cover my eyes | ryomen sukuna
pairing: sukuna x blind courtesan!reader
summary: once in a lifetime you'll switch bodies with your soulmate and see the world through their eyes.
sukuna is initially frustrated when he's plunged into darkness in the body of a weak and blind woman, only to discover that there's more to her than he was expecting, leaving him on a mission to locate the shogi-playing courtesan whose soul called out to his.
word count: 11k
content: 18+ mdni, smut, soulmate au, heian era, initially rude sukuna, soft!sukuna, true form sukuna, courtesan reader, sickness, blindness, depiction of violence and death, happy ending, hurt/comfort, honestly its mainly fluff, devoted sukuna, piv, cunnilingus
a/n: after doing my satoru soulmate au i desperately wanted to do one for sukuna so here it is! inspired somewhat by komugi and meruem in hxh and ALSO by lakan and fengxian in apothecary diaries (as someone requested that from me!)
At one point in every personâs life, they will awaken in the body of another.
They will spend their day seeing through strange eyes, living out hours as a person they may have never met, trapped within their new form until sleep takes them and they are released back into their own body.
Those meagre hours are the only chance a person will have to find their other other half, to learn all they can about the body theyâve awoken in. Thereâs no second chance, no opportunity to swap for a second time.
If one cannot locate their soulmate after the day theyâve spent as them, they can find no further help. All they can hope for, is that they might stumble across their destined lover by mere chance one day.
Or, that their beloved did a better job than they did at piecing together the puzzle.
Sukuna found himself in anotherâs body in his mid-twenties, awakening one morning in complete darkness, even though heâd been certain his eyes were open. It was a strange feeling at first, a resignation to a suspicion heâd held all his life that there was no destined person for him, giving in to the belief that heâd spend a day floating in nothingness with no other half for his soul to cling to.
His assumption was broken swiftly, at the realisation that he still held some manner of awareness even if his sight was impaired. There was a breeze blowing against his body, chatter sounding off in the distance, and soft sheets were pressing up against skin which surely wasnât his.
This person, whoever they were, had a body that was exhausted. He ached in places heâd never ached before, his shoulders and upper back straining, like their owner had been carrying a weight beyond their capability. He felt desperately weak in that form, suddenly aware that he only had a human number of limbs to control, and lacked the strength and size he was used to commanding.
In the darkness clouding his vision, he was surprised to find that the blackness wasnât as deep as heâd originally thought, able to make out fuzzy shapes in the dark which he could only assume made up his surroundings. His hand reached for his eyes, setting his lips into a grim line at the confirmation they were open.
His destined lover was blind.
Disappointment settled into his chest. He had never taken much stock in soulmates in the first place, didnât really believe in love, but this just furthered his confirmation that the whole matter was a farce. He found respect for the strong - strength was the only thing that truly mattered to him, and yet here he was, in the body of a blind woman.
A feeble little thing hardly able to fend for herself.
What good was she to a man like Sukuna?
A knock on the door startled him. âAre you awake? The madam wants me to help you get ready.â
Sukuna said nothing, trying to figure out why it felt like your body wanted to draw in on itself, your pulse quicking in a seemingly innate reaction to the voice at the door.
âPlease, I know youâve been ill but heâs been calling every day for the past week, the madam doesnât want to keep him waiting any longer. Heâs been bringing forth all manner of threat, and if youâre not careful heâll buy you out. I know that isnât what you want. Just let me tend to you and allow him a visit. Keep his temper at bay.â
Sukuna frowned, attempting to piece together what was happening. It was hard without the visual clues of his surroundings, but based on the snippet of conversation he concluded that you were likely a courtesan of some form. Once again, his view of you, and the soulmate system in general, dropped through the floor.
Blind and a whore.
Perfect.
âOne moment.â He called out, taken aback by the lovely feminine voice that fell from his lips. It was a soft, delicate sound, one which wouldnât sound out of place accompanied with a harp. He found himself shocked at how much he enjoyed it, considering saying something else just to hear it again.
Finding the door proved to be a more difficult task than heâd been expecting. Heâd already stumbled standing up from your bed, thrown off by his lack of vision and by feet that were ridiculously small compared to what he was used to. His centre of gravity felt all wrong, and his body felt generally unbalanced without his lower set of arms.
Moving at a snail's pace, he made it across the room, impressed that he didnât run into anything on his journey over. He was grateful for the shadowy outlines present in your visionless gaze, certain that the situation would be made harder without even that as a guide.
Fumbling for the handle, he slid open the door. âMorning. Oh honey, you look like a ghost.â A hand pressed against his skin, and he was ushered over to another part of the room, grateful for the guidance. There was the sound of a chair being moved. âTake a seat.â
Sukuna hesitated, not quite sure where the chair was. He reached out nonchalantly with his hand, trying to feel for it while the other womanâs focus was elsewhere, seemingly rifling through a bag of something. Able to just about make out a black splodge in the centre of his vision, Sukuna took a seat, only to thud down onto the floor.
It hurt. It hurt significantly more than pain Sukuna was used to enduring. Heâd experienced all manner of injury - heâd had his blood and guts pouring out onto the floor in the midst of a fight, but somehow this was worse. How fragile was this body of yours? He was glad that he wasnât born as some weak human, grateful that the abominable aspects of his body increased his strength rather than weakened it.
How could you live like this?
âMy lady?â The woman seemed immediately panicked, reaching down and easily hoisting you up by the arm, aiding Sukuna onto the chair. âIâm sorry, you usually tell me you donât need assistance, I wasnât expecting-â she cut herself off for a moment, leaving Sukuna in silence and struggling to read the room with no visual cues. âYou donât seem like yourself at all this morning. Youâre being very quiet.â
Sukuna said nothing, certain that he could hear the hint of a smile in the womanâs tone.
It was said that when soulmates swapped bodies, you could not under any circumstance tell someone that you were a different inhabitant to usual, else the spell would be broken and youâd both be immediately sent home.
It was an option Sukuna had contemplated the moment the woman walked in, eager to return to his own healthy form. However, he was also a man of great curiosity and it wasnât like he had much going on at his estate that day anyway. So he opted for silence, figuring heâd at least see, or hear, how the day played out.
There was no harm in that.
Regardless, the woman had seemingly sensed it immediately based on her sudden change of demeanor, but being likely as aware of the rules as Sukuna was, she kept her suspicions silent.
âIt's Officer Sugawara whoâs set to see you today,â she explained, soft hands running through your hair with a comb, giving Sukuna a shiver of pleasure. âYou usually play shogi with the guy for a while and let him get drunk. Heâs a proud man whoâs desperate for a legitimate win, so you always give him your best and he refuses to give up until heâs too pissed to think anymore. So be on your best game, or he might want to pass his time in another way.â
The warning was clear and Sukuna found himself disgusted. If that man tried to lay a single hand on you while he was inhabiting your body, heâd make sure Sugawara wouldnât walk out of the establishment alive.
Fortunately, Sukuna was an avid shogi player. He held a great love for the game and was self-assured where his skill was concerned. No one in his estate could beat him, so he was certain he could beat some Officer of the Shogun.
Although, heâd never played it blind - a fact that mildly concerned him.
He hoped the pieces were skillfully made with deep indents, else heâd be completely lost.
âEven though youâre usually talkative with me, youâre not all that chatty with regulars, so itâll be fine if you stay quiet. On account of you not feeling yourself and all,â she said with a knowing giggle.
It took an ungodly amount of time for that woman to get you ready, and Sukuna wondered how you could bear experiencing such a thing day after day. It seemed such a waste to have so much effort devoted to doing your hair and make-up, and dressing you up, when you couldnât even see the end result.
For all you knew you could look like a clown.
But Sukuna quickly became certain that wasnât the case when he was led into another room, your helper grasping his arm in a steadying manner and making sure he was settled down on a pillow before introducing him to a man sitting opposite him. Sugawara wasted no time with greetings, letting out a gasp of awe at your radiant appearance and reaching out to kiss your hand.
Sukuna wanted to reel away at the feeling but remained still all the same. He hoped he didnât have too much of a scowl on his face.
Even if he didnât have any interest in you, he didnât really want to ruin the life of some random blind girl. He loved cruelty, but even for him that felt like an unnecessary slight to a person who was supposed to hold the other half of his heart.
âYou look gorgeous. Not sickly at all, might I add. I hope the madam hasnât been telling lies.â
You were sick - outside of the blindness - Sukuna could feel it. At first heâd brushed off your frailty as something normal for puny little humans, but since rising from your bed heâd become aware that your quivering legs, aching bones and hummingbird heart were far from normal.
âI havenât been well,â he said simply.
âOh you poor thing, it's always the most beautiful ones who suffer the most.â
Sukuna found himself wondering what you looked like. He had a vague knowledge of Official Sugawara - he wasnât an ugly man, certainly not one lacking in prospects by any means. He was powerful in his position in the government, and wasnât the type who would visit some woman out of pity.
You mustâve been genuinely gorgeous to earn such affection from him.
It was a shame Sukuna would never know.
He wouldnât look for you once he was back in his own body. Heâd move on with his life and that would be that, leaving this day as nothing more than some distant dream.
The games of shogi went by quickly, and Sukuna found that it was easy to slip into your body without arousing suspicion. Once heâd gotten over the original barrier of having to feel each piece for their indents as he picked them up, he fell easily into the flow of it all.
This man across from him seeked little conversation once the games had started, and Sukuna was pleased at how well he was playing that afternoon. He didnât let the man win once and, as your attendant had mentioned, Suguwara filled himself up with more and more drink. It felt nice to play someone outside of his estate, most of his servants were too afraid to face Sukuna in any sort of test.
It was equally nice to completely destroy a government official with his skill. He was certain this man was having the worst game of his entire life, unaccustomed to this treatment from the lovely courtesan heâd frequent.
But it was at the end of the seventh game, when Sukuna was feeling at his highest, that a disastrous hit would come to his ego.
âYouâre really off your game today. I see you really arenât feeling well,â Sugawara said. There was the sound of shuffling fabric, as if the man had leant forward.
âWhat?â Sukuna asked, the low disbelief coming out strange in your small voice.
âYour plays are much sloppier than usual. It feels like youâre going easy on me, given you usually destroy me before I can even think about what to do next. Today youâve been giving me proper games. I donât like it. You know I hate being pitied.â
Sukuna had to stop his mouth from falling agape.
He wasnât playing bad games by any means, on the contrary, he was certain that he was playing better than he had in a while, happy to have a new opponent for once. Was this man really saying that you, the normal you, was more skilled at shogi than he was? He really found that hard to believe.
What would some blind courtesan know of tactics?
âPerhaps youâve simply improved,â Sukuna mumbled bitterly, unwilling to accept that your mastery was greater than his.
Sugawara laughed. âHow polite of you, my dear. I can assure you that isnât the case, and we both know it.â There was some shuffling, and Sukuna sensed that the man was climbing to his feet. It was frustrating to have such limited vision, and he was glad to know that heâd wake up the following day able to see the world once more - he couldnât imagine living like that all the time. âIâll leave you to rest. When I return in a few days you best have returned to form, or perhaps the nature of our meetings will need to change.â
A heavy hand rested on your shoulder, wet and clammy against the silk you were draped in. Sukuna wasnât sure if the disgust was born from his own thoughts on the matter, or from an impulsive response from your body. From your attendantâs words it was clear that you would never sleep with the man, likely keeping your shogi skills sharp to ensure he never won.
Once he was gone, Sukuna sat there in silence, thinking on the manâs parting words.
Were you really so talented?
Part of him wanted to convince himself that heâd been playing worse than usual on account of not being able to see the board, making it difficult for him to think out moves in advance, taking more time than normal while he grazed the pieces with his fingers.
But deep in his soul he knew that wasnât the case.
Heâd played expertly, and still that man knew his opponent wasnât the real you. All on account of how amateur Sukunaâs ability had seemed compared to yours.
And as his day drew to a close in your body, he realised that he had to know. He had to play you, had to see firsthand just how dramatically your skill exceeded his. He wouldnât believe it until heâd seen it.
The soulmate thing didnât matter.
But he needed to meet with you all the same.
Just to sate his interest. That was all.
â
Months had passed since the day youâd swapped with your soulmate. Since the morning youâd awoken to a world of light of colour youâd never seen before, and would never see again.
It was a day youâd never be able to forget - the image of the grand estate youâd awoken in seared permanently into your mind, just like the face of your soulmate who had stared back at you in a bronze mirror. Youâd gazed upon his body for longer than you should admit to, wondering for a brief moment if youâd misunderstood how humans looked.
That thought didnât remain for long. It took no expert to understand that the man youâd been paired with was something unique - the very four armed monster who had half of Japan living in fear.
And as such, you wished you could forget your experience in his body, wished you could see anything but his oddly charming face, because your promised beloved was a monster of the highest calibre. But with only one singular day of vision under your belt, what youâd seen wasnât so easily displaced, and you found yourself thinking of him often with a longing that you knew to be wrong.
You had told no one of the experience, not even your handmaid, who had outright asked what your body swap experience had been like, what your soulmate had been like, claiming that whoever they were had presented themselves as rather reserved when possessing your body. Youâd brushed her off with a shrug, claiming him to be some soldier and nothing more.
No one could know the truth. If they knew you to have any link to such a terrible man they might view you as an associate, and someone deserving of death for something you hadnât asked for.
The workings of fate seemed strange to you. Was it not enough punishment to be born blind? Why would you also be paired with a monster who seemed to view the human race with general disdain? You were certain he cared little for love, his servant had made that clear when you were in his body, so any hopes of having a soulmate had been stolen from you as a result of this pairing.
Part of you wondered if a man so vile as him might even take things a step further and track you down to put an end to your life, insulted by fate to suggest that it could control him in any capacity. Perhaps he would be further insulted to be paired with someone so damaged rather than some untarnished beauty.
Youâd always heard he held great hatred for weakness.
Even so, despite your fear and desire to conceal yourself from him, you couldnât forget him, couldnât stop the flicker of longing in your chest you were certain all people held for their destined lovers. Because while he was unquestionably a monster, with a throne of skulls you had witnessed through his very eyes, he also seemed to be more than that.
He was a man of great loneliness, living in grand halls with only a handful of servants for company - and all but one of them would scuttle out of the way when he approached. He seemed to hold a great love for art, with his estate packed with paintings and tapestries and great vases, all kept in pristine condition. For a cannibal, he seemed to take great pride in the cleanliness of his surroundings, in the neat nature of his gardens and springs.
Even in his own appearance, he seemed to take great care, for there was no denying him to be a handsome man even with his unique features. He had a voice to match that beauty, one that you could hardly peel from your mind any more than you could forget his image.
His body was hard to maneuver, too big and confusing to control his many hanging limbs. In a way, it felt akin to your blindness, something different to the way humans were built to be, leaving him to struggle with an issue that no one else could relate to. You wondered how it had been for him in childhood - if heâd felt as isolated and scared as you had to know that everyone else was normal in a way youâd never been.
You pitied him, even through all his sins. You felt you could understand at least a piece of him from a day buried within the confines of his skin.
But still, you would never reach for him - wouldnât poke the bear even if you could understand why it might bite. You were certain that someone like him would be unwilling to hear you out, unwilling to love or reflect on how he became the way he was - he would swipe your head from your shoulders just like everyone else, and that would be that.
So you would stay away, keep your dreams of him locked deep within your chest, and accept that distance was for the best.
There was more to life than soulmates.
Unfortunately, that choice wasnât yours alone to make.
The madame had knocked on your door early that morning, with the golden light of the sun only just starting to peek in through your window. Lately youâd been having longer lie-ins and taking less clients as the cold of winter gripped the region. Along with the blindness, youâd been born with a particularly feeble body as a result of complications with your mother during her pregnancy, ailments which were always worse for you in the colder months.
Your bones strained as you pushed yourself up to a sitting position, calling for the woman to enter. As much as you longed to slip back into your dream of red eyes peering back at you with fiery desire, you were still beholden to the will of your employer, even in your months of weakness.
âHow are you feeling, my dear?â She asked, as she slipped in through the door. You felt her weight dip the bed as she took a seat beside you, a gentle hand coming to rest on your shoulder.
âMornings are always the worst but I can manage once Iâm up and about. Has Sugawara come calling again?â Most regulars were understanding enough of your condition, and those that werenât would generally be chased off by the madame or unloaded onto another of the courtesans. Sugawara was one of the few that generally wouldnât accept such treatment, with only eyes for you.
It didnât matter too much since the man only ever wanted to play shogi, and that was manageable enough even on your worst days. It seemed that he had no intention of laying with you until heâd beat you in a game fair and square, claiming that if that ever happened heâd buy you out and take you home for he wouldâve earned your heart.
That talk always made you uncomfortable, for you had little interest in the man, but you were more than certain he had no chance at ever defeating you at shogi, and could therefore never lay claim to you - assuming he kept his word.
âNot SugawaraâŠâ There was hesitation in her voice. âWeâve received a request for our finest shogi player to be sent to the mayorâs home this evening. Apparently the other courtesan houses have received the same request.â
âI didnât think the mayor cared much for shogi.â
Again, there was a moment of silence. âNo, he doesnât. A rather unwanted guest has taken up residence in his home, and this is the demand that has come of it.â Immediately your blood ran cold, thoughts drifting away from the madameâs continuing chatter to the red eyes that sat so prominently in the darkness of your mind.
There was no question in your mind as to who this guest was.
And to call for shogi players had you certain he was looking for you. Would he execute you when you walked into a room so clearly lacking in vision? Put an immediate end to the one person who could potentially stir his cold heart if fate were to be believed?
It seemed like the only reasonable explanation
The request to send another in your place died on the tip of your tongue as you once again tuned in to what the madame was saying. â...make sure youâre in top form, Iâve heard any who lose to him are immediately disposed of, but Iâm sure that man will be no match for you.â
You wouldnât send another to face their death. You were the only courtesan in the house who was any good at shogi, anyone else would certainly perish. This was a meeting dictated by fate and you had no opportunity to run from it. You would face him head on and deal with your death graciously, greet your end alone in the dark just like everything else youâd ever faced.
âIâll do my best,â you said to the madame, and that was the final moment you had for yourself, your sacrifice sealed by your words.
The rest of the morning was spent in a frenzied rush, dressing you up and perfecting your makeup, turning you into a sparkling beauty ahead of your presentation to a monster. Based on the quiet nature of your handmaid, the experience felt more like she was dressing your corpse for burial.
Neither of you spoke such a thing aloud, but tears dripped from sightless eyes all the same when she led you out to the carriage, the madam trailing behind her, sending you off with a soft farewell filled with a sense of finality.
â
Sukuna had undergone an annoying few months.
Steadily, he had made his way, region by region, up to the north of Japan in search of a blind shogi player whose skill allegedly eclipsed his own. In each area, he would call upon all shogi-playing courtesans to meet with him and join him in a game, in the hopes that one day it would be you sitting across from him.
So far, heâd been unsuccessful, and had left a growing pile of bodies and burnt villages in his wake, utterly irritated that the thing he was seeking still evaded his grasp. No one had beaten him. A few had come close but none of them had been blind, so he could be certain that they werenât you.
He was beginning to wonder if youâd gone into hiding somewhere, forsaking your courtesan life entirely in a bid to avoid him. It wouldnât surprise him - youâd been in his body, youâd seen he was a monster, a fragile little thing like you was probably terrified at the idea of ever crossing his path.
Either way, heâd still persevere. Heâd kill every shogi player if that was what it took to get to you.
Heâd recently found his way into the mountainous region of Miyagi, where winter was in full spring. Taking up residence in the mayorâs home in one of the more populous towns in the prefecture, he once again started his usual process of gathering the shogi players. Word spread fast and droves of them appeared swiftly, waiting to be called before him.
It went much as usual, with boring girls presenting themselves before him and providing him with equally boring games of shogi. These people were painfully predictable with no appreciation for the art of the game - really it was a gift for him to steal their lives from them, because he couldnât imagine living while being so pitifully unskilled.
The pool of Miyagi courtesans was gradually running dry and Sukuna was preparing himself for another disappointing journey further north when his luck finally shifted.
He knew heâd found you the moment you walked in through the door.
Youâd stumbled in meekly, eyes averted down to the floor as you bowed low and shuffled towards the centre of the room. You were taking care not to raise your head for him to look upon, and he quickly realised you were making your best effort to conceal your blindness from him, like you could keep your identity secret that way.
It was a futile attempt, for the very atmosphere around you felt charged, his heart picking up inexplicably at the very sight of you.
To say you were beautiful was an understatement. Everything about you was gorgeous, from your soft hair to the striking intensity of your unseeing eyes. You wore the finest silks and they hung off you well, complimenting your figure. He found himself eager to touch you, to rid you off your lovely gown and have his fingers against your smooth skin.
But that wasnât the reason he had come, and he would play you before entertaining any other matter.
âSit,â he ordered, taking great amusement in the shiver that seemed to run through you at the sound of his voice.
You dropped to your knees on the cushion before the board, hands pressing against the edge of the table. It was the first chance he got to take a proper look at your eyes, expecting them to be clouded over, but taken aback by the lovely colour your irises still held beneath that mist.
âYouâre blind.â He observed aloud, taking note of the way your teeth caught your lower lip anxiously.
âI see more than enough,â your response was guarded.
He hummed, a sly grin settling on his face. Idly, he wondered if you could sense it, because you seemed to tense up a little, fidgeting across from him in a way his traitorous brain seemed to register as endearing. âIs that so? Do you see enough to know my strategy before we commence? Or will you disappoint me like the others?â
âYou tell me.â
Your words had his heart stirring against his will, impressed by your serenity before him, still sitting up straight and calm despite the fear he could sense within you. You were a woman who held confidence despite it all, harboured strength even in the face of your obvious weaknesses. He wondered what you were thinking, if you believed he was there to execute you for the mere transgression of being his soulmate.
It wasnât a foolish assumption.
He would kill you without a second thought if you were uninteresting to him.
But heâd reserve that judgement until after you had played. He had been promised someone exceptional and that was what he wished to see, anything less and your blood would stain the floor just like every other woman who had sat before him. Would you still be so calm if you could see the bodies littering the room? He assumed not.
He wondered if you hated him, if you cursed fate itself to be paired with a man like him. Nothing about you gave anything away, all your focus fixed on the board in front of you, your hands moving steadily against the wood of the board, as if centring yourself.
âShall we begin?â He asked.
âYes.â
Sukuna couldnât quite comprehend what had transpired in that first game he played against you.
He had approached things in much the same manner that he always would when playing shogi - opening strong and attempting to completely overwhelm his opponent, and yet somehow he found opportunities snatched from him at every turn.
Nothing seemed to catch you off guard. Any attempted play was greeted with an easy answer from you, as though you were battling a child. You were always three steps ahead of him, never hesitating in the shifting of a piece, moving with a certainty that had him transfixed.
He found that he couldnât draw his eyes away from you, his struggle on the board forgotten at the realisation heâd been well and truly defeated. There was no point in struggling further - you had swatted him aside in the way that he usually defeated others, and you had done it with no glee or brag, nothing more than passive indifference once the games finally came to an end.
Your shoulders were raised, as if awaiting something you wouldnât be able to see coming. A strike from him, perhaps? Or the neat removal of your head from your shoulders? The same fate of all others heâd played across the last few months.
But he wasnât in the position to do anything at that moment, lashes fluttering as he stared at you, his heart hammering against his ribcage.
There had been no lie told about your skill - on the contrary, you had exceeded his expectations spectacularly. He wanted to play you again and again, wanted to witness the beauty of the way you played, wished to spend hours lost deep in thought considering how he could even begin to pick you apart in a match.
He could spend years sitting across you, gazing upon your lovely form while you worked away in silence with such unquestionable mastery.
No wonder Sugawara had been disappointed in Sukunaâs ability. He couldnât hold a candle to what you were.
âHow?â He asked, unable to think of another word to offer.
Your head was still lowered, eyes fixed elsewhere. He wished youâd look at him, allow him a clearer view of your face, but it occurred to him that such a request may not be easily granted with your lack of vision. You would never be able to lock eyes with each other - it would be something entirely meaningless for you.
âYou arenât all that good,â you spoke softly, a smile playing on your lips.
Sukuna disagreed with your sentiment, considering heâd never been beaten before, but perhaps youâd consider all his previous opponents to be genuinely pitiful at the game.
âSo, will you take my life now? Or is that reserved for the losers?â You asked.
âTo take the life of someone I could not best would be cowardly and pointless,â he said with a snort. âHow would I ever grow to be better than you if I extinguished you from the world? Donât be foolish. We will play again.â
And again you played.
Game after game until the sun began to rise in the sky, and Sukuna could sense exhaustion drifting through your fragile form. You were shivering from the cold, and he had Uraume bring in a robe to wrap around you, keenly aware of how sickly you seemed to look beneath all the beauty. You were setting up the board for your tenth match when Sukuna finally put an end to things.
âEnough. I would take no joy in defeating an exhausted opponent.â He rose to his feet, stretching as he moved. He wasnât keen on remaining still for long periods of time, but you seemed accustomed to it, staying deathly still upon your cushion, uncertainty evident in your posture.
âThen, you will send me to my home?â You asked.
âNo.â The word escaped him before he could stop it.
He did not wish for you to go anywhere, lest you slip from his grasp never to be found again. It was because he wanted to play you more, thatâs what he told himself, but there was more to it than that, and in his soul he knew it.
He never wanted the image of you on your knees before him to slip away, never wanted to lose the pleasurable feeling of warmth that swelled in his chest with you there within his gaze.
âYouâll accompany me to my home, and weâll play until Iâm satisfied.â
â
Weeks had passed since youâd arrived at Sukunaâs estate in the Hida Mountains.
Youâd been given no time to bid goodbye to the women at the only home youâd ever known, swept off in a carriage down south where you had to relearn your surroundings in a totally new environment.
Of course, it wasnât the first time youâd been in the estate, but that experience made little impact on the ease of traversing around with no vision. You had to move slowly, fingers brushing on blurry objects shadowed in the darkness, hoping you didnât trip over something or walk into a screen door.
For the most part, you were left to your own devices. Sukuna had spoken little to you on the journey home, opting to ride on his horse rather than in the carriage with you, and heâd been equally elusive in his own estate, leaving you in isolation for days at a time.
You couldnât complain, for your days were spent in peace and serenity.
You would take long walks in the breeze of his garden, have his servants read aloud to you, and practice playing the erhu. On days where it was particularly cold and the chill seeped into your bones, you would remain in the grand bed he had provided and find greater comfort than you ever had in the old bed youâd laid upon in the courtesan house.
The only obligation you ever had to fulfill were shogi games. And during the times that he wasnât absent from the estate, those would take place every evening, in Sukunaâs own private quarters.
It was an odd decision, considering that the servants played shogi out in the garden, where a proper table was set up for that purpose. But it seemed that Sukuna took care in ensuring your meetings were private - a decision you didnât dare read into too deeply.
You didnât dare read into any of his behaviour too deeply, lest you rip your own heart from your chest.
That first meeting with him had been like nothing youâd ever experienced - genuine desire overcoming you at the deep tone of his voice. Even knowing that he could cause your death with little effort, you couldnât bury the lust within you, a fire that only burned stronger with each encounter with him.
It was hard to hold it together, to pretend that you wouldnât fling yourself into his arms given the chance, but you tried all the same, keeping yourself distant and cold, like you didnât dream of him between your legs each night, imagining the sound of his voice whispering sweet nothings against your ear.
Whether he felt the effect to the same extent you did, you werenât sure. You were certain youâd never know. His interest in you was surrounding shogi, and shogi alone.
One evening, you were sitting across from him having played a handful of games, finding victory had fallen into your hands even more easily than normal. Sukuna seemed distracted by something, the sound of fidgeting settling in your ears. He hadnât moved to start a new game, and based on the shadowy shapes in your vision, you could only assume he was leaning forward upon the table, bringing him close enough for his breath to fan your face.
âI killed today,â he said. Those were the first words heâd spoken to you that evening - you always followed his example with conversation, if he was feeling chatty you would indulge him, if he wished for silence you would give him that too.
You werenât exactly sure where he was going with that statement, nor were you certain what type of response he was seeking, so you offered him a hum of acknowledgement and little more. You didnât wish to think of the death that stained his hands, but nor did it build your animosity towards him.
To some extent you could understand lashing out at the world when you were someone so desperately lonely as he was. Part of you believed that if you hadnât been so frail perhaps youâd lash out at the world for your own condition. His primary servant had told you heâd been despised throughout his life, and when you find only cruelty in humans it's difficult to cling to kindness.
Sukuna wasnât so simple as a mere monster. Youâd understood that in the day youâd spent in his body, and had only further confirmed it by the intelligence he displayed when youâd speak over games of shogi. He had a great admiration for art and skill, and had seemed rather taken when youâd recited poetry, responding with verses of his own.
He was a multi-faceted man, and much of what you saw only seemed to further your attraction to him, even knowing it was wrong, even knowing youâd be hated for it. For once, you felt youâd found someone who understood what it was like to be you, to be cut off from the easy lives lived by most others.
A soul that entwined so perfectly with yours, even if heâd never be aware of such a thing.
âDo you wish to know who I killed?â He asked.
âI know few people, my lord. I doubt a name would mean anything to me.â
âThis one might. Iâve heard youâre familiar with Officer Sugawara? Heâs one of the Shogunâs men?â
Thoughts of your regular flickered through your mind. If you were being honest with yourself, you were glad to not have to see him anymore - him or any of the other clients youâd been forced to take. Courtesan life had been difficult for you, forced into it thanks to the conditions of your birth and kept there by a disability that made it hard to escape the life for something better.
Life in Sukunaâs estate had been easier, especially as the weeks passed and you grew more comfortable in the belief that Sukuna wasn't going to steal your life from you. Youâd lived in fear of Sugawara buying you out, of being forced to live like some doll in the house of a terribly boring man whose voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to your ears.
âI know him.â
âKnew him, would be more apt. His body lies at the foot of the mountain.â Sukuna spoke matter-of-factly. âHe came to claim you from me. I refused and we couldnât reach an amicable agreement, so I dealt with it another way.â
You werenât sure how to react, struggling to process the words. That Sugawara would follow you down to Hida already came as a surprise, you hadnât known how deep his devotion ran. But somehow, you found yourself rather taken by Sukunaâs decision, by the certainty in his choice to keep you.
To kill a man whose death could cause him issues with the Shogun might as well have been an outright confession of love.
Sugawaraâs death meant little to you. Men like that died all the time, and they saw women as little more than pretty objects to own. Sugawara had seen you as an impressive party trick, a clever cat rather than a human with depth and desires of her own. You hadnât wanted to be his, wouldnât have liked for Sukuna to surrender you to him.
âAre you irritated with me? When I controlled your body you seemed repulsed at his presence. Perhaps you have a heart too soft for blood and death.â
âNo- I-â You hesitated. âDid you do this to protect me?â
There was silence for a moment, and you longed to see his facial expression, but were forced to settle for the hint of confusion in his tone. âOf course. Iâve protected you since bringing you here. You can hardly protect yourself.â
You couldnât find it in you to be offended - heâd been in your body, he knew of your frailty better than anyone.
âWhy? Just because you enjoy shogi so much?â
âSomewhat. Though I must confess, lately I have been losing interest in the game. I feel Iâve come up against an insurmountable wall.â Panic filled you immediately, mind running at a million miles a minute as you analysed his statement. If he was growing bored of playing would he cast you aside? What use did he have for you if not shogi?
But then again, why would he kill Sugawara if he was moments from disposing of you?
âPerhaps it is the fault of my own discipline, for Iâve found it hard to focus on the game for quite some time now.â He hesitated, and you found yourself flinching at the feeling of a soft hand caressing your cheek, leaning into it once you overcame the initial shock of touch. âIt is difficult when you have a beautiful woman sitting across from you. Itâs even harder when my soul calls for you whenever you're near, drowning out any thoughts I might gather of strategy.â
âOh.â You werenât sure what to say, wondering if you should pinch yourself, for many of your dreams centred themselves around such a confession. But the touch had never felt so real before, large fingers brushing against the soft skin of your face.
âI wonder if Iâd be more focussed if I admitted fate might make some sense after all. I have never denied myself anything before now, and Iâm tired of denying myself you. You have captivated me thoroughly, and I believe the hole in my chest was carved out to allow you to one day settle there.â
The words were by far the most romantic statement anyone had ever uttered to you. In your time as a courtesan youâd heard plenty of cheesy and affectionate lines, ones youâd brush off and forget by the time the client was done with you. Sukunaâs words would burrow into your heart and remain there for as long as you drew breath.
Could anyone fault you for loving a monster who would speak such beauty to you? Could you be hated for finding one who had been cursed by the world just like you had?
âI have no care for the Shogunâs men,â Sukuna continued, âin my eyes they are little more than flies most of the time, an annoying thing to be ignored unless they brush too close. Would it amuse you to know I killed Sugawara out of jealousy? To hear that my chest tightened at the idea of you being taken from my side?â
âBecause you enjoy having such a capable rival in intelligence?â You asked, a wry smile creeping onto your face.
âBecause I enjoy you.â
It was clear he was waiting for you to say something. The words that had poured from his mouth were unlike any heâd spoken before, and although you couldnât see him, you could feel the sense of restlessness that gripped his body.
You would not leave him in uncertainty.
âI have only ever seen the world through your eyes,â you confessed shyly, âthe only face I see in the endless darkness is yours, and I dream of it every night.â Sukunaâs fingers twitched against your face. âIf youâll have me, I am yours.â
âEven though Iâm a monster?â He asked. There was no remorse in his tone, nothing to suggest that he was pained over who he was, it was just an honest question for you to answer as you wished. âYou were scared of me when we met. I know you hid yourself from me after discovering our connection, eager to ensure our paths would never cross.â
âBecause I believed you would kill me. I thought you to be a man who would stamp out any notion of love and eliminate me along with it.â
He hummed in acknowledgement, failing to deny your statement. You knew it to be true - if you had lost your shogi game on that first meeting, he wouldâve done exactly that. It was in his nature to love only that which piqued his interest.
âEspecially to be paired with someone so weak, I thought you would consider it an insult.â
He scoffed. âYou are far from weak, Iâve found it impossible to best you.â
âI meant physically,â your voice went small. âI did not imagine the King of Curses would favour a sightless woman, nor one so easily broken.â
He was silent for a moment, seemingly processing your words. âI was small and frail once. Perhaps frailer than you. I wish someone had valued me then for my other virtues. Iâm big enough and sharp enough to make up for your failings and you are clever enough to cover mine.â
Your mind was reeling at the idea of him admitting to having failings. Your heart stirring at his affection, and his easy desire despite your condition.
âI had not imagined a soulmate to be so well suited to me, for my tangles with fate have always been cruel,â he said. âBut youâre something different, something I need at my side, and I will be your eyes, your protector, whatever it is you want in order to keep you there.â
âOh.â You were positively blushing, whole body trembling beneath the weight of lovely words spoken in that deep voice of his.
Your soulmate wanted you.
A man hated by the world and filled with hatred in return had a space carved out for you, a space for love you hadnât known him capable of.
Youâd loved him from the first time youâd met him, drawn to him by an inexplicable force which seemed to grip him just as hard.
Soulmates really were wonderful.
Silence had settled between the two of you, only broken as the table screeched across the floor, the barrier between you removed. Sukuna shifted forward and an arm came to rest around your smaller body, pulling you towards him. His lips pressed against yours in a kiss you could only describe as sweet.
He didnât dominate you in the manner you believed a man like him would, instead he took his time, mapping out your lips and drawing you closer to him, letting you bathe in the warmth of his body against yours. It was almost like he was trying not to scare you, aware that you couldnât see anything he was doing and trying to move slowly as a result.
You wouldnât have minded either way, your fingers clinging to the biceps of his upper arms, desperate for more of a touch youâd only ever dreamed of.
People always said that to finally touch your soulmate was a euphoria like nothing else, and you truly believed them to be right. Your head felt like it was swimming, chest swelling as if Sukunaâs own soul had wriggled beneath your skin to intertwine with your own.
It was a little overwhelming.
âHow I long for you,â he murmured against your ear, breaking the kiss. âI was foolish to have not had you the moment I laid eyes on you, Iâve ached for your touch longer than I care to admit.â
His fingers moved down to your robes, and your breath hitched at the touch. You were no stranger to sex, your job had required it, but the feeling as he undressed you wasnât like any previous encounter youâd had. What regulars thought of your body was insignificant to you, sex was nothing special with them, just something you had to do if you wished to make a living wage.
This was the first time youâd ever been touched for free by someone you desired, and you felt suddenly nervous at your frail body being judged beneath his crimson gaze - especially when you couldnât look upon him in the same moment. There was no distraction in the darkness to keep you from worrying about how his gaze might burn through you, imagining discontent on his handsome face.
A cold chill caught you once your robes fell, leaving you kneeling and exposed in front of him. A soft breath fell from his lips, fingers moving delicately from your shoulders down to your breasts, as if checking you were truly real and there before him. More heat flooded you as his finger brushed over your peaked nipple.
âBeautiful. If I didnât despise the idea of sharing you with another I would paint you like this. Your body is worthy of that reverence.â
âI think my mind is probably more splendid.â You confessed. You had no eyes for awareness of your appearance, and had subsequently never really relied on it. People had said you were lovely, but you could never quite believe it, assuming that they were taking pity on you for your blindness.
âYour mind is exceptional. If I cannot beat you at shogi soon I have half a mind to ask you to assist me with real life strategy,â he said with a chuckle, fingers still trailing a slow path down your body. âBut it doesnât make your body any less lovely, and you cannot deny such things since youâve never seen yourself. Let me be your eyes and tell you that you are breathtaking.â
A shyness overcame you at those words, head angled downwards as if it would hide your blushing state from him. He raised your chin with a finger, his nose bumping yours before capturing your mouth in a kiss once more, bringing you close against his bare chest. You were so lost in the comfort of the kiss, that you found yourself completely caught off guard when something wet swiped against your stomach and breasts.
Flinching in surprise, you drew yourself back in an attempt to understand what was happening. Sukuna laughed, a hand moving into your hair comfortingly. âIt's my tongue,â he spoke easily.
Frowning, you found that his answer didnât make sense, because still the wet appendage explored your breasts, sending your heartrate flying as it flicked against your nipple with impressive accuracy. How could he be speaking but also doing that?
âThereâs a mouth on my stomach. Perhaps you didnât notice when you controlled my body.â
You were ashamed to admit you hadnât noticed such a thing. Sukuna had been naked when youâd awoken in his body, and youâd been quick to dress him up in robes, feeling rude to intrude upon the body of another without consent. Youâd very intentionally not paid too much attention to the workings of his body, not when the first thing youâd seen was the oddity he sported between his legs.
The memory that he had two of what most men only had one, suddenly had you feeling a little nervous in your position. You had no time to voice such nervousness before he was picking you up, allowing his second tongue to continue its onslaught while he carried you over to the bed, depositing you down upon the silk.
His weight moved on top of you, and he swallowed a gasp with his lips as his monstrous tongue shifted its attention from your breasts down to between your legs, dexterously finding a path between your things and lathering your pussy with attention while Sukuna consumed your mouth. Tears pricked in your eyes at the sensation, unaccustomed to a feeling like that.
In all your years as a courtesan, youâd never been eaten out. Men didnât come to brothels to serve women, they came to have their own needs attended to, and youâd done that in whichever manner they desired. You were grateful to have never experienced that feeling before, because it was a blessing to have Sukuna be your first.
Pressure built in your stomach over a series of minutes, overwhelmed by the way he seemed to be everywhere. A tongue between your lips, another between your thighs, hands squeezing your breasts, tweaking your nipples, more hands gripping your hips, pulling you up onto his secondary tongue to allow it a better angle to overwhelm you.
For the first time, you started to understand how Sukuna must feel whenever he played you at shogi - stumbling blindly in the dark whilst overcome from all angles with no means of knowing what was going to come next. It was pleasure in its highest form, and you were quick to cum with a yelp of his name, tears dripping from the corners of your eyes.
Sukuna broke the kiss, breathing heavily against your ear. It was a sound you enjoyed, one you could listen to all day if heâd allow you. âI have imagined you beneath me like this every night this week,â he mused, âmy imagination is hardly as pleasant as having the real thing. You taste much sweeter than my mind could conjure.â
Again, you were flushing red. âY-you can taste me throughâŠthat?â
âOf course.â You were certain he was grinning, âAnd Iâm glad that I can.â His secondary tongue was still moving slowly through your folds, lapping up the remnants of your first orgasm, teasingly flicking against your clit and making your shudder.
The two of you stayed like that for a while, breathing quietly together. You werenât sure what Sukuna wanted to do next, but for a moment you were happy to savor the warmth of his heavy body, twitching while he lazily continued his attention to your body. How you longed to see him, eager to witness the expression he was wearing while he attended to you.
All you had to go off was the erratic beating of his heart where his chest was pressed against you.
âLet me have you,â he murmured against your ear. âLet me make you mine.â
âIâm already yours.â
âIs that so? Then let me make it official.â
He shifted atop you, withdrawing his secondary tongue. In the absence of that heat between your thighs, you grew suddenly aware of a heavy pressure against your leg. Your mind jumped to the image of his cocks that youâd filed away in the back of your mind, gut twisting at the thought of either one of them pressing into you.
Sukuna chuckled from above you, a hand coming to stroke your hair. âYouâve seen them, havenât you?â
You nodded.
âI can tell, youâve got that scared little look on your face. Itâs fascinating, when you play shogi youâre unreadable, but outside of that? Youâre practically an open book with your emotions always written across your face.â
Pouting, you let humiliation wash over you. Nobody had ever told you that before. It was hard to guard one's emotions when you had no measure of how the faces of others looked. That was something youâd have to work on. At least you had the good sense to give nothing away when you played shogi.
Another laugh echoed from his lips. âEven now I can see your panic. Itâs very endearing.â
Any protest or response you had for him faded away into the recesses of your brain as he shuffled on top of you. He maneuvered you carefully into a new position, raising your legs and placing them up atop his broad shoulders. You were grateful for your flexibility in that moment, because the size difference between the two of you made that no easy task.
Sukuna was watching you from above while he positioned one of his cocks between your legs, running it steadily through your wet folds in a way that had you shivering with desire, still not fully recovered from the actions of his tongue. You were quick to discover that his focus was on his lower cock, as the upper one bumped pleasurably against your clit.
âYou know,â he mused, stilling his movements. âIâm surprised you struck no deal with me. It is what I had imagined you would do.â
âWhat?â
âIâd assumed I would ask for more and you would refuse me. Iâd thought your respect was tied to shogi, that you would refuse anything from me unless I was capable of beating you.â Your mind moved to Sugawara as you connected the dots. Sukuna believed youâd made that deal before, as if that tiresome Official hadnât dictated those rules of his own choosing.
Shogi was a game you adored, mainly because it was an activity you could excel at even without sight, unlike many other courtesan pastimes such as painting, which would forever be an impossibility for you. But it was by no means something you made all your decisions on, nor were you particularly interested in the skill of others.
If someone could defeat you, you would congratulate them for their win and move on, it would ultimately mean little.
To you, it was little more than a game. To various men, it seemed to be something held in much higher regard - a true mark of intelligence rather than a game for which one could learn and remember strategies to allow them a win.
It mattered little to you whether Sukuna could defeat you or not. Your affection for him wasnât tied to it in any manner.
âTo make such a demand would be wasting my own time. Why would I turn down a man I desire over something so trivial? Besides, my bet with Sugawara was made to ensure I never had to lay with him, that is not the fate I want for us.â
âSo you believe I am incapable of winning?â He asked, with greater disappointment than youâd been expecting.
âI do,â you said with a giggle, âjust as I am incapable of emerging victorious in a battle. We all have our strengths.â
A yelp fell from you as he pushed the tip of his cock into you, catching you unawares. âYeah?â He asked, pressing deeper into you, his fingers tangling tightly into your hair. âRather sure of yourself, arenât you?â
You couldnât help but laugh again - even in the midst of the dull pain of him driving into you, there was something so endearingly pathetic about his words.
âI am. But youâre free to challenge me whenever you like.â
He was silent as he bottomed out inside of you, his face falling to your neck and leaving a trail of kisses and bites along your skin while he allowed you some time to adjust. You were grateful for his consideration of your wellbeing, fingers digging into his skin, your gut aching as he leaned forwards over you, pushing your legs higher on his shoulders.
There was no question that he was the largest man youâd ever had inside you, practically tearing you apart with his intrusion, but after a few minutes of stillness you found yourself able to relax, the panic exhibited by your body slowly dissipating as you accommodated his size.
âI will challenge you whenever I like,â he whispered against your ear. âAfter this, the cloud of lust youâve placed in my mind will be thinner, and I will beat you with ease.â
âOh, Iâm sure-â
Your snarky response was promptly cut off as he withdrew himself from you, only to swiftly fill you up once more, pulling a desperate cry of his name from your lips. There was no second adjustment period given, instead you found yourself clinging on for dear life as he filled you over and over again with swift and deep thrusts that had your eyes rolling back.
One of his hands moved to your stomach, pressing down against the bulge where his cock would press up inside you. It was clear he was fascinated by it, finding great enjoyment in you being claimed by him. You were certain he was no virgin, but it seemed that you were the first woman who meant something to him, the first one who was worth something beyond carnal pleasure.
Legs quivering beneath the weight of his thrusts, you appreciated the way two of his hands came to rest on your thighs, keeping you steady with each brutal snap of his hips. You were crying and whining, your hands blindly reaching for him but finding him just out of range in this position. Seemingly to appease you, he leant further forward, really testing the flexibility of your legs as he practically folded you in half.
Lips pressed against your forehead affectionately, and you enjoyed every single second of his attention, mind floating off on a cloud as your gut tightened with each careful stroke, your walls flexing around his cock. Your whole body felt like it was on fire, a feeling only heightened by the erratic contact of his higher cock rubbing up against your clit.
âYou feel so good, fuck. I canât last like this,â he grumbled, never losing pace. It stroked your ego to know of his desire, to understand just how much heâd been holding back since your first meeting. It was everything you imagined the joining of two soulmates would be - desperately euphoric and overflowing with pleasure.
Sex had never felt so good, it had never really felt good at all, and yet you could spend eternity with Sukuna buried inside of you, your bodies and souls joined just as they were always meant to be.
He was yours and you were his. It was just as fate had decreed.
There was nothing stopping the scream that ripped through you as you finally teetered over the edge, your body convulsing in pleasure and clamping down on Sukunaâs thick cock, eager to milk him for all he was worth. You were sobbing his name and writhing against the silk sheets, your hands gripping them desperately in an attempt to anchor yourself to something in the throes of pleasure.
Sukuna couldnât hold on long after that either, spilling into you with a warmth that only heightened your pleasure. His other cock found its release at the same time, cum dripping down onto your stomach in a manner that youâd usually find disgusting, if it werenât your soulmate who was doing it to you. He groaned your name quietly, and let your legs fall from his shoulders.
Without the barrier of your thighs, he settled himself down on top of you, pressing kisses all over your face, his cock still twitching inside your exhausted pussy. You let him lather you with affection, still trying to come to terms with this side of Sukuna. It had been what youâd wanted, what you believed he was capable of, but you hadnât dreamed it would truly happen.
The most you believed youâd get from him was a lifetime of shogi matches, in which the two of you would remain close but never cross the line youâd been so desperate to leap across.
âHas the fog of lust lifted?â You teased. âDo you believe now you can defeat me?â
Sukuna let out a low, rumbling chuckle. âPerhaps we will have to do that a few more times for it to fully ease.â
âOh is that so?â You giggled, reaching out for his hair. He gripped your wrist and moved it into position, allowing you to play with the soft locks youâd been so eager to touch since the first time youâd seen them upon his head.
You wished you could gaze upon that lovely shade of pink once more, but it was enough to know he was there before you, yours to touch as you pleased.
âMmm, I think it would help,â he purred.
âIâm sure that can be arranged.â
Youâd give him whatever he wanted. You were his and he was yours for as long as heâd have you.
a/n: I had so much fun writing this one! thinking about doing one soulmate au for each of the jjk men because I find them so enjoyable to play with <3
anyway, for any crazy in love fans, the next chapter will be out towards the end of this week!
perma taglist: @calicatzz @suzunu @winkii @sukubusss @bobis-notmylover @tetsuski @torupilled @brattyxackerman @r0vena @chaos-4baby @moonlitreveri3 @feyrinnn @strawberryrosey @creamofsneky-blog @zeeseekay @p1nkfl0wers @apricityn @keiiiluv @dogggggggblog-kaye @duckie3801 @lav4mpira @seellove @cutesytwt @gojodickbig @yuujispinkhair @somos-things @yeagersss @paradisestarfishh @jennilynn63 @tthhaattgguuyy27 @bexxli @being-blue-is-better @tisuruxx @juliarchiv3s @dishs0pe @plutoxxxworld @5kkalara @serenadesvt @00frenchfries00 @warriorofenlightenment @scarlet-issilly @himbosexual @pousivuitton @ksjtozaki @certainfanpoetry @gojoscumslut @ynishalee @nakiich
© sukunahs
















