#the pain before

[niragisimp]

The Pain Before | Masterlist

Welcome <3

General Masterlist

Status : Ongoing

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

[chronicpaingirlie]

tbh the ‘anything is better than nothing’ mindset has been invaluable to me, especially as a disabled person. like. half-assing things is the number one reason anything gets done for me.

run the dishwasher even if it’s not full. brush your teeth even if you aren’t going to floss. put away a single piece of clutter to make your space more livable. change your shirt and keep wearing the same pair of pants. eat a snack if you can’t make a meal.

it sucks to not be able to get stuff done as well as you’d like. i get that so much. but you have permission to half-ass stuff as much as you need. literally anything is better than nothing.

[hinamie]

I don't want to regret the way I lived

[trypo-p]

The gang's all here!

[aslyran]

Visions

[bigshotautos]

PIIP PIIP

[lilybug-02]

So much responsibility...and they failed everyone.

Bug Fact: Surprisingly, few insect species live in the oceans. Scientists around the globe are still figuring out why.

First || Prev // Next

Masterpost

[markscherz]

I put it to you that Scaphiophryne marmorata is peak frog.

Why?

Well first, it's pretty round, which is key.

Now get a load of those fingers.

Big, expanded discs at the end, ideal for climbing.

But what's happening back there with those toes? No discs there. Those are good for walking and hopping around on the ground.

Now, let's gently turn them over

First, excellent tum, 17 out of 10, no notes.

But what's that at the base of the foot? Those big projections? Yep, those are spades. This climbing, hopping frog is an excellent digger!

I like to think of these Scaphiophryne as all-terrain frogs. They're basically good at everything. They defy our categorical labels of 'arboreal', 'terrestrial', or 'fossorial', and say 'por qué no los tres?'—but in Malagasy, so 'nahoana no tsy izy telo?'

[wyrmswears]

hey so. click for quality.

speedpaint under cut:

[delicioustarong]

"You could've have lived forever!" Continuation! Oh boi, this one is angsty

Creator: @honeqq

(4/7)

Pt 1 | Pt 2 | Pt 3 | Pt 4 |

[deep-sea-anemone]

Yes, yes, Sanji letting Zoro help in the kitchen by letting him chop vegetables because he's good with pointy objects.

BUT. Have you considered?

They live in a world without most electrical appliances. A FUCKTON of physical labor goes into baking (and keep in mind how often Sanji bakes treats for the girls).

Sanji being tired (physically) and not feeling like taking 10 min to whip whipped cream. Being tired (mentally) of Zoro making fun of him for never working out. Sanji saying "fuck it" and just starts putting him to work.

The foccacia dough needs to be kneaded? "Have fun working a sticky mess for 20 minutes, asshole"

Need meringue? "No, STIFF peaks marimo. Don't tell me you're wimping out already"

"Are you even TRYING to flatten that steak Marimo?"

"Yes, it needs whipped cream. YES, I know you just made some yesterday. We need more"

Zoro's shoulders are burning but he's trying SO HARD not to lose face with the cook and meanwhile Sanji is silently losing it at Zoro's shock that cooking can in fact be a workout

[niragisimp]

The Pain Before (Niragi X Reader) Part 11

Part Ten, Series Masterlist, Part 12

Niragi's door slammed behind him as he entered his room, his mind still clouded with anger. 'What the hell was Chishiya there for?' he thought, his stomach turning in disgust. 'He should just know when to die,'  he looked at his gun for a moment before shaking his head. 'Aguni would kill me if I just shot another executive out of nowhere.' His frustration getting the best of him, he took the nearest object his hands could find and threw it into the mirror. The sight of the glass shattering didn't do much, but it did give him a moment's peace. He could break whatever, or whoever, he wanted, given the right time.

He turned when his door opened, Aguni standing firm in the doorway. "Niragi. C'mon, we have a job to do." He smiled, muffling a laugh as he knew exactly what that meant. He might not be able to kill Chishiya, but he could kill someone and for now, that was enough. Niragi followed Aguni out of the room and through the building, his trigger finger already twitching as it rested on the side of his rifle propped on his shoulder.

The people cleared the way as he walked, something he never got tired of seeing. They both exited through the fire exit on the side of the building, its alarm gone with most battery devices. The noise from the pool grew quieter as they hastened their pace, Niragi practically running with anticipation. His eyes lit up as he saw them; traitors. Their hands were tied behind their backs, speckles of blood wet on the cement. Some already had swollen lips, some resting their bloodied faces on the ground, their bodies unsteady. Niragi's excitement might've gotten the best of him as he hadn't even noticed Aguni standing back, watching him carefully as he began to beat a traitor with the stock of his rifle.

The moon had taken its place in the sky by the time Niragi returned to his room. His shirt was bloody and his arms ached from beating men so mercilessly. He sighed heavily as he unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it on the bed. He turned his attention to the bathroom, a new mirror had already taken the last's place above the sink. Niragi turned the water on overhead, unbuckling his belt and undressing. He steps in as the mirror starts to fog, the hot water washing over him as he runs his hands through his hair. He pulls out his hair tie as his body relaxes, the heat soothing his aches.

His mind began to wander against his will, the memories of the morning still lingering in his mind. He recalls the way the light hit your eyes when you opened them in the morning, the way you clutched his shirt to your chest as he kissed you. He closed his eyes when the thoughts persisted, 'She'll be the death of me,' he thought. He stood under the water unmoving until it went cold, lost in a battle with himself until he came to his resolve. 'If it's ever her or me...'

Niragi turned off the water, shaking his black hair of water. He pushed it back, grabbing the nearest towel to dry himself quickly. The sooner he delivered his resolve, the better he would be. He dressed in fresh clothes and grabbed his rifle, heading out into the hallway. Words kept repeating in his mind, words that made his heart hurt, but nonetheless, he kept repeating them. 'She is nothing to me. She can't be.'

You ran into your room, how you made it there without falling on your face you still weren't sure. Your back slammed the door closed behind you, your body giving in and hitting the floor. You slumped against the door, hugging your knees to your chest as you bawled. 'How could Chishiya do that to me? We... We were friends, weren't we?' The tears came harder the more you thought, your wails echoing through your room.

Your mind told you to lift your head at the sudden sound, but your body didn't want to listen. It wasn't until you felt a pair of arms wrap around you tightly that you realized what, or who, it was; Niragi. You could see his gun on the floor behind him by your bed, but your senses were more focused on the smell of his hair, still damp. You couldn't help the tears that overflowed harder, practically crashing your body into his.

You buried your face in his chest, his silk shirt taking on the tears as his hand caressed your back slowly. You could hear a sound come from him, a soothing one at that. The arms around you tightened, his hand stroking your hair. You could feel him placing soft kisses on the top of your head in between your cries of pain. 

The both of you sat in front of the door, Niragi's arms around you as your puffy eyes grew tired. Niragi pulled away from you, unwrapping your arms from him gently. He lifted your tired face so you'd look at him, watching you carefully. His other hand goes to your cheek, wiping away the last remnant of tears softly. Niragi gasped as you grabbed his hand, nuzzling the side of your face in it, holding your own hand over his.

You could see the surprise on his face, but the feeling had such a calm to it. You told yourself it was the warmth, but you were starting to think it was him, instead. His onyx eyes darted back and forth between yours as you looked at each other before he spoke, "... Who did this to you?" You bit the inside of your lip, wanting to look away from him. His grip became firm on your chin, even lowering his head so you'd be forced to look at him, "... Was it Chishiya?" You could feel your face betray you as his eyes grew with anger, his jaw clenching.

He lets go of you and stands up abruptly, his body tensing. You watch him shocked, unsure of what was going on until you saw him pick up his rifle. You felt your heart start to quicken with panic as he started for the door without another word. He stopped as he felt your hand grab his, pulling it towards you. Without turning to look at you, "What're you doing, (Y/N)?" he said without even giving you a moment's glance. You sat in silence for a moment, just relishing his hand in your own before you felt it tense up, you spoke. "... Why do you always leave?"

You kept your eyes on the floor as you spoke, not wanting him to see you so vulnerable. You felt his hand leave yours, your body aching for that particular warmth again almost immediately. Your body suddenly felt so cold, shivers traveling down your back. You held your breath as you saw him crouch down on the ground in front of you, his hand pulling your face up to meet his, your nose just barely brushing up on his. He held you like that for a moment before speaking, "Why're you looking at me like that?"

You wanted words to come out, but they just wouldn't obey you. You pulled away from his hand, your body nearly falling backward into the wall behind you before Niragi's arm clutched you to him. Your brain yelled at you to push away as it stared at the rifle just inches away, but your heart relished in the closeness.

Niragi leaned down into your ear carefully, you could hear the metal piercing on his tongue gently clasp against his teeth for a brief moment as he licked his lips before whispering, "Anyone else that hurts you," you gasped as his fingers dug into your waist, "... deserves to die." You felt your back hit the wall as he let go of you, standing again and swinging the door open. You rushed towards him, your mind racing, "Niragi!"

He propped his rifle up onto his shoulder as his mind gathered itself. He only stopped when he heard you run after him, your footing sloppy. "Niragi, stop!" He clenched his jaw and swung around as you grabbed his shirt, trying to pull him back to no avail. He tried to hold the anger in his voice back as he spoke, "What part do you not understand, (Y/N)?" Niragi could tell he failed by how you looked at him after. You looked so scared, of him, of all people. He said he would protect you, but at this rate what exactly was he protecting you from?

His face grew soft as tears slowly started pouring out from your eyes unwillingly. Your eyes were already so tired, red from exhaustion. He couldn't help but hesitate going forward, his mind still screaming from not following through on his resolve to be rid of you. This was why he had made his resolve; seeing you in pain made him sympathetic, angry, and even hurt, one could say. Watching you be happy made him jealous, and frustrated when it wasn't being purely directed at him. All things that would easily get someone killed in the Borderlands.

"P-please... Please don't kill him..." The look of defeat on your face said it all for him; killing Chishiya would hurt you. But why? He was nothing more than a snake in the grass, always planning on who to bite next. 'Killing him would surely be best in the long run,' he thought. 'It might hurt her now, but she'll be better later. She'll understand. I'll make her understand.'

He nearly laughed as his thoughts made more and more sense. "And why not?" Niragi watched as your eyes spilled over again, your brain turning any wheel it could to think of a reason that might appeal to him. He only gave you a moment before turning his back, brushing off the hand that held him back. "You'll thank me later."

"If you kill him... I don't even want to see or hear from you ever again." He stopped in his tracks, whipping his head around to look at you. He scanned you for any signs of a bluff; he didn't find a single one. You stood sloppily, body staggering, but your eyes told the truth. He could feel something drop in the pit of his stomach as his mind was wiped of any thought. His hand tightened on his rifle in the empty hallway, devoid of people.

He approached you quickly, grabbing your arm to hold you steady. His fingers gripped you tight enough to bruise as he stared into you, anger in his eyes. "You don't need him, I--" His throat trapped his words from being released, his thoughts screaming. 'I'm stronger, smarter. I can protect you. I'm more powerful. I'm better.'

Your words were low, almost a whisper, "He's my friend..."

"I'm better! That snake would let you die if he had the chance! Hell, he might even kill you himself!" You jumped back as Niragi yelled, but his grip kept you in place. You swallowed every fear and survival instinct you had since coming to this place. Every instinct that told you not to speak back, not to taunt a man holding a literal rifle just inches from you with the safety almost always off.

"... Th-then prove it."

Niragi stared at you almost dumbfounded, your words sparking confusion throughout his body. "What?"

"Prove it to me." You mustered up all your courage as you tried to speak firmly, "Don't kill him. If you're better than him," you took a quick breath hoping, no, praying, that this wouldn't get you shot. "Then please do me that favor... F-for me..."

You did your best to hold yourself steady, biting your tongue to stop your lips from shaking. You could feel your knees start to buckle under the weight of Niragi's gaze. "... And if he hurts you again?" He spat out his words, the disgust clear in his tone. "T-then... Then I won't question you again."

The thought was a tempting one as he contemplated. Some part of him wanted to rejoice; you would never question him again, and you'd do it willingly, at that. Another part of him grew upset, and he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason. His piercing traced his teeth as he thought about it for a moment, ignoring the voice in the back of his mind.

His lips turned upwards into a smirk as he replied, "Deal."

You felt your entire body relax at a moment's notice, your legs finally giving in to the floor. Niragi stood for a second shocked before swinging his rifle strap across his chest, pushing his gun behind him. He grabbed your arm and waist, hoisting you up carefully. He pressed your body against his trying to get a look into your eyes. They both rested closed, swollen from a day of tears. He couldn't help the feeling of unease as he wrapped your arm around his neck, placing his hands on your back and under your legs. His knees lifted you up carefully as he held your body tightly to his.

Niragi kicked the door partially to crack it, the weight of his body opening it for him. He kicked the door again, and once he heard the satisfying click behind him, he became more relaxed. He carefully laid you on the bed, grabbing the nearest pillow and resting it under your head. Niragi threw his bloodied shirt from earlier down to the floor, kicking it under his bed. He went to his closet as he heard you stir in his mattress, grabbing his favorite shirt and bringing it to you.

You felt his hand shake your shoulder gently, ushering you to open your eyes. You could tell your eyelids were still puffy and sore when you complied, a soft groan escaping your lips. Your mental state had seen much better days, even in the Borderlands. With the help of Niragi, you were sat up, slumped over in the bed. You couldn't help but feel out of place; your eyes wandering an unfamiliar room. You felt your arms being moved without your strength, a soft fabric covering you.

Niragi sighed, gaining your attention. Your eyes caught his as he stared at you, his hand reaching up to brush a strand of your hair back, his fingers lingering behind your ear.

"I hope you know how big that favor is."

Your breath hitched for a moment at the tone in his voice; it was so soft, so mesmerizing, and yet, it felt like a threat at the same time. Without words, you simply nodded in response. You felt your throat go dry, suddenly remembering what happened the last time you were in this room those many nights ago.

You were so lost in thought that you didn't feel yourself being pulled back into the bed. You stole a quick glance to your side, eyeing Niragi on your right. You hid your face in the dark as the realization hit you; the warmth from his chest was from a lack of a shirt. The deep breaths you took to steady your heart weren't much help as Niragi wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling your back into his chest.

The first thing you noticed was the heat from his body; it was soothing in its own way. It melted through the silk shirt you were wearing, right to your skin. You could feel his face nuzzled into your neck, and you could've sworn your heart was about to beat out of your chest.

Niragi smiled proudly; he could hear your heart beating rapidly. He decided to push himself just a bit further, placing his hand along your thigh. He'd let go of his anger for just tonight so he could lay next to you peacefully. Even if it wasn't how he wanted, he did still get to prove that he was better than Chishiya. It didn't go the way he wanted, no. But while the snake was in his room alone, Niragi had you pressed up against him in his bed.

He closed his eyes as he made a new resolve, one that defied his character in every way.  It made his instincts scream, but he could retrain them, given time. He would get you to feel the same way for him as he does for you, one way or another. It surprised him; how quickly his mind could be changed when you were around him. He was so confident in himself just an hour ago, ready to kick you to the curb. But every time you came around, all those thoughts disappeared.

Niragi listened carefully as your breath deepened, your heart finally steadying. He lay there for a moment, carefully planning his next objective. To kill Chishiya would take time, especially if you kept associating with him. He would slip up eventually, making his true intentions known. A snake doesn't hide in the grass for long.

[beddybites]

more babynai and sanegiyuu… lots of emotions going on

[hinamie]

i don't normally participate in these redraw challenges but it's megumi so i'll make an exception

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Burning Rotten Bridges

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[samaraxmorgan]

Your Roommate Sukuna

“That Time We Went To The County Fair���

Modern no curse AU, Sukuna X Reader

Synopsis: This housing crisis sure is no joke huh? Rent is just too expensive to live alone, so you put out a listing for a roommate and ended up living with none other than the tattooed bad boy Ryomen Sukuna! This is part of a series of drabbles and oneshots showing glimpses into you and Sukuna’s living situation!!

Contains: pure fluff, frenemies dynamic, emetophobics be cautious (no one actually gets sick it’s just mentioned), Sukuna is trying so hard to be nice

Word Count: 2.89k

Series Masterlist - My Full Masterlist

Sukuna always tries to give off the vibe that he’s too big and bad for anything. Everything is beneath him, everyone is merely a nuisance, and this Ferris wheel in particular is just too bland and boring for his tastes.

He acts like you held a gun to his head and forced him to come with you to the fair, but you really didn’t; if anything he forced you to let him tag along. You just happened to see a flyer in the mailbox and brought up that you were planning to go and he could tag along if he wanted to, the last thing you expected was for him to immediately start lacing up his boots and stuff his wallet into the pocket of his ripped black jeans, asking you a nonchalant “You ready?” not even a minute after you suggested it.

And now here you are, a decent train ride later and you’re at the top of the Ferris wheel sitting across from each other, looking down at the colorful lights of food stalls and amusement rides below you. You wanted to go on the Ferris wheel first since the sun is beginning to set, the sky turning shades of pink and orange as a gentle breeze chills the evening air.

Sukuna’s gruff and uninterested voice breaks the peaceful silence, “You could’ve looked out the window at home for free.”

You’re scooted to the edge of your little cart, elbows perched on the rusty metal railing and your cheek rested on your palm, looking longingly between the colorful lights of the roller coasters down below and the changing hues of the sky, “The view’s not this pretty at home.”

All he can respond with is a hum, his arms stretched out across the railing behind him as he leans his back against the hard metal wall of the gently swinging cart. From the corner of your eye you’d swear you could see him watching you, but when you shift your gaze towards him his head has already turned to look down towards the carnival beneath you.

He outstretches his arm and points toward one of the rides, colorful lights spotted around the outside of its spaceship style design begin to transform into streams of light as the ride starts to spin and twirl around, “We’re doing that one next, too fuckin’ boring just sitting around.”

You turn your body towards him and give him a sarcastic grin, “What if all the spinning makes me sick?”

He scoffs, gently kicking your leg across from him with his combat boot, “If you throw up I’m pretending that I don’t know you.”

“Boo.” You roll your eyes at him and look back towards the fair as the Ferris wheel begins to spin. You reach your arm out of the cart and point at a ride in the distance, a large boat shaped contraption swinging back and forth before turning completely upside down, the passengers' screams echoing through the open air, “Would you go on that one?”

He gives you a sly grin, “Only if you go on it too, you didn't drag me along just to watch, did you?”

“I didn’t drag you here, you might as well have begged to come with me.”

“Oh fuckin’ please,” He leans towards you, propping his elbows on his knees and looking up at you, “You gave me those ‘lil puppy dog eyes when you showed me the flyer.” He mimics a dramatic pout, making you groan and press your sneaker onto his chest to push him away.

“You’re unbearable.”

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

The metal steps creak below both of your feet as you and Sukuna step into the spaceship ride; the walls are round and covered in separate metal panels for each person to stand with their back against, and in the middle of the ride there’s a booth for the operator with large buttons and levers. You and Sukuna find two open panels on the wall and stand in front of them as the doors to the ride slide shut, leaving you both and everyone else blocked off from the festivities going on outside.

The operator looks bored as they flip a switch above their head, the lights dying off before you hear the clicking sound of buttons being pushed, rainbow lights streaming along the ceiling in swirling patterns above your head. Blaring loud techno music starts to blast from massive speakers in the operator’s booth as you feel your balance start to waver. Within seconds everyone’s backs are slammed into the wall, fits of giggles and startled screams surrounding you in the ride.

You turn your head to look at Sukuna and he’s already grinning at you, he tries to yell something to you but the music is far too loud to hear him. You open your mouth to yell “What?!” but instead a yelp is ripped from your chest as your entire body slides up the wall. He points up towards you and laughs, you try to kick him in the shoulder but the pressure of the ride spinning is keeping you effectively plastered to the wall, hardly able to move at all.

Sukuna, on the other hand, is somehow barely affected by it; deciding that it’s time to show off as he plants his palms onto the wall behind him and bends his knees to be completely off the ground. He stumbles back slightly on his first attempt to push himself up, but by the second try he’s crouching completely upright on the wall.

“What the hell are you doing?!” You scream out to him, but he can hardly hear you over the loud music and playful screams of everyone on the ride.

He’s got a massive grin plastered on his face as he stands to his full height so casually, as if the pressure of gravity just doesn’t affect him, taking a broad step over your stiff body to stand with his large combat boots on either side of your hips. He takes a knee over you, wrapping one of his hands around the back of your neck and the other behind the small of your back, leaning forward and yelling into your ear.

“You’re coming with me.”

It feels like you’re going to fly back into the wall as he pulls you into his arms, his strong grip keeping your body flush against his as you try to raise your arms enough to wrap them around his neck.

“You’re insane! Put me down!”

You can feel his breathy laughter on the crook of your neck as he lifts you up to stand with him on the wall, his hands never loosening their protective grip on you even as your feet plant themselves on the wall. He’s holding you so close, you’re not sure if your head is spinning more from him or the carnival ride. Your arms are wrapped tightly around his neck, your head pressed flush against his broad chest and tilted up towards the flickering lights adorning the ceiling.

“Not so bad, see?” You can hear the grin in his voice, his lips brushing against your ear while he speaks to you, “Not gonna drop you, calm down.”

Can he feel how fast my heart is beating?

The pressure in your head starts to feel relieved, but at the cost of your balance as you stumble forward. Sukuna completely wraps his arm around your waist and lifts you off your feet, taking long strides backwards off the wall and back onto the floor as the ride slows to a gradual stop.

“Hey!” The operator is screaming over the music as the large doors slide back open, “You two! Off!”

Sukuna chuckles into your ear as he drops you onto your feet, “Oops.”

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

“I can’t take you anywhere-“

“Ugh, how was I supposed to know that guy would be such a pussy?”

“Sukuna!” You slap his arm, “You’re gonna get us kicked out!”

He just huffs and rolls his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest as you both walk side by side through the fair. You knew he was nothing but trouble, and you feel a little stupid for assuming he wouldn’t drag you down into his bullshit with him, but you’re stuck with him now; at least until your lease is up. Maybe you shouldn’t invite him out with you anywhere after this, but when you glance up at his stupid grumpy expression you get butterflies.

With a face like that it’s no wonder he gets away with anything.

He’s so… annoying. That’s what you like to tell yourself; it’s annoying that you can’t stay mad at him, that he gives you that smirk that makes your heart race, that he held you like that on the carnival ride. He drives you insane in all the best and worst ways, either waking you up in the middle of the night by being loud and obnoxious coming home drunk from a concert, or making you go crazy wishing he was home with you while he was out with his friends.

“Are you even fuckin’ listening?” He snaps you out of your trance.

“No.” You huff, breaking your gaze from his. Did you doze off while staring at him?

“Brat,” He wraps his fingers around your wrist and pulls you towards a pop up stall, the stall walls lined with balloons and stuffed animals, “You beat me in this and I’ll… behave for the next one.”

You scoff at him, “No you won’t.”

A small smile creeps onto the corners of his lips, “… Yeah you’re right.” You roll your eyes and turn away from him, but he sidesteps in front of you, leaning down to match your height, “Tell you what, let’s make a bet.”

“That’s a terrible idea.”

He smirks, “Winner picks out a tattoo for the loser.”

You laugh right in his face, “Absolutely fucking not!”

“What?” He gives you an exaggerated pout, “You don’t trust me?”

You cross your arms and glare up at him, “You would make me get some kind of gang tattoo.” You say sarcastically.

He mutters under his breath, “Shit, am I that predictable?”

“Sukuna!” You kick him in the shin.

“Fine, fine. Piercing.”

You look over at the plastic machine guns mounted onto the edge of the stall, noting a toppled over “out of order” sign next to the red gun. Maybe it’s a bad idea to humor him, but you know damn well he’d pick that red gun over the baby pink ones surrounding it, you might be able to play dirty if he hasn’t noticed the sign that fell over.

A grin paints your lips as you look back at him, “You’re on.”

His head cocks to the side slightly, “Really?” He looks genuinely surprised, but definitely not disappointed, “Shit, that was easy.”

He strides over to the stall, planting himself right in front of the red gun, exactly where you want him. You suppress your smile as much as you can as you walk up beside him, wrapping your finger around the trigger of the pink gun next to him. He’s looking down at you so cocky as the game attendant counts down for you both to start.

“Three!”

“You know…” He leans down towards you to speak into your ear.

“Two!”

“I know a guy who does eyelid piercings.” He states smugly.

“One!”

Like clockwork, you start peppering through the balloons while his gun immediately jams.

His brows furrow in frustration and you look towards him, giving him a mischievous smirk, “You’ll have to give me his number.”

As the game comes to a fast end, you learn that Sukuna is such a sore loser, grumbling about how that was “fucking rigged” and that you’re “a dirty little cheater,” but you couldn’t wipe the smile off your face if you tried. You doubt he’ll hold up his end of the bet, and you’re not really that concerned about it to be honest, that frustrated look on his face is more than enough of a prize.

“Yeah yeah,” You giggle, “I’m just the worst huh? I’m gonna run to the bathroom, how about you win me something while I’m gone?”

He shoots a glare down at you, “No promises.”

“Oh yeah, because you fucking suck at these games, right?” Your bottom lip is caught between your teeth in a futile attempt to keep a straight face, you just can’t help but smile, it’s a nice change of pace for you to be the one getting on his nerves for once.

“Such a fuckin’ brat.”

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Something about Sukuna is suspicious when you meet him back at the games. His grin has returned once again and he’s holding one of his hands behind his back. His eyes light up when they catch yours, taking long strides to meet with you.

He leans down to be eye level with you, keeping his hand tucked away behind him, “Close your eyes.”

“You didn’t…” You look up to his eyes but his gaze flickers away from you.

“Shut up. Close your eyes and give me your hand.”

You let out a sigh, shutting your eyes and holding your hand out in front of you. Your brows furrow in confusion as something cold and squishy lands in your palm, “What the fuck…?”

“You know how you said you wanted a pet?”

You open your eyes and are greeted with… a goldfish. A little tied off plastic baggie dripping condensation onto your skin as the tiny fish swims in panicked circles, “Sukuna!”

“What?” He stands up straight, stuffing his hands into his pockets, “I thought you’d like it.”

“When I said I wanted a pet I meant, like, a dog!”

He nonchalantly shrugs his shoulders, “Well you won’t let me get a cane corso, so-“

“Because they’re a hundred and fifty pounds.” You mutter over him.

“Say hello to Brat Junior.”

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”

He’s definitely not kidding if the grin on his face is saying anything, he takes a step forward and pokes the bag, watching the fish squirm inside, “He’s got your attitude.”

“Oh my god,” You rub your temple with your free hand, “We need to go get a fish tank.”

“We’ve got bowls at the house.”

“No! We are not mistreating this fish, asshole.”

“Don’t call him fish, he has a name.” He declares sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest.

You mutter curses under your breath, “Brat Junior needs a tank. A real tank, with a filter.” You pull Sukuna by the sleeve of his shirt, dragging him along behind you, “There’s a pet store around the corner, let’s go before they close. And you’re paying.”

“Hey, why am I paying for this shit? It’s your pet.”

“It was your stupid idea!”

You both leave the loud chaos of the fair, walking along the quiet sidewalks to the pet store. The skies have gone dark now, the moon making itself at home above you as you cradle your beloved Brat Junior in both of your palms, trying to keep the water in his bag from swaying too much.

You and Sukuna bicker the whole walk there until you make it to the sliding glass doors of the pet store, quiet music playing through the speakers as you walk across the shiny white floors to the fish section. You both split up so he can pick up a tank while you sort through food, but shortly after he walked away he’s already making his way back to you.

“We’re gonna have to flush Brat Junior.” He says plainly.

You defensively clutch the fish close to your chest, “Absolutely not!”

He rests his elbow on one of the shelves lining the wall, leaning his side against it, “Then you’re paying for half of the fish tank.”

Your brows furrow in confusion, “You broke now?”

“Lady at the counter said he’ll get,” He straightens his fingers on each hand, placing them together like a prayer before parting them about a foot away from each other, “This big.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“I wish I was joking, the tank is $600.”

You blow a raspberry, slumping your back against the wall and looking down at the goldfish in your palms. You’re silent for a moment, but then you let out a reluctant sigh, “I’ll pay half, but you’re carrying it on the train ride home.”

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

You hold your apartment door open, watching Sukuna maneuver the giant 40 gallon fish tank through the small doorway, “Got it?”

He grunts in annoyance, “A little help would be nice.”

“Ooh, about that,” You hold the little plastic baggie up in your palm, “My hands are full with the baby.”

He blows his bangs out of his eyes, carrying the fish tank into the tiny apartment, “Should’ve fuckin’ flushed him.”

You let out a mock gasp, cupping the goldfish in both of your hands and holding it up to your face, cooing at it, “Did you hear that? Your father doesn’t love you.”

Sukuna placed the tank onto a long empty table against the wall before flopping on his back onto the couch. His eyes flicker between you and the fish for a moment, a faint smile creeping onto his lips.

“I knew you’d like that little fucker.”

A/N: Fun fact did u know that those fair fish grow to be 12 inches long? Unfortunately this fic is based on true events of when my boyfriend and I won TWO OF THEM at the fair and had to spend $600 on a fish tank for them (rip my wallet). Dividers by @adornedwithlight

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