≽^• ˕ • ྀི≼

Ohhh right right. now I remember, geto apparently, "needed it way more than you do, pretty please". uhh.. atleast this one had an explanation..Well the sun's already retreating, so let's retreat back to searching for it.

....

The training grounds were empty, so were the kitchens. the eastern gardens-hydrangeas packed it in a swell of blue and violet, their heavy blooms bowing low, yet, for all their crowded beauty, the path be left entirely empty.

No geto

"No, I haven't seen him" said a passing servant, so did another, and yet another.

each answer was the same.

Truly strange, usually he found you first.. accompanied by some irritating comment, or stolen food.

Your steps slowed. come on noww you can't just jump to grim verdicts! although I'd say the palace does feel a lot more enormous, and maybe a little quieter...

Had it always been this quiet?

......

Two hours? Really? Is that all it took for you to give up?,, the sun had set around the same.

solely due to the fact that you were too tired, in every sense of the word.

You inhaled deeply, void tasting of ozone and rot. your head spun, but you didn't run; you didn't look for guards. You drifted until you reached the high floor veranda’s edge, letting your legs swing over the dark void. hollowed eyes watched twilight succumb to night, as you sat at the very edge, atop the railing.

a servant would've screamed, a guard would've dragged you down, but did you particularly care?

well..the sky looked beautiful...the kind of beautiful that made you angry.

How dare the velvet abyss look so peaceful? How dare the world continue pretending everything was fine?

​"did you decide between jumping or falling"

...you didn't yelp or accuse him of appearing out of nowhere this time. Sukuna’s voice wasn't a threat, It was a low, grounded rumble. You didn't flinch, or straighten your posture- continuing your forlorn stare, as the breeze swept back your hair.

"hm" The single, hollow syllable seemed to hit Sukuna harder than expected.

Something flickered briefly across his face...gone immediately.

"Get down."

"No."

"Tch"

You looked over at him over your shoulder,, for a while neither of you spoke. yet the air didn't feel thin or corrupt anymore, the silence between you was a soft, heavy blanket shielding you from the world outside. It was quiet so profound, so strangely safe, that you almost forgot to breathe.

eventually your voice broke it.

"did you know things could dissapear into thin air..?" now your voice came out ummistakably feminine- soft and vulnerable. what was the point in hiding anymore? you were done.

"choso was really nice..he'd sneak me extra food. I wonder if he's ate anything since last week.."

"what..?"

"y'know, the cook. He..I'm sure something happened to him"

"you're being awfully vauge"

"he's missing,..so are my sandles..and my lantern,,..and-"

your voice cracked, as your vision felt awfully heavy, blurring around the edges

"m-my brother too"

a light breeze past by as Sukuna stood beside you, just listening quietly, no irritating comments.

You hated how much that helped.

For the first time in days someone was simply listening.

"...I think I'm losing my mind"

The words slipped out before you could stop them, you let out a small huff of laughter as you stared down at your weary hands.

"...And I can't do anything."

your voice cracked awfully now, you immediately looked away.

Oh how Embarrassing, pathetic just weak.

and the kind of weakness you hated showing, especially now, especially in front of him.

sukuna edged closer to you, warmth radiating from him-that anchored you against the cool, swirling wind.

you finally let out a loong sigh "and there's something else.."

Sukuna glanced toward you, his gaze just..completly softened??

You laughed once, bitterly.

"honestly, after everything else this feels stupid."

but the confession was stuck in your throat. For months you'd hidden it, feared for it-preparing for the consequences, whatever it was; for your head on a block or the searing agony of fire.

and now? now it seemed so insignificant compared to everything else.

you closed your eyes.

"I'm not-I.."

The words caught, throat suddenly auditioning to be a desert. you tried again.

....

​"...I’m not a man."

​You braced yourself for the blade, for the end of everything. Instead, the silence that followed felt heavy, charged with something you hadn't dared to name.

​"Took you long enough," he murmured.

​His voice wasn't the mockery you expected, it was low, raspy, and laced with a strange, dark irritation. You blinked, staring at him as he shifted closer, his presence suddenly suffocating-not with threat, but with a tension that made the air between you feel electric.

​"..what?" you managed, your voice barely a thread.

​Sukuna’s yearning half lidded gaze swept over you, lingering on the line of your throat, then shifting back to your eyes with a heat that had nothing to do with the night air. He looked unimpressed, yes, but there was a flicker of something volatile beneath the surface-say, the look of a man who had spent weeks trying to ignore a wildfire, only to have it finally burn him.

​"Did you truly believe that disguise was convincing?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. He leaned in, closer to the point you could feel the radiating, restless heat of him ;but this time it was different. "I knew the moment I saw you. I’ve known for months"

​He paused, his gaze darkening, jaw tightening as if he were holding back a confession of his own.

​"I was waiting," he added, his voice thin, "to see how long it would take you to give me an excuse-" "to see how long you'd keep lying to me"

The moon, hanging there just a moment ago, suddenly seemed very far away-nothing mattered now but the way he was looking at you.

you both stared at eachother, neither daring to move.

"...you're not angry?"

For a moment he actually looked..confused?, as though the question itself was nonsensical.

"Why would I be angry?"

something in your chest cracked. not painfully, but enough; just enough to let the air back in, enough to breath properly. enough to maybe believe-

"Lord Sukuna."

uraume's voice cut through the moment,, yet neither of you looked away.

"Lord Sukuna."

Still no responce, suddenly it seemed like he had slelective hearing.

"There is an urgent matter regarding the council."

sukuna took in a deep breath, still not turning their way

"the Northern Generals-"

"Leave."

sukuna clicked his tongue, annoyed, very annoyed infact.

you almost laughed,, almost as you nudged his arm, "You should go"

"No."

"I'll still be here."

His eyes narrowed, pinning you in place with a look that dared you to be right.

You forced a weak smile, but one that actually reached your eyes.

"We can talk after"

A long pause followed, finally reluctantly, he turned away muttering something under his breath

you watched as sukuna's silhouette disappeared around the corridor corner.

Eugh what's this strange feeling in your chest?! It’s refusing to settle down. It's just so annoying and..warm?

The kind of feeling that made your stomach flutter whenever you thought too hard about it. you hated it, so let's not think about it too hard.

a sound interrupted your thoughts. Faint,-somewhere down the hall.

a scrape?

And another, then something almost resembling..laughter??

Your smile didn't just vanished, it curdled. You straightened, the warmth in your stomach turning sharp, then cold.

"...???"

The corridor had gone quiet again. Right, perhaps you'd imagined it. But there it is again, once more. a muffled sound, a struggle?

But there it came once more.

Ok so stop, genuinely no.

No, no; let's not do this all over again, it's just-you're tired yeah that's it.

No, everything isn't a conspiracy.

No, everything isn't disappearing into the rot.

No, everything isn't-

The sound came again.. But closer this time

The further you walked, needing to prove to yourself that the hall was empty, the fewer lanterns remained. Warm gold gave way to darkness as the corridor narrowed further. Dust gathered thicker here.

What remained was a negleted, forgotten sort of place that servants avoided.

The door stood slightly ajar, inside sat a figure-back facing you. He sat motionless.

Oh. well, there he is, in the flesh sat kamo noritoshi. The very architecht to all your problems, torment the root of every jagged piece in your life.

Sitting there as if he isn't unraveling your life, in the worst way possible.

You frowned. Fury, hot and sudden, rushed into your chest-but it hit a wall of cold confusion

"y-you there"

No response.

The figure remained seated, perfectly still. The broom felt ridiculous in your hands. Oh isn't it just amazing, perhaps ridiculous things happened to ridiculous people.

You took another step forward, slowly raising the broom, ready to-

Is that, sweet? huh? Wait wait hold on, it's like thick fermented overipe fruit, is it? Ohh ohh no that's not it, it's like rancid meat, oily miasma? the stench of It wasn't just the smell of death; it was the smell of something that refused to stay buried.

"yo, (name)"

You were struck frozen, the familiar voice behind you calling out your name, is that really him?

"long time no see"

How about "lantern" being symbolic for her internal spark,which she don trust herself to carry so she gave it to her "pillar" for safe keeping. only to find the pillar shattered. Yo Im lwk goated😛

Other parts:

​Toji walked in, the floorboards gave a soft, familiar creak. He froze for a second, watching you, letting out a dissapointed sigh accompanied by a "seriously?"(obviously there's no real bite to it). he walked over to the tv first, muting it, followed by turning it off. The sudden silence in the room felt heavy and soft.

​He knelt by the couch, resting a hand on your knee for a moment, just to anchor himself. as he stood back up, he slid one arm behind your shoulders another under your knees, scooping you up, muttering something along the lines of "One day you're gonna wake up with a crick in your neck".

you stirred, a soft, unintelligible murmur escaping your lips whilst instinctively leaning into his humongous honkers oh um got carried away mb *clears throat* into the warmth of his broad chest, hands fumbling to grab onto his sweater

​"I’ve got you, doll" he whispered, so low it was almost vibration rather than sound.

​You didn't wake, just letting your head loll against his shoulder as he carried you down the hallway. On reaching the bedroom, he moved with practiced ease, rolling back the duvet before lowering you onto the fluffy mattress. He tucked the covers up to you chin, pausing to brush a stray lock of hair away from your forehead-wait wait hold on, run that back for a second, I think we've skipped over a few very important details here.

First of all, let's address the giant scarred man currently tucking you into bed-toji fushiguro, y'know the fictional character from jujutsu kaisen, the anime? Yeah the very anime that was literally playing on your television liike thirty minutes ago?

Why is toji fushiguro carrying you to bed?, How did toji fushiguro get into your apartment?

And perhaps most importantly,

why is he even in our verse?!

That man is not your boyfriend, you've never even had a boyfriend to begin with??

Matter of fact, the closest you've ever gotten to him is pausing an episode to ogle at him for an embarrassing amount of time.

So why is he carrying you to bed, in your apartment or why's he even real in the first place?!?-

You jolted awake, lungs pulling in a sharp breath. Your bedroom ceiling stared back at you., dark and still

relief washed over you.,, right right ofcourse,, we were dreaming-that explains it, a ridiculously vivid dream I might add.

you dragged a hand down your face and let out a groan.

but then you froze..slowly, very slowly, you sat up, brows pulling together.

now now something wasn't right..again

Because the last thing you remembered was falling asleep on the couch,, watching your fictional man in action- but that's besides the point! what you were lying on now was not the couch, hell, it wasn’t even the living room!..how'd you wake up..on a bed?!

second, you live alone-like, alone alone.

not "my roommate's away for the weekend", or "my partner works night shifts" alone. so how did you even get here?! Who carried you-

A large hand suddenly shoved against your face, not strangling, or grabbing too harshly just a soft but firm PUSH!, pulling you riight back into bed, the muscular arm moved to snake around your waist, pulling you back against a rough chest. You froze, then slowly tried to turn within the firm grip, just to see-TOJI?!

He cracked one eye open, grumbling a "Go back to sleep",, shuffling to bury his head in your neck, as if you were the inconvenience here.

js overly playing on the keyboard what even is this lmao

Ohhh right right. now I remember, geto apparently, "needed it way more than you do, pretty please". uhh.. atleast this one had an explanation..Well the sun's already retreating, so let's retreat back to searching for it.

....

The training grounds were empty, so were the kitchens. the eastern gardens-hydrangeas packed it in a swell of blue and violet, their heavy blooms bowing low, yet, for all their crowded beauty, the path be left entirely empty.

No geto

"No, I haven't seen him" said a passing servant, so did another, and yet another.

each answer was the same.

Truly strange, usually he found you first.. accompanied by some irritating comment, or stolen food.

Your steps slowed. come on noww you can't just jump to grim verdicts! although I'd say the palace does feel a lot more enormous, and maybe a little quieter...

Had it always been this quiet?

......

Two hours? Really? Is that all it took for you to give up?,, the sun had set around the same.

solely due to the fact that you were too tired, in every sense of the word.

You inhaled deeply, void tasting of ozone and rot. your head spun, but you didn't run; you didn't look for guards. You drifted until you reached the high floor veranda’s edge, letting your legs swing over the dark void. hollowed eyes watched twilight succumb to night, as you sat at the very edge, atop the railing.

a servant would've screamed, a guard would've dragged you down, but did you particularly care?

well..the sky looked beautiful...the kind of beautiful that made you angry.

How dare the velvet abyss look so peaceful? How dare the world continue pretending everything was fine?

​"did you decide between jumping or falling"

...you didn't yelp or accuse him of appearing out of nowhere this time. Sukuna’s voice wasn't a threat, It was a low, grounded rumble. You didn't flinch, or straighten your posture- continuing your forlorn stare, as the breeze swept back your hair.

"hm" The single, hollow syllable seemed to hit Sukuna harder than expected.

Something flickered briefly across his face...gone immediately.

"Get down."

"No."

"Tch"

You looked over at him over your shoulder,, for a while neither of you spoke. yet the air didn't feel thin or corrupt anymore, the silence between you was a soft, heavy blanket shielding you from the world outside. It was quiet so profound, so strangely safe, that you almost forgot to breathe.

eventually your voice broke it.

"did you know things could dissapear into thin air..?" now your voice came out ummistakably feminine- soft and vulnerable. what was the point in hiding anymore? you were done.

"choso was really nice..he'd sneak me extra food. I wonder if he's ate anything since last week.."

"what..?"

"y'know, the cook. He..I'm sure something happened to him"

"you're being awfully vauge"

"he's missing,..so are my sandles..and my lantern,,..and-"

your voice cracked, as your vision felt awfully heavy, blurring around the edges

"m-my brother too"

a light breeze past by as Sukuna stood beside you, just listening quietly, no irritating comments.

You hated how much that helped.

For the first time in days someone was simply listening.

"...I think I'm losing my mind"

The words slipped out before you could stop them, you let out a small huff of laughter as you stared down at your weary hands.

"...And I can't do anything."

your voice cracked awfully now, you immediately looked away.

Oh how Embarrassing, pathetic just weak.

and the kind of weakness you hated showing, especially now, especially in front of him.

sukuna edged closer to you, warmth radiating from him-that anchored you against the cool, swirling wind.

you finally let out a loong sigh "and there's something else.."

Sukuna glanced toward you, his gaze just..completly softened??

You laughed once, bitterly.

"honestly, after everything else this feels stupid."

but the confession was stuck in your throat. For months you'd hidden it, feared for it-preparing for the consequences, whatever it was; for your head on a block or the searing agony of fire.

and now? now it seemed so insignificant compared to everything else.

you closed your eyes.

"I'm not-I.."

The words caught, throat suddenly auditioning to be a desert. you tried again.

....

​"...I’m not a man."

​You braced yourself for the blade, for the end of everything. Instead, the silence that followed felt heavy, charged with something you hadn't dared to name.

​"Took you long enough," he murmured.

​His voice wasn't the mockery you expected, it was low, raspy, and laced with a strange, dark irritation. You blinked, staring at him as he shifted closer, his presence suddenly suffocating-not with threat, but with a tension that made the air between you feel electric.

​"..what?" you managed, your voice barely a thread.

​Sukuna’s yearning half lidded gaze swept over you, lingering on the line of your throat, then shifting back to your eyes with a heat that had nothing to do with the night air. He looked unimpressed, yes, but there was a flicker of something volatile beneath the surface-say, the look of a man who had spent weeks trying to ignore a wildfire, only to have it finally burn him.

​"Did you truly believe that disguise was convincing?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. He leaned in, closer to the point you could feel the radiating, restless heat of him ;but this time it was different. "I knew the moment I saw you. I’ve known for months"

​He paused, his gaze darkening, jaw tightening as if he were holding back a confession of his own.

​"I was waiting," he added, his voice thin, "to see how long it would take you to give me an excuse-" "to see how long you'd keep lying to me"

The moon, hanging there just a moment ago, suddenly seemed very far away-nothing mattered now but the way he was looking at you.

you both stared at eachother, neither daring to move.

"...you're not angry?"

For a moment he actually looked..confused?, as though the question itself was nonsensical.

"Why would I be angry?"

something in your chest cracked. not painfully, but enough; just enough to let the air back in, enough to breath properly. enough to maybe believe-

"Lord Sukuna."

uraume's voice cut through the moment,, yet neither of you looked away.

"Lord Sukuna."

Still no responce, suddenly it seemed like he had slelective hearing.

"There is an urgent matter regarding the council."

sukuna took in a deep breath, still not turning their way

"the Northern Generals-"

"Leave."

sukuna clicked his tongue, annoyed, very annoyed infact.

you almost laughed,, almost as you nudged his arm, "You should go"

"No."

"I'll still be here."

His eyes narrowed, pinning you in place with a look that dared you to be right.

You forced a weak smile, but one that actually reached your eyes.

"We can talk after"

A long pause followed, finally reluctantly, he turned away muttering something under his breath

you watched as sukuna's silhouette disappeared around the corridor corner.

Eugh what's this strange feeling in your chest?! It’s refusing to settle down. It's just so annoying and..warm?

The kind of feeling that made your stomach flutter whenever you thought too hard about it. you hated it, so let's not think about it too hard.

a sound interrupted your thoughts. Faint,-somewhere down the hall.

a scrape?

And another, then something almost resembling..laughter??

Your smile didn't just vanished, it curdled. You straightened, the warmth in your stomach turning sharp, then cold.

"...???"

The corridor had gone quiet again. Right, perhaps you'd imagined it. But there it is again, once more. a muffled sound, a struggle?

But there it came once more.

Ok so stop, genuinely no.

No, no; let's not do this all over again, it's just-you're tired yeah that's it.

No, everything isn't a conspiracy.

No, everything isn't disappearing into the rot.

No, everything isn't-

The sound came again.. But closer this time

The further you walked, needing to prove to yourself that the hall was empty, the fewer lanterns remained. Warm gold gave way to darkness as the corridor narrowed further. Dust gathered thicker here.

What remained was a negleted, forgotten sort of place that servants avoided.

The door stood slightly ajar, inside sat a figure-back facing you. He sat motionless.

Oh. well, there he is, in the flesh sat kamo noritoshi. The very architecht to all your problems, torment the root of every jagged piece in your life.

Sitting there as if he isn't unraveling your life, in the worst way possible.

You frowned. Fury, hot and sudden, rushed into your chest-but it hit a wall of cold confusion

"y-you there"

No response.

The figure remained seated, perfectly still. The broom felt ridiculous in your hands. Oh isn't it just amazing, perhaps ridiculous things happened to ridiculous people.

You took another step forward, slowly raising the broom, ready to-

Is that, sweet? huh? Wait wait hold on, it's like thick fermented overipe fruit, is it? Ohh ohh no that's not it, it's like rancid meat, oily miasma? the stench of It wasn't just the smell of death; it was the smell of something that refused to stay buried.

"yo, (name)"

You were struck frozen, the familiar voice behind you calling out your name, is that really him?

"long time no see"

How about "lantern" being symbolic for her internal spark,which she don trust herself to carry so she gave it to her "pillar" for safe keeping. only to find the pillar shattered. Yo Im lwk goated😛

Other parts:

Relief rushed through so fast you felt your shoulders sag, head immediately slumping back into the futon.

The voice you'd normally grunt at now felt like a sweet mother bird calling out to her baby.

Uraume

Right,.. Maybe we overeacted about assassins..

You squeezed your dried out eyes shut briefly.

"Lord Sukuna requests your presence, immediately"

Lord Sukuna? What could that grumpy old man possibly need at this hour?

Your exhausted brain turned the question around several times trying to produce an answer

Uhhh..

"...I'll be there in a moment."

The footsteps retreated as you sat up in bed for a moment, staying motionless for a few seconds. then let out a long sigh.

I mean..at least nobody was trying to kill you.

......

Ugh this was certainly taking longer than expected.

sukuna drummed his fingers lazily against the table.

The missing scroll had been annoying, eh-not because it's important, but because...it wasn’t..?

The replacement document could have been rewritten hours ago.

But come onn where's the fun in that? the interesting part was watching you complain about it.

Sighh but unfortunately, you had not yet arrived.

Tsk. Just disappointing. Or perhaps you were attempting to escape..(again)?

Oooh that would certainly be entertaining!

The thought had barely crossed his mind before the door slid ope-

Well! That was certainly.. Not expected..

Why, you looked awful-hair sticking out in every possible direction, robes slightly wrinkled and damn, those pretty eyes now looked bloodshot!

You stood in the doorway staring blankly into the room.

"..."

Sukuna stared back..

"..."

Good heavens, you looked like you'd been dug out of a grave.

"You're late."

You blinked, reaaal slowly.

"Oh."

You were now blinking manually

"...right right the scroll"

Sukuna felt an eye twitched. hmph! How could you possibly forget? Did he not sound threatening enough?!

"tsk. get to work already"

.........

you hadn't written anything in several minutes...maybe you were distracted?

sukuna watched as your eyes tracked across the same line, was it the second..right it's the third time now.

The brush remained motionless

My, how strange? usually there would've been complaining by now,..some muttered insult atleast..are you ignoring him?

Siigh. heyy now get your head back here your man's bored!-

a large hand suddenly landed on top of your head. but you on the other hand, nearly jumped shrieking away like an irritated cat. Ouch.

"w-what are you doing?"

"Fixing it."

"...Fixing what?"

"Your hair."

Before you could protest, calloused fingers pressed down the worst of the mess sticking upward. few stubborn strands flattened,..atleast.. But it only lasted approximately three seconds., because you decided to dust off your head riiight after he touched it.

Sukuna immediately looked deeply offended as he stared down at you, who looked so oblivious. He had just fixed that! How Can you just casually dismiss him away?!

"Tch."

"What now?"

"I dislike that expression."

come on now, Is there anything he DOES like?

"My... expression?"

"Yes."

"What expression?"

"That one."

You frowned, how helpful of him, such a deeply detailed description indeed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He clicked his tongue "I order you to look less miserable. "

"..." ???

"You do realize people can't just stop being miserable on command?"

"You can."

"No I can't?"

"Yes you can."

"uhh.. I don't think that's how it works.."

"I am literally ordering you to."

You squinted your eyes as both of you stared at eachother quietly.

The silence stretched... Uhh man this is just awkward asl

"...you're weird."

"Tch."

but somehow, the strange feeling from earlier had died down, the list slowly melting away in the back of your head, perhaps..because the king of curses occupied half the room? Or is it that nothing's stupid enough to try anything infront of sukuna? Either way, you felt safer now. And haven't reached out to check on uhh "anything in particular" for some time now

......

straw sandals.

The washing room maid.

ink stick.

The missing scroll.

Funny little things, really. A measely pair of sandals missing, well that isn't anything odd, it might've been a stray dog, or simply just the ghust of wind! 'twas really silly watching you spent 20 minutes for those, twenty!

And what's a trifling ink stick to a "full time scribe", nothing too out of the ordinary.

The washing room maid had been another excellent choice. She was being far too friendly, always smiling and offering help. She treated you like her son or whatever, t' was funny when she thought you were just a malnutritioned young man .tch. treating you as though you mattered. really, what an irresponsible woman-encouraging attachment like that. Someone just needed to stop her, good thing he helped!

the look on your face when you discovered the scroll gone, the furstration, and ah the realization, finnallyy. took you long enough.

Really, he's just curating your solitude-for peace! It’s like clearing a room for a dance, One by one, the furniture goes. first the rug, then the lamps, soon... well, we shall see what’s left when you finally stand alone..

The question now was...

What's next? A finger tapped lazily against the wooden armrest.

plenty of certainties. and really...you'd become far too attached to all of them. that simply wouldn't do!, after all-how could anyone learn to survive if they insisted on clinging to things?

......

You were walking down the corridors, trying to walk quickly as the alaramingly increasing list kept replaying in your hea-

Bonk!

Ow! how rude. you look down to see a small grape, rubbing your head where it hit you. "Someone’s looking a little too raincloud today" Turning sharply, you found geto leaning against one of the pillars, munching on some grapes

You just glared at him, ignoring his comment.

"...You've been avoiding me."

Well thats amazing, truly - bumping into the one person you'd been actively trying NOT to talk to.

Obviously, not because you didn't want to, but more so because you did-far too much. Ugh and that was precisely the problem.

you glanced away.

"I'm busy."

"You've been 'busy' for three days."

"well duh I have work"

"You always have work? Or did you get promoted to sukuna’s personal masseur now?"

You opened your mouth, but closed it..and opened it again

"...Not now."

His expression softened slightly, and now you felt worse. Can he not guiltrip you at a time like this?

You turned away, continuing on your way

"I said not now..okay?"

For a moment he simply watched you, then let out a looong suffering sigh, the kind only elder siblings seemed capable of producing.

"You know," he said, "at this point it's almost like you want me gone" he said as he clutched his chest dramatically.

you froze for half a second and immediately spun back around to him

"Heyy!"

He grinned, annoyingly

"I didn't even say anything you're such a drama queen"

"come onn ms.no fun it was just a joke"

"well It wasn't funny"

"It was a little funny.. "

"It wasn't."

You both stared at eachother, then he suddenly started pouting, flipping back his unevely cut bang

"Oh, this is just utterly tragic! "

"aand there he goes."

"My own baby sister hates me!"

"there he goes.."

"and after everything I've done"

"please stop."

"I-I may never recover.."

You groaned looudly, seems like you've been spending a tad too much time with sukuna and uraume..

"If you keep talking, I might actually kill you myself."

He peeked open one of his eyes and grinned

"See? There it is"

You rolled your eyes., but yet again a small huff of laugh escaped out, despite all.

Suguru smiled, shrugging

"Well, just so you know, even If I do die, I'll probably come back somehow "

You snorted.

"Oh?"

"Just to annoy you"

"That sounds exactly like something you'd do."

The familiar and comforting smile lingered on his face.

You shook your head, as you continued walking

Eventually his footsteps disappeared behind you. and neither of you noticed how long he stood there watching you leave. Or how that would be the last normal conversation you'd have for a very long time.

Sorry for the inconsistent updates ☹️ I just can't seem to put whatever's in my head onto the writing uggh. and the next chapter might be late too cuz shits about to get craaazzyy

Other parts:

yuji watches you two bicker back and forth, the sight almost entertaining, then he shrugs again concentrating on his food.

“you know what? i’m done with you, i’m leaving” you swing your bag over your shoulder, ruffling yuji’s hair, murmuring that he should eat well, and to order something if he’s still hungry.

sukuna doesn’t blink, his eyes follow your every movement as you stride up to the door pulling your shoes on.

your hand is on the doorknob about to twist it open, when you’re lifted off of the ground legs useless, into strong tattooed arms.

you flail and kick your legs to no avail, sukuna rests his face in the crook of your neck watching your meek attempts at escape.

“let me go!” you exclaim, his grip a vice on your waist.

soon enough the fight dies in you and you breathe heavy from the exertion, your brows furrowed forming rivulets across your forehead.

sukuna brings you back down onto the ground yet still doesn’t let go, and you don’t try to get away.

“you can’t leave me like this” he whispers, his voice deep and slightly raspy, “wife” he enunciates, heavily stressing on the word.

“i’m a big man, i can’t help my appetite” he rubs the side of your arm, his touch so very gentle “yuji’s growing up too…” he trails off thinking for a second.

then he turns you around with a light tap on your waist, “does my wife want me to hire a chef?”

you sigh, nodding “i don’t mind cooking for you-“

he cuts you off “don’t gotta explain it to me, noticed it’s a lot of work, i’ve got the right person, you just have to say the word”

you were very particular about your kitchen and felt skeptical about having another person in your house.

“who is this…person?”

“don’t worry about it, we go way back”

“still”

“uraume”

ofcourse.

firefly; building on my hc that sukuna is a taurus from this fic ❀ུ͏  

Wasn’t it just so-convinient, how the herbal remedy growing riiigght outside your window which almost-nah completely solved the problem with your throat. Looking back, it was a bit strange how you'd never noticed it before,The plant had been growing directly beneath your room the entire time, apparently..

Yes, very convenient.

eh-not that you were complaining.

For once, things were... nice, everything felt safe and predictable

You no longer jumped at every passing servant, -even made a few friends, the nightmares came less frequently, and above all else, kamo-oh we dont use that name around here *clears throat* the official had not appeared in weeks..weeks!?

Patently, the thought alone felt ridiculous.

But hey-maybe this was it,-maybe, the worst was finally behind you.

Maybe life was just.. allowed to continue.

A terrifyingly hopeful thought, kind of.

Siiigghh but unfortunately, there was still Sukuna.

You balanced the tea tray carefully, walking through the corridors.

Well the thing is...recently, he'd developed this-irritating habit of assigning work directly to you, not through other servants, hell not even uraume! Just plain ol' you.,and always you.

It was suspicious, definitely annoying. aand frankly a little unsettling

and most concerning of all, is that sometimes you'd glance up during work and catch him staring, the fatass dosen't even try to hide it!

Lookin' like some enormous predatory animal trying to solve a puzzle.

Honestly, the gall?!

If he was suspecting anything or trying to uncover your disguise, he could at least have the decency to stop looking at you like that.

The thought twisted your face in distaste!-

​"Oh, are we having a moment of discontent?"

You nearly dropped the tray, when will he stop appearing out of nowhere like this?!

"Wow. It really is a rare gift you have, to be able to approach so completely unannounced"

"oh please, be more observant. I was standing right here"

"Like a curse." you muttered under your breath.

His grin widened

"I have a task for you"

Of course he does, he never fails to miss an opportunity to be a pain in the ass.

....

the rhythmic thwack-thwack of a blade against a weathered wooden chopping block, sychorizing with the rhythmic hiss of steam coming out of a heavy iron pot. (ayy bars)

enveloped by the faint, stinging bite of woodsmoke that clung to everything.

The kitchens smelled warm-fresh rice, broth, roasted meat and so on.

The familiar scent immediately brightened your mood.

"Good morningg!...oh"

The greeting died in your throat. Holy airball the cook wasn't even there.

Instead, a younger man stood behind the counter.

you blinked, well that certainly was NOT predictable.

"...Where's choso?"

the replacement looked up.

"Oh. He was transferred lastnight"

Transferred...?

The answer came quickly, maybe way too quickly.

"Huh" You frowned slightly, well that was unfortunate.

choso had always slipped you extra food when Uraume wasn't looking-truly now, this is a tragedy!

But hey -people got transferred all the time, nothing to worry too much about!

so you just shrugged and moved on.

....

Ugh it was important and you were JUST working on it, where did it dissapere off to suddenly?

its gone, entirely.. Just vanished.

After twenty minutes of pointless digging, you finally gave up-geez what a lazy bum

But hey! This was deeply concerning..

eh-mostly only because the scroll had been due to Sukuna...er, twenty minutes ago...

"You lost it."

You stood in stony silence taking a sudden, intense interest in the dust patterns at your feet. anything to avoid looking at his ahh.

"Yes."

"You misplaced an entire document."

"...yes.."

Sukuna stared, and you finally met him back.

eventually... he clicked his tongue.

"Tch"

You braced for.. Anything and everything to be honest.

Instead he.. leaned back??

"I'll give you until tonight."

You Blinked.. well that's strange, because based on what you've seen, you wouldn't even be here to think that's strange, atleast-your head wouldn't be there.

"...That's it?"

"Find it."

"What if I didn't manage to?"

"Then you'll rewrite the entire thing."

Woah woah-lets slow down we are NOT writing all those paragraphs and data agai-

"From memory."

goodbye what??

"And you'll do it in my chambers, 'will spend tonight there and complete it."

You looked horrified, oh but obviously that bastard's face looks pleased and absolutely delighted.

freak.

....

straw sandals.

The washing room maid.

ink stick.

The missing scroll.

......

straw sandals.

The washing room maid.

ink stick.

The missing scroll.

......

the list kept replaying in your head. small things, really-meaningless even, but just enough to be annoying..to the point you didn't even notice it's evening already

You stood beside one of the palace hearths, staring tiredly into the flames.

straw sandals.

The washing room maid.

inkstick

The missing scroll.

Maybe you were simply exhausted..

yes, that-that had to be it. too much work, too little sleep so obviously, your mind was just turning ordinary inconveniences into mysteries!

The thought almost made you laugh, oh how silly!-

!Pop! ...huh?

!Krr-ack!

something shifted inside the fire.

you frowned, spotting a blackened corner of parchment? curled upward between the flames.

For a moment you simply stared..mind still elsewhere.

then your stomach dropped-the seal, THE seal, that's the one belonging to the missing scroll, - your missing scroll.

now burning.

Oh but hey, someone probably threw it away by mistake, accident misunderstanding or whateve-

"-yeah jogo decided to take a day off today-"

The memory of another servant's voice resurfaced.

Jogo- responsible for maintaining this hearth, you havent seen him all day. And when you asked earlier, "He took leave unexpectedly."

Cold sweat crawled down the back of your neck as the fire crackled softly.

y'know suddenly the hearth isn't so pretty anymore...

....

9:40 pm

hairpin, still there.

9:55 pm

hairpin, still there.

10:00 pm

still there.

That night sleep refused to come.

Every time your eyes began drifting shu- hold on, let me just-hairpin is...still there phew, okay continue

-your hand kept moving beneath the pillow, ensuring that it dosen't follow the same fate of your other missing things.

Still there.

Again..

And again...

And again!

Long after midnight,

Long after exhaustion should have won.

but your fingers remained wrapped around the hairpin.

'ts the only thing that still felt certain,

only thing that still felt truly yours.

in a way, proof that you survived, that you were the stronger one

For the first time in weeks, you were afraid again. outside, the palace slept peacefully whilst Inside your room, you stared into the darkness and waited for morn-

!knock knock!

Wrote ts on a 6 hour road trip.my eyes are NOT okay.

Tried new narration style where I just side with whatever character we're moving along with, DO NOT TRUST THE NARRATOR!

other chapters: