I'M MARRIED!!!! >:(

But one lazy afternoon you were scrolling through your phone for hours with Suki curled up on your chest like always, her pink fur soft and keeping your nose warm. She kept pushing her tiny nose against your chin, purring louder than usual, her big red eyes half closed in pure bliss

You looked down for a moment and awwww, she was too adorable that a need to squish her and shake her really hard filled your body. Before you could stop yourself, you scooped her up closer.

"You're SO cute, ugh!" you muttered.

You planted a big kiss on her fuzzy forehead. One. Two. Three times in a row.

Poof!

A burst of sparkly light filled the room, pink like cotton candy exploding. You blinked hard, not even realizing the unfamiliar weight on top of you. When the dust faded, Suki was gone. Instead, there was a woman on top of you. Tall, like really tall, probably over six feet. Buff too, with strong arms covered in black tattoos. Her hair was the same pink, falling wild down her back

Oh and she was completely naked, looking at you with the softest red eyes.

You screamed as loud as your throat allowed.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?!" you screamed, scrambling backward off the couch so fast you tripped over your own feet. The remote went flying. You bolted toward the kitchen, heart hammering like it wanted to escape your chest. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CAT?"

You ran around the tiny apartment like a maniac, knocking over a chair and almost face planting into the fridge. "Suki?! SUKI WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Behind you, the woman followed, her bare feet padding quickly. "Hey, wait! Please calm down! It's me, okay? It's Suki. Stop running!"

You whipped around, eyes wide, pressing your back against the wall near the window. "You are NOT Suki. Suki is a cat, not a naked woman. WHY DON'T YOU HAVE CLOTHES ON?"

"BECAUSE CATS DON'T WEAR CLOTHES."

"DON'T SCREAMING AT ME," you pointed at her chest and oh! Her tits are big too

She stopped a few steps away, hands up like she was trying not to scare a wild animal. Which, fair, because you felt pretty wild right now. Her cheeks flushed a little and she glanced down at herself, suddenly aware of the whole naked situation but not really covering up much. Those tattoos shifted with her muscles as she moved.

"Can I explain myself?" Suki (allegedly) said. You squinted your eyes but nodded. "I was cursed and got turned into a cat. Only true affection from someone who really cared could break it. And you… you kissed me three times. That was the trigger."

"That's the plot of a Disney movie."

"No it's not."

"It is. Suki would've known because we watched it together when I was sick."

She sighed, her hand coming up to brush her hair out of her face. "Can we please sit down and talk? I've been stuck as a cat for way too long and I really missed being able to hug you back properly."

"No."

"C'mon!"

"We are not sitting down until you have clothes on. This is too weird." You tell her, moving from the kitchen to your room, her following you and leaning down so she can be closer to you in some way, when her hand comes up to grab something in the top shelf of your wardrobe, you swat her arm. She doesn't even flinch.

"I can do that myself."

"Mhm, I know. But I want to help you, have you thought of that?" She shows you a crooked smile, her fangs longer than the rest of her teeth.

"Whatever," you mutter between your teeth and shove the biggest top and shorts that you have. "I don't have any bras or panties that can fit you. You should consider a breast reduction."

"Sure." She nods slowly, pulling the fabric over her head, her body straining it at that moment. It barely fits, but it works for now.

You both ended up on the bed eventually. You sat on one end, knees pulled up like a shield. She took the other side, but she kept leaning toward you like she couldn't help it. Old habits died hard.

"Okay… explain," you said, voice still shaky.

She laughed softly. "Like I told you, I was cursed by someone who didn't like my attitude. Turned me into a cat until someone showed me real love."

"And that was me." You realized slowly. She was still your cat, she acted just like her even in human form. You felt your cheeks burn again. "So all those times you shoved your face in my mouth…"

"Yeah. I was hoping you'd do exactly what you did today." She grinned, big and proud. "Three kisses. Boom. Curse broken. And now I'm here with you."

You looked at her huge frame taking up most of your tiny bed and the way your clothes were fighting to stay on her. "Suki, this is insane. How could I be such an idiot?" you muttered, more to yourself, but she heard it perfectly.

"Hey, you're my favorite idiot," she said, scooting a little closer. Her hand reached out slowly, testing if you'd flinch. When you didn't, she rested it on your knee. It was warm and way bigger than Suki's tiny paw, but the touch felt weirdly familiar. "I've been waiting to do this for years. To actually hold you back. To tell you how much I like when you talk to me even though I couldn't answer."

You swallowed hard, heart still racing but not from pure panic anymore. She was looking at you like you were the best thing in her whole world, the same way she used to stare when you came home from work. Only now she could say it out loud.

"Fuck." Your mind was rushing.

"We can figure this out," Sukuna said eagerly. "I can help you around the house now."

You let a long sigh, covering your face with your hands as you lay down on your bed. Sukuna takes that as a sign to get closer, laying beside you, her big arm comes around your waist.

"What are you doing?" You peek over your fingers at her face, which is awkwardly close to yours.

"Cuddling. Can we?" She was pouting now with the same big eyes as always.

You ended up nodding because how could you say no to her?

She buried her face in your neck, one leg and arm pulling you as close to her as possible. Her strong arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you right into her lap before you could even think about pulling back. She was so warm and solid, way bigger than you.

She started purring, a deep rumble that vibrated against your skin and made your whole body tingle. And before you know it, she's leaving small kisses in your neck.

"Wait, Suki! Hah, that tickles!" you squeaked, but she just held you tighter, one big hand rubbing up and down your back while the other kept you locked against her chest.

She looks down at you for a long time before she says: "Can I have a kiss?"

"Huh? Already?"

"Yes," she says. "I've earned it, right?"

Your brain was still catching up, but you didn't pull away when she leaned in either.

"Fine… one kiss," you mumbled, leaning in a little.

The second your lips brushed hers, she melted, kissing you in the messiest and most desperate way possible.

"Mmm, more," she whispered against your mouth. "I waited years for this. Please?"

You keep kissing for a long time, not even thinking about the weird situation you're in for a moment because she's huge and her hands are everywhere. It's easy to get lost in Sukuna.

When you pulled back, there was a string of saliva between you and her.

"You're so warm and your lips tastes so good," she whispered, squeezing you closer. "Kiss me again? I've been good for four years, I deserve all the kisses now."

You laughed nervously but gave in, pressing a kiss to the top of her head like you used to do when she was tiny. She made this cute little sound and snuggled even harder, her buff arms caging you in gently but firmly. There was no escaping. Not that you really wanted to right now.

"Stay right here," she said. "Forever if you let me. You're my favorite human."

She kept planting soft kisses wherever she could reach.

a/n: catgirl sukuna WOOOHOOOOO

Maybe, if you’d had more sense, you would’ve broken up with Naoya in that moment and saved yourself a whole lot of trouble. Instead, just like always, you made excuses for him. You figured he was just having a bad day - that you just needed to prove yourself to him and then he’d be happy to have you as a climbing buddy. 

He was just concerned about your skill. That was all. 

So you’d worked hard at the club - learned plenty of skills, did plenty of hours in the gym, made dozens of friends with the other club members to ensure you weren’t dependent on Naoya to teach you everything. 

You tried to ignore how uninterested your boyfriend seemed in your progress, tried to ignore the way he’d flirt with the other women at the club - you were sure he’d be so impressed with you on your first major outing to Mount Hotaka that he’d forget about everything else and be pleased with you for once. 

That was all you wanted, for him to be proud of you outside of the offhanded thanks he’d give whenever you’d make him dinner. 

Your first trip out to the mountain had several people in attendance. Beyond you and Naoya there were a handful of women from the club who you’d grown close with: Shoko, Utahime and Yuki, and then a few men. There were a couple of older guys you didn’t know very well, and then a few in your age range who had been helping develop your skills - the most notable of that group being Sukuna, who had dedicated lots of time to teaching you knowledge that Naoya had brushed aside. 

It had surprised you at first, that the hulking pink-haired man had any interest in helping you do anything. Others in the club had claimed that he tended to be aloof, harsh and generally unfriendly - and while he was harsh in his teachings, unfriendly was certainly not the word you’d use to describe him. 

He’d gone out of his way to help you, chasing away others like Satoru with the claim that they were ‘too stupid to teach you right’. Spending hours at your side, he’d taught you all you needed to know about equipment, rope skills and climbing. He wouldn’t provide praise unless it was deserved, but once you’d finally started getting things right he’d always made sure you knew he was pleased with you. 

It was praise you were desperately starved for, praise you’d love to receive from your boyfriend, and you were ashamed to admit that Sukuna’s simple compliments lingered in your mind for longer than they should have.

You’d grown rather fond of him since joining the mountaineering club, even despite his somewhat prickly demeanour to everyone else, you felt he was someone you could rely on, someone who wouldn’t call you stupid for asking him questions. Even if he’d sometimes tease you for getting upset or frustrated for not understanding something, he’d still take the time to help you understand. 

Unlike Naoya, who would roll his eyes and once again point out how unfit you were for something as involved as mountain climbing. 

The comparison between the two was something you found yourself making more and more often, eyes straying over to your pink-haired friend when he wasn’t looking, your stomach flipping when he’d speak to you, or when he’d place a large hand on your shoulder in congratulations at a task done well. 

You knew it was wrong, chastising yourself whenever the thought of Sukuna would stray into your mind late at night while Naoya was snoring away next to you. Not only did you have a boyfriend, but you were certain Sukuna didn’t think of you in anything beyond a friendly manner anyway.

So you kept those feelings locked deep within your chest and tried to focus on why you were in the club in the first place - to prove to your boyfriend that you’d make a good partner for his mountain expeditions, to prove that you were worth more to him than being a glorified maid in his house.

The first few hours of the hike, starting in the early morning, had gone by fairly uneventfully. Your training had paid off and your legs felt good as you winded up through valleys and fields, trailing a little behind the group of boys, favouring a slightly slower pace and jovial conversation amongst the girls. 

Despite Naoya’s reluctance for you to join the club, you felt like it was where you were supposed to be. You loved being out in nature - taking in the fresh air and drinking from mountain streams, wandering along with like-minded people and encouraging each other along through the gruelling uphills. 

It wasn’t until late afternoon that things started to get more difficult, with the altitude creeping steadily up, and the group stumbling across snow fields that still hadn’t melted in the late spring air. It was nothing you weren’t prepared for, but with everyone feeling a great deal more tired than they had in the morning hours, the pace slowed considerably. 

A group of the more experienced men ended up going on ahead at a quicker pace, saying they’d get the next big section of uphill completed and scout out a good camping spot for the night, since the plan was to make a summit push in the early morning to watch the sunrise. 

You didn’t mind that so much - you didn’t like the feeling of slowing them down and that arrangement meant that you could keep going at a comfortable pace without feeling stressed about it. The girls you were with were perfectly experienced in their own right, and Naoya had chosen to hang behind with you anyway rather than going on ahead. 

That was a decision that you’d convinced yourself was on account of him wanting to keep an eye on you, but a part of you believed it was really because he didn’t get along with any of the men at the club. 

Or perhaps it was just so he could keep staring at Yuki’s ass like he had been for the entire hike up to that point. 

The next couple of hours were difficult, and everyone grew more withdrawn under the effort of a constant uphill - facing switchback after switchback with no clarity on how far you had to go beneath a freshly settled blanket of fog lowering the visibility. Shoko had been struggling for a while, and after an extended rest on a rock decided that it was best if she turned back and camped somewhere lower in the valley. 

She’d been having issues with her lungs and didn’t think it was wise to keep going. 

At her decision, Utahime also suggested that she wanted to go back, mentioning that she also didn’t feel in the best physical condition, and Yuki insisted on going back with the two of them to make sure they got back down safely. You’d considered joining them, but you were still feeling good both physically and mentally and were keen to continue upwards towards the peak. 

Considering Naoya’s experience, you were certain that the two of you would be fine even without the girls, so you waved them off and continued upwards into the mist, eager to reconnect with the other half of your group and get settled with Naoya in the tent for the night. 

—

Sukuna had found a pretty good camping spot. He was pretty sure it was in a similar position to where he’d set up on his solo winter ascent a couple of years before - a location that should be downright comfy in the mild spring weather. 

Assuming that weather stayed mild. 

It was hard to tell through all the fog, but he was almost sure he could see dark clouds rolling high in the sky. He hoped he was wrong. There hadn’t been a storm on the forecast, and if one was to roll in that could make for a very harrowing evening, especially for people like you who’d had little experience of the mountains. 

He hoped one bad night wouldn’t be enough to put you off entirely. 

“Yuki just radioed.” Satoru called out to him. “She, Shoko and Utahime are all going back down. The others are still coming I think.” 

Sukuna hummed in affirmation as he moved to set up his tent. He wished it could’ve just been you coming up, rather than you and your shithead boyfriend, but he supposed he’d rather you have a buddy in the mountains than be out there alone. If he’d had things his way, he would’ve hung back with you for the whole duration of the hike, but he didn’t need people casting suspicions on his actions. 

He’d already received some strange looks over his eagerness to teach you - the last thing he needed was the rumor mill in full operation. 

Even if the rumor mill was right in this case. 

He liked you. He really liked you. 

Feelings that he needed to keep to himself, because your boyfriend was one jealous asshole, and he was almost confident that any sign of flirting on Sukuna’s part would have Naoya taking out his anger and jealousy on you, which was the last thing he wanted. He wasn’t sure what you saw in that guy, but god, Sukuna wanted to bash his teeth in. 

He’d been watching it for months now - the depressing life you lived in which you’d excitedly bound over to Naoya to show him something you’d learned only for him to react with total disregard. Sukuna had watched the light in your eyes flicker and die each time, doing his best to control the rage boiling in his chest. 

You deserved better than that fucker. 

But he got the sense that you weren’t able to see that. 

Almost everyone had set up their tents, laughing and joking and tearing into provisions by the time Naoya appeared from the mist. A couple of hours had passed since the group first found the camping spot, and Satoru welcomed him enthusiastically as he stepped into the clearing. He looked surprisingly exhausted for a man who was supposed to be experienced. 

Sukuna’s red eyes scanned the fog, waiting for you to appear behind the man. His chest squeezed when only silence followed, no sign of your presence in the mist. 

“Is it only you?” Satoru asked, voicing the very question that was on the tip of Sukuna’s tongue. 

“Yeah, the girls went down,” Naoya responded nonchalantly, shrugging off his backpack. “Is there a good place for me to set up?” Satoru’s lips parted, as if to question the man’s statement, considering Yuki had relayed specific names, but he clearly thought better of it, nodding and pointing Naoya in the direction of a clear patch of dirt for him to pitch his tent. 

Sukuna wasn’t so happy to shrug it off. 

“Yuki only said she was going down with Utahime and Shoko,” he called out to Naoya. The man turned to look at him, irritation shining in his amber eyes. Sukuna was well aware that Naoya despised him just as much as he despised Naoya. 

“They all went. Think I don’t know where my own girlfriend is?” Naoya snapped. 

Sukuna stared him down for a moment before leaving him be, heading over to Satoru and asking for the radio. Speaking into it, he called out for Yuki, praying that they were still within a reasonable range to pick up his voice. 

He was met with only silence, cursing under his breath at the realisation that they were probably all the way back in the valley by that point and likely impossible to reach. His crimson gaze fell to Naoya once more, watching him hum as he set up his tent without a care in the world. 

Something in the pit of Sukuna’s stomach told him that there was something wrong. You hadn’t gone back with Yuki. You’d been so happy all day, so excited about your first major peak. Not only that, but you’d been in good condition - he’d been watching you whenever he could, he’d been proud at how well you were doing. 

You wouldn’t have turned back. And if you had, Yuki would’ve listed your name when she was heading down. Yuki was no newcomer to the mountains - she was responsible and experienced and she always emphasised the importance of good communications. And if you’d have turned back any later, Naoya should’ve gone with you - it's what any sensible person would’ve done. 

But he was here, and you weren’t. And you hadn’t gone with Yuki. So you were alone. 

Sukuna’s first instinct was to bash Naoya’s head in. He wanted to walk over there and silence that bastard’s humming with a well placed rock to the head. What kind of a man - an experienced mountaineer, no less - would abandon their inexperienced girlfriend on the side of a mountain? 

It wasn’t like Sukuna doubted your ability. He’d taught you all you needed to know, but putting those things into practice alone, at altitude, and in adverse weather was a whole other thing. 

Instead of doing anything about Naoya, he parked that issue temporarily and quickly moved to dismantle his own tent. He wasn’t going to sit there and do nothing while your location was unaccounted for. Even if you had gone down shortly after Yuki, even if you’d made it back to the valley by yourself, he wasn’t going to roll the dice on your life. 

He’d go back the way they’d come and he’d walk until he found you - even if that happened to be safe and sound at the bottom of the mountain. 

“What’re you doing?” Satoru asked, hovering as Sukuna put his stuff back into his pack. Naoya had stopped to watch, a sneer on his already ugly face. 

“I don’t think she went down with Yuki. I need to make sure the boyfriend of the year over there didn’t leave her in some bad situation,” Sukuna explained.

“Oh my god, she’s fine.” Naoya snapped from across the campsite. “Yuki just misspoke, she went down with them. Why is it your problem anyway? It's not like she’s your girlfriend.” 

The defensive edge to the man’s voice told Sukuna all he needed to know, and he ignored the jabs in favour of packing up more quickly. He didn’t want it to get too dark - if something bad had happened and you didn’t have your headlamp on it would be impossible to find you at night. 

Unfortunately, Naoya seemed to have no interest in letting up. “I mean seriously? You’re actually doing this? I know you wanna fuck her but she’s always been a loyal little thing - she ain’t gonna put out for you because of this. I think she’s realised that she isn’t cut out for this type of shit - she went back down to safety with the rest of the girls and I think she’ll probably quit the club. She can get back to what she’s good at.” 

Sukuna’s hands stilled as he zipped his bag shut, his expression calm as he finally looked at the man before him. There was malice in his expression and a clear, guilty desire to keep Sukuna from trekking back down the mountain path. 

“‘She can get back to what she’s good at’?” Sukuna asked, drawing himself up to his full height. “And what would that be?” 

The smug grin Naoya shot him was sickening. “Making me dinner.” 

Sukuna laughed, a deep unpleasant sound rumbling from his chest. “Right.” He took a step forward, towering over your boyfriend who he deeply hoped would be your ex-boyfriend after that expedition. Before Naoya could react, Sukuna grabbed him by the front of his raincoat. “Listen. I’m going back down that path. If I find her out there, abandoned and alone, be assured that I’ll beat you so badly that you’ll never climb another mountain again. Do you understand me?” 

Fear flickered in Naoya’s amber eyes, but he pushed it down quickly, replacing it with a scowl. “Get the fuck off me.” 

Sukuna let him go, revelling in the way he stumbled about off balance, barely keeping himself from careening onto the floor. If he was being honest with himself, the desire to enact justice on Naoya in that moment was tempting, but he could wait. Every moment he spent in that camp was another moment of peril for you. 

And unlike Naoya, he wouldn’t leave you to a night alone on a mountain. 

—

You weren’t sure when you’d lost Naoya. 

He’d been picking up the pace significantly while you’d been getting slower and slower, and despite calling out for him to wait for you to catch up, eventually he just disappeared off into the fog - the sound of his footsteps fading entirely. 

It had left you at a loss, unsure as to whether you should keep going or turn back. You were certain that the summit camp probably wasn’t too far off, but you had no real idea of how far that distance might actually be, and had a vague concern that you might take a wrong turn in the ever-thickening fog, leaving you stranded for the night. You and Naoya were sharing a tent which he’d been carrying, and subsequently ending up alone for the evening wasn’t ideal for you. 

The most you’d be able to do is wrap yourself in your sleeping bag and find a sheltered place to hunker down for the night. 

But it shouldn’t come to that. 

Getting down to the valley would take too long, and you weren’t sure where Yuki and the gang would’ve settled anyway. Naoya had the radio. He had everything really, which meant that the only thing you could do was continue upwards and hope that you stumbled across the other half of your group. 

It was a plan that was going okay until you’d carelessly stepped on a loose rock, sending you tumbling back down a hill of scree you’d spent the past half an hour climbing. 

At first you’d thought only your morale was damaged, your mind exhausted at the prospect of having to get back up and reascend a slope you’d already climbed once. But as you struggled to get to your feet, you realised that it wasn’t only your mind that had undergone damage.

A hot pain spread through your ankle as you tried to stand, sending you straight back down to the floor with a yelp. Panic instantly overcame you, the sudden realisation of where you were hitting you like a tonne of bricks. Naoya, your boyfriend, had abandoned you on the side of a mountain. He’d left you in the fog, beneath the setting sun, without a tent and without a radio. And now you were injured.

If you didn’t know better, you would’ve said he was actively trying to kill you. 

But what was more likely was that he was just proving the point he’d been trying to make all along - that you weren’t cut out for the life of a mountaineer. 

And considering your condition, could you really disagree with him? 

Soft sobs overtook you, and you began to spiral. You weren’t sure how long you sat there, shivering as the cold grew more intense, mumbling incoherently to yourself about how you should’ve gone back down to the valley with Yuki. 

Perhaps you never should’ve tried facing the mountains in the first place. 

Maybe Naoya was right. 

They were thoughts that fled from your mind at the blessed sight of a headlamp cutting through the fog from above, footsteps crunching evenly on scree, picking up in speed the moment the light shone upon your sorry figure huddled on the ground. 

“Fuck, are you okay?” Sukuna’s voice had a tremor of relief shooting through you, and more tears swelled at the corners of your eyes. He was crouching down in front of you, expression laden with concern as he scanned your cowering form. One of his hands reached for your face, wiping away tears carefully while he waited for you to answer him. 

“My ankle…” You mumbled. Everything was too overwhelming for you to articulate any further, your words already coming out all choked and shaky. Sukuna didn’t need to hear any more, attention instantly shifting to your foot. His hands moved to prod gently at it, watching your face for a grimace which came quickly under his touch. 

“Does that hurt?” 

You nodded. He bit down on his lip and quickly moved to untie the lace of your boot. A soft whimper left your lips as he pulled it from your foot, but he was right to pay your reaction no mind since you were overcome with relief once your ankle was freed from those rigid confines pressing down too tightly upon it. 

It had swollen up significantly in the time you’d been sitting there waiting for someone to come for you. 

“Right. I’ll deal with the ankle soon but I want to get us to someplace better first before it gets fully dark.” It was only just occurring to you that the wind had started to pick up a little, your clothes ruffled by air rushing against you. It would be best to be in a less exposed place - Sukuna had taught you that exposure made all the difference when dealing with bad weather.

“There was a plateau back down at the bottom of this slope,” you mumbled, remembering the slight respite you’d had from the seemingly neverending onslaught of uphill.

Sukuna gave you a proud smile and it made your heart flutter. “Yeah, that would work. I’m gonna carry you down there, if that’s okay? I don’t think you should try walking on that ankle until we give it a proper look.” 

You wanted to collapse into fresh tears at the suggestion. While your boyfriend, the person who was supposed to look after you, had abandoned you on the side of your first big mountain, Sukuna was here offering to carry you to safety. The feeling his offer was giving you had a risk of overwhelming you entirely, utterly grateful that he was the person who’d come back to look for you. 

Naively, you wondered if Naoya had sent him down to look for you. It was a weak hope, a desperate, delusional belief that your boyfriend wasn’t as cruel as he truly was. 

“Yeah, that’s okay,” you said, quietly. You tried to ignore how pleasant it felt when Sukuna crouched down to scoop you up into his arms. His touch felt warm against your body which had grown cold over the past few hours of inactivity. The arms holding you were strong and secure, building a feeling of safety knowing he was there with you. 

Naoya would’ve taken issue with it, but you wished you’d asked Sukuna to stick with you throughout the whole trip. Things would’ve felt better if it was him you were relying on rather than your boyfriend. In his lessons he’d always emphasised the importance of matching your pace with a mountain buddy - always checking that they weren’t far behind. 

Rules that a supposedly experienced mountaineer like Naoya should’ve been well aware of. 

Sukuna strode down the rest of the hill with ease, keeping you tucked close against him in a princess carry. Considering that you had your pack still on your back you were surprised at how easy he made the whole thing look, because he wasn’t exactly carrying a light load between you in his arms and his own bag on his back. But he didn’t complain or demonstrate any signs of struggle. 

Outside of the fact that he was largely silent until you reached your destination. 

You didn’t mind that. It wasn’t like you were in the mood to talk either, your mind swimming with all kinds of things now that you were in safe hands. Naoya had left you behind to die. You could’ve died if no one had come back for you. Exposure could’ve gotten to you, or an animal, or some person with ill-intent prowling the mountainside. 

He’d left you helpless and defenceless. 

And, as rain started to drip from the sky above, you realised that if Sukuna hadn’t come for you, it would’ve been an evening out in the storm, at altitude, with nothing but your rain jacket and sleeping bag to huddle within. 

You could’ve died. 

Sukuna found a well sheltered area and placed you down while he set up the tent. You were in awe at how quickly he got it done - the same actions would’ve taken you three times the time it took his experienced hands to get it sorted. You were grateful for the speed, because it meant the two of you made it inside before the worst of the rain began to hammer down from the sky above. 

“Okay. First the ankle. Then everything else.” 

You tilted your head a little at his statement, not quite sure what he meant by everything else, but you assumed he was referring more to your mental condition and questions around how you’d ended up in your terrible position in the first place. You hoped he wouldn’t be mad at you for failing to make it up to the peak after how much time he’d spent teaching you things. 

You thought maybe he’d chastise you for things like not having your own tent or radio, but Naoya had been insistent about carrying those items for you, assuring you that he’d stick at your side and claiming his actions were out of a desire to keep your pack as light as possible. 

You were stupid to have believed him.

Sukuna knelt by your foot, removing your sock and inspecting the damage carefully. His fingers pressed delicately against the skin and you found yourself admiring his concentrated expression in the lamplight. “I don’t think it's broken,” he said. “Probably just twisted.” 

Reaching into his first aid kit, he found a bandage which he wrapped around the problem area, before pulling out an ice pack and snapping to activate its effects. He placed the pack down on your ankle, earning a little hiss from you which pulled a small smile from his otherwise serious face. 

He’d been really serious since he’d found you, his expression all irritated and stormy. 

Was he angry with you? Frustrated that he’d had to come back down the mountain to your aid? You didn’t like the idea of being his burden. 

“Endure the cold for a bit - it’ll make you feel much better.” he said, placing a warm hand on your calf. Your breath hitched involuntarily at the contact and Sukuna quickly withdrew from you, a tinge of guilt flickering across his handsome face. He instantly busied himself before you could question it, moving onto the next stage of tending to your injury.

He fumbled about in his pack and withdrew some clothing, bundling it up into a small pile and wedging it beneath your foot to elevate it a little. Nothing he was doing was particularly revolutionary - on the contrary, his actions were all things he’d taught you to do in the event of an injury. 

You’d just been too panicked to do anything on that scree slope. 

Perhaps he was mad at you for that too. 

Sukuna laid out his sleeping mat next to you, his nose wrinkling at the revelation that you didn’t have one because it was in Naoya’s possession. He slid his mat beneath you, keen not to have you lying on the floor, before pulling out his sleeping bag and sitting on top of that for some amount of comfort. 

“So, what happened?” Sukuna asked. His voice was a little clipped, as if he was holding himself back from saying what he really wanted to say. 

“I was rushing and lost my footing on some scree-”

“No. I mean, why are you alone?” 

“Oh.” You shrugged, taking a deep breath and avoiding his eyes. There was a sticky feeling building up in your throat, keeping your words down. If you said the truth aloud you were certain you’d burst into tears again. “I don’t know,” you mumbled finally. 

“You don’t know?” He echoed. 

“It just sort of happened. The girls went back down the mountain and Naoya kept going quicker and then we got separated somewhere in the fog. I imagine he was probably waiting somewhere up ahead for me but then I slipped.” You weren’t sure why you were trying to defend your boyfriend. You weren’t naive enough to truly believe he’d been waiting up ahead for you. 

He’d left you. 

But the idea of airing out just how stupid you were to be in that relationship in the first place felt humiliating. You wanted to at least pretend that Naoya didn’t leave you for dead - that you weren’t the fool who had stayed for years with an abusive boyfriend when you should’ve just left. 

You didn’t want Sukuna to think you were completely pathetic. 

“Naoya arrived at the camp hours ago,” Sukuna said, his tone detached, as if he wanted to avoid projecting any of his own emotion onto you. “He said you’d gone back down with the rest of the girls.” 

The horrified expression on your face must’ve said it all, because Sukuna’s impartiality quickly faded, rage burning within those crimson eyes. Naoya really had abandoned you. And not only that, he’d also attempted to sabotage any retrieval attempt that might be made for you. He’d outright claimed you were safe when he knew no such thing. 

It was a thought that made you sick, and once again the tears started to flow, dripping down your cheeks. You’d spent years with that man, feeling like you were less than good enough. You’d let him break you down, put up with his endless bullying and tormenting, all because he’d been sweet to you at the start. 

You’d always thought you weren’t good enough, always thought that it was your fault he was so unpleasant with you. 

Now it felt like your eyes were open for the first time. 

He’d left you on the side of a mountain. He couldn’t care less about your wellbeing. He couldn’t care less about you unless you were making him dinner. 

And you’d put up with it. 

You were a fool. 

“I knew that fucker was lying,” Sukuna hissed. “Yuki didn’t say your name when she radioed in to say she was heading back. She’s always good with that sort of thing. Fuck, I’m glad I came down to check, who knows what would’ve happened if-” 

He cut himself off, faltering before he could finish the sentence. It was clear that he didn’t want to scare or upset you further, not when you’d already reduced yourself to a puddle of tears. You didn’t want to imagine what fate the night would’ve brought if not for Sukuna arriving as your saviour. 

Falling silent, he shuffled a little closer to you. Reaching out delicately he began to wipe away your tears with his thumb. The touch of his skin against yours felt pleasant, and you found your sobs faltering at the new found comfort he was providing. A deeply loyal part of you urged you to pull away, reminding you of your boyfriend. You immediately pushed the thought aside. 

Naoya wasn’t your boyfriend. 

Not after what he’d done. 

“Don’t cry. You’re okay. I found you and we’ll make it through the night together. I’m not going anywhere.” Sukuna’s words were soothing, and you found yourself nodding between sniffles, your tears gradually drying up. You hadn’t realised you were shivering until Sukuna tentatively wrapped an arm around you, pulling you up and close to him. 

The storm had worsened outside, and you huddled down in your jacket, letting yourself lean into Sukuna’s chest to keep the shivering at bay. If this was how you felt inside a tent with another human to warm you, you hated to think how you would’ve felt still stuck all alone on the scree. 

It didn’t bear considering. 

“You should report that asshole to the police once we get down. Nothing will come of it because it's hard to prove intent, but this was an active attempt on your life. He had a duty of care he ignored, stripped you of shelter and then tried to prevent a rescue. I have half a mind to kill him myself.” Sukuna’s voice rumbled through his body. 

No one had ever really stood up for you before. Naoya was always good at being charming when it mattered. Your parents and the rest of your family had always seen him as a good prospect - a polite and handsome man from a well off family. With your friends, you’d done the damage on your own, always defending him, manipulated by him to act like the perfect picture of an abused girlfriend. 

“I’m so stupid,” you whispered. 

“What?” Sukuna asked, pulling back ever so slightly so he could look at you properly. You hadn’t spoken at all since the reveal, and your quiet words clearly caught him off guard. 

“I’ve wasted so much of my life with him. Spent so much time defending him like he was some good guy. I only joined this club to impress him and all he ever did was tell me how useless I was at stuff like this - at everything. Did you know that he spent most of this hike staring at Yuki’s ass? And yet, when I’d tell him about how much stuff you’d taught me he’d get all mad about me talking to another guy and verbally berate me until I cried. And I just let it all happen. You must think I’m an idiot.” 

Sukuna hesitated, searching for the right words. It made you smile in a twisted sort of way, because he was definitely trying to find something to say that wouldn’t indirectly call you stupid - an impossibility considering the circumstances. Now that your eyes were open you could finally see how foolish you’d been. 

You just wanted to go home. Forget mountaineering or anything else you’d tried in an attempt to bond with that asshole.

“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” he said finally. “I think guys like that are very good at getting their way, and you happened to be his victim.” The words were uncannily gentle, and at a glance at Sukuna’s face you could tell he was out of his comfort zone, but trying his best. He tightened his grip on you as a sudden gust of wind battered the tent. 

The touch had your heart fluttering, and you wondered how Sukuna felt about your current position. It was probably just a necessity in his eyes - a bid to warm up a tired and stressed woman, nothing more than that. 

With your loyalty to Naoya stranded somewhere on the mountain never to be recovered, you found yourself wishing the contact was something more than that. 

But considering your woefully pathetic attempt at summiting this relatively easy peak, you doubted Sukuna held you in high regard at all. His type was probably some strong, confident girl who already knew all her outdoor skills without Sukuna’s input. The type of woman he could rely on to partner with for dangerous and difficult peaks. 

That wasn’t you. 

You weren’t sure you’d step foot on a mountain again after this. 

“Maybe you don’t think I’m an idiot for that, but you probably think I am for all this.” You gestured in the general direction of your foot, still humiliated at the thought of Sukuna having to rush down the mountain to your rescue, like you couldn’t be left unsupervised for a single moment without finding yourself in need of rescue. 

Much to your chagrin, Sukuna laughed. “An idiot for getting injured? No, that’s practically a rite of passage. You were doing great through most of the hike - I was keeping an eye on you before the group split in half. We’ll get you down the mountain and get your ankle sorted, and then you can try this peak again another time.” 

Sukuna’s optimism had butterflies swarming in your stomach, but years of insults and abuse weren’t so easily displaced. You lowered your gaze, staring down at your hands in your lap. “I don’t know. I just wonder if Naoya was right. Maybe I’m not cut out for this.” 

Sukuna pulled a face, clearly displeased by that statement. 

“Do you like being in the mountains?” He asked simply. 

He made no statement on your skill, no attack on anything your boyfriend had told you. Asked nothing more than whether you liked being out in the fresh air, doing what you’d been doing before your ankle had been injured. 

And you did. 

You really did like it. 

“Yeah. I do.” 

“Then you are cut out for this. Enjoyment is literally the only requirement,” he said earnestly. “Besides, that guy’s full of shit. I taught you everything you needed to know and I have faith in your abilities. If you need to listen to someone else’s opinion to determine your value, how about you consider mine instead of his.” 

A flush appeared across your cheeks. Those were the kind of compliments Sukuna would always pay you. Nothing particularly special or flowery, but deeply genuine in a way that had your whole body bursting with pride, pushing the rot of Naoya’s insults from your veins and replacing it with Sukuna’s approval. 

“We’ll come back here together in a few weeks, just the two of us, and we’ll do this peak. I can promise you it’ll be better. I won’t abandon you in the fog.” You believed him, nodding a little in agreement. Even in your fragile mental state that evening, you couldn’t help the excited flip of your stomach at the thought of Sukuna wanting to do something alone with you. 

The mountaineering club had been a means for you to learn your skills to climb alone with Naoya. You hadn’t expected that it would leave you excited at the prospect of climbing with another man. 

Still, you tried not to get ahead of yourself. Your little crush on Sukuna, which had been present for several months more than you were really willing to admit, seemed to have finally found the freedom to really take over your thoughts. Your heart was practically in your throat at your current proximity to him, a desire coursing through your whole body. 

You needed to push it back down even with Naoya out of the picture, because you were certain Sukuna was just being friendly, just being a better person than Naoya was. You couldn’t afford to let your mind run wild with fantasies. 

At least, that’s what you’d told yourself. 

The two of you had sat in silence for a while after Sukuna’s offer of climbing alone together, still huddled together and listening to the wind and rain outside the tent. You found yourself calmed by the steady rhythm of Sukuna’s heartbeat, basking in the warmth of his body which took your mind off the cold compress burning at your ankle. 

“Do you mind if we share the sleeping mat? It's okay if not, but it would be warmer for you and more comfy for me that way.” Considering that the two of you had been cuddling for a while, you didn’t see the issue. Anything was fine in matters of survival and you were more than happy to remain close to Sukuna. 

“Yeah, sure. We can zip our sleeping bags together.” 

Sukuna’s lashes fluttered and you swore you could see a dusting of pink on his cheeks, but you were quick to disregard it. It had been a long and exhausting day, and you were likely just seeing what you wanted to see. 

The cold compress had started to lose its effect, and Sukuna removed it from your ankle while the two of you shuffled about to get ready for bed. Your ankle was feeling much better after a period of rest and elevation, and you found you could move it again without excruciating pain. Getting back down the mountain might still be an issue, but it was one you could leave to figure out in the morning. 

Zipping your sleeping bags together and settling down on the sleeping mat, Sukuna made space for you beside him. You had to half lay on him for you both to stay on the padding, but with how warm his body seemed to run, you really didn’t mind. He wrapped his arm around you, nestling you close against him under the guise of conserving space - an action that had your whole body thrumming with electricity. 

You couldn’t remember the last time you’d felt that way. For months, maybe even years, the only thing you’d felt under Naoya’s touch was mild dread. This was something nicer, something more exciting - a feeling you wanted to experience over and over again. 

“Warm enough?” Sukuna asked, giving you a reassuring squeeze. The tent was relatively cool, the fabric being battered by the storm outside, all of which seemed distant as you lay there in Sukuna’s grip. It was a safe and warm place to be, one where you could take your mind off troubles and anxieties knowing he was there to keep anything and everything at bay. 

Troubles which Naoya had actively brought upon your life, were effectively chased away by Sukuna. 

How you wished you’d met the pink-haired man earlier in your life. 

“Warm enough,” you echoed, your voice coming out muffled as you buried your face into his chest. 

Again, the two of you fell into comfortable silence, listening to the whistling of wind and basking in the feeling of your bodies pressed close together. You were half asleep and almost convinced that Sukuna was already asleep, when his deep voice cut through the darkness and silence. 

“I don’t usually go on these things, you know,” he confessed quietly. “This is my first one. I’m only in the club because it gives you connections for exhibition funding and learning new skills. Usually I do mountains solo and usually I do stuff much harder than this.” He waved his hand in the direction of the tent’s exit. 

A guilt blossomed in your gut at the speech, recalling similar words from your boyfriend when you’d brought up the trip. He’d said that climbs in the Japanese Alps outside of wintertime were nothing special, and that the whole thing would likely be so easy that he could do it in his sleep. He’d only agreed to go after you’d begged him, reminding him that you didn’t have the experience he did. 

“I’m only here because of you,” Sukuna continued. The guilt within you only grew sharper. Was Sukuna trying to imply that he was only present out of concern for your inexperience? Had you forced him along because he knew something like this would happen? Had he known he’d need to come to your rescue?

“Sorry. I must be such a burden,” you mumbled quietly, burying your face in your sleeping bag. 

Did Sukuna really want to commit to climbing alone with you knowing that you were so much less experienced than he was? Or was he just doing it because he felt bad for you? You were likely a pitiful sight with your messed up ankle and an abusive boyfriend who had abandoned you. 

Sukuna blinked rapidly, astute enough to swiftly connect the dots. “What? No, that’s not- I was trying to say something nice. I was saying I only came along because I enjoy spending time with you. I don’t like these group things and I prefer to do harder stuff but I’m here because you’re here, and I like you.” 

Your heart was pounding so hard you could hear it in your ears, completely drowning out the sound of any thoughts on how you were supposed to reply to that. You were too caught up on the word ‘like’, on the way Sukuna shifted ever so slightly against you, pulling you more firmly against his body. 

“What?” You asked, dumbly. 

“I like you,” he repeated. “I think you’re so cute and I love how happy you get whenever you learn something new and I’m so fucking exhausted of watching your boyfriend ignore you and take you for granted when I’d cherish you.” 

Again, your stomach flipped, your ears growing warm. 

“And when that fucker showed up at the top of the mountain without you, I wanted to kill him. When I found you all cold and alone on the slope I just- fuck. I want to keep you safe. I want to be the person who looks out for you, I want to take care of you in a way that guy seems unwilling to. He has no idea what he has- had, while I understand exactly what you’re worth. I want to take you to the mountains at my side because unlike him, I’d be thrilled to have you as my hiking partner.” 

Before you knew what was happening, you were crying again, wetting his clothes immediately with your tears. Your shoulders were shuddering and you could feel Sukuna’s heartrate picking up. It seemed like he was starting to panic - concerned that you were upset by his words when the reality was the total opposite. 

You’d never heard something so romantic from Naoya and you never would. To have someone speak such beautiful words to you felt surreal and your body had no idea how to react beyond sobbing from being so overwhelmed with love and affection. 

“Sorry,” Sukuna said quickly. “I know it's been a long day, now probably wasn’t the time to say anything. You don’t have to respond-”

He faltered as you peered up at him, your face wet with tears. He usually looked so confident, and even then there was still some atmosphere of certainty about him, but he couldn’t fully hide the glimmer of anxiety in his lovely red eyes. There was a fear of rejection buried within him, a fate that he seemed almost certain he was going to face. 

If only he could step into your shoes for a moment and feel all the emotion rushing over you at his confession

You didn’t say anything, you couldn’t think of anything that would suffice as a response to his outpouring of desire. Instead you tilted your face upwards, lips parting softly in a clear signal - one that Sukuna caught onto immediately. He closed the gap swiftly, lips slotting perfectly against yours with a warmth you’d never experienced before. 

Naoya’s kiss had always been domineering - a wet and unpleasant experience. Sukuna’s kiss was gentle and exploratory. His lips took the time to appreciate yours, to linger on that lovely shared warmth and soak in the feeling of being connected so intimately for the first time. 

His tongue ran along your lips carefully, requesting for you to open your mouth. You complied easily, letting him hold you ever closer as his tongue pressed into yours, deepening the kiss in a way that felt so natural despite the fact that you’d never kissed each other before. 

A rumble of thunder overhead had the two of you parting for a second, and you found your shivering renewed as a particularly cold wind blew through the tent. Sukuna’s red eyes went to the entryway, the space illuminating for a second as another flash of lightning ripped through the sky above. His hands rubbed your back soothingly at a louder rumble overhead. 

“I’m so glad I came down to find you,” he whispered. 

“Thank you for coming to find me,” you mumbled, eyes fixed on his handsome face, your mind still struggling to catch up to all that had transpired in the past few minutes. Thoughts of Naoya and all the suffering he’d put you through seemed distant in the intimacy of that tent. “I feel so lucky. Injured ankle aside.” You giggled softly, heart jumping at the way Sukuna grinned back at you, pressing another soft kiss to your lips. 

There was a gratefulness to his expression, a soft affection in his gaze which made you feel seen and special in a way you’d never felt with Naoya. It had you sinking deep into another kiss, your lips locked against his in a deeply intoxicating manner. All the stress and the anxiety of the day seemed to wash away beneath his grip. 

Even with the storm raging outside, you felt safe and warm with him there beside you.

You should’ve known about his feelings for you - should’ve understood the moment Yuki had made a comment about how Sukuna never usually spoke to anyone. He’d spent so much time on you, being so gentle in his teachings, making sure you knew what you were doing, making sure you were praised. 

He’d liked you from the start and you’d been too blind to see it. 

Too beaten down by your own experiences in relationships to believe that any affection directed towards you would be legitimate. 

You wished you could’ve puzzled it out sooner. You wished you could’ve noticed the soft look that always sparkled in Sukuna’s eyes whenever he looked at you. You wished you’d dumped Naoya several years ago, because it shouldn’t have taken an abandonment on the side of the mountain for you to realise how truly awful your ex-boyfriend was. 

But what was done was done. Sukuna’s hands were on you now, and that was all that mattered. You’d made it in the end, even if it had taken you a little longer to get there than you would’ve ideally liked. 

“You’re so pretty,” he whispered as the two of you broke apart for breath, red eyes scanning your face like he was committing your features to memory. “How Naoya could be so stupid, I have no idea.” 

“He’s not a smart man.” 

“No. He really isn’t.” Sukuna agreed. “But his loss is my gain.” 

You hummed, leaning against Sukuna’s chest once more, listening to his heartbeat beneath you. Despite the excitement, you were suddenly aware of how tired you were, and how much the cold was still seeping in through your clothes and down into your bones. Altitude was no joke, and the pleasant spring warmth was nowhere to be found on the mountainside that evening. 

“Are you still cold? You’re shivering.” It wasn’t possible for Sukuna to physically pull you closer to him than you already were, but he gave it an attempt all the same, practically crushing you in his grip. 

“A little, yeah.” 

“Shit. Once sec.” Moving away from you for a moment, he reached out of the sleeping bag and rummaged about in his bag, withdrawing his down jacket and draping it around your shoulders like an additional blanket. You were grateful for the added warmth, coccooned in between that and Sukuna’s warm body. 

For a few moments you lay there, your shivering finally subsiding, only for all the hairs on your neck to raise at the feeling of Sukuna’s voice vibrating against the top of your head. “There is another way I could keep you warm.” 

His tone was suggestive and perhaps a little amused. The comment had heat billowing throughout your body, your gut tightening at the suggestion of something you’d never allowed yourself to think of before. Sukuna was very attractive, and sometimes your mind had drifted in his direction when your hand had been caught between your thighs. But you’d always scolded yourself for it, had always driven away the idea of picturing a man you actually knew when you had a boyfriend. 

Now the suggestion was right there on the table as something real and tangible, and your mind was conjuring all sorts of exciting imagery. 

“O-oh. Yeah, that could be nice,” you said with a sudden rush of confidence. It was Sukuna’s turn to falter, red eyes suddenly wide with surprise, as if you’d called some bluff without even realising it. 

“I don’t have a condom,” he murmured, pushing you back ever so slightly so he could look properly at your face. “Sorry, I wasn’t actually expecting…this.” 

“I am on the pill,” you offered a little bashfully, embarrassed to have reacted so enthusiastically to what you were now realising was a joke. “But we can wait if you’d rather use a-” 

“No, no-,” his face was definitely a little red this time, seemingly caught off by your willingness. “If you want to, I’d like to. I just…” He rubbed his neck a little awkwardly. “I was just teasing and you surprised me, I guess. You’re always surprising me.” 

Before you could backtrack or come up with some witty response, Sukuna recovered himself and his lips were on your neck. You let out a soft whimper at the sensation of his teeth dragging against your sensitive skin, his lips latching onto you and sucking purple marks onto you with no concern for who might see them the next day. 

As far as he was concerned you were his. Naoya could rage all he wanted. If he wanted to keep his girlfriend he shouldn’t have discarded her on the mountainside. Bitterly, you hoped Naoya found out exactly what you and Sukuna had done that night. Let him seethe. Let him reflect on all that he’d lost. 

The bastard deserved all that misery and more. 

Sukuna’s hands found their way beneath your clothes, calloused fingers pressing against your skin with care. You hadn’t realised how much your whole body was aching until he was touching you like that, your muscles flexing at the new contact. 

You took his actions as a sign to do the same, sliding your own fingers beneath his shirt and pressing them against his abs. You knew he was well built - on hotter days he’d been shirtless when working on teaching you to lead climb, and you’d pretty shamelessly stared at him until your mind had reminded you of your boyfriend.

It would be nice for him to be shirtless now, but neither of you felt like removing any layers of clothing in the cold, so for the time being your touch would have to suffice. That was a freedom that Sukuna seemed to be taking full advantage of, mapping out your body with his hands, his fingers moving to your breasts and squeezing, red eyes lighting up at the little moan it earned him. 

“Really shouldn’t be doing this now,” he whispered huskily against your ear. “Had the whole thing planned out. Figured once you’d broken up with Naoya that I’d take you out on a nice date and then bring you back to my place so we could do this properly. But here we are.” 

You giggled softly at the dismay in his tone. “We can still stop.” 

“No. I want this now. You aren’t so easily resisted. But mark my words, once we’re back home, I’m going to take my time with you. I want to look at you properly beyond just fumbling about in a dark tent - as hot as this is.” 

Giggling again, you nodded, in total agreement with his sentiment. Doing things like this, while a little limited, did feel exciting in its own way. It felt like you were keeping some secret with each other, doing whatever you could in the dark without anyone else knowing about it. There was an allure to it that you couldn’t quite put your finger on. 

With Sukuna’s attention on your breasts, you were the one that ended up making a major move first. Your hand slid down beneath the waistband of his trousers, finding its way into his briefs. He let out a groan at the feeling of your hand brushing against his cock, which twitched erratically at the slightest touch. 

It felt big beneath your fingers, and you hadn’t realised that your breath had hitched until Sukuna was letting out a chuckle. 

“Impressed?” 

“Maybe,” you mumbled shyly. You didn’t have much of a point of reference for such things. Naoya was the only man you’d ever been with, and you imagined that he wasn’t packing anything particularly unique down there. Not if Sukuna’s size was anything to go by. You wrapped your fingers around the shaft, enjoying the way Sukuna shivered in pleasure. 

Meanwhile, Sukuna mirrored your actions, his fingers moving down your body until they were grazing against your panties. It was a little embarrassing how damp the fabric had grown, your pussy desperately slick from the events of the evening. Your body wanted Sukuna just as much as your heart and mind did, and it was making that fact glaringly obvious. 

“So wet,” he said with a chuckle. “There I was all nervous that you wouldn’t feel the same. Shows what I know, huh?” 

You flushed, glancing away from him in embarrassment as his fingers pushed your panties to the side, giving him free access to your pussy beneath. His fingers moved deftly through your folds, moving the slick around before rubbing at your clit, leaving you whining his name and squeezing his cock a little tighter. 

“Cute,” he hummed, his nose brushing against yours. One of his fingers prodded at your opening, pushing in with a little effort. He took a few minutes opening you up with two of his fingers, languidly stuffing you full with them to prepare you. You didn’t want to admit to how emotional the whole thing made you feel, because Naoya had always said that foreplay was a myth. 

Never before had you been prepared for anything, and Sukuna taking so much time to do so had your heart fluttering. 

You tried your best to return the favour, stroking his cock as best as you could while it was still confined beneath his clothes, but he didn’t seem to pay that too much attention - completely fixed on making you cum around his fingers before moving onto anything else. That was another thing that Naoya had never done. Cumming with him was so infrequent that you’d almost grown certain that you couldn’t do it with another person. 

And yet, Sukuna had you doing it in a matter of minutes - your toes curling in desperate pleasure as you gushed over his fingers with a sweet little gasp. 

There was no time for you to catch your breath before he was pushing your trousers and panties down ever so slightly to give him access whilst still keeping you dressed and warm. He did the same for his own clothes, gently displacing your hand from his cock and repositioning the two of you so that he was on top. 

The sleeping bag was still wrapped snugly around the two of you, keeping the warmth in effectively while he lined himself up over you, his muscular body keeping you pinned down beneath him in a position you’d be more than happy to remain in for the rest of your days. It was so nice to be under him like that, to be so surrounded by his body and heat and scent. 

It was where you were supposed to be. In some uncomfortable tent on the side of the mountain feeling happier than ever because he was there with you. 

You’d gone to the mountaineering club for Naoya, but you couldn’t help but think fate had guided your actions and really led you there for Sukuna. 

“All good?” He asked, hot breath brushing against your ear. The tip of his cock was pressed up against your opening, and you realised that he was giving you a chance to back out - showing you a level of consideration that Naoya never would. 

“Yeah,” you breathed, lashes fluttering as you peered up into lovely red eyes, letting out a whine when he finally pushed into you.

You hadn’t been prepared for just how big he was, your eyes practically rolling to the back of your skull as he pressed his way into your tight pussy. Your nails dug into his arms and a whimper left you at the intensity of the feeling. You felt like you were aware of every ridge and vein on his cock, your pussy squeezing around him each time he’d involuntarily twitch within you. 

It didn’t take long for the uncomfortable fullness to give way to pleasure once he bottomed out inside you. It had a pleasantly warm buzz running through your body once he started to thrust within you, the weight of his body keeping you still and secure, keeping you warm even as the storm picked up outside. 

Any fears of the thunder and lightning were pushed aside in favour of focusing on the feeling of being split in two. Sukuna’s lips found your neck once more, overstimulating you as he bit and sucked on the juncture between your neck and shoulder, bringing tears to your eyes beneath all the pleasure he was giving you. 

Even through the stretch it felt right to have him inside you, and it was downright heavenly each time one of his long strokes hit that one specific spot inside you, bringing stars and light to your vision each time. 

This was where you were meant to be. 

Neither of you lasted particularly long. Not after the day you’d just had, and certainly not after months of mutual crushing. You’d cum first - your body already sensitive from the previous orgasm and totally overwhelmed by the intimacy of it all. Sukuna had reached down to play with your clit while he fucked you, and that set you on a high unlike any other. 

If Naoya had known where the clit was, he’d certainly never touched it. 

And yet, there Sukuna was utilising it. You could count on one hand the number of times you’d cum from penetrative sex, but Sukuna had pulled an orgasm from you like it was easy. 

And maybe it was easy. 

Maybe Naoya just fucking sucked. 

Sukuna wasn’t far behind you in reaching his release. When you’d cum you’d clamped down around him tightly, locked in a spiral of pure pleasure unlike that which you’d experienced before. It felt better than anything you could achieve with your own hands - infinitely more intimate and lovely. 

The way you’d squeezed him so tight had sent Sukuna over the edge, prompting him to groan your name in that low tone of his as he filled you with his seed, riding out his own release to the point where you were growing overstimulated and begging him for mercy. 

Mercy which he gave you with a gentle smile and a kiss planted atop your sweaty forehead. 

The two of you lay then in the darkness, soft pants drowned beneath the howling of wind. Sukuna was holding you tightly, keeping you secure in his grip like you might vanish if he didn’t cling to you with all his might. He was still inside you, softening but present in a way that felt blissfully intimate. Whenever you’d laid with Naoya, you couldn’t wait to escape his grip and get cleaned up. 

With Sukuna, it was different. 

You could stay there with him sheathed inside you for hours - connected in a way that just felt right. 

His lips were ghosting against your hair, soothing you with kisses, running his hands over you repetitively in a bid to ensure you stayed warm at his side. Your ankle was throbbing a little from all the movement, but with Sukuna’s legs intertwined with yours you found yourself able to ignore it. All thoughts and discomforts overridden by how happy you felt in that moment. 

“Try and get some sleep,” he murmured against your hair. “I’ll look after you.” 

“I know,” you whispered. 

He smiled softly. “Just making sure you know it. Apparently you can’t take for granted that everyone will look out for you.” His tone came out a little bitter, but instead of feeling anger at the reminder of Naoya’s actions, you felt a warmth blossom across your chest at Sukuna’s display of care. 

You liked that he was angry about it. It was nice to have someone care about you for once. 

In hindsight, it was a blessing that you never made it out into the mountains alone with Naoya like you’d intended to at the start of your mountaineering training. If you had, perhaps you would’ve ended up left for dead - freezing on the side of the mountain while Naoya summoned some crocodile tears and dismissed your fate altogether. 

You were lucky to have Sukuna. Lucky to be able to continue going into the mountains with someone who actually wanted you there. Someone who would really take care of you. 

“I’m glad you’re here to look after me.” Your hand reached for his face, tracing his tattoos with great care. As pleasant as your evening with him had been, you were looking forward to making it down the mountain - to spending time with him outside of that tent. It would be nice to see just where those tattoos disappeared off to beneath his clothes. 

But that would have to wait. 

You knew that the next day would be long. An arduous trek back down the mountain was ahead of you, along with a no doubt vicious confrontation with your ex. One that you were sure Sukuna would take the lead on, but still not something you were looking forward to experiencing. 

Either way, you wouldn’t dwell on it that evening. 

Because for the time being, there was nothing you needed to worry about. The storm could rage on outside for as long as it needed to. You were safe in your tent, in the arms of a man who would never leave you alone on the side of a mountain. 

And it was possibly the happiest you’d been in a very long time. 

a/n: after getting down to the bottom of the mountain the next day I promise reader slapped naoya and sukuna beat the hell out of him :)

had such a fun time writing this its literally the most self-indulgent fic I've ever written as I love being in the mountains hehe

hope you enjoyed! reblogs and comments are appreciated as always!

perma taglist: @calicatzz @suzunu @winkii @sukubusss @bobis-notmylover @tetsuski @torupilled @brattyxackerman @r0vena @chaos-4baby @moonlitreveri3 @feyrinnn @strawberryrosey @creamofsneky-blog @zeeseekay @p1nkfl0wers @apricityn @keiiiluv @dogggggggblog-kaye @lav4mpira @seellove @cutesytwt @gojodickbig @yuujispinkhair @somos-things @yeagersss @paradisestarfishh @jennilynn63 @tthhaattgguuyy27 @bexxli @being-blue-is-better @tisuruxx @juliarchiv3s @dishs0pe @plutoxxxworld @5kkalara @serenadesvt @00frenchfries00 @warriorofenlightenment @scarlet-issilly @himbosexual @pousivuitton @ksjtozaki @certainfanpoetry @gojoscumslut @ynishalee @nakiich @t4ters @himezoro @pandabiene5115

࣪✧ lavender marriage satosho .ᐟ who were still friends . . . just friendly fire was now turned on. after years of joking about both being into women, never would they have expected to fall for the same one. and so started their newest couple activity: competing for your affection.

࣪✧ lavender marriage satosho .ᐟ with shoko who had the advantage. satoru was forever busy and she lingered more in the estate. she got all the more time with you and made it her duty to strike up conversation whenever possible. kindly checking up on your day, ensuring all is well, learning more about you. she stored every bit of information and made sure to bring it up when the time suited. to show you that she listened, that she cared. she even started helping you with some of your duties and when you'd try to shoo her she'd hum a small, "let me, I enjoy your company."

࣪✧ lavender marriage satosho .ᐟ with satoru who was a lot more obvious. favouritism? psh what's that? you got a higher pay than most advisors, when you questioned he simply winked and crooned "because you're my favourite." made sure you had all the leave days to your heart's content, often sent special requests to remind you to take care of yourself. if you were in the room? his eyes remained fixed on you. compliments, spoils, you name it.

"She smiled at me today," Satoru blissfully sighed into his pillows. Eyes more dreamy than the lavish bedroom and mini citadel reserved for the lady and lord of the estate.

On the far right, Shoko set her brush down atop the dresser and continued her nightly routine. "Really? First time?"

Her smug smirk met his glare through the mirror. She fluffed her shoulders and rubbed in her eye cream.

"She's adorable . . . and terribly inexperienced by the looks of it," she sighed, mocking Satoru's bliss. "I wonder what her lips would taste like."

"Don't even," he groaned and flopped into the bed. Would your lips be as soft as the silk sheets? "Wanna kiss her so bad. But we're gonna freak her out."

"Well, infidelity isn't sexy." Shoko popped.

"We can't exactly tell her we aren't really together, now can we?" Satoru huffed.

"We can make it obvious though."

"A challenge? I lovvee a good challenge, darling."

"Gojo."

"Okaayyyy okay! Don't hit meitwasajoke!"

࣪✧ lavender marriage satosho .ᐟ who decided to make it a bit more obvious. how? well, suddenly shoko's 'helping' became a lot more intimate. she'd reach over you while you worked on paperwork, brushing against you 'accidentally'. handing you over documents with hands lingering. she'd smile at you when she saw you in the halls, offer you to join her for lunch, brush some crumbs off your lips that you didn't catch in the moment. the second you turned in fluster, stuttering a quiet apology, she'd murmur a soft, "it's alright doll. you're cute all messy."

࣪✧ lavender marriage satosho .ᐟ with satoru who became even more obvious. catching you in compromising positions. brushing up against you like shoko did but being all the more purposeful. when you turned, he was already staring, into your heart and soul. he applauded your work during meetings first, started bringing you gifts for all your hard work. offered you to join him for nightly walks for the sake of company. when you stumbled? he caught you, intimately. arms wrapped around you and hoisting you to him. you stammered, tried to laugh it off, and he smiled. "you have the prettiest laugh, you know that?"

࣪✧ lavender marriage satosho .ᐟ who started noticing how much you fumbled around when it came to them. usually so poised and proper, now helpless whenever they were in the same room as them. you tried to ignore how shoko's hand brushed your waist that one time. how satoru needlessly leaned down to whisper something flustering to your ear. you'd bring them nightly tea and avert your eyes. so wishing you could sprawl on their lavish bed, be treated by the both of them— woah, where's your mind going?

࣪✧ lavender marriage satosho .ᐟ who decided it's time to make a move on you. this little game of theirs was fun, but it was only a matter of time before the other stole you away.

"Fair game, don't you think?" Satoru hummed, stood at the outer walkway with an arm looped around his wife. Events held at the estate were so boring, but at least you looked pretty all dolled up.

"Keep telling yourself that." Shoko yawned, peeping at you with one eye over her hand.

There you were. Beauty itself. Radiant and diligent. Tending to the event with all the same duty and grace you exuded on the rest of your tasks. Right there. Ready for the taking.

Blue cut to brown. Icy.

"I'm done holding back."

Brown lit a fire. Hot coals to the blue's ice.

"How fun. So am I."

© 𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆 . no copying, translation or plagiarism authorised

Better, was calloused hands spreading your thighs. Better, was a devoted tongue worshipping you from the inside out.

Better, was your samurai. Whose sole duty was to love you.

Your spine curved off of the wooden floors of your office. Hips craning from the cushion and into his hot face. Dragging your arousal all over his eager mouth.

Suguru had ways to comfort you from Satoru's cruelty.

Pleasure bloomed at your core. Weeding out the blade that your husband wedged in your gut. Soothing the deep ache in your muscles, replacing it with heat. Heat, and bliss, and Suguru.

If only it could replace the fact that your three month anniversary was the next day.

Your fingers still twitched in his hair. Still clung to him by the strands rather than the roots. You still scolded your hips for bucking into him. Even after all this time.

The tenseness in your thighs. The tenderness in your throat. You wished it was from Suguru's tongue. Not the thorn of your marriage lodged between your ribs.

Not the torment of your empty womb.

"Petal, what did I say?"

Your fingers tensed in his hair. Tight with the fear of disappointing him too. But his violet eyes were soft. Tender pools that reminded you his hands were devotion and his mouth was love.

Suguru's smile tickled your folds. His thumb rubbed assurance into your inner thigh. Gentle, as he always was. "Go on."

You looked to the ceiling. Trying to ground yourself. Trying to answer him. His patience swelled your heart.

"Said I should. . . "

"Yes?"

"I can't."

He chuckled. A chaste kiss pressed to your clit. Made you squirm, but he held you against him. Tethering you to this comfort. To him.

"Take what you want," he spoke. To your cunt. To your heart. Dark eyes watching you from beneath his lashes as his lips ghosted over your twitching slit. Kissing quivers. Encouraging.

"Take what's yours."

You swallowed the lump in your throat, the nervousness. Failed. How could you take what you want when your throat was always parched and your hands knew nothing but barrenness?

Still, you tried for him. Fear weeding your fingers into his hair as his mouth traced along your slick. Promising pleasure. All you had to do was take it.

Take it.

Take control.

Your hips stirred. Meek drags against his face. His head nudged into your hands. Prompting them. His kisses taunted you. Enough to bloom bliss but not enough to spill your nectar.

Fingers flexed. Nails grazing his scalp. Your hips bucked. Chasing his mouth. Once, twice. Letting your body follow the rhythm. Of what felt right. What felt good.

"There you go. That's it." His groan rumbling into your slit rattled your heart into a helpless flutter.

Your head hung back. Brows pinched as you focused on the pleasure. On his mouth. On taking what you want.

Taking what was yours.

Taking, taking, taking what you.

Didn't deserve.

Your hips stuttered. A whimper caught in your throat. Not pleasured. Fingers loosened their grip. Eyes cracked open to stare at the ceiling. Curse the heavens for making you like this. So unworthy of love. Even for yourself.

Suguru caught on. He always did. One of his hands caught yours. Thumbing on your knuckle as his kisses bloomed over your thighs. Across your hips. Your tummy. All the way up to your trembling ones.

He squeezed your hand. You refused to look at him.

"Still shy?" He asked. You knew that he already knew the answer. But he gave you a choice.

He always did.

"Guess so." You chose to lie.

His warm palm pressed against your cheek. Warm kiss against your temple. You wished his warmth was enough this time.

"You deserve love." He said.

You wanted to believe him.

Moonlight streamed over you. Soon it would set, and the sun would rise to mark three months of your marriage.

Three months, of not being deserving of his love.

You wished it was as simple as Suguru made it sound. That when you returned to your empty bed in the night, it was easy to ignore. Tell yourself that you deserved love even when the sheets were cold.

Loneliness no longer laid beside you. It crawled into your mouth, one night when Satoru stumbled in. Dishevelled. Covered in red marks across his neck. Blue eyes bright but not for you.

No, loneliness now hardened in your throat. Tight with an emotion you rarely felt. One you swallowed. In bitter flames and hot coals.

Anger.

You were growing tired of your empty bed. The empty promises. Your empty womb. Satoru had hollowed out the word duty, all you had ever known, and spat out scraps. Expected you to adhere.

Where was his honour?

You swallowed the question as did you the anger. Let its all-consuming sister take its place: sadness.

Sadness for your cold sheets. For the brittle promises. For your barren womb.

As you dreaded, the morning sun gave you hope in warmth on your skin.

You wore your finest kimono today. A bridal gift from your cousin. White, with red accents, because that was the colour that drove any husband mad, she said. You fiddled with the fabric in the mirror. It was hardly your style. Definitely not your shade.

You spent a longer time prettying yourself up than you would like to admit. Paid too much attention to your hair. Your makeup. All for a man who probably didn't even know what day it was.

Hope was a cruel thorn. Made itself look like a blossom, but wretched deep in your heart.

The dining hall was empty.

The food was plentiful. The sun shimmered across the table and all its delights. Promising warmth and the bitter taste of hope.

But the head seat of the table was vacant.

Hollow like your heart, as you sat. Thanked the servants for your meal. And ate, by yourself, on the morning of your third month anniversary.

Loneliness throbbed at the back of your throat. The sun's warmth burning. Hotter, and hotter— blistering the back of your tongue in that same flame you tried to swallow with your rice.

A crystal presence froze it over.

White hair. Blue eyes. Posed, and as perfect in every way you could only dream of being.

Aiyuri.

"Satoru truly is a lot like his father," she mused. As if you were supposed to know what any of that meant.

She sat at the table. Did not bother to thank the servants as they set her food down, because it was their duty. Even the way that she handled her chopsticks demanded respect.

"You look sullen." She said, not looking up.

You struggled to hold your tongue.

"It is my anniversary and my husband is not here."

Her stare cut from below her lashes. You did not flinch, even when every inner part of you shrivelled up under her stare.

Then, she smiled.

"My dear, you live in a fairytale." She shook her head.

You should stop. You didn't. "It's not a fantasy to want love."

"What makes you think that you are deserving of it?"

Your breath hitched.

She ate in peace. As if she hadn't stabbed through your gut and ruined your appetite. The clink of ceramic drowned in the ringing of your ears.

"My dear," she said again. As if she were a loving mother-in-law. As if she cared about anything other than your ability to bear an heir. "In this life, a woman's love should be to her duty. And your duty is to your husband."

When she looked at you, the heat blistered the back of your tongue again. Pulsed in your soul. A painful reminder that she was right.

You weren't here for love. Your sole purpose was duty.

But how could you fulfil that duty with a husband who could not even bother to look at you? Let alone touch you?

You dug deep into yourself. Into your hollow pride. Into your honour birthed as the first and only child of your clan.

You were your father's daughter. And his honour burned in your veins.

Clanheads often drove themselves insane for the sake of duty. You were sure that you danced that line, now that you stood here. A bowl of cherries in your hands and your eyes on a door that you knew all too well.

You dreamt of it. Shut in your face time, and time again. The same as Satoru did, day-in and day-out. His office was off-limits.

The floor was hot coals, burning into your heels. Cautioning you to turn back.

But the fire in your throat burned hotter. The scathe of failure. Disappointment.

You had heard in passing that cherries were Satoru's favourite fruit. Giggled amongst the maids and servant girls. If it was no more than a crude joke, well, you were familiar enough with the sting of his rejection.

Even with that in mind, your hand hesitated to knock. If you did, you were sure your voice would lodge itself in your gut. Betray you, because it knew you better.

Suguru's words rang through your racing mind.

Take what you want.

Take what's yours.

Yet despite all the fire, you stood frozen. Strung between possibilities. Would he ignore you? Snap at you? Worse, humiliate you on your anniversary?

The red of your kimono mocked you. Stuck to your skin. Clawed into your pores and taunted you: to run away, because you weren't the kind of woman that had what it took to drive her husband crazy.

"Good day, Madame Gojo."

A tender voice, and yet it had you jolting. Nearly toppling over some of the cherries. You spun to face who had addressed you and saw a beautiful woman. A servant girl, probably around your age.

In her hand was a letter, and she held it out with a bow of her head. "Forgive me for the startle, but this arrived from your clan today. The messenger implored that it was urgent."

"Thank you." Your voice was meek as you took the letter. The parchment smooth under your fingertips. Reminding you of the perfection back home.

The servant nodded, eyeing the bowl of cherries as you used the letter as an excuse to scurry back to your room.

"Would you like for me to deliver those to Gojo-Sama in your stead?" She smiled.

Was she one of the servants you had caught under him? The curl of her lips said so. Satoru had a taste for pretty girls with bright eyes. That looked innocent but were probably as ruined as him.

You wouldn't remember even if you tried. Too many faces, and all of them merged into one, painful reality: not yours.

Still, you gave her the bowl of cherries. Knowing well she probably wouldn't say they were from you. It was better that way.

You scampered back to your bedroom. Ignored the empty sheets and loneliness that had slipped back to sprawl across the bed. Occupying yourself with the letter. Your clan came first. Always.

You broke the seal. As you expected, the ink was perfect. Elegance etched in calligraphy. The kind of grace only your mother was capable of.

My dearest daughter, how I miss you.

The first line already had your heart up in knots.

Your mother's love was duty disguised. Not tender. Warm in a cruel way.

I expected to hear from you sooner, but I suppose you must be busy. How has married life been?

Three months ago, we gave you away. Your father and I patiently await your letters each and every day. We understand that you must be kept busy with your new duties.

We haven't heard any news from the Clanhead nor the former Madame. Other than she, too, is waiting.

Remember that lotus root, kabocha, fresh fish and mugi-cha will help increase your fertility. You need body warming foods.

Avoid the cold. Your womb must be warm for conception.

You will be in our prayers. We hope to hear from your soon.

The single sheet of parchment hung heavier than a pure steel katana in your hand.

The ink was elegant, sharp. Stabbing into your fingertips in a thousand needles. In your family's criticism. Their watchful eyes that loomed over you even when you were far, far away.

Your mother's words were short, but a reminder.

The room tilted. Nausea trapped your throat. You sat on the edge of the bed as your vision blurred. You were running out of time. People were talking.

The letter quivered between your fingers. They bit into the paper and crinkled it at the edges. As you placed a hand over your stomach.

Your womb must be warm. She said

But there was only cold.

A cold bed.

Cold promises.

And the cold eyes of your husband who refused to touch you.

Your womb might have been frozen, but your heart was hot as you watched him.

Whether in the sun's rays or moonlight, Satoru was gorgeous. His white hair caught the silver streams. It shimmered in his blue eyes that you caught glimpses of in the mirror.

You sat on the bed, watching as he readied himself. A black yukata that complimented his broad shoulders and contrasted his pale skin. He fixed himself in the mirror, unaware that neatly tucked away in one of the drawers in front of him was the letter. The letter that emphasised the infinity between you both.

He had not said a word to you since he had entered. Simply freshened himself in the washroom and dressed in fine robes. You assumed it was for dinner.

Maybe he did not forget your anniversary after all.

Or maybe it was to please the elders. If he was even capable of that.

As you watched him, your mother's ink faded into your vision.

Fertility.

Conception.

A warm womb.

Suguru's words rung in your ears.

Take what you want.

Take what's yours.

Both merged into a nauseating blur. Spiralled by your nerves and thrumming pulse. The hairs at the back of your neck stood. Your palms were hot with anxiety.

Three months ago, you sat on this bed. Nervous. A virgin. Fumbling with your own wedding robes in a pitiful attempt to be good for your husband. Wrapped in pristine white and purity.

I'm forced to be in here. With a bumbling, inexperienced wife who whines, and cries, and barely even knows how to kiss.

You remembered his words. Remembered how they shocked you. Remembered the offence you felt when your handmaiden told you that your husband, didn't like the innocent ones.

Now, as you sat here in white with reds stitched in ornate patterns, you asked yourself the same question that you did on your first day married.

What were you willing to sacrifice for your duty?

What were you willing to become?

The answer guided you from the sheets. Your feet cold against the floors as you rose to stand.

Satoru paid you no mind. Smoothing out the creases in his clothes. You noticed that he took longer to get ready than any other man you knew. As if he was a woman prettying herself up instead.

You embodied the grace you had seen the servant girls poise. The confidence that Suguru instilled in you. To act, to take, because you deserved it.

You deserved love.

And you loved your duty.

"Are you staying for dinner?" You asked, softening your voice. As scarlet as the roses outside your window.

His answer never came. Silence.

But you weren't so easily swayed tonight. Not with the letter glaring at you even from within the drawer.

You stepped closer. Ears ringing. Eyes blurred. Imagining her ink. Remembering his words. A slew of black, and violet, and red, and white.

"It would be nice. Maybe. . . we can have some time to ourselves." The words sounded foreign to your ears. Silk, in the way that Suguru spoke to you. In that way that bloomed warmth in your core.

You slipped behind Satoru. He had stopped moving. Eyes fixed on the mirror. Sharp. Frigid. Watching you over his shoulder like a predator.

His head crooked slightly.

As if he was inviting you.

Fire pumped through your veins. Your heart pounded in your ears. In your pulse. In your chest. Ready to claw out of your ribcage and scamper away, because she knew you.

And this wasn't you.

So close now, you could feel his chills. Prickling at your skin. Seeping into you. Freezing you from the inside out.

Your heels pulled at you. Begging you to run. Your soul wailed, screamed for you to stop.

Barely blinking. Barely breathing.

"I'm beginning to miss my husband." Your words were smooth.

You so desperately wanted them to be that you missed the tremor at the edges.

Your fingers reached out, brushing along the length of his bicep. Tentative. Tender.

Take it.

Take what you want.

You slowly, gingerly pressed your fingertips against his arm.

Snap!

Blistering. Freezing. The buzz against your fingertips hummed through your muscles, your bones, your teeth.

Infinity.

The space between you and him. The symbol that your husband not only refused to touch you, but refused to let you touch him.

You weren't breathing. Weren't moving. Frozen, like your hollow, barren womb. A thousand thoughts racing.

Satoru's eyes held the same warm cruelty that your mother's did.

"How cute."

You would rather that he shattered the mirror, picked out shard, and gutted you instead.

"My wife thinks she's learning new tricks, what a sight for sore eyes." At least he did not laugh at you. Out loud, that was. His eyes took that pleasure. Bright, and blue, and brutal in every, twisted way.

Your hand fell to your side. Cramped against your thigh. Your gaze unable to leave the mirror. Fight or flight? No, fawn. Freeze. A statue of your misery and failed attempts of being anything appealing to the man you called husband.

Satoru scoffed, fixing his clothes one last time. The sadistic amusement melted back into that cutting frost. His stare lashing at yours through the reflective glass.

A reminder.

A warning.

"Come back when you've gained more confidence. You might be worth something then."

With that, he walked out of the room. His footsteps haunting you from down the hallway. Leaving you with your heart in your hands that he had dug out himself.

Worth something?

No, you weren't worth anything. Not like this.

Not as the woman who could barely keep her husband's eyes on her. Let alone drive him crazy.

Satoru did not join you for dinner. You knew this even though you did not bother checking the dining hall. Your appetite had seeped between the wooden planks of your bedroom floor.

For hours, you laid on the bed. Subjected yourself to the torment of repeating the interaction.

Come back when you've gained more confidence.

You might be worth something then.

Worth something.

Worth.

Something.

What were you worth if not your duty?

What other purpose in this life did you have?

What did worth matter, when you could not even fulfil the one task that you were given?

Loneliness was not laid beside you nor in your throat. It nestled in your abdomen. Tucked away in your cold, hollow womb. Reminding you that you were a failure.

That you were failing.

Knock knock.

You shut your eyes. The knock came again from the window, this time thrice. You weren't sure if you could bear looking at Suguru's face right now. If you could wear a smile and believe his lies when your heart still slumped on the floor, in front of the mirror where he had left it.

There was a rustle. A shift. The window beams creaked and when you eventually found it in yourself to open your eyes, Suguru was stood at the foot of your bed.

You sat up, brisking your tongue.

"I know," he smiled. "I shouldn't be here."

You had not the heart to joke with him tonight. He noticed.

He always did.

Your samurai sat beside you. On the bed that he fed you lies, that night. Both to your heart and your body that greedily accepted him because you craved something warm. Something yours.

"I got you something." He said, lifting you by the chin when your eyes could not lift themselves.

Your brows furrowed. A gift?

Smooth, cold pearls kissed your skin. Slid over your fingers and hugged around your wrist. When you looked down, soft shades of red awaited you.

Agate, shaped into perfect pearls to form a bracelet that snugly fitted your wrist.

Your throat thickened. Your own husband hadn't given you a gift on your anniversary, and here was Suguru. A man who was meant to kneel to you, worship you.

Not love you.

Not bring you gifts on your anniversary night when you're on the verge of tears.

"Suguru," you croaked. His hand found your face, cradled it. You pressed into the warmth of his palm. Desperate for something. Anything. The smallest tinge of comfort.

"Sshh." He whispered, thumbing on your cheekbone. "I know."

He didn't.

Didn't know the ache in your heart. Didn't know what your mind was saying. Still, he guided you into his lap. Cradled you, as he always did.

You clung around his robes. Clinging, because he was all you had. Everything you shouldn't want. Everything you couldn't have.

But still, all you had.

"Teach me." You whispered, face brushing against his.

He watched you from beneath dark lashes. Violets pouring into your gaze. Reminding you of that lie he always told you: that you were worthy of love.

"Anything." He whispered, hands mapping down your sides. Smoothing over your waist and squeezing affection into your curves.

You hated their softness. Hated how you would take advantage of it.

"Teach me how to take what I want. Teach me how to—" your hands braced on his shoulder. Breath thin. You locked eyes with him, and asked yourself those two, frightening questions.

What were you willing to sacrifice for duty?

What were you willing to become for it?

The answer was simple. Whatever it took to warm your womb.

"Teach me how to be like you. To be confident. To be. . . "

Your hands slipped to his chest. Breath thin. Eyes lidded.

"Wanted."

His hands took yours. Guided them to his throat. You almost flinched. Still as a stone as you watched him position your fingers.

Suguru smiled at you. "Do what feels right, petal."

The fire reigniting within you told you to squeeze. So you squeezed. Felt his pulse and breath hitch. So did yours.

His other hand slipped down. Cupped your hip. Guided it against his. Once, twice, luring you into a rhythm.

"Tell me I'm yours," he rasped. You felt it under your palms.

"You're mine." You shook.

"Firmer."

"You're mine."

Your hips pressed harder on his. Hands squeezed tighter. Suguru's back hit the bed and a deep, depraved moan rumbled against your hold. Hips rocking up in pure, raw.

Need.

"That's it. See? I'm yours." His lashes fluttered at you. Eyes staring into your soul. Hand raising to stroke at your face even as he taught you sin.

"Now," he whispered.

Deep, dark.

To the dark and deep part buried within you.

"Take what you want."

© 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒎. no plagiarism or ai training authorised. divider: @/kodaswrls, @/dollywons. art cred: @/_3aem (twt)

"I've worked a bit on the banquet today and wanted to review some of my points with you. Especially regarding the food situation a few days ago," you said.

His head crooked, revealing more of his pale throat. Yours ran dry.

The darkness accentuated his eyes. Blue, bright and oh so beautifully brutal. They cut through the shadows like stunning needles.

His hair, despite dishevelled, complimented his stare as always. White strands adorned over his brows and emphasising the sharp features of his face.

Your husband was as infuriating as he was attractive.

"Are you here to show me your plans or did you just need an excuse to stare at me today?"

And as observant as he was attractive.

You coiled your grip tighter around the scrolls. In hopes that the ink would seep out onto the floor and distract him from the fact that you were instead, staring.

"I— sorry." Your apology was swift. Your lowering gaze was swifter.

But not fast enough to miss the smug curl at the corner of his pale lips. Your eyes glued to the floor watched as his feet stepped closer. His presence was the calm before a storm.

You braced yourself for impact.

Satoru loomed over you, as always. Head leaned over to the side of your face. His voice slithered on your ear. A forked tongue was all you heard.

"Is my sweet little wife getting bold?"

You tensed, "no. I wasn't even—"

"So you don't want something from me?"

Surely, it was the darkness that wrapped around your hand. A shadow. An obscurity. A figment of your imagination.

Because in no realm of reason, would your husband actually be holding your hand right now.

Dreaming.

You must be dreaming.

The scrolls clattered to the floor. That should have woken you up.

Your body jolted. That should have stirred you from sleep.

Long, pale fingers wrapped around yours. A cuff to your wrist. His thumb daunted your pulse. The chills of his touch dripped into your veins and pumped to your heart until it froze.

You weren't dreaming.

Frantic eyes snapped up to his. To the blues brimmed with what you could only describe as sadism.

Satoru was touching you. Touching you.

He was touching you.

You'd never felt anything softer than his yukata.

He brought your hand to his chest. Pressed your palm flat onto his robes. Every second tauting your spine that would surely snap from tension.

"Come now," he mused. Heaven on his tongue and hell on his teeth.

He craned closer. Closer than he ever had to you.

"I know you want me. It's why you stare so bad, hm?"

You cannot bring yourself to respond. Anything might have damned you at this point.

Still, he scoffed. Smirked. "Pathetic."

Your hand was a heavy stone that plummeted as he dropped you. Satoru pushed past you without so much as a glance back over his shoulder.

"When you've found your voice again, come find me."

His robes lingered. Brushed against you. A cold snap kept the fabric from daring to graze your ankle.

Infinity. The ice barrier that kept him from you.

That circled your wrist. Left the skin tender. He could not even bring himself to touch you without it.

Satoru's footsteps echoed down the hall. Mocking you with every beat. You cradled your hand. Wished it stopped there.

But your husband was a cruel man.

"I've got better things to do with my time than waste it on a woman like you."

A part of you agreed with him. Why would someone as insatiable as him waste his breath on someone who froze at the smallest touch?

You could learn for him.

You told yourself it was out of spite that you stood with your feet kissing soft blades of grass.

The aroma of blooming blossoms wasn't the scent of spite. But of youth. Naivety.

It was the scent of a young wife wanting to learn how to please her husband. As a girl wore perfume to dazzle a love interest, so you had found your way to the meadow Suguru had urged you to sneak off with him to.

It was to comfort your waning heart, you said.

The red roses blooming between white petals whispered otherwise.

The moon as your witness. It gleamed over dewdrops on the grass. Beamed a path to the man who cradled you when you froze. Encouraged you every time you went mute.

Geto Suguru. Your samurai. Sat amongst the flowers and plucking thorns off of roses. Long hair loose in silky strands. Neat, as always. Beautiful enough to make even maidens jealous.

The moon adored him. Even so, his dark eyes brightened once he spotted you. With your hands cupped in front of you and your gaze flickering to the nature. To anything else but him. A desperate effort to distract yourself from the reality that you were here.

Why did shame rear its ugly head? Satoru had said it himself, he didn't care who you spread your legs for.

Maybe that was the problem.

"Thank you for coming, my lady," Suguru smiled as he stood to his full height.

It never felt like he loomed over you. Nothing about him could ever intimate you. Not the boy you chased around your garden and ate fruit with at the ponds.

He met you halfway. Perhaps a little further. Your knees wobbled the more you approached.

"Are you sure no one will see us here?" You made it a habit of looking over your shoulder.

"I promise." His hands embraced yours. Kisses worshipped your knuckles.

His stare never pierced into yours. It caressed.

Much like the soft grass as you both settled over the hilltop. The crickets sung you a melody accompanied by a tender creek below the hill. A breeze joined with a sway of the leaves. Sprinkling shadows and moonlight over you from your spot beneath a tree.

You sat on your knees while he leaned on his forearm beside you. Laid and staring up at you like you outshone the moon.

"You look upset." He observed, with a thumb tracing gentleness over your cheekbone. "Should I even ask?"

"Gojo-San is ever cruel with his words," you murmur.

Shame tugged at your soul as you leaned into his touch.

Suguru hummed, callouses brushing over your jaw. "What did he say this time?"

"He touched me. For the first time."

His touch paused at the crux of your jaw, then traced down the valley of your neck. Silking shivers down your skin.

"How so?" He asked, ever as gentle.

"He told me I was staring. Asked if I wanted something else from him. He took my hand and put it on his chest. In the middle of the hallway too— does he have no shame? Or is mocking me worth rumours?"

Your lips pressed into a thin line and you shook your head. "Why do I even ask? He doesn't have any shame. He walked out of his office completely dishevelled. Probably sneaking around with another maid."

Be it the earlier's fluster or frustration, you could hardly tell. Perhaps it was a build up. A fracture in the humility you always tried to carry yourself with. As you had been taught to.

"He's terribly crass. Cruel. Am I married to a sadist?" Your nails dug into the grass.

"An egotist, for sure." Suguru hummed as he pushed himself up further on his forearm.

You huffed, leaning away from his touch as you stared to the sky.

"More than that. I just can't fathom why he's so. . . Cold. I've never done anything to him. I've tried to be a good wife."

Here you were, lamenting to the roses as you always did. With an added pair of ears eagerly listening.

"Have I not?" You asked. The moon, the flowers, Suguru. You weren't sure who the question was reserved for.

The moon shrouded in clouds.

The roses swayed in the breeze.

It was Suguru who replied. A thumb to your chin as he fully sat up. "Of course you have."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"You are basing that off of Gojo's reservations."

"Well he's my husband, is he not? Maybe he is—"

Your words drowned into a pair of warm lips.

The rant died on your tongue. Snuffed out by Suguru's blooming kiss and the petal softness of his palm cupping the back of your head.

He kissed you the same way he looked at you. The same way he touched you: reverent.

Your hands fell limp in your lap. Ever bemused on how to react when faced with his affection. Much like a child uncertain if they could reach for dessert.

It did not matter. His hands reached for you instead. One on your hip while the other cradled your head. Even with his staggering weight pressing over you— unease was nowhere to be felt.

The flowered kiss broke with his nectarine whisper. "You're perfect in every right. Shall I show you that again?"

His thumb rubbed promises and memories in circles over your hip. The memoir of that night nestled into the timid, warm chamber in your heart.

You did not answer him. Couldn't.

Still, Suguru nudged your head up. Encouraged your wavering gaze to meet his.

"Words, my lady." He beckoned. Soft, devoted.

Your fingers twitched as the hand on your hip guided them to his chest. The softness of Satoru's yukata paled in comparison to the warmth of Suguru's kimono.

His lips tendered yours, "tell me that you want me again. Allow me to worship you under the moonlight as you deserve."

Your breath hitched. Heart stuttered.

Shame on you for your loose tongue. She was learning confidence.

"Please," your fingers curled into the deep plum of his kimono. His smile simmered your shyness as it caressed your lips.

"Please what? Tell me."

"Please love me again."

It ached a deep part of your soul to admit it. That in the depths of your duty, you craved love. Affection. Tenderness.

A child yearned for sweets after the first taste of sugar.

Long, strong arms curled around you, tucking you into Suguru's warmth as his lips committed to worship. Over yours. Down your jaw. Velveted over your throat.

"I regretted not leaving my mark on you the first time." His words warmed your pulse. "Tonight the moonlight will be my witness."

Ever poetic, ever delicate. He mouthed over the goosebumps on your neck as his hands mapped out every inch of you. Retracing his steps. The way he held you that night. In your husband's bed. Touching you as your husband should have.

His lips searched for sensitivity. Revered when he found spots that hitched your breath and had you clinging onto him impossibly closer.

Shudders spilled in soft gasps as his lips sucked on the crevice beneath your jaw. Your head tipped back to expose yourself to him. Offer yourself like a flower on a shrine. Adorned in the moonlight. Under his lips that made sin taste sweet.

Suguru repeated the patterns. Searching, kissing, sucking— until warm stings bloomed across your neck. Unfamiliar, but they fluttered your heart and lashes.

"Suguru," you whispered.

"I'm here," he promised.

His lips adored your skin. Fingers slipping beneath your robes and untying ribbons. Presenting your naked skin not only to the moon and meadow, but to his majestic affection.

The grass welcomed your back and tickled your spine. Suguru's kiss consumed your mouth in a blooming nectar as his weight pressed you into the ground. Still, he cradled you. Close. Close enough to feel his heart beating against yours.

Rhythms synched. Breaths became one. Skin slid against skin.

His mouth trailed down. Leaving shivers and shudders in its wake. He opened you up like a midnight flower. Your skin petal-soft under his kiss and your thighs held with the same tenderness he did the roses.

Robes fell away. Your nudity flaunted to the nature. To him. When you tried to hide he simply lulled your hands and kissed them too.

"Let me," he said. "Let me love you as you deserve, my pretty flower."

Your hands fell to his hair instead. Lost in the dark silk as his head tucked between your thighs. Every inch of fabric removed to reveal your arousal glistening in the moonlight.

His chuckle fanned your folds. "Why, hello there." A kiss met your clit. Twitched your fingers to curl tighter. You bit back a whine.

"Your body knows," he said.

Cryptic. You hadn't the time to urge an explanation as his tongue pressed flat at the bottom of your slit and stroked up. Slow, sensual, unravelling your last shred of sense.

Suguru's groan rumbled in the depths of your heat. Large hands played over your thighs. Spread you open. Held you into the grass that pressed soft dents into your plush.

More evidence to how you offered yourself to him.

His tongue devoted itself to your pleasure. Committed, careful. It laved over your slit and lathered around your clit with each pitch of your moans.

Your head fell back once his lips sealed over the throbbing bud. You couldn't bear to look at the reverence peering up at you between your thighs in soft violets.

Heat pooled in your stomach. Seeped into your soul. Dizzied your mind as memories of Satoru slipped between the cracks. Until there was nothing but Suguru.

Suguru between your legs.

Suguru's hands cupping your thighs.

Suguru's tongue pumping in and out of you.

Your hips craned into his face. Bucked with your hiccups as you pressed down on his head. He worked you to that familiar high. The same once he guided you through on that night.

That night that you gave him everything.

"So sweet," he slurred, his saliva smearing with your slick.

"Suguru," you trembled a moan and clung tighter. "S-Suguru— I'm. Oh."

"Mhhm. Know what you're gonna do for me?"

You shook your head amidst your eyes blurring with tears.

His tongue slipped from your throbbing heat. Laved up in a lick that dragged whimpers from the back of your throat. "You're going to cum for me," he whispered in a kiss to your clit. "Say it for me. I'm gonna cum for you."

"Gonna—" you croaked, lips quivering when his thumbs spread your folds and he dove into your slick. Tongue, lips and teeth dedicated to worshipping your white, hot arousal.

"You can do it," he encouraged. "Say it. Say it for me."

When his tongue slipped back in and his thumb found your needy bud, you crumbled.

"I'm gonna cum."

You sobbed. Even if you did not understand it.

Even if all you knew was him. Him. And the blinding sensation that coursed through your every nerve and pumped into your veins.

The coil of heat in the pit of your stomach burst. Rushing blissful tremors throughout your body. Your eyes fluttered. Your heart stuttered. Incoherent whines babbled from your glossy lips.

The only fathomable thing was his name.

Suguru.

The man who took you apart in a meadow. Under the reverence of his lips and the worship of his tongue. The man who called you. . .

"My pretty flower."

Whispered against your folds as he so slowly, so tenderly, parted from you. With threads of saliva and slick webbing to his lips. So sinful. What a sinner.

Who looked at you as if you were heaven.

Who held you as if you were divine. There in that meadow. In his strong arms.

As if you were worth it.

The price for your night of pleasure bloomed across your neck.

Deep and dark. His mouth that blossomed on your skin left behind thorns the morning after.

Your reflection chastised you.

Ears deaf to the chirping of birds and tired eyes sensitive to the early morning sun, you sat before your vanity.

The wood of the table was smooth, yet you swore it splintered you.

The rouge was soft, but you were certain it grated your skin.

The brush was plush, however, its bristles bit into you.

Suguru promised he would leave marks. Now, you were left to cover them up.

The powder splotched across the bruises in fruitless attempts of merging the colour with your skin tone.

Every failed endeavour ticked your hand into more frantic pats. Aggressive taps, desperate smudges, whatever technique you could possibly think of.

In the end, it only looked muddy, odd. Your sin still dark even after layers of foundation.

What were you going to do? Go out there like this?

You frowned at your reflection. Shame glinted in your eyes.

You shouldn't have went to that meadow.

Shouldn't have given in to temptation.

Shouldn't have tainted yourself.

Shouldn't have.

Shouldn't have—

"Well aren't you a miserable little thing this morning?"

The brush nearly fell to your lap from how quick you whipped around to face the washroom door that slid open with a heavy thunk.

Leaned against the doorway with the sun adoring his pale hair in shimmers as always, was none other than Satoru. Wide awake for a man who returned only an hour after you broke sleep in the lonely bed.

Dressed in black, as always.

Stare blank, as expected.

You clutched the brush in search of an answer. Gray cast the room as clouds passed by the sun, shrouding you in disgrace.

"Good morning, Gojo-San." Was all you could muster. Your stare did not dare meet his.

Lest you wanted to knot your stomach tighter.

A low sound hummed from him. He approached. Carrying that same calm before the storm.

You braced for impact.

Squeezed your eyes.

This time, he took the brush.

Were his fingers naturally cold, or was that the ice of infinity? You couldn't bring yourself to ask as he nudged your chin up. Exposing your throat and your sin.

To the man who should loathe you for spending your night with another.

Instead, he mused. "That samurai did a nasty one on you. Look at these."

He crooked your head side to side, lips pressed in a thin line.

You wanted to tell yourself that it was jealousy.

You really wanted it to be jealousy.

But why would your insatiable husband feel anything for you?

"I just." You cleared your throat. "I'm trying to —"

"Cover them up? You're doing a terrible job."

His tongue click was ever sharp. Ever stabbing. Your heart coiled in on itself and your tongue twisted to keep you silent.

All you could do was stare, and even then, your eyes kept lowering. Kept flickering. Kept looking anywhere else but at the man whose name was now stitched to yours.

But the one who still refuses to lay down beside you in bed every night.

"Cat got your tongue?" He huffed. Leaned closer. Brutal blues sliced sharp from beneath white lashes.

He spoke, low.

"Or are you losing that voice of yours cause you keep slutting it up?"

He was one to talk.

When you didn't answer, he hummed again and stood straight. You readied for him to drop the brush into your lap. Drop another insult. Drop the last, quivering bit of your pride, too.

Gojo Satoru was a man who had surprised you awfully throughout the weeks of your marriage.

Today, he shocked you the most.

Because when you found it in yourself to open your eyes, you were met with the sight of him dabbing the brush in the powder container. Collecting some colour, tapping the edge to dispel residuals.

Your heart lodged into your throat as he brought the brush over one of your hickies. His eyes hung. Face stiff. Focused.

You peeped at the mirror from the corner of your eye. Watched his reflection. To confirm that this was real. Not a dream. But real.

Your husband was covering up the marks made by another man.

Silence clutched you tight. Whispering that you would shatter the single shred of charity he had offered you in these dreary weeks.

You didn't blink. Didn't flinch. Only stared in bemusement as Satoru reached for another cosmetic on your desk: rouge.

"You have to bring colour back into your skin. Otherwise it looks muddy." He mumbled.

Not a mock.

Not a taunt.

Guidance? Was he teaching you?

In all your bewilderment, one thing was obvious: he was good at this. How many years had he been covering up his own sin?

You sat there, frozen. To his first act of service done unto you. To the scent you could finally indulge in with him being so close.

Vanilla, with hints of smoke. Oddly sweet, in a subtle way.

Your heart squeezed. Damn her. You didn't need another reason to gush to the flowers.

As he finished up the last mark on your neck, you watched him through the mirror. How he avoided touching any other part of you. Not even a finger dared to graze on your pulse.

For the moment, you could be content with this.

For the moment, you could delude yourself.

"If you're going to be a whore, at least learn how to hide it."

Your moment tattered at the seams.

Not shattered, not crumbled. Not to your heart that had been starving for even the smallest gesture. A puppy searching for scraps. You didn't care if he just kicked you down again.

He placed the brush down and stepped behind you while you looked into the mirror. You observed your clean neck and the skill of his labour.

"Thank you," you whispered.

You weren't sure if it was for the gesture, or the fact that he cradled you for the first time.

He scoffed, brows narrowing. "Hope you paid attention. I told you to keep your love retreats on the downlow. Lest you want a scandal?" His glare pierced you through the mirror.

Yet you were still fighting back a bashful smile.

Satoru disappeared out of the room shortly after. Leaving you with an odd mix of shame and fluster in your chest.

Shame, because he still didn't want you. Still looked at you as if you were anything but his wife.

Fluster because for the first time ever.

He held you as if you were.

Or so your starving heart whispered.

She would have to quell herself. You had duties to attend to today.

On your way to your office and passing by the white roses with their red counterparts peeking in, you spotted Madame Aiyuri, walking tall in all of her elegance.

Scrolls were neatly bundled in her arms. With a few dangling at the edges. She must have been on her way to attend her own duties. Political or administrative, you were certain.

As a scroll loosened and nudged over her elbow, you sped your walk up to stop its fall. It would be a hassle for her to collect anything from the floor.

"Madame," you greeted. Gentle like the bow of your head.

She replied. Professional, curt. You were growing used to her.

"Do you need help getting these to your office?" You asked, already offering your hands out to help her with the load.

She shook her head, expression ever as strict. "These are my duties. Besides, you have your own that you should attend to."

Cold. You had stopped thinking that it was directed to you. She stared the same piercing ice at everyone who came here way. Including her son.

But there was something about the way she looked you up and down today.

"Well it wouldn't be an issue." You stood straight, your nails scratching at your palms. "I don't mind lending a helping hand."

"You are a sweet one," she chuckled.

It didn't sound endearing.

When she spoke again, the hairs on your arms stood.

"You know," she started, stare seeping into your very soul.

She smiled.

"When I was your age, I was carrying my first child."

Your lips twitched into your own smile. Because your mind told you to do so. Even as your heart pulled at you to walk away.

Instead, you tilted your head. Told yourself that your mother-in-law was finally bonding with you.

"Oh?" You said. "Satoru? I'm sure you—"

"No."

Aiyuri's smile needled. Tight.

Taunting.

Her gaze dropped to your stomach.

"Maybe you are barren like me."

Yours froze in time.

She scoffed. Bundling her scrolls and continuing down her path. Straight posture. Crystal face.

Beautiful, brutal.

Her final words to you were a blade. Stabbing your soles into the wooden floors and leaving you motionless.

"He won't be patient with you for long."

© 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒎. no plagiarism or ai training authorised. divider: @/kodaswrls, @/dollywons. art cred: @/_3aem (twt)

♡ ₊˚‧ enjoyed this piece? consider joining my patreon or commissioning me <3 I appreciate all the support!

and even worse than the girls that draw hearts around you and sukuna’s staff photos next to eachother in the main office, he’s got gojo. gojo, who ships you two and nags him like worse-than a middle school girl. gojo, who shoves you two together for any school event.

“what game do you have planned for tomorrow?” you ask, leaning over to whisper to sukuna as eighth grade awards are called for each subject, timing claps inbetween your words while names are called. you smirk, “how many kids am i gonna have sent my way next time?”

“just dodgeball.” he leans down to whisper flatly against your ear, still staring down a kid giggling in the seating rows of the auditorium and effectively getting him to stop with his gaze.

“your version of dodgeball is basically to the death, i might have to have paramedics in my room on standby.” you joke, turning to smile at him so sweetly. in his mind, this counts as him making you laugh and therefore counts as a win.

he chuckles lightly, just a quick huff of his chest, but essentially the hardest he can laugh if he’s not looking at a kid getting tackled in class. “these kids will toughen up eventually, i am just teaching them to do it early.”

“were you a weak kid that needed to toughen up? i can really only picture you as a big scary dude.”

“i was actually a severely malnourished child due to my mothers impoverished state during her pregnancy.“ he says, truly not realizing how solemn he sounds in his voice even as he means it as a light hearted jest.

you blink at him, face contorted in confusion and awkwardness. he wants to hit himself.

the only thing that saves him from not saying anything stupid again is the end of the assembly, marked by gojo yelling into a megaphone and for kids to round up by homeroom.

the following week he’s still embarrassed to even look you in the eyes. he’s mulling over how stupid he must’ve looked infront of you while sifting through the equipment closet.

he hears steps echo throughout the currently empty gym before he yells out.

“gojo i’m not covering your lunch break, fuck off—” he turns around to not see the usual suspect he finds during his free period. instead, he sees you, leaning against the door in scrubs and white coat clinging to your body. he stills in his motion.

you speak before he can (if he can speak at all in his embarrassed state).

“i understand the confusion, he bothers me all the time too.” you dismiss, smiling at him with your glossed lips he probably thinks about hourly. waitwaitwait, gojo talks to you all the time ? he’s going to kill that lanky fuck. “just wanted to drop these off for yuri in your next period.” you jostle around a pill bottle in your hand, “she can get fainty on gym days so give these to her just in case to help prevent that.” he knows it’s your job and all, but your concern is honestly kinda cute.

“uhh yeah i’ll be sure to.” he nods, right as you drop the bottle on top of a stack of rubber cones by the door before you walk out. and he would just like it to be known he definitely didn’t stare at your ass as you left.

and he typically makes it easier for himself to deny how down bad he is to you, but now, after you spent a week of saved up sick days out last week, he’s kind of craving your voice. so who can blame him when he calls his 6th grade nephew into his office while he’s supposed to be at lunch.

“look, kid. i’m going to need you to do something, and i’m gonna need you to not be annoying about it, kay?”

yuji furrows his brows, fiddling with the strings of his hoodie.

“you,” he gestures to his nephew, “are going to act like you collapsed and let me bring you up to the school nurse. you are then going to be quiet when i talk to her.”

“is it cause you have a crush on her—”

sukuna tenses before cutting him off.

“do a good job acting and i will consider buying you that human earthworm blu-ray. do you hear me, brat?”

yuji’s eyes light up at the mention of the dvd.

“is this impression good enough then?” yuji leans and clutches at his side in fake fatigue while moaning dramatically for help, then immediately straightens up with a smile like he’s waiting for a rating. sukuna shakes his head and genuinely wonders how he’s related to this—in sukuna’s words— pea brained doofus.

he dials your number on his offices phone, sitting tense in his chair while he shh’s yuji. yuji nods and salutes as sukuna continues to roll his eyes.

yuji could’ve sworn he saw him smile when you pick up. he continues to watch sukuna fiddle with the curled wire of the phone as he explains yuji’s apparently dire situation. he can just barely hear the muffled sound of you saying ‘just bring him up and i’ll check him out.” over the speaker of the phone before sukuna hangs up and fixes his hair.

sukuna walks out the door and desperately tries to ignore yuji’s terrible post fainting impression behind him as his nephew follows his step to your room.

just before they step into your room he whispers to yuji as he leans over.

“if you can bring up me being single i’ll take you out for ice cream, brat.”