This Is So Hot 🥵

I LOVE THIS FIC SERIES SO MUCH 😭 I always feel like I’m going to die just how fast my heart is racing from the FLUFF 🥹💖

✎ attraction

- gojo satoru x reader

to think it started with your crush on his best friend...

genre: high school!gojo being a menace, jealous!gojo but he doesn’t realize it? enemies to lovers, fluff, gojo begins pining on you

note: thank you anon who asks for gojo falling in love with a first year! i added some spice though haha

a part of gojo's love entries

series masterlist | oneshot masterlist

Back in 2006—

There was this tiny weeny part of Gojo that was like... questioning, how did his best friend Geto Suguru catch your eye, whereas he didn’t? Like, at all?

"I want Geto."

"Hah?" Gojo arched a righteous brow, swiftly turning your way—feeling the stings of irritation gnawing at him. "What?"

You shot him a look. “I said, you suck and I’m lamenting that I’m paired with you instead of Geto for this mission.”

Once upon a time, you did hate him for obvious reasons as other people do. He was obnoxious, boastful and overall grating on your nerves.

Well, actually, “hate” would be too strong of a word, so probably “dislike greatly” it is.

“Ehh, Suguru? With you?” Gojo glanced at you, purposefully scrunching his face into a mocking sneer. “No way. Absolutely not. Incompatible. I won’t give him my blessings.”

“Who are you to grant blessings?” you hissed with a bulging vein of frustration. “And no, it's not what you think! I—” you wanted to kick yourself for stumbling over your words, “—I just respect him in a way an underclassman would!”

Gojo let out a strained laugh.

To him, you were this cute little junior who looked funny when mad. Riling you up was on his daily to-do list, and poking fun at your obvious crush on his best friend was supposed to double the fun, until it made him wonder despite himself... just what exactly did Suguru have that he apparently lacked, leading you to always follow him with your eyes, whereas you spared him with nothing but glares and sharp retorts?

You didn’t exactly hide your feelings. Whenever Geto was nearby or greeted you in the mornings, you'd blush like a tomato. It was silly, because Gojo was sure his best friend’s type wasn’t a girl as skittish as you—surely, it must be someone as vivacious as Inoue Waka.

He knew you were doomed to fail.

"I suggest you go pick up some slack," he teased. "Better if you don't become a dead weight while assisting him in missions, no?"

He knows. Really.

"...do you know that there are only three things I can't stand here?"

"And those are?"

But...

"Your stupid glasses, your Limitless—and you."

He was still irked, regardless.

"Well, poor you, then," he shrugged, shit-eating grin on his face. This time he pushed his luck. "Do you know that you're nowhere nearing Suguru's type?"

Scratch that. You hate him. You turned to him with a reddened face, and it wasn't because you were blushing.

"I'm going by myself!" you declared, seething. "I couldn't care less about what you're about to do—I'm finishing this and going home!"

With that, you you marched towards the haunted house, paying no heed to his taunts behind you.

You felt a wave of embarrassment washing over. Gojo always messed with you and normally you would chalk it up as one of his shits—but this time, you didn't appreciate how he touched on that sore spot of your not-so-hidden infatuation with Geto. So what if you weren't his ideal type? He didn't have to be mean!

But soon you regretted leaving his side, as a monstrous cursed spirit quickly chased you out.

Gojo was still outside, bidding his time. He merely huffed when he heard you screaming in fear.

He was ready with a jab. "Well, well... Look who's running back into my arms—"

But his smirk quickly fell when he saw the cursed entity was apparently way beyond your level. You ran out—no, by some idiotic impulse of survival, you actually leapt out of the two-story window and almost fell flat on your face and broke your bones, but before then, he sprung to action, catching you, wrapping one arm on your waist.

You were grateful you that you weren't doomed—until you felt yourself dangling mid air in his hold... like a cat.

"Gojo!" you wailed. "I'm going to fa—!"

Oh, but Gojo was convinced that this was his moment to shine. He directed a smirk your way as the bright blue mass in his hand totally caught your attention. With one swift flick of his hand, he muttered the mantra for Blue, and exorcised the cursed spirit in one go.

He marveled at his own show of power—and hoping that somehow, you would too. Then, he placed his hand under your knees, repositioning you in a princess-carry, and the way your gentle curves nestled snugly in his arms sparked some intriguing thoughts in him.

Your wide, crystal-clear eyes gazed at him with such wonder. Red tinted your cheeks. The corners of his mouth curved into a winning smile.

It was at that exact moment when he realized it: he wants you. This funny girl who often made his day, he wanted you to look at his way too.

...but goddamnit, you like Suguru.

"Well, not that scary now with me around, isn’t it?" he boldly announced, and your amazed expression immediately turned into a cute frown.

"Thanks," you blurted, still with rosy cheeks and looked frazzled, but then you realized the state you were in his arms. "But—put me down!"

"Ehhh, I will if your feet can reach the ground!"

Who cares if you like Suguru? As he burst into snickers and you screamed at his face, Gojo Satoru decided then and there—in that spring of 2006—that he would make it his mission to win you over. To make you his.

And years later, not only he achieved that but also so much more—a ring on your finger serving as the testament to his success.

Epilogue

"Yaga-sensei," Geto sighed wearily. "Can I be paired with Shoko, please?"

"Geto-san, wait, please—" you frantically tried to explain, glaring at Gojo in the process. "I'll do my best so—"

"You're such a bother, even Suguru doesn't want to go on missions with you," the white-haired clown remarked with an evil grin. "Right, Suguru?"

"No, Satoru—"

"Well, but if it's me, I'll gladly mentor and teach you though~"

"I don't want you! You're so insufferably annoying!"

"Yaga-sensei, can I please get paired with someone else—"

my love 🫶🏻

Silent Love: Ch. 6 - "Forgiveness"

⊹ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ Chapter Four

Previous Chapter: "Good Guy."

Chapter One: New Roommate(s)

Master-List: Here!

.・゜゜・ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ ╰┈➤ Sukuna x Reader

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙ Sypnosis:

When moving out of your dorm and leaving your eccentric roommate goes to shit, you're offered by one of her friends to move in with him... for free! That is, if you don't mind living with two completely opposite college boys.

However, life isn't that easy, and there's a hot asshole around the corner to piss you off. Especially when he's always up late at night when you're studying, purposely trying to get on your nerves in the most perverse way possible.

You hate him.

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙ Genre:

College/Modern World AU. Multiple parts.

Shameless Smut, Thin Walls, Mildly Dubious Consent, Roommates Fluff and Crack, Slice of Life, Kinda Slow Burn, Oral Sex Vaginal Sex, Slight Age Difference, Degradation Fake/Pretend Relationship, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Enemies to Lovers, Spit Kink, Angst, Hurt/Comfort.

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙ Word Count: 27,169

･ ｡ﾟ☆:  *･ November 14th, 2023 ☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Wednesday

You keep your eyes closed, ankles crossed while sitting down on the toilet. Your fingers play with the end of your sweatshirt while Uraume kneels before you, their thumb pads softly working into the eyelid of your eyes. Softly rubbing left and right, and up and down. 

“This always helps with swelling.” Their voice is monotone, holding no emotion or form of expression. “Cooling them down is good for a short amount of time, but it can strain the eyes and be uncomfortable. Rubbing them gently removes the fluids that have built up.” 

Uraume is completely different from when you first met them. They’re more collected, calm, emotionless, and put together. They haven’t so much as smiled yet, nor do they even sound human. They’re also wearing something more formal, a white button up shirt, and some nice black pants. You feel like a child next to them, messy and disorganized. 

You sheepishly nod, “I didn’t know that.” 

“You most likely haven’t cried enough to know that.” Uraume tells you, pulling their hands away from your face in exchange for a cool damp cloth. “These are things you learn with experience, much rather time.”

You tilt your head, “Have you cried enough?” 

Uraume pauses for a moment, before responding, “Not me, no.” The stand up, tossing the wet cloth in the sink and it hits the bowl with a gross splat. Then, they add, “But, someone I used to tend to, yes.” 

You nod, fluttering your eyes open, you immediately notice how much lighter your eyes feel, along with your vision being a bit better. You push yourself off the toilet seat lid, moving to the mirror and looking at yourself. 

Uraume’s standing next to you, looking at you through the mirror. “Looks good enough for the day, wouldn't you agree?” They grab their rolled up sleeves, and pull them down, making sure that the cuffs of their nice shirt rest perfectly at their wrist. 

You nod, the tips of your fingers moving to the corners of your eyes. They’re still a bit irritated, but the swelling is practically gone, along with your eyes, no longer bloodshot, more tired or high looking. “Yeah, it looks good.” You smile slightly. 

Uraume nods satisfied, “That’s good.” They sigh to themselves, closing their eyes with a bit of exhaustion, their hand pressing against their mouth, mumbling, “This is getting to become my normal again.” They open the restroom door and leave the small room. 

You follow after, blinking a few times, “Is there…?” You watch as Uraume makes way to the kitchen, opening the plastic bag they brought with them. “Uhm… are you? Is there something you’re here for?”

Uruame nods, placing the things on the table. “Of course, I’m here for Sukuna.” They place the final item, and you quickly observe they’re the ingredients for cookies. 

Cookies?

“Oh, well, I’m sorry but…” You move to the island, resting your weight on it, “Sukuna’s not here, and I have no idea when he’s coming back.” You pass them an unsure smile, “If you want, you can stay and wait, but I don’t know how long you’ll be waiting.” 

“I’m aware.” Uraume tells you, discarding the plastic bag, “He’s currently at my place, he’s going to return later today.” They pull out their phone, typing something. You can’t deny you’re jealous, especially knowing that Sukuna spent the night there. 

Wait, what? 

Now, you’re a bit confused, why would Uraume come here for Sukuna while he’s at their house? “Oh, did he tell you that?” You lean back and forth, a bit anxious at the thought of Sukuna coming home. “He hasn’t told me, or Yuuji anything.” 

“No.” Uraume tucks their phone in their pockets, “I just told him. He should be here in an hour or two.” They shrug, “However long it takes for him to get out of bed.”  

You tense, “Oh, uhm. Okay.” You twist your feet to the hall, ready to leave. “I’ll be in my room if you need anything–” 

“I do.” Uraume points at the items on the island counter, “I’m making something, it’d be nice to have an extra pair of hands.” Their finger taps expectantly on the counter, almost impatiently. They want you to stay, and you don’t want to stay. The idea of Sukuna coming home has you anxious, and avoidant, you really don’t want to see him right now. 

“Oh, uhm…” You thickly swallow, shakily pointing at Yuuji’s room, “If you want… I can go grab Yuuji?” You pass them an unsure smile, letting your hand fall to your side again. 

Uraume shakes their head, “No. Your help is good. Come on.” They point at the butter, it’s two sticks. “Put those in the fridge for me, I have a feeling they’re close to melting.” You pass them an unsure look, naturally turning to go to your room, only for Uraume to say, “I’m trying to help you feel better, you’re being a brat.” 

You blink at their abruptness, before slowly nodding, “Okay.” You grab the two slabs of butter, and move them to the fridge. “Bossy.” You whisper, shutting the fridge behind you. 

“No, not at all, just trying to help you.” Uraume says, reaching into their personal bag and pulling out a headband, “People tend to drown in their emotions if they don’t have anything to distract them.” Their hair is now out of their face, “Besides, everyone likes making cookies.” They blink at you.

You roll your eyes at that, you’re sure Sukuna doesn’t like cookies, he’s too brittle for that. You cross your arms over your chest, huffing a small bit.

“Even Sukuna.” Uraume quips mindlessly. “Although, he is picky about how they’re made. But, he’s like that with all food, it needs to be perfect, or it goes in the trash.” Despite the content matter, Uraume doesn’t sound like they’re complaining, it sounds more mindful if anything. 

You laugh a bit, “Am I really that readable?” 

“People tend to be when they’re mad.” 

“Really?” You lean on the fridge, biting the inside of your cheek, trying to find a kind way to phrase your words. “Uhm, Uraume, I appreciate the attempt to make me… uh, feel better, but I’m not interested.” You place your hands behind your back, “I’m sure Sukuna would be more than happy to help–” 

“He told me what happened.” Uraume says, reading your face, seeing the way your face burns. “He told me everything. Including what occurred at the party.” Which… they already had a faint idea of what occurred. 

“Oh.” You don’t know what to say anymore and Uraume knows that. “I’m surprised, I didn’t take him as someone to talk about such things.” It’s a slight jab at Sukuna, but it’s the least he owes you, right? 

“He doesn’t.” Uraume moves around the island, “Although, as of yesterday, he’s become much better at it.” Uraume tilts their head at you, narrowing their eyes. “Any idea to why?” You divert your eyes at that implication, shaking your head. “I’m sure you’re aware, but back when he moved out, he moved in with me, I was the friend who took him in.” 

That makes you gasp, “You’re… So, you two lived together during–” 

“Yes.” Uraume looks down, “Yesterday, I’ve never seen him so… vulnerable. It’s endearing, as his friend, but very odd to witness.” They hesitate to say, “It’s almost as if I’m reliving my youth. Dealing with Sukuna back when he was a teen and first moved in with me.” 

You feel your chest flutter, “Wait, you mean…?” You play with the end of your shirt, your face slowly heating up. “He’s also hurt by what happened?... He cares about what happened?” Uraume can sense your flattery, it’s as easy to read as a children’s book. 

Uraume turns away from you, chin resting on the palm of your hand. “I didn’t say that, but if that’s how you take it.” They reply emotionlessly, not bothering to look at you. 

You’re trying to hide a smile, but are miserably failing. Which makes you turn away from them altogether, “Can you tell me… what he said?” Your fingers are toying with each other. 

“No.” They push themselves away from the chair, moving towards the ingredients on the table. “Are you going to help me with these cookies?” They pass you an expecting look, a bit hurriedly too. 

You move after them, softly saying “I can’t cook.” You’re a bit embarrassed by that confession, even though you’ve said it close to a million times now. 

Uraume softly sighs, letting their head fall in a tilt, “I don’t think that matters, Su–” Uraume pauses for a moment, before awkwardly adding, “It’s cookies.” They grab some bowls from the cabinets, placing them on the table lightly. “You can’t mess up cookies.” 

You rub your arm, “You’d be surprised.” You open the drawers and pull out some mixing supplies, along with falling to the floor cabinets to pull out the electric mixer. You didn’t think there was one, but checked just in case, which thank god you did. 

Uraume doesn’t respond, just grabs the sticks of butter and uses a butter knife to cut them into chunks. You take this time to ask more questions, “Sukuna likes your cooking?” You tilt your head to the side, “But, needs things to be perfect?” 

Uraume nods, “Yes.” 

“How did he know your cooking was perfect?” You grab some paper towels and place them on the counter, allowing Uraume to place the blocks of butter on them. 

“He didn’t, and it wasn’t.” Uraume almost smiles to themself, recalling back to those times. “And he wouldn’t eat anything I made for quite some time. Sometimes he would starve himself, which I forced him to eat before he died in my house.” 

You laugh, and Uraume adds, “Could you imagine that? Cleaning a dead body?” They shiver, “The absolute time and mess it would be, the smell?...” They wrinkle their nose, before relaxing, “Is what I would say about anyone else, but it’s Sukuna.” 

You lean on the counter, a bit of dread filling your stomach. “You… like Sukuna?” 

“I love Sukuna, more than myself, actually.” That makes your stomach drop, twisting into something gross and unnerving. Uraume shakes their head, “Not like your type of love, mine is more… admiration, if anything.” 

“Oh?” You tilt your head to the side, “You admire Sukuna.” 

“Of course.” Uraume went through something similar to him, but was much more… crushed by the situation. Sukuna handled it far better than they did, which was admirable to Uraume. They hesitate, but add a small, “Sukuna admires you…” 

“Really?...” You turn away, cheeks burning, and heart racing. However, you don’t dwindle on it for too long, you’re quick to change the discussion. “So, how did Sukuna grow to like your cooking?” You tap your finger against the table, the action creating a small noise of which Uraume absolutely despises. 

“He had no money, nor anything to eat.” They toss some of the butter cubes into the bowel, passing you an empty one and silently ushering you to do the same. “Yet, that didn’t stop him. Like I said, he almost starved. But, I cared enough to force him to eat.” 

You nod, mimicking their actions and placing the butter in your bowl. “So, you learned how to cook for him?” You push your bowl in their direction. 

Uraume grabs some sugar, pouring some into their bowl, and pouring an equal amount into yours, “Yes. I learned exactly how to cook for Sukuna’s taste.” They sigh a bit, “It was difficult the first few tries, good food would go to waste, but I managed to get it “perfect” soon enough.” 

“How did you make it, “perfect?” Sounds a bit impossible.” 

Uraume adds brown sugar to both the bowls, eyeing the amount. “I don’t know.” Uraume passes you a whisk, mixing their batch which entitled you to do the same. “One day, after his constant comments on how to make the food, I served it to him, and he ate it.” 

You struggle a bit to mix the ingredients, before finding a rhythm that is good for you. “Hm. Sounds like Sukuna.” You smile a bit, but immediately hide it, “He’s bi-polar as hell.” 

Uraume quickly breathes out of their nose, “Sure.” They tap their whisk on the side of the bowl, their free hand spinning the container while expertly twisting their hand and mixing the batter, “Although, I have a suspicion it wasn’t the food that was…‘not perfect.’” 

“What does that mean?” You glance at both your bowls, and notice yours doesn’t look as nice as Uraume’s. You start mixing with a bit more purpose. Uraume doesn’t respond, just taps their whisk on the edge, then takes yours to do the same. 

“Does he feel bad?” You ask, watching them mix your bowl. 

Uraume pauses, before finally removing the whisk, tapping the edge of the bowl and placing the whisk to the side. “You’ll see.” They add an egg along with vanilla extract in both bowls, handing you the items again. 

You smile a bit, you know you should feel bad, Uraume is silently telling you that he is hurt over the situation, but that makes you a bit happy. Knowing that he’s in pain, just like you, maybe even crying, makes you happy. Because, it means one thing. Sukuna does care for you. 

—- 

You cringe, eyeing your burnt cookies, and Uraume’s perfect ones. You grab one of your cookies, tapping it on the pan, it’s solid. You drop the cookie, “I told you I was bad at cooking.” You pout slightly. 

“Like I said before, I don’t believe it matters.” Uraume grabs one of your cookies, breaking off a piece, and popping it into their mouth. You can hear the loud crunching, before they pause, close their eyes, reach for a paper towel, and silently spit the cookie inside the towel. 

“I’m sorry.” You say, but smile ever so slightly, you find the situation a bit amusing. “I swear, only I would be able to find a way to ruin cookies.” You pick up the remaining piece, popping it in your mouth, only to split it back out into your hand. Wow, those are horrible.

Uraume nods, tossing the paper towel out, “It’s just a matter of practice.” They sigh, looking at the two trays, “I suppose we can toss them out and say you made mine.” They put their hand to their chin in thought. 

“No! Why would we do that!” You take one of Uraume’s cookies, “You’re being ridiculous. Here, let me just–” Your heart stops when your head the garage door opens, Sukuna’s engine revving. You feel an indescribable worry shot through your body, forcing yourself to freeze. 

Uraume’s leaning on the island counter, chin resting on their palm while they’re looking at you. “Too late, it seems that Sukuna’s home already.” They’re watching you so intently, you’re a bit unnerved by it, are they…? Are they waiting to see what’s going to happen?

“Cookies?” Sukuna asks, closing the door behind him. 

You jump, turning back to look at him. Sukuna’s eyes are already on you, and unlike normal, he’s looking directly at your eyes. His hands twitch as his sides, unsure of what to do. You’re looking at his eyes too, they look familiar. They look like yours.

Sukuna raises his hand, and weakly waves. 

You mimic him, passing him a weak smile. “Hi.” 

“She made cookies for you.” Uraume cocks their head to the side, gesturing at the two trays. “She left the first batch in for two long, and insists on making a second batch for you.” They pull the headband off their head, letting their hair fall in their face. 

You blink at this, turning over your shoulder to say, “No, that’s a lie, Uraume made one batch, I made the other.” You can’t look at Sukuna, you only mumble with a flushed face, “I messed up my batch… for you.” 

Sukuna finally tears his gaze away from you, looking at the trays. “You made them for me?” He takes a few steps forward, standing in front of the two trays. He makes a face at your burnt cookies. 

You feel even more embarrassed now that he’s blatantly looking, “U-Uraume made some for you, too.” You stutter, playing with the ends of your sweatshirt. You feel Uraume standing next to you, their arm touching yours. 

“It was all her idea.” They immediately press their hand to your mouth, not allowing you to add to their statement. Going so far to shoot you a nasty glare when you turn to look at them. That’s when you feel something click into place, Uraume’s helping you right now.

Uraume is here for Sukuna. 

You can’t help but wonder, did Sukuna send Uraume to check up on you? See how you’re doing and if you’re okay? Is that why they texted him to finally come to the house? You feel so many questions flooding your mind, but your mind is stuck on the implications. 

Sukuna sent Uraume to check up on you for him. Uraume is here for Sukuna. They're here in place for Sukuna.

“Which one’s did you make?” Sukuna asks you, finally glancing over his shoulder. By this time, Uraume already pulled their hand away from you, acting as if nothing had happened. 

“Uh,” You point at the tray with the burnt cookies, “The ones that are rocks.” You move to grab them, “Here, let me just toss them out, I know no one is going to eat them.” You reach for the tray, but Sukuna grabs your wrist, shaking his head. 

Sukuna grabs one of your cookies, and pops it into his mouth. You cringe when you can hear the harsh chewing, and you instinctively reach for a paper towel, but Sukuna doesn’t give any indication of the taste. He just closes his eyes. 

He’s eating your cookie? He’s eating your burnt cookie that is sitting next to Uraume’s perfect ones. The picky Sukuna, is eating one of your fucked up cookies… and why? You softly pull away from his grasp, “You’re eating it…?” Sukuna swallows, and it makes your cringe. “You didn’t have to do–” 

“You’re cooking is…” Sukuna places his hand over his mouth, turning away from you. “You really do need to work on it.” His voice sounds shaky, uneven, and a bit mocking. “Did you even try?” Is he laughing at you?

“I can’t believe you ate that.” You’re burning up, turning away from him. “And, of course I did, I just… messed up.” You cross your arms over your chest, “And, it’s–it’s the thought that counts…” 

“Dumb girl.” Sukuna replies with a small amount of amusement. 

You look at him for a second, mumbling, “Why–Why did you eat them? They’re obviously not… perfect.” 

Sukuna raises one of his eyebrows, pinching your cheek. “You made them for me, it’d be rude not to.” He wrinkles his nose, shaking his head slightly, “Even if they’re shit.”

Uraume smiles slightly, grabbing their things. “It’s getting late, I suppose it’s time for me to leave.” They turn for the door. 

Sukuna looks at Uraume, he places his hand on the back of his neck. “Thanks.” He waves, “I’ll see you around.” 

They smile to themself, “Anything for ‘Master’ Sukuna.” Yet, right before they leave the house, they point at Sukuna, “I don’t want to see you acting weird anymore.” They point at you next, “You, learn to like better people.” 

“What?! W-What does that… mean?” Uraume passes you a knowing look, which makes you flush. You place your hands on your hips, pretending to roll your eyes as you look to the side. “Bye, Uraume. See you later.” 

Sukuna nods in agreement, “Of course, I’ll see you.” Uraume waves, finally leaving the two of you alone in the kitchen. It’s silent, but not like the silence when the two of you argued, it seems more comfortable and somber. 

You’re about to say something, when your phone rings, making both of you jump. You laugh slightly, “Sorry.” You pull it from your pocket, checking the called ID. You feel a small spike of dread when you see your mom’s name, did something happen? “Wait, let me get this.” 

Sukuna just nods, instinctively grabbing for another one of your cookies, but quickly pulls his hand back. It makes you hide a giggle before answering. You place your phone on the counter, seeing her face fill your screen. You pass her a small wave. 

She waves back, “Hi.” She pulls something on the screen, and you recognize it as your driving license. “You left something, I forgot to tell you yesterday.” She looks at the card, nodding her head, “You are so cute in this.”

You let out a sigh of relief, nodding your head, “Oh, I didn’t even know.” It wasn’t like you’re actively driving, so keeping it on you at all times wasn’t entirely necessary. It was just used as a form of identification. “I’m sure I can pick it up during the holidays.” Your mom nods, and in the corner of your eye you can see Sukuna looking over your shoulder. 

Oh no.

“Who is that?” She’s trying to look over your shoulder, despite being on a call. “Oh my–is that your boyfriend? He’s so hot!” She’s signing a bit more frantically, she’s excited. “Why didn’t you tell me about it? You are so lucky, baby, I wish your father–”

“Mom!” You say, covering your face. “Can you not, he’s just my roommate.” You bring your hands down, and silently tell her, “For now, just wait.” 

If your mom could, you know she would be smiling like an idiot. She’s always been one for listening to your stupid drama or about boys, you’re sure it’s no different even in your adulthood. “I knew it, I have a sense for these things.” She nods, “You have good taste, although, he looks like an–” 

“Asshole.” You nod, “I’ll talk to you later mom. I’ll see you during break.” She nods and ends the call, prompting you to let out a relieved sigh.

Sukuna stand next to you, one of Uraume’s cookies in hand, “Mom?” 

You nod, turning your head to look at him, “Yeah.” You snatch the cookie from his hand, taking a bite and handing it back to him. 

Sukuna’s eye twitches at your actions, “Fuckin’ disgusting.” He scowls at the cookie. 

You hide a giggle, “I accidentally left my drivers license.” 

“You could’ve grabbed another fuckin’ cookie.” 

“You’re still on the cookie?!” You give him an aspirated look. 

“Just tell me what she said.” He waves you off, “I’m over the cookie now.”

You laugh abruptly, “Ar-Are you?” He rolls his eyes and nods in acknowledgement, you quickly add, “She thought you were my boyfriend.” You’re tempted to take another bite of his cookie to mess with him. 

Sukuna looks at the bitten cookie, passes it a scowl, then pops the rest into his mouth, chewing while asking you, “What’d you say to that shit?” 

You turn on your heel, walking towards your room, “You’re the worst person ever, and I’d rather date Yuuji than you.” You have a smug smile on your face, fluttering you lashes innocently at him. “What else would there be to say?” 

Sukuna scowls at you, “You’re such a fuckin’ liar.” He wants to follow after you, but keeps in his spot. “You know you love–” He stops himself from finishing his sentence, he probably shouldn’t mess with you too much right now. Especially saying something of that nature. 

You wave him off, opening your door. “You’re so full of yourself. I will never like you.” 

Sukuna half smiles, something you can’t decipher hiding behind it, but it becomes more real once he sees you smiling back at him. “Promise?” He tilts his head to the side. 

You stop at the door, leaning on the frame while looking at him, “Do you promise?” There’s a small smile on your lips, your eyes full of curiosity, but it’s tainted with a bit of pain. Like you’re looking for something in his answer. 

Sukuna pushes his hair back, giving you a boyish look, “Do you… want me to?”

You bite the inside of your cheek, trying to stop your smile from building as you look to the side. You pass him a final smile, before silently entering your room and closing the door behind you. Sukuna cups his face, shaking his head into his hand. 

He hates that he’s smiling right now. 

･ ｡ﾟ☆:  *･ November 30th, 2023 ☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Thursday

Yuuji picks up his controller remote, which is coincidentally pink, and clicks the icon for YouTube. “I usually do this with Fusiguro or Nobara, but they’re out of commission today.” He leans on your legs, his head falling back on your knees, “Studying or something…” 

You run your fingers through his hair, “I mean, finals are coming up, Yuuji.” You grab another butterfly hair clip, clipping it to his hair to hold his bangs back. “I’ve been starting to study, too.”

Yuuji groans, closing eyes and moaning, “I don’t want to study.” He lets his head fall to the side, which you quickly grab and pull it back on your knees, adding more hair clips. “I don’t even want to take a final, why can’t break just… come.”

“Don’t whine, Yuuji, you’re a smart boy.” You take one of your under eye patches, and place it in its designated space. “I promise you, it’ll go by so quick, you won’t even process it.” You nod, “There, that should feel refreshing for your skin.” 

Yuuji nods, propping his head back up and searching for something on the search bar. “It feels good.” He clicks something, mindlessly telling you, “We should do this more often, I like doing girly things.” 

You giggle, twisting your hair up and pulling it out of your place. “We can totally do that.” You place another pair of eye patches underneath your eyes, and tap them in place. “Although, I’m moving out after finals, so you may have to hurry.”  

Yuuji gawks at this, twisting his head so fast, you think he’s going to break it. “What?! You’re still moving out?” He sighs, shaking his head, “Is it Sukuna?” He throws a dirty look in a general area. 

You laugh, “No, it’s not Sukuna, Yuuji.” You pat his head, “Although the thought is thoroughly appreciated.” You watch as he plays the half time of a super bowl game, one featuring Shakira and Jlo. Of course. 

“Oh, are you two still mad at each other?” Yuuji leans his head back, allowing you to put some star pimple patches on some designated areas. “Or, did you two make up?” 

“Mad at each other? No.” You close the small container which you keep your pimples patches in, before looking to the side and thinking. “Me mad at him? Well.. I haven’t completely forgiven him. But, I’m not as mad anymore.” You smile a bit, thinking about Uraume, and what they did to calm a bit of tension between the two of you. “But, I feel like that doesn’t answer your question.”

Yuuji looks at you with determination, shaking his head. “Stay here. If it is Sukuna, I can kick him out.” He grabs your hands, giving you a curt nod. “Mhm!” You just laugh, hand pressing against his head to push him away from you. 

“You’re being ridiculous, Yuuji.” You tap his forehead. 

“I pay for the house, Yuuji. Please, throw me out, see what happens.” Sukuna snarkily adds from behind the two of you. “Maybe ask our old man for a job while you’re at it. Get you to stop leeching off me.” He grumbles. 

Yuuji flops back into your legs, groaning out dramatically while you giggle. “But I don’t want to work…” The super bowl music starts, and Yuuji springs out of your lap, raising in his arms as he dances in his spot. 

You laugh again, looking at Sukuna and passing him a quick shrug. 

Yuuji is already up again, the system remote in hand and singing Shakira opening half. Moving his hips, and smiling like an idiot. Still, you got to give it to him, he’s actually really good at dancing. A part of you thinks Shakira should’ve had Yuuji as one of her backup dancers. 

Yuuji looks at his brother, passing him an unsure smile, before saying your name. You snap your attention to him, “Hey, can you do all this to him, too?” He gestures to his face, “If you couldn’t tell, his skin is literally crying for help.” 

Sukuna’s eye twitches, “If you didn’t know, I actually take care of my skin.” He moves to stand over Yuuji. He crosses his arms over his shoulder, smirking to himself while adding, “Probably better than you wash your ass.” 

“Hey!” Yuuji yells, pointing an accusing finger at Sukuna, “I wash my face with a soap bar.” He narrows his eyes, “And my ass, too.” He turns back to the TV, wiggling his shoulders to the beat. 

Sukuna rolls his eyes, “We can totally tell.” 

Yuuji pauses his dancing for a moment, pointing at you. “Do a face mask on him so he has to shut up.” He turns back to the TV and dances like nothing happened, completely changing up his attitude the moment Jlo appears on the screen. 

Sukuna drops down next to you, making you bounce ever so slight from the weight distribution. He closes his eyes, leaning his head back, “Alright, let's get this shit over with.” He taps your thigh. 

You raise an eyebrow, “Wait, you actually want me to do this?” You push his hand away from you, “I thought this type of stuff would be too girly for you, or something?” Besides, you’re not too keen on touching him right now, you’re not completely healed from the argument between you two. Better than before, but not completely over it. 

You wonder if Sukuna is over it, he did seem relatively upset over what you did. Even if you have no clue what you did. He seems over it, then again, you can never know with Sukuna. Yet, a part of you wishes you do. 

“Just do the shit before I leave.” Sukuna tells you, eyes still closed and his body relaxed on the couch. If you know Sukuna well enough, you’re sure that means he wants to do this, just won’t admit it. 

You can help, but subtly smile. “Then ask politely.” You point at Yuuji’s dancing body, “Your younger brother had no problem doing that.” Yuuji didn’t ask, you forced it on him, but Sukuna doesn’t need to know that. “Aren’t you supposed to be setting an example?” 

Sukuna’s eyebrow twitches with frustration, but he remains silent. Which you think is much better then hurling more insults at you, so you take it as him asking politely. “Whatever.” You grab a pink headband, and place it on his forehead, sliding his hair behind it. You pick a few of his baby hairs and clip them with your hair clips. “You know, I saw you before all this, just mixed you up with Yuuji.” 

“Really?” Sukuna asks, not bothering to open his eyes. 

“Yeah.” You grab a moisturizer, placing it on the tips of your fingers before spreading it to the other hand and placing it on his skin. “I was with Maki when I first saw you.” You laugh to yourself,  “She said you were spoiled.” In nice terms, “Then, I met Yuuji, and complimented his hair, since it was the only thing that stood out to me.” You pull your fingers away, “Looks like Yuuji stole the only compliment I would ever give you.” 

“Oh, how absolutely kind of you.” Sukuna pauses for a moment, recalling the conversation you’re referencing. “Wait, that’s why you said I didn’t work to get here?” He huffs a small bit.

“I was hoping you forgot.” You whisper, gathering more eyepatches to place on Sukuna. 

“I have a good memory.” Sukuna tells you, finally opening his eyes to look at you, “I’m sure you know that, at least.” You don’t respond, just peel open the product and place them under his eyes. “Just so you know, I pay for my and Yuuji’s education. I work for our grandpa.” 

That surprises you a bit, “That’s kind of you.” You feel that's a common thing you tell Sukuna mindlessly. You place the final eyepatch, swiping your fingers over both to make sure they stick. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you leave for work.” You open a face mask, spreading it open to make it easier to fit over his face. 

“Yeah, you’re just really forgetful.” You glare at him, which clearly assumes him. “It’s nothin’ I need to leave the house for, purely mental work.” He smiles to himself, flicking your forehead. “Stuff your little brain wouldn’t be able to wrap around.” He mocks you.

You feel your eye twitch, you slap the face mask over his face. You laugh when he flinches, his eyes shutting from the intrusion. “Uh-huh. Yeah, my stupid girl brain wouldn't be able to wrap around your big man, alpha job.” 

Sukuna shakes his head, trying to hide his smile, “You’re so fuckin’ dumb.” 

You spread the mask over his face, “Yeah, yeah.” You tap his cheek, removing the small air bubble caught between his skin and the mask. “Okay, there.” You grab the package and check the instructions, “Says to leave on the skin for fifteen minutes.” 

Sukuna sits up, about to speak when you cut him off, “Ah, nope! It means no talking for fifteen minutes.” You tap his shoulder a few times, a cheeky smile building on your lips. “You don’t want to get wrinkles, right?” You push yourself off the couch, tapping Yuuji’s shoulder to show him your masterpiece. 

When Yuuji turns to look at Sukuna, his jaw drops, “Holy shit, I didn’t think he’d actually let you do it.” He smiles at his brother, hand holding onto each other while singing, “He’s such a cutie, maybe he’ll let you do his makeup, too.” 

“Both of you come any closer to me, and I will kill you.” Sukuna says with a scowl, pulling up his phone to scroll through it. “Especially, you, Yuuji.”

Yuuji wraps his arms around your shoulder, whispering, “Hear that, he’s got a soft spot for you.” He wiggles his shoulder, singing in your ear, “Maybe, he likes you.”

A pillow comes right between the two of you, but hits directly on Yuuji’s head, making him fall to the floor on his knees. Sukuna cockily laughing behind him, “That’s what you get for whisperin’ like little fuckin’ girlies.” 

Yuuji just collapses into himself, “Why… Why does this always happen to me…?” He reaches a tantalizing hand for you, shaking while he mumbles, “An.. an angel. An angel has come for me…” 

You giggle, naturally reaching back for him, but Sukuna places his body between you and Yuuji, smirking while he slaps his hand down. “Yeah, that’s one hell of a way to put it.” He picks up the pillow again, only to throw it back at Yuuji’s face. 

Yuuji’s reaching for you, again, but your attention is preoccupied by picking a new video to watch. Which… Sukuna feels a small pride in. You’re not paying attention to Yuuji, then again, you’re not paying attention to him, but it’s better than you hanging off his brother in front of him. 

Selfishly. 

Sukuna swears when Yuuji’s hands dramatically falls to the floor, he can hear Yuuji whisper, “Traitor…” Of which falls on deaf ears, clear by the way you're humming to yourself and clicking onto a video. 

“Here, I picked a Selena video.” You say with a smile, placing the remote down. “It’s the intro to her performance at the Astrodome.” You already smile when you see her waving to the crowd. 

Yuuji gains an inhuman amount of strength to push the pillow and Sukuna off him, joining your side and chanting Selena’s name. You’re quick to grab your hair brush, using it as a mic to sing along with Selena’s singing while Yuuji messily follows her dancing on the screen. 

Sukuna merely sits on his heels, looking at the both of you idiots with a dumbfounded look. You’re idiots, you two are actual idiots, maybe even mental. Still, Sukuna is… smiling. A fond look on his face watching the two of you enjoy yourselves. 

More specifically you. You’re hair tied back with a similar fuzzy head band, although yours is decorated with small cat ears and the color white. Some matching colorful clips holding back your baby hairs, and your face adorned with star pimple patches and eye masks.

You’re so weird, he thinks to himself. It’s nice to look at.

Even when you turn to look at him, passing him a face that can only be read as, ‘Stop looking at me, weirdo.’ Sukuna still admires you, passing you an expression you’ve never seen before. It makes your chest flutter a bit. 

“You look dumb.” Sukuna tells you with a smile, laughing when you push his shoulder making him fall off his heels.

“Oh please, have you looked in the mirror?” You say between lyrics, passing him a smug smile as you say, “I’m sure your blonde girlfriend would be on her knees if she saw you right now.” You laugh to yourself, spinning alongside Yuuji. 

Sukuna rolls his eyes, grabbing your wrist and pulling you down with him, “Forget about her.” He tells you, enjoying the way you perfectly fall into his chest, an adorable glare staring at him, “I know I have.” 

You naturally place your hands on the floor, pushing yourself off his chest. “I haven’t.” Your words are directed at something else, and Sukuna knows that. Still, you don’t stand up just yet, you keep your gaze concentrated on him. 

Sukuna looks to the side for a moment, “I’m aware.” 

“I have such a thing for asses.” Yuuji says from behind the two of you, making you turn your head over your shoulder to give him a questionable look. Only to see he’s giving you a mirroring look, “Woah, I literally had my back to you for five seconds, what is happening?” He covers his face, “I feel like I’m interrupting.”

“I’m trying to kill your brother.” 

“Oh.” Yuuji slowly nods to himself, “Fair.” 

You look at the pillow, then point at it, “Pass me that so I can suffocate him.” Yet, Yuuji’s quick by your side, placing the pillow over Sukuna’s face with a laugh. “Or, you can do that, too.” You place your weight on Sukuna, keeping him in place. 

“We got him!” Yuuji yells, looking back and forth around the room. “Someone call animal control!” You giggle, only for both of you to be pushed back, practically sliding across the room as Sukuna sits back up. Yuuji fakes worry, “He’s loose!”

You and Yuuji start laughing again, finding humor in how dumb that line was, while sitting on the ground. Before both you take a moment to stare at Sukuna. You point at him, “Su-Sukuna, your face…” You cup your mouth, trying not to laugh, “..Where’d your face mask go?” 

Yuuji makes a confused face, before lifting the pillow he’s still holding onto. Displaying Sukuan’s face mask perfectly intact and sticking to the cushion. You and Yuuji fall to the floor, laughing hysterically. 

Sukuna turns away from the two of you, his hand placed on his lips. “I-Idiots.” 

Yuuji then proceeds to pick himself up with the pillow, raising it in the air and recreating his best ghost impression while violently sprinting after you. “Boo!” You awkwardly get up, your feet sliding on the wooden floor as you run away from him with a fake cry. 

Sukuna just… watches as this unfolds in front of him. 

And at some point, he swears there is actual terror on your face while you’re running away from Yuuji. Practically, slipping on everything everytime you take a quick corner or round the dining room table. Yuji’s quick on your tail with another scary yell, which tears a real scared scream from you. 

You pass Sukuna a quick look, hiding behind the dinner table. And despite your terror, you’re smiling, clearly enjoying yourself, as you scream, “Help me!” Then, quickly run behind him, hands pressing into his back, “I’m calling for backup, someone get the ghostbusters in here!” 

Sukuna, does something that shocks you both, he laughs. His hand lifts to his eyes while he shakes his head, “You’re so stupid.” Yuuji takes this as an invitation to continue, this time giving his attention to his brother. Only for it to seriously fail and receive a bodyslam into the couch, the pillow long gone. 

Your jaw drops, watching–almost in slow motion–as Yuuji drops, presumably, dead in his spot. His hand dramatically falling limp by his head, his head falling to the side with it. He mumbles, “Brother…?” He blinks, his other hand touching his face, “Is this heaven?” 

“It’s hell.” You quickly perk in, sitting by his head, “I hope you had fun Yuuji, because it’s nothing but suffering and fire from here on out.” You laugh to yourself, pulling his head into your lap. “I swear, you’re always dying on me, Yuuji. It’s like you’re trying to escape from me.” 

Yuuji covers his face with his forearm, “You’ve finally figured me out…” 

You slap his arm, Sukuna sitting on his legs, which you have to think is painful, but Yuuji doesn’t flinch. “Rude.” You mumble, pulling his arm off his face, “What were you saying?” You silently scold Sukuna for sitting on his brother's legs, but he doesn’t move. 

Yuuji’s eyebrows furrow, him looking to the side in thought. “What was I saying?” his eyes land on the screen, watching as Selena finishes her final song to the intro of her performance. “Oh!” He sits up, “Asses.” He says with full confidence. 

You tilt your head to the side, passing Sukuna an unprepared look, before repeating his words with uncertainty, “Asses?” There’s a small laugh hidden behind your words. 

“Asses.” Yuuji asserts, “I have a thing for asses.” 

You nod your head, eyes wide, “Wow. That’s… amazing, Yuuji.” You give him a forced smile, as if he were a toddler passing you a horribly drawn drawing, “I didn’t need to know that.” You stand up, almost pushing Yuuji off the couch as you do so. 

Yuuji throws finger guns at you, clicking his tongue, “Well, now you do.” He falls back down, taking your place on the couch. Yuuji passes you, what he thinks is a charming smile, but looks more scary if anything.  “By the way, you have an amazing–” 

Sukuna hits the back of Yuuji’s head, “Learn to shut your fuckin’ mouth, Yuu.”

Yuu? Is that a nickname Sukuna calls Yuuji? You’ve never heard it before. You put your hand out, “Wait, Sukuna, let the boy speak.” You shrug, turning your attention back to the screen, “He may say something that I want to hear.” You scroll through the related videos, and try to pick another song to listen to. 

Yuuji passes Sukuna a smug smile, “Yeah, Sukuna.” 

Sukuna just rolls his eyes. You give up on finding a video, and place the controller in Sukuna’s hands, silently telling him to pick something. Then, you sit on the ground next to the coffee table, since both boys are taking up the couch. 

Yuuji pulls his legs from under his brother and stretches them, pulling out his phone in the meantime. Yuuji calls your name, “Are you free the whole next week?” You just give a halfhearted shrug. “Well, if you are, Nobara and Megumi are planning on meeting up in the library for the whole week, to study. They just texted me about it.” 

You watch as Sukuna begins searching for a song to listen to. “Oh, that actually sounds really nice, I’d totally be–” You pause, thinking for a moment, “Wait, I can’t on Monday and Wednesdays, I have my club.” You groan at that thought. 

Yuuji tilts his head to the side, “Wait, I thought you liked going to your club?” 

You turn to look at him over your shoulder, “No, I do. Believe me, I do.” You sigh, “But, I have to go to every club meeting since no one wants to cover for me. It’s honestly so exhausting. Like, you don’t even have to do much, you just have to check roll-call, yet no one seems to want to take on the small work load. “And with finals coming up, I really need a break.” 

Yuuji hums, pouting ever so slightly, “Sorry to hear that, if you want, I can take your spot.” 

You laugh, shaking your head while turning back to the TV, only to see a video playing. “I feel it coming.” By, The Weekend. You hum to yourself, already nodding your head to the beat. You smile to yourself, “Tell me what you really like.” 

Yuuji nods with you, skipping a few lines before adding, “Just take it step by step.” He pushes himself off the couch, crawling next to you, “You’ve been scared of love, and what it did to you.” He bumps into your shoulder, making you nod in sync with him.

“I feelin’ coming, babe.” You sing, this time snapping your fingers to the beat, your shoulder rolling together. The two of you enjoy the rest of the song while humming parts, eyes engrossed in the music video. Until you turn over your shoulder to look at Sukuna. 

You feel a bit… shocked by what you see. 

Sukuna’s nodding along, his eyes already on you while singing along, and now that you’re looking at him, it feels like you can hear him singing, “You’ve been scared of love, and what it did to you.” It sounds a bit odd, knowing how deep his voice is, but at the same time it’s domestic. A bit intimate to you, never in your life would you think that one day you would see Sukuna singing along to a weekend song. 

You pass him a ridiculous smile at him, nodding your head a bit more dramatically, “You don’t have to run, I know what you’ve been through.” You place your hand over your heart, which gives Sukuna some form of encouragement. 

He places his hand on his chest, “Just a simple touch, and it can set you free.” 

“We don’t have to rush when you’re alone with me.” You mouth back, swaying your shoulders slightly. 

Yuuji leans back, shooting his hands in the air while loudly singing, “I feel it coming,” Which inclines everyone to sing the final lines together with a laugh.

It may seem ridiculous, singing along to a weekend song with Sukuna, but… it feels real. 

Sukuna feels real. 

–

You stretch your arms over your head, letting out a long yawn. “I think I’m clocking in for the night.” You push yourself off the ground, accidentally making Yuuji fall to the floor. Shit, you didn’t know he was sleeping on you. 

Yuuji shoots up, “I’m up! I’m up!” He blinks hard, looking around a bit confused, “Uh, save your tears for another day?...” He lets his head fall back onto the floor, almost as if he had passed out again. This time, without you to cushion his fall.  

You laugh, rolling your eyes, “Goodnight, Yuuji.” You pat his head, which gains you a small smile from him. 

Yuuji pats your hand back, “Night, night.” He curls into himself, much like a puppy. 

A small huff leaves your lips, before you make your way to your room. Sukuna passes you a quick glance, which you return with a curt wave. “See you in the morning, Sukuna.” 

Yet, when you go to open your door, a hand grabs yours. You don’t even need to look at him to know who it is, you turn over your shoulder, the name leaving your mouth like sticky honey, “Sukuna?” Yet, your eyes aren’t on his face, they're stuck on your hand. 

He’s holding your hand.

Albeit, he is holding it a bit awkwardly, but he’s holding you. Last time you were in a similar situation he was holding your wrist, now he’s holding your hand.  A small difference, but it holds more meaning than you can ever imagine. You’ve never noticed before, most likely because you’ve never taken the time to mentally note, but Sukuna’s had it much larger than yours. It holds your whole hand whole, it's warm and calloused. It’s comforting.

It’s far more intimate now.

“You're rude.” He tells you, but for once, there’s no malice in his voice. It’s more calm and playful, shockingly. “I see you clearly have a favorite brother, pretty girl.” 

You raise your eyebrow at him, slowly pulling your hand away to cross it over your chest. “What? Is it that I didn’t wish you a good slumber?” You smile while he glares at you, you tilt your head to the side ever so slightly, “You’re oddly sassy today?” 

Wait, did he just call you pretty girl? “Wait, what did you call me?” You blink dumbly. 

“I didn’t say anything.” Sukuna says, before adding, “Besides, you’re always fuckin’ annoying, but you don’t see me bitching at you ‘bout it.” You raise an eyebrow, which is more than enough said. “Okay, fine, I’ll give you that.” 

You nod satisfied, “That’s what I thought.” You shake your head, “Wait, no, you’re not changing the conversation, what did you call me?” 

“Dookie stain?” Sukuna says with a satisfied smirk. 

“Oh my god.” You place your hand over your face, “I don’t think I’m ever going to forgive you.” And with that sentence alone, the tone between the two of you snapped into something less light-hearted, and more… distant. 

There’s a small silence between you two, and it isn’t very comfortable, nor is it uncomfortable. If anything, it’s more…. The two of you don’t know what to say. Should you say something about the argument? Or, should you leave the topic to simmer, then eventually die out? Maybe, find a completely different topic to talk about, despite how much you want to talk about the argument.

You look to the side, biting your bottom lip gently. Sukuna leans on the wall across from you, “You’re still mad?” Looks like Sukuna can also read your mind. 

You’re hesitant to say, “Not as much as before, no.” You hug yourself, “I’m guessing you’re also no longer mad…?” You give Sukuna a hopeful look, but it isn’t returned. 

Sukuna doesn’t say anything, just softly sighs. “Finals are coming up.” He tells you, and him ignoring your question, is answer enough. He’s still bothered over what happened. Still, a part of you wonders what you did that got under his skin. That makes you feel a bit worse, the fact that you don’t know. Yet, it couldn’t have been that bad, right? 

That thought makes you feel even worse.

You merely nod, not adding to his words. You don’t have much strength to do that right now. Maybe, you don’t have the strength to have that conversation right now, much rather to your own desires. 

Sukuna seems unsure, hesitant to say, “I study at home, if the brat isn’t bothering you, you should come by.” He cocks his head in the direction of his room. “I already know how annoyin’ he can be.” 

You tilt your head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “Wait, right now?” You tap your door, “It’s past my bedtime, and I’m actually really tired.” You tease. 

Sukuna scoffs at you, “No, dumbass. Later.” You laugh a bit, knowing that even though you're clearly joking, Sukuna seems to find offense to everything. “Besides, I’m going to… uh, talk to Yuuji right now.” He passed you a look that says a thousand words. 

You feel your lips part a bit, knowing exactly what Sukuna and Yuuji’s conversation is going to entail. And, as much as you are a bit mad at him, you smile at him. Your eyes glowing in the small light of the hallway, while your eyes shine bright at him, “That sound… amazing.” You nod softly, “I’m glad.”

Sukuna diverts his gaze away from you, not able to hold your gaze. “Yeah, whatever.” He crosses his arms over his chest, mimicking your stance. “I swear, you always look at me with that stupid smile. It’s annoying as hell.” 

You’re still smiling, tilting your head to try and look at his face. “What? You hate my smile?” You say, leaning closer to him, “Is that why you can’t look at me right now?” 

“I can’t look at your hideous face.” Sukuna responds. 

“Uh-huh, sure. I completely believe you.” You smile a bit, “I’m sure that’s why you called me a pretty girl right now. Just because of how hideous I am.” Sukuna doesn’t respond, but the twitch in his eyebrow is satisfying enough. “Okay, yeah, we can study later.” You turn on your heel, opening your door, “Since you asked so nicely, Sukuna.” You say animatedly. 

“Didn’t ask for anything.” Sukuna tells you while rolling his eyes, pushing himself off the wall to stand a bit closer to you. “You might actually be going mental.” He pinches your nose, blocking your airway for a moment. 

“Sure.” Your voice sounds ridiculous. Which makes Sukuna smile a small bit. You wave his hand off, turning to your room. Yet, right before you close your door behind you, you pause to look at him. Your head leaning on the door. Sukuna almost perks up at you, expecting something. It’s a bit puppy-like in a way. “Say it.” Your eyes are boring into him. 

“Say what?” Sukuna mumbles back, passing you a disinterested sigh. You just give him an expecting look, similar to the one he was giving you not even a few seconds ago. He loudly—and obnoxiously—sighs, “Good fuckin’ night, loser.”

You burst into laughter at his insult, which doesn’t at all feel insulting, but more humorous. “Bye, Sukuna.” You watch as he makes his way back to the living room, but you call his name again, just to mess with him. “‘Kuna?” 

Sukuna—visibly—sighs, his shoulder slowly raising, then lowering, before slowly turning his head over his shoulder to look at you. “What do you want now, idiot?” He’s glaring at you, but it’s still entirely humorous in your head. 

“Good…” You watch as he eyes perk a bit, and you laugh a bit, you can’t help it, really. “Good luck removing those eye masks, they stain the skin.” 

“Fuck you.” He flips you off. 

･ ｡ﾟ☆:  *･ December 1st, 2023 ☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Friday

“It’s done!” You squeal, throwing your hand in the air with enthusiasm. Only for you to collapse onto your computer, “Oh my god, I’m done.” Your eyes close, rubbing your eyelids from the strain of looking at a screen without your glasses. “I hate Gojo, I pray for Gojo’s students next year. This project is literally so invasive.”

Yuuji merely nods, a bit caught up in his thoughts. You can’t help but notice Yuuji seems a bit different, more put at ease, and untroubled with himself. A blissful smile on his face, as his eyes blink with a similar tone, he looks happy. But, not in the sense of grinning ear to ear, but in self… contentment. 

You can even see it in the way he holds his body, his shoulders seem lighter, his smile less forced. It’s almost as if you’re finally getting a glimpse at the real Yuuji, not the one he’s been trying to force into your eye. He’s still Yuuji, but more… real. 

It makes you feel warm. 

You can also see the slight puffiness in Yuuji’s eye. They’re a bit red, and the corners look a bit irritated, too. You assume their conversation entailed a few tears, but you’re not going to point them out, nor are you going to ask. You’re sure Nobara will do that for you.

If anything, you’ll bother Sukuna about it later. Noticing his eyes are also a bit irritated at the corners, too. Not in front of Yuuji, though, maybe when the two of you study on your own, you’ll tease him about it. 

You bite the inside of your cheek, turning your computer to Yuuji, “Wait, can you check it for me? I feel like it’s too personal.” Knowing Gojo, he’d probably love that. “Should I tone it back some more? Or, should I say ‘fuck it,’ and leave it as is?”

Yuuji leans over, eyes skimming the google document. “I think it’s fine, your writing is way better than any papers I’ve done.” 

Sukuna reaches over, taking your computer, only for you to snatch it away from him. “Ah, you can’t see it yet.” You’re mumbling a bit, your face growing hot, “I still have some comments I need to delete before I turn it in.” Again, you think it’s far too personal for a normal school paper, much less for Sukuna to read. 

Sukuna doesn’t bother to ask, just lets you do whatever. “Weirdo.”

“We still enjoying our Friday out?” You ask Yuuji, pulling your head up to look at him. “It’s our last glimpse into freedom for a month.” 

Yuuji perks at this, “Yeah, Nobara should be swinging by with Megumi anytime now.” He closes his computer, looking at Sukuna sitting across from him. “You sure you don’t want to come, Megumi is going to be there.” 

“You’re acting like Megumi is going to suede his decision.” You rest your head on your hand, looking at Yuuji. “Wait, unless they’re secretly dating, and this is your way of coming out to me.” You turn your attention to Sukuna, passing him a smug smirk. 

“I’ll kill you.” Sukuna says, not taking his eyes off his computer. 

You merely giggle in response, leaning ever so slightly in his direction. “Mhm. Keep talking to me like that.” 

Yuuji blinks innocently, “I don’t know, It might. I think Sukuna likes Megumi.” He narrows his eyes at you, “Wait, I’m changing my answer, she’s going to be there.” Yuuji points at you. 

“You’re acting like that is going to change my answer.” Sukuna rubs his eyes. 

You shrug, “It might.” 

Yuuji sighs, looking away from you with a red face, “Well, I’m going…” 

That makes both you and Sukuna turn to look at Yuuji, a smile building on your lips, while Sukuna bites the inside of his cheek. “I’ll…” He smiles a bit, “I always hated when you pulled that shit on me.” He leans back in his chair, letting out an exasperated breath. “I’ll take you out somewhere this weekend, you good with that?”

Yuuji tries to hide it, but he smiles into his hand. 

You lean close to Yuuji, “He loves you, Yuuji, isn’t that so sweet?” Sukuna throws a pencil at your head, to which you almost tackle him for. You quickly compose yourself, “Good thing you love him, because everyday I fight the urge to take him out in his sleep.” You give Yuuji a small smile, “You’re keeping me sane, Yuuji.”

“Who knew we actually had that in common?” 

“We love Yuuji, or we want to kill–”

“Nobara’s here.” Yuuji stands up, closing his computer and placing it in the middle of the table, which you allow your device to join next to. He laughs to himself, tucking his phone into his pocket, “She also said, Megumi bought drinks, but I think that’s a lie.” 

“Let me grab my shoes.” You push yourself back from the table, grabbing your converse and twisting your feet into them. Tapping them on the ground once you stand back up, satisfied with how they look. 

Yuuji’s already by your side, draping a blue jean jacket over his red hoodie. “We’ll be back around ten, I don’t think we’re going to do anything crazy.” He tells Sukuna, looking over his shoulder to see his brother standing behind him. 

“I don’t care what you do.” Sukuna says dismissively, “Just don’t wake me up when you get home.” His hands are in the pockets of his sweats. 

Yuuji nods at Sukuna, pulling your hand quickly to the car. “See you tomorrow.” Sukuna returns the gesture with a small wave, almost laughing when Yuuji pushes you into the car awkwardly. A small yelp resigns in his ears as he shuts the door again. 

Sukuna softly nods to himself, making way back to the table, grabbing his computer from the center. He doesn’t know why he put his device in the pile when he was going to return not even a moment later, but what was done, was done.

“To finish that stupid assignment for Geto’s class–” Sukuna pauses after opening his laptop, immediately flooded with a pink background, and a splitscreen of a google document. It hits him like a rock through a moving vehicle, this isn’t his computer. 

See, if this computer was Yuuji’s, he would’ve closed it and reached for his own. It’s truly as simple as that. But, it’s not Yuuji’s computer, it’s yours, and the google document open is the research project you did on him. 

Besides, what you don’t know, won’t hurt you. 

Sukuna hides the open webpage in favor of looking at your wallpaper, noticing what he thinks is your family under a cherry tree. But, he can’t spot you, which is a bit odd, you would assume that a picture like this would include everyone–Sukuna pasuses, his eyes landing on a small girl in the middle. 

“Holy shit.” Sukuna mumbles to himself with a smile, trying not to laugh. That small girl is you. You look incredibly young, most likely a picture from middle school. Yet, what he’s a bit perplexed by, is your appearance, a stark contrast to how you look now. Glasses, braces, messy hair, and a fashion sense that screams early 2000’s. 

Cute. 

Sukuna wonders if you still need glasses, possibly changed them out for contact once you hit college? Now, he wants to see what you look like in glasses. Would you look childish, like the picture here, or would you look more grown and dignified. Some other thoughts pop into his head thinking about you wearing glasses, but he doesn’t dwindle on them for too long. Despite how inviting they may seem. 

He opens the document again, immediately meeting with the simple words of, ‘Project, by me.’ He thinks it’s a bit improper, and adds your name for you. You can thank him later for being such a kind roommate, and–now–study partner. 

Sukuna’s eyes naturally fall on the small circle chart at the beginning, explaining the nutrients, and food he intakes. Right next to it is a graph explaining his active life, how much he works out, and practices. Along with the calories he burns, along with what he gains from working out. 

It’s far more extensive than he’s ever noted about himself. Yet, that’s not the part that seems interesting to him, more or less what he’s looking for. He’s looking for personal notes about him. Your… “evaluation,” of sorts. He wants to know what you wrote. 

Sukuna actually spoke to Maki earlier in the day, asked her about the project. 

“What?” Maki asked with a scowl, “Why the hell would I do that?” She places her hands on her hips. 

Sukuna’s quick to say your name, “Asked for an example, just hasn’t had the time to find you yet. Decided I’d help her out.” He placed his hands into his pockets, tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. 

Maki sighed, flicking her glasses to the bridge of her nose, before pulling out her computer, placing it on the picnic table where she was eating. “Fine, but tell her she owes me.” She said with a groan. 

“Nah, I’ll take care of it.” Sukuna said, eyeing the screen Maki just showed him. She did it on her brother Megumi, writing about who he is, analyzing his character, and more specifically, who he is in her eyes. “Hm.” He nodded to himself, “Cool, I’ll buy you lunch, or something.” 

Maki shook her head, “Sure, whatever.” 

Now, Sukuna can’t deny how curious he is about what you wrote about him. Along with the small comments you added to yourself. He’s quick to click the first one. It’s attached to a sentence. 

“Sukuna Itadori – a previous student of yours – holds himself with pride, strength, and dignity. Yet, contains a side to him which no one seems to view, a side that’s more caring then most would note.” 

– ‘Pride is one hell of a way to put it. I already hate this.’ 

Sukuna laughs a bit, clicking onto the next personal comment. 

“Sukuna is an individual that pushes everyone out, in fear of rejection. (Rejection – the dismissing or refusing of a proposal, idea, etc.) However, the rejection feared isn’t tainted in love, or measly relationships written in immature youth, nor is it littered from social cliques which people tend to flock to, but rejection as in the fear of yourself, of never meeting what you pray to become.” 

– ‘That’s all the professor is going to get out of me, honestly, the man is so nosey. Fail me if you need to, I don’t care anymore.’ 

There's another comment attached to it. 

– ‘Sukuna deserves so much better, then just being my stupid fucking project. I wish I could tell him that.’

That makes Sukuna reel back, his heart beating loudly in his chest. A plethora of emotions flooding his head, along with guilt seeping through his chest. It feels weird, something he feels very little of, but it’s real and drowning. You… You do know why he’s mad. 

Now, ugh… he feels a bit stupid. 

Now, he feels bad. 

Sukuna shakes his head, he wants to continue, but doesn’t know if he should. There’s only a few more comments, which can’t be too revealing, it can’t make him react in such a way as the previous one, right? So, he’s fine to continue. 

“I noted that being by the side of an athlete was going to be revealing of his character, however, I couldn’t help but notice the change of mine. I became more nervous, scared, excited, and riddled with anxiety. My personal agenda against Sukuna switching from the one I heard from acquaintances, to something I could piece together on my own. He’s brash, stoic, and pleasing to the eye.” 

– ‘“Pleasing to the eye?” What is this, 1900? I swear, just call him sexy asf, I’m sure Gojo wouldn’t care… hell, he’ll probably understand if anything.’

That makes Sukuna laugh, “She’s going to hate me.” But, that doesn’t keep him away from looking, if anything, it has him clicking your second to last personal comment. However, right before he can get to them, Sukuna notices the massive paragraph break between a conclusion, and the two more comments. 

The conclusion is simple and dignified. However, the paragraph under the break isn't so much. 

“Sukuna Itadori. A man who has managed to flip my world upside down, a complex person of which I feel I will never understand. Yet, I've grown to terms with that. I’ve grown to terms that the only individual I will understand is myself, however, spending time with some else at close proximity, passes me a glimpse into someone else's life, along with their problems and aspirations. I understand so little, yet more than most.” 

– ‘This is too personal, I need to write a better conclusion. Ugh. So close to being done.’ 

Sukuna agrees, mumbling to himself, “It’s like she’s in love with–” His finger clicks the last personal comment. 

– ‘Just say you love him, it’s not like he’s going to see it. Maybe, Gojo will give me a good grade for the confession, too.’

Sukuna closes the computer, then cups his face. 

He’s fine, there’s nothing happening right now, his mind isn’t racing, nor is his heart beating quickly at all. He’s completely calm, not freaking out at all. His…

Sukuna’s ears are tinted red. 

You’re going to kill him. 

･ ｡ﾟ☆:  *･ December 2nd, 2023 ☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Monday

You already told yourself–close to a million times now–you put your name on the document. You just don’t remember putting your name, even though you distinctly remember, not putting your name on the document. You shouldn’t think about it anymore, anyway, you turned in the assignment and–

“Madame President, are you okay?” 

“Stop calling me that, I actually hate it.” You mumble to yourself, before standing straight up. “Uh, what’s up?” You glance around, “Are there more papers I need to fill out, or something?” A boy shows you his drawing of him and you, a heart in the middle. 

You smile, patting his head, taking the paper away from him, telling him a silent ‘thank you,’ before looking at your peer. “Uh, no, there’s someone… uh, someone’s waiting for you.” They push their glasses to the bridge of their nose. Pointing in–what you think–is a general area. 

You feel everything around you go blank, the floor sinking beneath you. You want to swallow the lump in your throat, but you can’t. You force a nod, “Uh, yeah, I’ll go… talk to them.” Walking to the person makes your heart pound, your body littered with anxiety. 

Mahito. 

He’s smiling at you like a friend, waving widely and catching the attention of your fellow peers and children. He calls your name so kindly, you wonder if you hallucinated the whole night at the party. “Yoo-hoo! Come here!” 

You feel your eye twitch, your feet sinking into the ground with each step. You pass him a half-hearted wave, “Uh, what do you want?” That sounded really mean, but he deserves it. 

“Awh, don’t be tense with me, I’m not here to hurt you.” Mahito waves his hand reassuringly, before his eyes narrow in on you. “I just wanted to talk to you, little puppy. Without your owner to bother us, this time.” 

That nickname makes you uncomfortable–no, Mahito makes you uncomfortable. “Uh…? My owner?” Is he talking about Sukuna? That makes you scowl, why in the world would Mahito think Sukuna owns you? Just because you spent some time around him–and like him–doesn’t mean anything. “I’m sorry, why are you here?” 

Mahito pushes his hair over his shoulder, his smile widening. “I’m here to talk to you.” He taps your forehead, and his finger is cold, sending an uncomfortable shiver down your spine. “Also, Sukuna sent me for you.” 

“Did he?” You glance over your shoulder, looking at the children and peers playing. It makes you feel a bit sick, you’re in such a tight situation. You can’t cuss him out, nor can you make a big scene. You’re trapped, and there’s nothing you can do. 

Mahito nods, “Yup! He’s asking to bring you to the parking lot.” He places his hand on your head, ruffling your hair, which you hate immensely. “Just wants to make sure his little puppy doesn’t get lost on the way over there.” He smiles at you, “Isn’t that so kind? Wanting to keep you safe from the horrible people out there?” 

You push his hand off your head, “Don’t touch–” 

A hand presses on your shoulder, making you turn. “President, if you need to leave, that’s fine.” They lean in a small bit, cupping your ear as they whisper, “A few of the kids are scared of your friend.” 

You shrug them off, “He’s not my friend.” But, that leaves you in a horrible place to make a decision. You don’t want to distress the children, but you also don’t want to leave anywhere with Mahito. Your head is screaming at you, that is a horrible idea, and you’re going to listen. 

“What? But, I thought we were close?” Mahito takes a step forward, placing his arm over your shoulders, “Is this you telling me that you hate me? That you don’t want to be my friend?” 

Yes. “Uh, I would personally…” You push him off you, glancing at your peer, then the children again. You look down at the drawing in your hands, before softly sighing in defeat. “Fine. Where does he want to meet?” Your head is screaming at you, don’t, you’re going to get hurt, but you can’t be around children with this creep. 

Mahito jumps with joy, humming to himself briefly, “Yay!” He claps his hands excitedly, grabbing your wrist to pull you along with him, but something grabs your hand, pulling you away from him. Mahito instantly turns on his heel with a questionable look, before his face flushes pale. 

You keep your back to them, their chest hitting the back of your head. Their voice is laced with venom, “You really want to die, huh?” Naturally, relief washes over your body, your hand squeezing his. A silent thank you, and gain of strength. 

Mahito thickly swallows, shaking his head, “Let’s stop kidding around, Sukuna, you’re not going to kill me.” He waves off his sentence, “That’s… illegal.” He sounds unsure of himself, passing the two of you an unnerved smile. 

Sukuna merely raises one of his eyebrows, “You want to talk about shit that’s illegal?” He sticks his free hand out, holding it open and gesturing for him to hand him something. “Give me your phone, let’s see what’s on it.” 

Mahito seems to cower at that, shaking his head. “No, actually, do we have practice today? I think I need to be… there.” They don’t have practice today? He turns on his heel, shoving his hands into his pockets, “I’ll see you there, Sukuna.” 

You twist on your heel, looking at him, “What are you doing here?” 

“Saving your ass, apparently.” 

“How did you even find me?” You cross your arms over your chest, tapping your foot impatiently. 

Sukuna raises an eyebrow at you, lifting his sunglasses up to keep his hair out his face. “I didn’t find you, I just remembered.” He’s wearing something that fits along with his sunglasses, a black button up shirt, two buttons popped at the collar, and the sleeves raised above his elbows. He’s wearing some black pants, however, they’re matched with some red jordans. 

“Remembered?” You say a bit confused, “What do you mean, remember? I’ve never brought you here.” You glance at the person with glasses, passing them a quick look of, ‘did I?’ They shake their head shamefully. 

Sukuna rolls his eyes, lifting his hand to rest on the back of his neck. “When we first saw each other.” He turns away from you, and, maybe it’s the sun–it’s December, there’s no sun–that’s making his ears red.

You blink a few times, before your eyes widen with realization, “Wait, you noticed me?” You tilt your head to the side, trying to look at him, “Wait, are you saying you were looking at me when you passed by with your football friends. You noticed me?”

“Don’t sound so giddy, weirdo.” Sukuna finally looks at you again, but he pinches your cheek, hard. “Who wouldn’t notice your ugly face.” 

He smirks to himself, but it quickly dies into a scowl. “Looks like Mahito noticed you first.” He sighs, leaning his head back slightly, “If I were you, I would file a restraining order.”

You shudder, recalling the blue-haired man, “Ugh, I don’t want to remember him, or that…” Your voice waivers a bit, before you finish your sentence, “Uh, that night…” You divert your eyes, pulling your hand in front of your body to look at the drawing again. You shake your head, “What on his phone, by the way?” 

Sukuna looks to the side, licking his teeth. “Don’t worry about it.” He places his hand on your head, but instead of ruffling your hair like Mahito, he fixes the messy strands. “It’s nothing you’re ever going to have to worry about.” 

“What does that–”

“You’re a horrible fuckin’ artist.” He takes the paper from you, looking at the drawing. “Good thing you’re becoming a physical therapist.” 

“I didn’t draw that.” You flinch when you feel a small hand tug at the bottom of your shirt, drawing your attention to the artist of the drawing Sukuna is holding. You instantly lower yourself to his height, your hand touching his shoulder gently. 

“Is he bullying you? Mean one.” The boy asks, pointing a finger at Sukuna when he stops signing at you. A small breath of relief passes your lips, you’re glad he’s around with Sukuna, and not with Mahito. 

You laugh a small bit, a smile splitting your lips as you quickly glance at Sukuna. He’s looking at you curiously. You shake your head, “No. Not bullying me.” You pat his head, “A close friend. He’s nice, most of the time.”

“He looks very scary.” The boy tells you, “Is he the boyfriend?” 

You loudly laugh at that, shaking your head. Sukuna hands the drawing back to you, “Did he ask you if I’m your boyfriend?” 

That accurate guess startles you, “Uh, yeah? He did?... Wait, how’d you know that?” You blink a bit at him, taking the boy into your arms as he silently asks for a hug. 

Sukuna shrugs, shoving his hands into his pockets. “A good guess.” 

You narrow your eyes on him, suspicious. “A good guess?” Maybe, Sukuna and Uraume are part Jedi, or something? For some reason, that makes a lot of sense in your head. 

The boy tugs your shirt again, “Is he take you away from me?” 

You smile, “No, he will not take me away from you.” You look up, locking eyes with his mother, “But, your mom is here to pick you up.” He perks at that, quickly twisting around and searching for his mom with an excited smile. You stand up, pointing a finger at the person with glasses again, “You, go sign him out, I gotta’ deal with him.” You cock your head in Sukuna’s direction. 

“Fine, walk your ass home then.” Sukuna turns on his heel, walking away from you. 

You’re quick to grab the back of his shirt, “Wait, you’re taking me home?” You ask innocently, peaking your head past his shoulder, “But, that means that Yuuji’s going to have to take the bus alone, and I can’t do that to–”

“I’m taking you both home.” Sukuna pulls his shirt away from you, “Believe it or not, but not everything is just about you.” 

You roll your eyes, before glancing behind you. You catch a glimpse of all the people and children, before turning back to Sukuna. “Let’s just go.” You whisper, looping your arm with his, “Maybe, no one will notice.” 

Sukuna seems to smile at this, “You’re not going to get in trouble?”

“Who cares?” You shrug, walking alongside with him, “I do everything for that club, the least they can do is let me have a day off…” You look to the side, mumbling, “Maybe, even two.” You smile, picking up your pace when you think you hear someone call your name, you look at Sukuna over your shoulder. “Besides, don’t you need me to study today?” 

Sukuna raises an eyebrow, before scoffing a bit, “Yeah, let’s go.” 

You just laugh in return. 

—

You pop another fry into your mouth, “I thought you said you were also taking Yuuji home?” You shut his door behind you, passing Sukuna a quizzical look. “Unless, he somehow has powers and is just invisible?” You use your hands to feel around the car’s area for anything. 

“You’re so stupid.” Sukuna locks the car, turning it on to blast the heater for you. “I just lied to you. He’s out doing some weird ghouls and ghost shit. The weirdo.” He can see the glare you’re giving him, and quickly responds, “What? You were acting too cocky. Can’t have you think I’m goin’ soft on you.” 

“Well, you are.” You lift the Mcdonalds bag, shaking it slightly. “Even if you don’t want to admit it.” You lower it into your lap, grabbing another fry and eating it. 

“I was hungry.” Sukuna tells you. 

“Uh-huh.” You pass him a knowing look, then point at the cup sitting in his cup-rest. “Can I have some of your Mcflurry? Looks good.” 

Sukuna doesn’t even pass you a glance, “Help yourself.” 

You giggle before grabbing the cup, helping yourself to the creamy treat. You know, and you’re sure Sukuna knows the ice cream is now yours, and he’s not getting it back. So much for being hungry. “You’re so sweet to me.” 

“Nope.” Sukuna takes a bite of his burger, nodding his head in approval. Something you noticed all people–more specifically, men–do when eating. You wonder if that’s a psychological thing, or something…

“You didn’t get any fries?” You ask with a head tilt, grabbing a small french fry and lifting it from the brown bag. “Isn’t that the best part of Mcdonalds?” You take another bite of the Mcflurry, a shiver shooting down your spine uncomfortably. 

“Sure.” Sukuna looks at you, taking a bite of his burger. “If you don’t mind dying from whatever shit they put into them.” He grabs his coke, taking a small drink of the dark liquid. 

“Ugh.” You loudly groan, sinking into his leather seat. “Don’t tell me you’re an obnoxious gym-bro who’s gonna’ criticize me for everything I eat.” You twist your head away from him, “I don’t think I’m going to be friends with you after this.” 

Sukuna laughs a little bit, saying your name to catch your attention, you merely lazily pull your head in his direction. “I’m joking, I’m literally eating Mcdonalds with you.” He lifts his burger, testing it back and forth. “You’re bad with sarcasm.” 

You quickly sit back up, narrowing your eyes at him. “It’s not sarcasm if you sound the exact same, Sukuna.” You press the fry to his lips, keeping it there for him to eat, “That’s you being… you.” 

“Hm.” Sukuna opens his mouth and allows you to feed him, “Maybe, you’re autistic.” He says in between chews. He says it so nonchalantly, you didn’t even find it humorous, again, you think it’s Sukuna being… Sukuna. 

“That option is definitely on the table.” You say with full seriousness, before narrowing your eyes suspiciously, “Wait, is this a form of you shaming me?” You point dramatically at him with a fry, “Are you shaming me right now, Sukuna?

“Absolutely.” Sukuna turns on his car, “In fact, I’d call you a whole lot of things in my head, just filter myself since I know you’re sensitive.” He places his hand on your head while looking over his shoulder,  pulling out of the parking spot. “You big baby.”

“Now, we’re just going back to our previous conversation, you do have a soft spot for me.” You pop another fry in your mouth, adding, “You may not be aware of it, but you subconsciously do, which I think speaks louder than any actions, or words you may yell at me.”

Sukuna furrows his eyebrows, “You seem very talkative today.” 

You shrug, scooping up more ice cream into your mouth. “I’m just stating the truth.” You scoop another mouthful, but this time, you hold it to Sukuna’s lips, which he takes into his mouth without a second thought.

He mumbles, “And, what’s that?” Sukuna pulls his hand away from your head, putting the car into drive. 

“I don’t know.” You lean your head on the window, a small spark of anxiety building in your stomach as you whisper, “You actually care for me, in a weird Sukuna way.” A part of you wants Sukuna to agree, you want to hear what he has to say. You want to hear it more than anything right now. 

“Wait, I thought you have to eat healthy for Football, or something?” You tilt your head, “Isn’t Mcdonalds totally bad for you, or is this like your cheat day?” Not even that, but supposedly Sukuna only ate things that were perfect, did Mcdonalds also happen to fall under that specific spectrum?  

Now, you have so many more questions. Wait, no, Mcdonalds fries are fair, you completely get it. But, he’s not even eating them?! You’re just making your brain hurt right now. 

“Coach doesn’t care what I eat.” Sukuna shrugs, “I don’t care how I eat, as long as I work it off later.” 

You thoughtfully hum, “Oh. Well, you should probably write down all of this in your app thingy.” You gesture to the Mcdonalds mess in his car. “I can do it for you.” You reach for his phone in his pocket, and he naturally lips his leg for you to retrieve it. 

“My app thingy?” Sukuna questions, but it sounds more like he’s making fun of you if anything. “The hell are you talkin’ about?” Wait, no, he sounds genuinely confused. 

Now, you’re confused. “Yeah?” You tilt your head to the side, “You literally let me look at it for my project, remember?” 

Sukuna pauses for a moment, before his eyebrows raise ever so slightly, “Oh, yeah.” He nods, “I know what you’re talking about.” 

You slowly move your hands back and forth, “So…?” 

Sukuna groans, “I deleted that forever ago.” He shrugs, “I didn’t need the app.” 

“Then why did you–” 

“I got it for you.” Sukuna rolls his eyes, “I didn’t want to deal with your pestering questions about my diet. Thought it’d be helpful for the situation.” 

You furrow your eyebrows, “Wait, does that mean you got the app for me?” You end up smiling, poking his arm playfully, “Oh my gosh, Sukuna, you got an app to make the project easier for me? Is that why you were really bad at filling out the–”

“Not everything is about you.” Sukuna shrugs off your arm, mumbling to himself. “I swear, you’re so conceited.” 

You pout like a child, shoving your face with more fries before placing the empty bag on the floor of his car. “You can at least let me think you did something nice for me, ‘kuna.” You try to finish the Mcflurry, but find yourself a bit too full. 

“Kuna?” Sukuna mimics back to you, “Where’d that come from?” 

You furrow your eyebrows at him, “What? What are you talking about?” 

“You just called me that.”

“No, I didn’t.” You’re not looking at him.

“Yes, you did.” 

“Nuh-uh.” 

“You’re such a child.” Sukuna rubs his eyes, “Whatever, be like that.” 

You just shrug, scooping another mouthful of ice cream and feeding it to Sukuna. You keep silent, and you can’t help but notice the way Sukuna adjusts himself uncomfortably in his seating. “Keep talkin’ to me.” 

You tilt your head to the side, narrowing your eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“I want to hear you talk.” Sukuna flicks your forehead, “Dumbass.” 

“You want to hear me talk?” You smile to yourself, “Or, is this a silent way of you telling me you like hearing me talk?” 

“I’m used to you babbly about nonesene, silence from you makes me uncomfortable.” Sukuna didn’t really answer your question, but he didn’t deny it. Which is better than nothing. Honestly, that’s a win in your book with Sukuna.  

“Wow, thanks.” You put the empty cup in his cup holder, shoving the spoon inside. “What do you want me to talk about?” You naturally place your elbow on the center console, leaning your head on your hand. 

“I don’t know.” He rests his hand on the center console, it’s close to touching your arm. “I like hearin’ you talk.”

“So, you admit it now.” You sound more matter of fact, rather than playful this time. Because, in all actuality, you already knew Sukuna felt that way. You huff a sharp breath of laughter, “I feel like you’re making fun of me.” 

Sukuna smiles to himself, “Oh, I absolutely am.” 

“You know what, just for that, you now have to take me home everyday.” 

･ ｡ﾟ☆:  *･ December 3nd, 2023 ☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Tuesday

“Do you think Yuuji will be mad we got food without him?” You shut his door behind you, passing Sukuna a sympathetic look. “Again?…” You pout to yourself, “Hopefully, he’s going out to eat with his other friends?” You grab the trash from his car and stuff it into the paper bag. 

“He’s good on his own.” Sukuna locks the car, making way to the entrance of the house. “He can manage one or two days without Mcdonalds.” He can see the glare you’re giving him, and quickly responds, “What? You want to buy him the food?” 

“No.” You add from behind him, following him into the house. “You already know I’m too broke for that.” Sukuna doesn’t respond, but you’ve grown used to his silence, so it doesn’t bother you. If anything, the small huff of laughter is enough for you. “Do you want to set up in the kitchen?” 

Sukuna opens his room, shaking his head. “Nah.” He walks inside, “We’re doing this in my room.” 

You almost trip over your feet, your face growing a bit hot. “Your room?” You look to the side, then back at his open door. Shoving the paper bag into the trash can sloppily, a small napkin falling out. “We can’t study in the–” 

“Get in here.” Sukuna yells from his room. 

You’re quick to join him, dropping your converse loudly at his door while mumbling, “Maybe, if you would ask politely.” You shut the door, dropping your bag next to your shoes. Mumbling to yourself, “I swear, you’re also so bossy.” You naturally move to his bed, flopping onto the mattress. 

“Yeah, just lay in my bed.” Sukuna says sarcastically, pulling out some textbooks, “It’s not like you haven’t washed your ass in days or anything” Sukuna literally saw you leave his restroom with wet hair in the morning, he knows you showed today. 

You laugh, rolling your body in his blanket, trying to create some form of warmth. “Shut up.” You naturally grab one of his pillows, planting your face in it. Instantly, his scent floods your senses, making you a tad bit dizzy. 

Sukuna feels one of his eyebrows twitch, his face a bit red from watching you shove your face into his pillow. “Stop being fuckin’ weird.” He grabs your ankles, tugging you off the bed and onto the floor, your back hitting the ground with a solid ‘thud.’ “Now, I need to clean my sheets.” 

“Stop being so dramatic.” You let your head fall back onto the floor, a small smile on your lips. “I remember you telling me you like the way I smell, so consider it a–” 

Sukuna slaps the pillow over your face, “Oh my god, you never shut up.” He sighs, sitting down on the ground, laying out his computer and textbooks. “Start doing your damn work.” 

A muffled, “You asked for this.” Leaves your mouth, making you push the pillow off your head. “See, this is why I wanted to study in the dining room, we would actually be working on a table. Not the floor.”

“Stop complaining.” Sukuna’s already trained on his work, notebook and textbook open. “Do your damn work.” You sigh, crawling over to your bag. Sukuna’s eyes follow your body as you bring your stuff in front of him. 

“Hey, do you think my skirt is cute?” 

The question seems random to Sukuna, but he answers nonetheless, “What do you want me to say to that?” 

“Yes.” You say with a playful grin, “Honestly, I would prefer it if you got on your knees and told me, ‘It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen since you’re wearing it!’ but, I’ll take a simple yes in this situation and be happy.” You bat your eyes at him innocently.

“Even if it would save my and Yuuji’s life, I wouldn’t get on my knees for you.” Sukuna says annoyedly, “But, uh, your skirt is fine, I guess.” 

A small spread on your face, “Awh! Thanks Sukuna, you’re always so sweet to me.” You wave your hand up and down, pretending to be flattered. 

“You’re pushing me.” Sukuna says unbothered, looking at his work. 

“That's the goal.” 

Yet, as you’re laying out your things, a small light bulb lights up in your head. “Sukuna?” You place your notebook on the ground next to your computer. Sukuna doesn’t look up, but he does say your name in a similar tone to your question. Acknowledging and a bit indulging. “You’ve never told me what you’re studying?” 

Sukuna lifts his eyes from his computer screen, “I’m studying engineering.” He writes something down in his notebook, answering or writing a question down. 

“Is that what you always wanted to do?” You lean forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the type of work he’s doing. Although, you can’t really see it, to be honest, you can’t really see your work right now. You need your glasses, but you’re not keen on retrieving them from your bag right now.

Not in front of Sukuna, at least. 

“No.” Sukuna places his pencil down, “I wanted to go into business, but gramps told me that was a stupid idea.” 

“What?” You tilt your head to the side, “Why would that be stupid?” You think for a moment, “Well, I have no idea what business would do for you. What type of business would you be dealing with?” You laugh to yourself for a moment, “Perhaps… you’re in everyone’s business?” 

Sukuna’s eye twitches, “I don’t know how you’re in college.” He shakes his head, whispering, “You’re so fuckin’ stupid.” Still, with his palm pressed over his lips, you’re sure he’s smiling right now. 

“It’s a genuine question.” 

“That’s what makes it so stupid. I think that makes it worse, too.” He leans back on the palm of his hands, “But, I wanted to get a degree in business to… I don’t know, do whatever people do in business.” He shrugs, “I knew I was going to inherit my old man’s company, so I guess I wanted to learn a few things before jumping into work.” 

Things are starting to make a bit more sense now. Sukuna had a nice sports car at sixteen, and owns his own house. Then, there was that one time where you ate out with him and Wasuke at a really nice–expensive–restaurant. You’re slowly starting to piece together Sukuna comes from a bit of money. “Wait, but that sounds smart.” You lower yourself to the floor, laying on your side comfortably. Sukuna’s pillow supporting your elbow. 

Sukuna shrugs, “Gramps said he was hiring me no matter what, as long as I worked, so I decided to do something else. I’m not going to pay for something I’m already experiencing at work.” He sighs, “So, I decided to major in engineering.” In simple terms. 

“Hm.” You continue scrolling through your computer, it’s nowhere or anything important, but you’re sure an idea of what you’re supposed to do will come to you in a bit. “Are you excited? It seems like you’re going to be making a lot of money.” You rub your pointer finger and thumb together. 

“You’re asking a lot of questions.”  Sukuna says, closing his computer briefly. You don’t know if it’s a sign of annoyance, or a silent tell that he wants to continue the conversation. “Any reason behind your sudden pestering?” 

You laugh, a small smile on your lips, “I want to get to know you more, Sukuna.” 

Sukuna pauses for a brief second, your personal comment on your project flashing in his head. ‘Sukuna deserves so much better, then just being my stupid fucking project. I wish I could tell him that.’ And, it makes his throat tighten uncomfortably, a sensation he’s getting far more familiar with, then he would personally prefer.

Sukuna whispers, “Really?” Before he quickly covers it with a scoff, “Money, who cares.” 

You can be going crazy, but you swear you saw his demeanor slip. “Uh.. I–I do.” You explain, slowly shaking off whatever you might’ve noticed. “I’d love to have money to burn.” You smile a bit, “Uh, but… doesn’t everyone?” You drum your fingers on your computer, “It’d be nice to have some money to spend on luxuries, you know?” 

Sukuna passes you a half smile, “Yeah, I get it.” 

“Don’t do that.” You wrinkle your nose. 

“Do what?” Sukuna furrows his eyebrows at you. 

“Smile.” You say, an unserious smile on your lips. “It’s scary, looks like you’re going to murder me.” You search up something on your computer. 

“You’re so kind.” 

“Yeah, this is what you look like.” You flip the screen to him, showing Jeff the killer in picture form. “Think someone posted your morning pictures, Sukuna. Should we go hunt them down?” You turn the screen back to you, giving it a quizzical look, as if you were trying to find the answer to your question on the spot. 

“I’m going to kill you.” 

You giggle, pointing at him loosely. “Only proving my point.” You hook your foot on your other sock, playing with the fabric. “So, how do you plan on doing it? Suffocation, maybe taking me out–” 

“I actually have it written down here.” Sukuna pushes a sticky note to you, it’s pink. “Read it out loud.” 

“Is this a fetish?” You raise an eyebrow, “Do you make all your victims read what you’re going to do to them, or am I just special?” 

Sukuna furrows his eyebrows, almost glaring at you, before he breaks. Twisting his head to the side and bursting into laughter, the back of his hand covering his mouth as he tries to collect himself. He ends up covering his face, still laughing while muttering, “You’re so dumb.” 

And, in this context, you agree. You’re absolutely dumbfounded. Sukuna is laughing, and it’s not a pretty small huff, or a brief chuckle, which you’re not even sure you’ve heard him do, but now, he’s genuinely laughing. 

You press your lips together, a tight lipped smile slowly building on your lips. But, you still look at the sticky-note anyway, trying to make out the words, but you can’t. They’re too small, and a bit too messy. “Sukuna, I can’t read this.” You’re just trying to distract yourself, because if you look too long at Sukuna laughing, you know your face is going to break out in flames. 

“Yeah.” Sukuna says, ignoring your words. “You’re special.” Your name follows, punctuating the sentence. 

Your lips part ever so slightly in a silent gasp, before you look away. “I–I… still can’t read it.” You try to ignore what he just said. Still, Sukuna just called you special. You can literally hear your heart beating in your ears right now, your hands are shaky, too. 

“I want to hear you read it.” Sukuna says, tilting his head to the side slightly. 

“Can you…” You slid the sticky note back to him, turning your head away from him. “Read it for me, I genuinely can’t read it.” You can feel your ear burning, before a horrible realization comes over your mind. 

Sukuna dramatically sighs at you, snatching the sticky note from you. “What? Are you blind or somethin’?” He laughs to himself, before looking at the sticky note whispering, “Oh, that’s right, you are.” 

You blink once, then twice. “What.” 

Sukuna presses his lips together, “Huh?” 

“What did you say?” 

“Didn’t say anything.” 

You narrow your eyes at him, watching as his eyes are trained on the sticky note. “How do you know that?” You made sure no one knows that, even Nobara, so how would Sukuna know that? Were you squinting too much at your screen when you worked with Yuuji and Sukuna yesterday, or did he see the family picture on your–

Your stomach drops. 

Sukuna can see your express fall with it. He closes his eyes and tries not to laugh, “Don’t tell me you saw it?” A horrible, twisted realization falls over your consciousness, “You read it?…” You can feel yourself flush pale, an uncomfortable and embarrassed feeling twisting in your stomach. 

Sukuna deeply inhales, “Read what?” The expression you pass him, breaks him. It’s riddled in embarrassment, your lips quivering slightly, as your eyes are ever so slightly watering. Sukuna laughs until his hand, unable to control himself. Yet, he didn’t expect you to do what you did next. 

You tackle him. His pillow in your hand as you place it over his face, sitting on his abdomen as you ignore his muffled laughter. “Shut up. Shut up. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.” You chant, closing your eyes and trying to not reel in your embarrassment. 

Sukuna taps your thigh, trying to tell you to stop, while his other hand tries grabbing your hand, or the pillow on his head. But, you don’t relent, you continue to try and kill Sukuna. Then, the resistance stops, Sukuna’s hands drop limply by his side, his laughter ceasing. 

You sigh with relief, letting your hands fall slack, but Sukuna goes in for the attack. Swiping the pillow away from your and grabbing both your wrists into his grasp. “And you’re calling me the fuckin’ killer.” He scoffs, using his free hand to reach for your bag. 

You struggle in his grasp, glaring at him. “I have every right to kill you now.” You watch as he grabs something from your bag, and immediately you resist even harder. “Absolutely not, don’t even try to—“ 

“I just want to see how you look with them, calm the fuck down.” Sukuna opens the small box, pulling out your glasses and placing the lenses over your eyes. “See, look at you.” He sits up, making you slide down into his lap, your wrist still held together by his one hand. “You’re…” He looks to the side for a moment, “It’s cute.” 

You look to the side, face burning, “You’re so… ugh.” You groan, “Infuriating.” Still, you can’t deny how pleasant it is to have Sukuna admiring you like this. If admiring is the right word in this situation. 

It’s quite for a bit, before you softly sigh, your legs sliding down and relaxing into him. His grip on your wrist looses up nicely, your breathing soft and content. “How… how much did you read?” You finally look at him again, but with the glasses decorating your face, you can really see him now. 

Sukuna’s face markings are so much more detailed than you originally thought, and his eyes… they’re stunning. A deep crimson, looking at you with so much… admiration and awe. They divert away from you, a cocky smile on his lips. He scoffs, “All of it.”

You feel so exposed right now, “All of it?” You repeat, more so to yourself, then to Sukuna. “So, you know?…” You stop yourself, unable to force the words out. You’re too embarrassed. Sukuna nods, turning his gaze back to you. You instantly cover his eyes with your hand, you can't look at him. More so, you don’t want him to look at you. 

Sukuna smiles, his sharp teeth flashing at you, the dimple in his cheek indenting perfectly into his skin. “I can’t look at you?” He cooed, it’s more mocking if anything. 

“No.” You lean back slightly, which makes Sukuna grab your waist, keeping you in place. His smile falters for a moment, and you wonder why. You were just adjusting your sitting. “Besides, you think I’m hideous, or whatever.”

“It’s true, your face makes me laugh.” You annoyedly groan at him, but Sukuna trails one of his hands to yours, his finger hooking over your fingers. “Let me look at you.” He tugs a bit at your hand, it’s not forceful, it’s more asking if anything. “I want to see the girl who likes me, stupid.”

You don’t respond, you don’t even let his hand pull away from his eyes. You don’t know what you do, you don’t know what to do, nor how to respond to his question. You’re merely grounding yourself into the situation, in the way he’s holding you, and his soft breathing.

Sukuna says your name again, only for it to quickly die in his throat. 

You kiss him. 

Your other hand cupping his jaw as you deepen the kiss, your eyes fluttering shut as his lips work with you. His hands wrapping around torso, holding you tighter than he’s ever held anyone before. You can feel his lashes flutter behind your hand, his head twisting to the side so he can deepen the kiss. 

You break it, pulling away with your hands at your side now. You chew on your bottom lip nervously. Sukuna leans in again, but you turn away, your hands resting on his chest to push him back. Despite your denial of his advances, he holds onto you just the same. His hands aren’t holding you like they did at the party, they’re gentle, they are soothing, and comforting, maybe even a bit longing. 

It’s silent for a moment. 

You softly sigh, your fingers playing with the collar of his shirt while you whisper, “Sukuna?” You see him nod, but keep your eyes on your fingers. Looping your index finger under his shirt and pulling his golden chair for your pleasurable viewing. “Can… we talk about it?” 

Sukuna doesn’t even let a second pass before he responds, and his words make the world fall silent. Your heart is beating so loudly, and your body freezes, your fingers tangled in his chain as they finally process in your head. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Your lips part, before you quickly press them together, pulling your gaze to his face. Did he just say that? Did the stoic, unforgiving, asshole, Sukuna… just apologize to you? Your lashes flutter at his expression. Sukuna’s isn’t looking at you, his glare is trained to the dull wall to the right. “I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”

Your heart beats even faster at his expression, your face flushing hot. 

Sukuna is blushing red. 

His cheeks covered in a deep blush, eyebrows furrowed, glaring at you like normal Sukuna would. Except for one thing… his face is burning in a deep red blush, even the tips of his ears are red. He’s embarrassed, very embarrassed, but he still looks angry. 

You move in quickly, wrapping your arms around his neck, whispering, “You… you’re sorry?” You shakily exhale, closing your eyes into his neck. “Did you just say that?” 

Sukuna instantly wraps both his arms around you. His hands touching his own sides from holding you so tight. “I’m so sorry, I’m such a fuckin’ horrible…” He groans, leans his head on yours. “I’m terrible, I’m so terrible.” 

You nod, laughing slightly as you add, “Yeah, you’re an asshole.” You softly sigh, “But… maybe, I am, too.” You hold him tighter, your heart longing. “What.. what did I do wrong? I–I feel horrible for asking, but… I really don’t know.” 

Sukuna closes his eyes, “When I told you…” He thinks to himself, “What happened to me. That’s something I’ve never told anyone, but Uraume about.” He pauses for a moment, “And, I really… I value you more then… I don’t even know. That scares me. It’s terrifying.” 

You nod. 

“I was telling you the worst of me, and I didn’t want to know how you were going to react. I hate everything that happened, and how I reacted, but here I was relieving it for you.” Sukuna pauses again, before forcing out, “Only for you to remind me our friendship was only a week. Everything that we were experiencing was only going to be for a week.”

You instantly pull away from him, “Sukuna, that’s not what I meant–” You pause, looking at his expression, his eyes glossy and shiny. You feel something trail down your cheek, before hitting Sukuna’s shirt. You feel your bottom lip wiggle, before your sniff, your shoulders jumping up with a hiccup. You feel dumb, you’re not even as upset about what happened anymore, but the tears don’t stop. “At the party, I thought you were just going to use me and throw me away, but I didn’t want that–”

Sukuna feels his chest tighten, shaking his head, “I thought you were using me for your project.” He tells you, “I thought that's why you told me you were a burner phone.” Sukuna recalls the way his heart shattered when you told him that, doing everything in his power to keep his emotions together. “I thought you wanted everything to end the moment the week was over, and…” He diverts his eyes, “I… I never wanted that.” 

You close your eyes, recalling the following day. “Then, we had an argument.” Your mind instantly floods with memories, recalling the pain and words you yelled at Sukuna, the lies and truths you told him in a fleeting agonizing moment. 

“Yeah.” Sukuna looks regretful, “The stupid fuckin’ argument.” Both of you are silent for a moment, and you don’t think it’s going to be broken for a few moments, but to your surprise, Sukuna speaks up again. “Did you…?” He thickly swallows, “Did you mean those things?”

You feel a bit on the spot with that question, and you don’t know how to answer. Well, you do, but… what about Sukuna? Did he mean the things he said? You don’t want to say something only for him to not feel the same. But, it’s obvious how he feels, right? It should be now, but it doesn’t feel like that. His words bounce in your head clouding your mind with doubt. You’re scared, no, you’re terrified. “Did… you?” 

You don’t want to hear that answer right now.

“When we “first” made up.” You abruptly ask, chewing the corner of your lips, “I asked you if you’d promise you wouldn’t like me. You asked me if I wanted you too.” You push your glasses to the bridge of your nose, “Why?” 

Sukuna remains silent for a bit, before huffing, “This is so weird to me.” He mutters, softly groaning to himself. “I’ve never done this type of thing with someone.” He furrows his eyebrows, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. 

Still, you look at him through your lashes, and hopefully ask, “Do you… like it?” Your voice is a hushed whisper.  

Sukuna wrinkles his nose, scowling ever so slightly. He shakes his head, “No. This fuckin’ sucks.” This conversation is supposed to make everything, but it feels sad, every word that comes out of you, or him makes his throat tighten painfully. He watches as your gaze diverts from his face, and that makes his chest tighten. Shit, he didn’t say that right. “Well…” He starts again, pulling your face to look at him, “I hate it, but… I hate it less, since it’s with… uh, you.” 

You sniffle again, his words holding you in a comforting blanket. The words spill out, sooner than you would like, “I didn’t mean it.” You push your glasses up, whipping your eyes with the back of your hand. “I was just scared, and you made it seem like you didn’t… I don’t know. Care for me, or something.” 

Sukuna cups the bottom of his face, whispering, “I don’t know why I said that.” 

“I don’t know why I said that, too.” You sniff, “I was just…” 

“I didn’t want to promise anything, because I already know…” Sukuna pushes your hair from your face, leaning in a bit closer, “I’d be lying to you.” He flutters his lashes, “And, I don’t want to… lie to you anymore.” 

You nod, eyes pearling with tears, “I don’t want to lie either.” You whisper, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” You grab his shirt.“I want to be… I want to be with you.” You hug him again, your tears wetting his shirt. “I’ve always wanted to be with you.” A soft whisper.

Sukuna chuckles, letting you cry into his shoulder. “Why did you say that sooner?” 

“I thought you didn’t like me!” You cry, adding in a hushed whisper, “I thought you hated me. I thought you were just going to leave me the moment the week was over after using me.” You shake your head, gripping onto the back of his shirt, “I couldn’t stand that thought, so that’s why I pushed you away!” 

Sukuna continues to rub your back, “You’re so stupid.” He mumbles, bringing you into him tighter. I could never hate you. I would never push you away. “It’s okay, now, don’t cry like a baby about it.” He adds a derogatory, yet playful, “Baby.”

“I’m so happy you don’t hate me.” You softly sigh into his neck, closing your eyes as your body completely relaxes into his. “So happy.”

Sukuna tries, he really does, but something hot and wet slides down his cheek, and you don’t see it, nor are you ever going to know about it, but it happens. It’s real, it’s grounding, and it’s pulling. “Yeah.” He holds you, “I know.” Arms wrapped around your, his head tucking close to yours, “I know.”

Your body is completely relaxed as you whisper, “I don’t want to argue anymore.” You shake your head, whipping off the final tears on your cheeks, “I don’t think I have the power to argue with you anymore. I want things to be…” 

Sukuna presses his closed eyes onto your shoulder, “I don’t want to argue like we did on Tuesday.” A sharp breath comes out of his nose, “I like the arguments like the one in the car. It’s cute you have a bit of spunk. As much as it is annoying” 

You pull back, a small smile on your lips, “Yeah, your grandpa is right, you do need someone to keep you in check.” You lower your hands to his chain again, “Thank god you have me, right? What would you do?” 

Sukuna nods, “Yeah, I’d be stress free without you.” He raises his hands to your waist, “Who would want that? A carefree life, compared to an annoyin’ little shit like you?” He’s passing you a boyish smile. He’s smiling far more than you’re used to. You like it. 

“Yeah.” You laugh, pulling on a piece of his hair, “Look, you even have a gray hair, now you have a small piece with me wherever you go.” You look  at him again, this time a smile on your lips. “Aren’t you so happy? You’re stuck with me?” 

Sukuna doesn’t say anything, he just looks at you. His pupils blown wide, as his hands gently hold onto you. You pass him a silly smile, “What?” You tilt your head to the side, “Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Can I kiss you?” 

Your lips part, your eyebrows raising in silent shock. “Huh?” A small suppressed laugh escapes your lips, “Wait, are you asking me to kiss me?” You tilt your head to the side, “The f-boy Sukuna, the one who had a girl over this very week, is asking to kiss me?”

“We didn’t do anything. It was just a stupid fukin’ project.” Sukuna leans in closer, grabbing the back of your head. “Just fuckin’ kiss me already.” Sukuna doesn’t even let the sentence process in your head, before trying to press his lips to yours. 

Key word. Trying. 

Unfortunately, right before the two of you can kiss again, a strand of your hair falls in between your faces. Blocking the kiss from ever happening. You naturally giggle, mumbling a small apology. But, Sukuna doesn't seem to be fazed. He just pushes the strand behind your ear, cups the back of your face and pulls you into a kiss. 

It almost feels like he’s smiling against you. 

You kiss him back, but his kiss is much more brief, ending then starting again. It feels unreal, Sukuna, the emotionally unavailable Sukuna, kissing you like a lover of years would. 

You’re giggling, sniffling every now and then, only for Sukuna to kiss your cheeks, then kiss you on the lips again. You can taste the salty wet tears on his lips, but you don’t mind, it’s cute in a way. “You’re not acting like Sukuna.” 

He places his forehead on yours and tells you, “I’ll slam your face into my bed, if you’d like?” Sukuna cockily smirks to himself, tilting his head to the side. “Or, do you want me murder you silently?”

“Silently? I feel like murdering me would not be a quiet activity.”

Sukuna nods in agreement, “You’re right. I can set the house on fire with you inside.” He kisses you again, whispering, “Doesn’t that sound romantic? You’d be my first murder. You’re special.” 

You laugh, “Romantic is definitely one way to put it.” You look to the side, thinking, “But, that definitely sounds more like my Sukuna. I wonder if you were an arsonist in your past life. I feel like that’s very on brand for you.” You look at his eyes, and catch a slight red look to them. “Oh. My. God.” Sukuna flinches when you point at him, “You were crying? Oh my god, were you crying?” You huff, “And you’re calling me a baby… hypocrite.” 

He makes a ludicrous face at you, placing his hand on your face and pushing you off him. Making you fall onto your elbows with a laugh, “I think you’re actually going mental now.” He throws the pillow at your body, “I fuckin’ don’t cry.” 

“Not true.” You smile at him, grabbing the pillow and holding it over your lap. “You cried when you talked to Yuuji, and don’t deny it, I totally saw how red your eyes were.” You wiggle your shoulders, “Awh! The big strong Sukuna is actually a big cry baby like me–” 

“I can make you cry.” He’s now leaning over you, the pillow thrown on his bed. “We’ll see who’s the real cry baby, then.” He’s smiling, but it doesn't look inviting or reassuring, sadistic would be the right word here. A small squeak leaves your mouth. 

You blink a few times. “Huh?” Sukuna picks you up, tossing you over his shoulder. This must be a common practice with the brothers, it doesn’t happen often, but it happens enough for you to mentally note. Another noise leaves your throat when he drops you on his bed, parting your thighs and moving in between them. 

Sukuna keeps his forearms near your head, his nose touching yours. “You want to know somethin’.” 

You giggle, “No, not really.” You laugh when Sukuna drops his head with dejectment, his forehead hitting your nose gently. “Fine, tell me, what do you want to say, Sukuna.” You shiver when his nose brushes over your neck. 

Sukuna’s hand moves under your knee, hooking it around his waist. “I’d give anything to make things up to you.” 

You laugh, letting your arms comfortably cross over his shoulders, “You already said sorry, and that’s already enough for me.” You tug him closer, which almost throws him off balance, causing him to stumble into you. “Especially with your big boy ego.” 

“You ever call me that again, and I will throw your ass to the streets.” He kisses your neck, enjoying the way you naturally open yourself to him. Still, there’s a bit of hesitance behind your movements, and that alone makes him stop. “Did I hurt you?” 

“Mentally.” You throw out loosely, but immediately smile, “No, I’m just, uh…” You divert your eyes for a moment, “Uhm, nervous, I guess.” No, you’re not nervous, you’re scared. What if he just… leaves again. 

“About?” Sukuna sounds different, more soft. 

“Uh, this.” You naturally hug him tighter. 

“Should I stop?” 

You take a moment, “...No.” You softly sigh, “I just don’t want you to… uhm, leave again.” 

Sukuna takes a moment, before kissing you again, it’s sweet. “I’m not, don’t even worry about that.” But, your unsure expression makes him hesitate. It’s a bit weird, he’s feeling so many new things today. He wants to make sure you’re comfortable, and he’s almost scared to touch you. You feel like glass to him. 

Sukuna thinks he may be broken, maybe you broke him, but everything that is happening is so new to him. He doesn’t know how to respond, but he does know one thing, he doesn't want to hurt you anymore. He doesn’t want to scare you, or make you cry. He doesn’t want to hear you sob in his arms over something stupid thing he did. He can’t stand that. 

He doesn’t know why, but seeing you like that, hurts him. 

Maybe he is broken. But, every broken part of him wants to be around you all the time. And, he doesn’t know exactly how to comfort someone, or fix what he’s done. But, he’s trying, he’s trying harder than he’s ever tried with anyone before. 

Sukuna may not be the best person in the world, but he’s trying to find a way to build your trust in his own way. It’s the one thing he has always been good at, and almost centralized his identity around. It’s a bit sad when he really thinks about it, but trauma has a unique way of messing with a person. 

He nods, “Okay.” He kisses your temple, “I won’t do anything until you beg me to.” He pushes himself off you, standing between your thighs while you lay down on his bed, towering over you. “You like the sound of that?” 

You feel your stomach twist and turn with butterflies, the feeling of being prey to a hungry wolf has you heating up with desire. “O-Okay.” You thickly swallow, pushing yourself up and sitting up straight, grabbing his chain and tugging him down to your lips. “I like… uhm, I like the sound of that.” 

Sukuna chuckles, “You do?” 

You bite the bottom of your lip, nodding your head slowly. “Mhm.” He cups your face, and his nose tickles your cheek, his kisses coming in fast and soft. Peppering down to your neck, his nose touching your neck like a fleeting feather. While his fingers trail down the inside of your thighs. Goosebumps follow his hands on your legs. 

A pleasurable shiver shooting through your body when he finally slides his hand under your skirt. You whimper, grabbing your skirt and lifting it up, allowing yourself to watch the way Sukuna gropes you. A small moan leaves your mouth, “Keep… uhm, doing that.” You watch as his thumb works painfully slow circles into your covered clit. 

Sukuna nods, eyes enraptured by your thighs shaking around his hand, your pink panties wrinkling and damp from your slick. “Such a slut.” He shakily exhales, “You like this, don’t you? You like when things are nasty.” 

You don’t say anything, merely nod your head. “Yeah, I know, baby, I know.” He says against your neck, his deep voice rumbling against your skin. You feel something warm, and wet slowly move up to your ear. Before his mouth bites your ear playfully. “I know you love the way I touch you.” 

He lowers himself to his knees, flipping your skirt completely up. Allowing himself to look at you for however long he wanted. You move your hand in between your legs, “Are you looking?” You can feel your face burning, your heart beating in your ears. “That’s so embarrassing, please don’t look.” 

“It’s not embarrassing.” He responds, running his nose gently down your thigh. “It’s hot.” He grabs behind your knee, tugging so your legs are dangling off his bed. He smirks to himself, “You’re making me hard.” 

“Oh my god, please don’t say that.” You use your other hand to cover your face, your face burning in embarrassment. But, a small whimper leaves your mouth when Sukuna places his hand over yours, applying pressure to your pussy. You pass him a half hearted glare, “Sukuna!” 

“What? Don’t tell me you hate my words?” Sukuna teases, his eyes drinking up the way you jolt. “Or, maybe, it’s that you hate my voice?” 

“I just hate you.” You mumble, leaning back in his bed, and allowing him to peel off your hand from between your thighs.

“Mhm, I know, babe.” He loves how much he affects you, his voice and words, causing your body to burn and shiver with desire. “Hopefully you can keep to your words when I make you squirt over my fingers.” Sukuna devours the way you shiver at that, your thighs twitching. And, all caused by a few kisses, a light touch, and some deprived words. . 

So cute.

Sukuna grabs your hips, pulling you closer to his face. Lifting your skirt and looking at the thin pink panties that separated you from his mouth. He groans, resting his hand on your knees, pushing your thighs apart to look at your drenched panites. He swallows, blood flooding his cock, straining it against his pants. 

“Okay..” He starts, putting all his weight on his knees. He can see the way your chest is slowly rising and falling, and the cute pink panties that stick to your wet hole. He wishes, more than anything, you weren’t wearing them, but he wanted to toy with you. Just a little. Besides, they would be off in a few minutes, so he isn’t entirely worried about it, he has the patients to wait. “Has anyone touched you here?” 

If anything, Sukuna wants to hear you beg for him to take them off. 

You blink at him innocently, before softly nodding your head. “You have.” 

Sukuna chuckles a bit, “No, gorgeous, anyone other than me.” Both his hands follow the curve of your thigh. Getting closer, and pressing under your skirt. You thickly swallowed, glancing at his hands and face. 

You hesitate to shake your head, but when you do, Sukuna freezes. “Wait, have you ever…?” Sukuna’s still touching you, but it’s more endearing, and less sex-driven. “Has anyone ever gone down on–have you ever had sex?” 

You again shake your head. 

Sukuna feels his cock twitch. “Shit, so you’re really a virgin.” He watches as your eyes divert, “That’s not bad, I just…” He leans his head on your knee, resting it there. “I’ve never been with a virgin.” Sukuna’s been with only a few people, less than he can count on one of his hands, but they’ll all have some form of experience. So, approaching them, and their sex-life is different, but with you, he doesn’t entirely know how to approach it. He wants you to feel comfortable with him, but he also wants you to feel good. 

You push yourself up, leaning on the palms of your hands while looking at Sukuna. “I’ve never done anything, does that make you feel better?” You pass him a silly smile. 

Sukuna huffs, “I mean, it’s kinda hot.” He smiles, his sharp teeth flashing as you, “I'll make your head spin, and your legs shake.” He lifts his hand, tapping your forehead. “Do you want that, you want me to make you feel good?” He watches as your throat bobs, “You want to shake and cry with pleasure while I tongue your clit?” 

You shiver. “Just get on with it already. I feel like we’re talking too much right now.” You laugh a small bit, “I feel like we’re doing this wrong, or something. Are we doing this wrong?” 

Sukuna just raises an eyebrow at you. “You’ve never done this before, how would you know what’s right or wrong?” 

“I’ve seen porn.” 

Sukuna drops his head back, deeply inhaling that exhaling. “Porn is made for horny twelve year olds.” Sukuna smirks to himself, “Wait, don’t tell me you get off to that fake and gross bullshit.” He sarcastically adds, “Dirty girl.”

You flop back down, a small giggle leaving your lips. “I feel like you’re messing with me now. Just do what you’re going to do.” You mumble, before softly adding, “I mean, I want to know why everyone cares about sex so much–” Your mouth parts in a moan, his tongue giving you a hard kitten lick. Eyes bouncing up, and trying to see what reaction you would give him. 

He laughs, “I’ll make you an addict.” Sukuna places his thumb on your clit, rubbing it up and down. “Just promise me you’ll keep your legs wide open f’me. Don’t even think about fuckin’ close them.” He slaps your thigh, making you yelp. “Or, I’ll make you go so brain dead, you won’t even be able to.” 

“Stop talking–” A moan tears through your throat, Sukuna wrapping his lips around your covered clit. Sucking hard on your small pearl, before laughing against your cunt. 

“Did you say somethin’?” He slowly inhales, eyes rolling to the back of his head from your scent. Sex and pure lust, god you’re so fuckin’ sexy. He continues licking your clit, keeping his attention on the sensitive bud. 

You can feel his tongue working against your fabric, wetting it with his saliva and your juices. It’s so nasty, but it makes your eyes cross everytime he flicks his tongue over your sensitive bud. This is amazing. You gasp, your hand clamping down over your mouth to try and keep quiet. A pathetic attempt, really. Sukuna slaps your thigh in response, shaking his head, his tongue swiping left and right as he does so. “Don’t even fuckin’ think about.” He seethes, pissed by you trying to keep quiet. 

Sukuna doesn't want you to be quiet. He’s been robbed of all chances to hear you cry out in pleasure, or his name in ecstasy. Despite this not being his first sexual encounter with you. The first time, he knew you were listening to him jack off, but you didn’t so much as whimper for him. Which was saddening. And, you can only hear so much when the music from a party is playing in the background. Sukuna wants to hear how good you feel. He wants to hear how good he was making you feel.

“What–ah! What if Yuuji is home?” You arch your back, Sukuna sucking on your clit again. “What if he hears?” You whisper, grabbing onto his sheeps, the fabric seeping between the cracks of your fingers. “That’s going to be so–” 

“Embarssin’?” Sukuna fishes for you, trying to finish you off. “I know, but he won’t know, if you stay quite.” Sukuna reaches for your hands, pulling it to his cheek, only to kiss your palm. “But, I don’t want that.” He continues kissing your palm, moving his lips towards your middle and ring finger. “I want to hear you, want to hear you whimper over my tongue and scream my name.” Sukuna smiles, slides his tongue between your two fingers, letting you look at the lewd gesture the two of you are making. “Okay?”

A shaky exhale leaves your lips, before you meekly nod. Sukuna chuckles, pushing your hands to your face, “Good girl.” He keeps your two fingers spread, pressing the open space to your lips. “Let me see your tongue.” 

You feel your bottom lip tremble, before opening your mouth, your pink tongue sticking out and resting between your two fingers. You can feel how they’re wet, and you can taste Sukuna’s saliva. You moan, “This is…” You feel your sentence trail when you notice Sukuna’s gaze trained on your tongue, wiggling and moving between your fingers. 

He closes his eyes, softly groaning to himself. Fuck, he’d give anything to feel that tongue on his throbbing cock. Watch it slide and swirl over the head of his cock, before your pretty little lips would stretch over his fat cock. Drowning in your glossy eyes as hot tears slide down your cheeks, your throat constricting around his girth. 

“Stop thinking too hard about it.” He tells you, his tongue sliding from your knee to your inner thigh, pressing wet kisses into his skin. “It’s supposed to feel good, even if it is gross.” And if Sukuna is being completely honest with himself, knowing that something is filthy makes it hot. He moves to your covered cunt, kissing your lips. Avoiding the place where you want him most. “Just lay down and feel, I clearly make you think too much.” 

You just pull your hand away from your lips, a string of saliva falling down on your shirt. “Okay.” You keep yourself propped up, watching as Sukuna practically makes out with your pussy. You can see how wet your underwear is now, along with how glossy Sukuna’s lips are. 

You keep your hands bundled in his sheets, trying to keep yourself sane as Sukuna makes you feel good. It feels incredible, and looks porngraphic. The fat of his tongue pushing itself between your lips, making a small crater in your panties. The tip flicking your clit, moving up and down like a teasing feather. 

You feel your eyes flutter shut, holy shit, it feels amazing. You don’t ever want it to stop, you want… more. You clamp your thighs together, but Sukuna’s hands are already on your thighs. Pushing them apart and smiling against your skin, “Keep them open.” He shakes his head to the side, his tongue following his movement on your clit. 

You groan, and Sukuna moans with you. Grabbing you right knee and placing it on his shoulder, “Keep this here.” He whispers, continues to suck on your covered clit, watching as your body falls back on his bed. Your back is arching. 

“Oh–oh my god.” You lean your head back, your body hot and sweaty. Holy shit, this feels amazing. Sukuna feels amazing, and it feels depraved. Licking and sucking at your clit, even though it's covered with the thin fabric of your panites. “Fuh–fuck, please.” You moan, tucking your calf behind Sukuna’s head, pulling him closer to your cunt.  

His eyes seem to glow watching as your body jolts, and your pussy twitches. And with the way your panties are absolutely drenched, clinging onto your pussy lips like a second skin, it doesn’t leave much to the imagination. “Please what?” Sukuna mocks, “Please… stop?”

Sukuna isn’t going to stop, there’s no way in fucking hell he’s going to stop, but mocking you, seeing your eyes water, it makes him insane. Hearing you beg and whimper over his mouth, god… Seeing you like this makes him feel… incredible. Knowing that you haven’t done this with anyone else, yet want to do it with him, has him spinning. It makes him feel good. It’s something he’s never had before, but knows he now can’t live without. He has craved for something like this. A hole he’s always adorned in his chest, but never found a filling for it. But now, he feels full, it’s a feeling he would’ve never thought to find, despite how desperately he searched for it. 

Sukuna feels amazing when he’s with you. Even when you’re dancing in his living room with face care adoring your face, a pout on your face while you playfully ignoring him, glaring at him with your reflective eyes, or the small back-and-forth the two of you share. It’s all so amazing. 

But, seeing you like this. Embarrassed and eager for what he was going to do next. Open and vulnerable, trusting and wanting more, it’s… it feels like the best thing in the world. Sukuna feels like he’s becoming addicted to this. He holds the back of your thighs with his big hands, closing his eyes and flattening his tongue on your pussy, tearing another moan from your mouth.

“N-No! Please don’t stop.” You whine, tears brimming your waterline. Your lips part as you moan, gripping onto the sheets as your hips jolted forward, trying to push your pussy harder against his lips. Desperate to get more pleasure from his mouth, you just want to lose yourself in it. You don’t want to think about anything, not school or studying, just Sukuna between your legs. 

Sukuna laughs against your cunt again, continuing his abuse on your pussy. Enjoying the way you try holding your legs apart, your thighs shaking around his head. He tightens his grip on you, not even giving you the opportunity to move them together if you wanted to. “I won’t stop.” He whispers, “Don’t you worry your pretty head off.”

You giggle, sounding a bit drunk, “You–ah! Called–you called me pretty, fuh-fuck, again.” You feel a coil in your lower stomach, something you’re all too familiar tightening inside of you. “You think–oh my god, holy shit, you think I’m–I’m pretty.”

“Fuck yeah.” He moans into you again, “I think you’re fuckin’ sexy, your tits and body, your lips and tongue, all of it.” He wants to add your eyes, but feels himself grow a bit… embarrassed to say that. Ironic, huh?

That makes your stomach twitch, butterflies swarming inside of you. The coil growing tighter, your thighs pushing agsint his hands in protest. It feels good, it feels too good. “Su-Sukuna, m’getting… I’m–” You back arches, your body resisting a bit more. “I’m gonna’ cum, I feel–shi-shit!” 

“Yeah?” Sukuna lolls his tongue out, letting it slowly drag over your over-worked bud. “Fuckin’ cum on my tongue then.” Sukuna closes his eyes, feeling them roll to the back of his head with your soft moans filling his room. You taste so fuckin’ good. 

You roll your eyes into the back of your head, your pussy clenching around nothing. But, you wonder to yourself, what it would feel like to have something inside of you. Something long and thick, stretching you open and fucking your insides until you’re mindless. “Sukuna–Sukuna!” His name leaves your mouth like a mantra, your voice raising in pitch as your legs shake. Your toes curl with pleasure, your hands grabbing onto Sukuna's hair. 

Sukuna instantly moans, loving the way you tug at his hair. Unsure whether or not you want to push him away, or pull him closer to you. “Fuck, c’mon, cum on my tongue, just let it feel good.” 

You finally feel the coil snap, your lips parting in a silent moan as your body tingles. Your thighs naturally pull into your body, opening wider for Sukuna’s tongue working fasting against your covered clit. It feels amazing, it feels unworldly, unlike any orgasm you’ve ever had before. Your fingers don’t even compete to this, it’s addicting. 

The worst–best–part is, it feels so long, and Sukuna doesn’t stop his abuse on your sensitive bud. This time, placing his thumb over it and rubbing circles into it. Making your orgasm even more intense, your back arching in pure pleasure. 

Your hand reaches down for his writes, your mind pulling together only for it to be thrown back into intense pleasure. Something you don’t entirely like, but you don’t dislike, it feels good, but it feels… too good. Like, unbearably, burning pleasure, type good.

Your body grows hotter to the thought of Sukuna touching you without any fabric in the way, the fire in your lower stomach lights a flame again. His tongue actually touching you, his fingers spreading you open allowing him to get easier access to your swollen cunt. 

Sukuna slow stops, watching your legs twitch by his head as he pulls his finger away. “Awh, is it too much for the baby?” He mocks, tilting his head to the side and passing you a cocky smirk. “I thought you were a big girl.” 

You naturally pout. Even if Sukuna didn’t say anything bad, you want to… make him proud. You nod your head, “I… don’t be mean.” You whisper back, “Feels too good.” You pull his hand to your mouth, kissing his palm like he did yours a few minutes ago. You slowly bring your lips to his middle and ring finger, silently admiring how big they are. You can’t help but think how they would feel inside of you, splitting and stretching you open. “I want to make you feel good, ‘Kuna, I want to do something for you.” You open your mouth, your tongue making way between his two fingers. Your tongue is peaking at him, while you flutter your long lashes at him. 

Sukuna feels his brows twitch, his dick straining against the zipper of his jeans. His pupils are blown so wide, you can barely see a ring of red in his eyes. He’s absolutely enraptured by you, his mind swirling with nothing but the way you cry his name, and tremble beneath his touch. 

It feels like Sukuna’s going insane. He just wants to push you further, he wants to see what noises you make when he laps at your clit for hours. Would you cry, or whimper? Would you scream in pleasure, or go numb from it being too overwhelming? Only for him to push his thick cock into your slit, watching your eyes grow wide as your pussy swallows him up whole. 

Your breath grows more uneven with his concentrated gaze, sliding your tongue up the tip of his fingers, and pulling it into your mouth. You whimper, your body flowing with nice tingles again. “‘Kuna, can you please…” You divert your eyes for a moment, before softly finishing, “Can you please do that, without my panties in the way…?”

Sukuna breathes out, closing his eyes for a second before placing his hands on your shoulders and pushing you against his bed. “Careful.” He whispers, resting his dick between your thighs, grinding himself against your wet panites, “I would do anything, if you beg me to.”  

You smile, grabbing his face and kissing him tenderly, tasting yourself in his lips. You tongue rolling around his, “Then…” You pull back, whispering, “Can you please stop teasing me, ‘Kuna, and really eat me out?” You furrow your eyebrows cutely, as you add even quieter, “I really want to feel your tongue on my pussy.”

That makes Sukuna snap.

Sukuna places his hands behind your knees and pushes them to your stomach, keeping them pinned there, “Grab your knees.” He tells you, and you instantly listen, your hands grabbing at your knees and keeping them pinned to your chest. He pulls your panties up, letting them dangle at your foot before looking at you. 

Sukuna looks at you again, his eyes devouring your bare pussy. Wet and swollen, ready for his touch. He keeps himself snug on the bed, places his hands back on your thighs over your hands, and licks a long stripe up your pussy. Instantly you throw your head back, your teeth digging into your bottom lip with pleasure. His tongue sliding between your lips, dipping into your hole, before sliding up and dragging over your sensitive over stimulated clit. 

You whine, your hips writhing against his mouth as your juices slides down your ass and onto his bed. Ruining his sheets, but Sukuna loves that, he loves knowing what the two of you are doing is so filthy, it makes a gross mess. That’s so hot to him, makes him so fuckin’ hard. 

Sukuna moves his hand to his cock, his palm rubbing on the head and trying to adjust his painful hard-on. A feeble attempt to try and release some needed tension, his head spinning from how horny he is. His hips rut into his hand, desperate to feel something, anything on his aching cock. 

Sukuna unbuttons his pants, pulling his boxers underneath his cock and sloppily wrapping his hand around his girth. Groaning against your pussy with an eye roll at the brief, yet pleasurable relief. But, that doesn’t stop him, no, that makes him work his tongue even harder against you. Getting off to every whimper, moan, and breath, that leaves your pretty little mouth. 

You can’t help but notice how much more vocal Sukuna is, and as much as you want to push yourself up and see what he’s doing, but you can’t. Your legs twitch with overstimulation with every swipe, your chest bouncing up with every moan leaving your lips. 

Sukuna pulls his remaining hand on your thigh to your pussy, creating a ‘v’ on your base, then spreading you open. Flicking your clit with the tip of his tongue, making you cry out in pleasure. You try to grip the sheets harder, but it doesn't help, the pleasure is just so intense. This coil of pleasure builds within your belly again, this time it’s faster and more intense then last time. It makes you babble something incoherent to try and warn Sukuna, but to be honest with yourself, you don’t know what you’re even trying to tell him. Your mind is swirling with thoughts of Sukuna, and his actions. How he makes everything around you disappear with something as simple as his tongue.  

You feel tears slide down your cheeks into Sukuna’s sheets, your eyes crossing into your head with pleasure. You babble out, “Oh my god–oh my god.” You hands move back to your thighs pulling them open, and another moan tears from you, he has so much more access. 

Sukuna pushes himself off the ground slightly, places his hands and weight on your thighs, keepings them securely pressed to your stomach as he continues to abuse your swollen clit. His tongues sliding between your lips before catching under your hood, applying pleasure to make you squeal. 

The small act makes your words jumble and moans out of your mouth, your thighs fighting against the pressure and trying to push him off. You don’t want to, but it’s so overwhelming. You don’t know if you want him to stop or keep going. Yet, at the same time, you know you don’t have a say in that currently. 

Which… for some reason, you absolutely love. You love that you don’t even understand what you’re trying to do or say. You love that you don’t even know what you’re laying on anymore, or which way you’re facing, again? But, Sukuna can make out the words, “Fuh–’Kuna, I think… oh my god, please, don–don’t stop! S’close!” Your eyes squeeze shut.  

Sukuna laughs at that, not stopping and letting his eyes drink up the way your muscles tense. You’re close, he knows that you're so close. He sucks onto your clit, watching the way your twitch, before letting go. He pushes his weight off of you, watching as your scrunched expression relaxes, and immediately looks at him with an adorable confused expression. 

Fuck, he loves teasing you.“Feelin’ good, babe?” 

You tense, the feeling being ripped away from you. It feels good, but it also feels wrong. The intense feeling pulled away from you so quickly, it makes you tense. Your muscles are tightening in your lower stomach, you’re so close, but so far at the same time. Then, the intense feeling quickly vanishes making you completely relax into his sheets. Instantly you feel sweaty, your muscles tired and sore. You feel your bottom lips wiggle, “Stop d-doing that! I was…” You trail off, looking to the side as your eyes flutter. “Uhm, you know…” 

Sukuna smiles at this, you got embarrassed. How cute. “Were you?” He mocks at you, caressing your cheek, “Awh, the poor baby wants to cum, you want me to contune tongue fucking you? You like the sound of that?” He rubs his nose on your inner thigh affectionately. 

You pout, “I–I…” You pass him your gorgeous eyes again, glassy and wanting, “Can you please not stop again?”

Sukuna knew he was making you feel good, he could tell by your fucked out face, but anyone could. He merely wants to hear it from you, hear you writhe and beg for him to keep you on the edge. He gets off on that, watching a girl cry from how good something is, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to scare you. So, something more intense, would have to wait for a later time. “I won’t, don’t worry.” He places his thumb on your clit again, “I’m just teasing you.” His finger rub slow and pressured circles on your clit, and it drives you insane.Again, this curling string continues to spiral inside you, pleasure building upon itself. 

Sukuna hums in acknowledgement, before going back to your pussy. Taking two fingers and spreading you apart. Tongues hitting all the places he couldn’t before. He gently bites your clit, letting his fingers trail down your slit. Your eyes widen, before a moan leaves your lips. His finger sliding into with ease, your slick and saliva allowing you pussy to swallow his finger whole. Sukuna groans at this, fisting his cock again. 

Your reaction is perfect, the small gasp you let out when his knuckle hits your lips is liberating. He almost hears you choke on your breath, a bit shocked by the intrusion. But, Sukuna is already reassuring you, praises spilling his lips as he shushes you. “It feels good.” He slowly adds another finger, “Trust me, you’ll love this.” 

You nod, turning your head to the side and resting it, trying to watch as he fingers your hole. It’s not something you’re too experienced with, since you stick to stimulating your clit. If anything, you thought you were broken, since every time you finger yourself, it didn’t feel like anything. Also, the stretch is a bit uncomfortable, but it’s complemented with Sukuna’s tongue, so it’s not all too bad. 

You softly sigh, before closing your eyes. You hold as you feel this prickle of pleasure intense, far more pulling then Sukuna’s tongue. It feels… good. 

Sukuna’s finger slides inside, then pulls out, only to slowly slide back into you, his knuckle resting on your lips again. Pushing his fingers up slightly with every slow thrust. You can hear your voice raise in pitch, growing louder with each thrust and swipe of his tongue. You want to place your palm over your mouth, but you can’t. You’re unable to function, more or less keep quiet. And after a few pumps of his thick finger, you're writhing in his bead with pleasure. 

Your eyes roll into the back of your head, toes curling as an unexpected loud pitched moan leaves your lips. You feel like you’re unable to express how you’re feeling, you want to desperately pull away, but make it even more intense at the same time. It feels like you’re so close, the coil inside you was about to snap. 

You feel something unfamiliar in your lower stomach. It feels good, it feels somewhat familiar, but at the same time, a bit different. His fingers are still working into your cunt, wet with the slick you’re producing. 

It makes the feeling even more intense, and suddenly, it feels like you’re about to… You feel your bottom lips wiggle, “K-kuna!” You gasp, trying to form words, but are unable to find the right ones. 

Yet, Sukuna ignores your plea, merely smiles to himself while sucking into your clit, and pressing his fingers inside of you. He nods to himself when he touches something spongy, he chuckles to himself, “Fuckin’ found it.” As he presses his fingers up, applying pressure onto your g-spot. 

Your vision goes white. Your back arching as you quickly grip his hair, a high pitched moan leaving your throat as you feel yourself completely let go. The pressure in your stomach releases with a painful orgasm. 

Sukuna’s mouth is already on your pussy, riding out your orgasm while he milks his cock. Focusing his attention on the head with a soft groan. His throat bobs as you finish, your thighs shaking around his head before they limply slide off onto his bed. But, he quickly grabs them and wraps them on his shoulders, giving you a final long stripe up your pussy, watching as your hips twitch in overstimulation. Sukuna cockily smiles, watching you pant and melt into his soft and sweaty bed. Clearly exhausted by the high you just received. 

You look adorable. Your eyes were still watery and red, the bottom of your lip swollen from you biting on it, and your body abused from the pleasure you were receiving. God, it makes him even harder knowing that your first time was with him, too. “Mhm, that’s it. Just relax.” 

A shakily exhale, before humming with a head nod. 

He feels his cock twitch in his hand, but he pays it no mind. Just tucking it back into his boxers and zipping up his pants. It feels gross, but he’ll think about that later. He pushes himself on his feet, whipping his mouth with the back of his hand, a smirk on his lips. He sits down next to you, pinching your cheeks and making you look at him. “You with me, doll?”

You slowly blink, trying to gain your sight again. “What is… uhm, what’s supposed to be…” You drop your head back, his fingers slipping from your cheeks. “What was the question?” You still feel… you don’t even know. 

“Yeah.” He lays back on the bed with you, “Just say you’re in love with me, I promise I won’t make fun of you.” 

You gain your head, blinking a few times to pull your thoughts together. “I hate you, Sukuna.” You turn on your side, flipping your skirt down to cover yourself up. You lean forward, and kiss him. “I already told you that.” 

Sukuna hums, nodding his head while closing his eyes. “Keep saying that, I’ll get hard again.” 

“I hat–” Sukuna raises his eyebrows expectantly, passing you a cocky smirk. “I can’t with you.” You look away, but you’re smiling. Trying not to laugh at Sukuna’s stupid fucking joke. Suddenly, you’re hit with the feeling of your bare legs sticking to your sheets. “I feel gross now.” 

Sukuna kisses you for a final time, “I’ll be right back.” He pushes himself off the bed, walking to the door and pulling it open. You assume he’s going to the restroom, and he isn’t gone for long. The next thing you know, he’s back between your legs with a damp towel. While he cleans you up, it feels a bit intimate, as well as embarrassing. You ignore the lewd comment Sukuna made about you wanting to pull your panties back up. Cockily saying, “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” 

You merely respond with a slap to his shoulder, letting him press the towel to your legs and clean up the mess. And despite how embarrassingly bare you feel, it’s nice, really nice. “We can put a towel on your bed next time.” You say, pushing yourself off his bed and looking at the stain left. You giggle to yourself, “Guess you were right, I did dirty your sheets.” 

Sukuna slaps the towel over your face.  

You immediately pull it off your face, throwing it at his, “Oh my god, that’s so gross!” You place your hands over your face, “I totally need to watch my face, or I’m going to break out or something.” You work so hard to keep your face clear, now this jackass might ruin it! 

“You’re actually a child.” Sukuna says, dropping the towel to the floor. 

The two of you flinch at the sound of knocking at his door, both of you turning your head simultaneously. You smile to yourself, “One, two, three, not it!” 

Sukuna throws the towel back at your face, which makes him laugh when he hears you cry out in anger. You’re quick to drop the towel back down on the ground with a satisfying, ‘plat.’ Turning your attention back to Sukuna to watch him open the door, you see his back tense. His shoulders pull together slightly. 

You sit up in his bed while tilting your head at him. “You okay?” 

“Is that…?” That voice makes your face drain. Yuuji tilts his head to the side, looking past Sukuna’s shoulder and right at you. He instantly lights up, your name leaving his mouth, “Oh my god, have you two made up already?” He loudly gasps, “Wait, does that mean we can have more movie nights?” 

You part your lips, and look at Sukuna when he turns to face you. The two of you don’t say anything for a moment, before you burst out in laughter, cupping your mouth as you turn away from the two boys. Sukuna leans his head back, resting his forearm over his eyes as his face turns a bit red. 

You let out a sigh of relief. You don’t think Yuuji heard. Sukuna straightens himself out, “Get out of the way, Yuuji.” Sukuna pushes him to the side, making his way to the kitchen. “I need somethin’ in my system.”

Yuuji lets Sukuna pass, “We’re out of drinks!” Yuuji calls back, which is responded with an obnoxious groan. You giggle, but Yuuji is quick to eyeball the floor, noticing how it’s scattered with books and computers. “I’m guessing the two of you have been spending quality time together?” He smiles, “You’re going to tell me all about it, right?” 

You don’t know how to respond to that, “Uh… Sure, yeah.” Still, you feel a soft smile split your lips, crossing your legs over one another. Before you quickly pull your foot underneath your ass, realizing your panties are still strung on them. Shit, you really should’ve put them on despite Sukuna’s comments. “We’re… uhm, we’re just studying together. And, he was… making things up to me, I guess.” 

Yuuji tilts his head to the side, “Things are good now?” He passes you a hopeful smile, “No more angsty tension between you two?” 

You giggle, nodding your head in agreement. “Things are good, Yuu. No more angsty tension.” You feel your thighs sticking together, and you resist the urge to wrinkle your nose in distaste. “Yeah, definitely no more angsty tension.”

“Alright, get out.” Sukuna pulls the back of Yuuji’s shirt, pulling him out of his room. However, this time he emerges with a cup in his hand, you wonder if it’s water, or if he really did find some alcohol. 

Yuuji waves at you, “Bye, I love you.” He passes you a sad look with his big puppy dog eyes. 

You feel your heart tug, “Can we keep him here with us, Sukuna?” You plead, which is answered with a silent glare from Sukuna. You pout, begrudgingly waving back, “I love you, too, Yuu.” You blow him a kiss.  

“Yeah, yeah. Cut the bullshit you two.” Sukuna shuts the door on Yuuji, shaking his head while making his way to you. “I swear, can’t believe you say that shit right after you just came on my fuckin’ tongue.” He leans on his nightstand, passing you a teasing look, “Whore.” 

“Asshole.” 

“Slut.” 

“Dick.” 

Sukuna smirks a bit, leaning his head to the side. “Gorgeous.” 

You feel your brain malfunction for a second, “H-Huh?” 

Sukuna grabs his phone, opening an app. The smirk goes wider as he responds, “Dookie-stain.” You’re about to respond with quick banter, when he pushes the screen in your face, “Give me your phone number.” 

You furrow your eyebrows, taking the phone from his hands. “Wow, does that line work with all the ladies?” You put your phone number into his phone, placing your contact name as, ‘LOML.’ You nod to yourself, clearly content with the creative name you picked.

“You tell me.” Sukuna takes his phone from you, sending you a quick text. You can hear your phone ring in your bag from across the room. “Are you obsessed with me already?”

“I mean, you picked out the name for me.” You point at his phone, making Sukuna actually look at the name you saved yourself under. “I think you’re the one obsessed here.” Sukuna looks at the name, and clicks the contact, and you automatically assume it’s to change it. “Awh, I actually like that name.” 

“Of course you do.” Sukuna saves the contact, then pushes himself off the desk. “Alright, get your ass back to studying.” 

“I can’t believe you just ate me out, then are going to make me study.” 

“Do you want me to buy you a cookie?” 

“Actually–” 

Sukuna grabs your ankles, pulling you off the bed again. “Study.” 

—

You yawn, stretching your hands over your head. You can hear the washing machine rumbling in the background, Sukuna’s sheets in the wash for the night. You hear your phone ring again, and you’re quick to grab it, flipping onto your stomach while you kick your feet back and forth. 

You don’t even have to look at the name to know who it is. It’s not like the two of you have been texting all day, despite sitting across from each other, or merely a wall apart. 

Dick-una:

Come here

You smile to yourself. 

You:

im not sleeping with u

gross

Dick-una:

Just come here

You left your glasses

You:

fine.

Dick-una:

Thats what I thought

You wrap your blanket around you, shivering when your bare feet hit the cold ground, but you’re quick to shake it off. Slowly cracking your door open, and tip-toeing to Sukuna’s room. Luckily the door is unlocked when you go to open it. 

You giggle a little bit, “Give me back my glasses.” You can see the room is still a mess, your notebooks and textbooks littering the floor, since you were too tired to pick them up. However, your glasses aren’t on the floor where you left them, they’re now on Sukuna’s bedside counter. The small lamp ever so slightly illuminates his room. 

“Go get them.” Sukuna responds, and you can see him on his phone, face illuminated by the blue screen. He’s wearing black sweats, and nothing else, his hair is messy and unruly. 

You’re already smiling to yourself, closing his door behind you and making way to the drawer. Being careful to step over all the things on the ground, and finally reaching the drawer. “You’re so kind.” You inspect them, “You even clean them for m–” 

You feel Sukuna drag you into his bed, quickly reaching an arm over your body, and turning off the light with a loud click. He taps your back, “Oh shit, did your dumbass fall?” He says, draping his blanket over the both of you. “Clumsy.”

“Ha, ha. So funny Sukuna.” You let go of your blanket, warming up to Sukuna’s body. “I’m leaving the moment you fall asleep.” 

“Oh my god, shut the fuck up, and fall asleep.” He mumbles back, an arm resting underneath his pillow. “Can’t do anything without you annoyin’ me.”

You giggle, closing your eyes and whispering, “Goodnight, Sukuna.” You don’t expect to hear a response, even when you’re seconds away from falling asleep in his soft bed. But, you hear something anyway. 

“Good night.” 

Next Chapter: Ch. 7 - A Lovely Night

Tag(s)!: @openup-yourmind, @sherlock-holmes-jr, @maskedpacific, @gasp-a-homo, @diogodxlot, @beahappyhoeee, @tojimeow, @sukunamylovexoxo, @yoontaedotin, @sukunaloverrr, @lanadelreylover4l, @raininginthemoonlight, @blackjanexx, @ethereally-lyann, @fritzzbitzz, @lanadelreylover4l, @chayunwoo, @madamteller, @mazzd4, @haithamsbb, @c-l-ellis, @samysaha, @pi-crust, @shukiinnkm

NO BUT SUKUNA SAVING READER IN EVERY SCENARIO???? Everything about him has me weak in the knees 🤧

God I love him sm, THIS IS SO HIM 🥹🥹🥹

there's no such thing as ethics

Studying for your Ethics oral exam was already a pain. Doing it with your boyfriend? Now, that is what you call “self-sabotage.”

Tonight was supposed to be a productive study session.

Your Ethics professor had been on a power trip lately, deciding that an oral exam would be the best way to test you understanding of moral dilemmas and all those theoretical shit. Which meant you had to prepare for whatever godforsaken questions he might throw at you.

And who better to help you, right? Sukuna, your incredibly unhelpful boyfriend.

You flicked through your notes, glancing over at him sprawled on your bed, one arm thrown lazily over his forehead as he scrolled through his phone.

“Alright,” you started, trying to sound determined. “Let’s do a hypothetical situation. Moral dilemma time.”

He didn’t even look up from his phone and just continued doomscrolling whatever he finds interesting, “Do we have to?”

“C’mon, babe, be useful for once.”

He then let out the most dramatic sigh. Is he fucking annoyed already? He stretched out on your bed like he had nothing better to do – which is true, he’s already done with all his exams for the semester while you only have this last exam. Threw his phone aside like he was being forced into this conversation. “Fine. Impress me with your best morally damning question.”

You sat up straighter, grinning. This was your chance. You cleared your throat, “If all your loved ones were drowning – me, Jin, Yuuji, and your dad – who would you save?”

Without even hesitating, he shot you a look like you’d just asked the dumbest question ever.

“Isn’t it obvious? You.”

You blinked. “Huh? Why me?”

“‘Cuz you’re the only one who doesn’t actively annoy me,” he said, like it was the most obvious answer in the world.

“Babe, you’re seriously telling me you’d save me over Yuuji? Over a literal baby?” You leaned forward. Yeah, you can’t believe it. 

Sukuna just shrugged, his expression completely deadpan. “Yeah, Yuuji’s not you.”

Your brain short-circuited for a second. “That doesn’t make sense. He’s a baby! e doesn’t even know how to swim yet!”

“That’s how the world works, babe.”

“HUH? What do you mean?”

“Then it’s Jin’s problem,” Sukuna said dismissively. “Not mine. My focus is on you. Always.”

You gasped, scandalized. “Sukuna! This is your family! Your nephew is drowning, you heartless bastard!”

He smirked, eyes gleaming with that familiar mischievousness. “Yeah, and? What, you want me to let you drown?”

“You have no soul,” you muttered, rubbing your temples in frustration.

“Debatable,” he smirked, pure arrogance is radiating from him. He settled more comfortably on the bed. “Besides, it’s my dad’s fault for not teaching Jin how to swim properly when we were kids. Why should I clean up their mess? And why the fuck are we even in the ocean. You hate the ocean. There’s not a chance that we’ll ride a cruise for 7 fucking days.”

“Because it’s a hypothetical situation.”

“And?”

Groaning, you rubbed your temples and asked him the question you’ve been meaning to ask since the day you met him – when he was kicking someone to the ground who had accidentally bumped into him (or not). “I swear to god, do you even have morals, ‘Kuna?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

“Whether or not they benefit me.”

You couldn’t let it go. Sukuna’s complete lack of regard for his family, his indifference to your please, was driving you insane. But you had one more card to play.

“Okay,” you said, leaning in with a grin and a dangerous glint in your eyes. “So, what if it’s me and our future baby drowning? Who would you save?”

“Huh… you really want daddy’s cock right now, babe?” Sukuna’s lazy gaze flicked over to you, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. You just slapped his chest in obvious annoyance.

He snorted and looked like he was about to answer in his usual carefree way, but then paused, as if he was processing the question for a second longer than usual.

“Hmm,” he drawled, shifting on the bed, his gaze flickering between you and the empty space. “That’s a tough one.”

Okay, wow. Your heart skipped a beat – was he actually taking this seriously now?

Then, without missing a beat, he leaned back, chuckling lowly. “Well, obvs, I’d save you.”

You blinked, slightly relieved but also confused. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he said with a fucking shrug, “you’re the one who’d actually appreciate being saved. The baby’s gonna be fine.” His smirk deepened. “Besides, if I saved the kid, who’s gonna look after you? Wouldn’t be much fun without you around, brat.”

Your brain short-circuited again for a second, processing both the arrogance and the unexpected tenderness in his words. “So, you’re saying you’d just let our baby drown?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t say that. I said I’d save you.” He leaned closer, eyes locking with yours with a teasing grin. “But hey, it’s just a hypothetical, right? Who the fuck knows if we’ll even have a kid that doesn’t know how to swim?”

Your lips twitched, trying to hold back a smile despite yourself. “You are so full of shit, ‘Kuna.”

“Yeah, and you love it, brat.” His voice lowered, leaning in just enough for you to feel the heat of his words.

And before this even goes south (literally to some fucking session), you pushed him away and exhaled sharply.

“Okay, what about ethically?” You began, trying to keep your cool. “In one of our ethical dilemma situations, do you believe catfishing is unethical?”

“Who would I even catfish? And why the fuck am I gonna do that when I have this,” he pointed at himself so arrogantly.

“I didn’t even say that you would catfish someone. I’m asking if you believe catfishing is ethical or not.”

“Nah,” he answered immediately. 

“No?”

“Nope. There’s no such thing as ethics. It’s all just a societal construct.”

“Sukuna,” you exhaled and squinted at him, “So if we had met on a dating app, and I was actually some 50-year-old dude catfishing you, you’d just be cool with that?”

“But it didn’t happen and you weren’t one. Or are you?” He teased.

“That’s not the poi–” you groaned. Yeah, you’ll never win with him in this kind of talk. “You are actually impossible.”

Sukuna just grinned, completely unfazed. “Baby, if ethics were real, I wouldn’t be in your dorm right now, watching you lose your mind over this stupid class.”

And honestly? He had a point. 

You hated that he had a point.

But before you could come up with a retort, Sukuna’s hand was on your arm, pulling you up to sit on your bed. “Enough with the philosophical bullshit. Your brain’s fried. We’re leaving.”

You blinked at him. “What? We’re in the middle of ethically thinking, and you’re just pulling me out of here?”

“Yeah,” he said, his tone softening just enough to be noticeable. “Your brain’s obviously fried since you started studying hours ago. Let’s go get some air. You’re not gonna pass that fucking exam if you don’t take a fucking break.”

“But –”

“I’m not asking,” he pulled you up from bed, guiding you toward the door with a hand firm on your back. “C’mon,” he added, without giving you a chance to argue. He was really not asking.

“Are you always this bossy?” You asked, half-smiling despite your frustration.

“Only when I care,” he said, his voice laced with that same teasing arrogance as he slid his right arm around your shoulders. “Don’t get used to it, brat.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re lucky you’re so damn good-lucking.”

“With a big fucking cock, I know. Now, shut up and walk, brat.”

And for once, you didn’t argue. Maybe he was right about one thing: a little time to breathe might actually make you feel better. 

Even if it did come with a healthy dose of his cocky charm.

Enemies/ACADEMIC Rivals to Lovers (yes, that trope specifically) always ALWAYS makes me so happy AAAAAAA especially as a nerd haha

worth the wait a nerdjo fic

pairing ⸺ nerd/academic rival/rich boy!gojo x reader

summary ⸺ you abhor your academic rival, satoru gojo. he's a cocky asshole that you fight with constantly for the spot at first place. but when you finally discover what's underneath all those lame sweaters of his with a once in a blue moon visit at the gym (spoiler alert: he's not a scrawny nerd), you'll be fighting your severe attraction to the man who makes your life a bit harder. and maybe fall in love with him, too, in the process.

warnings ⸺ smut, f recieving oral, praise, he makes you beg for it lol, p i v sex, making out, angst if you squint, a lot of fluff, college AU, nerd!gojo, reader gets insecure sometimes and is treated horribly by her discord mod TA/research advisor, typical misogyny/sexism in STEM fields, but gojo defends her!!!, sleeper build gojo with a happy trail because im a slut, the good old pining and yearning i like. art by @/deltapork

a/n thank u to all my beta readers for editing part of this for me :3 happy valentines day!!!

general masterlist

You blink at your paper.

98.

You suppose you should be happy—it’s a graduate level physics class, anyways. For a moment, you stare at the red markings of the TA that graded it, as if willing an error in the one problem you made a mistake on could make it go away. 

2+2=5.

You exhaled sharply, almost fighting back tears. You’d think you could avoid simple arithmetic mistakes, but apparently doing tensor products comes easier than simple addition to you. Shoving your backpack on your chair, you stuff in your laptop and the test haphazardly, not caring that it’s going to get messed and crumpled up in your backpack after your folders and binders jostle around. Fuck that test.

You wouldn’t normally act as if the test had personally wronged you—trust, you were not going to get that heated were it any class. But because of this one class, one person, you knew it was coming. The inevitable.

"Better luck next time." The voice, drenched in smug satisfaction, slithered through the air behind you, his voice and demeanor like a slimy, slimy snake. 

Your jaw tightened, but you forced yourself to remain calm as you turned around. And there he was—Gojo Satoru, the bane of your existence, a plague upon your academic record, a walking, talking statistical anomaly who somehow managed to be both infuriatingly brilliant and aggressively insufferable.

He leaned against the desk beside yours, glasses sliding down just enough to reveal the glint of those ridiculously blue eyes. He crosses his arms while they’re covered in that ridiculous, ugly sweater he’s wearing—he’s probably going for the old money aesthetic, but he doesn’t need to know he gives off more “finance bro that helps billionaires evade taxes,” or whatever finance bros do.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” you sniff, pretending to act nonchalant while you grab your backpack, swinging it roughly on your shoulder like it was the weight of your grievances against him.

"The test." Gojo unfolded a crisp sheet of paper with the kind of theatrical flourish reserved for revealing royal decrees. A perfect 100, circled in bold red ink.

Your stomach twisted. This is what those two points meant. Two stupid, meaningless, soul-crushing, rage-inducing points.

"Guess that makes it… what, five to three this semester?" He tapped his chin, pretending to count, as if the score wasn’t already seared into your brain like an irreversible branding. "My lead, obviously. But hey, if you ever need tutoring, I could always squeeze you in."

You bite the inside of your cheek in frustration. “I wouldn’t want to impose on the time for any of your hobbies. After all, when will you get the time to watch anime? My 5000 Year Old Girlfriend is Stuck in a Twelve Year Old’s Body, was it?”

He presses a hand to his chest in mock hurt, as if your words had truly pierced him through his chest. “Tut, tut. After all this time, I’d think you’d have my anime preferences memorized since you’re so obsessed with me. It’s Digimon, not whatever pedophilic shit you think I jerk off too.” He pauses, and then his voice drops into a conspiratorial whisper. “But you know Fred, the grad student TA that holds recitation every Wednesday? I just know he’s probably a Discord mod of a server that sends, like, daily tentacle porn. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s on the Megan's law registry either.”

Now, you have to hold back your smile because Gojo has a point. Fred is not just any TA. Fred is the grad student that mentors you on a research project; the program’s super selective, so when you realized you got him, you couldn’t just back out and give up the opportunity. However, Fred isn’t just a weird–-he’s sooo handsy with his greasy ass hands, so you accept any and all Fred slander. Because he’s your research advisor, you can’t wait to finish the project any faster. He probably would be into underage girls, but you don’t need to express your approval to Gojo, or worst of all, let him think he’s funny. God knows that would get into his head. “Yea, yea. Whatever. Anyways, I hope you have fun with your Pokemon—”

“Digimon.”

“—or whatever. I’m leaving. Some of us have things to do. Later, Gojo.”

You turned on your heel, lest Gojo hook you in with another taunt. 

Maybe you needed to blow off some steam, if you’re allowing yourself to lose to Gojo. 

Worst of all, it’s become a streak, like two times in a row—one on this quiz, and the other on the midterm a few weeks back. Your mind goes back to the last women in STEM recruiting event you had went to, and, how, in the middle of taking a bite of the delicious margherita pizza they offered, you registered that the woman in the panel had insisted that what helped her power through her PhD and dickwad supervisors was by exercising. Her fervor over pilates could almost qualify as a cult pitch, but it made you pause at the moment. Before you continued to further engorge yourself on the food offered on the charcuterie board. 

But maybe it was time to hone your focus in, and some sweaty endorphins might help you get just that. 

You’re not really surprised the demographic at your university’s gym looks like the way it does. After all, not only was it renowned for its academics (from all the nepo babies like Gojo whose families donated buildings and had like four generations of alumnus), but it was also a Division I school. So not only was the gym packed but it was packed with men.

As you walked in the hallway towards the room that contained weight machines, gym bag slung over your shoulder, you eyed the glistening backs of the (D1, mind you) men’s swim team through the glass that separated your path and the swimming pool. 

Wow, those Speedos really hugged their asses. You imagined Gojo in one, and almost snorted. Rich boy nerd Satoru definitely didn’t  learn how to swim; his family’s mansion probably had a twenty year old personal lifeguard that Gojo lost his virginity to, or something. Regardless, he would squint in his silly swim goggles, the exact antithesis of sex appeal while his glow-in-the-dark eyes lit up the pool while he stroked, cheeks puffed like a pufferfish.

Regardless, the smell of testosterone that hits you when you enter the weight area is almost nauseating, and, if you’re honest, a little intimidating. You’re not exactly the fittest of people, so you quickly speed walk past the grunting and sweaty men at the squat machines and barbells, avoiding eye contact and praying furiously that none of them perceive you.

 When you reach the dumbbell stands, you hunch over, taking random light weights. Then, you pretend you know what you’re doing while jumping every so slightly whenever anyone comes in six foot distance of you. It’s only when another girl comes in to grab a weight (and when she bends over, you definitely ogle her ass in a way that would get you slapped if you were a man) that your gaze removes itself from where it was focused on the 2.5 lb dumbbell you were previously bicep curling with. To see him.

The glint of ivory hair is unmistakable—you’ve basically gotten off to the fantasy of razoring it off in his sleep. His blue eyes are bored, pretty boy face framed in glasses. Now, he’s giving teenage boy turned to Andrew Tate after a breakup. Black sweatshirt and sweatpants that are too small, because they cling to his legs in a form-defining way. He’s walking over, hands in his pockets, to a barbell station. Slaps some guys on the shoulder as he goes through, gets a lot of daps. 

Which is weird to you, because you only the Gojo inside your physics class, not outside. He’s a fucking nerd—a loser that spends his time beefing with you, so why is he so popular when he gives you the time of day?

There are three dimensions to gaining alpha status, or whatever they call male popularity. You have to be 1) rich, 2) really physically fit, or 3) just really charismatic. Considering that Gojo—in all his clothing—-looks like a twink moreso than ripped gym bro, it’s definitely not dimension two. So you conclude that it’s because he’s rich and probably throws yacht parties so these ripped guys don’t push him into a locker, or something.

When he finally reaches his destination, you smirk to yourself. With that scrawny build underneath all those loose sweaters, you know he’s only going to be able to lift the bar, no plates. After all, he was warming up. insulting Gojo in countless of ways by taking jabs at his physique mentally, so you barely register that he’s grabbing for the hem of his sweatshirt, peeling it up—

To reveal his bare torso.

Your first thought: Wow, he has huge bazonkas.

That has easily got to be one of the most built physiques you’ve seen at your college so far. His pectorals basically pop out out of his torso as he moves to grab plates. First, he grabs a really big plate—you’re not a gym expert, so you wouldn’t know the weight—and stacks it. And stacks another. And another. And another, until you’re sure it’s definitely more than your bodyweight.

As you’re staring at him in awe, your 2.5 lb dumbbells hang limply by your sides, abandoning all pretense of training to openly gawk at the clench of his biceps, the sweat rolling down his temple, and the set of his jaw as he stares holes into the bar. And by the way there’s heat creeping up your cheeks you realize one thing:

You’re screwed.

“You know what?”

You keep your eyes on your notes firmly, refusing to look at Gojo sitting right next to you. You don’t know why he always chooses to sit next to you on recitation, really—it’s not like you’re receptive to his company. After all, he could be doing other things—like metaphorically sucking a TA’s dick by talking about their research, where Gojo probably knows more about the TA’s research than they do themselves. 

From your periphery, you notice Gojo pouting, then scooting his chair (dragging it, so it makes a god awful screeching noise against the floor tiles that has you cringing) until he’s so close that he slings an arm on the back of your chair and leans in closer and closer. You’re fighting to keep your eyes on your notes, face heating up traitorously until you feel his breath fan across your neck because he’s just so close.

“Rude, ignoring me. Look where that got you.” He then points to a problem on your paper, one you were currently working on. “You’re doing that wrong.”

You finally turn to glare at him, but he’s closer than you anticipated, his face just inches from yours. His grin is all sharp edges and knowing amusement, and it makes your stomach flip in a way you refuse to acknowledge.

“I’m not doing it wrong,” you argue, despite the creeping suspicion that, okay, maybe you did mess up somewhere.

“Oh, really?” Gojo drawls, tilting his head slightly. “Then why is your integral off by a factor of two?”

Your eyes snap back to your notes, scanning through the equations—and, dammit, he’s right.

You huff, begrudgingly erasing the mistake. “Whatever.”

“You know, you should really be thanking me,” Gojo muses, still leaning way too close for comfort. “If I weren’t here, who knows how many mistakes you’d make?”

“She’d have me,” comes a greasy voice, and you have to fight the tears in your eyes that arise when Fred (the aforementioned pedophilic TA and your research advisor) comes, his moldy cheese stench following him as he takes a seat from across you and Gojo. You grudgingly turn your face away from where it was so close to Gojo’s to look at him and sigh inwardly. At least Gojo’s face was prettier to look at.

“Hi, Fred,” you smile tightly, willing him to go away. “We’re good here, so you can help out other students—”

“How was your weekend?” He instead replies, and you wince. Stealing a quick glance at Gojo, it seems that his jaw and posture are uncharacteristically tense. 

“Lot of work for the class and for, uh, our research,” you respond, nodding and averting your gaze to your paper and feigning working on a problem so that he would get the hint.

Fred, unfortunately, does not get the hint. Instead, he leans forward, elbows on the table, eyes too focused on you. “You really ought to take breaks, you know. You can give me the code late. Someone as cute as you shouldn’t stress so much. You’ll get wrinkles.”

Your fingers tighten around your pencil, your skin crawling at the way his tone veers into something too familiar, too patronizing. You open your mouth to give a clipped response, but Gojo beats you to it.

“Oh? Didn’t know you were an expert on skincare, Fred,” Gojo drawls, his voice deceptively light. His arm, which was still resting on the back of your chair, shifts just slightly—not quite pulling you in, but making his presence more noticeable. “Though, if we’re giving out advice, maybe you should take your own. I mean, stress must be rough on you too, right? All those late nights grading papers, staring at screens. Takes a toll.”

Fred bristles, but Gojo just smiles lazily, pushing up his glasses as he tilts his head. “Actually, you know what? Maybe we should all focus on our own business. Like, say, teaching, instead of weirdly hovering over students. Crazy thought, huh?”

You swear you see the muscle in Fred’s jaw twitch, but he forces out an awkward chuckle, shifting uncomfortably. “Right, right. Just looking out for her.”

“Don’t worry,” Gojo interrupts smoothly, now fully leaning into your space, his arm draping a little lower behind your chair, “I think she’s got plenty of people looking out for her already.” His voice is soft, but there’s an undeniable edge beneath the words.

Fred lingers for a second too long, but finally, he mutters something about helping another student and stands, walking off with an air of forced nonchalance.

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, slumping slightly in your seat. Gojo hums beside you, his fingers tapping idly against the back of your chair.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” he teases, but there’s something in his tone that’s softer than usual. He then makes a show of stretching, raising his arms. His sweater rides up a bit, exposing his lower abs and peeks of white that has you averting your gaze, the heat creeping up at his proximity once again. Then, his arm back on your chair. Weirdly, you find that you don’t mind it.

You sigh, resigned. You’ll figure out these feelings later. “Yeah. Thanks, Gojo.”

But you don’t immediately go back to your work, because Gojo suddenly hunches down and whispers in your ear. “Yea, I definitely saw an underage anime girl sticker on his laptop.”

Your responding snort is so loud everyone turns to look at you and Gojo, who is now sporting a mischievous and satisfied smile.

It starts with a single drop, fat and cold where it splats against your wrist. You glance up from your phone just in time to see the sky split open.

“Shit,” you mutter, stuffing your phone into your bag. The library doors shut behind you with a heavy clang, sealing away the scent of old books and the quiet hum of studying students. Outside, the air is thick with the petrichor of freshly fallen rain, and within seconds, the pavement is slick, puddles forming in the uneven cracks of the sidewalk. The streetlights reflect off the wet ground, casting fragmented golden glows against the darkening sky. You’d been studying to grind for the upcoming assignments; after all, to rival Gojo is a no small feat. It’s just unfortunate it seems to take you thousand times more effort than it does for Gojo.

“Guess we’re stuck together, huh?”

You don’t have to turn to know who it is.

Satoru Gojo, standing beside you under the library’s narrow overhang, wearing that insufferable grin like he’s amused by the entire situation. Like the rain personally fell from the sky just to give him an opportunity to bother you.

“I’ll take my chances,” you say flatly, shifting your bag on your shoulder. But as you peer past the downpour, your stomach sinks. The rain is merciless, an unrelenting sheet of water stretching as far as you can see. There’s no way you’re making it back to your dorm without looking like you took a fully clothed shower.

Gojo hums, pulling something out of his bag. You blink when he flicks open a half-broken umbrella, the metal ribs slightly bent like it’s barely holding itself together. He gives it a little shake, sending droplets flying, before glancing at you with a smirk.

“Well?” He lifts a brow. “Wanna be smart about this?”

You do not want to be smart about this. You want to wait out the rain or make a break for it. But the storm shows no signs of letting up, and the thought of walking through it alone makes you hesitate.

Reluctantly, you sigh. “Fine. But I get most of the cover.”

“Hey, sharing is caring.” He tilts the umbrella slightly, just enough to make a point.

With great reluctance, you step closer. The moment you do, you regret it.

Gojo is warm. Even in the damp, chilled air, he radiates heat, standing so close that his sleeve brushes against yours. He smells good, too—like expensive laundry detergent with a faint undercurrent of something sweet, something distinctly him.

You swallow hard, forcing yourself to stare straight ahead as the two of you start walking. The rain pounds against the umbrella, droplets cascading off the edges, and with every step, you’re hyper-aware of the way Gojo moves beside you—loose-limbed, annoyingly graceful, a stark contrast to the crooked metal above your heads.

“Man, this thing’s on its last leg,” he muses, tilting the umbrella just slightly. Water dribbles off the side, landing directly onto your shoulder.

“Gojo!” you yelp, recoiling as the cold soaks through your shirt.

“Oops.” He does not sound remotely sorry.

You glare at him, but before you can snap back, he shrugs off his jacket and—without preamble—drapes it over you.

You freeze.

It’s warm, still carrying the heat of his body, and it smells so much like him—clean, sweet, dizzyingly familiar. Your brain short-circuits.

You force yourself to breathe, keeping your gaze firmly ahead. “You didn’t have to do that,” you say, voice tight.

“I wanted to.”

Something in his tone makes your stomach flip. You glance at him from the corner of your eye, and—

Damn him. Damn him.

Water drips from his bangs, clinging to the sharp edges of his jawline, sliding down the curve of his throat. His shirt sticks to his skin, fabric clinging in a way that reveals the toned lines of his arms, the broad plane of his chest. He’s watching the rain, the usual teasing glint in his eyes softened into something contemplative.

You swear your eggs just recently got released, for you cannot help but avoid your ever going attraction to Satoru Gojo except the age-old excuse: ovulation. Your mind wanders to how his arms would feel around your head, to lay on his chest, how he’d be able to manhandle you, force you to take it—

But you’re snapped out of your inappropriate thoughts by what he says next.

“You know,” he says, voice quieter now, “I like this. Just us, no grades, no competing.”

You pause.

He says it so simply, so easily, like it’s nothing at all. But the words settle deep, curling somewhere warm inside you, and you don’t know what to do with them.

So you do what you do best: you shove them away, bury them beneath years of rivalry, of late-night study sessions fueled by caffeine and stubbornness, of sharp words and sharper glances.

You roll your eyes, forcing a scoff. “Don’t get used to it.”

But even as you say it, your fingers curl into the fabric of his jacket, holding it a little tighter.

It’s been a week since you saw Gojo. He had dropped you at your dorm in a surprisingly gentlemanly way, and you had insisted on returning the jacket only after washing it, to be courteous. What you didn’t mention was how you kept repeatedly smelling it in your dorm whenever you got a reprieve from your roommate’s eyes because Gojo smelled like expensive cologne and he did one thing most nerds / physics majors don’t do: shower. This fact, unfortunately, made you more attracted to him because the bar is truly in hell.

You’ve concluded that these…feelings can’t hurt you and that it isn’t real, like a beefy and shirtless Gojo-looking demon that’ll jump and surprise you from under your bed. So you move on your life, caught in the ever perpetual slog of studying and researching. 

Thus, you find yourself at the library once more.

The night hums low around you, quiet except for the occasional shuffle of paper and the distant hum of the library’s espresso machine (only librarians could use it, however. you fervently thought that was a form of elitism, but you digress). You’re at the corner table, the one by the window, where the dim light pools just enough to illuminate your notes but not enough to make you feel like you’re being studied under a microscope. You think you’re alone—until you aren’t.

You don’t have to look up to know it’s him.

Satoru Gojo is hard to miss, even when he’s not trying. He slides into the chair across from you with the kind of ease that makes it seem like he belongs there, like he was always going to end up sitting across from you tonight. His hair is tousled, white strands falling forward in a way that makes him look softer under the warm light. His glasses are perched low on his nose, a rare sight given that he usually has them pushed up like some kind of pretentious scholar.

The two of you don’t speak.

It’s surprising, really. Gojo never runs out of things to say, whether it’s an obnoxious quip or some unnecessarily insightful observation that makes you want to throw your textbook at his face. But tonight, he just pulls out his own notes, taps his pen against the edge of his lips, and starts reading.

You should focus on your own studying, but something about this—this silence, this late-night haze, this tiny moment carved out of time—makes your mind wander. You steal glances when you think he won’t notice. His brows furrow when he’s concentrating, his jaw tightens when he’s stuck on something, and when he exhales, it’s this slow, measured thing, like he’s trying not to get frustrated. He’s just—

He’s just really there.

You’ve spent years defining Gojo as your rival. Your competition. The person standing in your way at every academic milestone. And yet, somehow, somewhere, he’s slipped into something else, something harder to define. Because you’ve seen him like this before—when he’s so focused that he forgets the world around him, when he bites his lip in thought, when he gets so caught up in something that he mutters under his breath without realizing it. And for the first time, it dawns on you: you don’t actually hate it.

You don’t hate this comfortable silence. This moment of peace, a white flag waving lazily between you both.

The hours blur. The café starts to empty. Your notes turn into background noise. It’s late, and the warmth from inside lulls you into something dangerously close to comfort.

A soft sound breaks through the quiet.

You glance up and freeze.

Gojo’s head has tilted to the side, his glasses slipping slightly down the bridge of his nose. His hand is curled loosely around his pen, and his breathing has evened out. He’s asleep.

For a moment, you don’t move. You barely breathe.

Gojo, asleep, is not something you’ve seen before. He’s always in motion, always buzzing with energy, always running his mouth about something. But right now, he’s still. His long lashes cast faint shadows over his cheekbones, and the tension he always carries—the cocky bravado, the smirking sharpness—is nowhere to be found. He just looks… peaceful.

Cutie.

What?

The thought slips in so quickly, so effortlessly, that it nearly makes you jolt. But when you look at him again—head tilted just slightly, glasses slipping down his nose, breathing slow and even—you can’t deny that the word fits. He looks like a lazy cat napping in a sunbeam, limbs loose, utterly unguarded. It’s so unlike him that you find yourself staring, caught in the contrast.

Your fingers twitch. Before you can stop yourself, you reach forward, slow and hesitant, to push his glasses back up his nose. But you catch yourself just before you touch him, as if the warmth of his skin might burn. Your hand hovers in the air for a fraction of a second too long, and then—

You pull away.

Your heart is pounding. It’s fine. It’s nothing. You just need to get out of here.

You gather your things quietly, glancing back at him one last time before slipping out the door into the cool night air. The moment you step outside, you take a breath, deep and shaking. The world feels different now. You feel different now.

Because for the first time, it isn’t just that you find Gojo attractive.

It’s that you care.

And you don’t know what the hell to do about it.

The gym, once again, smells like sweat and overpriced protein powder.

You don’t know what’s possessed you to come here today. Maybe it’s because you keep telling yourself that you need to exercise more, or maybe it’s because you need to take a break from studying before your brain melts. But deep down, if you’re really being honest with yourself, you know the real reason.

Gojo is here.

You spotted him the first time by accident. You were on the treadmill, barely jogging at a pace that wouldn’t embarrass you, when you caught a flash of white hair across the gym floor. And there he was—dressed in a fitted black sleeveless top and joggers, casually loading plates onto a barbell.

And he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

It was a stupid, inconsequential detail, but it made all the difference. Without them, he didn’t look like the annoying academic rival who constantly got under your skin, flashing his smug grin as he beat you in exams by the smallest possible margins. He looked… sharp. Unfiltered. Effortlessly attractive in a way that made your stomach tighten in ways you didn’t like.

You’d seen him in his regular clothes before, of course. You knew he had broad shoulders and long legs, that his body wasn’t just a lanky frame hidden behind layers of sweaters. But here, in the gym, watching him roll his shoulders as he prepped for another set—it hit differently. He was lean but muscular, his arms flexing as he adjusted his grip on the bar, and for some godforsaken reason, you couldn’t look away.

You shouldn’t be watching him. You should be focusing on your own workout, pretending you don’t care. But the way his shirt clung to his back, the way his forearms tensed, the way he exhaled sharply as he lifted—

You’re so screwed.

You force yourself to look away, grabbing the smallest dumbbells available and curling them in what has to be the weakest excuse for a workout imaginable. You’re barely paying attention to what you’re doing, too busy sneaking glances at Gojo between sets. It’s pathetic, but at least no one else is watching you.

Or so you think.

Because then she appears.

A girl.

Tall, toned, and effortlessly gorgeous, with sleek hair pulled into a high ponytail. She strides over to Gojo with a confidence you could never dream of and smiles at him, saying something that makes him laugh. Her ass is definitely bigger than yours, and she’s in this coordinated, cute, pink set, looking like she walked straight out of a fitness TikTok. You can’t hear what they’re talking about over the sound of weights clanking and some obnoxious EDM song blasting through the speakers, but you can see it. The way she leans in, the way she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the way Gojo—

—smiles at her. That easy, lazy grin he always wears when he’s teasing you, except this time, it isn’t for you.

Your grip tightens around the dumbbells, something ugly curling in your chest. It gets worse when she gestures toward the squat rack, and Gojo nods before moving behind her, hands hovering just slightly as she sets up for a squat. You watch as he spots her, one hand resting lightly on her lower back, close enough to correct her form but far enough to be polite. He’s focused, watching her movements carefully, murmuring something that makes her laugh before she drops into another rep.

Your stomach twists.

This is stupid. You have no reason to be feeling this way.

It’s then that it hits you—you can have your silly little academic rival moments with Gojo, but, in the end, you’re just a footnote in his story, a fleeting challenge in a life where everything already belongs to him. He quite literally has generational wealth; he’s not going to spend his life buried in grant applications or clawing for recognition in a field that demands twice the effort for half the reward. He’ll be the one funding the research, sitting at the head of the table, making decisions that shape the future. And you? You’ll be one of the many who struggle just to be in the same room.

He’s the guy who spends his vacations on yachts or private islands—not just surrounded by wealth, but by people who belong there. Girls who glide through life with the same effortless ease as him, girls who don’t second-guess if they deserve to be in the spaces they occupy. Girls who don’t have to fight for their place at the table because it was always set for them.

Girls that are his equal—equally attractive, equally smart, equally rich.

Not you.

You swallow hard, forcing yourself to look away, but the image is burned into your mind. The easy way he talks to her. The way she tilts her head when she listens. The way he doesn’t even know you’re here.

You shouldn’t care. You shouldn’t care. You shouldn’t care.

But you do.

You grip the dumbbells tighter, exhaling sharply. Then you put them back, pick up your water bottle, and walk out of the gym before you do something stupid.

The office is too small. Too suffocating. Too filled with the weight of unspoken words and the sharp-edged smile of Fred, the TA, as he leans back in his chair and laces his fingers together.

"You know," he begins, voice sickly sweet, "I really expected more from you."

You sit stiffly in the chair across from him, your hands curled into fists in your lap, nails digging crescents into your skin. Your heart pounds, but your face remains carefully neutral. You've been called into his office under the guise of "academic guidance," but you know better. You always know better.

"I don't know what you mean," you say, keeping your voice even.

Fred exhales dramatically, shaking his head. "Come on. You and I both know you're barely keeping up in this project of ours."

You grit your teeth. You're not barely keeping up. You're giving him your work at the highest level, at its best. But Fred—Fred has always had a way of twisting things, making you feel small, insignificant, like your achievements are nothing more than accidents.

“I think my progress speaks for itself,” you respond tightly. Mind you, while he was supposed to be your mentor, you’ve done 80% of the work.

But you think Gojo’s defense of you ran deep into Fred’s heart because by the way he’s sleazily smirking at you, you know he’s trying to get back at you.

He smirks. "Your progress? Sure, you’re smart. But you think that’s enough? You think anyone’s going to care about a girl like you when there are people out there who don’t have to struggle to be exceptional?" He leans forward, voice dropping into something conspiratorial. "You’re wasting your time. The best you can hope for is being someone’s assistant. Maybe a glorified research grunt if you’re lucky. Just like for me."

Your stomach twists. You shouldn’t care. You know you shouldn’t care. But the words burrow deep, hitting a place inside you that already doubts, that already wonders if you’re nothing more than a temporary obstacle in a world built for people like Gojo Satoru—people born brilliant, born wealthy, born effortless.

Fred’s eyes flick over you, assessing, smug. "You’re working yourself to the bone for what? You’ll never be at the top. Not really."

The bitterness of the situation really dawns on you—Gojo’s the one who took a jab at Fred last week, not you. But you’re the one who’s left to deal with its consequences. You’re not going to assign blame and lament that it’s not Gojo in this office dealing with him. It was in your defense, after all. 

But Fred’s words remind you. You’ll never be at the top. At Gojo’s level, who’s at the top without even seeming to put in effort.

You’ll never be his equal.

You stand abruptly, shoving your chair back so hard it scrapes against the floor. "If that’s all, I have work to do."

Fred chuckles, leaning back, clearly pleased with himself. "Sure, sure. Don’t say I never tried to give you advice."

You don’t respond. You just walk out, gripping your bag so tightly your knuckles turn white, the echo of his words following you down the hall, settling in your bones like lead.

The hallway is too bright. Too loud. Too full of people who don’t know that you’re on the verge of crumpling in on yourself like a dying star.

Your breath feels too shallow, too quick, and there’s a weight pressing down on your chest that no amount of rationalizing can shake off. It’s not even your meeting with Fred—just a slow accumulation of stress and exhaustion and frustration that’s settled deep in your bones. A grade lower than expected, an upcoming deadline you’re nowhere near prepared for, a general sense of drowning no matter how hard you try to keep up. It’s all too much, and your hands are starting to shake from how tightly you’re gripping the strap of your bag.

You just need to get out of here. You need air, space, something.

But, of course, the universe has a cruel sense of humor, because when you round the corner, you slam straight into Satoru Gojo.

“Whoa—”

Your balance is already precarious from the way you were rushing, and the impact sends you stumbling. For a split second, you think you might actually fall—your ankle twists awkwardly, the world tilts—and then there’s a strong hand gripping your wrist, another bracing against your back, steadying you before you can hit the ground.

You don’t process what happens immediately. Your mind is still stuck on too much, too fast, can’t breathe, and it takes you a second to realize that Gojo is holding you upright, his hands firm but careful, his expression hovering somewhere between amusement and concern.

“Jeez, what’s the rush?” he teases, but his voice lacks its usual careless lilt. He’s searching your face now, eyes narrowing behind his glasses, and that’s when you realize: you must look as bad as you feel.

Shit.

You jerk away from him, a little too fast, a little too sharp. “I’m fine.”

Gojo doesn’t look convinced. “You sure? Because it kinda seemed like you were about to pass out on the spot.”

“I said I’m fine.” You adjust your bag over your shoulder, shifting your weight onto your other foot, ignoring the faint throb in your ankle. “Go bother someone else.”

Most of the time, that’s enough to send him off with an exaggerated sigh and a smirk. But not today.

Today, Gojo just stands there, watching you like he’s trying to piece something together—like you’re a problem he wants to solve. He doesn’t press, not yet, but the silence stretches, and it’s unbearable, because you can feel the weight of his gaze, and you don’t want to be seen like this. Not by him.

So you give him a tight nod in dismissal, and walk away.

There’s a knock at your door. You frown because you didn’t expect any visitors, and you’re in your sleepwear. Regardless, you pad your way lazily and open the door.

To see Gojo.

What the fuck.

He’s drenched in the glow of the hallway light, looking entirely too at home despite standing on your threshold. His hair is still slightly damp from the rain, white strands falling over his forehead in careless disarray. He’s not wearing his glasses.

"Why are you here?" you demand, gripping the doorframe, willing your voice to stay steady.

He quirks an eyebrow, tilting his head just slightly. “You’re holding my jacket hostage.”

Oh. Right.

You make your way to your wardrobe, where the now-cleaned jacket hangs neatly on a hanger. Grabbing it, you hand it over to Gojo, who’s standing at your threshold while eyeing the insides of your dorm, as if trying to take in what your living space looks like. You shove it into his chest, stepping back like the heat of it burns. "Here."

Gojo takes it, but instead of leaving like a normal person, he lingers, running his fingers over the material like he’s checking for something. Then,, he lifts a hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it in that way that only makes his biceps flex, his lean muscles shifting beneath his shirt. You hate that you notice.

A beat passes.

"You know," he muses, far too casually, "you seemed a little disheveled back there."

Your stomach twists. "It's not a big deal—"

"—Bullshit." His voice cuts through yours, sharp and immediate. He shifts, stepping just the tiniest bit closer, his tone losing its usual teasing lilt. “You’re lying. I saw what you looked like. What happened?”

“It's none of your business,” you say, stiffening. “Nor is it a big deal, really.”

Gojo exhales, something heavy in the sound. His eyes don’t leave yours, and for once, they aren’t filled with their usual mirth or mischief. Just something searching, something that makes your chest ache in a way you don’t have the strength to deal with right now.

"You always do that," he says, softer now, but no less intense. “Act like no one’s supposed to care. Like you’re carrying the world alone.”

Your fingers curl into your palms. Your lips press together. You don’t want to hear this. You don’t want to acknowledge the way his words settle too close to the truth.

And then, quietly, Gojo asks, “Do you not consider me your equal?”

You swallow.

Your silence must be enough of an answer because something shifts in his expression. It isn’t anger exactly, but it’s something close—something bitter and disappointed and aching all at once.

"You’re the one who shuts me out, you know." His voice is sharp now, edged with frustration. "You act like I'm the one keeping you at a distance, but every time I try to get close, you push me away."

Your throat tightens. “Why do you even care?”

Gojo lets out a breath, his head tilting just slightly, eyes scanning your face like you’re something he’s trying to figure out. Then he laughs, quiet and humorless.

“You really don’t know?”

“I—” Your voice wavers. “What do you mean—”

“For a girl so smart, you sure do act stupid.” He steps forward then, closing the space between you just enough to make you want to back away, but your feet don’t move. His voice drops lower. "Do you think I talk to you because I give a fuck about physics?"

Your brain short-circuits. “What—”

He groans, dragging a hand through his hair, frustrated. “I give zero fucks about the class or any class, trust me. I have better things to do than to try to aim for 100s on every test."

Your heart is pounding now, too loud, too fast. “Then why—”

"God," he exhales, tipping his head back, like he's debating whether or not he should even say it. Then, after a beat, he looks at you again, and whatever is in his eyes makes your stomach flip, makes your breath hitch.

Something in your chest lurches, but before you can even process it, he huffs a laugh—like he’s just remembered something ridiculous.

"You didn’t even look my way the first week," he says, eyes flicking over your face, searching. "I could tell you only cared about anyone that could challenge you. Like, it wasn’t even until I did better than you on the second midterm that you even talked to me."

You open your mouth, then close it, heat prickling at the back of your neck. Because—yeah. He’s not wrong. You had ignored him, dismissed him as just another overconfident rich kid who thought he was smarter than he was. It wasn’t until he proved himself, until he became a real obstacle in your path, that you bothered to acknowledge him.

Gojo smiles, but it’s not cocky this time—it’s small, almost rueful. "And then you looked at me like I was finally real. Like I existed."

Your breath hitches.

He shrugs, eyes dropping for a brief second before snapping back up to yours. "So, yeah. Maybe I started trying harder. Maybe I cared about all those stupid tests because it meant I got to see that fire in your eyes, that I got to be the one you were pushing against." He rubs the back of his neck, his biceps flexing in a way that would usually annoy you, but right now, you’re too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

Gojo stares at you for a long moment, gaze unwavering, like he’s daring you to say something—anything.

Your chest feels too tight, your pulse erratic, and you don’t know what to do with the way Gojo is looking at you—like you’re something precious, something worth holding onto.

But he’s wrong. He has to be wrong.

“You can’t like me,” you whisper.

Gojo frowns, expression shifting. “What?”

Your throat clenches, and before you can stop it, heat pricks at your eyes, blurring your vision. “You can’t like me,” you say again, voice cracking. “I can’t even match you.”

Gojo's face slackens, his teasing demeanor completely gone.

"You do everything so effortlessly," you force out, your fists clenching at your sides. "It’s so infuriating." A shaky breath escapes you, and you shake your head, looking down. “So why would you even want this? You make me feel this way, and I—I hate you for it.”

For a second, there’s only silence.

Then, Gojo exhales softly.

“Is that what you think?” His voice is so gentle it makes something inside you ache.

You don’t answer. You can’t.

Gojo shifts, stepping forward slowly, carefully, like you’re something fragile. And then—then he reaches out, his fingers ghosting along your wrist before curling around it, grounding you. “It’s not effortless,” he murmurs. “I try so hard. You just don’t see it because I don’t want you to.”

"You really don’t get it, do you?" His voice is quieter now, something dangerously close to vulnerable. His fingers twitch at his sides. "I care because it’s you."

You shake your head, still not understanding, still unable to believe it.

Gojo watches you for a moment, then exhales, running a hand through his hair. “You act like I just woke up one day and decided to like you.” He huffs a quiet laugh, but there’s no real amusement in it. “Do you know how long I’ve been stuck on you? How infuriating it was, realizing that no matter how much attention I got, the only person I wanted it from was too busy treating me like an obstacle?”

Your breath catches.

“I tried everything,” he continues, voice rougher now. “Teasing you, annoying you, beating you in tests, losing to you in tests. It didn’t matter what I did, because you—” He breaks off, shaking his head. “You only saw me when I gave you a reason to compete.”

Your fingers tremble slightly at your sides. You don’t know what to say, don’t even know what you can say.

And suddenly, everything—the teasing, the constant pestering, the way he always had to be around you—it all clicks into place.

Your heart hammers in your chest, and before you can second-guess it, before you can even think, you surge forward and kiss him.

It’s a mess of a kiss—too rushed, too desperate, all clashing teeth and uneven breaths—but Gojo groans softly against your lips, like he’s been waiting for this. His hands are on you immediately, one slipping around your waist, the other cradling the back of your head as he presses you flush against him.

You’re dizzy. Overwhelmed. But it’s good. It’s him, and you don’t want to stop.

When you finally pull away, breathless and unsteady, Gojo is grinning, his lips slightly swollen.

“Worth the wait,” he murmurs, eyes shining.

You avert your gaze, fully blushing now. “But I—” You take a look at him, then hide your face in your hands. “I’m a stalker.”

“Maybe I’m into that.”

“No,” you bemoan. “I’ve stalked you at the gym, and I—” Your voice drops into a shameful whisper. “You were good. Like, stupidly good. Like, making everyone stare at you good.”

His lips twitch. “You were staring too, huh?”

You glare at him, but he just grins, all teeth, clearly eating this up.

“I hated it,” you insist, heat prickling at the back of your neck. “I hated that you’re already smarter than me, that you already have all these advantages, and then—and then you also have that? Like, it’s just unfair. You’re unfair.”

Gojo is silent for a second, and you think you’ve screwed up, but then exhales a sharp laugh, shaking his head. “You are so cute.”

“Stop it!” you whine, but you don’t protest when he pulls you closer and locks your lips with his another time. You clutch the front of his shirt, drag your hands on his chest, his arms, everywhere. Then, you guide his to firmly clutch your ass, to which he freezes.

“We can stop here. We don’t have to do anymore than this, and—”

But you interrupt him, slamming your lips against his once more. Grabbing him by the shoulder you pull him into your room and slam the door behind you, pushing him against the door. “Fuck no.”

He laughs breathlessly, then continues to switch your position, now you against the door. “Thank god. Now, jump.”

You do, and you almost moan at how easily he grabs you in his arms, your legs straddling him. It’s like you weigh nothing to him as he carries you over to your bed and manhandles you into it, following not long after.

When he gets on top of you, he maintains eye contact as he pulls your shirt over your head, trailing kisses down to your neck, the valley of your breasts (but not before giving each of the girls their own tender kiss), and your stomach. With his eyes boring into you, he slowly, teasingly drags the pants you were wearing down your legs until you’re just in your panties.

You let out a noise, and he coos. “I know, I know, baby.” He gives you a gentle kiss on the top of your mound, and you clench, squirming from the contact. “Let me take my time, though.”

He gently, but firmly, lays a hand on your hip as he starts licking the crotch of your panties. It’s truly maddening—the sensation is there, but you oh so wish his skilled tongue was meeting your skin, bare and electric.

He’s taking his time laving, ravishing your taste, but you’ve had enough. “Gojo, please,” you sob, throwing your head back and grinding further into his tongue, which he welcomes. “Stop teasing.”

“Mmmm,” he pretends to think, all while focused and looking only at your crotch, now rubbing your clit in small, miniscule circles. “I can, but,” and now he’s just mocking you, with the way he adopts a babying tone, “I think you’re going to have to beg for it.”

You groan in frustration as a response, but he only clicks his tongue as his fingers reach and finally rid you of your panties. He spreads your folds with two fingers, his face oh so close to your bare pussy. But instead of finally giving you what you want,  he clicks his tongue, pouting as if you’re the one forcing him to be a bastard. “Yea, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to earn it.”

Before you can respond, he holds out his tongue and inches his face even closer to your bare folds until you can feel his warm breath over it. “You just have to say please.” Then, he ahhh-s, as if holding his tongue out to a doctor and says, “Look I’m so close—ahhh.”

You can only plead with him. “Please, Gojo.”

“No, it’s Satoru to you now, baby.”

“Satoru, please eat me out.”

He smiles. “Yeaa, that’s my girl.” And proceeds to eat you out in a way that has your toes curling.

He acts like a man eating his last meal on death row. It’s the masterful combination of laving over your folds, kissing your clit, and groaning and making noises that has you inching closer and closer to your orgasm. When you tell him, you’re close, he does exactly what he’s supposed to do—keep doing what he’s doing, same spot, same tempo, same pressure.

With a cry of his name, you come quickly, and he takes your writhing hips and their motion like a champ, easing you through it. When you feel the all-too-familiar feel of over sensitivity, you grab his hair and pull him towards your face, kissing him tenderly. 

He maneuvers his huge frame to lay down next to you, and you fall easily into a gentle embrace. It’s a comfortable silence, as he burrows his face into your chest and you stroke his hair gently.

Gentler than how you’ve ever treated him.

It’s this thought exactly that you voice to him. “You know,” you muse softly. “I was such a bitch to you.” This gets his attention, because he moves from where he was comfortable (your boobs) to look at you in alarm. “Like, I was always mean, and like acting all high and mighty—”

“Whatever you think you did, it was hot,” he interrupts you, grinning boyishly. “Like damn when you insult me I get all fired up—”

“Satoru!” You laugh, shocked, looking down at him. “You’re crazy.”

“Yea,” he winks. “Crazy for you.”

You smile softly at that, biting your lip. “I mean, I get that.” You feel his curious gaze rove over you and heat creeps up your neck as you confess, “Like I was stalking you at the gym. I saw you one time, and um. You definitely have a sleeper build.”

He hums. “I get that a lot.”

“Yea,” you blurt. “you’re really hot. Like you have really big arms, which I definitely didn’t notice in all those sweaters you wear. You could definitely throw me around.”

Silence.

When you look down at him, he’s looking at you mischievously. He sits up, takes off his shirt, and says, “Want to test that theory?”

The both of you test the theory, indeed—it’s a nice nod to your guys’ academic, theoretical physics roots. But instead of some theory involving dark matter or quantum physics debated while in class, this theory takes all night to prove.

general masterlist

a/n special thank you to @purplegemadventures ily pookie <3 we were discussing how a lot of fics so far have made seem nerd gojo really cute and shy but we tried to envision a shit eating sassy diva just like hidden inventory arc <3 like what that one anon said i need my gojo to be a little annoying cocky (but cute) bastard (or, i quote, "your gojo makes me want to oil his scalp and give him an aggressive head massage and mess his hair up"). ANYWAYS props to that one anon that dropped the "nerd gojo with sleeper build" and my beloved @tiramisuandlove i love you forever

comment and reblog to let me know ur thots!

FAILING A TEST BECAUSE OF GOJO INCLUDES . . . 𓆝 ⋆｡𖦹°‧

ִ ࣪𖤐 featuring. gojo satoru x reader

ִ ࣪𖤐 warnings. gojo being clingy (again), gojo being a tutor, serious gojo wow, cursing.

note. this is a part 2 on studying with gojo includes, took long enough i'm sorry kajsksks

[ PART 1 : STUDYING WITH GOJO INCLUDES . . . ]

failing a test because of gojo includes him practically being on his knees and apologizing for being so clingy to the point it was impossible to study with him.

"'m so sorry, please don't hate me. please still bring me to study with you — i can't stand being so far away from you," he dramatically apologized, hugging your leg.

"i never said i hated you, 'toru." you muttered, trying to brush his grip away from your leg, he was latched onto you like a magnet. it was impossible to pry him off, "get off me or i'll step on you, satoru."

"are y'hearing yourself? i can feel it in your voice, you hate me now!" he whines out softly.

if it weren't for the constant shot of worry and oddness from people passing by — you swore you would have kicked his ass already, "satoru, stop this. don't you have any shame in you? we're in public," he shook his head and buried his face into your clothed thigh.

"it's fine, 'ts not your fault 'toru. i was sure i'm gonna fail that test anyways," you found yourself telling him, tousling his hair back, "so stand up before i kick your ass."

the male begrudgingly stood up, brushing his pants, "well, why didn't you say that? so, 'ts not me but you. you're the problem," he joked, rolling his eyes, brushing his hair back hastily.

"you're not coming to study with me anymore, and i hate you."

cue the color draining from his face, and in a second, gojo was back on the ground, gripping on your leg harder than ever. whining and throwing a temper tantrum over your statement, "take that back, baby. take those words back, you don't mean that."

"y'r right. i don't," you flicked his forehead before pushing his grip off and then sauntering away from him.

failing a test because gojo includes him actually trying to help you study for the make up test — because if you haven't realized, he really does feel bad for being over your head while you were trying to study.

"no, no, baby. you put the x over here, and then just did what i told you before, step by step." he explains softly, pointing the tip of his pencil to an equation.

you mustered out a sigh of exhaustion and did what he told you to do. and miserably failed while trying to do so, your fingertips scratching your scalp in apparent frustration — the material incensed you.

maths. equations. numbers. they weren't really your forte, so even if gojo tries to convince you that he was the main reason for you failing your test; you think it was your brain capacity that failed you during this important test.

"'ts alright baby, don't stress yourself over this — y'know i'm gonna be here helping you, right?" he rubs your nape, squeezing your skin gently, "you're doing good, you just forgot to move the x, 'ts okay. everyone does that."

as much as you try not to overthink about it, moving the x was the first step of the equation. and you got it wrong.

failing a test because of gojo includes him trying to make sure you get at least a fifteen minutes worth of break to ease yourself from the stress. the male doesn't really take no for an answer — so when you tell him no to breaks, gojo manhandles you forcefully (and gently).

"y/n, take a break. you've been studying for four hours," he mumbles into your ear.

"'m fine, just a few more questions."

gojo does not take no for an answer, wrapping an arm around your waist — he pulls you back from the short legged table, tugging you up from the floor and tosses you onto the plush mattress. that was not all, the male wrapped your cotton made blanket around you, solely trapping your body inside it.

"fifteen minutes, and i'll let you go." he mutters, placing a kiss onto your lips before laying on top of your covered body, "stop kneeing my head, i'll get a concussion."

"unhand me." you muttered out in spite.

"stop moving, and stop talking. you're fine with a fifteen minutes break, y/n." gojo muttered back in reply.

failing a test because of gojo includes a "fifteen minutes" break, which in his vocabulary was apparently a two hours nap time together. even then, if gojo hadn't woke up first — it was going to be at least a four hours nap time.

"shit, y/n. wake up," he shook you gently, realizing you had been under his weight all this time, not moving; in the same position, the blanket around your body refusing to give you the access to move even an inch.

gojo unwraps the blanket delicately as you snored your exhaustion away, you had your arms by your side, and your legs were stiffly straight. it was a weird position, like you're standing — but horizontally. psycho.

"baby, wake up. we have to review the materials," it's a little ironic coming from the male who insisted that you should be the one slipping in breaks. he flicked your nose, making your eyelids twitch, "wake up, big baby."

"what time is it?"

gojo grimaces, "don't be angry but the sun isn't up anymore."

you sat up straight, looking at him. eyes tired, "what?"

failing a test because of gojo includes him reviewing the materials one more time before he has to leave — it didn't take long, because he actually took his sweet time correcting you, not even getting angry when you made a mistake in the same equations.

"that's right, you're gonna ace this make up test, baby. i just know it," he mutters out, kissing the side of your head, "'m sorry i made you fail."

"'ts okay, i suck at maths anyways. even if you didn't bother me, i'd still fail — thanks for being patient with me, 'toru."

"'m proud of you," he brushes your hair aside as you focused on the last two questions on the book, "good luck on the test," he whispers, leaning to the crook of your neck, burying his face in it like he belongs there.

"oh, i will. don't worry." you tell him confidently.

spoiler: you did in fact aced the test.

© CHURIPU 2024 , DO NOT COPY OR REPOST ANYWHERE

meet you where the sky meets the earth

to love is to listen to your heart, not your brain. to dream whilst in love, is to make your brain listen to your heart.

▸ gojo satoru x fem!reader; former teacher x former student [gojo is six yrs older than reader]; bittersweet fluff; you're so in love w satoru, it shd hurt- but it doesn't because you've grown numb to the ache; one-sided feelings [are they really?]; few mentions of food; gojo calls you 'cookie'; this is way too tender even for me, istg; 1.5k wc

▸ belongs to the series 'you make my heart flutter and fibrillate' but can be read as a stand-alone fic if you wanna! 😊

▸ the header is from pinterest, the dividers are by @benkeibear, the characters used here aren't mine. pls don't plagiarise, translate or repost this. hope y'all enjoy reading this ❤️❤️

the first time you think of marrying gojo, you're only twenty years old.

hardly the age to be dreaming of wedding bells at, right?

yeah, right. that's very, very right— still, your heart is your heart, just how your brain is your brain, the former easily swaying the latter by a few skipped beats— and you find your cheeks growing warm, laughs stumbling past your lips as you place the box of cornflakes into your shopping cart.

gojo sputters from beside you, eyes comically wide behind his shades as they dart from you to the elderly woman before.

you take a second to compose yourself before answering the ask that created this mess in the first place, a polite smile lining your face, "oh, no– not at all, ma'am! we're not married. i'm just an old friend helping him with the groceries, haha."

"oh," that's the only thing the woman says in reaction, kind smile now a tiny frown before it reappears. and she apologises, "i'm sorry, dears. just thought you two to be newlyweds from how giddy and loving you seemed to each other... time i went for an eye check-up, yes?"

"hey, please don't be sorry..." you start to say, but before you can get any further, the woman has already walked away with her shoppping basket.

you fall silent.

the same way the man next to you too has grown quiet, an awkward silence taking up the foot between you both. until you break it with a strained chuckle.

"we were acting giddy and loving to each other, eh?"

"were we?" comes the contemplative question to your comment. you look up to find gojo looking at you, the blue of his eyes weirdly bright in the dim lights of the supermarket as he repeats, "were we, cookie?"

yes. no. you don't really know—

yes, 'cause you know you love him.

not since forever, no, but close enough to it: your once-fascination for the supposed mortal deity of the jujutsu world, the mitochondrion on which the cellular structure of the society banks to survive; that grew into something made of wonder, respect and fondness, as you slowly came to know not only the icon but also the man behind it; that grew into something so profound, nestling deep within your existence– so much so that you feel the earth shifting on its axis everytime he calls you or grins at you or just looks in your direction—

no, 'cause you know you aren't loved back.

not the way you wish to be... not that you blame gojo for that, though!

you know he is way too busy to be thinking of such topics– what with being the strongest sorcerer ever, the head of the one-man gojo clan, the teacher to the first-years at tokyo high, the legal guardian– but in fact, the father figure to the two kids, 'gumi and 'miki– or maybe, just maybe, he is busy, alright, but not too busy— gojo simply doesn't see you that way; he sees you to be nothing but his former student— one he knows he can rely on to help with his children, or the groceries, or a variety of other menial daily tasks he can just hire help for—

you don't know.

yeah... you really, really don't know– and by now, you think you don't even want to know anymore. it's easy, it's safe, it's nice to remain not knowing. the word 'yes' comes with too many dreams– the word 'no' serves the perfect haven to nightmares.

the three words "i don't know" bear no such burden on their back– an untroubled answer you decide to offer, decide to escape using for the time being— until a slight knock on the head interrupts you, followed by an entertained set of chortles.

you peer up to find gojo beaming down at you, his eyes crinkled and cheeks dimpled. something twists in the middle of your chest, but it isn't painful; it's grounding. pleasant, even.

"it's too easy to get you worried, y'know? you're unbelievably easy to manipulate, heh."

"oh, am i now?" you retort, eyes narrowing into a cross glare– only to be betrayed by the fond smile grazing your lips not even a beat later. the man hums, grin simmering down to a knowing smile.

"mmhm," he says with that musical sway to his tone that never fails to make your fingers tingle, "you should have seen your face when i asked you the question– so pale and stiff– almost as if i was asking you to leave then and there, hearing that granny's comments—"

"you would have asked me to, if they were true– wouldn't you?"

gojo's smile vanishes in the blink of an eye. and you think the hand he has stretched out to the shelves of biscuits might fall too– but it does not, and you see him take a packet of your favourite bourbon biscuits followed by a packet of the digestives you've been forcing him to eat, and place them into the cart.

he checks the shopping list in your hand before he looks back at you.

before he smiles back at you: so soft, so solemn, so un-satoru— you instantly regret interrupting him with such a question.

but you do know how it is, don't you? what with a thudding heart and a thinking brain...

the handle of the cart digs deep indents into your palm as you press the weight of your worries into the cool metal and lean towards your companion on this grocery run, the same way a moth flies towards a flame, towards its doom–

"don't you ever dream of falling in love, gojo-san?" you let your voice drop to a murmur, audible only to you and the object of your desires, the subject of your worries, "do you not dream of a happily ever after with your 'one'– do you, gojo-san?"

"no," the response to your words comes in the very same instant. the man's shades slip a touch down the bridge of his nose as he pins his sharp gaze on you– though it can do nothing to hide the mild tremor in his grin from you when he says, "and i don't plan on dreaming ever. dreaming is only for fools with too much time to spare– do i look like a fool with too much time to spare, cookie?"

no. not at all. you don't. you look the farthest from it, in fact— is what you know you should say, and just drop the matter. for now. forever—

but you don't... just don't.

retorting instead, still a murmur but with the faint lick of a fire now, "and what do you suggest should be done to those fools, gojo-san? punished severely for their grievous crime of dreaming, hm?"

"oh, don't be too harsh," he tuts with a breezy chuckle, "what people do is honestly their business; one i've got no interest in interfering in— but..." his grin twists into something wry, a change you find tough to tear your gaze away from, "i don't think i would give such folks the time of my day– it's simply not worth it to talk with those whose feet are not on the solid ground, floating around meaninglessly in air–"

"why are you talking with me then?"

interrupted, gojo blinks. once, and twice, then thrice.

you watch your face crumple in the dark tint of his shades, withering and cracking in the dull light and stale air of this stupid supermarket; but definitely not as stupid as you:

messing things up when they're perfectly fine and alright, only 'cause you do not, rather cannot, keep your mouth shut, no matter what– all your inhibitions let gone of as your heart gains control over your brain and your stupid damned mouth—

you feel a tiny knock on your forehead, the second time this evening, followed by strands of hair being gently brushed away; too careful for your breath to not get stuck in your chest. you peer up at the man in front, teeth lightly gnawing the inside of your lower lip.

gojo's features shift into something between fond and worried– you just hope you aren't misreading him right now– the man tucks those strands of hair behind the shell of your ear.

his fingers still right above your jaw, touching yet not really touching, features finally, finally, settling into a smile– "maybe because i enjoy talking with you, cookie, no matter how foolish you are."

some people say, marriage is a holy act, a sacred institution, in and of itself— connecting hearts, binding souls– cementing the promises of staying together forever... whilst few see marriage to be meaningless— paltry affair of papers and signatures and people, none bearing any significance, 'cause nothing can, not when it comes to the matters of the hearts, neither in proving nor in disproving them–

no matter what people think, you think you will be okay, irrespective of whether you marry gojo or not, irrespective of whether gojo loves you or not– provided– and this is a weird, still important 'provided'—

you and he end up shopping together in the supermarket, feeling and seeming so happy and comfortable with each other— others mistake you for a pair of newlyweds, blissfully deep in love.

tysm to my dearest andy [@andysdrafts], mimi [@avatarofstars] & dilay [@roseqzpd] for constantly motivating me while i was writing this. ilysm my darlings 😘😘😘

masterlist

🫠🫠🫠

tw: death, 18+ only: sukuna is very protective over his little wife.

“Woah, she’s hot!”

That was the first comment. SUKUNA knew then he wanted to kill this man.

“Shit, look at her.” The vulgar stranger whistled, his lustful eyes trailing the curves of your body. “I hope I can get five minutes alone with her in the bathroom.”

Sukuna swallowed a sip of his dark liquor.

He and this stranger were the only two individuals at the gathering sitting on the couches instead of mingling with the others. It was the perfect spot for him to keep an eye on you, his sweet little wife, but him alone. This man? Who dared to join Sukuna on the couch and pour himself a shot of whiskey?

He was going to die tonight. Sukuna was certain of it.

Sukuna turned to face one of the bodyguards standing beside the couch — not that Sukuna needed any protection. Silently, he gestured in your direction, and the bodyguard immediately understood Sukuna’s wordless command.

The stranger watched the interaction take place. He watched the guard approach you and guide you over to the sitting area, and he smiled wildly.

“You’re bringing her to me? You’re a good man,” he said.

Sukuna took another sip of his dark liquor.

When you arrived, a kind smile on your face, Sukuna put his glass down on a nearby table and patted his lap twice.

Happily, you took your seat, and his large hand rubbed your hip.

Oh, the man was stunned. Angry.

“Hey, I called dibs on that bitch first,” he spat.

Sukuna watched the corners of your lips fall as the man continued on, on, and on. During his ramble, Sukuna whispered in your ear, “Close your eyes and cover your ears, girl.”

You did as you were told, though it did little to muffle the sound of the gunshot that came seconds later.

The party guests were silent for a moment, but after observing you in Sukuna’s lap, a gun in his hand, and an unfamiliar dead body bleeding out on the couch, they were quick to return to their conversations.

After all, Sukuna owned this building. This party was his. And this wasn’t the first time he had to murder someone on his kindhearted wife’s behalf.

“Hey,” Sukuna, who was aggressive with every other soul except for you, spoke softly. “I’ll cheer you up when we get home, pretty girl.”

With him, that could have meant watching reruns of your favorite show with you, or him sloppily licking at your clit until you came repeatedly.

More than likely both.

accidental fuck on set!

actor!sukuna who is just as mean as the characters he plays. he's a buff, grumpy and yet an extremely dependant and prideful person.

actor!sukuna who's played in way too many movies with you casted as his co-star. thus, resulting to the two of you growing close, a friendship fairly complicated to your fans— you're such a sweetheart, a lovely actress, yet this pink haired, tattooed, arrogant man is the person you're most sighted with. not that they hate sukuna, the complete opposite actually, but it's shocking to know that you two get along so well.

actor!sukuna who's been casted with you in movies for so many years now, it's almost, almost, no surprise to him when the next movie you find yourself in includes a sex scene. between the characters you two play, may he add.

actor!sukuna who had to reassure you that it's going to be okay— you were a great actress, but you've never played a sex scene out before, and now you had to recreate it with the guy who's been leaving you wet for the past few years, of course you were going to be nervous.

actor!sukuna who is undeniably excited. you're so twitchy, so nervous it's amusing if not unbearably cute. he watches as the director scolds you for being so unfocused.

actor!sukuna whose excitement immediately disposes when he hears that they're delaying the scene to tomorrow since you couldn't keep into schedule today, having to retake a few scenes and waste time. you come clinging to him, seeking for comfort, which he could never deny you. that day, you fall asleep in his apartment with your head on his shoulder. this has happend before, so why is sukuna so fucking nervous now?

actor!sukuna who drives you to the set the next day. he doesn't need to look over to know you're squirming uncomfortably. you seem to calm down when he places his large hand on your thigh. for comfort, obviously.

actor!sukuna who's off for his makeup to be done— so are you. your girls on set (who seem to have progressed their role to your friends now) are touching up your clothes, which will be ripped off either way during the play. each touch on the clothing reminds you of that, and suddenly you're nervously whining again. shoko, who, as your best friend, came along for emotional support even offers you some alcohol, which you unfortunately have to decline. being drunk makes you even more horny, that'd be a problem on set.

actor!sukuna who is so fucking ready. the first shot is him, grasping your wrist and dragging you into another room. a little too harsh, he pins you against a wall, a whimper slipping past your lips. while the cameras aren't too much of a bother since you've learned to blind them out, the people are.

actor!sukuna who seems to know that, because you're very sure him softly rubbing his thumb in circles over your hip wasn't apart of any script. your head spins as he leans in, aggressively captivating your lips. the camera focuses on where you two connect, and sukuna pulls back slightly to show his tongue and yours circling and licking each other, saliva collecting and almost dripping down your chin. you moan, to which he growls, his lips bruising yours.

actor!sukuna who is debating in his head whether he's excited to rip your clothes off or upset. he doesn't like the thought that millions of other people get to see you like this— so he's going to use this as his advantage and show everyone that you're his. your clothes are off in a second and he's fucking covering you, his chest pressed to yours, causing your breasts to push up. he gets to see you naked for the first time and it's on set? yeah, you must be an idiot if you think he wont cover you. he does, however, look down to catch the sight of your cleavage and the fat of your tits pressing up against him.

actor!sukuna who, while he pushes you into the bed, never ever disconnects his body with yours in order for you to stay hidden (and for him to feel your perky nipples burying themselves into his warm skin).

actor!sukuna who eventually has to get rid of his clothes and your panties, which he does— he's rough with removing his stuff, hoping the camera's focuses more on him and not on you since your tits are free and for everyone to see. he kicks his pants off, but his boxers stay on. the scene is going to focus on your upper bodies, so he doesn't have to worry about constantly covering your pretty pussy from everyone. though, there's a little scene shown where he delicately hooks a finger under the waistband of your underwear, slowly.. slowly pulling it off (an accidental whine escaping you).

the next scene consists of him pulling the covers up to his waist, your private areas hidden from the rest of the world as he leans in to suck and nibble at your neck. your moans aren't fake, and nor is the wet patch that's slowly forming on your panties.

when suddenly you feel his teeth sink into your skin, you finally realize that this is the moment in which you're supposed to act as if he's sunken his dick inside of you— but you're too late and the director is already shouting his loud 'CUT!'

so once again, sukuna covers you two and goes in to nibble at your neck. this time, he makes sure you don't forget your script by nudging his hardened cock against your clit. that action might alone could've given you an oscar, because you're jumping and yelping and moaning in his hold, feeling his pink fluffy hair brush your jaw as he grins into your skin. as if to make it sound like it's inside, you let out a more relaxed sigh, followed by a moan.

actor!sukuna who absolutely relishes in your embarassment, grinning as he watches the colour in your face drain when the director informs you that you have to retake the scene (undeniably, he'll catch the wet spot forming on your cunt).

and fuck him for making this so hard. for being so hard. because he's fucking grinding into you, his fat cock might aswell slip into you if it werent for his boxers and your panties. you're whimpering, holding back the urge to say his actual name as you moan the name of his character.

actor!sukuna who has to remind himself that he's on set, and not in his actual bedroom while he dry humps you. you seem to have forgotten the people watching you, because you're slowly grinding up against him too.

actor!sukuna who steals one last— unplanned, unscripted— kiss from you, tongue diving into your throat, hand coming up to cup your face. after he pulls back, his thumb lazily swipes away the drool that's run down your lips.

actor!sukuna who knows you're uncomfortable with the stares, so when you hear the final 'CUT!', he wraps the covers firmly around you before hoisting you up into bridal style.

you both— and the rest of the cast— laugh it off as they know he's protective over you. that he knows what you need the most, so they don't question it when he doesn't let anyone else see you exposed anymore.

actor!sukuna who brings you back to his apartment that day, making sure that the wet patch he felt and had seen on you gets taken care of— making sure his huge hard-on gets taken care of.

you totally ignore shoko's messages, along the ones in your groupchat with the rest of your friends, telling you that you basically almost fucked on set— that you almost filmed a porno instead.

you also totally play it off after the movie gets released and fans scream and screech, a fucking unimaginable amount of edits including this scene as a small 'sneak peek', fans crashing over the whole thing, people writing some absurd comments— "do not search up the sukuna scene on tiktok", knowing THE scene will pop up. some comments even leave you giggling, "i need them both oiled up in my bed", "i think i just let out a moan at this", "i rewatch this scene daily".

of course, the fans don't just casually drop the topic. this goes on— forever, with people questioning your actual relationship, asking how you felt during the scene, if it was awkward— and most importantly, if sukuna got hard during the scene.

all you can do is giggle nervously as you move on to the next question.

masterlist

the angst is angst-ing so, so good 🫶🏻

gojo satoru x reader | college au [18+]

kickoff ch.8 a little cottage on the countryside

ᰔ pairing. college au - soccer player! gojo x film major! reader (f)

ᰔ summary. gojo satoru is the most popular guy on your college campus. he's tall, funny, hot, not to mention he's the most talented soccer forward the school has seen in years. but he's also a frat dude, which puts him in a world very different from your own, as he spends most of his nights partying & drinking while you spend most of yours working on your annoying film major assignments. but when he reaches out to you for a favor, you realize that helping him out might have something in it for you too.

ᰔ warnings/tags. 18+, fluff, angst, smut, college au, fraternities, sororities, partying, drinking/alcohol, mentions of weed, romance, jealousy, pining, slow burn, opposites to lovers, friends to lovers, she falls first he falls harder, gojo being an idiot

ᰔ chapter. 8/x (probably 12)

ᰔ words. 13.5k (...i'm gonna go take a nap lol)

a/n. hello hellooo my dear kickoff readers, hope you're having a nice day so far! this is the longest chapter yet, so i hope you enjoy <3 it's also got one of my favorite tropes everrr hehehehe you could probs guess what it is halfway through. see you at the bottom and happy reading! sorry if there are typos i didn't proofread this one as much as the others haha

nav. ch1 :: ch2 :: ch3 :: ch4 :: ch5 :: ch6 :: ch7 :: ch8 :: ch9 (pending)

You don’t cry much these days, but when you do, it’s usually out of nowhere. 

Like now, as you stand in the school’s photo lab, developing the shots that you took for UTokyo’s game against Osaka last week, and you have to swipe at the tears on your cheek threatening to fall all over the captured images of grass, benches, nets, banners, stands, and him. 

One of the photographs catches your eye, and you pick it up from the table. It’s a candid moment you took of Gojo on the field right before you confessed to him. You had spotted him first while the team was doing their warm-up, and you thought he looked nice from the way he had that concentrated look on his face that you’ve learned to love. But right before you clicked the shutter, he had turned away, chasing after the ball, and so all you could capture was his back facing you as he looked off ahead into the distance. You wondered if that was how it’s always been this whole time–with you looking at him while he’s looking off at something else. It was a depressing thought, but your mind had a tendency for sadness since that day.

The sound of the photo lab door opening jolts you back to reality, and you quickly straighten your posture and wipe your cheek with your sleeve, trying to sniffle as discreetly as possible, then set the picture down. Your fellow film major greets you quietly, asking if you’re still using the developer liquid, to which you say no, then hand it over to them. You stuff your photographs into a folder and head out the door.

You make it across campus to the Film & Media Studies building, then up to the third floor where your professor's office is. His door was ajar, but you still knocked before entering.

He looks up from the photographs he was grading. “Oh, y/n, hello. How are you?”

“I’m well, thank you, yourself?” you ask, taking a seat on the chair that was fixed to face his desk. You pull your tote bag into your lap.

“Great, thanks. How can I help you?”

You slide the folder to him over the scraped, worn burgundy wood of his desk. “I still had to turn in my photos for the assignment due last week. I appreciate the extension.”

“Ah, right,” he says, taking the folder from you. “I’ll get around to grading them. I’m curious, what did you end up choosing for your subject matter?” He tucks the folder underneath the pile that was to his side.

“I took photos of the soccer team’s game against Osaka Uni on Thursday last week,” you tell him.

He frowns at you. “Film cameras don’t have that level of zoom, though. I do hope you followed the rubric guidelines for central object to frame ratio, otherwise I’ll have to take off points.” 

“Oh– I did. I took the photos from the sidelines,” you tell him, panicking already. 

His eyes widened. “From the sidelines? On the field?”

You nod at him, fidgeting with your bag in your lap.

“Wow, I can’t say I’ve ever had a student take photos like that before. That’s pretty challenging to pull off, though,” he says, sitting up straighter, “...you mind if I take a look at them right now?”

You shake your head. “Oh, no. Not at all.”

He pulls your folder out from the bottom of the pile, then gently slips the photos out of them, rearranging them all across his desk. He leans down closer to study some of them, tilting his head curiously at others, furrowing his brow in concentration to a select few. “These are incredible.”

You take in a deep breath. “Thank you, professor.”

He nods at you with acknowledgement, and you watch him as he studies the images quietly for another minute, then looks up at you. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asks when he notices you’re still seated.

“Ah…yes, there was something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?” He taps his pen on the desk.

“I was wondering if you could write me a letter of recommendation for the film graduate program.”

He nods, like he was expecting the question. “Yeah, of course. Just send me your resume and portfolio.” He taps eagerly on one of your images. “Please send me digitals for these, too.”

You let out a relieved exhale. “Yes, I will. Thank you so much, professor, I really appreciate it.”

You left the building feeling extremely relieved about your professor agreeing to write your recommendation, but also feeling sad because you couldn’t tell Gojo about it, since this was the full-circle moment for the little arrangement the two of you had. There’s a thought that considers texting him, and you take out your phone then go to his name, but your thumbs just can’t bring yourself to send him a message.

The days of the week go by in a blur, and between every single little moment in life, your mind always wanders to him. It’s hard to get over someone when you’re surrounded by them. Like late at night while you’re editing the digitals of the game last week to send to your professor, and you find yourself staring at the pictures you’ve taken of him. It’s hard to get over him when the school worships the soccer team and you’re forced to see promotional banners and posters all over campus with his stupidly beautiful face in them. You didn’t have the heart to block him on Instagram, because you remember that time he teased you about how you didn’t follow him back, and you wonder if it would make him sad if you blocked him, so you just resorted to deleting the app instead. And although you were the one that asked for space from him, you were growing increasingly annoyed at how good he seemed to be at keeping it. 

The library wasn’t even much of a safe space either, since you overheard a group of girls the other day at a table arguing about which of the players on the team is the hottest, and so you find yourself doing your homework on a lovely Wednesday morning at your apartment instead. 

You lean back in your chair and look up at the ceiling, and then jump when you hear your phone ring, quickly turning it over to read the caller ID. Nobara. You accept the call, placing her on speaker, then set your phone back down on your desk. 

“Hey, Nobie, what’s up?”

“Hey, nothing much. Just wanted to ask if you wanted to hang out,” she says.

“Oh, I would love to, but I’m working on homework right now. It’s due in a couple of hours,” you sigh.

“Boo, you whore. For what class?”

“My stats 130 elective,” you say. “I’m a film major, why do I need to know statistics?” You tap your pen to your chin. “Actually, it might be valid.”

“Is that the class with the creepy professor?” she asks. “The one that got caught with a PornHub tab open while he was presenting his lecture slides.”

“Yeah.”

“I took his class last semester! I still have all my homework for it,” she exclaims on the other end, “do you want me to send it over?”

“Yes, omg, I could kiss you right now,” you groan, resting your head on your arm sprawled across your desk in exhaustion.

“So definite no to hang out?” 

“Sorry, I’ll reach out later though,” you sigh, “also, my car is still in repair…apparently something came up with the engine. So we can’t go far unless we invite Mina.”

“That’s fine, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to come if we invite her just to chauffeur,” she says sarcastically. “By the way, how’d the pictures come along? For the newsletter?”

You lift your head up off of the desk in a panic. Shit. You were so focused on turning in your digitals of the game to your professor that you totally forgot you were supposed to send them to Utahime as well. “Oh my god, I forgot. When do they finalize the release again?”

“Isn’t it today at noon? I sent over film club’s photos this morning,” she says. 

You glance at the time. 11:56am. 

“Nobara, I’ve gotta go. I need to call Utahime, sorry,” you say. She acknowledges you, telling you to hurry, and then you hang up.

You call Utahime and scribble down on a sticky note to paste on your wall as a reminder to buy her a loving gift basket one of these days because of course she extends the release deadline just for you. You finish touching up the digitals and then send them to her via email, and after you finish your statistics homework, she calls you again to meet up somewhere nearby.

“Thanks so much for coming here,” Utahime says as she sits across from you at one of the local cafes you frequent. “Also, this chai latte is so good, I’m honestly surprised.”

You nod at her. “This place has great drinks.” You slide a folder across the table to her and she sets her drink down to accept it.

“Sorry if it was a hassle, but I just had to ask for physicals of these photos,” she sighs as she pulls them out. “They’re amazing, seriously, I gasped when I saw them. I’m used to sifting through a lot of professional sports photos for the newsletter, for all of the teams on campus, but I’ve never seen photos as charming as these. It could be the film photography aspect, since most of the ones I see are digital, but I’m seriously shocked you could capture shots like this at a rowdy men’s soccer match.”

You’re shaking your head at her. “Please don’t compliment me so much, I’ll cry. And it’s no issue, I had a spare set of physicals from when I developed them. You can keep them.” 

She smiles at you. “Okay, well then, I think it goes without saying that I’ll definitely be including them for the sports recap this week. I’ll send you the money soon, too.”

You clap your hands together and interlock your fingers. “I’m. So. Grateful. For. You.” 

She laughs across from you and takes another sip of her latte before sitting back slightly, glancing at the photos spread across the table. “Hm…how busy are you for the rest of the semester?”

You tilt your head at her and bring your coffee to your lips, taking a sip before setting it back down. “Not terribly busy, I quit my job last month so I’m just taking my assignments as they come and go.”

Utahime nods at you, a thoughtful expression on her face, and she smooths down the fabric of her shirt. “Okay, well, I got an email from the school this morning that one of the newsletter photographers for the men’s soccer team is moving to a different city, so they’re looking to fill in the position as soon as possible and they asked if I knew anyone,” she mentions, resting her elbow on the table and then placing her hand on her cheek. “They usually only hire professionals, but if I put a word in for you, they’d probably offer it to you.”

Your eyes widen at her from across the table, heart beating a bit faster in your chest. 

“They pay really well for a part-time job. It’s essentially full-time pay for part-time hours,” she continues, “but it’s probably because you’ll have to travel with the team to their away games, including unofficial matches and conferences. If you’re not that busy for the next two months, then I think it’d be a good opportunity for you to build experience.” 

You purse your lips together, considering her words. Although it’s a bit different from your long-term career plans, it was still a great way to get experience before graduate school. And besides, you needed the money, considering you quit your job last month and your savings were starting to run thin–never mind the fact that your car repair bill went from a few thousand yen to somewhere in the tens-of-thousands. And you would prefer to still be able to afford rent. Oh, and eat. Possibly still pay for Netflix.

But then there was the fact that having that kind of job meant that you would be spending a lot of time with the soccer team, and therefore increases the chances of running into Gojo. And you’re supposed to be staying away from him to get over your feelings. 

“It sounds like an amazing opportunity, really,” you start, “...but I can’t.”

Utahime frowns at you and sits up straight. “Really? I thought you’d be excited. Why not?”

You sigh. “It’s complicated.”

“y/n…” Utahime starts, “I don’t really know what’s going on in your head right now, but isn’t this your dream? For your work to reach people? I know it’s only a stepping stone, believe me I know very well the path to becoming any sort of artist is an uphill battle of hell, but I’ve known you for a while now. And I know how much your dreams mean to you, and how hard you’re willing to work for them.”

Your heart swells in our chest at Utahime’s words. She was right, and you were starting to get really sick of letting your fears hold you back from what you really wanted in life. “...you’re right, I’m sorry. I’d love to be considered for the position, if you could recommend me.”

She smiles and nods at you. “Will do.”

–

The email for the job offer comes surprisingly fast, and you quickly read through it before accepting. It wasn’t a horrible time commitment, given you’d only have to take pictures during active play during matches, give or take a couple hours before, and the photographers rotate between who takes up each of the conferences so the work was split up. You were able to meet a few of the newsletter photographers & journalists during the game last week, so you already knew some of them. The offer letter came attached with a full calendar of the soccer team’s practice schedule, official match schedule, unofficial match schedule, conference schedule, and other publicity schedule, and you’re shocked at how busy all the players must be. The fact that they still have time to be students–and for most of them, active participants in fraternities–was honestly beyond you. 

It seemed like they only had four more official matches left, two being away matches, along with a couple of unofficial matches that they may or may not participate in depending on how the season goes for them. 

Their next game was on Friday against Kyoto university, and you were scheduled to shoot for their sports conference the day following as well. So you find yourself on a train embarked for the countryside, and you peer out of the window with a nervous feeling in your stomach. The sparkling skyscrapers and bustling crowds of Tokyo gradually started to give way into sights of expansive lush greenery, picturesque and charming towns, and winding rivers surrounded by trees. The closer you got to Kyoto, the sky became more gray until a steady drizzle began to fall against the train window. When you reached the final station, the rain had dissipated, and the taxi ride to the hotel was only about fifteen minutes. The journey felt exhausting, and you were so incredibly ready to pass out in a comfy bed. 

You stood underneath a small sidewalk roof near the vending machines lining the outside of the hotel, trying to keep your bag and suitcase with all your equipment in it dry from the remnant soft mist of rain still lingering in the air.  

“Hey, Utahime, sorry to bother you so late,” you say, holding your phone between your shoulder and ear, “but is it the Hilton on 3rd street? Or on Main? Because if it’s the one on Main, then I may have messed up-”

You stop speaking when you hear a masculine voice down the road towards the left, echoing off of the lined up small shops along the sidewalk, and your heart could have recognized the sound anywhere. You’re swift to turn and face that direction, almost dropping your phone in the process, and you see him– the object of all your suffering lately. 

Gojo stood there, wide-eyed and stopped completely in his tracks as the recognition of you under the dim street lighting flashes across his face. He’s in pajamas– a red long-sleeve cotton shirt that looks so stupidly soft and comfortable it almost makes you emotional, with some matching checkered red pants. It was the most casual clothing you’ve ever seen him in. His hair appears damp, slightly tousled, from what you could assume was an effort to dry it off fast. And he had crocs on. In sports mode. You make a mental note to ask him about his charms and if he’s willing to trade any of them with you. But maybe some other day. When it doesn’t hurt to think about him.

“y/n?” he calls your name out, astonished. He’s looking at you like he’s just seen a ghost but in the best way possible. 

You blink at him, heart skipping a beat just from the mere sight of him, and when you hear Utahime’s voice on the line you’re shaken out of your trance. “Oh, sorry, I’m still here. I…I think I just had my question answered. Thank you, have a good night.” You pull your phone down, gaze lingering on your screen for way too long because you can’t brave yourself to look over at the man to your left, and you end the call.

There’s the sound of remnant puddles of water splashing as he takes a few steps closer to you, and you can see his reflection in the water of the one in front of you. The expression on his face matches the one that was there when you last saw him outside of the UTokyo stadium at the west side exit. It’s an expression you could still see every time you close your eyes.

Finally turning to face him, you purse your lips together. “Hi.”

“Hey, what are you doing here?” he asks, voice laced with confusion and you see him take in your appearance with eager flicks of his gaze all around, like he couldn’t believe you were standing in front of him right now.

“Satoru!” another familiar voice calls out. “Did you get the orange-flavored ones too? Choso’s a fucking idiot and got the grape ones instead. I hate those. They taste like medicine. And ass. Not that I would know what–” You see Geto emerge from the darkness to Gojo’s side, and now he’s looking at you with a surprised look too. “Oh, it’s y/n. What are you doing here?”

“Hey, you two,” you chirp, trying to act as if an entire world of awkwardness wasn’t being exchanged between you and Gojo right now, for the sake of hoping that Geto wasn’t a very good judge of energy. “I’m here to take pictures of the soccer team.”

Your eyes flicker to Gojo, who is still looking at you like he’s never seen a person before. 

“Oh, is it for another one of your assignments?” Geto asks. 

“No, it’s not. It’s for the newsletter,” you explain to him, “I guess it’s my job now.”

There are a few more distant footsteps that follow behind the two of them, with the crinkling noises of plastic bags hitting against thighs echoing through the streets, and eventually they catch up. You see Nanami and the UTokyo team’s goalie, you believe his name is Choso, arrive at this little gathering that was taking place outside of the hotel.

“That’s awesome!” Geto exclaims. “I’m sure the newsletter will lead to a lot of exposure.”

“Who reads the newsletter?” Choso asks. 

Geto nudges him with his elbow. “Dude.”

“What?”

He then fills Choso in on the conversation, “Oh, my bad.”

“Don’t worry, y/n, I read the newsletter,” Geto says, “I read it like the morning paper.”

“It only comes out once a week, but nice try,” you respond, giving him a weary look.

Nanami crosses his arms. “I actually do happen to read it,” he says, “although I refrain from the soccer section. Feels rather egotistic to read it. I find the campus politics section to be enjoyable, though.”

The rest of you exchange annoyed glances at that.

“Satoru reads the soccer section,” Geto says, slinging an arm around him, “‘cause he’s full of himself.”

For a moment, Gojo remains silent, while his teammates, who had been observing him with amused expressions, gradually shift to awkward blinking, like they were expecting him to complain, or say something sarcastic, or joke around by now.

“I do read it,” he says, eyes locked on yours. “I saw the release from yesterday. Your pictures were stunning.”

You’re flustered from the way he’s looking at you. “Thanks.” 

Choso opens the plastic bag he was holding, peering down into it. “Shit. Ice cream’s melting, guys.”

“Yeah, we should probably head back to the rooms,” Geto looks at you, “do you want any snacks?”

“Oh, no. I’m good. I was just about to go check-in,” you say to them.

The boys politely say bye to you, and Gojo mentions something about staying back for a bit and hands Nanami the plastic bag he was carrying before they head back into the hotel. And then the two of you are alone under this roof, drops of water falling from it in between the two of you. He takes a step towards you, and you instantly stiffen. He seems to notice because he sighs and then walks past you to the vending machine that was next to you, pulling out some spare change from his pocket and inputting it into the machine.

“Do you want anything to drink?” The machine feeds him something, and he crouches down to pick it up before standing up again.

“No, I’m good, thanks,” you say, hand clutching the handle of your suitcase. 

He cracks the can of his soda open. “So, you’re going to be traveling with us for the newsletter now?” he asks, so concisely, like he felt that every word comes with a tax.

“Yeah.”

“We don’t have to act like we’re strangers.”

You turn to face him. “What should we act like then?”

There’s a hesitant look in his expression as he looks down at his feet and then back up at you. “Can’t we at least be friends?”

The question softens you at your core, the tone of his voice sounding genuine. Being friends with him sounds so nice, and you kind of wish that’s what you two always were. Just friends. Maybe it would have avoided all of this heartache. But deep inside you knew that just being friends with him wasn’t an option anymore, at least not for now. “No, sorry. That’s just a recipe for disaster. I have to go check-in now.”

You grab your tote bag from the bench, grip tight onto your suitcase handle and make your way splashing across the shallow puddles then through the hotel’s automatic doors into the warmth of the lobby. 

The lighting inside was warm and there were moderately high ceilings adorned with vintage-looking chandeliers. Around the perimeter, there were amenities including a cozy lounge with a fireplace, a small bar serving cocktails, as well as a business lounge with booths and multiple TVs mounted to the walls playing the local news. It made you feel like you were on vacation, and getting to a hotel at this hour while on vacation always meant that you were about ready to pass out on some freshly washed and tucked white linen sheets after taking a nice warm shower with a lavender-scented mini soap bar.

Making your way through the maze of plush seating areas, you get to the concierge desk to check-in. There was a professionally-dressed woman with a slicked-back bun standing there behind the counter, her eyes scanning the computer screen in front of her, and a big, burly man that stood behind her wearing all black that appeared to be security.

“Hello, I’m here to check-in,” you say, placing your forearm on the cold black counter.

The lady doesn’t look up from the computer screen. You clear your throat.

“Oh, hello. Name on the reservation?” she asks you.

You take a look down at your phone screen. The reservation was still under the name of the person that had recently quit the job. “Yui Ishikawa.”

The lady behind the counter hums to herself, obnoxiously tapping at the keyboard with only one of her index fingers. She was chewing gum. “Hm. Don’t see that name here.”

“What?” You squint at your phone and refresh the page, then turn it to face her. “But it’s on your official booking site. There was email confirmation too.”

She glances at your phone screen then taps at the keyboard again, still obnoxiously loud, but she uses her other index finger this time. “Yeah, still nothing.”

“This has to be some kind of mistake,” you say to her.

She looks up at you with an annoyed expression. “Do you want to take a look at the screen? See for yourself.” She turns the monitor to face you. 

You don’t even work here, but you could see clear as day on their interface software that there was a reservation for this Yui Ishikawa woman at this time tonight. You point at it. “It’s right there. The reservation is literally right there.”

She turns the screen back to herself and squints at it. “Oh. Well, unfortunately, we already gave that room to someone else. Since it wasn’t there on our system a half hour ago.”

“What? How is that fair?” You were starting to get seriously annoyed. That refreshing shower you were dreaming of was starting to sound more of a need than a want with every passing minute. “Can you give me another room?”

“No, sorry, we’re all booked for tonight,” she tells you, without offering any additional help.

You look at her baffled. The big burly man behind her has now taken an interest in the conversation as well. “Okay…can you tell me if there are any hotels nearby that I could stay at?”

“Look. This is the countryside, ma’am, there are only a handful of hotels in this area that aren’t tourist accommodations. It’s also the night before a men’s college soccer match, and there seems to be some business seminar taking place nearby too. You can call and check, but the closest hotel this large is about an hour away,” she tells you. 

“What? An hour away? I can’t afford a cab ride like that,” you tell her.

“Unfortunately, that isn’t really my problem,” she says.

You blink at her. “Are you being serious? This is ridiculous.”

“Ma’am, we’re going to have to ask you to leave if you can’t comply with our booking rules,” she declares.

“Leave?! You’re the ones that messed up the booking!” You’re yelling now, a few heads turning from the bar at the back. Exhaustion was pulsing through your veins and your filter was slipping. “Do you have any idea how to do your damn job?”

The woman guffaws at you. “Alright, that’s it.” She snaps her fingers, and you watch as the big, burly man walks around the counter of the concierge desk to make his way to you.

You take a step back, watching in horror as he towers over you and grabs onto your arm. “Let’s leave without any issues, miss,” he says in a deep voice.

“What?! But– hey, that’s my suitcase! Don’t– wait–”

“Woah, woah, woah,” you hear a familiar voice call out from the left. “What’s going on here?”

The three of you turn your heads in the direction of the voice, and you see Gojo, still clad in those ridiculously soft-looking pajamas, doing a light jog up to the counter.

The woman at the reception desk straightens herself up immediately, and she pets down on her dress and fixes her hair at the mere sight of him. You resist the urge to roll your eyes. “Nothing to see here, sir! Just a crazy woman that can’t comprehend hotel establishment rules.”

“That crazy woman just so happens to be my wife,” he says, pulling the big burly man’s hand off of your arm.

All three of you look at him dumbfounded. 

“Y-Your wife?” the woman asks, sounding equally surprised and disappointed. “But she’s complaining about the fact that she doesn’t have a room.”

“I know, she does that all the time,” he sighs, “she’s got–...early-onset…dementia. Sweetheart, what did I tell you about packing up all your things and leaving the room when I’m not watching you?”

You give him a what the fuck look. He scowls at you to just play along.

“So…she’s with you?” the woman asks.

Gojo nods. “She always forgets that we’ve already booked a room together. Just a silly little sickly lady. Isn’t that right, honey?” He’s holding your shoulders and making you face the concierge woman.

“Y-Yes…” you say awkwardly, trying to put on a smile.

“So, if you could forgive her behavior,” he says with a super pleading voice, pulling you into him so your back is flush against his front side. “I’ll keep her in check from now on.”

The woman lets out a scoff in disbelief. “Alright…just don’t let her out again.” You send her a nasty look. The big burly man lets out a hmph and steps away from you. 

“Sure thing. Let’s go, honey,” Gojo says, grabbing the handle of your suitcase in one hand and your upper arm in his other, dragging you with him across the lobby to the elevators. It isn’t until he’s pressed the up button and you finally gain your footing again after stumbling a few steps that you yank away from his grip.

“What are you doing?” you hiss at him, feeling embarrassed.

He looks down at you with a raise of his eyebrow. “Saving you from getting kicked out of the only decent hotel within a thirty-mile radius?”

“I didn’t need your help, I had the situation under control,” you mumble, smoothing out the layers of your clothing.

“Yes. That’s exactly what that looked like,” he muses as the elevator door opens and he steps inside, taking your suitcase with him as hostage. You panic at the sight and step inside with him, the door closing behind you. 

“Where are we going?” you ask.

“To my room,” he says, pressing a button on the control pad, “you couldn’t get one, right?”

Your eyes widen. “No…I couldn’t.” 

Gojo’s room is on the fourth floor, eleven units down to the right, and you follow him with dragging feet all the way down. Once he makes it in front of the door and takes the keycard out of his pocket, he pauses and looks over at you. “Waiting for you to thank me.”

You narrow your eyes at him. “For what?”

He was waving the card in the air tauntingly. “You look exhausted as hell right now. I’m the one with the access to a nice hotel vanity and a soft, warm bed,” he practically purrs the words.

You’re instantly folding. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, honey,” he chimes, pressing the card to the reader.

“Stop calling me that,” you grumble as he opens the door for you.

You step into the room, rolling your suitcase inside with you, and take a look around. There was a single bed with the headboard up against the left-side wall, a nightstand on both sides and a desk where you noticed Gojo had his laptop open and a few books out. The bathroom was to the right, and there was a long table that had a coffee machine as well as the TV on top of it.

You place your suitcase against the wall then turn around, standing only a few feet from the entrance of the room, to find Gojo still standing outside in the hallway.

“Do you have to go somewhere?” you ask him. “Why are you just standing there?”

“Oh, I don’t need any of my other stuff,” he says to you, tapping at his pocket where you can see the imprint of his wallet, “room’s all yours.”

Your eyes widen at him. “Wait…are you going to sleep somewhere else?”

He tilts his head at you, as if that was obvious. “Yeah, I was going to go crash on the couch in Suguru’s room or something.”

“But–” you start, stopping yourself. 

He’s waiting for you to speak, but you can’t.

“Well…good night, then,” he says and he turns to the side, about to walk down the hall, when you reach out and grab the sleeve of his shirt, stopping him in his tracks.

This was a bad idea. You’re supposed to be putting distance between the two of you right now, so that you can get over him. This was a man that very clearly said he didn’t have feelings for you. But honestly, you missed him. You missed him so damn much this past week, and you can only be strong for so long. 

“You have an important match tomorrow,” you say quietly, “you should be getting a good night’s rest. We’ll share the bed.”

He turns to face you, looking down at where you were pinching the fabric of his shirt, which was just as soft as you had imagined, and he glances up to meet your gaze once again. “I’m…really confused right now.”

“What if you guys lose and are booted from the competition, and I have to spend the rest of my life regretting the fact that the reason the school lost a 12-year championship streak is all because I made you sleep on a couch?” you ask him.

He takes a step towards you. “You really want me to stay?” His voice was low.

“Yes,” you say. “We’re mature adults. Despite everything, we can just…share a bed for one night, right?”

He’s silent for a moment. “I think you trust me a little too much.”

Your face felt hot. “Are you telling me that I shouldn’t?”

“I’m telling you that you should really think this through,” he says.

“Just stay. Please.” The tone to your voice came off much more desperate than you would’ve liked.

He looks at you like the last thing in the world he could say right now was no. “You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Positive?”

“Satoru.”

“Okay,” he says, walking past you into the room, like he wasn’t really in the mood to argue about it anymore.

You sigh, sulking your shoulders a little bit, and watch as he takes a seat at the desk and continues to click through things on his laptop, occasionally sipping on the cup of coffee he had made for himself, as if your presence here was no unnatural thing. 

This all felt so domestic for you. This feels like the most intimate the two of you have been with one another, despite the fact he’s literally made you cum with his tongue before. 

“Who drinks coffee at this hour?” you ask, crouching down to unzip your suitcase, opening it up to find your cosmetics bag and a fresh pair of clothes to change into.

“Caffeine doesn’t really affect me anymore.” His eyes were still stuck on his laptop screen.

“You sound dead inside,” you comment, standing back up straight. You step over your suitcase that was on the floor and head into the bathroom, about to close the door but you open it enough to peer over at him from inside. “I’m going to take a shower,” you announce.

You see him poke his tongue to his cheek, leg bouncing up and down underneath the desk, and he squints at his laptop screen like there’s something so damn important that he must concentrate on or else the entire universe would collapse inside of a black hole. “Cool. Have fun.”

“I will.” 

“I’m glad.”

“No peeping.”

“There’s a lock on the bathroom door. Feel free to use it.”

“That’s rich, coming from you.” And then you’re shutting the door. 

It felt nice to freshen up, especially after that long journey, and then you’re doing your skincare in the mirror while you’re wrapped in a towel, trying to forget the fact that the man you quite seriously have immense feelings for is somewhere outside that door just a few feet away in this small hotel room. You spray a spritz of your perfume onto your skin, something there’s literally no point in doing before bedtime, but you still do it…for no particular reason at all, obviously. 

When you step back out into the room, Gojo’s eyes are instantly on you from where he stood near the closet. He takes in your appearance and lets out a laugh, looking at you with amusement.

“What?” you ask.

“You look so cute,” he says, “with your little sloth pajamas.”

You’re fully blushing as you make your way over to the armchair in the room to set your cosmetics bag down on it to sort through the mess you’ve just made of it. “Don’t call me cute,” you scold, searching for your lip balm. 

You could feel his frown from behind you. “You don’t like it?” 

“No. I love it.”

“I’m not following.”

You turn around to face him. “Satoru. You promised me you wouldn’t lead me on anymore. That includes teasing me or complimenting me.”

He looks at you incredulously. “What? I can’t even call you cute? This fucking sucks.”

“Your problem,” you say.

“So you’re cool with sharing a bed, but you’re not cool with me complimenting you,” he lays it out.

“We’re sharing this bed out of the kindness of my own heart,” you say to him, “because I care oh-so-very-much about your soccer career, and understand how important good sleep is for an athlete’s performance. I’m just that considerate of a person,” you say to him. “But for your information, if you touch me while we’re in bed, I’ll kill you.”

“Hm. Not sure if I feel threatened or turned on right now,” he says.

You roll your eyes and finally zip up your cosmetics bag, set it on the table then make your way to the left side of the bed. When you glance at the nightstand, you notice Gojo has his wallet, his phone and his charger all situated there.

“Why’s your stuff here?” you ask him.

“Huh? Oh, I was going to sleep on that side,” he says to you.

“I usually sleep on the left side,” you tell him.

“But I usually sleep on the left side.”

You blink at him.

“I–…I’ll sleep on the right side,” he suggests, shoulders tense and on edge.

“Okay,” you shrug, and move his stuff.

Gojo spends some time freshening up in the bathroom too, and when he comes out he looks like he’s actually tired, and you feel like it’s the first time you’ve seen him look as worn out as he probably should be for someone as busy as him. You’re already settled under the sheets, the duvet pulled all the way up to your chin as you lay on your back. He comes up to the right side of the bed, checking his phone for a few minutes while standing and rubbing at the back of his neck, then plugs his phone into the charger. He grabs the sheets, about to pull them back, when he pauses and looks at you.

“Are you su-”

“If you ask me if I’m sure about this one more time, I will no longer feel sorry for you, and will make you go sleep on the love-stained couch,” you threaten him.

He grimaces at your choice of words and pulls the sheets back, slipping himself into bed. “Why do you have to put it like that? You’re gross. Also, I’m pretty sure this bed has seen less-than-holy things too.”

The only lighting in the room came from the warm, dim bulb of the night lamp at Gojo’s nightstand. An incredibly awkward silence settles between the two of you. Or maybe it’s just awkward for you, because he seems fine. He’s on his back too, looking up at the ceiling, practically motionless but there’s the faintest sound of his breathing every once in a while and it’s a sound you’ve never heard in such detail before.

He turns his head to you, but you don’t meet his gaze just yet. You shuffle a little bit, hip bumping against his side, elbow hitting his arm. He’s masculine next to you, shoulders hard, muscles heavy, but when you finally turn your head to glance at him and see the expression on his face, you realize that everything about him was rigid—except for the way he was looking at you.

“When did you sneak it in?” he asks.

“Sneak what in?” 

“The can of strawberry vanilla soda. Into my bag.”

You swear your heart stills a little in your chest. 

“Before,” is all you say to him.

He sighs. “y/n…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to feel bad for me. I wanted you to have it, regardless of how I thought my confession would go,” you assure.

It’s hard to read his expression from the side while he’s looking up at the ceiling, but it’s softer than it was a second ago. The need to change the subject consumes you.

“Why do you have calluses on your fingertips?” you ask him. “You’re a soccer player, you don’t use your hands for anything.”

“I play the guitar,” he replies simply.

You perch yourself up on an elbow, looking down at him with interest. His eyes flicker to your face. “Really?”

“No. I was just kidding. Hate the way you got excited though. I might have to pick up a guitar now.”

“Can you just answer me?” you sigh, flopping down onto your back again.

He laughs a little, a sound you feel like you could get drunk on at this point. He lifts his head up off the pillow enough to tuck his right hand underneath it, then rests it back down. You wish there was a mirror on the ceiling so you could see the flex of his arm. “Coach has us do the rock climbing wall at the gym at least once a week for practice. He thinks it’s a good workout. Causes a hell of a lot of skin tear though.”

“That’s it? That’s the reason?”

“Mhm.”

You shake your head, “You should learn how to play the guitar, because that’s a lame reason to have calluses.”

He lifts his head up off the pillow again and brings the hand that was tucked under his nape to in front of his face and he just looks at it. You look at it too. “Why are you so obsessed with the state of my hands? 

“A girl can’t be curious?” you ask.

“They’re not that bad.” You wonder if you’ve made him self-conscious. 

You watch the way he flexes his fingers open and then closed. He turns it around, and you can see the veins trailing down from the valleys of his knuckles, disappearing into the fabric of his long sleeve. You remember that party, the two of you in that bathroom, when his hands were all over you, and it’s suddenly a little hard to breathe. He turns his hand again so the palm faces him, but now it’s also slightly turned towards you too.

“They’re bad here,” you say, pointing to his ring finger where you see slight peeling at the tip. The padded skin of your finger touches his skin. “A little bad here, too.” You point to his index finger, careless enough to allow all of your fingers to brush against his this time.

He watches you. “Your hands are really small,” he comments, like it was a marvel to him.

You look over at him briefly, and there’s not a single sign of tension in his face as he observes the image of your hand next to his hand in the air above him. He looked like he was at peace.

“Yours are just big,” you tell him. 

He knows he’s not supposed to, and you really shouldn’t have let him, but he interlocks his fingers with yours regardless, holding onto your hand. You feel the roughness of those calluses all across your soft skin. His thumb runs over the curve of your knuckle, almost in a soothing way, like he was trying to apologize to you for something. And this was the only way he knew how. 

Something sobers him up, because he suddenly pulls his fingers from yours and drops his hand to the duvet. Your hand lingers in the air for a few seconds before you do the same. And now you’re both awkwardly staring up at the ceiling again.

“Sorry,” he says, barely above a whisper.

“It’s okay,” you whisper too.

The silence settles for longer.

He sighs. “It’s not you, it’s me,” he says out of nowhere.

“Huh?” you turned your body a little to face him, and he was looking up at the ceiling as if there was something across the texture that he was trying to decipher.

“I don’t want you thinking that the reason I can’t-,” he pauses, to think carefully about his words, “...that the reason I can’t return your feelings is because of you, or anything you’ve done. It’s been a while since I’ve liked anyone to be honest, and I’m just really not looking to date right now.”

You’re hurt by his words. Because even if he didn’t want to date anyone, you thought that he would’ve at least tried to for you. You thought that he had at least some feelings that the two of you could’ve worked off of. “Why don’t you want to date anyone?”

“Reasons.”

“Obviously. What reasons?” you prod. When he doesn’t respond, you sigh. “If it’s something traumatic, I get it. My hamster died in the fourth grade,” you say, “I’ve never known peace since.”

He turns onto his side to face you with a soft and amused smile on his face. “Sorry to hear that. What was your hamster’s name?”

You try not to feel hot from the burn of his gaze and you turn onto your back to look up at the ceiling again. “Mr. Guilmon,” you say.

“Like…guilmon from digimon?

“Mhm.”

“You like digimon?”

“Oh yeah, I used to watch it all the time when I was a kid. My mom wanted to name my hamster ‘Scout’ but I refused,” you tell him, blinking a few times as the memories from your childhood come back to you. A small smile makes its way onto your face.

“I love digimon,” he says, fast, like he couldn’t contain it. 

“Really?” you give him a sidewards glance, a little surprised.

He hesitates slightly before sighing, turning over in the opposite direction to reach for his wallet on his nightstand. You feel the fabric of the duvet stretch across you from the movement, and you remember just how intimate this all felt. He’s laying on his back again, holding his wallet up in the air with both hands as he flips it open, then slides his credit card up out of the slot, and shows it to you. Digimon themed. You have to purse your lips together to hold back your laughter.

He turns his head to look at you when you can’t help but let a little noise escape your mouth, and you can see through the laughter-induced sheen of tears in your eyes that he’s frowning.

“Hey–”

“I’m sorry–” you're fully laughing at this point, hand over your mouth to try to contain yourself, “it’s just– oh my god— you’re the last person I would’ve expected to have been such a nerd.” 

“I’m not a nerd–” he tries to argue but you snatch the card out of his hand to study it closer, and also to memorize the numbers on the back.

“Popular soccer boy Gojo Satoru,” you’re giggling, “has a custom Digimon credit card.”

When he tries to reach for it, you stretch your arm off to the left. His weight leans on you, chest pressing against the curve of your shoulder, arm extending across you as he tries to grab his card back. “Quit it,” he mutters. 

“No,” you say, holding it further to your left, weakly trying to push him away from you.

“Quit it,” he repeats, face scowling now with what looks like embarrassment, and he holds his upper body up by the elbow, leaning over you even more to reclaim it, “or else.”

“Or else, what?” you say through wheezes, and it seems like something in him snaps because suddenly he grabs your wrist, hard, pinning it down onto the mattress, holding it there next to your head, and his entire upper body is towering over you. Shocked, you’re breathing fast, your eyes darting across his face, and he’s looking at you with a furrowed brow and a tense jaw.

“Or else I won’t keep my promise,” he says through a harsh breath, his voice low and rough.

You’re stunned underneath him. “What promise?” you ask, breathlessly. 

He leans down closer, to the point where the fringe of his hair brushes against your forehead. “My promise to hold myself back from you.”

You swallow hard, chest heaving. You feel the heat of his hand on your wrist burning through to your veins. You try to squirm slightly in his grip, but he just presses your wrist down further into the mattress.

He glances at your lips, eyes dilated and stern, and leans down even closer to you. “Do you have any idea how bad I’ve been wanting to punish you for leaving me in that bathroom by myself?” he says in a voice so husky you feel the arousal build at your center the second your head registers it.

You can’t find your words. He keeps his eyes locked on yours, as if to make sure yours stay on his too, and you’re docile under him until he’s distracted you enough to pinch his credit card between two of his fingers and discretely pull it out from your grip. He then lets go of your wrist and disappears out of your line of sight when he flops back down onto the mattress next to you, tucking his card back into his wallet.

“But I won’t. Because I’m a nice person, and will respect your space. Or whatever.” 

You don’t know what to say, your hand finding a place over your heart as you try to take deep breaths to calm yourself down.

“We should probably go to sleep,” he sighs after a minute, tossing his wallet back onto the nightstand and reaching over to turn off the light.

It’s dark now in the room, the only light coming from through the layered fabrics of the curtains. It's a cold light, possibly from the moon and maybe some dim neighboring white street lights, but it’s enough to where you could still see the slight texture of the ceiling, and maybe his face.

You both spend a few minutes trying to get comfortable. You try not to bump your butt against him, or brush your chest against his arm, but it happens a couple times anyway, and you mentally curse yourself for it. The rise of the duvet fabric from his chest becomes shallow with his breathing, and you think he’s fallen asleep, but then the two of you turn over at the exact same time, facing each other, eyes flying open and gazes meeting. It startles the both of you, but neither of you look away or say a word. The two of you just sit in the moment for what feels like hours, and very could’ve easily been. 

You’re the first to break the silence. “You know, there was a time where I thought that you weren’t even real.” You’re speaking hushed, like you’re afraid someone will hear, even though there’s only two souls in this room right now.

“What?” he asks, a slight raise to his eyebrow. “...why.”

“I don’t know. You’re like this urban legend around campus. You probably don’t know it, since you’re in it, but the world you’re in is very different from the world the rest of us students are in.”

He’s silent for a moment, his face being briefly illuminated by the reflection of a car’s headlights on the windows of the surrounding building. “I think I know what you mean.”

You blink at him. “I thought you would have a few more follow-up questions to that, but I guess you’re surprisingly self-aware.”

He hums to himself. “I think I can just put it into perspective.”

“Perspective?” you ask. You’re hanging onto every single one of his words tonight. You don’t want a single one of them slipping through you, not understood.

“Yeah,” he says, “there are moments where I feel like I’m not in that world anymore. And it feels nice. To get out of it.”

You want to ask him when those moments are, but he’s quick to speak again.

“I guess that means I’m aware of the moments where I am in it, so I know that it exists, if that makes sense? I don’t know.” He looks down at your pajamas, at the dancing sloth at the front, and the crease to his brow relaxes slightly. 

“Mhm, makes sense.”

His eyes are back on you, studying. There’s a strange look on his face that you can’t really comprehend. “I want to know about your world,” he says.

You breathe in deep, and exhale shallow. “My world is simple. I want to be a filmmaker and then live in a little cottage.”

He smiles at you. “A little cottage?”

“Yeah,” you say, “maybe in the countryside. The Italian countryside. With my own garden in the backyard so I can use fresh zucchini in my salads.”

“Any animals? Pets?” he asks, like he’s envisioning it all in his head too. 

“Maybe some chickens,” you say, “I promised Mr. Guilmon I’d name another one of my pets after him someday. I have to keep my promise.”

He nods. “You do.”

There’s another silence, but it doesn’t feel awkward this time.

“Did you turn your photos in to your professor?” he asks.

“Yeah, I did,” you tell him. “Earlier this week.”

“Nice. What about your reference for grad school?”

“I asked him for it.”

“Oh?” His eyebrows raise. “How’d it go?”

“Mm…I was really nervous, but it went well. He said he’d do it.”

There’s such a tenderness to his expression that you feel so compelled to kiss him right now. “That’s awesome. I’m proud of you. That’s one step closer to your dream.”

You purse your lips together from his words, sitting with the warm feeling in your chest. You want to thank him again, but instead all you say is “we’re even now.”

He lets out a small chuckle. It comes from his throat. “You’ve said that so many times.”

“I know.” Because you can’t believe it’s all over. This little arrangement between the two of you. You don’t want it to be over. “I can’t remember when the first time I said it was.”

“That night,” he answers you fast and with certainty, like it was at the forefront of his mind, “when you drove over rocks. And we sat together on the curb. And I realized how badly you take care of your car. You don’t need thousands of chain restaurant napkins in your glovebox, by the way. No matter how much you might think you do.”

“Wow. I was almost romanced by you for a second, but you ruined it,” you mumble.

You’re instantly taken back to that night. You remember the gentle quality in his eyes as he stared up at the stars, and you can still see the reflection of that sky in his eyes right now with the way he’s looking at you. 

“I really liked you that night,” you whisper, “I wish you were like that all the time.”

“Am I not like that all the time?” he asks, voice soft to match yours.

“No,” you say, “sometimes you’re mean.”

His eyes on you are gentle, somewhat careful. “I’m sorry for being mean.” 

You wonder if you can change his mind. If you can will him to like you back, if you can will him into wanting a relationship with you. You want to be his exception, not his rule.

“It’s okay. I’m mean sometimes, too,” you say, “mean to myself for sharing a bed with a guy that doesn’t like me.” He’s looking at your lips as you speak. “I’m bad like that.”

“You’re not bad,” is all he says.

“I am,” you say, and you inch closer to him, until there’s hardly any space between the two of you. You look up at him, faces inches away. You feel so safe with him, and yet you also feel scared, because you like him so much that you would let him ruin you if he wanted to. You press a flat palm to his shirt, searching for his heart, and you find that it’s beating fast in his chest. “I’m a bad woman, Satoru.”

“y/n,” he says, like a warning.

“I mean it,” you whisper.

“You said you’d kill me if I touch you,” he reminds you, sounding a little breathless.

“I can’t kill you, you’re way stronger than me,” you whisper, “so touch me.” Your hand is gripping onto the fabric of his shirt now, tight, with desire. He’s looking at you with a whole lot of desire too, but there was something else there as well. “Please.”

He wraps his hand around your wrist–the heat of his touch that you so badly wanted, craved, finally on you–but it’s to pull you away from him. Your grasp on his shirt releases and he brings your hand to the front of your chest, laying it down gently before letting it go. Your wrist lays limp there, missing his touch. Limp in front of your beating heart.

“Let’s just go to sleep, okay?” he says softly. 

Your eyes widen when you look at him, and you couldn’t even hide the hurt that settled across your face if you tried. Gaze dropping to his chest, you see the way it was rising with every breath he took, and for the second time in this life, you’ve felt so utterly rejected by him. You give him a compliant nod, and scootch back away from him before turning away. He stays as he is, watching your back, and you can feel his gaze on the nape of your neck. 

Counting the minutes to fall asleep felt exhausting, but the last thing you remember before you closed your eyes was the feeling of a tear trickling down onto your pillow, wet and cold against your cheek.

–

You wake up the next morning to an empty bed, and an even emptier feeling heart. There’s also this weird feeling of disappointment within you, and you don’t really know why.

Grabbing your phone on the nightstand, you quickly search for the email with the men’s soccer team practice schedule, and you see that they had a sharp 8am practice this morning before the game in the afternoon. The time reads 6:37am, and you’re wondering where Gojo went so early in the morning before heading off to the practice field.

You went back to sleep for a couple hours, and then woke up again. By the time you took a shower, got dressed, and went downstairs to the hotel lobby to eat breakfast, it was already 10:00am and it was time to make it to the field so you could set up and calibrate your camera prior to taking photos for the match. Following Utahime’s gameday instructions, you took a cab to the location with all of your gear.

The Kyoto soccer stadium was less of a stadium and more of an extremely large and open expanse of grass that had enormous silver metal stands stretching across the perimeter. It was something you would expect of an area in the countryside, but security was still somehow tight across the fenced off area. 

It was still a couple hours before the game, so the field was bustling with pre-game set-ups and the stands were empty. There were a few sports canopies being put up, as well as a small truck with workers that were working to stock up the hydration stations. A few men in suits were seated at tables with notepads and clipboards, looking busy in conversation and on what sounded like business calls. As you walk down the sidelines, you notice a few other people checking the distances between the goals and the chalk markings across the field. The stands were extremely close to all of the action, and when you look to the right, you see a couple of familiar faces there.

“Ah, y/n! We’re over here.”

You approach the group of three people, all seated on the lowest metal bench of one of the spectator sections. There were a bunch of tripods, cameras, cases, and laptops sprawled across in front of them. You recognize Hana and Minato, but you don’t recognize the other man sitting with them. You had met Hana and Minato at the game against Osaka last week, they were both professional photographers for the newsletter.

Hana hops off the bench and comes up to you. “It’s seriously so cool you’re here with us and that Utahime got you this gig,” she says to you with a smile. “Make sure your schedule is free on nights after matches, all us photographers usually get dinner together afterwards. You’re the baby out of us, so we’ll pay for you.”

You return her smile with one of your own. “That’s sweet, and sure I’ll try to.” 

You glance at the man whose name you didn’t know, your gaze meeting his, and soon enough he’s jumping up onto his feet too and making his way over to you.

“Ah, this is Kaito. Kai for short,” Hana says, gesturing to the man, and then to you.

Kai extends his hand out for you to shake. He’s tall and a bit lean. His style is really boyish—totally nailing the street photographer outfit with the white shirt underneath a flannel one, and some Carhartt pants paired with some Vans. You reach out to shake his hand, and he holds onto it for a second longer than you would’ve expected.

“Hi,” you greet him and tell him your name.

“That’s a nice name,” he says with a smile.

Hana claps her hands together. “Okay! We all know each other now, that’s great. We should get started prepping before the players get here, I believe they’re scheduled to be here in an hour.” She walks over to the benches and picks up her digital camera. Minato grabs his as well as his tripod, then walks over to Hana’s side. “The way we usually do it is to split the field into corners, and each of us works that perimeter. The videographers are here too, so just make sure you don’t accidentally knock over or stand in front of one of their cameras.”

All three of you nod at her and you unzip your case to take your film camera out. Kai is next to you, looking at the device in your hands curiously.

“Kai, you can work with y/n for today since it’s her first day. Split up those two corners over there,” Hana says, pointing to the other end of the field. You and Kai look in that direction. “Minato and I will take the other short end.”

With a few more discussions and detailed instructions, the four of you disperse to your assigned locations. You’re a step ahead of Kai, although he should really be the one leading your stride since you’re the new one here, but he soon enough catches up to you.

“Is that a Canon AE-1?” he asks you, pointing to your camera.

You look at him a little surprised. “Yeah, it is. As vintage as they get.”

“Sweet, I used to shoot on film too. Second-hand?” 

“No, third. Still cost me an arm and a leg, though,” you sigh.

He laughs. “They’re not that expensive.”

“I’m a broke college student. I sometimes have to choose between paying rent and eating food,” you say to him.

He kicks at a random can on the grass, sending it flying forward, instead of picking it up. “Yeah, definitely don’t miss those days.”

“When did you graduate?” you ask.

“From UTokyo two years ago,” he says. 

You bend over to pick up the can he kicked and jog a little to the trashcan nearby, tossing it in, then jog back to him. “That’s nice. You’ve been doing this for two years?”

“Yup,” he says to you as the two of you reach the corner of the field outlined by freshly drawn chalk. He kneels down on the grass, sets his camera case down, and opens it up. Your jaw drops.

“Is that a—Leica camera?” you ask him, shocked.

He smirks up at you. “Sure is.”

“Oh, so you’re just rich, then,” you sit down on the grass to look at it with interest, marveling at its condition.

“Nope. I’ll bet I got it for cheaper than your Canon there,” he points to the camera hung at your neck.

You meet his gaze. “No way.”

“Way,” he says, pulling out the attachable lens before wiping at it with a microfiber cloth, “I know a guy. He sells used cameras. The only issue is you’ve gotta refurbish them yourself.” 

You sigh. “Wonderful. Because I would know how to do that.”

He lets out a half-laugh, and you glance up briefly to look at his expression. He was amused. “It’s pretty easy, just gotta do it once. And then you’ll have a used Leica that works brand-new, all for just under a hundred-thousand yen.”

You’re looking at him with surprise again. “That cheap?”

“Yup.”

“Wow…” Your finger plays with the lens cap on your camera.

“If you want, I can send you his info. But if you want to meet up with him, it’ll probably have to be facilitated through me,” Kai says, “He takes clients by recommendation. No use in selling a used camera to an idiot that doesn’t know how to refurbish it. He’s looking for niche photographers that have the interest.”

You press your lips together, considering it. “Sure.”

He hands his phone to you. “Alright, gimme your number.”

You hesitate for a second before typing your number into his contacts then hand it back and watch as he saves it in his phone. “Canon girl. Won’t forget ya.”

The two of you make work for a second, eyeing the field and mapping out angles of where to get the best shots during play. Kai gives you some pointers and you’re marveling at how good they are.

“Not really used to shooting on film anymore,” he mumbles, peering through the hole on your camera when you handed it over to him, “but usually a one over five-hundred shutter speed works well for sports. I’d switch between that and over two-fifty though, to avoid a blurry finish.”

“Thanks,” you say to him, wanting to write all this down to not forget it. “Wish I knew this last week.”

“Why shoot on film?” he asks out of nowhere, handing your camera back to you. “Why not digital?”

“Oh, it’s a personal interest,” you say to him, adjusting your shutter speed as he suggested, “I think there’s a charm to it. I want to be a movie maker, and shoot on film medium.”

He frowns at you. “How are you going to do that?”

You tilt your head at him, shuffling on the grass. “I’m going to apply to the film graduate program at UTokyo to start.”

He laughs at that from where he’s seated across from you. “Really? That’s a waste of your time.”

Your heart sinks a little in your chest from his tone. “Why would it be a waste of my time?”

He turns to face you more directly. “y/n, trust me, I know this career path. Been there, done that. Millions of film majors like yourself always have these big-ass dreams like ‘I want to become a director, I want to do screenplay’ etc., but only one or two of them actually succeed.” 

Your shoulders sulk. It’s not the first time you’ve heard those words from someone—your own parents practically recited them word-for-word before you headed off to college—but you had been doing really well all of senior year to ignore that nagging little voice in your head. It was honestly quite triggering to hear it all again right now. “Well, I think I can do it.”

He lets out a short scoff. “You sound real convincing there.” When he catches sight of your upset expression, he straightens his back a little. “My bad. Just trying to look out for you. I’m your senior in this industry. I know my way around these things. Trust me.”

You nod slowly. “I know. Thanks.” Part of you wonders if he’s just projecting.

“Well anyway,” he shrugs, “I think you should just focus on photography for now. It’s the safest career option for you to do.”

“I guess you’re right,” you say, wanting to diffuse the conversation.

The two of you disperse to your assigned corners once the stands start to fill with spectators. Shortly after, the players make their introductions onto the field, and you can see Gojo across the field. He’s too far to read his expression, but for some reason when you look at him, that disappointed feeling from this morning comes back to you. You try to push it down and just focus on your task at hand.

UTokyo does well during the match, and Gojo seems to be playing much better than the Osaka game last week, scoring two goals within the first half. There were a couple of times where there were throw-ins near your corner, and you made eye contact with him as he’s breathing heavily, wiping the sweat off his face with his jersey, and every time you look at him, that melancholic feeling washes over you again. UTokyo wins 3-2, the crowd evidently disappointed as they were rooting for their home team, and by the time the disgruntled fans started to clear the stands, the sun was setting over the horizon and the sky was a golden color.

The referees on the field begin to oversee the post-match proceedings with the players. Kai comes around to meet you at your corner, and Hana and Minato arrive there too.

“Hey team! How’d it go?” Hana asks, a little out of breath from her journey over here.

“Went fine,” Kai responds.

“It was a little tricky,” you comment, “but I think my photos came out well.”

Hana nods. “Alright, sounds good. Are we still on for dinner tonight?”

Kai and Minato nod, and then all three sets of eyes are on you. You hesitate for a moment, and look off past them to where you see the group of soccer players in conversations with the coaches and referees. You see Gojo standing there, his hands on his hips as he peered across the field, tilting his neck to the side repeatedly, and you realize he had been doing that all match long. That unsettling feeling within you starts to brew once again. “Uh, I’m really sorry, but I’m not feeling very well. I think I might just head back to the hotel.”

Hana and Minato nod at you with a concerned expression, while Kai just looks disappointed.

“Okay, well, I hope you feel better,” she says.

You end up taking an Uber back to the hotel in haste, not wanting to run into Gojo or any of the other soccer players after their match, and make it to the room, using the key card that Gojo gave you to get inside. You take a shower to freshen up, and by the time it’s 7pm, you’re starving. You put on a simple outfit and make it downstairs into the lobby of the hotel, about to go peruse the nearby dining options, but right when you step out of the elevator, you run into Gojo.

There’s a look of pleasant surprise on his face and you take in his appearance. He was still wearing his soccer jersey, covered in grass and dirt stains, and his face was slightly flushed from exertion. You figured he just came back from the field.

“Hey,” he says, “sorry, I was just about to head over there.” He jerks his head off towards the lobby, and you glance in that direction. There was a group of maybe thirty people gathered around the lounging areas and high-tables over at the business suite, and you recognize them as UTokyo’s soccer players, along with Coach Yaga and other team staff. The players were still all clad in their uniforms, carrying all their stuff, and there were plays of today’s game rerunning across the TV screens. You realize they’re probably prepping for interview questions for tomorrow’s conference.

“Oh, please, go ahead,” you say to him.

He tilts his head at you. “Are you doing alright?” 

You were aware that things might feel awkward after last night, and that your cheeks would probably feel hot like they do now the next time you had to talk to him. Your mind takes you back to the memories, when you think about how badly you wanted him to stay with you in the room because of that hollow feeling in your chest from missing him, despite how you knew it was bad for you. Because this man standing in front of you doesn’t like you in the way that you like him. 

And then it clicks. The reason for that feeling of disappointment you’ve had since the moment you woke up today.

When you glance up at Gojo this time, you see him differently than you had from a second ago. You finally notice the slight dark circles under his eyes, and figure out that the reason he’s been tilting his neck to the side all day was because he was trying to stretch out a kink. You vaguely recall that moment you woke up in the middle of the night, and your sleepy brain registered that there was no longer the dip of him in the mattress next to you.

“When did you leave the room?” you ask him. You know your voice is quiet when he has to lean down a bit to hear you.

He takes his time answering, indulging in a few breaths. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” you say, starting to sound hostile, “you left during the night, didn’t you?”

He doesn’t deny it.

“You left once I fell asleep,” you say, eyes widening with realization.

He sighs. “Yes.”

“Where did you go to sleep?” you ask, trying to keep your tone level.

“Suguru’s room had an extra couch. I pushed them together.”

You felt sick and sad, feeling something worse than rejection right now. There was a part of you that still thought that all of this from him was just a joke. A prank. That he was finally going to say just kidding, I like you too. The reason you’ve been so disappointed since the minute you woke up today was because there was a part of you that thought you were going to wake up this morning with his arms wrapped around you, back pressed tight to his chest while he whispers sweet nothings in your ear of how much he likes you, of how much he wants you, of how much he wants to be with you.

“Why? Even after I said I didn’t want you to have bad sleep?” Your voice was laced with hurt. You didn’t even know how to explain to him why it upset you, because deep down you’re scared it isn’t even valid.

“It’s fine,” he says, “I played fine today. And we won.”

“You could’ve stayed. Do you really hate me that much?” Your words are shooting to kill now. “So I’m good enough to finger in a bathroom at a frat party, but not good enough to sleep next to?”

He furrows his brow. “I don’t understand why we’re arguing about this,” he says, tone starting to match yours, “you’re the one that wanted space. I was just trying to respect that.”

“If you really wanted to respect my space, you wouldn’t have agreed to share the bed with me in the first place.”

“y/n,” he says, “that’s not fair.”

“You should’ve known better.” You’re breathing fast, tone searingly accusive. “You know that I’m trying to get over you, and that I’m vulnerable, and that I’m probably confused about a lot of things right now.”

“I ask if we could at least be friends, you say no because it’d be some recipe for disaster, then you practically beg me to stay with you and tell me to touch you while we’re laying down together. You don’t think that’s confusing for me too?” he counters.

Your cheeks flush with embarrassment at the memory of your desperate actions last night, and he instantly looks apologetic. You feel like you’re being unfair, but you feel like he’s being unfair too.

“I’m the one with feelings,” is all you say in your defense.

He swipes at his chin roughly with the back of his hand, smudging the dirt up to his cheek, and then closes his eyes for a second, like the weight of today has finally hit him all at once. He looks exhausted. “Right,” he says, softly, “I’m sorry.”

“Yo, Satoru!” one of his teammates yells from the center of the lobby. “Coach needs you, man.”

He rubs a hand down his tired face then throws a haphazard glance over his shoulder. “Yeah, I’ll be there in a sec,” he calls out and then looks back at you. You can’t make eye contact with him, and just stare at the print on his jersey instead. “I’ll sleep in Suguru’s again tonight. The room is yours.”

There’s a lump in your throat and you feel like you’re about to cry. “Okay.”

He reaches into his shorts pocket and gives you a room card. “Here’s the spare. I don’t need to come grab my stuff for the night, so don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

He sounds like he wants to say more, and you see him take a small step towards you, hand reaching out for you, but this time Coach Yaga’s stern voice is calling out to him too. He sighs. “Good night.”

“Mhm. Thanks.”

He hesitates before he turns on his heel and you watch his back, with that signature #10 stretched across the fabric of his uniforn, as he jogs through the hotel lobby to his teammates.

The walk back to the hotel room is depressing, and you find yourself dragging your feet all the way there. Once you make your way inside, you look around at the room and see some of Gojo’s belongings scattered around, but it didn’t seem like there were any of his essentials. You look down at the spare key card in your hand–a promise from him that he won’t try to upset you anymore tonight–and that lump in your throat from earlier comes back. 

You hated fighting with him. You hated being away from him. Those feelings that you thought would go away just as fast as they came still sat so stubbornly within your heart, and it was becoming impossible to bear. 

You wonder if meeting him was all just some horrible, twisted mistake. 

Before you have time to dwell on that sad sentiment, your phone screen lights up with a message.

|| 7:52pm unknown number: kinda sucks you’re not here with us. was looking forward to showing you more of my camera

|| 7:53pm unknown number: this is kai by the way

The features of your face feel heavy as you look down at your phone screen. You don’t even notice your eyes are teary until you realize the blur of your vision makes it hard to see the letters as you type out a response.

You just wanted a distraction from all this pain.

|| 7:54pm you: can you send me the address? i wanna be there

a/n. grrrr i love a one-bed trope so much grrrrrrrrr it's gonna do it for me every damn time lol. thanks a bunch for reading!! there's still so much that i've got planned for the series haha i think the second half is gonna be a lot crazier than the first. super excited to write it though. by the way! i'm starting a choso x reader zombie au series, if you'd like to read more about it and/or be added to the taglist, you can reply to this post here also if you want to be added to taglist in general, i'd recommend making sure your tags are on!! since i've noticed a lot of people have them off

➸ you're all caught up!

taglist: @who-can-touch-my-boob @therealestpussyeater @lost-resonance @hojoslutoru @foulprincesscycle @luniunia @alekssashka7 @bsdicinindirdim @tsukikourito @getitsatoru @slut-4-gojo @cactisjuice @kissofife @tiredflame132 @cliosunshine @ethereally-lyann @btszn @prince-wyiilder @semra4 @gojosimp26 @drthymby @ninitoru @bbyxxm @fvsm4x @sadmonke @zoinks1010 @bakuhoethotski @horisdope @sykostyles @aquaberrydolphin @colouringfrogssittinginleaves @ri-sa20 @purplehallow11 @mwtsxri @ritsatoru @bxddiebloss @chwesuh-imnida @mo0nforme @viware @still-fking-single @megumisthirdog @gintokhi @karvokr (hope i didn't miss anyone thank u all sm!!)

Silent Love: Ch. 7 - "A Lovely Night."

⊹ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ Chapter Seven

Previous Chapter: "Forgiveness?"

Chapter One: New Roommate(s)

Master-List: Here!

.・゜゜・ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ ╰┈➤ Sukuna x Reader

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙ Sypnosis:

When moving out of your dorm and leaving your eccentric roommate goes to shit, you're offered by one of her friends to move in with him... for free! That is, if you don't mind living with two completely opposite college boys.

However, life isn't that easy, and there's a hot asshole around the corner to piss you off. Especially when he's always up late at night when you're studying, purposely trying to get on your nerves in the most perverse way possible.

You hate him.

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙ Genre:

College/Modern World AU. Multiple parts.

Shameless Smut, Thin Walls, Mildly Dubious Consent, Roommates Fluff and Crack, Slice of Life, Kinda Slow Burn, Oral Sex Vaginal Sex, Slight Age Difference, Degradation Fake/Pretend Relationship, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Enemies to Lovers, Spit Kink, Angst, Hurt/Comfort.

⁎̩͙ ⁑̩͙̩͙ ⁂̩̩͙͙ Word Count: 34,014

･ ｡ﾟ☆:  *･ December 4th, 2023 ☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Wednesday.

You flutter your lashes open, a soft moan leaving your lips as you adjust yourself in your bed. You can feel a soft stream of light on your face, waking you up from your relaxing sleeping. You instantly shove your face into your pillow, groaning at the sound of cars and birds chirping. Jesus, what time is it? As much as you don’t want to, and how warm and soft your bed is, you decide it’s probably time to wake up. You stretch your arms over your head, and sigh in contentment. You look to the side, noticing that the bedside counter is next to your head. 

You furrow your eyebrows, shouldn’t there be a wall right… Wait.

You blink a few more times, adjusting your eyes into your situation. Instantly, you remember where you are, and why you’re here. It feels like your stomach is bursting with butterflies now, but you try to ground yourself. 

The counter is holding all the things from the day before. Computers, notebooks, textbooks, pencils, and even the sticky-note Sukuna wrote on. You’re tempted to look at the note again, but you catch the sight of the clock on his counter. You feel your heart drop to your stomach, all butterflies evaporating into thin air.. 

You sit up straight, twisting your head to look at Sukuna, “Shit! Sukuna why didn’t you—“

If possible, your stomach twists even harder. The space next to you is empty, void of any form of existing life other than a messy pillow. You feel your eyebrow twitch, before punching his pillow. 

That fucking lying ass son of a bi–

Wait, what day is it?

You feel a rush of nauseous and guilt flood your all at once, when you remember the day. Wednesday. “Shit, I have my club today!” You push his blanket off your body and rush towards the door. You halt on your heel, patting your hips for your phone, only to see it still resting on the dresser, right next to the sticky note and your computer. You pause for a second, moving back and forth before deciding to leave it behind. 

Whatever, it’s not needed. You can always borrow a phone and call Nobara, even if you don’t know her number, or anyone other than your mother’s and a good 3/4ths of your father’s. So, pfft, you’re good. 

You shove your Converse on, running towards your school with halftied shoes. You’re wearing your pjs from the night, and your hair is a tangled mess. You didn’t even have time to wash your face, or your makeup from the previous day. 

Wait, why didn’t Sukuna say anything about your messy makeup when you went to his–oh my god, stop thinking about Sukuna. You mentally yell at yourself, pulling a tight corner and continuing to run. 

Your chest is hurting, not only from running, but from Sukuna’s absence. Yet, you don’t feel like you’ve truly been able to let his actions sink in, but the moment they do, you know you’re going to be a weeping mess. Which is something you really, really want to avoid. 

That backstabbing asshole, such a fucking liar. 

You can feel the gaze of many, passing you unfathomable looks before going back to their mundane activities of life. Fuck them for judging you, and fuck them for having nice cars to take them anywhere they want, whenever they want.

Okay, calm down. You mentally tell yourself. Not everyone that is glaring at you owns a car, nor are they even looking at you. Most likely. Hopefully. 

The moment you reach the campus a few happy tears stream down your face, your feet feel heavy and hard to move, your throat absolutely burning with pain, it’s dry and scratchy. A happy sigh leaves your mouth, before you twist yourself into the direction of the library. 

Pushing open the library doors, and entering with a loud huff. Gaining a rude “Shush!” From the librarian, which you don’t even pay much attention to. You’re rushing to the club room, topping over a small stack of books, which garners you a ring of explicits from the studier, before reaching the club room door. 

You feel another sigh of relief past your lips, and despite how much your body absolutely hurts, you feel a bit better. Even if it’s a tiny, tiny bit. In all honesty, there’s no point in even coming at this point, the club meeting ends in a few minutes.

Until the door smacks you in the face, opening right into you. You stumble backwards, cupping your nose. “Ow.” Your bag’s straps fall down from your shoulders. What is up with doors hitting you?

The person gasps, reaching for your shoulders. “Oh! Madame president, I didn’t mean to-“ They pause, “Madame president?” They sound less worried, and more concerned and surprised now. “I thought you weren’t–”

You place a hand out while keeping one firmly pressed against your nose, cutting them off. “Please stop calling me that.” You shake your head slightly, trying to move into the room. “I have to—“ 

“I thought you weren’t coming today?” They ask you, adjusting their glasses, and placing their hands behind their back. “Are you feeling better? You don’t… look to goo–” They cut off their sentence, not wanting to offend you. 

“I have to come in.” You say exasperated, placing your hands on your hips to try and catch your breath. “Or, no one’s going to fill out the paperwork.” Despite how fucking simple it is. 

“Well, isn’t that why you got a sub?” They tilt their head to the side, “He’s already done everything for you, he’s even learning a few things in sign language as we speak.” 

You feel your eyebrows furrow, “Wait. What?” You tilt your head to the side, trying to look into the room, but you can’t see anything, unfortunately. 

They roll their eyes, “Yeah, next time you have a sub, at least don’t make them obnoxiously attractive.” You watch as they cross their arms over their chest, huffing a small bit. “All the girls have been at his feet trying to teach him simple words like hi, or you’re cute.” They huff, “It’s kinda’ pathetic.” 

You laugh despite your confusion, “Someone sounds jealous.” You ignore their glare, “But, I don’t remember asking for a sub?” Is it Yuuji? “Uh, what’s his…” name? You finish the sentence in your head, but quickly realize where it’s most likely not a good idea to ask the name of someone who you allegedly appointed as a sub. Which… you didn’t even know it was a thing for club presidents. 

They give you an expecting look, fixing their glasses. 

“Uh, I’m just here to make sure things are working out.” You push past them, and immediately you pause at the door’s frame. Your lips part in a silent gasp, a bit shocked by the man standing inside. Now, you don’t know whether to be mad, or touched by his absence earlier today. 

The person who hit you with the door comes by your side, crossing their arms over their chest and huffing. “So, did you know he was coming in for you?” They laugh a bit, “In fact, do you even know who he is?”

“Yes, I know who he fuckin’ is.” You whisper back, passing them a quick glance. “Sukuna. He’s my friend.” You blink a few times, turning your gaze to the floor, your face feels a bit hot. “I didn’t know he was coming in for me.”

“Uh-huh.” They respond back, not believing you. They fix their glasses, “Sure. Didn’t know you were friends with giga-chat frat boys who know nothing, but the bottle of a beer bottle, and pussy.”

“You’re mouthy today.” You snap, “And, don’t say that about him.” You point an accusing finger at them. “He’s so much more than that.” You smile to yourself, crossing your arms over your chest in a conceited manner. “Besides, even with his hot face, he’s still smarter than you, and gets more pussy, too.”

“Sure.” 

You don’t respond, just turn your attention to Sukuna. “What’s he been doing while I’m gone?” You tilt your head to the side, noting the clipboard often held by you at meetings in his hands. 

“Just some of your basic paperwork, simple things, really.” They wave off, “He’s also been learning things.” 

“Did he ask to?” 

“No, the girls are forcing him to. I think.” 

“What have they been teaching him?” 

They force a smile at you, tilting their head to the side. “Why don’t you go ask him yourself?” They push themself off the door frame, passing you a smile, “You two are friends, right?” 

“We are.” You lean on the frame this time, fluttering your lashes. “I’ll see you next week?” 

“We don’t meet for the rest of the year.” They say, playing with their curly hair. “Remember? Finals are going to be a bitch and a half until break.” They pass you a final wave, before departing from the small conference room. Yet, your eyes are trained on Sukuna. 

Sukuna passes a glare at the girl next to him, clipboard in hand while writing something down. But, the girl snatches it from him, saying something along the lines of, ‘Ah, don’t worry about it, I can help with the paperwork!’ Which pisses you off. Not because of her attempt for Sukuna’s attention, but for the fact that she’s doing this for Sukuna, and not you. Who knew people in the club were capable of doing that paperwork?

Not only that, but Sukuna looks… nice today. A college sweatshirt, and some simple black pants. You can still see his golden chain, but this time he’s wearing some matching earrings. You didn’t know he had his ears pierced, or… had that many. He even had the nerve to slick back his hair. 

Jesus, you look like an actual mess. 

Another girl grabs Sukuna’s arm, tugging him in her direction. Which doesn’t last long, Sukuna quickly pulls away, but gives her a look with an eyebrow raised. She’s quick to show him a paper, which you assume has some basic words in ASL. 

You shut the door behind you, which makes everyone but Sukuna flinch. “How did this meeting go?” You ask, making your way to the girl, Jamie, holding the clipboard. 

Jamie awkwardly laughs, tossing a chunk of hair behind her shoulder. “Uhm, it was good. We got all the paperwork done.” She lifts the board in the air, shaking it a bit. 

“Yeah.” You snatch the board from her, seeing that all the information is filled out. “Good to know you’re fully capable of completing the paperwork when necessary.” You pass her a hard glare, which is returned with a sheepish smile. You look at Sukuna, “Did everyone behave?” 

Sukuna’s smirking, “Oh yeah, definitely.” He tilts his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest. He cocks his head to the side, “Lilith, here, helped me with learning a few phrases.” He passes her a quick glance, whispering, “Thanks, baby.” 

Lilith passes him an enthusiastic head nod, and smile. 

You feel your eye twitch, “Uh-huh. Is that so?” You place the clipboard in its place, sassily placing a hand on your hip. “And, what exactly did you learn?” 

“I love you.” Sukuna relishes in the way you freeze, but try to quickly shake it off. “And, a lot of other things. Nothing too big.” He passes you a shit-eating smirk, “Why don’t you teach me things? Aren’t you the president, or somethin’?”  

You ignore his slight jab at you, “Really?” You turn back to face them, leaning on the counter. “Good job, Lilith. That’s impressive.” Even though you’ve always been on your phone every club meeting. “I didn’t know you were so attentive.” 

Sukuna nods, “Very attentive.” 

You scoff, “Well, the club is dismissed. No more meetings until next semester.” You say to the girls, passing them a quick wave. “I’ll see you after break.” 

Lilith turns to Sukuna, “Do you want to walk with me?” She asks innocently. 

She’s bold. 

“Oh, I can come, too!” Jamie adds, “We’re roommates, so you won’t have to walk too long.” 

Woah. You feel your stomach turn with unease, something hot and toxic bubbling at the back of your throat. Is this jealousy? You feel your eye twitch with annoyance, watching the two of them speak by Sukuna’s side. Wait, you don’t get jealous, and even if you were, you and Sukuna aren’t even… dating. 

Why are you even thinking about this, you aren’t jealou–“Sukuna?” You innocently ask, which makes him pass you a delighted look. So, he knows what he’s doing. Wonderful. 

Sukuna tilts his head to the side, “Yes, doll?” The two girls seem to mimic his movements, passing you their full attention now that Sukuna is looking at you. Good. 

“Are you going to be home before seven? Or, am I going to have to walk home?” You fake some pain, placing a hand on your lower back. “That’d be cruel of you, especially after last night.” 

Suddenly, the state of your appearance is the only thing the two girls are looking at. Your messy hair, messy makeup, and your clothing which seems a bit more wrinkled than they should be. 

Sukuna smirks, biting the inside of his cheek while looking away from you. “How cruel of me.”

“See, now you have to take me home.” You say with a smile, “So happy we came to an agreement.” You turn to the two girls, “Sorry, but looks like he’s going to be busy, maybe some other time he can walk you to your apartment. 

The two girls huff, and turn to Sukuna for his opinion. “Yeah, yeah.” He stuffs a hand into his pocket, rolling his eyes. “It’s better than walking around with some annoying ass bitches.” For once, you love that Sukuna is someone who says exactly what he’s thinking with no censor. 

The two girls scoff and finally leave the room with a loud door slam. You narrow your eyes at Sukuna, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Shut up.” You turn away from him, arms crossed over your chest. “I don’t want to hear a word from you.”

“Mhm.” Sukuna hums, slowly moving to your side. “Not going to say anything.” 

You scoff, “You need to learn to control your dick.” You huff, finally looking at him. “Those girls weren’t even that hot, I’m like… way hotter.” 

Sukuna raises an eyebrow, “You look like a mess.” 

“That’s not the correct response.” You glare at him, “And, besides, whose fault is that?” 

Sukuna doesn’t respond for a moment, merely stares at you with an unreadable expression. Yeah, you look hot when you’re mad, no wonder he likes messing with you. “Mhm.” He smirks, cupping your face. “I like knowing that.” He moves in close to kiss you, but you quickly shove him away. 

“I know you’re trying to be sexy.” Sukuna gives you an expecting look. And, you are, you mentally think. “But, I don’t feel ho–” 

“You look hot. I’m just fuckin’ with you.” Sukuna says, twisting your messy hair in his hand. “Especially when you are jealous, or mad. Fuck. You should really look at yourself.” Suddenly, Sukuna thinks about doing just that in front of the mirror in his room. “And, I’m trying to fuck you in the club room.” He lowers his head, twisting it to the side to ghost his lips over yours. 

You can feel your thighs mush together from his words, a small fire igniting in your lower stomach. “You’re more open today.” You mumble, chewing on the inside of your lips. Sukuna nods, “But, no. I’m not fucking you where I teach people about ASL.” As appealing as it may seem right now, you have some form of respect. 

Kinda. And, you know, you don’t want your first time to be in a club room. 

“Boring.” He leans in to kiss you but you turn your head away. He sighs, “Stop doing that.” 

“I didn’t brush my teeth.” You abruptly say, face a bit hot with embarrassment. “You’re not kissing me when I know I haven’t brushed my teeth.” There’s a lot of things you’re not going to do knowing that you haven’t gotten ready for the day. Looking at Sukuna for too long with your makeup stained face, is one of them. 

Sukuna lets out a long sigh, almost annoyed in a way. It makes you giggle. “I can bash your head into the wall.” Sukuna juts his thumb towards a wall, leaning back slightly. “Maybe that will give you amnesia, and you’d let me kiss you.” He smirks.

“Romantic, really, but no thank you.” You wrap your arms around his torso, “Next time a girl does something like that, shove her away, or say something like…” You think for a moment, “Uhm, I’m already with the love of my life, and you’re ugly.” 

“You think you’re the love of my life?” 

“It’s what’s on your phone, and we can’t argue with that.” You tilt your head, pressing your cheek on his chest.

Sukuna taps your head, dog-like in a way, “Yeah, no.” He looks to the side, “Besides, if I told a girl that, I wouldn’t get to see your jealous face.” He pinches your nose, “Wouldn’t be able to pass up a chance to see you glare at another girl for breathing in my direction. It’s cute.” 

Sukuna’s response gives you mixed feelings, but you don’t try to dwindle on it for too long. “You make it sound like I’m jealous.” You mumble pulling away from his grip. “I’m not jealous, I don’t get jealous.” You lean  into his sweatshirt, closing your eyes and relaxing into his warm body. You’ve never noticed how warm Sukuna is, practically a human heater. 

“You are.” 

“I’m not.”

“Uh-huh.” He murmurs, and the fire in your stomach grows hotter. Dammit, why does he have to have such a sexy voice? It's not fair.

“Fine. Be like that.” 

“I will. It’s not like you’re going to do–shit!” Sukuna yelps a bit, pulling away from you. “Fuck, your hands are fuckin’ freezing!” He shivers, but doesn’t shove you away when you move close again. “Do that shit again, and I will bash your head into a wall.”

“You’re so aggressive. We need to fix that.” You slide your hands under his sweatshirt again, and Sukuna flinches, but doesn’t pull away. “See, it’s not too bad.” You’re also using your cold hands as an excuse to touch Sukuna, as much as you wanted to yesterday, you couldn’t due to the positio…

You blink a few times, feeling your face grow hot. 

“Yeah. Whatever.” Sukuna rolls his eyes, placing his weight on one of his legs. Watching as you cling to him like a child to their mother. He’s used to women clinging onto him, but he’s always found it bothersome, and annoying. Shoving them off, or verbally berating them, but with you… he doesn’t mind it… that much.

You softly sigh, shoving your nose into his shirt. His cologne floods your senses, toasty and dark. “Let's go already, I feel messy.” You groan, pulling away and running your hands through your tangled strands. “I feel dirty. Do you happen to have a brush in your car?” 

“Why would I have a brush in my car?” Sukuna places his hands into his pockets, stopping himself from grabbing you again. 

You play with a strand of your hair, “I don’t know. Aren’t you like?... I don’t know, a fuck boy.” You turn to the door, flipping the light switch off. “I would think girls leave stuff in your car to claim you, or something.” 

Sukuna raises an eyebrow, “What makes you think that?” You pass him a knowing look, which makes him bite back a smile. “You’re stupid. I don’t go around fucking people.” He teases, “That shit is gross to me. It’s how you get diseases.” 

“Uh-huh.” You roll your eyes, pushing open the door and flooding brief light into the dark place. “Sure. It’s not like you go to frat parties all the time. I wonder what you could possibly be doing there.” 

“Having a girl suck my dick, is different from fuckin–” 

“You know what? I don’t think I want to talk about this anymore.” You’re hurting your own feelings. “Whatever, I’m sure your body count is like–off the charts.” 

Sukuna comes close to your side, his arm brushing against yours with every step he takes. “Three.” He whispers, and you don’t know if it’s him being soft for you, or if it’s the setting that’s making him whisper. “I’ve only been with three girls.” 

You know for sure that one is the blonde girl, but who are the others? Is one his first girlfriend? But, they were only dating for a few months if you remember correctly. “Oh.” You look at him, blinking a bit dumbfounded. “Honestly. That's… way less than I thought it was going to be.”  

“Yeah.” Sukuna places a hand on the back of his neck, before smirking to himself. “Aren’t you a virgin?” As much as Sukuna wanted to make fun of you when he first found out, he quickly realized it wasn’t the time and place for such. You were nervous, and a bit anxious, and that’s not how Sukuna wanted your first time with him to be. However, now, things are a bit different. “Loser.” 

You feel your face turn hot. “I’m never letting you touch me again.” Sukuna shrugs, so you add, “I also want Mcdonalds.” 

“Alright.” 

“Can you get me cookies?” 

“Will you finally kiss me?” 

You smile, “If you get me what I usually get, a Mcflurry, and cookies, I’ll give you more than a kiss.” 

—

Sukuna should already know how you wouldn’t let him kiss you, more or less let him look at you for too long, you were just bluffing. Hell, he went so far to get you Chick-fil-A in the hopes of you keeping your promise. Then again, Sukuna isn't all that upset, seeing your face light up when he pulled into the driveway is more than enough for him.

Suddenly, he feels something punch his shoulder, pulling his attention to you. Your eyebrows are furrowed, “Why didn’t you text me, or leave a note–or something–about how you were subbing for me?” You fume, “I thought you left me! And right after you–” 

“I did.” Sukuna replies nonchalantly. “I texted, and left a note for you.” He laughs to himself, smirking a bit with pride. “In fact, I used the same sticky note from our study session to tell you.” 

You blink a few times, “Did you?”

“Yeah.” He looks at your pockets, or… lack thereof. “Check your phone, I’m pretty sure you left me on read.” 

“I…” You sheepishly look away, scratching the back of your neck, “I left my phone rushing to get to the library.” 

“Of course. Why didn’t I expect that?” 

“Hey!” You throw a tissue at him, “I can make mistakes, but you can’t expect me to make mistakes.” You dramatically bite into a fry, “If anything, you need to expect me to be nothing but perfect, okay?” 

“Whatever.” 

“Actually, if you let me eat your nugget ice, I’ll forgive you.” You pick up Sukuna’s drink, and shake it around, the ice inside softly splashing against the sides of the cup. 

Sukuna raises one of his eyebrows, pointing at the cup. “You want… the ice?” 

“Yes.” You say with full seriousness. “I love Chick-fil-A ice.” 

Sukuna throws his hand up, mumbling, “Take everything else I have at this point.” He takes the cup away from you, and places it back in his cup holder. “I can’t even drink anything anymore.” 

“You can have the drink.” You smile, “I just want the ice, besides, it’s not like you’re going to miss it or anything.”

“You’re…” Sukuna leans back in his chair, tilting his head back to look at the roof of his car. “I don’t think there are words in the English language to describe you.” He shakes his head, “No, I know what you are.” 

“What?” 

Sukuna passes you a sadistic grin, “Autistic.” 

There’s silence again, and you don’t like it. “I think I’m going to cancel you.” You turn away from him, taking a bite of your food. “You’re done, Sukuna, you’re done.” 

“Mhm.”

You let the silence simmer for a moment, before finally speaking again, “Hey, ‘Kuna?”

“Hm?” Sukuna bites into his sandwich. Again, in a very Sukuna like manner. 

You pop a nugget into your mouth, chewing slowly, “I’ve been meaning to ask, but… why did you pick me to be your fake girlfriend?” You steal one of his fries, popping it into your mouth before he could object. 

Sukuna scoffs at you, tilting his head to the side. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, it was the blonde girl you were with when your Grandpa caught you, right?” You grab a strand of your hair, “My hair isn’t necessarily that color of blonde.” You’re more than sure that her color isn’t natural, it’s more dandelion yellow then a true blonde. Which you think is more than enough of a noticeable difference between your hair and hers. “Just… wouldn’t it make sense to ask her, the girl he caught you with, then me.” You laugh a bit, “I mean, have you seen my hair? We’re not an exact match.” You sarcastically add. 

Sukuna thinks for a moment, before freezing, as if a sudden cold-chilling realization had fallen over him. He looks at you, his food, then back at you again, “Uh.” He mentally curses to himself, remembering the girl he had over. “It wasn’t… the blonde girl I had over.” He tells you.

You look away muttering, “Whore.” 

“Lock your door tonight, I think I’m actually going to kill you in your sleep.” You laugh, taking a sip of your milkshake. “But, I didn’t have her over. I had some other girl over.” Sukuna’s eyes land on your hair for a moment, before he looks back at his food. “Don’t worry, your hair looked…” He hesitates before finishing, “Your hair looked identical to hers.”

You blink a few times, letting his sentence settle in your head. “Wait, wasn’t that before the project?” You tilt your head to the side, “Does that mean you called her over because she looked like–” 

Sukuna shoves a fry in your mouth. “Eat your food.” He huffs, pulling out of the parking spot in the Chick-fil-A parking lot. “I swear, you talk to fuckin’ much.” 

You hum, finishing the food. “Okay, meanie.” You pop another nugget in your mouth, looking at your reflection in the window. You like to think your hair is rather unique to yourself, hard to find something alike. You pass Sukuna a quick glance. Unless, he purposely asked a girl over who looked similar to you, because he…

You feel your eyes widen. Your lips parted ever so slightly, your face burning with embarrassment. Sukuna started like you… way before the project even happened. To the point where he invited some who looked similar to you over. That’s why Wasauke didn’t get suspicious when he first saw you. 

Sukuna smirks to himself, “You’re starin’, lovely.” He notices you whisper something underneath your breath, “Said somethin’?”

You look away from him, munching on another fry. “Simp.” 

His smile falls, “Get the fuck out the car.” 

You burst into laughter. 

･ ｡ﾟ☆:  *･ December 5th, 2023 ☽ .* :☆ﾟ.

Thursday.

The curtains are pulled back, letting the strong light of the sun into the living room. The sound of a movie playing in the background, while a book laid a few inches in front of your face. 

You’re dressed in simple wear, some pj shorts, and one of Sukuna’s shirts. It’s massive on you, covering your shorts and a good chunk of your thighs. Some fluffy socks bunched up at your ankles to keep your feet warm. 

Sukuna’s thumbs press into the sole of your left foot resting on his lap, your free one kicking up and down slightly. He’s wearing something equally as laid back, some black sweats, and his shirt… Well, you know where his shirt is. 

You’re resting on your stomach, your mind traveling in the world of literature. “Did you know that the most popular romance genre happens to be country?” You mindlessly say.

“Really?” Sukuna’s still looking at the TV. 

“Mhm.” You flip a page in your book, “Anything with the word Texas, or some form of Texas love pulls readers to buy it.” You stop reading, looking over our shoulder. “Hypothetically, of course, if I bought you a cowboy hat, would you wear it?” 

“No.” 

You think for a moment, “What about cowboy boots?” You quickly imagine Sukuna in cowboy boots, wearing a white wife beater, a plaid flannel, and—of course—a cowboy hat. You’re practically drooling. You divert your eyes, mumbling, “That would be hot.” 

Sukuna is almost as quick to answer, but pauses, thinking to himself. “Cowboy boots sound nice.” He props his arm on the arm rest, placing the weight of his cheek on his knuckles. “But, I’d never wear them. Not in the city at least.”

“You could wear them in the house.” You giggle, “It’d be something only for me to see.” 

Sukuna bites the inside of his cheek, “Weirdo.” 

“I’m not the weird one here.” You whisper, turning your attention back to your book. “From what I can recall, you were the one who masterbated to the thought of licking my–”

Sukuna grabs your pinkie toes, harshly pulling on it, gaining a small yelp from your throat. “None of that.” He scolds, “Always so sharp with your tongue.” He smirks, “That’s not the case when I was suckin’ on your–” 

“You know what, I’ll shut up for once.” You roll your eyes, continuing to read. Luckily, the two of you had already completed all your classes for the day, and Sukuna skipped practice. Again. It’s a bad habit he’s starting to develop, and a part of you wonders if he’s only doing it to pass time, or to become an athlete.

Sukuna slaps your back, “I’m hungry.” He pushes himself off the couch, making you fall to the floor in the process. “Let’s go get somethin’ to eat.” 

You lay on the floor, “Right. So glad you gave me a warning.” You soppily reach your hand over the couch cushions, grabbing a pillow, placing it under your head. “I mean, fuck my life, right?” You grab your book, continuing to read like nothing happened. 

“Get your ass up.” Sukuna snatches the book from your hands, closing it and tossing it on the table behind him. “You’re comin’ with me, go get your ass ready.” 

You groan, draping your forearm over your eyes. “But, I’m comfy, and I don’t want to leave the house.” You wave your hand in the direction of Yuuji’s room, “Tell Yuuji to go with you this time, I’m always going with you.” 

Sukuna groans, “You’re so difficult, just go get ready.” He turns to his room, hearing you giggle behind him. 

“Awh, if this is a date you’re asking me on, why didn’t you just say so sooner?” You tease, pushing yourself on your palms, and tilting your head at him. 

Sukuna tenses, the tips of his ears turning bright red. 

You blink a few times, a bit confused on why he reacted so dramatically to your joke, before you face flushes. “Oh my god! Wait, you’re actually asking me on a date?!” You scramble on your feet, almost falling as you make your way to Sukuna’s side. 

Sukuna turns his face away from you, “Hell no.” His ears are still red, “I’d never want to go on a date with you.” 

You pass him a curious look, smiling slightly. “Uh-huh. I’m sure.” You turn to face your room, “Same here, I’d never want to date someone like you, ‘Kuna. Gross.” You laugh again, lighter and lifting the room with bright energy, “I’m going to go get ready.” 

“Shower.” Sukuna calls from behind your shoulder, “You stink.” 

—

You like to think that the color pink is merely a coincidence, not something you picked because of Sukuna. Pfft, please, it’s not like your life revolved around him or anything, and you’ve always loved the color pink since childhood, so… yeah. 

“Are you wearing pink to match with him?” Nobara asks, tilting her head to the side. 

You feel your face flush, “No, I like the color pink.” You mumble, “Besides, Yuuji helped me pick out this dress, so—” 

“Uh-huh. Sure.” Nobara blows on her nails, removing the small excess that came from filing them down. “I’m sure Sukuna will think the exact same things when he sees you’re wearing a dress that perfectly matches his hair.” She grabs a black sharpie marker, holding it up to the camera. “Hold up, let me just add some missing touches…” 

“Nobara.” You whine, face a bit hot with frustration and embarrassment. “Does it look like I’m trying too hard? I don’t know what I should wear since I don’t even know if this is a date…”

”This is totally a date.” Nobara deadpans, “You two are totally a couple.”

That makes you blink, “Wait, is that true?” You place your hand over your mouth, whispering, “I mean, I’m sure he likes me, but I wouldn’t say we’re dating.” You turn to the side, looking at your door. “Like I said, I don’t even know—“ 

“Ugh, you’re so oblivious.” Nobara drops her head on her bed, groaning lightly. “How does everyone know, but you? This is so frustrating.” She pulls her head back up, “Call it a date, I want to hear you say it.” 

You hesitate, but nod, “We’re going on a date.” 

“Hell yeah you are.” Nobara gives you a thumbs up, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Now, remember to wear some cute matching underwear. He’s totally going to give it to you later tonight.” She smirks, “Rock your world, some would say.” 

“Don’t say that.” 

“I didn’t say that.” Nobara places her hand on her chest, “Some said that. Very clear difference.” 

“I can’t with you.” You continue to do your makeup, before biting the side of your cheek. “Do you think the matching set should be pink?” 

“That’s the spirit!”

—-

It isn’t long before you’re happy with your look. Your hair styled perfectly, makeup and lashes done, along with some cute intricate heels. They’re a bit dramatic, but cute nonetheless, and they were expensive, so you’re going to wear them like a badge of honor. 

It makes you wonder why you don't wear heels more often? The last time you wore them it wasn’t bad at all. Took awhile to get used to walking in them, but after that you were good. They’re gorgeous, and make your legs look amazing. 

Maybe you will start wearing them more often. They would be an amazing incorporation to your already cute outfits. 

The dress you’re wearing is also incredibly cute. A skin tight tube top, while the bottom flared out with ruffles. A part of you thinks to grab a sweater, but it’s not like it’s going to be that cold, and it would ruin your outfit! 

You grab your things and leave your room, glancing into Yuuji’s room considering the door is wide open. You smile, passing him a kind wave. “Hey, Yuu.” 

Yuuji looks away from his phone, eyeing you up and down. There’s a subtle smile on his lips as he says, “A date?” He sits up, placing his phone down. “Did he finally ask you out on a date?” 

You naturally want to say no, but you hesitate, a small smile splitting your lips. “Uh, yeah, he finally asked me on a date.” You push a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“Good to know he finally grew some balls.” Yuuji pushes himself off his bed, “Sukuna’s lucky, too. You deserve so much better than my emotionally underdeveloped brother.” He rolls his eyes, before grabbing your hands. His expression is hard, “If he does something that upsets you, call me. I’ll fucking kill him for you.” 

You blink a few times in shock. Is that the first time you’ve ever heard Yuuji cuss? You didn’t even know that was possible. You stutter out a laugh, before nodding your head enthusiastically. “Yeah, don’t worry Yuuji. I’ll totally call you if he starts acting up.” 

Yuuji nods with determination, “Good.” He smiles again, his eyebrows soft again. “You look amazing, by the way. Absolutely stunning.” 

You laugh, looking to the side. “Thanks Yuuji.” You look him up and down, “You look good too, are you going somewhere?” 

Yuuji places his hand on the back of his neck, taking a few steps back from you. “Uh, yeah.” He fishes his phone out of his pocket, “A friend of mine from middle school asked to catch up. So, I want to look nice.” 

You smirk, “Is this person a girl, by chance?” 

Yuuji shakes his head, his face flushed. “It’s not like that.” His  eyes light up for a moment, “Wait, I have something for you.” Yuuji moves to his drawer, and fishes for a tiny box inside. 

You tilt your head, taking a few steps closer. “A box?” 

“Yeah.” Yuuji smiles, holding it out for you. “I got it for my ex-girlfriend forever ago, but you can have it.” 

You feel your eye twitch. You don’t really know how to feel about that, but with the way Yuuji is smiling at you without a care in the world, you know he means it with pure intentions. “Uh, thanks Yuuji.” You grab it from him, removing the top and looking at the shining jewelry.

It’s gorgeous. A pair of matching earrings and a necklace perfectly held in the velvet padding. Silver and diamonds forming an intricate design that matches the earrings. Your lips part ever so slightly, “Yuu, this is…” 

Yuuji nods to himself, “I know. I’m an awesome best friend.” He places a hand on your shoulder, a smug smile on his lips. “No need to thank me, I already know you’re thankful.” 

You grab him in a hug, “Yeah, I don’t need to thank you.” You giggle into his shoulder, “But, thanks anyway.” You pull away, grabbing the earrings and putting them on, along with the matching necklace. “Does it look good?” 

Yuuji nods his head, a soft smile on his lips. “It’s perfect.”

“Are you ready to go?” Sukuna brassly asks behind you, his forearm resting on the door frame of Yuuji’s door. “I’ve been waitin’ for… hours…” 

You turn over your shoulder, your hair bouncing with life as you do so. You blink at him, your fake lashes fluttering. You pout slightly, pinching a strand of hair and rubbing it between your fingers, “I didn’t take that long.” You mutter sheepishly. 

Sukuna pauses, his lips parting before closing. He looks to the side, “Whatever.” He bites the inside of his cheek, “It’s cold, go get a sweater.” Sukuna, unlike you, is wearing a sweater. A nice zip up to decorate his black clothing. His gold chain accentuated, while a matching gold ring rested on his ring finger. He looks nice, really nice. 

“You’re not going to compliment her?” Yuuji places his elbow on your shoulder, resting a bit of his weight on you. “Actually, you don’t have to, I already did that for you.” He winks at Sukuna, passing him a smug smirk. “I got you.” 

Sukuna bites the inside of his cheek, his eyes trained on Yuuji. “Did you?” 

You nod enthusiastically, picking up on what Yuuji is doing. “Yeah!” You take a step forward, pushing your hair behind your shoulders to reveal the earrings he gave you. “And he also gave me these earrings! Aren’t they cute?”

Sukuna laughs through his teeth, “Adorable.” 

You blink at him innocently, leaning forward to let the necklace dangle right in front of your cleavage. “He also gave me this necklace, isn’t it just lovely?” You place your hand over your heart, showing off the jewelry. “I think it’s the sweetest thing ever.”

”Go get a jacket.” Sukuna pushes himself off the door frame, “We’re getting somethin’ that isn’t hideous.” He scoffs, arms crossed over his chest. “Yuuji has horrible taste, let’s get you something nice.” He makes his way to the kitchen, leaving you and Yuuji alone in his room.  

You turn, placing your hand on your hip. “No, my outfit would be ruined if I wore a jacket.” You pass Yuuji a quick smile and thumbs up, which is quickly returned by an equally enthusiastic Yuuji. “And I like what Yuuji gave me, it’s cute.” You follow after Sukuna. 

“That shit is ugly.” Sukuna grabs his keys. “If your ass starts freezing, I’m just going to point and laugh at you.” 

You roll your eyes, “Why am I choosing to leave with you?” Your heels click as you follow Sukuna into his car.  

“Don’t know.” Sukuna smiles, opening the door for you. “Maybe you’re obsessed with me, or something.” He places his hand atop your head, patting it a few times. You sit in his car, not bothering to respond. 

—-

Sukuna parks his car, with a soft beep, before reaching for the door. The car ride here was mostly silent, other than you asking some simple questions about where he’s taking you, and if he genuinely plans on murdering you today. Sukuna’s silence is normal, you’re used to it, but after you saw how Yuuji got under his skin, you sincerely think he might murder you today. 

“We’re here.” He adds, before shutting the door behind him. You immediately go to open your door, but Sukuna locks the car with you inside, making your attempts feeble. You groan with annoyance, tilting your head to look at him through the window. 

“Unlock the car.” You mumble. 

Sukuna cups the back of his ear, smirking. You can see, and hear, him mouth, “What?” 

You lean back in the car, and really contemplate; Is this the guy you like? Someone who is a little shit, and does everything in their power to get under your skin. You giggle to yourself, nodding your head. Hell yeah. You flash him an obvious fake smile, and clasp your hands together, “Please, open the door.” 

Sukuna unlocks the car, opening the door for you, and you don’t know if he was being nice to you, or if he was genuinely trying to get under your skin. “Mh. Love when you say that.” He grabs your hand, and yanks you out of the car, slamming you against his body. “Oops, forget how clumsy you are sometimes.” 

You shake your head, “And I forget how fuckin’ stupid you are sometimes.” You hear him shut the door behind you, locking the car again. “Why can’t you be a normal boyfriend, and just open the door for me like a gentleman?” 

“So, I’m your boyfriend now?” 

You feel your face flush, pushing Sukuna away from you, “Uh–I… that’s not what I meant.” You move forward, pushing your hair behind your shoulder, “I was just being hypothetical.” You huff. 

Sukuna rolls his eyes with a knowing smirk, “Sure, doll.” 

You cross your arms over your shoulders, small goosebumps erupting over your skin. “Ugh. I hate that nickname.” You immediately notice you’re in the parking lot of a mall. The biggest one in the city. You’ve only been here a few times, considering you’re more of a shopper, rather than window shopping person.  

Sukuna walks right behind you, hand on the small of your back. “I hate you call me ‘Kuna.” He grimaces a bit, “That shit is so stupid.” 

“That nickname isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.” You pause, letting him come to your side and looping your arms over his right one. Sukuna doesn’t even flinch, nor does he pull away, if anything, he moves his arm to allow you to grab it better. You cling onto his warmth, “I think knowing that you hate it, make me like it even more.” 

“I feel like the only reason you were born was to annoy me.” He pushes open the doors to the mall, and the bubbling sound of various conversations and mall music floods your ears. The smell of food and sweets entering your senses.

You wrinkle your nose, “Don’t say that. It makes it seem like we’re soulmates, or born for each other.” You shake your head, turning your head away from Sukuna so he can’t see the smile on your lips. “Gross. Imagine?” 

“Fuck you, too.”

You giggle, squinting, as the sun from the skylight beams in your eyes. “You know, I’ve been wondering, why don’t you have a girlfriend?” You think of the blonde girl for a second, she makes you scowl. “Or, are you more into the casual hookups.” 

Sukuna places his sunglasses over your eyes, they’re a bit big on you, but look nice nonetheless. “Relationships are… not for me.” He clicks his tongue, “I already told you about my last relationship, and it was…” 

“Bad?” You push your hair from your face, making sure it looks good with the new added accessory. “But, wasn’t that back in highschool? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to give relationships a go since it’s your last year in college?” You laugh to yourself, “Unless you’re planning to die alone.” 

Sukuna pinches your nose, “No, dumbass.” He naturally looks at the way you’re holding him, close and comfortable. “I just—I don’t think I was ready for a relationship. I had shit going on, the things I told you.” 

“That’s oddly mature of you, ‘Kuna.” You let your head rest on his arm, “So, in other words, you were the problem?” 

“I’m never the fuckin’ problem.” Sukuna laughs to himself, more cockily than anything. “But, enough about me. Tell me about you, virgin. Any middle school relationships?” 

You narrow your eyes at him, “You keep calling me a virgin, and I will literally leave.” 

“Sure.” 

You look up, trying to think. “I mean, I had a crazy ex, but it didn’t last that long.” 

Sukuna snickers to himself, ”I think you were the crazy one.” 

“Oh yeah, I definitely was.” You shrug, “But, that’s a given.” You almost fall when Sukuna abruptly tugs you into a store, your heels clicking frantically behind him. “Sukuna! I’m in heels, you can’t pull me around like that.” You whine, but it doesn’t last when you look around the store. Observing the products for sale. Clothing, shoes, jewelry, and bags. 

You blink a few times, trying to identify the clothing store by the layout, but find yourself coming out flat. Although, Sukuna seems to be more familiar with the layout, keeping you close to him as he leads you to the back of the store without a word. You notice the glass case, velvet decorators holding shining jewelry.  

You push the sunglasses up to the crow of your head, “Wait, you weren’t joking about the—“ 

“Of course not.” Sukuna stops, pushing you in front of him, “I hate that you’re wearing somethin’ another man gave you.” 

“That ‘other man’ is your brother, Sukuna.” Your eyes are trained on various necklaces, rings, and earrings, sparkling like diamonds–they are diamonds–in the light. “You shouldn’t think that way about your brother.” You lightly scold, but you don’t really mean it. 

“Pick something.” Sukuna doesn’t bother to respond, “Anything you like, I’ll get it for you.” 

You blink a few times, you don’t believe him. “You’re joking.” 

“Do you want me to be?” Sukuna’s on his phone, doing god knows what. “Anything. And make sure you hurry up, before I change my mind.” 

A lady dressed in a pencil skirt, and a white collared shirt makes her way to you, smiling kindly. “Is there anything you have in mind? Or, are we just browsing?” Her hair is pulled in a tight low bun, her bright blue eyes decorated with some cat-like glasses. 

“She’s looking for somethin’ nice.” Sukuna says, phone pressed to his ear. “Anything you think would suit her?” 

This feels so overwhelming, Sukuna’s buying you something, he’s actually going to buy you something. Is this why Yuuji was pointing out the necklace, did he know this was going to happen? “Uh…” You thickly swallow, pushing your hair behind your ear. “Uh—“ 

The lady nods her head, almost ignoring you. “Come here, child. I think I have something that will match your skin perfectly.” She starts walking to the right of the display, leading you to more bubbling jewelry. “Do the two of you have a price range by chance?”

You immediately open your mouth, wanting to say something along the lines of ‘anything cheap,’ but Sukuna places his hands over your ears, his phone snuggling held between his ear and shoulder. Sukuna says something to the lady, but it’s muffled and quick, and it’s returned with an enthusiastic head nod. He lets go of you, he bends down, his mouth near your ear as he whispers, “Pick out anything you like.” He takes a step back, patting your head, and speaking to the person on the phone.

You hesitate, but move close to the display, eyeing the array of colorful diamonds. You glance over your shoulder, eyeing Sukuna, before looking at the lady again. You lean in close, whispering, “What did he say?“

The woman glances at Sukuna, before reaching down and pulling out a rack of necklaces, along with matching earrings. “Which one do you like?” She grabs one of the necklaces, it’s simple, a silver chain, but the diamond is stunning. Wrapped in silver lining, and lined with smaller diamonds. “We also have some matching earrings, if you want to take a look at them.” 

You laugh nervously, toying with the ends of your frilly dress. ”Oh, but that seems like a lot of money.” You glance at the matching earrings, “But, they are pretty. Maybe not for me, though…” 

“Oh, sweetie, everything that’s covered in diamonds is made for women. The more the better.” She waves off with a playful smile, “I’m sure your fiance wouldn’t mind showering you in them, either.” 

You feel your eyes widen, taking a small step back, “Oh, we’re not–” 

“Of course not.” Sukuna pinches a strand of your hair, twisting the strand around his finger. “Anything for the wife, right?” The woman nods enthusiastically again. 

You want to pass Sukuna an uncertain glance, but are unable to find the opportunity when the woman reveals a beautiful bracelet. One that calls to you far more than it should. “That one is… nice.” 

You love it. 

The woman nods, “That’s wonderful, do you want to see the matching set that comes with it?” She reaches down in the display again, revealing the matching jewelry. She holds it close to your skin, the necklace gleaming with little to no light. “I think it fits with you perfectly, maybe a nice set of nails to match?” She turns to Sukuna for his opinion. 

You turn to look at him too, not for his opinion, but to gauge why she was asking for his opinion when you’re going to be the one wearing it. But, you're quickly shocked to see he’s already looking at you, “Well? What do you think?” 

Your lips part, blinking your long lashes at him in a bit of shock. “I…” You look back at the jewelry near your skin. It’s lovely, it really is, but do you deserve to have it? How expensive is it? You look at Sukuna again, softly saying, “I really like it.” 

Sukuna nods, placing his hand on your head. “We’ll take the set.” 

The lady nods, collecting the things and placing them on a velvet tray. You feel bad, velvet alone means expensive. “Can I get a name?” 

Your name leaves Sukuna lips with ease, and you can’t help but adore the way it sounds on his tongue. It feels a bit intimate, despite it being something as simple as your name, but hearing him say it… feels good. 

You really like it. 

You watch as she moves to the register, whispering, “Are you sure?”

Sukuna tilts his head to the side, narrowing his eyes to the side. “Yeah? What? Do you not think I can afford it?” He leans down, getting close in your face to whisper, “Do you really think I’m that poor?”

You huff, a small laugh leaving your lips. “Oh yeah, definitely.” You cross your arms over your chest sassily, “I’m scared my mere existence is too expensive to you.” You wave off. 

Sukuna feels his eye twitch. “Oh really?” 

You smile, nodding your head innocently, “Mhm.” You hum. 

“Pick out somethin’ else.” Sukuna says, pushing you towards the clothing rack. “Anything.”

You almost trip over your footing again, the extra dangles of jewels connected to your heels jangling. “Stop with the pushing!” You whine, grabbing onto his wrist to stable yourself. 

“If you fall, I’m going to laugh.” Sukuna mumbles behind you.

“Ah, yes, I’m so lucky to have you.” You whisper, but you turn your attention to the clothing racks. Dresses, and other articles of clothing decorating the hangers and shelves. 

A dress catches your attention, and you instantly reach for the price tag, trying to check the price. Sukuna is quick to grab your wrist, stopping you from looking at the price. He grabs the dress, holding it to your body. Seeing if it would fit you. 

“Don’t look at the price.” He tells you nonchalantly,  placing the dress on his forearm. He turns on his heel, walking towards the changing rooms, “Lets go try this on.” 

You hesitate to follow, glancing at the other dresses and being tempted to check the price, but Sukuna’s words repeat in your head. It’s a choice you make, not at all influenced by Sukuna’s orders, but you decide not to check the price. 

“Hurry your slow ass up.” 

“I’m going slower just because you said that.” 

— 

The dressing room is small, but one of the nicest you’ve ever been in. The mirror is framed by bright LED lights, and the bench is covered in soft leather. The rack holds your empty hanger, the dress sticking to your body. 

You glance at yourself in the mirror, struggling to zip up the dress up your back. A small, but frustrated, sigh leaving your glossy lips. “I hate zippers.” You let your hands drop down to your sides, sitting on the seat. 

Sukuna knocks on the door, “You finished in there?” He places his forehead on the door, “You’re taking to fuckin’ long. Hurry your–” 

You open the door abruptly, making Sukuna’s head meet straight with yours. You flinch, but immediately add, “I can’t zip it up.” You take a few steps back, a silent invitation for Sukuna to enter. “Can you help me?” 

Sukuna scoffs, but you can see him trying to hide a smile. “Looks like you can’t do anything without me.” He steps inside, the door closing and locking automatically behind him. “What a lost baby you are.” He coos. 

You roll your eyes, ignoring how your stomach flutters with his condescending tone. You must be going crazy, liking the way he talks to you? Yeah, you must be going crazy. “Just help me out, ‘Kuna.” You turn your back to him. 

“Yeah.” Sukuna places his hand on your lower back, pinching the zipper to your dress. He thinks it’s cute, a small heart pendant that matches your skin perfectly. “This looks nice on you.” His mouth is near your ear, and you feel the dress tighten around your chest. 

“You haven’t even looked at it.” You mumble back, placing a hand over your chest, “And, it’s like really tight on my chest.” You giggle, “I don’t think it fits.” 

Sukuna looks at you over your shoulder, glancing at your reflection. “Looks good.” He murmurs, eyes drinking up how wonderful you look in your dress. “I like when things are off the shoulder… easy access.” He runs his lips over your shoulder, pressing kisses against your skin. 

You shake your head, naturally leaning into Sukuna. “Can you…” You thickly swallow, a slow exhale leaving your lips, “Like not, for one second.” You feel your lashes flutter, “We’re in–” 

“Public.” Sukuna finishes for you, “But, isn’t that what makes it fun? Knowing that we can get caught?” He lets his hands travel down your body, “Five minutes.” He presses another kiss into your shoulder, “Give me five minutes.” His tone is… desperate, almost begging in a way. 

It makes your mind a bit hazy, turning to look at him. “One minute.” Your hands are on his shoulders, stabilizing yourself. 

Sukuna kisses your forehead, smiling as he mumbles, “Three minutes.” 

You narrow your eyes, tilting your head back and gritting out, “Thirty seconds.”

Sukuna obnoxiously sighs, slouching into himself, “Fine, one minute.” You giggle, lifting yourself on your tippy-toes and pressing your lips to his. Sukuna grabs your chin, pulling on your bottom lips to slide his tongue in your mouth, adoring the way your hands tighten around his shoulder. 

You pull back, looking past his body. Sukuna naturally leans close again to kiss you, but you press your lips together. “I feel like we’re being loud.” You whisper, your face feeling hot. “Can you like… not–” 

“Kiss you that loud?” Sukuna snorts, but that laugh is cut short when your palm presses over his mouth. 

“Shh!” You shake your head, a small but embarrassed smile on your lips. “People are going to hear us.” You whisper, moving your hand from his mouth to the collar of his shirt. “Mostly you. I swear…” 

“I’d fuck you here if you’d let me.” Sukuna says, his eyes half-lidded. “I’d do so much shit for you if you’d let me.” He kisses you again, and with his desire filled words, along with his skilled hands, you give in. Not bothered that someone can hear the sloppy kiss ensuing between the two of you. 

Sukuna’s hands moving to your ass, then to the back of the dress. Unzipping it from your body and pulling it down your frame, the fabric pooling at your feet. You feel yourself gasp, eyes widening with realization. Holy shit, wait, you’re wearing–

Sukuna breaks away from you, and you’re tempted to press your hand over his eyes, but you keep them firmly on his shoulder. Diverting your eyes as he bluntly eyes your body, the way your lacy underwear hugs your hips, and your bra digs into your soft tits. 

“Fuck.” Sukuna instantly kisses you again, grabbing your waist and pulling you alongside him, plopping you on top of his lap as he sits on the seat. “You’re so fuckin’ sexy.” He mumbles against your lips. 

You giggle, moving your hands to pull at the straps of your bra. “Mhm? You like it?” You run your tongue over his bottom lip, pulling it between your teeth and softly sucking on it.

“Fuck yeah.” Sukuna pushing his hips into your pussy, “Don’t you feel it? Don’t you feel what you do to me?” He drops his head, kissing your neck and softly sucking on your skin, not hard enough to leave a mark, but enough to make your body shiver. “Can I see ‘em?” He’s begging, his tone a bit more high pitched, and the tips of his ears red. 

His tone makes you dizzy, and you feel drunk of his words. You nod your head, your glossy bottom lip tucked between your teeth, and tug down the cups of your bra. Exposing your skin to Sukuna, and you can feel his dick twitch beneath you. 

You whimper. 

“Fuck yeah.” He groans, his hips twitching. “Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long.” He wraps his lips around your nipple, his tongue circling around your sensitive nerves. 

You slap your hand over your mouth, arching your back into Sukuna. He smirks, “What? You like it when I do this?” He whisper, his voice raspy and deep, “You like when you get me hard in public, wanting to fuck you so everyone in this fuckin’ store can hear how good I make you feel?” 

“Why can’t you ever shut up.” You mumble back, rolling your hips into his dick. Straining uncomfortable against his Sukunas, a very visible dick print in his pants. “I swear, you always–” 

“You wet?” He mumbles, running a long stipe from the bottom of your tit, to the top of your collar bone. “Your pussy a droolin’ mess right now, huh? Wet, and waiting to be stuffed with my fat cock?” 

You feel your hips twitch, and you don’t mean to, you really don’t, but you nod. You look at him with your bright shiny eyes, hand clutching his chest, while you lean over for a kiss, nodding your head without a true thought other than Sukuna. “Please, I want you so bad, ‘Kuna.” 

You can feel his cock twitching between your lips, thick and hard. You subtly suck on your bottom lip, it’s coated with Sukuna’s and your saliva. You thickly swallow, your pupils blown. You really just want him inside of you, you want to feel the head of his cock deep inside your throat, your tongue sliding around his girth. Or, his cock spliting you open and he rams his cock inside your pussy. 

Your bottom lip wiggles, “Can I–can I…” You whimper, I want to suck his dick. 

Sukuna feels his jaw tick, but before he can so much as skim his finger over your sensitive clit, someone knocks at the door. “Is everything fitting alright in there?” An associate. 

Yet, Sukuna isn’t even given the chance to respond when you push your lips against him, ensuing a messy kiss between the two of you. His eyes practically rolling with how desperate and aggressive you’re being from a few words. 

Fuck, you’re so… perfect. 

You finally pull away, a catty smirk on your lips as you whisper against his lips, “I don’t like the dress.” You pick up your original dress, slipping it over your body. Sukuna’s still looking at you, “And, I’m hungry, can we wrap this up?” 

Sukuna feels his eyes twitch–well, that’s not the only thing twitching–and scoffs at you. So, now you’re toying with him. Right. Sukuna takes a moment to regroup, before responding, “Yeah, we didn’t like the dress.” 

There’s still a smug smile on your lips as you giggle at his almost dumbfounded expression, you move it close, swiping your thumb over his bottom lip. “You have a little something here.” 

Sukuna bites the inside of his cheek, watching you turn away from him and slipping his hard erection into the waistband of his boxers. If you want to play that game, keep doing it. Fine, he’ll play along to this little game you’re seeming to pull. 

Sukuna has never considered himself a masochist, but being around you is starting to feel like torture. A small ich in the back of his head which he can never scratch unless you're touching him, or begging him to touch you. 

Maybe, just maybe, he likes you a bit more than he originally thought. Which… is saying something. 

— 

You reply to a text Nobara had sent you a while ago, ignoring the obvious way Sukuna seems… pent up, as he stands right next to you. You place your head on his shoulder, leaning your weight on him while your fingers tap diligently at your screen.

“Happy with yourself.” Sukuna mumbles underneath his breath. 

“Mhm.” You turn off your phone, tucking it into his front pocket. “Very proud, actually.” You play with his fingers, toying with the gold ring decorating his ring finger. “You have really nice hands, by the way..” You slightly add. 

Sukuna huffs, but it sounds more like a laugh rather than an annoyed sigh. He shakes his head as he turns away, “You’re so weird.” 

“It’s me flirting with you.”

Sukuna scratching the back of his neck while mumbling, “No wonder you’re single.” 

You slap his arm, “Heard that.” 

“Didn’t say anything.” 

“Mhm, sure.” You roll your eyes, following at Sukuna’s side as he moves to the cashier. And as much as you don’t want to, you’re looking at the monitor displaying the price of everything that is to be scanned. 

Sukuna notices. In fact, he knew you would be aware and looking at the price. 

The woman tilts her head with a smile, “Can I get a name?” Sukuna says your name again, which makes the woman dip her head under the counter, looking for your items. “Also, will you be using cash or credit with this purchase?”

“Credit.” Sukuna currently responds, but you can see him patting his pockets from the corner of your eye, his hand landing on your phone, and pulling it out. He curses underneath his breath, “Shit, I think I left my phone in the dressing room.” He raises his eyes to your face, placing a hand on your head, “Can you go grab it for me?” 

You pout, but nod your head nonetheless. 

Sukuna nods in approval, “That’s my girl.” He presses a kiss to the top of your head, “I’ll be waiting for you.” You hesitate to move, looking at the register, then back to the area of the dressing rooms. He taps your arm reassuringly, “C’mon, go grab it for me.” 

You feel your heart flutter, but don’t let him see it, muttering a small, “Fine.” Before making your way to the dressing room. You enter the room the two of you were in not even a few minutes ago, glancing over the area and looking for his phone. 

You can’t see it, which makes you huff in frustration. You’re rushing a bit, trying to see how much money Sukuna is wasting on you. Hopefully, you can actually pay him back a bit, maybe take him to an expensive dinner. 

You move to the seat, glancing at the crack between the wall and the soft velvet. It isn’t there. 

You drop to your knees, tilting your head to the side to see if it fell down on the floor. It isn’t there. 

You look at the seat again, resting on your knees. It isn’t there. 

You look around the room, seeing if it fell… anywhere else, but… it isn’t there. It isn’t here.

Did someone steal it? You furrow your eyebrows. Maybe, that’s how I can pay him back, by buying him a new phone. You probably need to get a job, again. 

You leave the room, but not before passing it a final glance, hoping his phone would magically appear in the middle of the room. Unfortunately, it doesn't, so you’re forced to leave empty handed. 

You’re thinking of ways to tell Sukuna he may need to return the things he just bought you in favor of a new phone, but your thoughts come to a halt. In fact, your whole body comes to a halt. 

Your heart drops into the hole that opened up below you. 

Just like Sukuna said, he’s waiting for you at the entrance. A small bag in his hands, stuffed with tissue paper, and his hand tucked into his pocket. But, standing next to him, is a blonde woman. 

She’s saying something to him, but you can’t hear it. It could be the distance between the three of you, or the soft music the store is playing. It could be both, but you shake it off, pushing yourself forward. 

She doesn’t scare you. Sukuna doesn’t even like her, he likes you, so you shouldn’t be worried or intimated. Sukuna starts saying something back to her, and much to your dismay, you only pick up on the last thing he tells her.

“–and you’re ugly, so.” Sukuna shrugs. 

That makes you abruptly laugh, pulling the attention of both of them to you. You blink a few times in embarrassment, before waving a kind hello at her. “Hey, I remember you.” You giggle sweetly, “You’re the crazy… ‘ex,’ right?” You add air quotes. 

Her eyes twitch, a promite scowl on her lips. “Oh, this tacky piece of–”

“Here.” Sukuna hands you the bag, “Don’t worry about her, she wouldn’t leave me alone.” You swear you can hear him mutter, ‘Annoyin’ ass bitch.’ Under his breath, before asking, “You ready to go eat?” 

You smile, nodding your head, not passing the girl a second glance. “Yeah, I’ve been starving.” You loop your arms around his, resting your head on him. “Good to know. I can’t believe she’s trying to get back with you.” You flash her a smile when he pulls you away, adding a sweet, “Such a pathetic attempt to use, too.” 

She’s dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond, but she doesn’t even get the chance to respond because the two of you are long gone. As much as Sukuna doesn’t want to talk about what happened, he knows you want to. 

You tilt your head at him, slightly pulling away from him in favor of curling your fingers around his hand. “What did she want?” 

“She wanted to hook up.” 

“Oh.” You look away from him, “Well, what did you say?” 

“Nothing that you wouldn’t be aware of.” He squeezes your hand, ignoring your confused look. “C’mon, use that pretty head. I’m sure you can figure out what that means.” 

You pout, not bothering to dwindle on it for too long. “I thought you’re the type to like to make me jealous? Why didn’t you do that this time?” 

Sukuna pinches your cheek, a bit hard. “You weren’t around.” 

You close one of your eyes, pulling away from his touch. “What does that mean?” You use your free hand to rub the cheek he pinched, muttering a small, “Ow.” 

“If you aren’t around to be jealous, then there isn’t any point to entertaining any other girl.” He rolls his eyes, scowling to himself. “Besides, she’s annoyin’ as hell.” Sukuna can feel your gaze on him, it’s cute, you look like you’re a bit flattered. 

Sukuna rolls his eyes, grabbing his sunglasses from the top of your head and flipping them down over your eyes. It’s a bit of a separation. Separating him from what? He doesn’t know what exactly. “Don’t let it get to your head.” 

You laugh to yourself, “Too late. Oh!” You tug on his hand, “I couldn’t find your phone, so… I think we may need to return what you bought me to get you a new one.” 

Sukuna raises an eyebrow, a bit confused, before closing his eyes and subtly laughing to himself. “No, I don’t need to do that.” He looks straight again, “I–uh, It ended up being in my pocket the whole time, so don’t worry.” 

“Oh.” You feel your eyes furrow, before opening your mouth again. 

“We have reservations at six thirty, which means we still have little over an hour to burn.” Sukuna doesn’t even let you respond, “Anything you have in mind?” 

“Not really.” You look around the mall, trying to think of something to take up time. Something that would take time, and isn’t necessary to spend money on. You come to a quick realization that nothing is possible without having to put down at least some form of payment. 

Bummer. Maybe, you can pay for a karaoke room, or some credits at an arcade… 

“Actually, I have an idea.” 

You take a few steps away from Sukuna in caution, much like a cat backing away from a barking dog. “I don’t think I’m excited.” 

Sukuna laughs, stuffing his hands into his pocket, “You shouldn’t be.” 

—

Over an hour later, and a fresh set of french tip nails, you’re sitting across Sukuna in another fancy restaurant. The booth you’re sitting at is on the second story, and has an amazing view of the people walking outside below. You can see some clouds crowding over the sky, and can’t help but wonder if it’s going to rain. 

You turn back to Sukuna, looking at your nails again. “I think I need to get my nails done more often.” You mumble, clearly admiring them with the bracelet and ring Sukuna bought you not too long ago. 

You didn’t even know the set came with a ring, but you’re not complaining. It’s gorgeous. Easily one of the most valuable things you now own. 

“D’you like it?” Sukuna asks nonchalantly, eyes also trained on your hands decorated with the fresh jewelry. 

“Mhm.” You lower your hand, grabbing your drink. “It’s nice, Sukuna, I really like it.” You take a sip, and add a quick, “Thank you.” Almost embarrassed to say it aloud. Sukuna leans back his chair, hands resting in his lap. He doesn’t respond, nor does he give any indication to hearing what you just said. That makes you even more embarrassed, “Hey, asshole, I said thank you.” You huff, “Can you say something back?... Please?” 

Sukuna tries to hide it, but you can see him fighting the start of a smile, “I heard you.” He grabs his drink, an alcoholic beverage of his choice, “I know you’re thankful, don’t need to tell me.” You pout, which makes him laugh, “Don’t hurt yourself, sweetheart, I know you can’t handle putting your ego aside.” 

“Oh, you’re one to talk.” You bite back, “Last time I checked, our biggest argument was over you refusing to–” 

“Don’t remind me.” Sukuna says, “Besides, I’m trying to mak–” He pauses, cutting himself off, before taking another sip of his drink.

You bite the side of your cheek, smiling to yourself. “Okay.” You play with your shoes, your feet toying with your heels. “Do you like my nails?” You flip them to him, it’s your third time asking this question, but you like his response. 

“I already told you what I think about your nails.” 

You flaunt your fingers, “I want to hear it again.” 

“Yes. They’re nice.” Sukuna grabs your hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of your palm. Your stomach flutters from it, it feels so… loving. A single act done between two lovers, and a part of you craves more of it. “I can get them for you more often, if you like them.” 

“It’s weird seeing you like this.” You softly say, pulling your hand back and resting it in your lap. “I feel like you’re going to poison my food, or something.” 

Sukuna rolls his eyes, jutting a thumb in a normal direction. “Yeah, let me just sneak into the kitchen.” 

You nod, an eager smile growing on your lips. “Let me come with you, maybe we can recreate the Lady Gaga music video from Telephone.” You point an accusing finger at Sukuna, “Wait, only if you let me be beyonce–no, I want to be Lady Gaga.” You look to the side, thinking again, “No, I’m a liar, Beyonce.” 

Sukuna snorts, resting his head on the palm of his hand. “You’re so weird.” He mumbles, before quickly correcting it to, “You’re so different.” 

You feel your expression fall, eyes narrowed at him. “Wow. Thanks.” 

“I’m not insulting you.” He takes his drink in his hand, swirling the liquid in the cup. “Just… stating an observation.” His full attention is on you, and it feels a bit overwhelming. 

You laugh, feeling a bit tense, and joking, “Is that why you like me?” 

“I don’t…” Sukuna pauses, diverting his eyes from you, before looking away, “Nevermind.” He mumbles into his palm, “I’m just saying it’s… I don’t know, relaxing? Doesn't feel like you’re being fake.” 

“Why would I be?” You tilt your head to the side, “I mean, sure, I wasn’t your biggest fan when we first met, but I didn’t… completely hate you.” You lean forward, supporting your head with the back of your hand underneath your chin. “It was like, seventy-six percent.” You’re smiling. 

Sukuna laughs a little bit, “I didn’t completely hate you either.” He pretends to think, “It was… ninety seven percent.” 

“I’m changing my answer. It was ninety-nine percent.” You shake your head, “But, uhm, yeah. I don’t know, you were annoying, but I always sort of… liked you, in a weird way.”

Sukuna gives you a boyish look, “Yeah?” 

You look at him, a soft expression on your face. Content. “Yeah.” You play with your bracelet, running the tip of your fingers over the gems. “Is this your way of calling me special?” 

“Not at all.” Sukuna watches as your eyebrows furrow, you’re always so expressive. “I’m insulting you, actually.” 

“Such a lover boy.” You sarcastically add, but your attention is drawn away from him when your phone vibrates. You’re tempted to look at it, but you know it’s rude to–

“The blonde girl texted me.” Sukuna softly says, a very clear bothered expression on his face. “I can’t believe she got another number.” 

You furrow your eyebrows, glaring at him. “You know, it’s considered rude when you’re on your phone during a date, ‘Kuna.” You’re tempted to snatch the phone away from him. You don’t know if it’s because you’re jealous, or upset he’s on his phone during your dat…

You feel the color from your face drain. Wait. You didn’t say that. You didn’t just say that to Sukuna’s face. You pull your bottom lip between your teeth, searching for Sukuna’s expression. But, there’s nothing, not any form of emotion or indication to disagreement–or agreement–to what you just said. 

“Yeah, but I’m not actually on it.” Sukuna says, “I’m just checking a notification.” 

Is he… agreeing with you? Does this mean that this really is a date? Telling Nobara and Yuuj is one thing. But, having Sukuna blatantly agree with you, is a completely different thing. 

You cross one foot over the other, trying to look at his screen, but he puts his phone face down on the table. “What did she say?” 

Sukuna slides his phone to you, “Check.” 

You nod, grabbing the phone and pulling it into your lap. “You know, I thought you would be more secretive with your phone.” You flip it right side up, clicking the unopened text message, quickly putting in Sukuna’s password which you happened to remember. 

“Nah. I don’t really have anything on my phone I would want to hide.” Sukuna leans his head back, “Well, nothing from you at least. Maybe from Uraume or Yuu, though.” 

“I thought Uraume knew everything about you.” You open the message, cringing at the abrasive text about you. 

“They do.” Sukuna nods to himself, “They know how I like my food, and what happened when I was younger, but that’s… all.” 

“Hm.” You turn off the phone again, “Apparently I’m a… ‘selfish bitch,’ who… ‘can’t keep my hands off what doesn’t belong to me.’” You scoff, “Are you cheating on me, ‘Kuna? Or, did I really snatch you away from this girl?” 

Sukuna shakes his head, “Gross. Don’t even fuckin’ joke about that.” He sighs, rubbing his temples. “I can’t believe I let her over.” 

You furrow your eyebrows in thought, wait a minute… “Wait, what’s her name?” You laugh to yourself, feeling almost a tiny bit bad. “I just realized, this whole time I’ve known her, I don’t even know her name.” 

“She knows your name.” Sukuna says without a thought, “She wouldn’t stop talking about you when she was over for a project.” You hear him mumble, “It’s actually sad how obsessed she is with you.” 

“Maybe, I should go date her then.” You joke, taking a sip of your drink. “It honestly seems that she likes me more than you do.” 

“You think so?” 

“You just said she’s obsessed with me.” You mutter, twirling your straw. “I need the person who likes me, to be absolutely obsessed with me, ‘Kuna. They shouldn’t be able to function without me.” 

Sukuna gives you a half smile, “Yeah?” 

“If you like me, why aren’t you obsessed with me?” You tear your gaze away from Sukuna when your waiter comes to your side with your food, sliding a plate of your favorite steak. 

“Maybe, I am.” 

You snap your head up, “Wait, what did you say?” 

Sukuna shakes his head, passing you a confused look. “Nothing.” He silently thanks the waiter with a head nod, “What did you say?” 

You roll your eyes, “I hate–” Sukuna raises his eyebrows. “Ugh, nevermind.” You wave it off, “But, seriously, what’s her name?” You pick up your fork and knife, “I just realized I’ve been beefing with a girl I don’t even know the name of.” 

Sukuna parts his lips, but then looks to the side, scratching his chin in thought. “Actually…” He hides a smile, cutting a piece of steak and placing it in his mouth. “I don’t… know.” 

“You slept with someone you don’t even know the name of?” You gawk, cutting into your meat in a similar manner. “Jesus, Sukuna, I didn’t think of you like that.” You tease. 

“I’m sure I did when… ugh…” He shakes his head in disgust, “I can’t remember it.” He shrugs, “Who cares. She’s the past.” 

You hum thoughtfully, “What’s my name?” 

Sukuna doesn't even look at you when your name leaves his mouth, quick and without a second thought. In fact, it comes so naturally to him, he doesn’t even stop from cutting into his food. “Why?” 

Knowing that he knows your name, and can’t even remember the other girl… That makes you feel good. There’s a subtle smile growing on your lips, and Sukuna notices it. 

You take a fry from his plate, “Tell me more about you, ‘Kuna.” You scoot closer to him, 

“You know more about me then I know about you.” He leans back, “Why don’t you tell me somethin’ about you instead.” 

You raise an eyebrow, “I thought I talked too much?” 

Sukuna laughs, and it’s genuine. “You do.” 

“Hypocrite.” You point at him with your fork, “You’re setting me up for failure here.” 

“I don’t mind you talking.” Sukuna says, “You just… never stop talking.” 

“You’re making me insecure.” You look at your food, “You’re supposed to not make me insecure.” 

Sukuna tilts his head, “I thought I was obsessed with you?” 

“…You are.” Your voice waivers. 

“Then, don’t get in your head.” Sukuna shrugs. 

You don’t say anything for a moment, before slowly saying, “I still think you’re setting me up for failure.” You shake your head, “No, delusion is the better word here.” And you’re not even talking to Nobara, someone who agrees with you no matter how crazy. 

“You are delusional.” 

I’m very delusional, but you don’t tell Sukuna that. “You know, for agreeing with me all the time, you’re never right.” You sigh, pushing your hair out of your face. “But, what do you want to know about me?” 

“Why’d you put up with me for so long?” Sukuna says underneath his breath, but quickly adds, “Why did you decide to become president of the ASL club? You’re not–completely–deaf.”

“Not everyone who learns ASL is deaf, ‘Kuna. I’m sure you saying that has to be some sort of… I don’t know, hate crime or something.” You laugh to yourself, ignoring Sukuna’s eye roll, before continuing, “Uh, but, I started learning about it because of my mom.” You push a vegetable on your plate with your fork. 

Sukuna nods his head, “You’re also learning about Kinesiology because of your family, right? Tryin’ to become a physical therapist.” 

You almost forget why, and how Sukuna knows that, but your mind travels to the dinner you shared with his grandpa. “Yes.” You play with your bracelet, “I mean, what I told you grandpa was true, somewhat.” 

“Somewhat?” 

“I didn’t tell him… everything.” You pop the base of your heel off your foot, “Sorry…” 

Sukuna shrugs, “Don’t apologize, that shit gets annoying. Not everything is somethin’ you need to apologize for.” He rolls his eyes, “In fact, my old man should be apologizing, tryin’ to get up in your personal life. So annoying.” 

You shake your head, “Well, uh… I want to become a physical therapist because of my mom.” The restaurant feels silent, the only thing you can hear is your mom’s voice in the back of your head. “I've wanted to become one since middle school.”

Sukuna doesn’t say anything for a minute, which you appreciate. He’s giving you time to regroup. “You don’t like talking about your family.” Sukuna’s full attention is on you, “Did something happen between you?” 

“No.” You bit the corner of your lip, eyes fluttering slightly. “I… love my family, more than anything.” You don’t know how you feel about Sukuna asking you so many questions, but… knowing that he wants to get to you, makes you feel a pocket-size amount of happiness. 

Sukuna grabs the vegetable from your plate, and pops it into his mouth. “Why didn’t you move in with them?” 

You’re sure the question isn’t meant to be mean, so you don’t let it get to you. “They live in a different state. So, it would be a bit impossible.” You laugh, “I actually visited them the week before I moved in with you.” 

Sukuna nods, “Yeah? How’d that go?” 

“I–” You squeeze into yourself, “Did I ever tell you why I started learning ASL?” 

“I’m assuming it's also the same reason you’re becoming a physical therapist.” 

You laugh, nodding your head. “Yeah. My… uh, my mom has been struggling…” You take a deep breath, “I feel bad, I feel like telling you this is going to ruin the mood.” 

“Probably.”

“You’re not helping!” You turn away, but fight off a smile. You sigh, before looking at your food, “Well, uh, I’ve wanted to become one since middle school, since that’s when my mother first started… uhm, experiencing seizures.” 

Sukuna seems taken aback by this, his eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly. “Really?” He takes a sip of his drink, “Do you know the reason?” His tone is… different. It’s more distinguishable than it’s ever been before. No–that’s a lie. It sounds exactly how he did when telling you about his past. He sounds…vulnerable. 

“Uh, we don’t know exactly, but we think it may be some form of epilepsy.” You smile to yourself, and it’s a way to comfort the twisting feeling in your stomach. “I was–I was home the first time it happened, back in middle school.” You reach over and steal another fry from his plate. “I didn’t know what to do when it happened.” 

“I’m sure no one would at your age.” He places another fry on your plate, “Sounds terrifying.” 

You nod your head meekly, “Yeah, it was.” You thickly swallow, “But, uhm… I’m fine–it’s fine now.” You tap your foot on the ground, “Well, I mean, she still deals with seizures, but it’s way less frequent.” You awkwardly laugh to yourself, “I—they’re still scary, and rare, but I know how to handle them as an adult.” Even if you need to come home for a short amount of time to make sure, without a questionable doubt, your mom is indeed okay, and not going to leave you forever. 

“I couldn’t imagine.” Sukuna says, his features soft. 

“Yeah, uhm, but…” You push your hair out of your face, shaking your head slightly. “My dad was home that day, thank god, and ended up taking her to the hospital. I couldn’t come, but waiting in the house for them to come back… honestly I wish he would’ve just taken me with him.” You half smile, “It was horrible.” 

You can remember the thoughts rushing through your head like the event happened yesterday. How much you blame yourself, and how mad you were for not doing anything, even though there was nothing you could do. You thought that your mother would abandon you for not helping, or disown you for standing a few feet away from her with tears streaming down your cheeks. Not only that, but you thought she was never going to come back from the hospital. You thought that was going to be the last time you saw her. 

You press your lips together, feeling them wiggle ever so slightly. 

“She came back.” There’s something somber in Sukuna’s tone, but you wouldn’t be able to pick it up with any form of expression on his face. Part of you wonders if it hurts Sukuna to hear you talk about your family, or anything related to closeness. 

“Yeah.” You nod softly, “She came back.” 

Sukuna lets out a breath. 

“But, she was different.” You move your hand to your face, cupping your jaw delicately. “She looked different. She wasn't my mom. Or, so I originally thought.” You thickly swallow, hand still rubbing your face. “I grew up with a mom who would quirk her face in the most interesting way to the littlest things. Her smile–god…” You smile to yourself, “Her smile could light up a room, Sukuna, I adored it more than anything.” 

“You’re like that.” Sukuna says without a thought, “It’s really funny. You’re very expressive.” He rests his head on the back of his hand, “I’m sure you took that from your mother.” 

You beam, “Thanks.” You push your meat around on your plate, “But, in my younger twelve year old mind, I thought she was a different person. She wasn’t… mom.” You gesture your hand to your face, “She couldn’t–she couldn’t move her face, and it seemed… heavy.” You narrow your eyes, “It weighed down.” 

Sukuna nods. 

“Turns out the seizure ended up paralyzing her face.” You place your weight on your side, “She couldn’t really move anymore–I mean, obviously, but… it was weird, you know? Seeing someone so expressive not be able to move their face?” 

Sukuna can imagine that. He experienced it with his brother, after their argument. He went from a bubbling boy, to someone who couldn't so much as crack a polite smile. “Yeah, I understand.” 

“Not only that, but she couldn’t talk anymore. I mean–she could, but it wasn’t the same. It was hard, and… muffled. It was painful.” You play with the ends of your hair, “So, my dad would always put aside some time to massage her temples, jaw, anything that was uncomfortable.” You nod to yourself, “And, like I said, she could talk, but she was… she wasn’t comfortable talking.” You’re mom only expressed her embarrassment to speak due to her paralysis when you were in highschool, and it broke your heart. 

It’s your mom. 

“So, she wanted to learn a different way to communicate with people. One that didn’t, you know…” You point at your lips, “Involve mouths. So, that was my introduction into ASL.” You look outside, watching people pass you by. “I mean, it’s fascinating, no? A universal way of communicating.” 

“You work with children that are deaf, too.” Sukuna says, trying to learn more information. 

“Oh, absolutely.” You beam, “I love children, and while I’m thankfully my mom isn’t deaf, many people are. So, if I already knew the language, why not honor it in some way of giving back to the community.” You look away, a bit sheepishly, “It sounds like I’m boasting, but I’m not… I’m just… incredibly thankful. I want to… pay my respects, I guess.” 

Sukuna doesn’t take his eyes off you, if anything, from a stranger's perspective, it would look as if he’s admiring you right now. “Why’s that?” 

“Well, like I said, my mom seemed different, but she wasn’t.” You move your hands to the seat, “She’s always been the same person, but she found a different way to be expressive. A different way to be herself.” You move your hands to hug yourself, a content expression on your face. “She found a different way to love me. Even if it was silent.” 

“You’re…” He looks to the side, “You’re a good person, you’re better than me.” He places his utensils down. You didn’t even notice he finished his food, shit, you should really hurry up and finish yours now. “It’s admirable. No wonder you and Yuuji get along so well.” 

“I love Yuuji.” You mutter with fondness, “But, yeah, that’s why I wanted to help teach people how to speak in a universal way. So, everyone can communicate and express themselves. No matter what their language, or situation is.” You laugh to yourself, making a mouth with your hand, “Sometimes, words are some of the hardest things to express, you know?” 

Sukuna sighs, nodding his head with exasperation, “Oh, I know.” He lightly kicks you under the table, it doesn’t hurt, but it’s clear he’s messing with you. “I mean, that’s why you were mad at me for a week. Just because you couldn’t say you had a thing for me.” 

“I didn’t—“ You huff, taking a final bite of your food, and pushing your plate away. “I think you’re going crazy, absolutely insane.” You shake your head, “But, yeah, that’s the “tragic” story behind my life. I’m not too mentally unstable.”

Sukuna nods, “I’m sure.” He looks to the side for a moment, “But, I’m… It’s good to know more about you now.” He doesn’t know how to phrase what he wants to say, but from the humble look on your face, he’s thankful you understand.  

You lean back, patting your stomach, “But, I’m full.” You mumble, melting into your seat. “I’m dying to take a nap, or walk around or something.” Your eyes widen with excitement, “Oh my god, what if we went to a trampoline park? I can do some amazing flips.” You boast.

“I’ll get the check.” Sukuna looks to the side, peering past the seat of your side of the booth. “Should I take some dessert to go? Maybe you’ll get hungry after all the jumping.” 

You immediately want to say yes, but you already don’t feel good with how much money he’s spending on you, so you say, “It’s okay, I’m already full.” You stretch dramatically, “I think I’ll be good to be honest, if anything I can just buy some snacks from a convenience store or something.” 

“If that’s what you want.” Sukuna dismisses, trying to ignore the voice barking in the back of his head who noticed you eyeing the cookie cake. 

You nod, also looking to the side to see if you could spot a server, and when you do, an idea pops into the back of your head. Not only that, but you also pop your heel off your right foot. “Oh.” You point behind Sukuna, “I see our waiter, want me to flag him over?” 

“No. It’s fine.” Sukuna turns over his shoulder, making clear eye contact with the male. You take this time to scoot closer to the table, lifting your foot. You can’t help but smile at the waiter when he comes over, batting your eyelashes innocently at him. 

Sukuna thinks it’s a bit odd, but doesn’t dwindle on it for too long. “Uh, we’re ready for…” He pauses for a second, before, “Actually, I was hoping if we could take the cookie cake to go?” 

A part of you now feels bad for what you’re about to do, but you’re already dedicated to the bit, and can’t back down now. Sorry Sukuna. 

The waiter nods, “Of course, I can add that to your bill here.” 

Sukuna nods, “Yeah, that would be–” He stills, almost stumbling over his words, but he catches himself. His eyes landed on you, before nodding his head, “Uh, yes, please do that.” You slide your foot further up his leg, resting it comfortably on his knee. 

The waiter nods again, this time a beaming smile on his lips. “Of course.” He points in the direction of the kitchen, “Do you also want me to get you a to-go box? Pack everything you didn’t finish?” 

Sukuna thickly swallows, feeling the pressure slowly trail up into his inner thigh. Before resting right over his crotch, applying an amount of pressure that accidentally makes his eye flutter. He shakes his head, “No, we’re–we finished everything, it’s okay.” He lowers his hand, gripping your ankle with a fair amount of pressure. “Get the check.” 

The waiter seems a bit put off by Sukuna’s abruptness, but doesn’t dwindle on it for too long. He merely nods again, “I’ll go get your cake, and the check.” Then, he’s off again, leaving you and Sukuna alone in the booth. 

Sukuna’s glaring at you, and you’re trying to hide a smile. You finally look at him, batting your eyelashes innocently, “What? Is somethin’ wrong?” You wiggle your foot in his grasp, his finger ever so slightly slipping underneath your sock. 

“I’ll kill you.” Sukuna says, “No, that’s a lie.” He lets his other hand trail over your calf, running the tips of his fingers over your shin. “If you want to play dirty, I’ll make it filthy.” He lets his fingers trail further down your leg, and goosebumps emerge from your skin. 

It feels good.

You thickly swallow, subconsciously scooting closer to the table in an attempt to get Sukuna to touch more of you. “Really?” You hum, fluttering your lashes at him, and Sukuna must be a saint from how much self control he has. “I think I play nice for you, ‘Kuna.” 

Sukuna feels his fingers twitch around you, along with something else not too far away from that. If it were up to him–if you would let him–he would fuck you right here on the table. “Yeah.” He whispers, leaning closer to the table and adding, “You want me to fuck you here? Make your little clit all red and sensitive? Nothin' but sweet thoughts about how good I’m making you feel?” 

You hate–love–what his words do to you. “Maybe…” You mumble, eyes almost rolling at that thought of Sukuna–

“Too bad.” Sukuna quickly pulls your foot, making you almost fall underneath the table. Your forearms resting on the seat, while your lower body completely under the wood, your foot and calf now perfectly resting in his lap. 

Which, consequently, is exactly when your waiter decided to come back with the cookie cake and the bill. You make eye contact with him, your body below the chest hidden by the table. You pass him an awkward smile, trying to pull yourself back up, but due to Sukuna’s firm gaps, you’re positively stuck. 

The waiter places the bill on the table, along with the cutely packaged cookie cake. “Uh, are you–uh, are you okay?” He tilts his head, “Should I call for–” 

“She’s fine.” Sukuna takes the bill with his free hand, “This is actually an intervention, and she’s just relapsing.” 

Your jaw drops, but you quickly rebut with, “Says the one who was shooting cocaine off my ass before we entered!” You turn to the waiter, “You should’ve seen it, it was a long line, too.”

Sukuna’s smiling, shaking his head while handing the server a hearty amount of money. “Keep the change.” He pushes your foot off him, sliding off the booth. 

You giggle, shimming your foot into your heel and quickly following after him, but not before adding, “You might want to wash those.” You pass the waiter a playful wink, before grabbing onto Sukuna’s arm. You can hear Sukuna laughing besides you, pushing the door open for the two of you. “I hope you tipped him well.” You shiver from the cold air biting at your skin. 

“I did, don’t worry.” Sukuna shakes his head with a final smile, “Besides, I’m pretty sure those were my coke dollars.” 

You feel your eyes widen, “You’re joking.”

Sukuna pinches your nose, “Of course I am.” 

You let out a breath of relief, “I was about to say.” You glance back at the restaurant, “We might’ve actually re-created the Telephone video by accident.” 

“Oh yeah, with a few coke dollars.” Sukuna sarcastically adds, “Sure, might as well start dancing right now.” He pulls out his phone, flashing the camera on you. 

“Telephone!” You make a phone with your hand, smiling into the camera. But, your smile falls, your eyes shrinking from the bright light. “I can’t believe you record with flash.” You lean in close to his camera, your eyes practically touching it, “You’re really weird.” 

“Says the one yelling ‘telephone,’ like an idiot.” Sukuna laughs at how the camera distorts your face from so close, “I’m sending this to Yuuji, he’s going to laugh at you.” He stops filming, and it takes you a moment to readjust to the lack of light. 

“He’s going to love it.” You giggle, “If anything, Yuuji is going to be rushing to come join me.” 

“He would always fiend over Just Dance.” Sukuna groans, rolling his eyes discreetly, “It was the one video game I could never beat him at.” 

“Wait, we have Just Dance at the house?” You narrow your eyes at Sukuna, poking his arm, “The fact you haven’t told me about this until now has to be a crime.”

“I'll get your own Just Dance.”

You giggle, resting your head on his bicep, “You get it Sukuna.” You look around, blinking innocently. “But, are we going home now? We’ve been out for some time now.” You can’t deny how your feet are starting to ache from your heels. It’s not too bad, but it’s noticeable. . 

“Still got one more thing to do.” 

You softly sigh, slouching into yourself, “Okay.” 

—

The sound of distant Christmas music is playing, accompanied by the decorations of the building with Christmas lights. “I didn’t know the city did this.” You feel breathless, glancing over the lights decorating the town. “Maybe I need to get out of the house more…”

“Every year when it’s December.” Sukuna leans on the wall behind you, letting you admire the center plaza of the city. The massive tree decorated with Christmas lights, and a massive golden star at the top. “People come together and put ornaments on the tree.”

You snap your head to look at Sukuna over your shoulder, “And we don’t have one?!” You narrow your eyes to him, “People are totally going to be judging us now that we don’t have something to put on the tree.” 

“You can buy something to put on the tree.” Sukuna points to a small building not too far from you, “There’s a small business that allows you to pick out little ornaments to put on the three.” 

“That’s so cute!” You grab his arm, “We should do that!” Before Sukuna can respond, you’re pulling his hand behind you to the small store. But, you stop, “Actually, you wait here, I’ll pick something out.” 

Sukuna furrows his eyebrows, “But–” 

“Trust me.” You point at him sternly, “Don’t follow me.” You don’t need him paying for anything else. 

Sukuna shoves his hands into his pockets, your small shopping bag resting right at his wrist. “Bossy.” 

You’re quick to glance over the ornaments, trying to pick out something fast to not leave Sukuna waiting for too long. You can feel the dread of remembering what happened last time creeping up the back of your head.

“Hot men can’t be left alone too long.” You mumble to yourself, softly cupping an ornament with a pink cat. It makes you laugh. Unlike Yuuji, Sukuna wasn’t at all puppy like, cat like would be the better way to describe him. No, this cat ornament is the best way to describe Sukuna. 

You’re quick to pick it out, pay for it, and bring it back to Sukuna. Practically skipping to him with the ‘thank you for buying,’bag in your hands. “I got something!” 

Sukuna nods, “I would hope so.” He watches as you open the bag, pulling out the ornament. It almost makes him crack a smile, but he keeps his composure. “Should I ask why you bought that one?” 

“It’d make you a good boyfriend.” You lift it to his face. 

Sukuna turns his head away from you, “I’m not asking anymore.” 

“I’m so glad you asked!” You bring it to your face, pressing it right next to your cheek. “I got it because it’s literally you.” You look at it again, “Just way cuter.” Sukuna makes a face, but you're tugging him along again. “Put it on the tree, then we can take a picture of it together.”

Sukuna doesn’t say anything, just watches as you scurry to the tree and pick out a place–no, you don’t like that place, it’s too close to an ugly ornament, you actually want the space three ornaments away from it. You glance back at him, “You sure you want that place?” 

“Yes.” You point at it again, “Don’t ask too many questions, I’m indecisive.” 

Sukuna laughs, grabs the ornament from your hand and places it on the tree. “Is that good?” He moves to the side ever so slightly, letting you look at the placement. But, he mumbles underneath his breath, “It better be.” 

You nod, “Yes. It’s good.” You poke his chest, “Jerk.” 

“I’ll hang you on the tree as an ornament.” He grabs your waist, and picks you up. “Don’t move.” 

You shake your head, smiling with a giggle, placing your hands on his shoulders, “Wait, you going make me flash someone Sukuna, put me back down.” You wiggle your feet back and forth, your heels slowly peeling off your feet. 

“Good.” 

You wrap your arms around his neck, bringing him into a hug, “Wait, before you put me up, we have to take a picture.” Sukuna gently places you back on the ground, which you think is rather out of character for him. Still, you flinch from the contact, the pressure being put back on your sensitive feet. 

Okay, now you remember exactly why you’re a Converse girly. You’re starting to find the pain to be a bit unbearable. 

“Picture.” He mumbles, reaching for his back pocket. “I’d rather be caught dead than in a picture with you.” He shakes his phone, before placing it in your hands. 

“If you’re going to bitch about it, just give me my phone.” You mumble, crossing your arms over your chest. “I swear, you make it so hard for me to want to be with you.” 

“It’s not hard.” Sukuna leans down, grabbing your wrist and lifting his phone with your hand. “You just make it hard.” 

You flip to the camera, angling it so the picture would get both of you. “Good thing we’re never going to be together.” You press your cheek against his, turning your head ever so slightly so your lips are touching his cheek. “Ever.” 

And, for some goddamn reason, Sukuna can’t help but crack a small smile at that. Just in time for you to snap the picture. 

“See, that wasn’t at all bad.” You lower the phone and click on the picture, “I literally look so cute too.” Which you can’t help but thank god about, usually you don’t even like the way you look in facetime calls. “And… I guess you look okay.” 

“Back on the tree.” He goes to pick you up again.

“Stop, you're going to make me drop the phone!” You try pulling away from him. Yet, you take a small mental note about how easy it is for Sukuna to move you around, lifting and pulling you with ease. 

“I’ll get a new one.” 

“But you can’t replace the photo!” You hug it close to your chest, “Wait, send it to me, I want to put it as your profile picture.” You reach into his pocket, pulling out your phone, but Sukuna–for some reason–seems to be a bit panicked by your hand. 

“Wait, don’t–” 

You giggle, “Wait, what? You scared I’m going to accidentally touch your–” You watch as something falls to the floor when you pull your phone out of his pocket. “Oh, you dropped something.” You bend down to pick it up, before blinking a few times, your hand inches away from the–the…

You feel your face explode in heat, your hand retracting back almost in fear. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my… You slowly tilt your head back, looking at Sukuna. “Uh, I… my bad.” 

Sukuna isn’t looking at you, his hands shoved in his pockets. He doesn’t even say anything, which you think is odd considering his quick tongue, and brass never censoring mouth. 

You feel a sharp puff of air leave your lips unexpectedly, before you cup your mouth, giggling into your palm. Before erupting into a laughing fit, absolutely dying in your kneeling position. 

“You’re such a child.” Sukuna remarks above you, but he’s still not looking at you. 

“You think I’m the child?” You pick up the small square, the gold packaging crinkling underneath your touch. “Sure, but here, you’re… Trojan magnum condom.”

Sukuna snatches it from your hand, sliding it back into his pocket. “Shut up.” 

You stand up, opening Sukuna’s phone to search for your contact. “I can’t wait to tell Nobara about this.” You whisper underneath your breath, “Also, what did you change my contact to?” 

Sukuna furrows his eyebrows at you. “Your contact?” 

“Yeah.” You open up his messages, and feel your finger pause in its spot. Your eyes stop on the second most recent message, your contact. 

“You named yourself.” Sukuna adds obviously, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. “Don’t tell me you already forgot that shit.” 

You take a moment to respond, a bit stunned that Sukuna kept the name. “Y-Yeah, sure.” You pretend to roll your eyes, resting your weight on your right leg, leaning ever so slightly. “My memory isn’t that bad.” 

You’re trying not to think about how Sukuna kept the name, or how he already has a picture for you. The one he took to supposedly, ‘send to Yuuji,’ which coincidentally is something Yuuji has never brought up to you. 

Just send the picture, you mentally tell yourself. Opening your message history and glancing at the most recent one he sent you. ‘Going to your club, keep sleeping. Lazy.’ So, he did tell you about it, but in your crazed, worried, panic, you didn’t even bother to glance at your phone. 

“You done?” Sukuna asks, arms crossed over his chest. “Or you looking for something to annoy me about.” 

“You know me too well.” You hand Sukuna his phone back, wiggling your shoulders playfully. “I also sent an old picture of you dressing as Sailor Venus. A little gift for putting up with you for so long.”

“I hope you die.” Sukuna shoves the phone into his pocket. 

“Oh.” Your eyes trail behind him, glancing at a cute ornament. “Wait, that one is so cute. Let’s change the location of our ornament.” You take a few steps forward, “I kinda’ wish I got one like that now.” 

“Why?” Sukuna glances over his shoulder, “It’s not even that cute.” 

“What?! It totally is.” You place your hands behind your back, “A cute and simple pink heart, what’s there not to like about it?” You look to the side, “Maybe, I should go buy one for our own tree.” You think aloud. 

“We don’t even have a tree.” 

“We can get one.” 

“I’m not spending money on something that’s going to be up for less then a month.” 

“I’ll buy it!” 

“With what money?” 

“I just want the damn ornament!” 

Sukuna blinks a few times, before glancing at the tree, then back at you. A smirk splits his lips, and it makes you uneasy. He tilts his head to the side, leaning down close to your face. “Then, take it.” 

Your lips part, before your eyebrows furrow in anger. “I’m not stealin–” 

“Shh.” Sukuna places his hand over your mouth, practically glaring at you. “Don’t yell something like that, you’re going to draw attention.” He leans his hand over your head, intending to reach the ornament, but you stop him. 

“Are you kidding? Someone put that up there, you can’t just steal it ‘cause I like it.” You push his hand to the side, “Someone put it up there, someone like us.” 

“Us?” Sukuna asks, but… it doesn't seem like he’s making fun of your choice of wording. It sounds more like… he’s asking for clarification on what you mean. What does ‘us’ mean?

“Yeah. Us.” You look to the side, pushing your hair behind your shoulders. “Another… uh, couple.” You touch the tip of your finger to your bottom lip, “Two people spending their afternoon together, and not knowing what to…” You point your finger between the two of you, “...what to call this.” 

It is silent between you two, no words exchanging. 

Sukuna looks at you for a few moments, looking at your hands, before looking at your face. He nods, “Yeah…” He turns away, hands in his pockets. “Let's go home. It’s getting late, and we’re an hour out.” He turns on his heel, starting to walk away from you. 

You press your lips together, not completely sure how to feel. To take a final glance at the tree, looking at your cat ornament, before walking after him. You sigh, closing your eyes to regroup. 

Fine, it’s fine. He’s not telling you no, he’s just… agreeing with you?

You take a step forward, and quickly feel your foot slip, almost twisting your ankle in an awkward position, but you catch yourself. Stopping in your tracks to readjust your standing. 

Sukuna looks over his shoulder, “You almost fall?” 

You narrow your eyes, straightening your posture. “No.” 

“Right.” He cocks his head to the side, “Then hurry up, you’re draggin’ your feet.” 

“I’m not draggin’ my feet.” You mimic, walking after him, but you mentally cringe. Your feet were uncomfortable before, now they’re aching with pain. A very, very uncomfortable pain. 

You press your lights together tightly, trying to conceal the pained groan wanting to escape your lips. You truly feel this is a humbling moment, you’re not made for cute shoes, and you’re not mentally strong enough to wear them. 

It hurts. 

You shiver. 

And, I’m cold. 

Sukuna narrows his eyes at you, “What’s wrong?” You watch as something flashes over his face, but you can’t describe what it is. “Are you not… enjoying yourself?”

“What? No, of course I am.” You reassure, finally standing by his side, “I’m just…” In a lot of pain, and starting to freeze my ass off from the cold. “...uh, tired from all the walking.” 

“Well, we got to walk back to the car.” Sukuna points in the general direction, “So, find a way to not be tired for the next fifteen minutes.” 

“Yeah.” You shiver again, sarcastically adding, “Let me just stop being tired right now.” You wrap your arms around yourself, trying to keep your warmth together. 

“Glad we can agree.” Sukuna keeps walking, closest to the street and now directly by your side. 

You hesitate to tell him, “I’m… cold.” Turning your face away from him so you can’t see his reaction. 

“I told you to get a sweater.” 

You feel your shoulder slump, “I know.” You slowly turn your face to him, but keep your eyes diverted. “It was going to ruin my outfit, ‘Kuna, I didn’t want to look ugly.” 

“It wasn’t goin’ to make you look ugly.” Sukuna adds, “You just overthink.” 

You huff, “Well, I’m still cold.” 

Sukuna softly sighs, and you can hear rustling, before something drapes over your head. Something warm, soft, and smells like… Sukuna. You pull it down your body, wrapping the sweat around your shoulder and slipping your arms through the sleeves. 

You zip up the sweater, burying your lower face into the sweater. Sukuna. You close your eyes, sighing with content. Sandalwood, a bit of citrus, and a toasty undertone. “I’m warm now.” 

“You better be.” Sukuna shivers, but he tries to hide it. “I’m suffering for your benefit.” 

You giggle, but mentally flinch with every step you take. Jesus, you’re in serious pain now, maybe you should've worn your normal shoes. 

“What is it now?” Sukuna brass asks. 

You furrow your eyebrows, “Are you kidding? I didn’t even say anything this time.” 

“You’re easy to read.” He tells you, placing his hand over your head. “You’ve always been easy to read.” 

“Then, why didn’t you know I liked you?” You place your hands on your hips, talking a few steps forward and turning on your heel. Walking backward while speaking to Sukuna, “If I’m so ‘easy to read,’ huh?” 

“How did you not know I liked you?”

You bite the inside of your cheek, “I did.” Sukuna gives you a face that can only be described as, ‘really?’ But, you quickly add, “I just… always doubted myself.” 

“Uh-huh.” Sukuna rolls his eyes, “I’m sure.” 

“Well, I knew for a fact you cared for me in the least. Which is more than what you feel for the normal person.” You slip your fingers inside the sleeves, not enjoying how the cold is biting at them. “So, yeah.” 

Sukuna nods, “I remember that.” He sharply breathes out in a laugh, “I remember that scared me.” 

You tilt your head to the side, “Why?” 

“You were right.” He runs his hands through your hair, picking up a few strands. Before softly tugging on them, “Your stupid brain was right.”

“Hey.” You swap his hand away, “Just compliment me without an insult.” 

“Yeah right.” Sukuna flicks your head, “And let it get in your head? Yeah, no thanks, you’re already crazy as is.” 

You shake your head, crossing your arms over your chest. “I’m not crazy, you’re just obsessed with me.” 

“Yeah?” 

You nod, “Yeah.” You smile to yourself, leaning close to Sukuna and resting your head on his arm. “Obsessed enough to carry me to the car, because my feet are killing me.” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“What? But, I thought you liked me?” 

“Not enough to carry you.” Sukuna narrows his eyes, trying to gage the distance between the two of you and his car. “We’re ten minutes away, I’m not carrying you.” Not only that, but he parked his car up a hill. 

You pout, slumping into your shoulder, but you quickly perk up again, a cheeky smile splitting your lips. “Ah, whatever.” You turn around, walking forward again. “Just sounds like you’re too weak to carry me.” You peer at Sukuna over your shoulder, “I guess Yuu is just the stronger brother then.” 

Sukuna’s eye twitches, “Fuck you.” 

—

One of your airpods is in your ear, while the other is in Sukuna’s. The two of you silently listening to your downloaded music on shuffle. You’re a bit embarrassed by the music playing, some being years old back when you were in middle school, and others being as recent as this week. 

You bounce with each step Sukuna takes, your arms wrapped around his shoulders and your legs sticking out from his sides. Sukuna’s hands resting on the back of your thighs, supporting you against his body while he searches for his car. 

You’re a bit sleepy, your eyes heavy while your chin resting on his shoulder. One of your hands loosely holding onto your shopping bag. Sukuna can hear you humming along to the melody of the music playing,  and even though he’s never heard of the song playing, he thinks it's nice. You yawn, “‘Kuna?” 

Sukuna adjusts his hands on your body, “What.” 

You place your cheek on his shoulder, looking at the side of his face. You adore how pretty he is, his strong jaw, deep eyes, nose, and intricate tattoos. You’re almost jealous. “Do you like me?” You poke his cheek with your finger, tracing his tattoos. 

“No.” Sukuna turns his head away from you, “I hate you.” 

You sigh, closing your eyes again, “Yeah. I hate you, too.” Right as you say that, a very familiar melody plays in your ears. A song from a movie you adore more than anything. “Do you know this song?” Sukuna pauses for a moment, before nodding. You giggle, whispering, “The sun is nearly gone.” 

“You’re a horrible fuckin’ singer.” Sukuna teases. 

“Like you’re any better.” You snap back. 

“Yuuji’s actually really good at singing.” Sukuna tells you, before softly blowing a strand of your hair from his face. “He gets embarrassed, but the kid has skills. More than you, at least.” 

“Yuuji is amazing at everything.” You laugh, “To be honest, I think I’m in love with Yuuji.” You giggle against his neck, wiggling your shoulders playfully, “You okay with knowing that, ‘Kuna? That I’m actually obsessed with your brother, and not you?” 

Sukuna chuckles, “Yeah.” He jolts you up again, “I know.” 

You hum, “That’s tailor made for two.” You whisper, “What a shame those two are you, and me.” You giggle, “Oh my god, I literally love this song so much.” You glare at him, “It’s criminal you don’t know this song.”  

“I have this movie memorized.” Sukuna adds, next to your ear. 

You playfully scoff, placing your hands on his neck, “And you think I’m cringe?” You push his shoulder playfully, “I think you might be worse than me.” 

“I didn’t watch La La Land by choice, Yuuji forced me.” Sukuna looks to the side, placing his hands into his pockets.

You slowly stop, glancing at the sun setting. It’s a bit covered by the clouds, “Yeah. I’m sure watching Sailor Moon also wasn’t a choice.” For some reason, it’s colder than before. 

Sukuna stops with you, gaze joining yours. “I was like, fourteen when it came out? Besides, that movie was horrible.” 

You gasp dramatically, popping your head back to look at his face. “Take that back.” 

“Take what back?” Sukuna asks, passing you a playful look. “My thoughts?” 

You nod, “Yes, especially if your thoughts are wrong.”

“What would make my thoughts right?” 

“If they agree with my thoughts.”

“I do agree with you.” 

“Not in the right way.” 

Sukuna doesn’t respond immediately, but he shakes his head with a subtle smile. “You’re bipolar.” 

You nod, leaning into Sukuna’s neck and resting there. “Yeah.” Your tone is soft, your eyes fluttering closed. “You are too.” 

“Thanks.” Sukuna rests his chin on the top of your head, continuing to make his way to his car, but you can feel him stop. The pressure of your head being removed as he looks up. “Look.” 

You sigh before looking up, but you flinch when something soft and cold hits your nose. 

Snow. 

Your lips part in awe for a moment, before you slide down from Sukuna’s arms.“It didn’t snow last year.” 

“It didn’t.” Sukuna furrows his eyebrows ever so slightly, “In fact, this place isn’t really known for snowing, like–at all.” 

You turn quickly on your heel, “Oh my god, what if us being together set off a canon event, or the start of the end of the world.” You place your hand over your mouth, “Wait, no–” 

“Stop talking.” Sukuna continues walking, “We’re literally five parking spaces away from my car, just stop talking for the rest of the way.” He reaches into his pocket, grabbing your keys. 

You roll your eyes, but walk after him. But, quickly pull the back of his shirt, making him stop walking. “Sukuna?” 

He nods. 

“Uh.” You take a deep breath, “Thank you for, uh, taking me out.” You can feel your heart rate increase, you’re so nervous to be saying this, and you don’t even know why. “It means a lot to me, and I had… I had a lot of fun.” 

Sukuna finally turns on his heel to look at you. 

You let your hand drop back to your side, “It really… uhm, it means a lot.” 

“You already said that.” 

“I’m trying to thank you here!” You can feel your face burning up with embarrassment. Why can’t Sukuna take anything seriously for one second? 

Sukuna nods, biting the inside of his cheek while subtly smiling. “I know.” He leans down, pushing your hair behind your ear, “You don’t need to thank me.” 

You flutter your lashes, looking to the side bashfully, “But, I do.” You look back at him, tilting your head up, “I really appreciate you, this was really nice.” You press your lips together. 

There’s silence between the two of you, and you don’t know how to fill it. It’s not unpleasant, and a part of you never wants to change it, you want things to stay like this forever. Sukuna touching you softly, a comfortable oura between the two of you. 

Sukuna’s eyes dip, before he lowers himself to finally kiss you. His lips are soft against yours, contrasting to the way he kissed you in the dressing room. It's loving, adoring, and longing. His tongue slips past your lips and swipes against yours, before he pulls away. 

Sukuna places his forehead on yours, “I’m… I had fun.” 

Your smile is loving, before you whisper, “I think I want to give you my gift.” You lean in close again, your lips ghosting over his, “Can I do that?” Your hands reach for his.  

He nods, before his eyes light up with a realization, “Oh, wait, I also got something else for you.” He leans back and reaches into the shopping bag that held your jewelry. 

You shake your head, “You spent more money on me?” You ask a bit dreaded. 

“No.” 

“Oh.” You blink a few times, “Then, what is it?” 

Sukuna’s holding something in his hand, and you can’t see it. But, he’s holding it out for you, waiting for you to extend your hand to take it. 

You hesitate, “Uh…” You jut your eyebrows, “Is it… a bug?”

Sukuna glares at you, “Yes, it’s a fuckin’ bug. No?” He shakes his head, “Just take it.” 

You put your hand out, and wearily accept the item–or bug–Sukuna is handing to you. Once it’s resting in your hand, you feel your heart drop. 

“Sukuna.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Did you?” You look up, then look back at your hand. “When did you even get the chance to steal this?” 

“When you weren’t looking.” Sukuna’s looking at the ornament in your hand, “Don’t you like it?” 

“I mean, yeah? But, this doesn’t…” You laugh, trying to hide your smile. “You know what, I love it. Really thoughtful, and risky gift.” You start moving to Sukuna’s car again, “We can put it on our tree.” 

“We still don’t have a tree.” He’s walking behind you, opening up the trunk of his car to place your empty bag inside. 

“I can make an origami one.” You think for a moment, “Wait, origami Christmas trees are real, right?” You look in the trunk, and quickly swipe at your red lip gloss you had supposedly left inside. 

“Pretty sure.” Sukuna shuts the trunk, watching as you swipe your lip gloss wand over your lips. “While we’re driving home, you can search up what’s needed, and I’ll swing by Micheal’s.” 

“Wait, but I want to give you my gift first!” You grab his hand, tugging him to his car, but you pause at the doors of the driver's side. You lean up and press a quick kiss to his lips, “Let me give you my gift first, please.”

Sukuna watches you open the door, and pull the driver's seat forward, allowing you to slip into the backseats of his car. He feels his throat bob, watching your dress ride up your ass, and letting him look at your pink lacy panties. 

How could he say no to you?

HERE'S PART TWO!

Tag(s)!: @openup-yourmind, @sherlock-holmes-jr, @maskedpacific, @gasp-a-homo, @diogodxlot, @beahappyhoeee, @tojimeow, @sukunamylovexoxo, @yoontaedotin, @sukunaloverrr, @lanadelreylover4l, @raininginthemoonlight, @blackjanexx, @ethereally-lyann, @fritzzbitzz, @lanadelreylover4l, @chayunwoo, @madamteller, @mazzd4, @haithamsbb, @c-l-ellis, @samysaha, @pi-crust, @shukiinnkm