he starts to sniffle more and less tears flow down his cheeks. “There you go,” you smile, noticing now that there’s a very crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

Yuji wipes his face on his arm, his breath coming in short gasps as he slowly calms down.

“Can I see that?” You ask, holding your hand out.

“No,” he whines, holding it behind his back.

“Alright,” you smile again, deciding it’s best to reason with him.

You cast a glance back to Sukuna. His palms are splayed on the counter as he leans his weight over the surface, staring down at it. All of his muscles are tense as his back rises and falls steadily with each breath he uses to calm his own anger. They really are two sides of the same coin.

“Is your school doing vaccinations?”

Yuji nods.

“Is that your permission form?”

He shakes his head.

“Are you lying?”

He hesitates before nodding. You have to stifle a laugh at his completely shameless lie, your smile lopsided.

“Can we talk it through?” You ask, sitting cross-legged before Yuji.

He blinks a few times as he considers your question before plopping himself down on the floor in front of you. He glances down at the way you’re seated, following suit and setting his permission form juuust out of reach. Sneaky kid.

“Are you scared of needles?”

Yuji’s silent, thinking for a moment before he decidedly nods.

“Okay, that’s normal. Are you afraid it’ll hurt?” You query, tilting your head at him.

“It will,” he replies with an edge of certainty, sniffling.

“Maybe for a moment, but do you know what the needle’s for?”

“Um-” he wipes under his eyes, his face scrunching up in deep thought. “- no.”

“It’s so that you don’t get sick. Do you remember being sick the other week, sweetheart?”

“... yeah.” He continues to sniffle and wipe at his face, looking up at you between each movement as he waits for you to continue.

“Well, there’s sicknesses that are a lot worse than that, and your brother doesn’t want you to get them,” you explain, glancing back at the sound of Sukuna shuffling. He pushes himself up from the counter, listening as intently as Yuji is as he makes his way a short distance behind you. His disgruntled expression trains on the sight of you sitting alongside his little brother, but he’s silent. “Don’t you think it’s worth it to get poked for a moment and not get one of those sicknesses?”

Yuji’s gaze flickers between you and his older brother towering over both of you as he thinks about it. You give him all the time he needs, even as Sukuna’s foot begins tapping impatiently. He’s an adult, he can wait. “I guess,” Yuji finally agrees, averting his gaze.

“Do you think you can be brave for me and get a needle, then?” You ask, your gentle smile remaining in place the whole time.

It takes a moment, but Yuji nods.

“Can I have that paper, Yu?”

He gingerly reaches behind him and passes you the crumpled paper. Tilting your head up to Sukuna, you pass it up to him. He walks over to the table, signs it, and returns it to Yuji.

“You better give this to your teacher,” he growls as he hands it back to Yuji. The little boy frowns, staring down at the ground in shame as he sniffles. Tears threaten his eyes again and you sigh.

“Sukuna, please,” your tone is soft with him as well, pleading for understanding between the two.

A muscle in his jaw tightens as his frustrated gaze zeros in on you, but he second-guesses whatever snappy words are about to spill from his lips, choosing instead to keep his mouth shut. His lips press into a thin line, furiously glaring at you and Yuji.

“Can you promise your brother, sweetheart?”

He’s still quietly sniffling as he nods, unable to look either of you in the eye. You let out a soft sigh, rubbing at the crease between your brows. At least they’d come to some kind of peace, even if Sukuna is audibly huffing behind you while Yuji sniffles.

Pushing yourself to your feet, you offer a hand to Yuji, who takes it and lets you drag (yes, drag) him back up to his feet, quietly fiddling with the hem of his Sonic the Hedgehog shirt.

With a glance at Sukuna, clad in a plain white V-neck and sweatpants, you catch a glimpse of his tattoos and an idea pops into your mind. “You know, Yuji, your brother is super brave.”

The little boy’s head tilts in a silent question, just as Sukuna is looking at you with arms crossed over his chest. You take a step towards the older of the two brothers, avoiding his gaze to conceal your racing heart. Gingerly, you reach for his wrist and tug lightly on it. His lip twitches in a frown as he stays soundly in place, relenting finally when you tilt your head.

Fuck, it’s cute when you do that.

He lets you pull his wrist down towards Yuji, his expression unchanging as you point out his tattoos. “Your brother got thousands of needles for his tattoos, did you know that?” Your thumb rubs circles into Sukuna’s skin and he wonders if you know you’re doing it at all, his full attention trained on the action. Whether consciously or not, you seem to be trying to soothe him, and the fact that it’s working only further complicates the feelings bubbling in Sukuna’s chest.

Yuji peers up nervously with reddened eyes and puffy cheeks at his older brother. “Really?” He rasps quietly, his voice strained from crying.

“That’s right,” you grin. “Can you be brave like your brother?”

Yuji reaches out and presses a finger to Sukuna’s wrist, as if feeling for raised skin, only to find it’s smooth. “Like Kuna,” he nods in agreement, showing you the saddest smile you’ve ever seen through his tear-stained face.

“Like Kuna,” you agree, rustling the little boy’s salmon hair. He smiles more happily now, running off with his permission slip to slide it into his backpack.

Sukuna lets out a long breath as you drop his wrist. “Fuck,” he mutters.

“Need to cry it out in my arms, too?” You tease with a grin.

“Don’t push your luck, woman.” Even as he rolls his eyes at you, you catch the short exhale of breath from his nose reminiscent of a laugh.

“The offer stands,” you shrug cheekily, heading over to the table to set your bag down. You pull your history textbook out, alongside your notebook and some cue cards you prepared after submitting your paper last night. You skimmed through your textbook to put together cue cards with names, dates, and locations and their relations to historic events after Sukuna had pointed out that you seem to have the rest of the subject down.

Setting everything across the table, you peer over your shoulder at Sukuna’s distant gaze. You’ve seen this expression on him before, a forlorn glaze over his eyes as though he’s not present, completely lost in thought.

“Are you okay?”

Sukuna blinks twice, coming back to the present. A knot forms between his brows, as though he’s offended you might suggest he isn’t. “‘M fine.”

He’s lying, but you have no right to the truth, so you accept it with a nod.

No longer distracted, he runs a hand through his spiked hair, pushing a few loose strands back off of his forehead. His attention returns fully to you, though with a glance down at your white blouse, he wrinkles his nose.

“What?” You ask, looking down only to find yourself mirroring his expression. “Oh.”

Your blouse is a downright mess of snot and tears and while the tears will dry… well the same can’t be said for the snot. You frown, heading to the sink to wet a washcloth.

“Don’t bother,” Sukuna grumbles, striding into a room down the hall that you assume is his. He re-emerges a moment later with the first shirt he could find that doesn’t have the sleeves cut off. You reach out for the material as he tosses it to you.

“Thanks,” you smile, a faint heat rising to your cheeks at the prospect of wearing his shirt. Ducking away quickly to the washroom, you pull your blouse over your head and replace it with the black T-shirt, looking down at the material flowing over your body and thighs. You can’t help but giggle at the sight while Sukuna’s scent invades your senses, a comforting smokey and woodsy smell that makes you dizzy.

Straightening the shirt over your body, you nod to yourself in the mirror before re-emerging into the main living space. You can make out Sukuna’s form leaning over the balcony railing with no jacket on, even in the freezing weather. He catches a glimpse of you from the corner of his eye, taking a long final drag from his cigarette before he stubs it out in an ashtray and steps back inside.

“I think it’s a little big on me,” you giggle in reference to the shirt, cheeks remaining warm as you gingerly link your hands behind your back, rocking forward and back on your heel.

The tattooed man’s eyes trail the length of your body, the red of his irises disappearing as he does so. You cross your arms over yourself, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his sharp gaze.

He clears his throat, running his tongue over his lower lip. “Yeah, well. I’m six foot eleven, and you’re fuckin’ short.” He averts his gaze, willing his dick not to react right now. He’s already well aware of his attraction to you, and he’s sure that if he just found the time to get laid he could bury that feeling. What’s more important is that he considers you to be someone genuinely important in his life, regardless of the fact that he can’t give you a label. He’s not about to jeopardize whatever he has with you because of how hot you are and how much his dick is well aware of it.

He’s seen the looks you give him, too. Every hitch of your breath, every nervous glance away from him. He knows there’s a mutual attraction between you, but it’s one that no matter how much his sex drive seems to disagree, he knows he can’t pursue. There’s more to your connection than sex, and one night isn’t worth the effort he’s put into fixing things with you.

He can’t put a name to that connection, but he values it regardless.

“Type… O Negative?” You interrupt Sukuna’s thoughts, reading the bold green logo on the shirt as your eyes trace the heart monitor logo in matching green beneath the text. Most of the band shirts he wears have logos with the most bizarre font they’re nearly unreadable, so you can’t help but wonder if this is even a band at all. Meeting his gaze again, you tilt your head.

Sukuna’s cock twitches in his sweats. Shit, he should have worn jeans. He coughs into his elbow, leaning back against the table in an effort to hide his growing need. “They’re a band.”

“Oh, cool!” You smile, your eyes crinkling at the corners.

Getting up suddenly, Sukuna mutters something about needing to get ready for work and saunters off, leaving you standing by the table alone. You shrug it off, attempting to roll up the sleeves of the shirt and tuck it into the waistband of your leggings as best as you can in the hopes of making yourself look less like you’re in pajamas. Once you’re satisfied with the best look you think you can pull off, you take a seat at the table and begin putting together your cue cards.

Throwing yourself into your studies, you begin going through your cue cards in silence until Sukuna returns a short while later. The locks over his forehead are damp and he’s in a clean set of navy coveralls when he sits at the table beside you.

“What leaders made an effort to end the Cold War?” He quizzes, leaning over the table without so much as a glance at your cue cards.

“Reagan!”

“And?”

“Um- Gorbachev…?”

“Atta girl,” Sukuna smirks, giving your shoulder a light shove as your eyes light up, cheeks noticeably warm.

“Thank god I’m getting somewhere with all this studying,” you chuckle to yourself, straightening your cue cards. “I’m so burnt out on schoolwork,” you sigh, dropping the cards to the table.

“Why not take a break then?” Sukuna asks through a yawn.

“I can’t,” you frown, offering no further explanation. His brow arches questioningly. “I still need your help.”

His eyes flicker between yours, before dropping to your cue cards. “No ya don’t. You know the material and you’ve got cue cards for the shit you don’t remember. You’re set.”

You follow his gaze to the colorful cards with your handwriting scrawled over them in black ink. “You think so?”

“‘Course. You’re smarter than I am.”

The burly man leans forward over the table on his palm, yawning as silence sets in while you glance over your study materials. It doesn’t take long before you realize he’s in a trance, staring blankly straight ahead with a familiar distant expression.

Frowning, you have to resist the urge to reach out and pull him towards you. Maybe it’s because you’ve spent so much time with his brothers, but something about the idea of pulling him into a comforting hug feels right.

As though your body is actively working against you, your hand instinctively reaches for him. Sukuna’s gaze reflexively locks onto your hand that rests on his bicep, rubbing his tensed arm. A muscle works in his jaw as his irises flit up to you, something unreadable gleaming in his intense stare.

At the realization that you did reach out after all, you hesitantly pull back, somewhat surprised he didn’t smack your hand away in irritation. “Sorry, I…” But you have no excuse, so you trail off, awaiting his reaction.

Sukuna makes a show out of rolling his eyes, using his free hand to pull your hand back down to his bicep before leaning forward over the table and resting his chin over his elbow. He yawns again, his muscles slowly relaxing beneath your hand. You smile softly as Sukuna accepts your comfort, accepts you, and simply enjoy the comfortable silence while you use your spare hand to go through your cue cards.

His eyes are heavy as he stares blankly out the window opposite the table, the lull of sleep threatening to pull him under. As much as Sukuna hates to admit it, there’s little more tempting as of late than simply sleeping through his problems, and his mind goes blank as he eventually gives in to the temptation.

Sukuna’s breathing steadies beneath your hand, and you count your blessings that you’ve watched the kids during this shift before and you know that he has twenty minutes before he needs to leave. It might be the first time you’ve seen Sukuna completely relaxed, his jaw slack and shoulders loose. Pink strands of hair fall over his forehead, his lips only slightly parted as he breathes softly.

You gently rub circles into his arm, smiling softly at just how comfortable he’s grown with you. It touches you to see him able to simply be around you in such a way. Although you’d be lying to say you don’t want more than what you have with him, you’re grateful you have anything at all given his icy disposition. You’ve come a long way from the one-word answers and constant frustration.

Even if it’s always under the guise of an equivalent exchange, you’re glad he allows you to help him. Ever since you’ve been watching his little brothers more, he doesn’t seem as tired all the time (not that this particular moment proves that point), and you’re seeing more and more glimpses of the side of him most don’t get to see.

Your heart does a flip as his muscles twitch in his sleep beneath your fingers. He’s always trusted you on a relatively surface-level given that he lets you watch his brothers, but falling asleep under your touch is a surprising level of intimacy and reliance.

It’s a shame that twenty minutes passes so fast as you squeeze his arm in an effort to wake him.

“Stop,” he grumbles, swatting your hand away. Well, the peace can’t last forever you suppose. You give him another shake, which he certainly doesn’t appreciate. “What’d I just fuckin’ say?”

“You have work soon, Sukuna,” you giggle, giving him another shove. He cracks an eye open, his brow pulled down in a grumpy frown. He lifts his head slowly, squinting groggily at you with the imprint of the fabric of his coveralls on his cheek. You have to suppress another giggle at the disheveled glower being thrown at you.

“Fuck me,” he grumbles, rolling his shoulders before he pushes himself up from the table. He pushes his hair from his forehead and saunters around the apartment as he gathers what he needs before throwing on his coat.

“Oh, hey, where’s Choso?” You query as Sukuna fiddles with his keys.

He shrugs. “In his room, probably. He doesn’t like when Yuji cries.”

That makes sense from what you know of the middle sibling.

“Oh. He has homework due, can you make sure he does it?” Sukuna asks as he opens the front door. You nod. “I owe you one.”

Never a thank you with Sukuna, always him owing you.

“See you later, Kuna!”

The door shuts behind him and you let out a sigh, going to check on the two young boys. You knock on the door that’s slightly ajar, poking your head into their room when Yuji tells you to come in. There’s a mess of colored threads, strings, and beads strewn over a desk that they’re both crowded around, while Choso’s homework is buried beneath the mess of craft supplies.

Yuji hops off the chair and opens the door wider for you. Grinning, you let him tug you over to their table. Standing behind them both, you peer at what looks like a pile of (attempted) bead lizards with feet that don’t quite make sense.

“How are you both doing?” You figure after the tension when you walked into the apartment, they could probably use the opportunity to do a mental check-in with you. It’s not like Sukuna would be up for it, so you may as well try with his brothers.

“I’m sorry,” Yuji says as he fiddles with thread, not looking up from the very important lopsided lizard in his tiny hands. His tongue pokes out from the side of his mouth as he focuses on his craft.

“I know Yu, Kuna just has a lot going on right now. It’s okay,” you rub his back gently before turning your attention to his brother, “Choso?”

The dark-haired brother chews on his lip as he slides beads onto a thread. “I’m okay. I don’t like when they fight.” Deep in thought, his movements pause before he pulls two threads tight to keep the beads from falling off and sets a purple lizard head on the desk. “Um- I found this.”

He shoves some stray threads aside and hands you a familiar corner of paper addressed to his older brother adorned with a law firm logo. “I saw this,” you tell Choso, rounding the table to his side in an attempt to keep his brother from being involved. It’s not like he’s old enough to understand either way. “Do you know anything about it?”

He shakes his head.

“Me either,” you tell him. “If your brother wants to tell me, then he will. I’m sure everything’s okay,” you reassure despite not being so sure yourself. Sukuna is strong-willed, smart, and beyond capable. Most could never manage what he’s pulling off, but a lawsuit is another issue entirely. Sukuna’s got a mouth on him and a penchant for fighting if the rumors are true, so you can only imagine what trouble he’s gotten himself into.

Choso picks his lizard back up, sliding three purple beads onto one side of the string. “Okay.” He threads the other side back through the beads and pulls the string tight to keep them in place. “I trust you.”

You smile, ruffling his hair. “Do you need help with the feet?” You ask with a glance at the lizards with lopsided and mismatched feet.

“Please!”

“Yes!”

You can worry about Choso’s homework in a bit. For now, you think both kids could use some time relaxing and doing some crafts as you pull up a chair.

–

Sukuna drags a hand down his face as he enters his apartment to the sound of two kids who are still very awake. Excited screams fill the apartment, alongside your saccharine voice that he can only assume is attempting to corral the kids based on your stern tone.

Dropping his keys on the table at the door, he kicks his boots to the side and shrugs his coat off, ready for a shower and dead silence alone in his room more than anything. He trudges tiredly towards the washroom, his lips twitching into a frown as Yuji goes bolting past him, followed closely by Choso.

“Go to bed, brats!” He hisses, his voice gruff with irritation as he makes his way to the washroom.

You barely manage to see the door closing behind your friend as you trail after the two boys, who’ve been balls of energy all night since Choso finished his homework. It’s sweet, of course, but your burnt out mind wasn’t prepared for them to have this much energy when you agreed to watch them.

As both boys turn and come barreling past you, you barely manage to catch Yuji and hoist him up into your arms, effectively stopping their game of tag.

“Nooooooooo!!” Yuji cries out between excited giggles. Choso skids to a halt in front of you with a disappointed frown.

“Come on, kiddos. You have school tomorrow, it’s bedtime.”

You’re met with a chorus of whines and sighs as you carry Yuji to their room. Choso trails close behind, pouting as you instruct them to get ready for bed. You help Yuji with pulling his hoodie over his head and choosing a pair of pajamas before giving them time to finish getting ready.

Yuji bursts from the door in a fit of giggles, running towards the cracked door of Sukuna’s room. “Yuji, come on it’s bedti-” you call after him as you follow him through the cracked door, eyes widening at the sight of Sukuna shirtless, his hair damp and hanging over his forehead. He must have finished his shower while you were trying to get his brothers to calm down. He shoots both of you an irritated snarl, his lip curled in frustration. “Sorry!” You squeak out, corralling Yuji out the door before Sukuna can bark out an order to get out of his room.

Your heart pounds, mind distant as you manage to get both kids into bed and read them Green Eggs and Ham. Once they’ve settled and you’re certain they’ll get some rest, you’re able to leave their room with a sigh, heading back to the main living space of the apartment, but Sukuna doesn’t seem to have made his way out of his room yet.

He doesn’t seem to be in the greatest mood and you consider taking your leave without a word, but figure that’s probably more rude than simply knocking on his door. Deciding to do exactly that, you make your way over to his bedroom and lightly tap his door with your knuckles.

“Come in.”

You push the door open, standing stiffly just within the frame. His room is decorated fairly dark with blacks, grays, and reds, only the dim light of a single lamp illuminating the room enough to be seen. There’s a desk pushed to one end of the room covered in workout gear, books, and various art supplies and a pile of clothes tossed over the desk chair, while his wardrobe off to the right is covered in hygiene supplies with only a single photo that you can’t make out in the relative dark. The light from his bedside lamp hardly illuminates the posters and art on his walls, which seem to be a variety of band posters, horror film posters, and his own art. There’s a drafting table opposite his wardrobe absolutely plastered in art supplies as well, with charcoal smeared over the wood.

“You just gonna stand there lookin’ like a fish outta water?” Sukuna asks from where he’s leaning against the headboard of his bed in the center of the room. His nose is buried in his laptop, the dull glow lighting up his features. Crimson irises gleam like deep drops of blood as you round the room, taking a look around as you realize he is genuinely inviting you in. As you step towards his wardrobe, your eyes train on the photo that you can now make out in the dim light.

There’s an older man with hair that matches Yuji and Sukuna’s standing to one side of the photo. Toddler Yuji is sound asleep with his head on the man’s shoulder, with Choso in the center in a graduation cap. You assume it must be an elementary school graduation or something of the sort. Sukuna stands much taller than everyone else in the photo at the back with a mild expression. He’s noticeably taller, with no facial tattoos although you can faintly make out his neck tattoos.

In the corner of the image, there’s a piece missing, and you can see that at one point there was a woman in the side of the photo, her dress visible behind Choso. Her face has been cut out of the photo and you can’t make out a single feature aside from the end of her hair. It looks fairly similar to Choso’s, long and dark. You figure this must be their parents, and Sukuna isn’t fond of his mother.

“He was a lot better with them.” You glance back at Sukuna as he shuts his laptop, setting it on his bedside table. It’s then that you realize he’s still shirtless, your gaze falling way too obviously down to his sculpted abdomen. He looks like a goddamn sculpture by Michaelangelo himself, made by a god in his craft. The peaks and valleys of his abs could make even the strongest person’s mouth water and you would be lying if you said it wasn’t a great effort to tear your gaze from his abs. Now’s not the time. Swallowing hard, you find his eyes.

Sukuna would usually smirk, finding amusement in your inability to keep your eyes on his face, but the can of worms he’s just opened isn’t one he approaches lightly. He’s willingly offering up a piece of his vulnerability to you, leaving the ball in your court.

“That’s your dad?” You ask, turning to look at the photo again.

“Mhm. He put in a lotta when their mom left to work in another country.”

“Their mom? You’re half-brothers, then?” You carefully approach the bed, taking a seat gingerly at the side.

“Yeah. Our dad sure knew how to pick ‘em.” There’s a story there for sure, but he’s already moving on before you can pry. “He knew how to handle the brats. They were happy.”

You slide further onto the bed, leaning against the headboard beside him. “They’re happy with you too, Sukuna.”

His eyes slowly slide down from the ceiling to meet your gaze. He contemplates your words for a moment, a forlorn sigh parting his lips. “It ain’t the same.”

You shuffle to face him, sitting cross-legged as you will your eyes to stay on his face. “Sukuna, you’re good with them. You care and you’re trying, that’s what matters.”

He scoffs, shaking his head. “Good with them, my ass.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “You saw what happened earlier. Choso was afraid of me n’ Yuji was cryin’.” He drags his hand down his face. “Shit’s a disaster here. I’m never even home to look after ‘em.”

You blink as he airs his grievances with the world, with himself. “You’re joking, right?”

Sukuna’s head lolls dramatically towards you, face tense with frustration. “Do I look like I am, princess?”

A shiver runs up your spine but you keep your eyes (and mind) straight on his face. “Seriously, you are good with them. You’re allowed to be frustrated, just like Yuji’s allowed to be afraid. He’s a kid, he’s gonna make a big deal out of little things.” You offer a sympathetic smile. “And Choso’s not afraid of you. He’s worried about you.”

“Worried about what?” Sukuna’s face scrunches in confusion. “The fuck is a twelve-year-old doin’ worrying about me?”

You giggle at his brutish expression, diffusing his frustration. He blows a breath out through his lips, running a hand through his hair that’s gradually drying as you speak. The silence that envelops the both of you is calm, the lamp providing an air of warmth as you work through Sukuna’s worries. The soft orange glow of the bulb illuminates his features in such a handsome manner that it’s hard to sit next to him without stray thoughts.

“Choso may only be twelve, but he’s smart. He knows something’s off. We both do.”

His eyes shoot up, his stare intensifying. “Nothing’s off,” he growls sternly, as if trying to convince himself.

“So Yuji gets his lying habits from you, huh?” You tease, keeping your voice soft as you prod at his thigh.

“I’m not lying, fuck off with that,” he grouses, swatting your hand away. You quietly giggle to yourself again, paying no mind to his pointed stare.

“Was your dad this stubborn too?”

You’re not shocked that Sukuna’s response to your teasing is to roll his eyes, but he still entertains a response. “No. He was a teacher, he had the patience of a god.”

“That’s right, he was a history teacher, wasn’t he?”

“Mm.”

“Was he an artist too?”

“No. That’s all me.”

You slide up the bed, inching somewhat closer to him again as you lean back against the headrest, looking around the room at the art above his drafting table. “You’re a great artist, Kuna.”

He hums, following your gaze to the wall where he’s plastered anatomy practice and art of faceless figures. He doesn’t get much time to work on any art these days, but given the opportunity, he would certainly do it more.

His gaze drifts to your face, so calm and inquisitive in spite of his frosty and rough edges. You hardly seem bothered by anything he throws your way, accepting his relative rudeness in stride and he’s not sure he deserves that kindness. No, he knows he doesn’t. Still, sitting here with you, bathed in the soft light of his lamp, he finds himself seeking the comfort of your voice, so soft and understanding as you offer him genuine advice and listen to his gripes without belittling him.

You come from a world so obviously different from his, yet you never seem to see him as anything less than what he is. Hell, you see him as something more than he sees in himself, as much as he hates to admit it. Maybe that’s why he finds himself drawn to you. Maybe that’s why your absence caused him so much trouble.

In truth, he’s not so sure anymore.

There’s a lot he’s not so sure about anymore.

He basks in the silence, sighing deeply as he slumps further back against the headboard. “I think they might be better off in the hands of someone else.”

Your eyes widen, your head whipping over to stare at him. “What? You don’t seriously think that.”

“Do I sound like I’m making a fuckin’ joke?” He huffs, his jaw tense.

“Sukuna, you’re literally their hero. They look up to you more than you could ever imagine.”

He blanches, all signs of irritation dropped as his brow twitches and lips part. The expression on his face is unreadable, a mix of emotions that aren’t familiar on his chiselled features. With a sharp intake of breath, he shuts his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face.

“Kuna?”

“Gimme a moment, fuck.” His voice is muffled through his hands, remaining frozen as he lets out a long sigh. When he drops his hands from his face, he stares down at his lap with that same distant and solemn expression from earlier. You let the silence be at his request, giving him a chance to work through his jumbled thoughts.

Breathing in through his nose, he lets out a breath through pursed lips, his hand reaching for your leg as he squeezes the plush of your thigh. His jaw clenches as he clings to you like a lifeline, the only thing able to ground him and keep him from the thoughts that have been causing him to go through three times his usual dose of nicotine.

And fuck, he cannot afford to keep going through cigarettes at that rate.

Your mind is doing circles at the feeling of his touch on your leg of all places, the heat of his skin warming your leggings.

Blinking, you tilt your head to get a better view of him. “Where’s this all coming from anyway? What happened to the cocky asshole I met a couple of months ago?”

That seems to bring him back as he scowls at you, deflecting your question. “Really runnin’ your mouth for someone whose dinner came from my fridge.”

“Hey! I consider that payment for watching your brothers. Besides, my cooking is great. You should be happy I made you leftovers,” you pout.

He smirks, playfully squeezing your thigh and sending a jolt of heat straight to your core. You swallow to keep yourself from having a noticeable reaction, keeping your attention on a non-descript area of the wall. “Who’s the cocky one now, princess?”

Even with his hand heavy on your thigh, his teasing is so normal that it almost makes you forget that the heat between your legs is begging for friction that you can’t chase because he would feel your thighs clench.

“What can I say? My cooking’s that good.”

“Your cooking ends up on my fucking floor most of the time.”

“The bread crumbs were one time, Sukuna,” you whine, playfully shaking your head.

“From you, maybe. Choso tried to copy your mac and cheese and even convinced my dumb ass he knew how to do it.” Sukuna scoffs, tilting his head towards you. The warmth of his breath fans your neck as he leans in. “D’you know what happened?” He asks, his voice lowered enough to make your heart flutter.

You wince. “Bread crumbs on the floor.”

“Bread crumbs on the fuckin’ floor.”

You bring a hand up to your face, giggling. To your surprise, Sukuna’s chest jolts in a single sputtered laugh, until he’s actually chuckling along with you. Not a smug laugh, not making fun of something, your laughter is contagious and his is genuine.

Comfortable silence finds you, simply enjoying one another’s company. The dull light in his lamp flickers, pulling both of your attention to the bulb on its last legs. Your eyes trail the length of his silhouette, admiring the way his tattoos frame his face. The dark contrast of the solid ink makes the crimson of his irises pop, giving his already sharp features a more deadly appearance.

Everything about him seems to signify a lethal edge; between the way he carries himself, shutting the world out and fending only for himself and his brothers, and his inclination towards frustration. Yet, every so often, you see another side to him, a side where the edges are softer and he seems more himself.

That’s not to say those rougher edges aren’t still there, but the calmer side of him rounds him out and makes his snark more endearing.

Sukuna’s the first to turn back from the lamp, gaze flickering between your eyes. His chest rises and falls, the quiet sounds of his breath punctuating the otherwise silent room.

Sukuna can hear your breath hitch when you realize he’s staring, using the opportunity to squeeze your thigh. It pulls a strangled gasp from deep in your chest and your eyes widen. He can’t help himself, the way your body reacts to him is like a narcotic, and he can’t help but want more.

There’s never been a moment since you met that Sukuna hasn’t known you find him attractive. It’s why he enjoys pushing your buttons so much, but when you slipped so easily alongside him in his personal life, you became something more than a quick fuck. Someone to keep around. Someone who betters him.

In the dim glow of his lamp, laid out on his bed with his palm splayed over your thigh like it belongs there, something deeper stirs within him. Lust, surely. Only lust. You’re in his goddamn shirt, and he’s hungry. He’s starved for the feeling of bare skin slapping against his own, and you’re so damn gorgeous, like a cloud to any amount of judgment he can manage.

And you’re no better. You’ve been biting your lip until it’s raw as you resist the urge to clench your thighs since he invited you in. Sukuna’s not a traditional man, in all of your daydreams and fantasies, you had never imagined him treating you to dinner and romantically confessing. You never had broad expectations for anything extravagant from him.

That’s not what you want from him. You just want him as he is. You want him to let you in, to let you help him find himself and find happiness.

The air around you is charged, crackling with anticipation as his barriers begin to degrade and you let out a shaky breath. The world seems to hold its breath around you, the bustling city so quiet you could hear a pin drop as its noise fades into the background.

Sukuna’s tongue swipes over his lower lip, all reason thrown to the wolves as he leans over you and presses his lips to yours.

His lips are commanding, guiding you towards one thing and one thing only: pleasure. He moves his body over top of yours, caging you beneath his muscular build. You’re so small under him and the control he exerts over you is exhilarating.

The kiss is sloppy, filled with desperation as he settles himself over you, letting his hands roam your body. You’re pliant beneath him, thrilling in the way his hands slide down your waist to your hips. His grip tightens, fingers holding you in-place almost bruisingly. Your pussy throbs, clenching around nothing as slick pools between your thighs.

Consequences be damned, you’re both addicted to the taste and feel of one another.

Sukuna softly bites your lower lip, pulling a whimper from deep in your throat. He smirks against your lips, pressing his hardened bulge against your core. He swallows your gasp, running his tongue along your lower lip as he seeks entrance. You grant him what he’s looking for, drunk on his taste, minty with a hint of smoke.

Sliding your hands up his tense arms, you find purchase in gripping his shoulders as your head spins. He rolls his hips again, revelling in the feel of your nails digging into his bare skin. Getting your bearings, you allow your hands to explore the expanse of his chest, roaming down the high peaks and deep valleys of his extremely pronounced abs. You pause at his waistband, unable to help your smirk as he groans, his abdomen tensing under your touch.

He’s desperate for more, pressing you further into the bed as his lips explore your jaw, dipping his head into your neck to suck and nip at the sensitive skin. You tilt your head to grant him easier access, jaw slack and eyes glazed. His breath noticeably quickens when your fingers dip beneath his waistband, but you pause there.

You pull back suddenly, pushing hard against his chest as you practically have to peel him off of you.

“What’re-”

You slap a palm over his mouth, muffling the rest of his question until he can hear why you’ve paused. The sound of sock-clad footsteps on hardwood catches his attention and he quickly pulls away, putting enough distance between you to imply innocence. Sukuna pulls a pillow out from behind him, grunting as he sets it on his lap and leans his head back against the headboard.

Shortly after, the doorknob clicks and cracks open, a pair of golden-brown eyes peering into the room. Reddened and filled with tears, your mind sobers quickly as you hop off the bed and jog over to Choso to kneel before him.

“Hey, what’s going on?” You ask, taking in a breath to keep from panting.

“I had a nightmare.”

Ah. Sukuna had mentioned Choso had been having a lot of nightmares lately and it seemed to be keeping him up. You wonder if it’s related to his concerns regarding his older brother and the lawsuit. He may be young, but he seems to have a general understanding of the gravity of getting lawyers involved in situations.

Knowing what you know now about Sukuna’s family, you wonder if he’s been around lawyers before, given their father’s passing. Then there’s the question of Choso and Yuji’s mother, who’s clearly not in the picture anymore.

Quite literally.

You cast another glance back at Sukuna, whose chest is rising and falling heavily as he stares at the ceiling.

“That’s okay sweetheart, do you want me to come talk to you for a bit?”

Choso glances briefly at his brother before nodding. Smiling softly at him, you usher him out of the room and shut the door behind you, trailing after Sukuna’s little brother. He leads the way to his room, sitting on his bed.

Kneeling at the side of his bed, you keep your voice to a whisper to avoid waking his brother. “Did you want to talk about it, Cho?”

He considers this option for a moment, staring at his hands in his lap before shaking his head.

“That’s alright.” You smile reassuringly. “Your brother mentioned this has been happening a lot lately. I just want you to know you can talk to me if you need.”

Choso hesitates, staring down at his hands in his lap again, before shaking his head.

“That’s fine too. Do you want me to-”

“Chocho?” Yuji’s groggy voice sounds as he flips in his bed against the opposite wall, calling out your name as well.

“Go back to sleep, Yu. Your brother just had a nightmare,” you smile softly in the darkness of the room, your face illuminated only by a nightlight on the wall. You turn back to Choso. “Do you want me to read something until you fall back to sleep? I won’t let any monsters get you,” you reassure him with a grin.

Choso nods slowly.

“Great, what book?”

Choso peers over at the bookshelf, kicking his feet as he skims the titles on each spine. “I’ve already read all of these.”

Frowning, you tap your fingers on your thigh in thought. That had never stopped him from requesting Bridge to Terabithia before, but you suppose that’s neither here nor there at the moment.

What is with his taste in movies and books, why does he like the most heart wrenching titles?

“I could tell you a story,” you decide. Choso’s demeanor picks up as he nods eagerly, getting back in bed. You glance back at Yuji, who’s still quietly watching you. You suppose telling them a story won’t hurt. Pulling up a chair, you take a seat between the beds. “Once upon a time, there was a lovely princess. But she had an enchantment upon her of a fearful sort. Which would only be broken by love's first kiss. She was locked away in a castle, guarded by a terrible fire breathing dragon.”

You do your best to focus on your story-telling, although sitting in the dark waiting for the kids to fall asleep as you try to recall the story, something stirs in the back of your mind.

Something dread-inducing and sobering.

You would be lying if you said you hadn’t imagined your first kiss with Sukuna, dreamt of it in the back of your mind and forcibly pushed it down. It only made sense that Sukuna’s flirting was mainly out of jest and teasing, so you had swallowed your feelings and been what Sukuna needed the most. A friend.

Now with the time to think clearly, it occurs to you that there was no spark, no fireworks, and no romance behind the way you kissed. Neither of you had been chasing anything beyond surface-level lust, and you’re just as guilty as he is.

It’s painful to think that the image you’d had in the back of your mind for so long isn’t the reality, but that’s life, isn’t it? You may get another side of Sukuna that most don’t, but at the end of the day, you suppose that doesn’t mean he shares the feelings you caught for him. You had every opportunity to clarify what you wanted from him, but instead you slipped your fingers under his waistband.

Fuck.

Your heart clenches, your chest tightening at the realization that your friendship with Sukuna could very easily hang by a thread because you both got caught up in one another.

“The ogre and the donkey travel to…” you trail off at the realization that both kids are sound asleep, slipping out of the room with a pit of dread in your stomach.

With a sharp intake of air, you let out a breath and quietly open Sukuna’s room door.

“Hey…”

“Hey.” Sukuna hasn’t moved since you left the room.

Silence punctuates the air, the tension palpable and just as uncomfortable as you could have predicted. The friendship with Sukuna that you had worked so hard to nurture seems to hang precariously in the balance of discomfort and regret.

“Was that story fuckin’ Shrek?” Sukuna asks with narrowed eyes. It does little to quell the unease hanging low over your heads.

You laugh nervously. “Yeah. I didn’t know what story to tell.”

“Do you have the fuckin’ opening memorized?”

“I guess so,” you chuckle again, unable to meet his gaze. The silence spreads once again. “Um- I should go.”

Sukuna doesn’t know what to say. He shouldn’t have kissed you. He shouldn’t have grinded on you.

He doesn’t want to complicate something he doesn’t quite understand himself.

So why the hell does his stomach drop when those words leave your lips? Lips that were on his barely a half hour ago.

The uncertainty of where you sit with one another lies in the distance between you both. It settles like dust over a table left untouched for many years, yet it accumulated in only a few minutes. You want to reach out and find the answers you’re looking for, but you don’t have words.

What the hell are you supposed to say? You’ve hopelessly fallen for him and you don’t want whatever it is you have to end, even at the cost of unrequited feelings? No, Sukuna would push you away.

Sukuna doesn’t even attempt to clear the dust, he can only stare, wondering what’s going through your mind, because what’s going through his makes no sense to him.

Whatever it is that he’s feeling now, it’s a jumbled mess. It’s not the same distress he felt at the thought of you presenting alone and it’s not the lust he’d chased that left him with a painful erection.

Whatever he feels, it’s some sort of warning. Like an omen that he’s somehow fucked things up again with you, tearing a rift through the friendship that even he has worked hard to mend. He wonders if one heated kiss is enough to dissolve the effort he’d put into everything, if this changes what you had for good.

So why the hell are the next words to part his lips “yeah. See ya.”?

Watching you slip away, listening to you pack your belongings in a hurry and slip out the door without even a goodbye, Sukuna grits his teeth and slams his head back against the headboard. If the ground split open and swallowed him whole right now, he thinks he would prefer that to the sound of the front door shutting.

Fuck. Fuck, he did it again.

How many times would you let him fuck up your friendship before you deemed him not worth the time of day?

Shit, he hopes you’ll let him make it up to you once more, even if he’s not sure he deserves it.

What the hell was he thinking, anyway? Or, more likely, not thinking? Was he so driven by a need to wet his dick that he seeked out the one person he couldn’t bear to watch walk away from him?

Why is it that he can’t keep his mind clear when it comes to you?

Sukuna rubs his hands over his face. “Fuck.” Should he chase after you? No, no. He can’t have you thinking there’s any meaning behind his actions beyond whatever it was you already had.

And even he knows how fucked up of a thought that is, one that sits in the pit of his stomach like sour bile. He grimaces, blinking at the foreign feeling of guilt wrapping its ugly fingers tightly around him.

He pulls out his laptop, opening the email chain you’ve been using since the two of you met, but his fingers pause over the keyboard. What the hell is he supposed to say? ‘Sorry for kissing you’? ‘Sorry for thinking with my dick instead of my head’?

“Fuck,” he hisses, louder this time. Tossing his laptop on his bed, he trudges out into the living room, grabbing the broken cap of his lighter and its base from his coat pocket, and what’s left of his pack of cigarettes before standing out in the cold night air in only his sweatpants.

The nicotine hardly seems to make a dent in the toiling emotions tightening his chest and hollowing his stomach. He’s smoked his way through so many packs lately that the dent on his wallet and his reliance on the drug only seems to be growing, yet another pile of problems to add onto his list.

You’re the only thing that seems to quell his narcotic addiction, but you’ve got to be some sort of drug yourself with the way Sukuna behaves like a braindead dumbass around you.

Staring at the ember at the end of the cigarette in his hand, he sighs, leaning forward on the railing of the balcony. The cold doesn’t seem to touch him, like he’s numb to the world beyond his own issues.

Sukuna is a truly fucked man.

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❦ a/n ; poor sukuna and reader do nawwwt know how to make things easy on themselves 🙂‍↔️ thank you all so much for reading and for all the love and kind comments and asks, they seriously make my day and i'm so happy to chat with yall and hear your thoughts. shoutout as well to my reader who suggested a type o negative shirt cameo, this one's for you <33 reader is stronger than i am for not leaping on sukuna when he invited her into his room shirtless tbh. i am weak for him ANYWHO thaaank you as always and i hope you're all doing well <33

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chosok-amo · 20 days ago

Text

FILM 02. THE UNLIKELY ADVENTURES OF BITCH FACE AND GO FUCK YOURSELF

☆ sum. the first meeting wasn’t enough, right? so the next day, you decided to climb sukuna’s room once again and asked force him to go watching sunrise together.

warning. non-sorcerer au, fluff, crack, grumpy sukuna, you call him a bitch-face and he calls you bitch, you two get chased by some gang, he makes you cry, he is soooo mean.

☆ , DECEMBER, WHEN WINTER FINALLY COMES

the quiet of sukuna’s room was broken by a faint sound. tud, tud, tud. small pebbles tapped against his bedroom window one by one, soft but persistent. it was just past one in the morning, and he hadn’t been able to sleep, his body stretched across the bed as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

he had been lost in his thoughts, letting the silence drag on, until the sound pulled him out of his haze. his head turned slightly toward the window, crimson eyes narrowing as he listened. the noise stopped as quickly as it had started, and after a moment of stillness, he let out a quiet exhale.

his arms folded behind his head again as he lay back down, trying to focus on the cracks in the ceiling instead of whatever had disrupted the night. but then the sound came again, louder this time. tud, tud, tud.

sukuna sat up sharply, irritation flashing across his face. “who the hell is doing this?” he muttered darkly, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. he stood and took a few slow steps toward the window, his movements deliberate and heavy. his jaw tightened, and as another pebble struck the glass, he growled under his breath, “damn idiot.”

his patience was thin, and whoever had decided to play games at this hour was about to find out just how dangerous waking him up could be.

sukuna pulled open the window, his scowl deepening as the cool night air spilled into the room. but before he could fully register the quiet outside, something small and hard smacked against his forehead. a sharp tink rang out as the pebble bounced off, and his hand instinctively flew up to rub the spot.

his teeth clenched, his annoyance reaching its peak, when he heard a faint, muffled curse drift up from the darkness below. “shit.” his crimson eyes narrowed dangerously, scanning the scene until they landed on you. there you were, perched casually on a thick branch of the massive willow tree just outside his room. your feet dangled lazily in the air, swinging slightly as if you didn’t have a care in the world.

his glare sharpened as his gaze locked onto yours. “seriously?” he growled, voice low and cold. “what the fuck are you doing?” meanwhile, you tried your best to stifle a laugh, though the corners of your lips betrayed you. the sight of sukuna, standing there with a hand on his forehead and murder in his eyes, only made the whole situation even funnier.

his eyes narrowed into slits, every muscle in his body tensing slightly. “i don’t see what’s so funny about your dumbass throwing pebbles at my window in the middle of the goddamn night.” his tone was laced with a hint of warning, a silent reminder of his temper. he was teetering on the edge of losing his patience entirely, the sound of your laughter grating on his nerves even further.

his jaw tightened as he tried to control his rising irritation. “why the hell are you even here?” he asked, his voice firm and stern. it was evident that he wasn’t in the mood for games, especially at this ungodly hour. his gaze remained fixed on you with a steely resolve, making it clear that he expected a straight answer. “you better have a damn good explanation, or i swear to god, i’ll drag you down from that tree and toss you out on your ass.”

your silence only made sukuna’s irritation grow. his jaw clenched still as his crimson eyes bore into you, waiting for an explanation that never came. instead, you shifted your weight, standing up on the narrow branch with surprising ease. his frown deepened instantly, his arms uncrossing as his stance stiffened. “what the hell are you doing?” he snapped, his voice carrying an edge of concern despite the annoyance behind it. “get down before you fall, you idiot.”

it wasn’t like he cared all that much, or so he told himself, but he didn’t want his bedroom to become a damn crime scene. that’d be more trouble than it was worth. but before he could say anything else, you flashed him a cheeky grin and called out, “catch me!”

before he could even process your words, you leapt from the branch, aiming straight for his bedroom window. “you’ve got to be kidding me—” was all sukuna managed to mutter before instinct took over. his arms shot out, catching your body just in time, though the impact forced him to take a step back to steady himself.

he glared down at you, your smug smile and sparkling eyes doing nothing to ease his frustration. “are you out of your goddamn mind?” he growled, still holding you securely. “you could’ve broken your neck, you reckless idiot.” yet, despite his harsh words, his grip didn’t loosen. instead, he found himself glaring a little less, unable to ignore the faint, satisfied laugh escaping you.

you pushed away from his hold after landing on your feet with ease. a mischievous grin spread across your face, ear to ear, as if you hadn’t just given him a heart attack. “let’s go to the beach and watch the sunrise,” you said, your tone light and excited, completely disregarding his glare and the fact that it was still the middle of the night.

sukuna stared at you, his crimson eyes narrowing as a mixture of disbelief and frustration washed over his face. for a moment, he said nothing, just studying you as if trying to figure out what on earth possessed you to show up uninvited, nearly break his window, leap into his arms, and now suggest something as absurd as going to the beach at one in the morning.

he slowly turned his gaze toward the window, scanning the pitch-black sky as if the stars might offer him some sort of explanation. maybe he was hallucinating. maybe the lack of sleep was playing tricks on him. when his gaze returned to you, his frown deepened. “do you even know what time it is?” he asked, his voice sharp and incredulous. “what sunrise are you talking about? it’s one AM, you lunatic.”

but instead of looking sheepish, you only grinned wider, your energy almost infectious. it made his eye twitch. you weren’t even fazed by his irritation, which only made him more annoyed. your lack of concern for how ridiculous your idea sounded was somehow both baffling and—if he dared admit it—mildly amusing.

you rolled your eyes at sukuna’s incredulous tone, waving a hand dismissively as if his frustration was unwarranted. “oh, come on,” you said, your grin never faltering. “it takes two hours to get to the beach, and sunrise isn’t until after five. we’ve got plenty of time.”

sukuna sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as he felt a headache coming on. you were absolutely insufferable, but you seemed so set on this ridiculous plan. he glanced at the clock again, the red digital numbers glaring back at him. one fifteen AM. he groaned, running a hand through his hair as he tried to decide whether he should just give in or keep arguing with you. “seriously,” he said, his tone sharp. “this is just... ridiculous. it’s the middle of the night. we should be sleeping, not planning an impromptu beach trip.”

you let out an exaggerated, dramatic groan, throwing your head back as if his refusal physically pained you. without missing a beat, you stepped closer, wrapping your hands around his wrist. his hand, nearly twice the size of yours, felt solid and warm as you swung it lightly, your pleading eyes locking onto his with an almost theatrical desperation.

“oh, come on, sukuna,” you whined, dragging out the words for maximum effect. “it’s so much better than sulking in your room all night.”

you gave his arm another little swing, as if your enthusiasm alone could sway him. “besides,” you added with a playful smirk, “when’s the last time you did something fun? i mean, really fun? just think about it—me, you, the beach, the sunrise. it’ll be unforgettable.”

his crimson eyes narrowed as he stared at you, his expression somewhere between annoyance and reluctant amusement. the pleading look in your eyes, combined with your unwavering determination, made it impossible for him to ignore you completely. “unbelievable,” he muttered, exhaling sharply as if resigning himself to your chaos. he tugged his wrist lightly, trying to free it from your grip, but you only held on tighter, your grin widening. “pleaseee, are you going to let me go alone?”

sukuna finally relented with a heavy sigh, his annoyance slowly fading as your enthusiasm wore him down. he looked down at your hands wrapped around his wrist, the contrast of your smaller hand against his larger one almost comical. with a resigned groan, he let go of the last bit of resistance still holding him back. “fine,” he conceded, his voice a mix of frustration and reluctant amusement. “we’re going to the damn beach, but you better not be a pain in my ass the whole time.”

your grin stretched even wider, practically splitting your face as sukuna finally gave in. “okay!” you chirped, your excitement barely contained. you turned toward the window, already preparing to climb back down the tree. “i’ll wait in the car!” but before you could so much as swing a leg over the sill, a firm hand grabbed the back of your collar, yanking you backward with surprising ease.

“are you trying to die?” sukuna growled, his voice low and exasperated. he spun you around to face him, crimson eyes narrowing as he glared down at you. “what are you, a damn monkey? why do you enjoy climbing this stupid tree so much?” you pouted up at him, though it quickly dissolved into a sheepish laugh when his glare only deepened.

his frown was sharp as he looked at you, but there was an unmistakable flicker of concern in his gaze. with a sigh, he gently tugged you away from the window, his hand firm but careful. “just wait,” he muttered, his tone softer now, though no less irritated. he strode over to his desk, grabbing his phone, wallet, and jacket. after slipping the jacket on, he turned back to you, his hand once again finding the back of your collar.

“you’re not getting another chance to pull something stupid,” he muttered, tugging you along as he made his way to his bedroom door.

you stumbled after him, unable to contain your amused smile as he led you out of his room, through the hall, and down the stairs of his two-story house. sukuna didn’t let go of your collar until you were both standing outside, the cool night air brushing against your skin as he locked the front door behind him.

once outside, sukuna’s eyes landed on your car parked neatly on the street beside his house. he squinted at it, then back at you, the realization of your full plan sinking in. you had come fully prepared, didn’t you?

you turned to him with a grin that could rival the moonlight, bouncing on your feet with excitement. “get in the damn car,” he muttered, tossing you a sharp look as he walked ahead. “and don’t make me regret this.” you took off at a light jog, heading toward the car with a spring in your step.

sukuna sighed heavily, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets as he followed behind at a more leisurely pace. sukuna’s glare softened a fraction as he watched you dart toward the car with all the enthusiasm of a child. he followed at his own pace, the occasional crunch of gravel beneath his shoes serving as a steady background to his thoughts.

“you’re way too cheerful for someone dragging me out of bed at this hour,” he muttered, though his tone lacked the venom he might’ve had earlier. you just laughed, spinning around briefly to face him while walking backward. “oh, come on, you’ll thank me later,” you teased, your grin widening.

your infectious energy was both irritating and oddly endearing. it was almost impressive how you had him going along with your late-night escapade. “yeah, right,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “i already regret this, and we’ve barely even started. it’s the middle of the night, you lunatic.”

the two-long drive had barely started before you were out like a light, your head resting against the glass window, your soft breathing filling the otherwise silent car. before you drifted off, you mumbled something about waking you up when they got there, your voice drowsy but insistent.

sukuna grumbled under his breath, his hands gripping the steering wheel as he muttered something about how you have the nerves to dumped the work on him. but he did as you said, settling into the quiet of the drive.

every so often, his eyes flicked toward you, his gaze lingering longer than he intended. the way you looked so peaceful in sleep, your face lit faintly by the glow of passing streetlights, chipped away at his irritation. each time he glanced at you, the sharp edges of his frown softened bit by bit, until eventually, he let out a long, resigned sigh.

stopping at a red light, sukuna found himself turning to look at you again. the streets were empty, yet he waited, watching you as you slumbered. his crimson eyes narrowed slightly, not in annoyance but in quiet curiosity, as if wondering what went on in that chaotic head of yours that drove you to drag him on such ridiculous adventures.

“what the hell am i doing?” he muttered to himself, rolling his eyes at his own thoughts. as the light turned green, he snapped back to the road, letting out another sigh. his hands tightened on the wheel, though his expression was far less stern than it had been when the night started. without another word, he continued the drive, the faintest trace of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

his mind a mix of frustration and a strange, unexpected fondness for your carefree spirit. you’d managed to drag him into one of your wild schemes, and even though he’d never admit it, he found himself looking forward to whatever chaos awaited them.

each time he glanced at you, dozing peacefully against the glass window, sukuna’s annoyance melted away a little more. he tried to ignore the way his gaze lingered, how he found himself studying your peaceful expression under the passing streetlights.

and after what felt like an eternity of driving, sukuna finally pulled into the nearly empty parking lot by the beach, situated near a small, dimly lit gas station. the faint, rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the shore reached his ears, a soothing contrast to the chaotic, frustrating night. he cut the engine, and the car was suddenly swallowed by the quiet, save for the soft hum of the night air. everything outside seemed still, but inside the car, a strange tension remained.

his gaze shifted over to you, still fast asleep, completely oblivious to the world around you. your head rested against the glass of the window still, your body curled up slightly in the seat, looking peaceful and unaware. the moonlight from the streetlights outside filtered in, casting a soft glow across your face, but you didn’t stir.

sukuna’s eyes narrowed as he sat there for a moment, the corner of his lips curving upward into a smirk. the thought of those damn pebbles you had thrown earlier, hitting his window with an annoyingly consistent rhythm, flared up in his mind. he could still feel the irritation from it.

“let’s see if this works,” he muttered under his breath, eyes glinting with mischief as he looked at you. he then raised his hand slowly, his fingers curling into a relaxed fist for a moment before flicking it out.

his fingers made light contact with your forehead, the soft sting of the flick causing you to groan slightly in your sleep. your brows furrowed instinctively, but you didn’t wake up. sukuna leaned back in his seat, smirking at the sight of your unbothered state. he couldn’t help but find it amusing.

“really?” he muttered to himself, letting out a quiet, almost exasperated laugh. “don’t chicken out on me now.”

he flexed his fingers, his smirk deepening as he prepared for round two. with a subtle but deliberate movement, he flicked your forehead again, this time with more force. the sting was sharper, the discomfort enough to make you stir more abruptly.

you jolted awake, a small, startled yelp escaping your lips as your hand flew to your forehead, instinctively pressing against the spot he had struck. your eyes darted around in confusion, disoriented by the sudden jolt from your dreams. everything seemed a little blurry, and you blinked rapidly as your senses returned.

then, you locked eyes with sukuna, his smirk wide and utterly unbothered by your clearly annoyed expression. “what the hell was that for?” you snapped, your voice groggy but full of irritation as you rubbed the sore spot on your forehead. your eyes were wide with disbelief, trying to process what had just happened.

sukuna’s chuckle echoed in the car as he watched your reaction, clearly enjoying the way his little prank had thrown you off. leaning back into the seat with a satisfied smirk, he stretched his arms behind his head, letting the silence between you both settle. “morning, sunshine,” he teased, his voice laced with sarcasm as he glanced at the dashboard clock. “or should i say, good night? you really slept through the whole damn drive, huh?”

he took a moment to study you, his eyes lingering on the way your hair was all messy and your expression was still groggy, like you’d been dragged out of a dream against your will. “nice bedhead, by the way. very charming,” he added, his lips curling into a mocking grin.

you were about to shoot back a snarky comment when, without warning, sukuna threw open the door and stepped out of the car, slamming it shut behind him. you groaned, rubbing your temples, muttering under your breath about how ridiculous he was. grabbing your backpack off the seat, you dragged yourself out of the car.

as you made your way toward him, you couldn’t help but pout at the way he walked ahead with that cocky swagger. the annoyance you felt deepened, but it only made you more determined to match his pace. so you picked up your steps, narrowing the distance between you, and before long, you were running slightly to keep up. the pout on your face, the way your lips stuck out in frustration, didn’t escape sukuna’s notice.

he rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by your childish display, but he didn’t bother commenting. the silence was comfortable, for him at least. but then, as you neared a convenience store near the edge of the beach parking lot, you tugged at his wrist, pulling him toward it with surprising strength for someone so irritated. “come on, we’re stopping in there,” you said, a little more stubborn than you’d like to admit, but you weren’t in the mood for any more nonsense from him just yet.

sukuna gave you a side-eye but didn’t resist. “what now? you need a snack after your little nap?” he muttered, but there was no real malice in his words. still, he couldn’t help but notice the way your hand gripped his wrist, tugging him along. for a moment, it was just the two of you, walking side by side, with nothing else but the sound of the waves and the distant chatter of beachgoers filling the air.

you barely spared a glance at the bikes and parked cars scattered around as you walked past the motor park outside the convenience store. your mind was set on one thing��getting what you needed to make the sunrise more tolerable. sukuna, trailing closely behind you, shot a quick glance at the bikes, his usual vigilance keeping him aware of his surroundings, but you were already step ahead before he could dwell on it.

stepping through the automatic sliding doors, you immediately made a beeline for the snack aisle, eyes scanning the shelves for something that would hold you over until the sunrise. chips, candy, anything that seemed like it could make the morning a little more bearable. you didn’t care about the healthy options, not when you were operating on little more than your usual impatience and a desire to keep moving.

sukuna, of course, was right behind you, his steps almost matching yours. he wasn’t as distracted by the snacks as you were, but he knew better than to complain. he grabbed a couple of drinks and some savory snacks, mostly just grabbing whatever seemed convenient. his gaze flickered over to you occasionally, noting your rapid pace as you moved from one shelf to the next.

he could already tell you weren’t going to make this a simple stop—no, this was going to be an adventure for you. he couldn’t help but smirk to himself, even if the trip wasn’t exactly how he had planned it.

after, you both stood at the register, silently eyeing the snacks you’d picked out before to sukuna, he couldn’t help but shoot you a look of frustration. you hadn’t said a word, but he could practically hear the pleading radiating off you. he let out a heavy sigh, his impatience beginning to show.

“you’re really gonna do this, huh?” he muttered, his voice thick with annoyance. “first, you drag me out here at this ungodly hour, and now you’re making me pay for your snacks? this is getting ridiculous.”

he shook his head, pulling out his wallet with an exaggerated motion, clearly not happy about this turn of events. “i swear to god, you’re a professional at getting under my skin.” he grumbled as he handed over the cash, his eyes narrowing at the cashier as if it was their fault for being stuck in this situation.

sukuna didn’t look at you as he accepted the change and bags. he was trying his best to hide the smirk that was threatening to show on his face. his usual irritation was half-hearted at best because deep down, he knew he would’ve done it anyway, even if you didn’t twist his arm about it.

“next time, you’re paying for your own damn food,” he added, his tone a bit softer but still laced with mock seriousness. “you’re not dragging me out here again just so i can pay for everything.” as he handed you the bag of snacks, you just flashed him that innocent smile of yours, which only made him roll his eyes in response.

once outside the store, you couldn’t resist teasing him, a playful grin spreading across your face. “oh, come on, it’s just a snack,” you said, pushing him lightly with your hand as you walked past him.

but sukuna wasn’t having any of it. his frustration only deepened at your carefree attitude. he turned to face you with a frown, his voice low but sharp, returning the favor. “don’t push me.”

you blinked, a bit taken aback by his reaction. but it didn’t take long before your mischievous side flared up. without hesitation, you shoved him back, the playful gleam in your eyes only growing. “don’t push me,” you retorted, your hands pressing harder against his chest.

sukuna’s eyes widened in surprise as his balance shifted, and before he could even react, his feet slipped, and he stumbled backward. the force of the push sent him crashing into the row of parked motorcycles outside the store. the sound of metal clanging and engines rattling echoed in the quiet street as the motorcycles toppled over, one by one, like a row of dominos.

you froze, your eyes wide with shock, staring at the mess you had just caused. the motorcycles lay scattered, some on their sides, others leaning awkwardly, their once proud chrome frames now battered and unbalanced.

sukuna and you shared a stunned look, the realization hitting both of you simultaneously. his glare turned to you, murderous and filled with disbelief. “you...” he muttered, his voice a dangerous whisper, the rage building up in his chest. “this is your fault.”

you could only mutter an apology under your breath, your hands flying to cover your mouth as a curse slipped past your lips. “fuck,” you whispered, eyes wide with embarrassment and a hint of panic. you took a step back, unsure of what to do next as the reality of the situation settled in. sukuna’s glare didn’t soften, but his gaze flicked to the mess, then back at you. the anger was still there, but a small part of him was almost impressed by the sheer chaos you had caused with a simple push.

“well, this is just great,” he grumbled, running a hand through his hair, exasperated but somehow unable to hide a small smirk creeping at the corner of his lips. “you really know how to make things interesting, don’t you?”

before you could react to the mess you caused, a shout broke through the air. “hey!” the angry voice cut through the tension, sending a jolt of panic through both you and sukuna. your head snapped toward the source of the sound, your heart racing as you instinctively stepped back.

sukuna’s expression immediately hardened, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the group of men approaching, all clearly not happy with the situation. one of them, a larger man with a scowl etched across his face, stepped forward and demanded, “what the hell are you two doing?”

you opened your mouth to try and explain, but before you could get a word out, sukuna was already on his feet, moving with the swift grace that was so typical of him. his hand shot out, grabbing yours in a firm grip. he didn’t give you a chance to argue or even think. “run,” he growled, his tone harsh but urgent. his other hand snatched up both bags of snacks from the ground, not wanting to leave them behind, as if that mattered in the moment.

with no time to waste, you both took off, your footsteps echoing in the silence of the street as you sprinted away from the angry group. the men shouted after you. you glanced over at sukuna, still holding onto his hand, your heart pounding. despite the adrenaline coursing through you, a small laugh bubbled up at the absurdity of the situation, but sukuna’s focused expression didn’t falter as he kept running. “next time, maybe don’t knock over the bikes,” he muttered through gritted teeth, but there was a flicker of amusement in his voice. “god, you’re a pain.”

sukuna’s eyes briefly flicked towards the beach, then back ahead at the dimly lit road ahead. he didn’t hesitate for a moment, his strides quickening as he veered off the road onto the sandy shore, you barely had time to respond— desperate to get away from a bunch of angry men while the angry voices followed behind you two. “shit!” you mutter.

you stumbled from the pavement onto the soft, shifting sand, the sudden change in terrain threw you off balance for a brief moment. your feet sank deeper into the sand, making it harder to keep up with sukuna’s swift pace. you cursed quietly under your breath, trying to steady yourself, but sukuna’s hand tightened around yours, steadying you with a firm grip. his gaze never wavered, scanning the area ahead with intensity as he led the way, his jaw clenched with determination.

the sand, soft and unpredictable, made every step feel like it was dragging you back, the gentle incline of the beach working against you. with each step, the angry shouts of the men grew louder, and you could feel the panic rising again. sukuna cursed under his breath, again, his footsteps becoming heavier as he pushed forward. “this way,” he muttered, his voice sharp as he tugged you in the direction of a cluster of large rocks jutting out from the sand.

you followed without hesitation, the two of you moving with an urgency that came from being hunted. as you reached the rocks, sukuna’s grip on your hand shifted. he pulled you towards the largest one, guiding you behind it with a fluid motion. instinctively, his arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you close against his chest to shield you from the view of the men still shouting in the distance.

your heart was racing, your breath coming in short, uneven bursts as you tried to calm yourself. you could feel his body against yours, the steady thrum of his heartbeat almost matching the frantic pulse in your own chest. your wide eyes met his for a moment, but he didn’t acknowledge the proximity, didn’t even look at you. his focus was entirely on the men who were now pacing past, their voices carrying over the beach.

they were discussing possible places you two might have gone, debating which direction to take. their words drifted on the wind as they walked past, oblivious to the two of you hiding behind the rocks. you could hear them mention the pier and the nearby dunes, but none of them thought to look in the direction you were hiding. you both sat in the sand, as still as possible, listening intently, barely daring to breathe.

you stayed pressed against sukuna’s side, the tension between the two of you palpable. the men’s voices faded into the distance, the danger slipping away. but as the silence settled in, you couldn’t help but feel the heat of sukuna’s body next to yours, the closeness making you acutely aware of how tightly he was holding you, how his arm had never loosened from around your waist.

finally, sukuna let out a deep, relieved sigh, but didn’t let go of you just yet. his eyes remained on the retreating men, watching until they disappeared from view. “that was too damn close,” he muttered under his breath, his tone laced with irritation, but there was a hint of amusement there too. “next time, try not to wreck an entire parking lot.”

you didn’t say anything at first. instead, you just stared at sukuna, your wide eyes reflecting the moonlight that bathed the beach in a soft, silver glow. the faint breeze played with your hair, and for a moment, the world felt like it had slowed down, leaving you both in this small, tense bubble of silence.

your cheeks felt hot, pink as sakura blossoms, but you hoped the dim lighting would hide the flush creeping up your neck. sukuna’s attention was still on the retreating men, his jaw tight with focus, and you couldn’t help but notice how his grip had relaxed just enough to let you breathe, but not enough to let go entirely. his presence felt overwhelming, and for a moment, you found yourself wishing you could escape the strange heat of the situation.

you shifted uncomfortably, wanting to break the silence but unsure how to respond. you had never been one to get flustered easily, but this was different. the proximity, the way his body still pressed against yours, made your heart beat faster than it should.

sukuna’s gaze finally shifted back to you, his sharp eyes narrowing as he took in your flushed cheeks and the way you were fidgeting. he raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “what’s up with that ugly face of yours?” he asked, voice dripping with mockery, before pulling his hand away and pushing your face with an exaggerated motion, face-palming you in the process.

you groaned, the gesture annoying yet somehow familiar. you smacked his hand away from your face with an exaggerated flick of your wrist, then moved to sit beside him. leaning against the rock, you crossed your arms and huffed while the warmth still lingering in your cheeks. “you’re the one who’s ugly,” you grumbled under your breath, though the words didn’t carry much weight.

despite the irritation in your tone, there was something oddly comforting about being so close to him in that moment. you could feel the steady rhythm of his breathing, the slight tension in his shoulders, and it grounded you, even though your heart was still racing.

sukuna just laughed, clearly unbothered by your comeback. “nice one,” he chuckled, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “very original.” he shift beside you, his back against the rough surface of the boulder. the cool night air blew off the ocean, but it couldn’t quite reach the small space between you and sukuna. the warmth radiating from his body seemed to counteract any chill you might have felt.

you glanced over at him, your eyes catching on the way the moonlight illuminated his face, casting shadows across his sharp features. sukuna met your gaze, raising an eyebrow in a silent challenge.

you scoffed, rolling your eyes dramatically as you turned your head away from him. “fuck face,” you muttered under your breath, trying to sound as unbothered as possible despite the fluttering feeling in your chest. you didn’t look at him, but you could practically feel his amused gaze on you, sharp and unrelenting.

sukuna let out a low chuckle, clearly entertained by your attempt to act indifferent. “nice comeback,” he said with a grin, his tone teasing. he shifted slightly, his posture still relaxed as he leaned back against the boulder. despite the sarcastic edge in your words, the atmosphere between you two had somehow shifted, the tension from earlier dissolving into something more familiar. something that, despite how hard you tried to avoid it, felt oddly comfortable.

sukuna rolled his eyes dramatically by the comfortable, warm weird feeling, and yet, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement. “ugly duck,” he muttered, clearly trying to irritate you as much as possible. his tone was dripping with sarcasm, and it was clear he was enjoying the way your temper was starting to rise.

you scoffed again, your eyes narrowing at sukuna with an offended look, as if he had just committed an unforgivable sin against your family. “i do not,” you said firmly, voice laced with disbelief, as if the idea was completely absurd. the way you looked at him, like he’d just insulted your entire existence, made it clear that you weren’t about to let him get away with that cheap shot— glaring at him with all the seriousness you could muster.

sukuna raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he leaned back against the boulder, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “yes, you are,” he said confidently, his tone teasing and challenging, as if daring you to prove him wrong.

your eyes narrowed as you glared at sukuna, frustration bubbling up inside you. with a quick movement, you smacked his shoulder, your voice firm as you retorted, “i do not.”

the hit made sukuna frown slightly, clearly unamused by your defiance. his gaze hardened as he leaned in a little closer, then returned the gesture, hitting your shoulder back with a gentler force, almost playful. “yes, you are,” he insisted, his voice dripping with mock confidence.

after a bit of playful back-and-forth hitting, the air had finally cooled down, and the two of you settled on the blanket, both of you feeling the exhaustion of the night catch up. sukuna stretched out beside you, his arm sliding beneath his head as he stared up at the night sky. you mirrored his position, laying on your back, the soft sand beneath the blanket providing a bit of cushion.

the moonlight cast a gentle glow across the landscape, and for the first time that night, there was a quiet, almost peaceful stillness between you two. the sound of the waves crashing in the distance was calming, and for a brief moment, the tension from earlier seemed to fade away.

you stayed like that for a while, side by side, your thoughts swirling in the calmness of the moment. sukuna, ever the enigma, didn’t say a word either. his usual teasing and mocking had faded, replaced with the silence that seemed to hang comfortably in the air.

it was past three in the morning by now, and the world around you seemed to slow down. there was no rush, no need to speak—just the two of you under the vast, starry sky, each lost in your own thoughts but sharing the same space.

despite the petty fights and irritation that had built up throughout the evening, there was something oddly peaceful about this moment. the tension between you two seemed to dissipate in the quiet, the cool night air and distant waves offering a strange comfort. your breathing slowed, matching the calm rhythm of the world around you.

the silence was weirdly comfortable, almost soothing, in a way you hadn’t expected. you both lay there, gazing up at the night sky, the stars twinkling above like a scattered canvas of light. for once, the annoying back-and-forth banter was replaced by this tranquil quiet, and you couldn’t help but appreciate it. the warmth from sukuna’s body beside you, weird, but somehow bring you warmth.

you turned your head slightly, your gaze shifting toward sukuna. his frown was still firmly in place, even after all the teasing and playful hits. it seemed almost permanent, like an expression he wore without even thinking about it.

you let out a quiet sigh, your eyes drifting back to the waves crashing softly against the shore. with a hint of sarcasm, you said, “you’ll get old faster if you can’t stop frowning like that.” you didn’t even look at him as you spoke, just keeping your focus on the rhythmic movement of the water, but you could feel his presence next to you, the weight of his attention likely on you even without him saying anything.

sukuna’s frown didn’t shift an inch, as if the muscles in his face were permanently stuck in their grumpy position. he glanced over at you, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. “what, you think some stupid facial expression will make me age?” he grumbled, his tone carrying an edge of irritation. “besides, i’d rather frown than wear a stupid smile all the time.”

you couldn’t help but roll your eyes at his blunt response, the annoyance simmering beneath the surface of his words. with a sigh, you shook your head, a smirk tugging at the corner of your lips. “look, i’m not saying you need to walk around looking like some grinning idiot all the time,” you said, the sarcasm in your voice unmistakable.

shift slightly on your side, your finger poke his dimple. “but at least try not to look like you’re in a permanent bad mood, always so grumpy. it’s not a good look, sukuna.” you emphasized the last part, hoping he’d get the message, though you weren’t expecting him to suddenly turn cheerful.

sukuna growled lowly, his frown deepening at your words. “and what, you think you know what’s a good look?” he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “maybe i like frowning. it makes people think twice before they mess with me, and it keeps the idiots away,” he muttered, though there was a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

he remained motionless, but his eyes narrowed as he looked at you, clearly not appreciating your advice or the way you were poking at him. “i can frown all i damn well please.”

you rolled your eyes dramatically at his response, the exaggerated gesture meant to get under his skin even more. “jeez, take a chill pill, will ya?” you quipped, your voice dripping with mock exasperation as you shifted to lay on your back again, gaze fixed on the stars above. unable to resist, you muttered just loud enough for him to hear, “bitch face,” a sly smirk tugging at the corner of your lips as you knew exactly what reaction you’d get.

sukuna’s eyes narrowed, and he rolled them in an exaggerated motion, clearly unimpressed by your comment. “go fuck yourself,” he shot back, his tone dry but laced with the barest hint of amusement, though he refused to let you see it. the tension between you both was charged, but in the way that felt more like a game than anything truly serious.

you chuckled softly, the sound light and teasing as you turned your head to look at him. “what should i when i have you, though?” you replied, your tone playful and laced with mock innocence. without missing a beat, you reached out and poked his side, grinning when he flinched just slightly at your touch.

sukuna growled, an annoyed sound that rumbled from his throat at your playful poke. he smacked your hand away, his eyes narrowing as he shot you a glare, as if warning you not to do it again. “are you done being a pain in the ass, or do i have to suffer some more of your genius jokes?” he grumbled, his voice dry with sarcasm. despite his words, there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, like he silently enjoyed the back-and-forth banter.

you snorted, the sound full of amusement as you raised your hands in mock surrender. “alright, alright, i’ll stop,” you said, your tone playful but with a hint of finality. you shifted your attention away from him, turning your gaze to the sea in front of you. the waves glistened under the moonlight, their rhythmic crash filling the comfortable silence between you two.

a small smile tugged at your lips as you let the peaceful night wash over you, your playful antics replaced with a quiet contentment. still, you couldn’t help but glance at sukuna out of the corner of your eye, half-expecting another sarcastic remark.

sukuna grumbled under his breath, muttering something unintelligible about how “impossible” you were. though you had promised to stop with your antics, he could tell you weren’t entirely done messing with him—it was in the way you carried yourself, that mischievous spark in your eyes that promised chaos at the worst possible moments. aside from his annoyance, sukuna stayed quiet, letting the cool breeze and the rhythmic crash of waves fill the silence between you.

he exhaled deeply, his breath forming faint clouds in the crisp night air as he leaned back on the blanket, eyes fixating on the stars scattered across the vast sky. for a moment, he let himself get lost in his thoughts, his usual scowl softening ever so slightly. everything about tonight felt absurd to him—ridiculous, even. this was only the second time he’d found himself alone with you, and yet somehow, you had managed to rope him into something so out of the ordinary, so unlike anything he’d normally do.

his gaze lingered on the constellations above, but his mind was far from serene. he couldn’t help but replay the events of the past few hours, each one more baffling than the last. it had started with your insistence on a late-night trip to the beach, dragging him out of whatever semblance of peace he’d hoped to enjoy for the night. you’d pestered him relentlessly, batting away his complaints with ease, until he finally caved. by the time he realized what he’d agreed to, you were already in the passenger seat, grinning as if you’d won some grand prize.

the two-hour drive to the beach had been another ordeal entirely— leaving all the responsibility to him while you fast asleep. he swore you’d consumed every ounce of patience he had before you even arrived. then, as if that wasn’t enough, you’d demanded he pay for your snacks—practically raided the convenience store, arms full of chips and candy—and didn’t even offer to share half of it.

but the crowning jewel of the night had been the chaos you caused at the parking lot— you shoving him toward a row of motorcycles. the chain reaction had been instant and catastrophic, a line of bikes toppling over like dominoes. before he could even process what had happened, a group of furious men had appeared, yelling and charging toward you both.

sukuna could still feel the adrenaline pumping from the chase, the way his hand had gripped yours as you both bolted for the rocks near the shore. and now, after all that chaos, here you were—lying next to him on a beach at four, almost five in the morning, wrapped in the chilly embrace of the ocean breeze, waiting for a sunrise that wouldn’t come for at least another hour.

he stole a glance at you out of the corner of his eye. you were staring out at the waves, your expression unusually calm, a small smile playing on your lips as if this had been your plan all along. sukuna frowned, his thoughts spiraling further. how the hell did you manage to drag him into these absurd situations? more importantly, why had he let you? he wasn’t the type to indulge anyone, let alone someone as unpredictable and insistent as you. and yet, here he was—on a beach at an ungodly hour, lying on a blanket, while you waited for a sunrise he didn’t care to see.

still, there was something about the quiet between you now, something strangely comforting, the feeling like he yearning the warmth. he wouldn’t admit it, not even to himself, but the silence wasn’t so bad. it was rare for him to feel this at ease with someone, even after a night as chaotic as this. sukuna’s eyes wandered back to the stars, his thoughts drifting between irritation and an odd sense of contentment. maybe you were impossible, but for reasons he couldn’t quite grasp, he didn’t mind it all that much.

sukuna glanced towards the horizon, the sky still mostly dark except for a thin band of color that had begun to form—the barely there hint of the sun’s impending arrival. with a heavy groan, he finally broke the silence, his voice low and slightly irritable. “why the hell did we have to wait for the sunrise again?” he asked, his tone heavy with frustration, but the underlying exasperation laced with a subtle warmth that betrayed his true feelings.

despite his words, sukuna didn’t attempt to leave, his gaze fixated on the early morning sky.

you let out a small sigh, not bothering to look at him as you answered, your voice casual but with a hint of amusement. “i’m bored,” you said, your eyes still fixed on the horizon, the sky still stubbornly blue with no trace of the sunrise. “i’ve always wanted to watch the sunrise. figured tonight was as good a time as any.”

you stretched slightly, feeling the coolness of the morning air nipping at your skin, but the warmth from sukuna’s presence still lingered beside you. despite the late hour and everything that had happened, you weren’t quite ready to leave yet. the quiet was peaceful, and you weren’t about to break it with another pointless argument.

sukuna’s scowl deepened at your nonchalant response, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of your reasoning. “so you dragged me out here at one in the morning because you were...bored?” he grumbled, clearly not thrilled with the entire situation.

he fell silent for a moment, then spoke up again, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “don’t tell me you wanted to ‘bond’ too. maybe we can braid each other’s hair next and exchange secrets like little kids.”

you shot him a glare, your eyes narrowing in a mix of annoyance and amusement. “yeah, sure, sukuna,” you retorted, your tone laced with attitude. “i was thinking we could braid each other’s hair, sing kumbaya around a campfire, and share our deepest, darkest secrets. sound like a blast?”

you couldn’t help but roll your eyes at the ridiculousness of his suggestion, your words dripping with sarcasm. despite the tension in the air, there was a hint of playfulness beneath your sharp retort. “maybe next time, we’ll make friendship bracelets while we’re at it ’cause you are my best friend.” sukuna’s smirk returned, but this time it was more subdued, as if he was both amused and slightly irritated by your response.

sukuna snorted at your sarcasm, his voice laced with amusement. “yeah, right. like i’m gonna sit around and act all buddy-buddy with you, braid your hair, and sing little campfire songs.” his tone was sharp, filled with his usual irritable edge, but there was something else beneath the annoyance—a hint of amusement that betrayed his true feelings.

he scoffed, rolling his eyes at the absurdity of the thought. “you’re delusional if you think i’d ever do any of that crap. in what world would i want to be friends with a pain in the ass like you?”

you couldn’t help but roll your eyes too, giving him a playful shove to the chest. “shut up, sukuna,” you scowled, your tone a mix of annoyance and amusement. “i don’t want to be friends with a grumpy bastard like you either.” you crossed your arms, a pout tugging at your lips as you glared at him, trying to hide the grin that was threatening to break through.

his sarcasm and irritation were so predictable, and yet, there was something strangely endearing about it, even if you’d never admit it out loud. still, you weren’t going to let him have the satisfaction of knowing that you didn’t mind his grumpiness quite as much as you let on.

sukuna growled in frustration, his scowl becoming even deeper. “i can’t believe i was stupid enough to agree to this whole damn thing.” he muttered, his irritation evident in the sharp edge of his voice. “not only did you drag me out here in the middle of the night, but now i have to sit here and freeze my ass off while we wait for this damn sunrise that might not even show up.”

he groaned, looking at you with an annoyed expression. “you’re impossible, you know that? this was all your messed up idea. i should’ve just stayed in bed.”

you continued to ignore him, staring straight ahead, your pout deepening as you refused to acknowledge his ranting. the coldness of the night air seemed to match your mood, and you weren’t about to give him the satisfaction of getting under your skin. sukuna could complain all he wanted; you weren’t budging.

sukuna huffed, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at you, but your silence only made his irritation grow. he rolled his eyes dramatically, looking down at his watch to check the time. past 5 a.m. already, and yet the sky still hadn’t changed much. he frowned as he let out another annoyed sigh, starting to push himself up on his elbows.

his gaze drifted around, trying to spot any sign of the sunrise, but as he scanned the horizon, his brow furrowed. something didn’t feel right. he looked up at the sky again, squinting as he took in the way the light still hadn’t shifted. it was then that he realized, with a sense of realization, that you two were on the east coast, not the west. the sunrise wasn’t going to happen from this direction.

he glanced at you with an exasperated expression, muttering, “you’ve got to be kidding me... we’re on the damn east coast. the sunrise is on the other side.”

sukuna’s expression twisted into something between disbelief and irritation as he glanced at you. “are you an idiot or what?” he snapped, his tone sharp as he finally gave in to his frustration. “did you seriously not know how the sun works? i can’t believe i got dragged all the way here to sit and freeze my ass off because you didn’t even realize we’re on the damn east coast.”

his gaze was burning with a mix of annoyance and exasperation, though beneath it, there was a slight edge of guilt creeping in. deep down, he knew he shouldn’t be putting all the blame on you, especially considering he had been the one to drive you to this beach in the first place. but his pride wouldn’t let him admit that. he crossed his arms, scoffing. “great, now we’re stuck here, waiting for a sunrise that’s never gonna come.”

you scoffed and rolled your eyes in disbelief, clearly unimpressed with his accusation. “really? you’re gonna blame me? you’re the one who drove, idiot,” you shot back, your pout deepening into a frown as you glared at him. “i was asleep the whole damn ride, and now you’re the one who doesn’t even know where you’re going. so yeah, i’d say you’re the idiot here.” you crossed your arms, your expression growing more annoyed as you continued to glare at him, the frustration clearly etched on your face.

sukuna seethed with annoyance, his scowl deepening at your words. he clenched his jaw, clearly not used to being talked back to like this. “oh, please. don’t act like you’re some kind of genius now,” he shot back, his tone sharper than before. “you were the one who dragged me out of my bed in the middle of the night for this. and you expect me to just automatically know everything about a place i’ve never been to before? you want this sunrise so damn much, why don’t you figure out how to make one materialize out of thin air?”

he grumbled under his breath, his scowl deepening as he looked out at the ocean again. the sky was still stubbornly blue, no sign of the sunrise in sight. sukuna huffed irritably, muttering under his breath. “this is bullshit.”

you didn’t say anything in response, your lips pressed tightly together as you continued to lie there, the disappointment clear on your face. your pout deepened, and you couldn’t help but feel hurt by his harsh words, especially since all you had wanted was to spend a moment to watch sunrise, even if it was a silly one.

his tone had stung more than you cared to admit, and the way he seemed to blame you for everything, despite it being a joint mess, only added to the weight on your chest. you stared at the sky slowly shape-shifted to light blue, trying to hold back the frustration that welled up inside you. for a moment, you wondered if it was even worth it.

sukuna remained stubbornly silent for a few moments, too, a mix of frustration and stubbornness brewing within him once he glaze your expression with his eyes. he couldn’t understand why you were taking this so personally, why the lack of the sunrise was bothering you so much. it wasn’t as if this was a life-or-death situation; it was just a damn sunrise. he scoffed softly, rolling his eyes before finally speaking up, his tone still sharp.

“you’re acting like a child, you know that? it’s just a sunrise, for god’s sakes. is it really that important to you?” his scowl deepened as he watched you remain stubbornly silent, clearly bothered by his words. he had never been one for sensitivity or empathy. to him, your reaction seemed completely overblown and absurd, especially considering the situation you two were in. sukuna snorted softly, shaking his head.

“seriously? are you gonna be like this because the sunrise isn’t here? we already wasted all night driving here, and for what? a damn sunrise. you’re acting like a spoiled little brat,” he muttered, his tone laced with disdain. “grow up already.”

you didn’t respond to his words, instead choosing to turn your body away from him. you laid on your side, your back facing him now, a small tremble running through your shoulders. you could feel the hurt deepening, his words stinging more than you expected. the tears fell quietly, sliding down your cheeks, and you sniffled softly, doing your best to suppress the emotions building up inside you.

you had always known what kind of person sukuna was—his harshness, his lack of care for anything that didn’t serve his interests. you had seen it in his interactions with others, like his younger brother, yuuji, and the way he treated your friends. you always figured you could handle it, that you could deal with him because, at least sometimes, you saw the more hidden parts of him, the small cracks in the tough exterior. but now, hearing his words and feeling the sting of them so directly, it hurt more than you had expected.

you knew you weren’t perfect, that maybe you had been a little demanding with the whole sunrise idea, but that didn’t mean you deserved to be treated like this. you stayed quiet, feeling the weight of his words as the night dragged on, the sky still stubbornly blue, but became lighter now, and the silence between you two growing thicker.

sukuna sat watching you, his annoyance mixing with a hint of confusion. he had no idea why you were reacting this way, why you seemed so hurt by his words. he couldn’t understand how something so small and foolish as a sunrise could cause this kind of emotional outburst.

he huffed softly, his tone still laced with irritation. “seriously? you’re crying over a sunrise?” sukuna muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. “are you that weak-hearted? you wanted to see the damn sunrise, we didn’t get to see it. so what? suck it up.”

sukuna’s gaze lingered on the back of your head for a long moment, his annoyance slowly giving in to a hint of curiosity. he couldn’t help but feel a nagging sense of wrongness in seeing you hurt like this—the way you lay there with your back turned to him and how your shoulders trembled. despite his hardened exterior, sukuna wasn’t entirely heartless, and deep down, he knew that maybe he had been harsher to you than he needed to be.

he sighed quietly, his expression unreadable, as he spoke up again, his voice softer this time. “oi, look at me.” his words were gentle, an unexpected shift from his usual harshness, as if he couldn’t stand seeing you in this state. he knew he had a responsibility to at least try to comfort you, if only a little. he had never been good with emotions, and expressing them was even more challenging, but he feel the sting in his heart just by thinking of him hurting you. sukuna’s gaze was fixed on your trembling form, waiting for you to turn around and face him, just for a moment.

sukuna’s gaze lingered on you for a long moment, his irritation slowly giving way to something more complicated. watching you curl up on the sand, your back still turned to him and your shoulders trembling still, also, stirred a strange, unwelcome sense of guilt in his chest. it wasn’t like him to care about things like this, but there was something about seeing you so small and vulnerable that twisted at his insides.

but you didn’t move. you stayed stubbornly silent, your quiet sniffles filled the air. sukuna frowned, his jaw tightening in frustration. he wasn’t used to this—dealing with emotions, his or anyone else’s. but he couldn’t just leave you like this, as much as he wanted to pretend it wasn’t his problem.

“tch.” sukuna clicked his tongue in annoyance, pushing himself to his feet. “let’s get you home,” he muttered, his tone clipped but lacking its usual edge. when you didn’t respond, he rolled his eyes and nudged your back with the tip of his shoe.

“come on,” he said, his voice a little firmer this time. still, you ignored him, refusing to so much as glance his way. sukuna let out another heavy sigh, crouching down beside you. his large hand wrapped around your arm, pulling you upright with little effort.

now sitting up, your face was finally visible to him—pouting, tear-streaked, and red from crying. the sight made him pause, his irritation faltering as he took in your miserable expression. “seriously?” he muttered, though his voice lacked its usual bite.

he didn’t say anything more, just started folding up the blanket you had brought, shoving it into your backpack with a quick, careless motion. sliding the strap over his shoulder, sukuna stood and glanced around. the sky was already bright blue, with faint rays of sunlight breaking over the horizon.

he looked back down at you, still sitting on the sand with your arms wrapped around your knees, your pout deepening. he sighed again, reaching down to grab the collar of your shirt and tugging lightly, forcing you to stand. “quit sulking,” he grumbled, though there was an odd softness to his tone. you sniffled quietly, still refusing to look at him as you stood beside him.

sukuna sighed softly, running a hand through his unruly hair as he studied your tear-streaked face. he couldn’t deny the pang of guilt that tugged at his chest at the sight of you so visibly upset even when he wanted to. he knew he had been harsh, but he also knew that he didn’t know how to express his feelings in a way that wouldn’t feel forced or awkward. sukuna wasn’t good at this, but he couldn’t just leave you there, still crying over the sunrise and his harsh words. finally, he sighed, muttering softly, “oi, enough with the waterworks.”

his tone was gentle, the sharp edge from earlier gone. sukuna didn’t have the patience or know-how to comfort you with words, but he decided to try actions this time. he stepped closer to you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you gently against his chest. his embrace was awkward as if he was unsure of what he was doing. but sukuna held you there for a moment, silently hoping that the gesture might bring some semblance of comfort.

you felt the stiff, awkward warmth of sukuna’s arms around your shoulders, a gesture so out of character that it startled you. you froze for a moment, unsure of how to respond. his embrace wasn’t exactly comforting—it was clumsy and uncomfortable, more like he was experimenting with something foreign to him.

your brows furrowed in confusion as you gently pushed him off, stepping back to look at him with a bewildered expression. “what are you doing?” you asked, your voice tinged with disbelief. sukuna’s scowl returned instantly, the hint of softness from earlier vanishing in an instant. before he could retort, you wiped your tears with the back of your hands and turned away, muttering to yourself as you started walking toward the car.

he stood there, dumbfounded, watching you stomp off. his jaw tightened, and he muttered under his breath, “bitch.” shaking his head, sukuna strode after you, quickly closing the distance between you. without warning, he grabbed the back of your collar, halting your determined march.

“this way, idiot,” he growled, dragging you in the opposite direction. you stumbled slightly as he led you toward the other side of the beach, his grip firm but not rough. as you looked up, you noticed the familiar sight of the park where the car was parked. “could’ve just told me,” you muttered, still sulking but didn’t do anything.

sukuna’s scowl deepened at your comment, his frustration returning. “oh, i’m sorry,” he replied sarcastically, a hint of venom in his voice. “did i not make it clear enough for your tiny brain? and here i was, thinking i was doing you a favor, trying to comfort your annoying crying ass.” he let go of your collar, the frustration evident in his movements as he strode a few steps ahead, grumbling to himself. “you should be grateful for even getting a scrap of my attention. you’re lucky i bother with you at all, considering how pathetic you are.”

you scowled deepened too at sukuna’s cutting words, his sarcasm and venom hitting harder than you wanted to admit, again. but instead of snapping back, you stayed quiet, scrunching up your face in silent mockery. your lips curled into an exaggerated pout, your brows furrowed dramatically as you mimicked his grumpy tone in your head.

just as you thought you’d gotten away with it, sukuna abruptly stopped. it was as if he had a sixth sense for your antics—or maybe just really good instincts. he turned around swiftly, his crimson eyes narrowing suspiciously. you barely managed to wipe the mockery off your face, replacing it with a neutral expression that screamed innocence.

“what?” you asked, your tone feigned and sweet, as if you hadn’t just been pulling faces behind his back. his glare deepened, clearly not buying it. “don’t ‘what’ me,” he grumbled, his voice laced with irritation. he stepped closer, his hand reaching out to grab the back of your collar once more. his grip wasn’t rough, it was never rough, but it was firm enough to show he wasn’t in the mood for any more games.

“walk faster, idiot, before i leave your ass here,” he muttered, tugging lightly to get you moving.

you huffed but complied, grumbling under your breath as you quickened your pace to match his. “maybe i’d prefer staying here,” you muttered, low enough that you thought he wouldn’t hear. “keep talking, and i’ll make sure you stay,” he shot back without even turning, his sharp ears catching every word. you bit your lip to stifle a laugh, annoyed but secretly amused by how easily he picked up on your muttering.

despite his usual annoyance, sukuna opened the door for you, his movements slower than usual. he gently nudged you toward the car, his gaze heavy as he looked down at you. you met his eyes, expression a mixture of innocence and just overly too cute for sukuna’s liking.

he didn’t say anything, and for a moment, the silence stretched between you two. sukuna just gave a lazy glance, then shut the door behind you with a soft thud. without a word, he walked to the other side of the car and got in, the door closing with a faint click.

the car’s engine hummed to life, and for the first time, you could feel the tension between you both, but it was different—quieter, somehow, as if something unspoken lingered in the air.

the engine’s soft hum filled the car as sukuna pulled out of the park, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. the silence was thick, almost deafening in a way. sukuna’s hands gripped the steering wheel with a slight tightness, indicating his conflicted feelings of irritation and concern for your earlier emotional outburst.

he glanced at you from the corner of his eye, stealing glances every now and then. sukuna’s brow was still furrowed, a deep crease etched onto it. he couldn’t shake the strange feeling that he had let you down in some way.

8 am.

sukuna grumbled to himself, hands stuffed deep in his pockets as he walked away from your house. he couldn’t figure out why he had stopped the car here instead of just driving to his own place. it wasn’t like your house was that far from his, but now he had to walk home alone in the cold morning air, irritated by his own decision.

“stupid,” he muttered under his breath, cursing you and the entire situation. “dumbass car ride, dumbass emotions. should’ve just let her drive herself. stupid decisions.”

his mind was a mess, the events of the past hours replaying in his head. he couldn’t help but feel frustrated—he didn’t like this weird tension, the things he’d said and done. but it didn’t matter, right? it wasn’t his fault that everything was so damn complicated. “whatever,” he mumbled again, his words lost in the wind as he trudged forward, not bothering to look back.

the door of your house slowly creaked open, the old hinges protesting softly under the weight of the door. you cautiously glanced back at sukuna, the morning sunlight casting a warm golden hue on his figure. a small, almost invisible smile graced your lips as sukuna trudged forward, his muttering too low to be heard.

with a final glance in sukuna’s direction, you slipped into the house, the gentle sounds of the door closing behind you bringing a sense of relief. you leaned against the door, a newfound determination settling in your gut.

sukuna quickly stepped inside once he reached his house, shutting the door behind him with more force than necessary. he made his way to the kitchen, his heavy footsteps announcing his arrival. there, he found yuuji, his younger brother, perched on a stool with a bowl of cereal in front of him.

the pink-haired boy paused mid-bite, spoon hovering near his mouth as he noticed sukuna’s disheveled state. confusion etched across his face, yuuji asked, “where have you been?” his curious eyes followed sukuna, who was rummaging through the fridge with a deep scowl, muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

sukuna didn’t even give yuuji a glance as he grumbled, “don’t ask.” he started pulling open drawers, searching hastily for a box of cereal. sukuna’s annoyance was evident as he continued his search. yuuji’s curiosity grew, he didn’t dare ask what had happened, but the visible frustration on sukuna’s face hinted at something more. after a small silence, sukuna finally found what he was looking for, his hands clutching a box of cereal tightly as he started preparing a bowl.

the silence that followed didn’t last long. yuuji, much like you, wasn’t one to let sukuna’s grumpy behavior slide without a bit of teasing. a smirk crept across his face as he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbow on the counter. “rough night, huh?” he drawled, his tone laced with amusement.

sukuna shot him a warning glance but didn’t reply, choosing instead to focus on pouring cereal into the bowl. “what happened, nii-san?” yuuji pressed, his smirk widening. “get dumped or something?”

sukuna scowled at yuuji’s teasing, his grip on the cereal box tightening. he set the box aside with more force than necessary, causing the cereal to spill slightly. “mind your own damn business,” he growled, his annoyance evident. sukuna poured the cereal into the bowl, ignoring yuuji’s comment.

yuuji, a master of egging sukuna on, simply grinned, not ready to back down. he leaned closer, a playful smirk on his face. “c’mon, tell me. was it a woman? did you finally meet someone who can put up with your grumpy ass?”

sukuna rolled his eyes, exhaling sharply through his nose as he tried to maintain what little patience he had left. setting his bowl down, he glanced at yuuji with a mix of irritation and curiosity. “was your friend always like that?” he asked, mind wondering to you, his voice carrying equal parts annoyance and genuine inquiry.

yuuji blinked, his grin faltering slightly as confusion replaced it. “who?” he asked, tilting his head like a puppy trying to understand something.

sukuna groaned, picking up his bowl and smacking yuuji lightly on the back of the head with his free hand. “dumbass,” he muttered, shaking his head as he turned and walked out of the kitchen. yuuji rubbed the back of his head, watching his older brother leave with an amused pout.

as sukuna made his way to the stairs, he called over his shoulder, “don’t wake me up. i’m sleeping the whole damn day.” his voice echoed through the house, leaving yuuji huff in annoyance to himself in the kitchen. “what a drama queen,” yuuji muttered, going back to his cereal.

sukuna grumbled under his breath as he stomped up the stairs, his heavy footfalls announcing his mood. the mention of you had only served to sour his mood further, the weight of the night’s events heavy on his mind. he made his way to his room, the door shutting with a sharp thud as he locked himself inside. out the bowl of cereal down to the desk, sukuna slumped onto his bed, pulling a pillow over his eyes to block out the world and the annoying thoughts that insisted on intruding in his head.

with a resigned grunt, sukuna tossed the pillow aside and sat up, his mind still plagued by thoughts of the morning. he glanced at the clock, the early hours only adding to the irritation that lingered in his mind. sukuna’s eyes drifted to the nearby mirror, catching a glimpse of his reflection.

his usual slicked-back hair was disheveled, and a faint shadow of stubble had formed stubble, a testament to his restless night. sukuna’s gaze narrowed as he took in his frazzled appearance. “great,” he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice again.

sukuna took a deep, steadying breath as he tried to shake off his annoyance. he ran a hand through his messy hair, making an attempt to smooth it down. sukuna couldn’t help but scoff at his own reflection, “look at you, acting like a fool,” he muttered to himself, his tone laced with bitterness. “all this over what? a crying face and some childish banter?”

he knew the answer, but he didn’t want to admit it. he couldn’t shake the image of you in his head, your face etched in his thoughts. it was infuriating. sukuna let out a long, exasperated sigh, leaning back with a mix of frustration and defeat. the morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm glow in the room, but sukuna’s mood remained dark.

he tried to push the thoughts of you to the back of his mind, but your presence lingered, even in his room. sukuna had always prided himself on his ability to maintain his stoic exterior, but his encounter with you had managed to crack through that facade and now it was beginning to drive him insane. his fists clenched the sheets, the frustration boiling inside him.

sukuna let out a long, exasperated sigh, leaning back against the headboard with a mix of frustration and defeat. the morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a warm glow into the room, but it did little to brighten his mood. instead, the warmth only seemed to mock him, its brightness contrasting sharply with the storm raging inside him.

no matter how much he tried, sukuna couldn’t push the memory of you out of his mind. the sight of your trembling shoulders, the tears on your face, and the way you walked away without a backward glance haunted him. it gnawed at him, each memory more vivid than the last. sukuna had never been one to dwell on things, let alone feel guilt. but this? this was different. the words he had said to you, the harshness, the dismissal—it all felt wrong. he knew he had pushed you too far, but it was the way you had shut him out, the way you refused to even look at him, that cut him deeper than any punch could.

his fists clenched the sheets, frustration bubbling beneath his skin. why was he so affected by this? why did it feel like the world had shifted beneath his feet? sukuna had always prided himself on being unshakable, but with you, everything felt like it was slipping away.

he let out another sigh, trying to push the thoughts of you back down, but they wouldn’t stay buried. you were there, in his head, in his chest, in the silence that filled his room.

sukuna hated it.

and yet, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he needed to make things right. he wasn’t sure how to, or even if he could, but the idea of leaving things like they were... it ate at him. the more he thought about it, the more he realized he couldn’t just walk away from this. not without trying.

so, after days of wrestling with himself, of letting the guilt twist him into knots, sukuna finally decided he couldn’t ignore you anymore. he had to find you, maybe.

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