NEW MESSAGE FROM SAKUSA: my love is yours if youβre willing to take it, give me your heart βcause i ainβt gonna break it.
MAR ΰΌβ§βΛ. twenty three. she/her. pisces. writing and rambling. professional slow writer. this blog contains and interacts with nsfw and dark content.
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content: female reader, drinking, sexual tension. word count: 1,7k.
The waitress didn't even flinch.
She picked up the glass, looked the guy dead in the eye, and splashed the entire thing in his face before the slap landed so clean across his cheek that half the bar erupted. Your table lost their minds.
"Someone has to do that." Suguru said immediately, already pointing.
"And who?" You asked.
Everyone looked at Sukuna.Β
He leaned back in his chair with the audacity of a man who had never once been humbled in his life. "Don't even think about it."
"Cβmon, don't be a pussy." Satoru said.Β
"Why don't you do it then?" Sukuna argued back.Β
"Because everyone here wants you to be put in your place."
And that sparked another argument among everyone at the table about who should do it. Sukuna pointed at Satoru, Satoru pointed at Choso, Choso pointed at Suguru, who pointed at Kento.
The girls exchanged mocking glances. Menβthey never change.
"Okay okay, let's settle this like men." Choso said. "Rock, paper, scissors. Loser gets the slap."
"I'm not playing that shit."
The guys started to insist, but he was stubborn about his decision until you decided to step in.
"Sukunaβ" Just his name, the way you said it when you wanted him to stop being difficult. He looked at you for a split second before exhaling through his nose and dropping his hand into the circle.
Everyone at the table cheered again.Β
The tension was palpable at that moment; the guys had a look of intense concentration on their faces, as if they were in a life-or-death battle rather than just playing a simple game of rock, paper, scissors. Although, in their minds, they were probably treating it as such.
Rock, paper, or scissors.
Suguru and Nanami are safe.Β
Rock, paper, or scissors.
Choso is safe.Β
Rock, paper, or scissors.
Everyone was losing their minds when Satoru and Sukuna were the last ones left.
Rock, paper, or scissors.
Everyone screamed.Β
God probably heard everyone's prayers.
Satoru, scissors. Sukuna, paper. Which felt less like coincidence and more like karma finally clocking in for its shift.
Sukuna sat with his jaw tight and that specific look on his face he only got when he was annoyed but had absolutely nothing to say about it, which was your second favorite expression on him. Your first was whatever was about to come next.
"Fine." He said, holding up one hand. The noise died down. "But Y/N's the one who does it."
You blinked. "What?"
"You heard me."
"Why me?"
He looked at you. That slow, unbothered slide of his eyes that somehow still managed to feel like a full assessment. The corner of his mouth pulled up.
"One, because I'm not letting a stranger slap me." He counted on his finger. "And two, because you've wanted to since the day you met me."
The table went quiet for exactly one second before the laughter started again.
The worst part was that he wasn't wrong.
You thought about every time he'd snatched something right out of your handβyour phone, your drink, a pen you were actively usingβand held it above your head like an overgrown middle schooler, making you jump for it while he laughed. The time he fell asleep during a movie you'd picked and then had the nerve to ask how it ended. The charger he'd borrowed that had since disappeared into whatever black hole he called an apartment. The way he used the wrong name on purpose just to watch you glare at him. The time he showed up forty minutes late to something you'd planned and walked in like he was doing everyone a favor just by existing.
And the smirking. God, the smirking. That lazy, unbothered smirk he gave you every time you got annoyed, like your irritation was the funniest thing he'd seen all week.
Yeah. You'd wanted to.
The waitress materialized at your shoulder like she'd been sent specifically for this moment. She set a shot of tequila and fresh glass of ice water on the table, looked at Sukuna, looked at you, and said: "Make it count, baby."
You picked up the glass.
Sukuna stood there with his arms crossed and that smirk still in place, so completely certain you were going to hesitate, so completely certain he already knew what you were going to do before you did itβthe same way he always did, about everything, always.Β
He sighed and picked up the shot, then gave you a mocking look before downing it in one go.
You threw the entire glass in his face before he could put the small glass back on the table.
The gasp from the table was immediate. The water hit him all at onceβhair, forehead, that stupidly pretty faceβand before he could process it, your palm connected with his cheek hard enough that his head turned.
Silence.
Then absolute chaos.
Sukuna stood perfectly still, jaw shifted slightly to one side, water dripping from his chin. He pressed his tongue slowly against his cheek. And then he looked at you.
You became very interested in the condition of your own hand.
The boys were screaming. Someone knocked over a drink. Satoru was actually crying. The waitress held up her palm and you slapped it on pure adrenaline, and for approximately forty-five seconds you felt like the most powerful person alive and absolutely did not look in Sukuna's direction, not even once, because you were celebrating and that was the only reason.
When you finally looked back, he was still watching you.
Not laughing with the others. Not wiping the water off his face. Just standing there with his, eyes on youβthe same way he'd looked right after the slap landed, like something had shifted and he was in no particular rush to look away from it. The noise was still there, Suguru losing his mind somewhere to your left, a glass still rolling across the floor, but none of it was quite loud enough to matter.
You knew the move. Say something sarcastic, look away, let it die the same way these moments always did between the two of you. You'd had enough practice.
Except he wasn't giving you the usual smirk. This was different. This was just him, wet and completely unbothered, looking at you like he was waiting to see what you'd do next.
You didn't look away.
Neither did he.
It lasted maybe four seconds. Maybe five. Long enough that you were definitely aware of it, long enough that he definitely was too, long enough that something warm settled at the base of your throat that had nothing to do with your drink.
Then his tongue pressed against his cheek one last time and the corner of his mouth pulled upβnot the full smirk, just the beginning of oneβand you got the distinct feeling he'd just filed this moment away somewhere useful.
Then Suguru's arm came down around your shoulders, telling you that you didn't know "you had it in you" and that it was the best slap he'd ever seen in his life, even though he'd been slapped several times. Sukuna was pushed aside by Satoru's arm, who couldn't stop laughing.
You heard Sukuna in the distance telling the waitress to do the same to Satoru, who quickly denied, and suddenly the whole group had a new victim and a new mission.Β
Minutes passed; the atmosphere at the table had calmed down, and the conversation had turned to school anecdotes. Sukuna had been pulled to the other side of the table, and you two hadn't looked at each other since. Which was fine, but he was probably still mad, and to say that you cared would be a lie. You knew Sukuna a little too well. You knew he wouldn't stay mad for longβhe was just that petty.
You took one last sip of your drink, and, needing a little more alcohol in your system, you turned and headed toward the bar. You asked the bartender for another mojito, and since he was a little busy, you knew it would take a few minutes.
"I have to admit, that slap was the hottest thing ever."Β
You looked to your right and saw Sukuna leaning against the bar, his eyes fixed on you.
"I didn't think of you as a masochist." You said, shifting your gaze to the TV behind the bartender. "You always gave me the vibe of a sadist."
"I can be both."
"Good to know."
You didn't even get a warning.
In the blink of an eye, Sukuna leaned toward youβhis mouth pressed at your ear before you fully registered he'd moved at all.
"Even though I liked it." His voice was low, unhurried. "You're gonna pay for that."
"You say that like it's supposed to scare me." You said in a low voice, trying not to let the closeness of his breath affect you.
"Never said anything about scaring you." A pause, just long enough. "Guess we'll figure out what I meant later."
The spank landed before you could respond. Flat and deliberate, hand to your ass like he had all the right in the world, and then he was gone. Already walking toward the table with his shirt still damp, hands in his pockets, not looking back once.
You stood very still. Completely in shock. And, to your misfortune, completely turned on.
It was the bartender placing your mojito in front of you that snapped you out of your trance.
You looked towards the table and found that Sukuna was already looking at you, and like the bastard he was, he winked at you as he took a sip of his beer continued his conversation with Shoko like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just said that directly into your ear. Like he hadn't just spanked you. Like the last three minutes were completely unremarkable to him.
Maybe they were. That was the thing about Sukunaβyou could never actually tell.
You picked up your drink. Put it back down. Picked it up again.
Then Choso arrived at your side, completely oblivious to the situation. "You okay?" He asked this as he ordered another drink for himself.
"Completely fine." You said.
You were not completely fine. You were, specifically, very aware of exactly how not fine you were, which was its own problem you'd have to deal with later. Privately. Far away from here.
content: female reader, drinking, sexual tension. word count: 1,7k.
The waitress didn't even flinch.
She picked up the glass, looked the guy dead in the eye, and splashed the entire thing in his face before the slap landed so clean across his cheek that half the bar erupted. Your table lost their minds.
"Someone has to do that." Suguru said immediately, already pointing.
"And who?" You asked.
Everyone looked at Sukuna.Β
He leaned back in his chair with the audacity of a man who had never once been humbled in his life. "Don't even think about it."
"Cβmon, don't be a pussy." Satoru said.Β
"Why don't you do it then?" Sukuna argued back.Β
"Because everyone here wants you to be put in your place."
And that sparked another argument among everyone at the table about who should do it. Sukuna pointed at Satoru, Satoru pointed at Choso, Choso pointed at Suguru, who pointed at Kento.
The girls exchanged mocking glances. Menβthey never change.
"Okay okay, let's settle this like men." Choso said. "Rock, paper, scissors. Loser gets the slap."
"I'm not playing that shit."
The guys started to insist, but he was stubborn about his decision until you decided to step in.
"Sukunaβ" Just his name, the way you said it when you wanted him to stop being difficult. He looked at you for a split second before exhaling through his nose and dropping his hand into the circle.
Everyone at the table cheered again.Β
The tension was palpable at that moment; the guys had a look of intense concentration on their faces, as if they were in a life-or-death battle rather than just playing a simple game of rock, paper, scissors. Although, in their minds, they were probably treating it as such.
Rock, paper, or scissors.
Suguru and Nanami are safe.Β
Rock, paper, or scissors.
Choso is safe.Β
Everyone was losing their minds when Satoru and Sukuna were the last ones left.
Rock, paper, or scissors.
Everyone screamed.Β
God probably heard everyone's prayers.
Satoru, scissors. Sukuna, paper. Which felt less like coincidence and more like karma finally clocking in for its shift.
Sukuna sat with his jaw tight and that specific look on his face he only got when he was annoyed but had absolutely nothing to say about it, which was your second favorite expression on him. Your first was whatever was about to come next.
"Fine." He said, holding up one hand. The noise died down. "But Y/N's the one who does it."
You blinked. "What?"
"You heard me."
"Why me?"
He looked at you. That slow, unbothered slide of his eyes that somehow still managed to feel like a full assessment. The corner of his mouth pulled up.
"One, because I'm not letting a stranger slap me." He counted on his finger. "And two, because you've wanted to since the day you met me."
The table went quiet for exactly one second before the laughter started again.
The worst part was that he wasn't wrong.
You thought about every time he'd snatched something right out of your handβyour phone, your drink, a pen you were actively usingβand held it above your head like an overgrown middle schooler, making you jump for it while he laughed. The time he fell asleep during a movie you'd picked and then had the nerve to ask how it ended. The charger he'd borrowed that had since disappeared into whatever black hole he called an apartment. The way he used the wrong name on purpose just to watch you glare at him. The time he showed up forty minutes late to something you'd planned and walked in like he was doing everyone a favor just by existing.
And the smirking. God, the smirking. That lazy, unbothered smirk he gave you every time you got annoyed, like your irritation was the funniest thing he'd seen all week.
Yeah. You'd wanted to.
The waitress materialized at your shoulder like she'd been sent specifically for this moment. She set a shot of tequila and fresh glass of ice water on the table, looked at Sukuna, looked at you, and said: "Make it count, baby."
You picked up the glass.
Sukuna stood there with his arms crossed and that smirk still in place, so completely certain you were going to hesitate, so completely certain he already knew what you were going to do before you did itβthe same way he always did, about everything, always.Β
He sighed and picked up the shot, then gave you a mocking look before downing it in one go.
You threw the entire glass in his face before he could put the small glass back on the table.
The gasp from the table was immediate. The water hit him all at onceβhair, forehead, that stupidly pretty faceβand before he could process it, your palm connected with his cheek hard enough that his head turned.
Silence.
Then absolute chaos.
Sukuna stood perfectly still, jaw shifted slightly to one side, water dripping from his chin. He pressed his tongue slowly against his cheek. And then he looked at you.
You became very interested in the condition of your own hand.
The boys were screaming. Someone knocked over a drink. Satoru was actually crying. The waitress held up her palm and you slapped it on pure adrenaline, and for approximately forty-five seconds you felt like the most powerful person alive and absolutely did not look in Sukuna's direction, not even once, because you were celebrating and that was the only reason.
When you finally looked back, he was still watching you.
Not laughing with the others. Not wiping the water off his face. Just standing there with his, eyes on youβthe same way he'd looked right after the slap landed, like something had shifted and he was in no particular rush to look away from it. The noise was still there, Suguru losing his mind somewhere to your left, a glass still rolling across the floor, but none of it was quite loud enough to matter.
You knew the move. Say something sarcastic, look away, let it die the same way these moments always did between the two of you. You'd had enough practice.
Except he wasn't giving you the usual smirk. This was different. This was just him, wet and completely unbothered, looking at you like he was waiting to see what you'd do next.
You didn't look away.
Neither did he.
It lasted maybe four seconds. Maybe five. Long enough that you were definitely aware of it, long enough that he definitely was too, long enough that something warm settled at the base of your throat that had nothing to do with your drink.
Then his tongue pressed against his cheek one last time and the corner of his mouth pulled upβnot the full smirk, just the beginning of oneβand you got the distinct feeling he'd just filed this moment away somewhere useful.
Then Suguru's arm came down around your shoulders, telling you that you didn't know "you had it in you" and that it was the best slap he'd ever seen in his life, even though he'd been slapped several times. Sukuna was pushed aside by Satoru's arm, who couldn't stop laughing.
You heard Sukuna in the distance telling the waitress to do the same to Satoru, who quickly denied, and suddenly the whole group had a new victim and a new mission.Β
Minutes passed; the atmosphere at the table had calmed down, and the conversation had turned to school anecdotes. Sukuna had been pulled to the other side of the table, and you two hadn't looked at each other since. Which was fine, but he was probably still mad, and to say that you cared would be a lie. You knew Sukuna a little too well. You knew he wouldn't stay mad for longβhe was just that petty.
You took one last sip of your drink, and, needing a little more alcohol in your system, you turned and headed toward the bar. You asked the bartender for another mojito, and since he was a little busy, you knew it would take a few minutes.
"I have to admit, that slap was the hottest thing ever."Β
You looked to your right and saw Sukuna leaning against the bar, his eyes fixed on you.
"I didn't think of you as a masochist." You said, shifting your gaze to the TV behind the bartender. "You always gave me the vibe of a sadist."
"I can be both."
"Good to know."
You didn't even get a warning.
In the blink of an eye, Sukuna leaned toward youβhis mouth pressed at your ear before you fully registered he'd moved at all.
"Even though I liked it." His voice was low, unhurried. "You're gonna pay for that."
"You say that like it's supposed to scare me." You said in a low voice, trying not to let the closeness of his breath affect you.
"Never said anything about scaring you." A pause, just long enough. "Guess we'll figure out what I meant later."
The spank landed before you could respond. Flat and deliberate, hand to your ass like he had all the right in the world, and then he was gone. Already walking toward the table with his shirt still damp, hands in his pockets, not looking back once.
You stood very still. Completely in shock. And, to your misfortune, completely turned on.
It was the bartender placing your mojito in front of you that snapped you out of your trance.
You looked towards the table and found that Sukuna was already looking at you, and like the bastard he was, he winked at you as he took a sip of his beer continued his conversation with Shoko like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't just said that directly into your ear. Like he hadn't just spanked you. Like the last three minutes were completely unremarkable to him.
Maybe they were. That was the thing about Sukunaβyou could never actually tell.
You picked up your drink. Put it back down. Picked it up again.
Then Choso arrived at your side, completely oblivious to the situation. "You okay?" He asked this as he ordered another drink for himself.
"Completely fine." You said.
You were not completely fine. You were, specifically, very aware of exactly how not fine you were, which was its own problem you'd have to deal with later. Privately. Far away from here.
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Fav character? (could really be anything I love drawing new things and challenging myself, but I do also love drawing jjk characters)
Favorite animal?
Literally anything I know I donβt have the most on my account. Iβm still new to posting my art because Iβm scared and anxious about showing my work, but Iβm really wanting to start getting out there and showing people and hoping that my art can bring others comfort and joy just as much as drawing brings me.π«Άπ»
oh my god this is actually the sweetest ask ever π i would absolutely LOVE that, are you kidding me?? first of all, please don't be scared to post your art! putting yourself out there is so brave and i promise you your work is going to bring people so much comfort and joy π₯Ίπ«Άπ»
to answer your questions!!
fav characters: i am a massive sakusa and geto fan (and since you mentioned loving jjk characters, geto is a huge win!) :))
fav animal: bears are 100% my absolute favorite animal
seriously, thank you so much for wanting to draw something for me. take your time, zero pressure at all, and i'm already so excited to see whatever you create!! welcome to posting your art, you're going to do amazing!! ππ
i have a long ass fic that i write purely for myself from time to time. itβs a whole series with rindou (following this fic with him btw), and honestly? i am obsessed with it lol. itβs my ultimate stress relief. it has so much unnecessary drama, gangster nonsense, and feels like a trashy tv show but it is just β¨homeβ¨ if you know what I mean
content: female reader, businessman!toji, unplanned pregnancy, forced marriage, fake/pretend relationship, naoya is a good uncle, megumi being cute. word count: 6,2k.
note: this is a boring chapter im sorry:(
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Toji pulled up to Naoya's house around 4 PM and then sat in his car, staring at the steering wheel for about thirty minutes.
He looked down as he felt his phone vibrate for what must have been the tenth time.
Boss.
Also known as Dad. So, Toji rejected the call again. His father was the last person he needed to talk to right now. He didn't have the head or the patience to deal with that, especially when another worry was eating him alive right nowβhe needed to tell Megumi. Had to tell him before the news spread through the Zen'in clan like wildfire, before his son heard about his father's latest fuckup from someone else.
But how?
How did you explain to a kid that his life was about to change completely? That his dad had gotten someone pregnantβsomeone Megumi barely knewβand now they were getting married and there would be a new baby and a stepmother and everything was going to be different?
He couldn't lie to Megumi. He could lie to his father, to your parents, to the entire Tokyo social scene about the relationship with you being real and established. He could sell that story to everyone else without his conscience bothering him too much.
But to his son? To that kid who looked at him with complete trust and believed everything Toji told him? He'd never forgive himself for that.
So he needed to find a way to explain this in terms an eight-year-old would understand. Without the full truthβbecause Dad was messing around and got someone pregnant by accident wasn't exactly age-appropriateβbut without outright lies either.
Walk a tightrope between honesty and protection. Easy.
After what felt like the hundredth heavy sigh, Toji finally opened the car door and walked to Naoya's entrance.
β
His cousin's house was niceβexpensive, modern, all clean lines with minimalist furniture that probably cost more than it should. It had been a "gift" from Naobito when Naoya turned twenty-two, though Toji privately thought the house was less a gesture of generosity and more a bribe to get the blonde menace out of the family home. He didn't blame his uncle. Naoya could be absolutely exhausting to live with.
Toji didn't bother with the doorbellβhe let himself in and followed the sounds of video game combat and trash talk to the living room.
Naoya and Megumi were planted in front of the massive TV, controllers in hand, deeply focused on Super Smash Bros. Megumi's characterβSonic, as alwaysβwas absolutely demolishing Naoya's.
"What the FUCK!" Naoya screamed as his character went flying off the screen for what was clearly not the first time. He threw his controller at the couch cushions in frustration.
"That's twenty-five to zero." Megumi said calmly, making a careful tally mark in a small notebook beside him on the couch.
"How much time do you spend playing this game to be this good?" Naoya demanded, running his hands through his perfectly styled hair and messing it up completely. "I should scold your father. You should be reading books or doing homework or some educational shit."
"I don't play Smash that much." Megumi said, his tone utterly matter-of-fact. "You're just really bad at this game, Uncle Naoya."
"You little shit." Naoya lunged forward, grabbing Megumi in a playful headlock and aggressively ruffling his dark hair while the kid squirmed and laughed, trying to escape. "Take it back!"
"Never!" Megumi was half-screaming, half-laughing. It was at that moment that the boy saw Toji in the room. "Dad! Help me!"
Naoya immediately released him when he spotted Toji, and Megumi scrambled over, still grinning and trying to fix his hair as he hid behind Toji.
"You shouldn't let that kid play so many video games." Naoya said, straightening his designer shirt like he was the responsible adult here. "It's frying his brain cells."
"He doesn't play Smash that much." He eplied with a shrug. "You're just bad."
"Fuck you."
"Language." Toji said, though Megumi had definitely heard worse. "Go grab your stuff. We're leaving." He said to Megumi, giving him a gentle smack on the back of the head.
"Okay!" Megumi ran off to wherever he had left his backpack.
Toji turned back to Naoya. "Did you feed my child actual food or just sugar?"
"Of course I fed him." Naoya looked offended. "We had pizza."
Toji raised an eyebrow.
"What? I wasn't going to cook. It's Saturday."
"As if you cook the rest of the week."
"I have people for that." Naoya sprawled back on his expensive couch, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "Besides, the kid's fine. We got vegetables on it and everything. Peppers count as vegetables, right?"
Toji was waiting for itβthe comment about last night, about the gala, about you. Naoya lived for gossip and drama, and the Ito heir passing out at a major social event and being carried off by Toji Zen'in should have been irresistible bait.
But Naoya just grabbed his phone, already distracted by something on the screen. There were probably more interesting things going on that he could focus his attention on, or he just forgot about it.
Thank god for small mercies.
Megumi returned with his backpack, which looked considerably heavier than it had this morning. Toji didn't want to know how many snacks Naoya had let him pack in there.
"Thanks for watching him." He said.
"Anytime. Kid's fun. Kicks my ass at video games, but fun." Naoya waved without looking up from his phone. "See you around."
"Bye, Uncle Naoya!" Megumi called, already heading for the door.
"Later, kid."
β
In the car, Megumi was a chatterbox, going on about his day with the kind of enthusiasm only a kid could muster after too much pizza and video games.
"βand then Uncle Naoya said I couldn't possibly beat him five more times in a row, but I totally did! He got so mad, Dad, it was hilarious. And we watched that anime I told you about, the one with the pirates, and Uncle Naoya said the main character is stupid but I think he's cool, andβ"
Toji listened, making appropriate sounds of interest, asking questions at the right moments. But his mind was elsewhere, running through conversation starters and explanations and trying to figure out how to drop this bomb without traumatizing his kid.
Hey buddy, remember that lady you met that one time? Yeah, she's pregnant and we're getting married in two weeks.
No. Terrible.
So I have some exciting newsβ
Also terrible. There was nothing exciting about this.
We're going to have some changes in the familyβ
God, he sounded like a divorce counselor.
When the doors of his house's garage closed, Megumi quickly got out of the car. Toji followed him inside until they entered the house, and his son was about to go upstairs, but he stopped him.Β
"Hey." He said. "Before you go up, I need to talk to you about something. Come sit with me in the living room for a minute."
Megumi's enthusiasm dimmed immediately, replaced by that look kids got when they knew something serious was coming. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No. All good."
"Then what?"
"Just come sit with me. It's important."
That finally caught his attention.
Megumi fell silent at once, his usual stream of questions and observations fading away as he followed Toji into the living room. The sudden seriousness in his father's voice seemed to settle over him, replacing curiosity with uncertainty.
Toji lowered himself onto the couch and patted the empty spot beside him. For a moment, Megumi hesitated. Then he climbed up slowly, shoulders a little tense, his small hands twisting together in his lap. He glanced up at Toji, nervous now, as if he already knew whatever came next wasn't going to be an ordinary conversation.
"Are you sure I'm not in trouble?" He asked.Β
"No, buddy. You're not in trouble at all." Toji ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out where to start. "I just need to tell you about something that's going to happen."
"What is it?"
Toji opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried again, but the same thing happened. And again, and again, and again. He could see the desperation in Megumiβs eyes as he waited to hear what his father was going to say, so, after a long sigh, he managed to speak, even with his heart in his throat.Β
"Do you remember my friend?" Toji asked. "The woman you met that one time in the hallway?"
Megumi's face immediately brightened. "The sleepover lady!"
Toji almost laughed despite the knot in his stomach. Right. The "sleepover lady."
That had been a disaster. It was about six months ago, one night when youβd stayed over at his place after sneaking out of a work dinner that, in your own words, was "unnecessarily long."
"Toji."
A voice, somewhere far off.
"Toji."
Closer now, but still muffled by the thick pull of sleep.
"Toji! Wake up!"
The jolt was what actually did it. He sat up so fast his forehead cracked into something solid.Β
He blinked. His vision swam, then cleared.
You were sitting on the edge of the bed beside him, palm pressed to your forehead, face scrunched in a way that told him that the something solid he hit was you.Β
"I'm sorry." He said quickly, still rough with sleep and ignoring his own pain that the collision had caused him to check on you. He reached out and took your chin, tilting your face toward the light to get a better look. "Are you okay?"
"Yes!" You said immediately. Then: "No."
Despite himself, Toji let out a short, low laugh. "Which one is it?"
You dropped your hand. "Toji. I ran into Megumi."
That cut through the last of his sleepiness faster than anything else could have.
"What?" He straightened. "How?"
You looked at him for a few seconds, as if you were thinking about your answer, before saying, "I had to use the bathroomβI was looking for it and ran into him in the hallway."
"Butβ" He almost said there's a big ass bathroom in hereβand then he looked at you. Really looked.
You were wearing yesterday's dress. Which was, notably, inside out. Your bag was sitting by the door, right where it would be if someone had dropped it in a hurry on their way inβexcept he remembered, clearly, that you'd left it on the couch across the room when you'd arrived last night.
The math wasn't complicated. You had been trying to sneak out before he woke up.
He filed that away for later, because right now there was a more pressing problem.
"What did you say to him?" He asked.
"Nothing! I panicked and came back."
He exhaled through his nose. "Okay. Justβdon't worry about it. I'll handle it."
β
Getting you out of the house without running into Megumi a second time turned out to require more tactical effort than planned, but it worked. It was kind of funny to see how panicked you got every time you walked a few more feetβespecially when you said you heard a noise and hid behind a plant that did everything but hide you.
"That was a close call." You said as soon as he closed the front door.
He wanted to comment on your attempt to sneak out, but he decided to let it go; he'd save that for later.
"It's okay, I'll talk to him."
"What are you going to tell him?"
Toji thought about it for a moment. "That you're just a friend."
You looked at him with a hint of surprise on your face, "Just that?"
"What should I tell him, then?" He asked, leaning against the door.
"Youβre right, thatβs fine." You replied after a somewhat awkward silence. "I'm leaving."
"I'll walk you to your car."
When you reached the vehicle, he quickly opened the door for you, but before you got inβand after a quick glance aroundβhe grabbed you by the neck and kissed you. And if it weren't for his concern about having to explain things to Megumi, he would have shoved you into the car for a second round. So he broke off the kiss; lately, he couldn't control himself when he was around you.
"See you later?" He asked with a smirk.
"Sure." You said as you got into the car.
"By the wayβ" He began as he closed your door. "Your dress is inside out."
He caught a quick glimpse of the embarrassment on your face before turning away.
Toji went into his house and made his way to the kitchen; he needed some water.
"Who was that?"
Toji stopped walking. The sudden sound of his son's voice nearly giving him a heart attack.Β
He didn't notice him at first, but as he approached the unnecessarily large couch, he saw him lying there, cross-legged, iPad in his lap.
So he had seen you get out? Fuck. Of course he had.
"A friend." Toji said quickly. Too quickly.Β
Megumi's expression was exactly as unreadable as it always was, which meant he was either completely unbothered or running some kind of eight-year-old internal investigation. "What was she doing here so early? And why was she coming out of your room?"
Fuck.Β
Toji considered his options.
"Because she stayed over. That's allβ" He said without thinking.
"Why?"Β
Toji sighed. "Because adults sometimes spend time together. It's not a big deal."Β
"Like a sleepover?" His son's innocence almost made him chuckle.
"...Yes."
Megumi looked back down at his iPad, as though processing this. "Why didn't you invite me? I like sleepovers."
Toji almost choked on his own saliva. "This was an adult sleepover."
"Oh." A pause. "So it was boring then."
Toji walked past him toward the kitchen. "It was."
He poured himself a glass of water and drank half of it before he realized he was smiling.
Megumi had accepted that explanation with the easy logic of a child who hadn't yet learned to question adult behavior. Though he had asked, periodically over the following months, whether the "sleepover lady" would be coming back.
"Yeah." Toji said now. "The sleepover lady. Y/N."
"What about her?" Megumi asked, clearly confused.
"Sheβ¦ well sheβ¦" Toji thought about it, and thought about it, and thought about it again. But no explanation seemed good enough. "Sheβs having lunch with us on Monday."
Megumi frowned, clearly confused. "That's it?"
"That's it."
β
Toji was a coward.
Without a doubt, he was a coward.
Toji had always prided himself on being directβsomeone who didn't sugarcoat things or avoid uncomfortable conversations. Yet somehow, when it came to Megumi, he couldn't do it.
The words should have been easy. Y/N and I are getting married. A simple sentence. A fact. Something he should have been able to say without hesitation.
But when he looked at his son, he just couldn't do it.Β
And it annoyed him. Because what kind of coward was he, hesitating over a conversation with the one person who deserved his honesty the most? He could face shareholders, rivals, and anyone trying to challenge him, but explaining this to Megumiβexplaining that his life was about to changeβwas the one thing he couldn't bring himself to do.
For someone who always claimed he had no problem facing things head-on, Toji hated how easily his confidence disappeared when it came to his son.
These thoughts kept going round and round in his head as he sat propped against his headboard with his laptop balanced on his knees, trying to focus on work emails that suddenly seemed completely irrelevant.Β
His phone rang, and he wasn't surprised to see it was his dad. Again. Toji let out a heavy sigh; it was probably the fiftieth call of the day. He was acting like a total immature kid by ignoring him, but the last thing he wanted was to get yelled at today. But he couldn't put this off any longer, so he answered the call.
He answered. "Helloβ"
"CAN YOU FUCKING EXPLAIN WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
His father's voice exploded through the speaker so loud that Toji had to pull the phone away from his ear. He could hear the rage radiating through every syllable, could picture Katsuro's face going red, the vein in his temple throbbing.
"Hello to you too." Toji said, his voice deliberately calm.
"Don't start with that bullshit, Toji. I've been trying to get in touch with you all day. SO EXPLAIN. Right now."
"I think you already know everything you need to know. Tadashi called you this morning, didn't he?"
"IS THAT ALL YOU'RE GOING TO SAY?!" Katsuro's voice somehow went even louder. "That's your explanation?!"
Toji closed his laptop and set it aside, settling in for what was clearly going to be a long, painful conversation. "What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to tell me how the hell this happened! I woke up this morning with the worst hangover of my life, and then I have to hear OVER THE PHONE that my son has apparently been secretly dating Y/n Ito. The Ito heir! And not only that, but that you got her PREGNANT. PREGNANT. FUCKING PREGNANT!"
His father paused for breath, and Toji could hear him pacing, could imagine him in his home office, wearing a path in the expensive carpet.
"I thought you'd matured." His father continued, his voice dropping to something more cutting than the yelling. "I thought after the disaster with Ayaka, after everything you went through with that divorce, you'd learned to be more careful. But here you are, fucking up again."
"Don't bring Ayaka into this." Toji said through gritted teeth. "This is different."
"For me, it's the same." He spat, stubbornness radiating from his voice. But Toji knew that he wouldn't be able to change his mind, even though this situation was different from the one he'd lived with his ex-wife.
"Dad, you are not understandingβ"
"Then explain! Help me understand! How long have you been seeing this girl?!"
"A year. And I was not just seeing her; we have a relationship." The lie came out so naturally that even Toji was surprised.
"A secret relationship that none of us knew about!" His voice rose again. "Why the hell didn't you tell us you were with her? Do you have any idea how this looks? Like you were hiding it because you knew it was wrong. Like you were sneaking around behind everyone's backs."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and pressed his thumb against his forehead, taking a slow breath as he fought back the frustration creeping in.Β
"We kept it private because we work in the same business circles." Toji said, reciting the story he and you had agreed on. "Because our families do business together and we didn't want to complicate things. We wanted to be sure it was serious before we made it public."
"And getting her pregnantβthat's your idea of being sure?"
"Handling it." Katsuro scoffed. "That's what you call this mess? You've put both families in an impossible position. The Itos are one of our most important business partners. We've worked with them for thirty years. And now Tadashi thinks you've dishonored his daughter, thinks you're some kind of player that does not care about Y/Nβ"
"I care about her." He interrupted.Β
"And do you?"
Toji scoffed. "What?"
"It's a simple question, Toji. Do you actually care about this woman, or is this just another one of your mistakes?"
For a moment, Toji didn't answer.
He thought about you before all this mess. The late nights when neither of you wanted to go home yet, sitting together long after dinner was over just talking about nothing. The nights that ended with too much wine and quiet laughter, when you saw sides of him most people never did. The mornings when he would wake up to find you still asleep beside him, sunlight coming through the curtains, and realize that somehow having you there felt natural.
He thought about the way you challenged him instead of simply agreeing with him. The way you could walk into a room and somehow make his life feel less monotonous without even trying.Β
It wasn't just because you were carrying his child. It wasn't because he felt obligated to do the right thing. He cared about you because somewhere along the way, without him noticing, you had become someone he couldn't imagine not having in his life.
So he did care. A lot.Β
"Yes." He said. "I care about her."
"Enough to marry her? Enough to spend the rest of your life with her?"
"We're having a baby together. So yes."
Katsuro was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was tired. "And what about Megumi? Have you thought about how this affects him? You're about to bring a woman he doesn't know into his home, force him to adjust to a stepmotherβ"
"He knows her. He's met her before." Another lie. Kind of.Β
"Once? Twice? That's not knowing someone, Toji. That's not enough toβ"
"I'm going to talk to him about it." Toji interrupted.Β
"When?!" His father raised his voice again. "And how are you supposed to explain it to him? The poor kid is eight years old; he doesn't understandβ"
"He's smarter than you think; he will understand." In a way, his words were meant not only to convince his father but also to convince himself. "And I'm not going to let this ruin his life. I'll make sure he's okay through all of this."
"How? By setting him up to watch another failed marriage?"
The accusation hung in the air like poison.
"This isn't going to fail." Toji said, forcing conviction into his voice. "Y/N and I are going to make this work."
"You said that about Ayaka too."
"This is different."
"So you keep saying." Katsuro sighed heavily. "Look, what's done is done. The marriage is happening whether I approve or not. Tomorrow's meeting is about protecting the family interests. The prenup, the financial arrangements, what happens when this falls apart."
"If it falls apart." Toji corrected.
"When." Katsuro said firmly. "I'm not betting on your second marriage any more than I bet on your first. The prenup will protect both families from the fallout."
Toji was silent for a minute before muttering, "Fine."
The line went dead.
Toji sat there for a long moment, staring at his phone, his father's words echoing in his head. He had already written off this marriage before it even started. Assumed it would fail just like the first one. And the worst part? Toji couldn't entirely blame him.
Because this marriage was built on lies. You and Toji weren't actually in love. Hadn't been dating for a year in any real sense. And now you were both pretending it had been something more, selling a story to your families that was only half true.
How long could you maintain that fiction? How long before the cracks showed?
Toji tossed his phone onto the nightstand harder than necessary and scrubbed his hands over his face. The exhaustion hit him all at onceβthe weight of the day, the lunch with your parents, now this phone call. It was too much. Everything was too much.
He needed sleep. Needed to rest before tomorrow's ordeal. But his mind wouldn't stop racing, wouldn't stop replaying every terrible thing his father had said, every doubt Toji himself had been trying to suppress.
A soft knock on his bedroom door interrupted the spiral.
"Come in." Toji called, already knowing who it was.
The door creaked open slowly, and Megumi poked his head in, looking uncertain. "Dad? Are you busy?"
"No, buddy. Come here."
Megumi slipped inside, his Nintendo Switch clutched in both hands. He padded across the room in his dinosaur pajamasβthe ones that were getting too small but that he refused to give upβand climbed onto the bed, settling in next to Toji.
"What's up?" Toji asked, grateful for the distraction from his own thoughts.
"I leveled up in my game!" Megumi's face lit up with pride as he showed Toji the screen. "See? I made it to level fifty! That's like, super hard to do. You have to fight this really tough boss and I died like ten times but I finally beat it andβ"
He launched into an enthusiastic explanation of his gaming achievement, complete with detailed descriptions of strategy and technique that Toji only half understood. But he listened anyway, nodding at the right moments, asking questions that made Megumi's eyes light up even brighter.
And slowly, listening to his son's excited rambling about video game levels and boss battles and character stats, Toji felt some of the tension in his chest ease.
This. This was what mattered. Not his father's disappointment or your father's contempt or the lawyers' negotiations or any of it.
Megumi. Making sure his son was happy and safe and loved, regardless of what mess Toji had made of his own life.
"βand then I unlocked this really cool sword that does fire damage, which is perfect for the next area because all the enemies are weak to fire, so I'm thinkingβDad, are you even listening?"
"I'm listening." Toji said, pulling Megumi closer in a one-armed hug. "You got the fire sword. Very cool."
They sat like that for a while, Megumi gradually getting heavier against Toji's side as sleep crept up on him. His eyes drooped, his grip on the Switch loosening.
"Come on." Toji said gently. "Let's get you to bed."
"'M not tired." Megumi mumbled, even as another huge yawn contradicted him.
"Sure you're not. Come on."
Toji carried him down the hall to his roomβgetting harder as Megumi got bigger, but Toji wasn't ready to admit his kid was too old for this yet. He tucked him into bed, pulling the covers up and making sure his favorite stuffed animal, a beat-up dinosaur named Teddyβyes, Teddyβwas within reach.
Toji stood in the doorway for a moment, watching his son sleep, and felt something settle in his chest.
Whatever happened tomorrow. Whatever his father thought of him. Whatever challenges came with this forced marriage and the lies they were selling. He'd figure it out. For Megumi. For the baby on the way. For you, even, in whatever complicated way this relationship was going to work.
He'd make the lie look real. Would play the part so well that even his father would eventually believe it. He had to.
Toji closed Megumi's door quietly and headed back to his own room. When he picked up his phone to set his alarm for tomorrow, the screen showed a new text from you, he opened it immediately.
Y/N: Are you nervous about tomorrow?
Toji: Kinda. Tomorrow's going to be long.
Y/N: I know. I hate it.Β
That's when he remembered what he'd told Megumiβabout going out to eat with you. Man, his mind didn't seem to be working right.
Toji: Hey
Toji: Can you have lunch with me and Megumi? Monday?
The bubble indicating that you were typing appeared. Then it disappeared. Then it appeared again.
Five minutes later, you replied. Toji imagined you were wrestling with what to say in response to his invitation.
Y/N: Sure. What time?Β
Toji: Is 4 pm good?Β
Y/N: Ofc.Β
Y/N: Did you already talk to him? About us?
Toji: Not yet. I want him to have a chance to actually talk to you first.Β
Y/N: Good point.Β
Y/N: Does he like something in particular? I should get him something.Β
Toji: Dinosaurs and videogames, you pick.Β
Y/N: Then a Jurassic Park video game will work?
Toji found himself chuckling at your message.
Toji: Sorry, but he already has one.
Y/N: Dammit. There goes my idea.Β
Y/N: Iβll think about something else.Β
Y/N: Well⦠I should try to get some sleep.
Y/N: You should too, today was soul-sucking.Β
Toji: Indeed.
Toji: Goodnight Y/N.Β
Y/N: Goodnight.
He set his phone aside, turned off the lamp, and lay in the darkness, staring at the ceiling until sleep completely consumed him.
Being in a lawyer's office deciding the terms of your future marriage was not how you'd envisioned spending your Sunday morning.
The conference room was all glass and chrome, sterile and impersonal, with big windows overlooking Shibuya. Too bright, too modern, too corporate for a conversation about your life. The table was long enough to seat twelve, which somehow made the two families sitting across from each other feel even more adversarial.
You sat on one side, Toji in front of you. You hadn't said more than "good morning" to each other when you'd arrived separatelyβhim with his father, you with your parents. The greeting had been stiff, formal, nothing like how two people who'd supposedly been in love for a year should act.
But everyone was too tense to notice.
Your family's lawyer, Higurama Hiroshi, sat to your right with a leather portfolio full of documents. He'd been the Ito family attorney since before you were bornβhad handled your grandfather's estate, your parents' business acquisitions, probably even your birth certificate. Seeing him here, gray-haired and serious, made this feel horribly real.
Across the table sat the Zen'in family lawyerβa sharp-eyedΒ woman in her fifties named Akimoto who looked like she could gut someone with a pen and file the appropriate paperwork afterward. Katsuro was sitting next to her. You were expecting Naobito, Toji's uncle, to be here. But surprisinglyβand thank Godβhe wasn't.Β
Your mother sat at the head of the table on your side, composed but pale. Your father sat next to the lawyer, still radiating that cold fury from yesterday's lunch.
"Let's return to Article Seven." Akimoto-san said, flipping through her copy of the draft prenuptial agreement. "Regarding separate property and inheritance rights."
Your lawyer adjusted his glasses. "As previously discussed, all property acquired by either party prior to the marriage shall remain separate property. This includes but is not limited to real estate holdings, investment portfolios, trust funds, and business interests."
"Agreed." Akimoto-san said. "The Zen'in Group shares held by Toji-san will remain his separate property, not subject to division in the event of divorce. Similarly, Y/N-san's stake in the Ito Group and her personal real estate holdings will remain hers."
"And any inheritance received during the marriage?" Your father interjected.
"Also remains separate property." Hiroshi-san confirmed. "Neither party has claim to inheritances, gifts, or bequests received by the other party from their respective families."
And the conversation continued. And continued. And continuedβ¦
You tried to focus on the words, but they were starting to blur together. Separate property. Marital assets. Community property waiver. Spousal support waivers. Division of joint accounts. Debt allocation. Each clause is another brick in the wall of your impending marriage, all designed to make the eventual divorce as clean as possible.
Because everyone in this room expected this marriage to fail.
No one was talking about what would happen after the wedding. No one asked what kind of life you wanted to build together, what traditions you wanted to have, what your home would look like years from now. The only thing everyone seemed interested in was making sure that, when it ended, neither of you would be left with too much damage.
It was strange. Almost cruel. To be sitting here discussing the ending of something that hadn't even begun yet.
You knew why they were doing it. They were pretty straightforward about it. This wasn't a normal situation, and no one was pretending it was. A marriage born out of an unexpected pregnancy, between two people who had never planned for foreverβeven if you tried to sell the story that you were actually together and in loveβwas exactly the kind of thing people expected to fall apart.Β
Still, a small part of you couldn't help wondering if everyone had already decided your story before you even got the chance to write it.
You looked at Toji, with his hair neatly combed and dressed in his black suit, absorbed in the words coming from the lawyers' mouths. He looked professional, calm, and composed. It might have just been a facade, but you were grateful that he had the presence of mind to handle this situation. Unlike you, who was a mess inside.
The longer the meeting went on, your eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. You were almost five hours into legal negotiations, and exhaustion was winning, and on top of that you were terribly hungry, and the bottle of water wasn't doing anything to satisfy your appetite.Β
"Mom, Iβm hungry." You whispered as if you were a little kid. She gave you a warning look; you could almost hear her say that it wasn't proper to eat in the middle of a meeting, but even so, she started rummaging through her purse, perhaps looking for one of those chocolates she always carried with her. Obviously, she wasn't going to let her pregnant daughter go hungry, no matter where they were.
But before she could find the candy in her purse, Toji quickly stood up. "I'll get you something."Β
"That's not necessaryβ" You started.
"You need to eat." His tone left no room for argument. He looked at both lawyers. "We should take a break. Fifteen minutes."
He left before anyone could object.
The room fell into awkward silence. Your father checked his phone. Katsuro stared out the window. Your mother fixed her makeup.
Toji returned ten minutes later with an armful of snacksβchips, chocolate, a protein bar, a bottle of strawberry juice.
"Apparently, there's only a vending machine on this floor." He said, "I didn't know what you'd want, so I brought all your favorites." He added, setting them in front of you. You caught a fleeting look of surprise on your mother's face before she slipped back into her serious expression. "Anyway, you should eat something better when we get out of here."
The fact that he remembered your favorite snacks shouldn't have surprised you, but it did anywayβeven though he always remembered what you like.
It wasn't something he made a big deal out of. Toji was never the type to announce that he noticed things. He just did, and, unlike most people, he actually remembered them.Β
The first time you'd realized it was maybe three months after you two started your thing. You had told him your usual coffee order, only because he had asked while he was getting one for himself on his way to pick you up. You never thought much of it, but the next time he showed up with a coffee in his hand, it was made exactly how you liked it. When you asked how he knew, he simply looked at you like the answer was obvious. "You told me." And that was it, he never asked again.
After that, it kept happening.
The wine he always ordered because he'd remembered which one you actually enjoyed instead of the one you pretended to like at business dinners. The quiet restaurants he picked because he remembered you told him you hated to eat in places that were too loud. The little things you mentioned once and forgot about, only for him to remember them much later.Β
And right now, for some reason, you felt a little embarrassed by the gesture, maybe because you were in front of a lot of people and you were used to having them in private. But you were supposed to be a couple; it was only natural for the boyfriend to be concerned about his girlfriendβhis very pregnant girlfriend, in this case.
"Thank you." You grabbed the chips and opened them, not caring that everyone was watching you eat like this was some kind of spectator sport.
"Shall we continue?" Akimoto-san asked once you'd eaten one chip and looked marginally more alive.
βΒ
"Are we done here?" Your father asked after another long hour, checking his watch. "I have calls to make."
You knew that was his way of saying he was starving. But thank God this was finally coming to an end.Β
"Almost." Akimoto-san said and you almost groaned in despair. "We need both parties to review the final draft before signing. I suggest we schedule a follow-up meeting for Friday to execute the documents."
"Friday at 12 PM." Your lawyer agreed. "That gives us time to make any final adjustments based on today's discussion."
Papers were gathered. Portfolios were closed. Everyone stood, the meeting officially over after six grueling hours. You felt wrung out, exhausted, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of legal language and life decisions that had just been made for you.
The lawyers excused themselves, leaving the two families alone in the conference room.
The silence was excruciating. But the worst part was the look on everyone's faces.
Katsuro looked at you like he still couldn't quite believe this was happening. Your father still looked angry. Your mother looked tired. And Toji looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
"Well⦠We should probably go to eat something." Your mother finally spoke, forcing brightness into her voice. Then, she addressed Toji and Katsuro. "Are you coming with us?
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Your characters are allowed to be bad people. Your story is allowed to have no moral lesson.yyour ending is allowed to be sad. The villain can win. The good person can do something unforgivable. The lovers can destroy each other. You are allowed to write the thing that no one asked for and everything that everyone told you doesnβt work and you are allowed to not explain yourself.
Two things absolutely changed my life as a writer. You ready?
One- as OP said, your characters can be bad people, they can do bad things. There doesn't have to be a reason or a moral. You can make them bad if you want to. No other reason needed.
Two- it doesn't have to be good, it just needs to be written. On my last book i literally wrote the words "dumbest version" on the top of the page because I had seen some advice to do that. It changed everything. I stopped trying to make it perfect, I just tried to make it. Period. Full stop.
And honestly? Defiance is the best writing I've ever done. All because I let my characters be bad and I gave myself the freedom to write it badly.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
β Live Streamingβ Interactive Chatβ Private Showsβ HD Qualityβ Free Actions
Free to watch β’ No registration required β’ HD streaming