s-guru

[s-guru]

sukuna who spits in your mouth every time he kisses you.

he’s always rough with it, gripping your jaw so tight your mouth falls open whether you want it to or not. he leans in close like he’s about to kiss you—then lets spit drip straight onto your tongue, watching it pool there before you swallow.

“good little thing,” he sneers when you swallow without hesitation, “fuckin’ made for me.”

and before you can even breathe, his tongue is in your mouth, messy, overwhelming, stealing all your air while you feel his cock rub against your stomach. your eyes are watering from how hard he’s kissing you, chest heaving but obvious he doesn’t let up.

he pulls back just enough to smirk down at you, wiping what’s left of his spit off your chin with his thumb.

“look at you—sloppy already. open wide again, princess. now it’s time for my cock to get in that pretty mouth of yours.”

and of course you do, because with sukuna, there’s no such thing as saying no.

[s-guru]

lonely hearts diner

two | previous chapter | chapter index

sleeping around with the staff at your shitty waitressing job can't go that wrong...right?

synopsis: feelings and fucking should be kept separate. especially in the work place. so how come it hurts so bad to watch the hot bartender who brought you home last weekend flirt with pretty customers? and how far will you go to get over him - or under someone else?

pairings: Gojo x Reader, Geto x Reader, Sukuna x Reader, Nanami x Reader

content: mdni, smut and angst and fluff, restaurant AU, waitress!reader, bartender!Geto, waiter!Gojo, chef!Sukuna, manager!Nanami, also includes food runner!Choso, friends-with-benefits, flirting, teasing, tension, emotional hurt, reader does not have great self esteem, fingering, exhibitionism, jealousy

divider by @/saradika-graphics !!

The only scene Satoru Gojo was interested in was apparently the one between your thighs.

Some romcom was playing in the background, the volume too low for you to really understand anything the actors were saying over your pulse pounding in your ears. Gojo's hand drifted higher up your thigh, above where one of his old t-shirts ended on them. The edge of his nail tracing little shapes on your skin, fingers squeezing the soft flesh while he commented on everything - from the clothes the characters were wearing or how bad a joke was or rambling about something random he was thinking of.

All you could think of was how the fuck had you ended up here?

Replaying the awkward car ride after work, how eagerly he led you up the stairs of his apartment building to his place, dropping his keys three times trying to unlock his front door. Giving you a tour too, one that included him kicking his dirty clothes under his bed and swiping off empty takeout containers off the kitchen counter into his trash can. Asking if you worked tomorrow then offering to drive you to that shift too.

He let you shower, offered his clean clothes for you to change into so you didn't have to stay in your uniform. Swore that he'd just use the spare bathroom to get ready in. The little smile he gave you was still charming, but it was a little nervous. So you accepted, shrugging your shoulders and shutting yourself in his bathroom.

And now here you were an hour later, smelling like his body wash and eating his popcorn while he leaned harder into your shoulder, whispering in your ear that he was glad you said yes.

"Gojo," You started, swallowing hard as his fingers lightly squeezed your thigh.

"Satoru," He corrected you for the tenth time. "Or Toru. Sato, even. You know, whatever-"

"Can you turn the volume up a little?" You cleared your throat to ask.

A faint flicker of disappointment flashed across his face.

"Sure," He nodded anyway, letting go of your thigh to reach over you and grab the remote. Your face flushed at the realization it had been next to you, only more embarrassed when his body ended up more pressed against yours after he accidentally knocked it off the arm of the couch.

"I'm sorry," You started apologizing just for him to climb half-on you trying to get it, his knee digging into your leg painfully before you started trying to squirm out from underneath him.

You didn't know how you managed to make it go from bad to worse.

Just that somehow, between him trying to get over you and you trying to get out from under him, one of you made one wrong move that had you both falling off the couch, his carpeted floor scraping your elbow when he tried to catch you.

He laughed.

Grinning up at you like an idiot as his hands found your waist, squeezing you softly as you stared at him, blinking faster than you were thinking.

"If you wanted to get on top of me, all you had to do was ask," He teased, and you could feel your mouth drop open.

"That's not what I-"

"Mhm," He interrupted with a chuckle, his stare flicking down to where your tits were hanging in his shirt.

The position was compromising. Painfully intimate for someone who was supposed to be a coworker.

And when you were this close, your thighs straddling his waist and his fingers digging into your sides, his bright eyes gleaming just for you, it was more than a teensy but tempting to give in.

His stare flickered down to your lips, lingered there. Taking in every little twitch and pull while you tried to decide how bad it'd be to bury your feelings for a little bit and take a bite out of him.

Your fingers were trembling when your palm rested against his cheek, working up the courage to lean down and press your lips to his.

He met you halfway, craning his neck up and capturing your mouth in the kind of kiss you couldn't take back. He tasted like popcorn still. But his lips were soft, licking the faint traces of butter off of your own. One of his hands slipped under your shirt, skimming over the bare skin to pull you down, press your chest against his as his tongue slipped past your lips.

You could almost believe he had been waiting for this. For you.

But guys like him probably kissed girls like you all the time.

"God," He groaned as your hips shifted down, and you suddenly realized how hard he was underneath you, something bigger than you expected throbbing against your clothed clit through your panties. "Suguru's a fucking moron."

His other hand slipped between your bodies, reaching inside his boxers to readjust his cock, and you felt the heat rush back to your face.

"Um, Satoru," You started, the name still uncomfortable on your tongue.

"Yeah, sweetheart?" He purred, taking his hand out of his pants just to press it against your underwear instead. Holding his arm at an awkward angle just to be able to start rubbing rough circles against your clit through the thin fabric, grinning at the little gasp he tore from your throat.

"This, I mean, us," You awkwardly stammered, struggling to get the words out without whining, thighs already trembling as he pressed harder, swirled his fingers faster. "It's not going to, um, change anything a-at work, right?"

"We're not doing anything wrong," He reassured you, his mouth on your throat, his breath on your skin.

You tried to tell yourself the same thing.

Let go of your insecurities and anxieties and convince yourself his lust was longing.

It would've been easier to believe if his phone didn't start ringing and he didn't flip you over to answer it. It was smooth, hands shifting and in one fluid motion, he was laying you flat on your back on his carpet, the shirt hiked up to your belly button and panties fully exposed.

He paused, one corner of his mouth twitching up before he picked up his phone.

"Hey," Gojo casually greeted, keeping his phone between his shoulder and his ear so he could lift your hips up and shuffle your panties down your thighs while you laid there and gawked at him.

He couldn't be serious.

But unfortunately, Gojo was.

Holding your panties like a trophy before sliding them in his pocket, hoisting one of your legs up his other shoulder, making eye contact with your entrance like it was the prettiest picture he'd ever seen.

It took you .02 seconds to realize just far out of your fucking atmosphere someone like Satoru Gojo was.

"Uh-huh, yeah, Yuki, look-" She apparently cut him off judging by his eye roll. By then, he was shoving two fingers deep in your cunt, and you had to cover your mouth not to moan.

Biting your palm to muffle the sounds of him stretching you out and spreading you open, the easy smirk on his face only making it ten times harder. The embarrassment that Yuki might hear you was the only thing holding you together.

"I don't want your shift," He groaned into the speaker, and you could hear the faint sound of her annoyed voice on the other end.

He buried his fingers deeper, down to his fucking knuckles just to make you squirm. Forcing them in deeper so he could rub your clit with his thumb, tracing messy patterns like he wasn't already making a wreck of you on his floor.

"That sounds like a Nanami problem," He clicked his tongue, looking down at you with that infuriatingly charming smile, teasing you closer to your climax with each thrust of his fingers.

He found your cervix, prodding at it with curious fingertips, pushing in just to hear your whimper. A desperate, shattered sound that slipped past your lips and against your palm.

Too loud.

But that only encouraged him to continue rearranging your guts with just a couple fingers while he casually chatted with Yuki.

"Whatever, I'm, ah," He paused, eyes sliding over your splayed out body and where his hand was stuck between your spread legs. "Watching a movie."

You came before he even finished the call.

Thighs trembling and nose scrunched, biting back another broken moan while his thumb traced sloppy circles over your sensitive bud.

"Making a mess for me, cutie," He chuckled, tossing his phone back on the couch, refusing to let up even when your skin was damp and you were sweating, brows knitted together as you tried to play the fact you finished on his floor cool.

This was probably nothing for him. An average Tuesday. How many other girls had he fucked her? Fingered stupid?

He stared at you, and it almost looked like admiration from this angle.

"Can't talk?" He questioned with another short laugh. You shook your head, shakily exhaling.

"What was that about?" You mumbled, sighing as you looked up towards his phone.

Yuki was pretty low on the list for Gojo's fan club. You could really only imagine her calling if she really needed something.

But Gojo also wasn't the person to ask if you wanted a shift covered. Haibara, maybe. Or even Utahime.

"You're really asking me about work?" He cocked an eyebrow up, and you shrugged. Tiled your head the other way towards the movie still playing on his oversized screen. It was some big, dramatic scene. The one where the guy kissed the girl and confessed his grand, undying love.

You wondered if the characters were real, would they get a happy ending here? Or would they end up separated or divorced in ten years?

"Did she, um, hear?" You awkwardly asked, the first tendrils of anxiety slithering in as you can down from your high.

"Don't worry about her, okay?"

You couldn't not worry. But what was the worst that could happen? Yuki would tell Shoko and Utahime? It wasn't the end of the world.

So when he grazed his thumb over your lip, turned your pout into a small smile, you nodded, "Okay."

"You wanna stay the night?"

Touch her and I will literally break your fingers next time I see you.

Short. Simple. To the point.

Suguru stared at the message, double checked for typos, and hit send.

It took approximately thirty-eight seconds for it to be marked as seen. But there was no bubble that popped up. No typing.

His foot was tapping impatiently, trying to picture you sitting in the passenger seat of Satoru's fancy little two-seater, small and fast and probably the cost of his yearly salary. Or double it.

But Satoru wasn't the one who paid for it.

No, his family covered everything. From his car to his apartment to the expensive clothes hanging in his closet. He was only waiting tables because he couldn't stand Suguru working somewhere without him.

Suguru wasn't bitter.

That wasn't exactly it.

It was just, Satoru didn't get that he actually needed the money he made each shift. That every smile he faked and laugh he forced past his lips was so he didn't starve. He didn't plan on being a fucking bartender forever.

He just needed the cash to get him through for now.

Suguru glanced down at the time on his phone.

You should've gotten home four fucking hours ago. Usually, you texted him every time you made it back safe. Sent him a cute little message or maybe a photo of you in your bed after a shower.

He never said it, but he saved them.

Stared at them and thought about what he'd do if he was there.

You weren't his girlfriend. But you were close enough.

It didn't mean you weren't together. He was just waiting for the right time. When he had more to give you than just a few minutes to fuck and hardly enough cash to cover his bills.

Sure, he had to lie to Satoru. Tell him you had a boyfriend and weren't interested in any kind of work relationship. But if he didn't, then his best friend would be a little too interested in what belonged to him.

Finally, a few bubbles popped up just to almost immediately disappear. Suguru was about to hit the call button, about to threaten him with something more serious than bodily harm. Like using the spare key to break into his place and replace his shampoo with Nair or tell Nanami that it was really Satoru who took his favorite tie off his desk and used it to clean tables when he was too lazy to look for extra rags.

But then he sent a photo.

You, curled up in Satoru's sheets, a t-shirt that wasn't yours wrinkled and loose on your frame as you snoozed. The angle was awkward, and Suguru realized it was because you were sleeping on the arm Satoru was taking the photo with, his pale muscled bicep sticking out underneath your smushed cheek.

Too late.

patreon for additional exclusive content <3

[s-guru]

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : demon king!sukuna x priest’s daughter!reader

𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 : mdni 18+ · corruption · religious imagery · dark romance · possessive/obsessive themes · smut · power imbalance · blood symbolism · chains/crowns imagery · myth-inspired retelling of hades/persephone · enemies to lovers

𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 : before her first breath, her father bargained with a shadow — a covenant born of desperation, sealed in silence, and hidden beneath trembling prayers. but bargains with demons do not fade; they linger, like blood on sacred cloth. on the eve of her eighteenth year, the truth rises. the stranger was no man, but Ryomen Sukuna, King of Demons — come to claim what was promised. torn from her home, she is thrust into a kingdom where night reigns eternal, ruled by a sovereign of iron and cruelty, who knows no love. she aches for freedom, for her father’s embrace, for light. he demands submission, loyalty, her place at his throne. yet in the heart of shadow, rebellion stirs, and buried truths bleed into ruin. hatred begin to fracture, twisting into a peril far more ruinous than rage.

for what becomes of a daughter of light, when she learns to hunger for the darkness that stole?

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 :

꒷꒦ 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 — the bargain

... more to come

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 : open! comment or ask to be added.

𝐚/𝐧 : this october i'll be celebrating my first halloween event on tumblr — a mini-series updating every friday with the finale dropping on halloween night. ever since i wrote for sukuna i came up with the idea, but a huge thanks to @riveredmoon and @sugurusangxl for encouraging me. just a little disclaimer, i might just think of dropping a few surprises. i hope you enjoy the surprises waiting in candlelight and ruin 🕯️

©𝐥𝐚𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓. 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬. 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞. 𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐤 & 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 🤍

[s-guru]

HEADCANONS OF OLDER BF TOJI WITH HIS SHY YOUNGER GF <3

cw - domestic fluff then NASTY smut. age gap(20s, 43), daddy kink, Weird disgusting shit as usual, yk me. Toji is an ASS man, slight piss kink, anal play, stuff w spit, light face slapping etc. this man’s mouth is filthy. this shit is so long for no reason. Banner is from Ikyouto Kouryuukai.

a/n - still on my break but I just wanted to post this bc it’s gonna be my last post for a while since my classes have started again so I’ve been busy. Also thank you everyone for your sweet and kind messages, I’ve seen all of them, they’ve made me so happy, and I’m genuinely very very grateful for everyone. Thank you and take care🤍

⋆˖ ࣪ ‎𐙚 FLUFF

You once told him you love listening to the rain and how peaceful it sounds—so now whenever it rains, he’ll open the window just a crack, light your favorite scented candle, and tug you into bed to cuddle with him under the covers to listen together—even if he’s supposed to be busy.

Toji always keeps a soft, freshly folded blanket in his truck just for you. Whenever you’d ride along with him, he’s always tossing it over your lap—doesn’t matter if it’s hot outside, he’d turn the air conditioner up, he just likes knowing you’re cozy and comfortable.

He buys groceries like a dad—meat, rice, basic stuff but every single trip he sneaks in little things that’s clearly just for you: the strawberry milk you love, a box of cute cookies, a silly little snack. When you try to thank him, he shrugs like it’s no big deal, but the corners of his mouth twitch like he’s fighting a smile.

On lazy mornings, he pretends to still be asleep so you’ll think it’s safe to touch him. You’ll gingerly run your fingers through his raven hair or trace little shapes on his broad chest, only for him to suddenly rumble, “That tickles, sweetheart,” in his sleep-rough voice. You always squeak in embarrassment, but he just laughs and pulls you closer into the warmth of his body.

He hates taking selfies, but you’re too shy to take pictures of yourself. So he started a quiet habit—he’ll pull you into his chest, lift his phone, and snap a picture of you two together when you’re sleeping or not expecting it. Later, you’ll find your face saved in his gallery a hundred different ways, all with him grinning and you looking shy but happy.

He loves when you fall asleep against him. You’re shy about dozing off in front of others, but Toji thinks it’s adorable that you trust him enough to lean your whole weight against the his chest. He’ll stroke your hair until you’re fully out, then whisper things he’d never admit while you’re awake—little confessions about how much you mean to him.

Toji carries you around the house without asking—from the couch to the bed, from the kitchen to the living room like it’s his favorite job in the world. He’ll grumble playfully when you tell him you can walk yourself, “What’s the point of being this strong if I can’t use it on my girl?” and set you down with a soft kiss to your forehead.

Whenever you’re cooking, Toji comes up behind you and wraps his weathered arms around your middle while he rests his chin on your shoulder, muttering about how delicious the food smells. He always sneaks a taste straight from the spoon you’re holding, which makes you giggle, and then he’ll pinch your cheek just to hear you laugh harder.

On slow mornings, Toji makes you sit on the kitchen counter while he makes breakfast. He’ll bump your knees apart to stand between them, kissing your cheek every minute while flipping pancakes like it’s just another part of his morning routine.

You write little notes for him sometimes—reminders, “good luck today,” or just cute silly doodles. You’re too shy to hand them directly, so you’ll tuck them into his lunch bag or jacket pocket. Toji never says much about them, but one day you found a whole stack of them tucked into his nightstand, neatly kept.

He has a sixth sense for when you’re craving something. You’ll never say it out loud, but if you pause a second too long in front of a bakery or linger on a display in a store, Toji makes a mental note. Somehow, a day later it shows up on the counter with a casual, “Picked this up for you”.

He loves when you hold onto his arm while walking. Sometimes you’ll just hug it close with both hands and press your cheek against his sleeve where his muscles are bugling through the fabric. He pretends to tease you, saying, “What, scared I’ll run off without you?” but his chest feels like it might burst every time.

He takes you fishing sometimes, but not because he cares about catching anything. He just likes seeing you all bundled up in his oversized hoodie by the water, asking curious questions in your quiet voice, dangling your legs off the dock while he casts the line.

Toji teaches you how to whistle with your fingers because you admitted you couldn’t and he was determined to teach you. He spends an entire afternoon showing you, laughing whenever you get shy and blow air with no sound. When you finally get it, he claps way too dramatically and ruffles your hair till it’s all messy, like you just won an award.

Toji always takes your side of the booth at diners. He hates sitting across from you, so he’ll squeeze his massive body in the small space next to you, arm stretched along the backrest, making you shy while he orders like nothing’s unusual.

Toji is huge on physical affection, especially casual touches. He’ll rest his big palm on your lower back when guiding you through a crowd, tug you into his lap when you’re shy about sitting next to him, or casually hook two fingers into your belt loop just to keep you from going anywhere too far from him.

He loves feeding you from his chopsticks or fork, even if you’re eating your own meal. “C’mon, darling. Open up,” he says, holding it there until you lean in shyly.

Sometimes late at night, he pulls you outside barefoot just to look at the sparkling stars in the night sky. He’ll point at constellations all wrong, making you laugh as you correct him. You lean into his side while he rests a heavy arm around you, his thumb brushing circles into your shoulder. At some point he murmurs, almost too softly, “Pretty up there. But you’re way prettier”. You hide your face against him, and he chuckles low in his chest.

Whenever he gets paid, Toji has a rule: you get the first “treat”. Sometimes it’s a new hoodie, sometimes a necklace, sometimes just fancy expensive desserts. He never tells you beforehand, just drags you along and says, “Pick something, baby. I’m not leaving till you do”.

After dinner, you always offer to wash dishes but Toji shoos you away. “Nah. You cooked, I’ll clean”. He’ll roll his sleeves up to his thick forearms, stand at the sink, and whistle while rinsing everything down. Sometimes you sneak up and hug him from behind, pressing your cheek flat to his massive back. He always pauses for a second, hand dripping with soap suds, before chuckling and leaning back into your embrace.

When Toji rakes leaves in the yard, he always makes one big pile just for you. He acts like it’s a chore, but when you run and flop into it, he laughs until his chest aches. Sometimes he even tackles you into the pile, both of you sinking into crunchy leaves while he kisses your cheek with dirt-smudged hands.

****************************************************

⋆˖ ࣪ ‎𐙚 SMUT

Toji is obsessed with how smaller your body is compared to his, especially your pussy. Every time he forces his cock through that tight clingy ring of muscle, he can’t help but moan at the way your walls flutter and clamp down instinctively, squeezing him like you’re trying to keep him locked in. “Fuck, baby…you’re fucking strangling me. You love when daddy splits you open like this, don’t you?” And when you moan and cry out too loud, he fucking loves it—because it’s proof you can’t hide how good it feels to be stuffed full of him, stretched until you’re shaking and leaking all over his cock till it’s coated in your juices.

When you’re on your knees giving him head, he’ll push your adorable glasses up just enough to see your watery eyes staring up at him. He fucks your throat and spit on your tongue until drool strings down your chin, then wipes it across your cheek with his rough thumb, grinning like a bastard. “Look at you… glasses all fogged up, face a mess of spit, and still begging for more cock. Cute”.

He jerks off over you when you’re too tired to move, fist working his thick cock while you lay there flushed and whimpering. He always aims for your bare tits, your face, your fogged-up glasses—anywhere he knows will make you flustered. And when he’s finished, he presses his messy fingers to your lips, making you lick him clean like a good girl.

He’s a freak for your panties. Sometimes he’ll just tug them to the side to fuck you because he loves seeing them ruined and stretched around your ass. Other times, he’ll stroke his cock into a pair when you’re not looking, deliberately leaving them sticky and tainted with his seed so later you’ll pull them on and feel the mess soaking against your skin. And when he catches sight of you wearing them, his eyes go dark—he can’t stop smirking as he palms his cock and hums, “Knew you’d end up walking around with my load stuck to your pussy. Bet you like it. Shit, you’re so nasty, baby”.

If you’re too shy to touch yourself, he makes you anyway. He leans back against the headboard with his mean cock out, stroking it lazily while you fumble with your throbbing clit under his heavy stare. “That’s it? That’s how my baby tries to get off? No wonder you need daddy to fuck you dumb”. His voice laced with mocking amusement, watching you squirm and whine, your hand shaky and awkward against your needy pussy. And when you can’t finish, he takes over without mercy—pinning you down on the mattress, rubbing and fucking you until you’re overstimulated and crying while clinging to his shoulders for dear life, whimpering out every broken little sound he wanted to hear.

He records you on his phone without shame. Sometimes it’s your face when you’re choking and gaging on his veiny cock, sometimes it’s your little pussy squirting all over his lap. Later he’ll play the clips back while you’re blushing and hiding your face, muttering, “Don’t hide, baby. Ohh look this one’s my favorite”. While showing a video of him unplugging his cock from your cum stuffed cunt, and watching as his milky seed floods out in thick streaks.

He makes you beg out loud for the dirtiest things. “Say it, baby. Tell daddy which hole you want stuffed. Say it nasty”. If you try to whisper, he’ll slap your ass until you’re crying it out and begging him.

When he’s really mean, he’ll stuff his lengthy fingers down your throat while he’s buried in your warm cunt, forcing you to choke on his thick digits while you clenched down instinctively around him from how much you love it. He pulls them out while they’re dripping, and smears your spit across your tits.

He’ll carry you into the bathroom after he filled you and make you squat over the bath tub while his cum slowly leaks out of your ruined hole. He strokes his cock watching like a pervert, “shiiit, Look at my mess dripping outta you. Should shove it right back in”.

Toji loves when you accidentally twitch your asshole while he’s spreading you open. He’ll laugh and pinch your cheek, cooing, “Aww, look at it winking at daddy. Cute little hole wants some attention too, huh?” before spitting on it and rubbing his thumb in until you’re squealing.

Toji gets obsessed with your little gape. He’ll quickly yank his dick out while holding your asscheeks apart, and he tilts his head like he’s admiring a drawing. “Ohhh look at that cute open hole, Daddy stretched his baby wide like a little donut”. Then he spits in it just to see it flutter back in place before stuffing himself back in.

On the subway, he cages you against the door, holding the bar above your head while his clothed erection presses against your ass through his sweats to the point where it’s digging into you. He sways with the train so it looks casual, but his bulge is grinding up and down your cheeks, heavy and hot. He smirks when you blush, muttering, “Crowded in here, huh? Good thing my cock fits right between your ass”.

Toji lovesss starting oral by spitting straight onto your pretty pussy, thick gobs dripping into your folds. He doesn’t even wait—just smears it in with his tongue until your sensitive clit and hole are bubbling with spit. It foams white when he slurps, and he pulls back with his chin dripping, grinning, “Messy little cunt’s frothing like a beer f’me”.

In public while you’re out with friends, he’ll slide his big hand under the table and make you rub your socked foot against his crotch while he talks casually to whoever’s there.

He loves pressing his cockhead right against your leaking hole while you piss. His fat tip gets sprayed and splattered, slippery with warm streams, and he moans, “Ohhh fuck... look at that pretty pussy showering my cock. Keep going, baby”.

He’ll drag you onto his lap, grind your clothed pussy on his bulge, and angle you so his cockhead rubs right against your asshole through your panties. He controls your movements and forces your hips in circles, groaning, “That’t it. Rub your ass on daddy’s dick, make it messy f’me”. By the time he’s done, your panties are ruined, and your hole is twitching from nothing but pathetic friction.

Toji loves folding you up tight in mating press—your knees shoved by your ears, belly squished, pussy spread wide open for his assaulting cock. But when he notices your little feet dangling right by his face, he smirks darkly before licking a long stride from your heel to your ankle before ending it with an affectionate kiss.

He shakes his head side to side while he’s nose deep in your sloppy cunt, stubble scraping your delicate skin, drool mixing with your sticky slick, smearing all over your thighs. He pulls back to grin at you, his chin and lips shining, then dives back in with a grunt.

He loves blowing spit bubbles on your sensitive clit, then sucking them up with a nasty slurp. The sound alone makes you whimper, and he laughs against you. he’ll force your cunt to spit back at him. He shoves two thick fingers inside, curls them against your sweet spot until you gush all over his fingers, then smears his slobber into the mess until your pussy’s bubbling. He licks it up loudly, making eye contact the whole time.

He’s obsessed with how your asshole reacts. Every time his tongue pushes in, your rim clenches tight like it’s trying to fight him off, then flutters open again. He’ll pull back just to watch it twitch from his gaze, chuckling, “this little hole can’t even decide if it wants to run or kiss daddy’s tongue”. Then he dives back in, slobbering until spit foams at the corners of his mouth.

Toji cannot keep his hands off your ass. Doesn’t matter if you’re cooking, folding laundry, or just walking past him — he’s always grabbing, squeezing, spreading, or smacking it.

He’s obsessed with watching it jiggle. Half the reason he pounds you so hard while giving you backshots is so he can watch your ass bounce off his hips from the mean impact of his thrusts. He’ll smack it over and over, grinning darkly at the view. “Godddddamn. Look at it wobble. Old man could fuck this view forever”.

Toji loves reverse cowgirl, because it’s his perfect view: your round ass bouncing on his pathetically hard cock, cheeks rippling with every desperate drop. He grips handfuls of you, spreading your cheeks wide just to see his veiny cock disappearing snugly inside you just to appear back again with a fresh coat of your cream. He slaps your ass till it’s all red and marked up with his large handprints, snarling, “Look at this fucking view. ‘M fucking buried in heaven”.

When he’s really filthy he’d spit into your asshole over and over until it’s bubbling frothy white, then lap it all up again like he’s drinking from you. He smears his thumb across your wet rim, presses it in until your hole stretches around the tip of his finger, then shoves his tongue beside it. The pressure makes you cry out, and he just moans into you.

Toji wakes up for work groaning, rubbing his eyes, already scowling at the alarm. He’s halfway out of bed, muttering curses under his breath about being late, when he notices you curled up on your side — panties crooked, glistening pussy peeking just a little under the blanket. He sighs through his nose and drags his hand down his face. “Fucking brat. You think I’m walking outta here with that pussy looking at me like that? No chance”. Next thing you know, he’s got your legs shoved open, his fat cock pushing in without prep. He mutters into your hair, “This hole’s a problem. ‘M never making it to work on time”.

His dirty talk is like a half lecture. He’s got his throbbing cock buried to the hilt where his curly pubes are grazing your clit, hips snapping into your sloppy pussy over and over, muttering, “Every damn morning. My alarm goes off, and instead of leaving I’m balls-deep in my brat. Pussy’s got me by the fucking throat”. He grope your soft ass roughly, grinning when your hole spasms around his shaft.

Sometimes he fucks you right at the door—you’re bent over the entryway table with his boots half on. He’s grunting, balls harshly smacking your neglected clit, while his keys jingle in his pocket. “Pussy’s making me late, kid. Gonna lose my job ‘cause I can’t stop breeding you”. When he finally spills inside, he stuffs your panties back up against your messy cunt and whispers, “Now go back to bed, and keep it warm f’me”. While you nod and clench around his load.

In doggy, he’ll yank you back by your throat, arching you against his chest while he pounds into you from behind. You’re choking, crying, drooling, and he snarls into your ear, “Nothing but my toy. That’s all you are”.

Toji loves watching your mouth hang open while he cuts off your air. He’ll spit right on your tongue while he’s got you pinned and make you swallow it.

He’ll tongue your drooling pussy so hard your juices spill down to your ass. Instead of wiping it away, he sniffs the trail, following it back up with his tongue, slurping until you’re soppy cunt is bubbling with spit and slick.

He loves humping his nose against you. He rubs it back and forth over your clit until you’re crying, then drags it down to smear against your asshole. Sometimes you’ll be bent over reaching for something, and suddenly his big hands are on your hips, nose shoved right between your ass cheeks, and nudging between your folds as he inhales deeply.

He corrupts you into loving the filth. The first time you squirt on his face, you cry in embarrassment but Toji just moans while his eyes roll back, licking it up sloppy like it’s the best drink he ever had. “Taste fucking amazing, baby. Don’t be shy— soak daddy again”. Now you gush for him on command.

He loves catching you acting innocent in public—polite voice, shy smiles because he knows later he’ll have you bent over, drooling on his cock like a mindless slut while you cling to him, sobbing while he snarls, “Where’s my sweet little girl now, huh? All I see is daddy’s whore”.

If you hide your face during sex, he’ll slap your cheek gently to make you look at him. “Did I say you can look away? Look at me while I stretch your pussy”. That sting just makes your tears spill faster. He gets off on how your body reacts. One slap and your mouth hangs open, drool on your glossy lips, your pussy gushing harder all over him. He laughs, “Shit, This slutty little pussy gets wetter everytime I slap your face. You’re so fucked up, baby”.

In oral, he’ll use it as a rhythm—you’re choking on his cock, warm tears down your cheeks, and he’ll slap your face lightly a few times when you slow down to catch your breath, “C’mon, baby. Take it all. My cock looks so good down your throat”.

After he slaps you, he often cups your face gently, thumb rubbing the sting, then spits in your mouth.

Whenever you’re too teary and trembling from overstimulation, he’ll be surprisingly gentle. He presses your face to his neck, pats your thigh, and whispers, “Shhh. You’re okay. Daddy didn’t mean to push so hard. You did perfect”. Then he’ll rock you a little until you calm down.

When it’s all over and your body’s shaking, Toji never pulls away at first—he just lays heavy on top of you, kissing your damp cheek and letting you catch your breath. Eventually, he eases out slowly, cooing, “Easy, baby… I got you,” and tucks you against his chest before you can even whine about the emptiness. He’s gruff about it, but so careful—one huge hand rubbing slow gentle circles on your back, the other stroking your thigh as he sits up to grab a towel.

He wipes you down with surprising gentleness, kissing your knee after, before tossing the rag aside and tugging you into his lap. You get water pressed to your lips while his calloused hand steadies the glass, and when you’re too tired to swallow, he smirks and coos, “C’mon, baby. Couple more sips f’me”. He’ll even grumble his way into the kitchen if he thinks you’re hungry, returning with something small just to make you eat while he pets your hair. After that, you’re tucked under his chin, his heartbeat steady against your ear, while his big palm strokes your hip fondly. He kisses your forehead, scratches lightly at your scalp, and murmurs in that low, rough voice, “My good girl. Im proud of you… you did so fucking well”. Even when he finally drifts off, his arm stays locked around you like he’s never letting go.

[s-guru]

9.03.23

absolutely fascinating when someone likes a post you reblogged in 2017 and nothing else like king how did you even find that

[s-guru]

Kisses Down Low.

Stepdad! Sukuna X F! Reader (smut)

A/N: this is really gross and i like it so much. sometimes. sometimes you see a man so hot that you just wanna make out with his asshole. this is one of those cases.

Tags: stepcest, cheating, rimming (m receiving), ass worship, ball sucking, oral sex, blowjobs, hate sex

Wordcount: 2.3k

You did not care for your new stepdad. Not one bit. Your mom brought him home at what felt like the worst possible time. You had just failed an exam, hit a curb, and then to top it off, a random man was sitting at your dining room table without a care in the world. She introduced him as Sukuna, and quickly added that he would be staying around for a long while. 

That was a few months ago, and you still treated him like a stranger—he was! Everything you knew about him was negative, and you had no plans to dig for the good. You hated him. Nothing would change that.

You hated how he ate like a starving dog, clearing his plate in mere minutes. Your mother served him first, always. She filled his plate to a disgusting degree and he always finished in record time.

You hated how he never cleaned up after himself, how he left dirty clothes strung along the hallway and let his filthy dishes fill the sink. His shoes were kicked at random in the foyer when he came home from work, a job you were nearly certain was seedy and secretive. 

You hated the smug looks he shot at you over your mother's shoulder, like he was wedging himself between the two of you. Like he had accomplished something just by pissing you off.

You hated how loudly they fucked at night. Yeah, you hated that the most.

You had been trying to study for hours. Your grades had taken a sharp dip ever since Sukuna had moved in. Correlation, causation, whatever! You wanted him out.

You wanted to go over your chem notes in the softness of your bed, but your room was no longer a safe space. The walls upstairs were thin and any time past eight o'clock was fair game for your mother and her tawdry little boyfriend. Having your room next to hers used to be a comforting fact, now it was just a nuisance. You could only take hearing the awkward tones of sex for so many hours before you went crazy. So, you often found yourself perched in the living room. It was good enough, quiet at least.

You got halfway through your study session before harsh padding down the stairs stopped you. Great. You looked up and saw him wearing nothing but boxers and a healthy sheen of sweat.

Fuck, he looked good. He was awful, but he looked damn good. Ripped was hardly the word for it, but looking at him for too long shrunk your vocabulary, so it would have to do. Sculpted might've been better. He looked cut from marble with a stoney glare to match. You couldn't decide if your mom was lucky or not, considering his shit personality.

If you were one to separate the art from the artist, you could have maybe seen yourself making a pass at him, but you despised his guts too much to even entertain the thought.

"What do you want?" you asked far too harshly, trying to forget the flash of desire that came over you.

He sneered at you, rearing his head back to size you up a little. "Can't a man walk around his own house?"

"This isn't your house, Sukuna."

A huff sounded from him, amused, if anything. "You should show me a little respect and call me dad. If not that, at least call me Ryomen." He leaned against the doorframe at the end of the stairs, still a safe distance away as if he were observing you.

You shook your head and turned it away from him, snuggling deeper into your spot on the couch. "Sukuna works fine."

When you tried to get back to studying, sheer hope urging you to at least attempt to pass your class, you felt the couch dip beside you.

It was silent between you two, disregarding the sound of him flipping through sport channels on the television.

You could ignore the sound, but what you could not ignore was the smell. He was pungent with sweat, musk, and sex lingering on him. It burned your nose and your core in a way you had never felt before, a primal way. You pushed it away the best you could and shot him a glare.

"What do you want?" you asked again, the same brashness in your voice.

Sukuna seemed all too pleased with himself, giving you an overly coy shrug. "Just watching TV. What's your problem?"

You took a shaky breath and physically moved off of the couch to distance yourself from him, taking a rather uncomfortable seat on the floor.

"My problem," you said, swallowing thickly, "is that you reek. You should probably shower after you fuck my mom."

Okay, maybe that was a little vulgar, but your rough tone had the exact opposite effect on him that you wanted it to have.

Resting his elbow on his knees and cocking his head, he gave you a teasing look. "You listenin' when we do it, or what?"

"No!" you said far too quickly. "I just hear it from my room sometimes because you're so loud. It's rude, actually. Maybe you should—should keep in mind that other people live here," you continued, trying to keep your voice from wavering.

Sukuna feigned a thoughtful look and nodded at you slowly. You were foolish to think he was being serious, because he immediately gave you a smirk and opened his stupid mouth.

"So, what, you rub your cunt listening? Or do you just sit there and press your ear to the wall?"

"I don't do any of that! You fucking creep, why would you say that?"

Your face crumpled into a disgusted grimace, but it rang a little too close for comfort. It wasn't often, and it wasn't on purpose, but sometimes you caught a sound or two in your bedroom and well… maybe you took a little longer collecting your textbooks before leaving for the living room. Morbid curiosity was all, you swore it.

"Look at you, you definitely do. Who's the creep, huh? Me or the kissless virgin who listens to me fucking her mom?"

"I'm not a virgin," you spat—a lie, naturally. You were offended regardless and your emotions were running hot. You found yourself moving closer to him with angry eyes. "And I'm not kissless."

Suddenly, you felt a strong hand grip your hair into a ponytail. "Oh, you aren't? Let's see."

You had never had something so big in your mouth before. The stretch was unbearable and your jaw was on fire. Stuff like this seemed more pleasurable in the dirty videos you would watch at night. It seemed more like work than fun in real life, especially with how Sukuna forced your head down. 

Not once had he shown you mercy through this, not in his actions nor in his words. Both were thoughtless and harsh.

He clenched his jaw, teeth clicking together in distaste. "You can't suck dick like your mom can," he said, nose scrunching. He forced your head down a hair further, teasing at the back of your tender throat. "Ugh, you really are a virgin, aren't you? No fun." 

Your throat lurched over his cock, milking it with uneasy vibrations. Before he could really enjoy the feeling over your gagging, you pulled up and had a coughing fit. Thick globs of spit made their way from your mouth to his lap in a slew of coughs and gags. He didn't seem to mind all that much, as he just lazily started stroking himself. 

After you calmed down and tried to get your mouth back on his cock, he snorted. 

"Don't think you're good for that, princess," he mumbled, brushing over the name. "Need some help?"

You wanted none of his help, but at this point, you were starting to feel embarrassed at your lack of skill. You just nodded and let your hands fall helplessly to your lap, looking at him with wet eyes and a slobbery mouth. 

He grabbed the back of your head again, guiding you just between his legs. "Some girls aren't good with cock, baby, s'alright. Gotta try other things." He pressed you forward, making your lips kiss against his balls. 

You looked up at him through your lashes, unsure of what to do. You gave a kitten lick over the seam, and he seemed to like it, so you did it again. He let you continue, staring down at you with a lazy grin while you kissed and licked over his sac. Wasn't exactly what he was going for, but it was cute. 

"That's nice, but if you want guys to like you then you gotta suck on them. Little licks won't cut it." He kept a slow stroke going for his dick, hand angled to leave room for you. "Put 'em in your mouth, yeah?"

You were hesitant at first. You hadn't heard of anything like this before. All you really knew were the basics of it all—put the dick in your mouth and slurp—but this was a little different. You popped his sac into your mouth and let yourself drool over it. It was an odd feeling and you had to be careful of your teeth, but they had a nice mouth-feel and the sounds he was making were worth it. 

"Fuck, that's good. Run your tongue over—yeah, like that." He leaned his head back over the couch, basking in it all. You weren't much of a cocksucker, but you could play with his balls like a damn soccer star. He felt them start to tighten up, but he had something else for you to try. "Off."

You looked at him with confusion, sac still in your mouth. You took them a little deeper and gave a soft suck before spitting them out like a dog. "What?"

He shook his head and spread his legs further, lifting them up just the slightest bit. "Just need to show you somethin' else too." 

Your eyes dipped lower to his ass. You looked back up to confirm that it was what he was talking about, and you gasped when his half-lidded eyes gave you the answer. 

"You can't mean that," you said, feeling out of your depths. "Sukuna...?"

You try to ignore how hot and, dare you say, needy he looks, but you can't. You give in eventually and spread his ass, looking over his tight hole with curious eyes. 

Despite your initial worries, you were pretty decent at playing around with his ass, much to Sukuna's pleasure. Your mouth was tender and gentle, but not too shy, and he found that with the right words he could make you really work for it. 

"C'mon," his voice drawled out, hole pulsing with need, "don't stop now when you've been doing so good. Give it another kiss, huh?"

His bottom lip caught between his teeth when you obliged. Your soft lips pressed a small peck to his sensitive ass, and then another. It was cute from his angle, getting to look down at you while you made out with his asshole. 

You mouth was good and well, he wouldn't complain, but he ached to have your tongue in him. Even a little lick would probably be enough to finish him off. He was being rather nice to you, all things considered, but an icky idea crept into his icky head and he couldn't help himself. 

He urged you for another kiss, and when you went down, he wrapped a thick, muscled leg over your shoulder. It kept your body stationed firmly between his legs, then his hand came to hold your head still. Running through your hair, his hand gripped the back of your head and rubbed your face over his ass. 

"Stick your tongue out," he chided, looking at you expectantly. 

You tried to yell or push off, but he was far too strong. You dug your nails into his thighs but he just ignored you and pushed your face further, urging you. 

He cocked an eyebrow. "Go on. All you've done  tonight and you're scared to eat ass? Use your tongue and make me feel good."

You gave up and stuck your tongue out, just enough to give him friction. You weren't as repulsed as you thought you would be, especially considering how much he liked it. 

"Good, good." He brought your face up and down, rutting against your motionless tongue. "Good girl. Off," he said, pulling your head back. "Now spit."

You let out a wad of saliva that made his hole glisten and he hummed in satisfaction. And again, back to using your face for pleasure. This time, you let your tongue stiffen a bit and poke at the rim.

Sukuna groaned at the slight intrusion and leaned his head back. "Mm, getting brave down there."

He let his hand slip out of your hair, trusting that you would continue without his assistance, and you did, like the validation-whore you were. 

You spread his cheeks apart and used the tip of your tongue to trace around his hole. It was tight and fluttered at each movement you made. If it weren't a literal asshole, you would find it pretty cute. You slicked him up, spitting a couple more times, and pressed your tongue against his entrance. 

He hissed, but kept quiet. No words left to say.

The was a challenge in it as his ass fought against the intrusion, trying to push your tongue out. You kept trying, though, edging against the ring of muscle. You made it past his entrance and slowly—easily—fucked into him. You set a small rhythm, getting yourself use to the feel of it, and slowly started getting off yourself. Truly, it was all very hot, and if you knew it would feel like this, you would've stuck your tongue in his ass ages ago. 

"God, you're nasty with that fuckin' tongue," he said through a deep growl. "Not even y'mom goes this deep. Feels fuckin' great."

Hearing that, you felt the need to try other things that good old mom didn't do for Sukuna. Maybe you could become quite useful to him, who knows?

[s-guru]

Lick it lick it baby~~

[s-guru]

FratBoy!Sukuna x Chubby Reader - Part 4

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

They say you should mourn the death of a relationship for half as long as the relationship lived.

So, it’s a good thing Sukuna fucked up when he did.

Did you spend the first half of the summer thinking over every last detail of the relationship? Every small interaction with him from the very start? On the phone with your roommate or ranting to your hometown friends and family?

Yeah. Of course, you did.

But did they then spend the entire second half of the summer reminding you why you never needed a two-faced frat brat to begin with?

Oh definitely.

By the time you made it back on campus, you felt refreshed. On move in day, you get your 3 close hometown friends to help you move into your new place, a campus community apartment. Though you still had roommates, working hard last year really paid off now, since you’ve got a room all to yourself for once.

When you finished packing, you laid on your new bed for a moment. Looking up at the ceiling and taking a deep breath, you feel a sense of contentment flow through you.

“A new year.” You whisper to yourself. Your voice full of hope and a twinge of anxiety.

- <3 -

Crisp fall air filled your senses on your walk home from your seminar. A soft wind ran through your hair, kicking up the leaves as it ran by. You thought it’d be a perfect time to tune out the crowd of students, turning on noise canceling and finding the perfect songs.

Peaceful.

It really felt like the scene of some movie.

A bit too lost in thought, you felt yourself bump into someone.

Like from the scene of some movie, the timing couldn’t have been any more comedic.

You panic for a moment, hoping with all your heart it wasn’t him. The last thing you wanted was for him to see you like this. Still worried about his opinion. About how he’d see you. Finally, you took your headphones off, bracing yourself as you glanced up.

They looked down at you with a deadpanned expression. Nobody you knew. Phew.

You muttered a quick ‘sorry’, before rushing past. Wanting to get back to your room as fast as possible now.

You couldn’t believe just how much he still managed to affect you.

The mere thought of bumping into him made you way too anxious. You were supposed to be ready for this. You’d worked so damn hard to not blame yourself for what happened. To not look at your stomach, thighs, hands, legs, everything, and cringe in complete disgust. To not blame every curve on your body for being the reason to his cruelty. To feel okay being you.

It’s a bit foolish now that you’re thinking about it all again. You’d been feeling this way about yourself all your life, and to think it’d take one summer to make it all go away.

Finally, your apartment is in sight. You happily saunter up to the door, ready to focus on work and forget about the world for a moment as you studied. Before you could enter, the door opens. An outstretched hand stops you.

Your roommate.

“You’re not gonna fuckin believe this.”

You give her a confused look before you look past her.

There it is.

That unmistakable blonde-pink hair.

Panic spread through your bones like electricity. What the hell is he doing here? Why’d they let him in? How long has been here? How the hell did he know where you live? Panic soon transformed into anger. Anger at what he’d done to you. His audacity to lie and trick you for so long. Before you knew it, you were storming into the apartment, heading straight to him.

You see him sitting on the couch, looking up at you. His expression doesn’t give you much to work with, so you don’t know what you’re about to be dealing with here.

Fine.

Guess you’ll have to lead.

Fuming, you reach for his hand, pull him up and drag you into your room. There’s no way in hell you’re having THIS conversation in front of everyone else. Once he was inside, you quickly locked the door and dropped his hand.

“What’re you doing here?” You asked bitterly.

“I came to see you. You blocked me. I haven’t talked to my girl all summer.”

You recoiled physically at that, taking a step back and giving him an angry (truthfully, somewhat disgusted) look.

“‘Your girl’?? I’m not your anything.”

“Yes. You are. We never officially ended things. You never said ‘I’m breaking up with you’. What you did was block me with a vague ‘I heard what you said’ and expect me to be with okay with it.” His voice rose with every word. Hand waving in agitation, “We’re not over. Not by a long shot. So we’re gonna sit here and talk this over.”

“There is nothing to talk about. Besides, it’s not like you want anything to do with this,” You gestured at your body, but held eye contact. Your voice unwavering as you continued, “You said you weren’t serious about me. That all you were doing was messing with since I’m so ‘easy’. Do you not understand what that did to me?? I told you everything. My insecurities. My fears. All of it!! I was starting to feel… better about being me… and you ruined it.”

You didn’t know when the tears started fall, but other way there wasn’t any stopping now. He stepped forward quietly, making every movement delicate enough to not scare you. He took advantage of the fact you were wiping the tears away to gently place his hands on your hips. Once you realized what he’d done, you push him back.

“I already hated my body before you. I let you fool me into thinking a girl like me had any chance at feeling loved. You made everything worse. Please, just leave. I don’t want to see you.”

“But I want-“

“I don’t care about what you want.”

You walk towards the door, opening it for him before stepping back. He paces for a few moment, taking deep breaths. As if every word he’s ever known is dying on his tongue. Eventually, he trudges towards the door, placing a hand on the knob.

“This…” He paused to find the right words, letting out a sigh before continuing, “I’ll leave. But, I’m not done yet. I’ll be back and we’re gonna talk again.”

He shut your door with a soft click. Immediately, you hide yourself under the covers. The bed provided a needed comfort to finally let all of it out.

You felt until you couldn’t feel anymore.

- <3 -

Two weeks later, you were walking out of seminar when you felt a hand on your shoulder. Stopping to look at them, you were surly to see one of the frat brothers from the night you met Sukuna.

“Uhhh.. Hi.”

“Hey.”

He was nervous, a bit fidgety. “Can I walk with you?”

You were skeptical, of course. You hadn’t forgotten what he said, but you gave him a small nod anyways.

He followed you out of the room, messing with the strings of his bag.

“Look, I just wanted to say sorry for what I’d said before. I was just going along with the teasing because I was new to the frat. I didn’t want to be the one on the chopping block so I let them get to you instead. It wasn’t okay.”

You were stunned, not expecting something so sincere from him. You couldn’t help the small smile that appeared.

“Thanks… You don’t know just how much that means to me.”

“Yeah, it’s not a problem.”

There’s a pause, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s soft. Gentle.

“I hate to be that guy, but… You seem to know what you’re doing, and I am so lost. Is there a chance that I could get some tutoring from you?”

“Trouble keeping up, huh? All that frat fume is messing with your head.”

He laughs at that, “Yeah, you’re not wrong there. I probably inhale more secondhand smoke than oxygen in there.”

“Well, I’ve got time and a room. If you’re not doing anything, wanna study right now?”

He lights up, “Yeah, let’s go.”

The walk never had a moment of silence. Both of you going back and forth about whatever came up. When you make it back to the dorm, you welcome him in warmly. Before closing the door, you catch him.

The pink-blonde watching. Glaring angrily, a bouquet of your favorite flowers tightening in hand as the door closed.

- <3 -

Taglist: @mooseheadddd @unsatisfiedanddisappointed @bee2124 @twirushlova @princessphobic @nina-from-317 @juprabbit @kwandabear @sunwoosbaby @thelittlerockinyourshoe @d43dg1rl @baroubaroupeace @matumogs

[s-guru]

FratBoy!Sukuna x Chubby!Reader - Part 3

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 4

Good morning sukuna!

hey there pretty girl

good to see ur still thinkin of me😏

What a way to start the morning!

You smiled stupidly at your phone, taking some time to talk to Sukuna a bit more before getting up from bed. As the hours passed, whenever you had a second to reach for your phone, you’d reply back to him. It seems like he was doing the same as the conversation never once died down. The banger tossed in between you both so easily.

This continued on for the rest of the day.

The rest of the day turned into the rest of the week.

Each text added to the anticipation, a sensation of something more on the horizon. On one Friday night, around 9, you were complaining to him about some assignment you still had to do as you were laid down for bed.

That was until this text.

wanna meet me outside in 30?

Eyes widened and heart thumping, you sat up quickly in bed. Your roommate looked at you startled.

“Damn! You scared the shit out of me. You okay? What’s wrong?”

“He wants to meet in 30 minutes.”

She sits up just as quickly as you did, already looking through your drawers to help you find something cute to wear.

“Did he say where? Ask, so we can get you cute and ready.”

You do just that, jumping out of bed to get out of your pajamas. You put on a casual outfit and lace up your shoes to get ready for the apparent late night ice cream trip with him.

You walked out to the main entrance of the dorm housing you lived in. Leaning so casually against the side is Sukana. Dressed like sin and smelling irresistible. When he spots you, he flashes you a charming smile, holding his hand out to you.

“Hey, pretty,” He eyes you up and down, “Sorry for calling you out so last minute, I just wanted to see you. So, you ready to go?”

You didn’t respond for the first few seconds. Looking up at him in awe for a bit before muttering a quick and nervous , “Oh! It’s okay! Yeah, let’s go.”

He reaches for your hand and takes it. Guiding you to his car and opening the door, waiting for you to slide in before taking his spot in the drivers seat. When the car sped off, he placed a hand on your thigh. A comfortable silence settled for a while before he spoke again.

“Keep telling me about that assignment.”

It was soft. Sincere. You felt your heart jump at it in all the best ways. You smile softly before jumping right into conversation again. He had a strange way of making you feel comfortable.

He drove you to a drive-in ice cream spot, ordering you both a treat before parking.

“So,” You start, curiously, “If you had the chance to go back and change something, would you?”

“Nah. I’m a man who does what he wants. Everything I do and say has a reason. I’m fine right where I am.”

He looks out the window as he says this, his voice is sincere but his eyes say otherwise.

“It’s okay to have regrets, you know,” you ease, “You can be fine with where you are now, but still be upset about what’s happened.”

He finally turned to you, giving you a small smile.

“Alright, pretty. Seems like you’re a bit deeper than I thought.”

You giggle and smack his shoulder, “Don’t say it like that!”

Laughter and play fighting sparks between you both as Sukuna tries to steal from what you’ve ordered.

“Cmon, I thought you’d know how to share.”

“I can share, it’s just that you don’t know your limits.”

“‘S not my fault you make it hard to keep control.”

You roll your eyes playfully, swatting at him. He grabs your wrist to keep it still. Leaning forward to take a long, teasing lick of your treat, making sure your eyes are locked. He savors the taste for a moment before leaning in against you lips.

“You okay there, pretty girl?”

Your breathing gets heavier, nodding quickly. His hand trails from his thigh to your stomach, keeping it rested there. You flinch, your cheeks burning with insecurity and anticipation. The nerves cause you to pull back, focusing on finishing your treat. He doesn’t groan or complain, just keeping his hand on your thigh as you eat and talk.

When you’re dropped off at your dorm building, you hear him call out to you.

“Sooo… Am I getting that kiss on our next date?”

“Next date??”

“Yeah. Our next date. Gonna plan this one better. Take you out and get you all dolled up just for me. Get you those flowers you like ‘n everything.”

You smile sweetly, watching as his ‘tough guy’ demeanor softens just a bit for you.

“I’d love to go another date with you, Sukuna.”

- <3 -

You didn’t think you’d be here, 5 months later, making him some cake pops as you procrastinate packing to move out for summer break. Out of every man at this school, you never thought you’d be able to call someone like Sukuna yours.

Yours to listen to.

To hold.

To love.

He helped you feel confident. Comforting you when you need it most, and supporting you in his own weird way. Every time he held you, he made sure to squeeze and adore every part of you.

So with the cake pops in hand, you knock on the side door of the frat house, walking in when one of the brothers opens it for you. The side door is connected to the kitchen, which was closed off from the main common room, giving you the perfect opportunity to sneak in and surprise him. You paused near the counter when you heard his voice mingled in with everyone else’s. That’s when someone spoke up.

“So, Sukuna, are you actually serious about her?”

He says ‘her’ as if it left a disgusting taste in his mouth. The other frat brothers join in. Comments about your body being tossed back and forth before his voice cuts through. There was a pause, before finally…

“Are you kidding?? Me? Serious about that? I’m just messing with her. You guys know I can get whatever bitch I want. I just got bored and she’s pretty easy. Clearly.”

Agreement and chuckles fill the room.

“Dude that’s so fucked up!”

“Yeah, you’re definitely going to hell for this one.”

They tease and laugh.

All while your heart shatters.

You look down to the ground, tossing the cake pops you’d made for him onto the counter and leaving without a word. Not a glance. Not a misstep.

The second the doors of the frat close behind you, the tears come spilling out.

Blurry vision.

Head pounding like an angry drum.

You couldn’t think straight anymore. Yet, you couldn’t stop thinking either.

All ration was thrown out now. Any mature adult would’ve waited to do this when they’ve calmed down. When they had a chance to think about everything and communicate with their partner. Not you. Not now. Not when the message had already been sent.

“I heard everything you just said. Have fun getting whatever bitch you want this summer.”

You blocked his number right after. Wiping your eyes and heading back to your dorm to finish packing.

- <3 -

Taglist: @mooseheadddd @unsatisfiedanddisappointed @bee2124 @twirushlova @princessphobic @nina-from-317 @juprabbit @kwandabear @sunwoosbaby @thelittlerockinyourshoe

[s-guru]

(I was definitely not expecting part 1 to get as popular as it did! thanks for all the support everyone:) it means so much!)

FratBoy!Sukuna x Chubby!Reader - Part 2

Part 1 / Part 3 / Part 4

“You guys should have SEEN it!! I swear he was eyeing her up and down. The boy was hungry!!”

Your friend went on and on as you and your group walked to your lecture hall about the way Sukuna was looking at you that night. Her hands are waving wildly as she talks. Although it’s a bit exaggerated, it gets the message across to your group well. They all give you knowing looks and smirks. You let out a soft huff and look at her.

“It’s been 3 days already, let it go. Besides, i’m still pissed off at you.” You grumbled the last part, but they managed to catch on.

“Oh cmon! I said I was sorry,” She reached for your hands and stopped in front of you. She held them tightly as she spoke, “I had a bit more to drink than I let on and all I had on my mind was cheap weed. Pleaseeee don’t be angry with me. I promise I’ll make it up to you!”

You looked around for a bit to consider what to say next. As if the answer would be in the rustling of the leaves or the shuffling of other students walking by. After a moment more, you sigh and meet her eyes.

“Look, what you did wasn’t cool. But, you know I hate fighting with you. So you definitely owe me, and it better be something good.”

She gives you a bright smile, letting go of your hands to keep walking ahead. Not quite catching the mischievous glint in her eyes like the rest of your group did.

- <3 -

As the week went on, you pushed the memory off him off to the side. After all, you’re a university student with a part time job. You’ve got better things than to worry about than some guy who probably still doesn’t know your name.

Until one fateful Thursday afternoon where you trudged back to your dorm to find a sticky note on your desk with:

Sukuna: xxx-xxx-xxxx

here’s what i owe u ;)

You looked at the note in shock, not sure to what to do with it. Your roommate, who had been studying on her bed, shuts her laptop and looks at you.

“Alright, the mood shifted. What’s up?”

You couldn’t answer her. At least not in that moment. To be honest, you didn’t know the answer yet. All that escaped was a soft sigh. The room settled into a comfortable silence. The kind where it seemed the walls were listening, and every breath was being counted. The shuffling of your roommate’s sheets was followed by her moving to her desk chair, dragging it so she could seat right by your side. Right by your side. Where she always is.

You look up at her, seeing a soft a comforting smile. She signals for you to talk whenever you feel comfortable. So that’s what you do. Just talk.

“It’s just- I don’t know. Maybe he was into me, or maybe he was under the influence of whatever it was he had that night. Do I think he’s attractive?? Abso-fucking-lutely. And you know that means something because I cannot stand the frat boys. But what if that’s all to him? What if he’s a complete idiot asshole? But I can’t just judge him because he’s hot and in a frat, ya know? This is complicated… or maybe i’m just making it complicated…”

She lets a small laugh before saying, “Look. I’m gonna be honest. I’m not entirely thrilled about this whole Sukuna guy situation. He seems like a walking red flag. But, you’re smart. You know what you’re getting into, and if it all goes to shit, I’ll be there to help you out.”

“I know you will,” You take a moment to pause, searching for just the right words, “I don’t wanna sound negative, but… what could be possibly want with me??”

Without even thinking about it, you look down at yourself. Every extra curve, every soft section. You couldn’t help but grimace at the thought of him seeing you like this. You brush off whatever your roommate said next, too lost in your thoughts to hear her anyways. You started getting ready for bed instead.

How hypocritical.

You love telling others that they should feel comfortable in their body. That they’re beautiful inside AND out. That they deserve all the praise and love that the world has to give!

But to yourself?

You’re so cruel to yourself.

You just couldn’t believe a man like him would even entertain the idea of being beside you, let alone interested.

Still, a part of you was so desperate to find out what this could be.

That’s why you’re here now, 10:47, phone in hand and number typed in.

Finally, you decided on something simple to start with.

Is this Sukuna?

You shut the phone off quickly. The nerves making your hand shake as you stared up at the ceiling. The lonely staring contest ended when your phone lit up again.

texting me at these hours?

wonder what’s got you thinking abt me?

Oh right. He’s still just some frat guy.

Oh wow. What an opener.

Watch the sass, pretty. you’ve had me waiting for your message for a while now

???

ur friend gave me your number when she gave u mine.

i left the decision of texting me or not up to u.

You felt your cheeks get a bit hotter. Even through the screen you can feel his ego. You stared at the blank text box in front of you, not sure where to go with this conversation next. Luckily for you, he started typing.

think u made a bad decision yet?

You going to give me a reason to think otherwise??

yk i can’t give you a straight answer

we’ll just have to wait and see what this’ll be

Now your heart started beating.

It’s clear you won’t be falling asleep anytime soon with this.

You didn’t have to anyways.

Because he stayed up with you.

Text after text, joke after joke. The banter seemed to flow so easily between you too. His arrogance was matched by your attitude. Same with your nervousness and his confidence. Before you knew it, it was already 2:13.

I should at least try to fall asleep. I’ve got lectures and such :(

i get it, pretty.

text me once ur up, got it?

Yeah, of course:)

The room felt like it was spinning.

Your cheeks burned furiously as you buried yourself into the pillows and blankets.

What have you gotten yourself into?

- <3 -

Taglist:

@mooseheadddd @bee2124 @unsatisfiedanddisappointed @twirushlova @princessphobic @kwandabear

[s-guru]

(Recently read a fanfic that inspired me to right this little snippet! Thought the chubby girls would want some more rep. It’s not the best, still new to writing, if it’s any good I might make more of it, but for now, here ya go! Also, be warned, there’s some fatphobic comments made.)

FratBoy! Sukana x Chubby!Reader

Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

“She was acting like such a bitch today! THEN! then she had the audacity to clock out early?? Like, girl, you’re the manager. We didn’t ask you to sign up for this position, you did that to yourself.”

You giggled along as your roommate went on and on about your manager. You got lucky with the random roommate assignment and ended up meeting your best friend in the process. You looked over at the setting sun, before taking down your hair from the bun it was in. Today’s work shift really did feel like a preview of hell. The walk back to your dorm was full of ranting about what a fucking awful shift that was.

When you guys got back, she turned to give you a mischievous grin. You don’t quite catch on until she pulled out a bottle of some cheap vodka from somewhere under her bed.

“Take the edge off??” She asks you, while subtly waving the bottle up.

“You’re gonna turn into an alcoholic, but after that fucking nightmare… Yeah. Besides, it’s not like I’m doing anything tomorrow.” You quickly moved to your mini fridge and pulled out some drinks to mix the vodka with.

Inviting some friends over and DoorDashing some pizza after having changed into pajamas, you and your friends were getting ready for a chill and buzzed night.

That was until your friend squealed about her plug being nearby and needing to smoke a bit while she drinks. Something about ‘the spins’ she gets from the combination. You’ve never really smoked, but her excitement was infectious. When she started taking about going out there, you got a bit worried.

Her? Buzzed? Alone? At nearly 11 pm? Walking past the frat houses?

Absolutely not.

“Wait,” You stand and grab your hoodie and shoes before your mind can make another thought, “I’m going with.”

You follow behind them to the frat her plug is committed to. The second the frat houses come into view, you tug your hoodie tighter around yourself, wanting this to be a quick transaction so you can get back to the rest your friends.

However…

Your friend seems to have different ideas.

The second we get closer to the frat house, the boys that were outside turn towards us. Her plug calls her close with a flick of his head.

“Hey, ma, took you long enough.” He said to her.

“Guess someone slowed her down…” One of the boys next to him snickered. You didn’t need to look up to know he was talking about you. And yet, you glanced up anyways.

and woah.

Among the frat boys was a pink-blonde haired man. Tall, broad, and tatted leaning against the frat’s wall. So very clearly dangerous. You couldn’t help but stare at him. He was just so charming. So intriguing. So damn handsome. You couldn’t stand the frat guys, but hey, admiring a good looking man doesn’t mean anything!

Turned out, you were staring for a bit too long. He raised his eyebrow at you, giving you a small smirk. You immediately dropped your eyes to the floor, kicking at a small pebble. You didn’t catch how his smirk got a bit wider when your chubby cheeks burned a bit brighter under the dim lighting.

When you finally looked up again, you say your friend go inside with her plug. you panicked, reaching out to try and get her attention before she disappeared behind the door.

“Fuck…” You muttered. That’s when you heard it. A deep rumbling chuckle. Damn, even his voice is as fine as he is.

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re scared of us?” He asked.

Before you could respond, his frat brothers spoke up again, voices full of disdain.

“Yeah, it’s not like we’d ever even go near you. Let alone touch you. So you’ve got nothing to be worried about, chubs.”

“All you gotta do is sit on us and we’re goners!”

They laugh loudly as you try to fight back tears, even him. Sure, you’re a bigger girl but damn… you’re human too. You huffed and tapped your foot impatiently, crossing your arms over your chest. Doing anything and everything from going in there and dragging your friend out so you can head back to your dorm and drink whatever this encounter was away.

You wanted to defend yourself. You really did. But you knew if you spoke up, the trembling in your voice would only make it worse. So instead, you focused on anything else.

“We’re gonna head inside, Sukuna. You coming or you gonna finish that cig?”

“Nahhh, I’ll see you inside.”

I stood off awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot.

“Some friend you’ve got…”

You look up at him as he says this, clearly angry. He tosses the cigarette on to the ground nearby and puts it out.

“Left ya out here to deal with 3 guys while she’s inside probably sucking the guy off for cheaper weed. Major bitch.”

“Don’t talk about her like that.” You bit back

“Feisty.” he murmured, looking you up and down. Eyes stopping at your thighs before murmuring a quick, “Not bad.”

“Excuse you!?” You couldn’t believe his fucking audacity right now.

“What? Can’t take a compliment?”

“That wasn’t exactly a compliment anyways.”

He smirked at you, amused by how angry you seemed.

“So you got a name?”

“Sure, just not one to give you.”

“Oh come on, I’m not that bad. Sometimes, at least.” He said with a deep chuckle, that stupid voice of his making you feel all sorts of pent up.

“‘Not that bad’?? You and your little tiny dick brigade just talked about how if I sit on them-“

He put his hand up to stop you from going on before saying, “That’s because they weigh 130 pounds soaking wet. Those are boys. Twigs.”

He pauses, his eyes staying on your thighs again, “Besides… wouldn’t mind if I got you sitting on me. At least, not in the way they were thinking.”

You look up at him in utter disbelief. Your cheeks burned from his comment and your jaw dropped.

When your friend stepped back out, she glanced cautiously between you both before going up to you. She linked her arm with yours and hurriedly walked away from the frat. A few moments passed in silence before she asked: “So. Why was Sukuna making ‘fuck me’ eyes at you?”

You glance back for a moment, catching him watching your plush figure walk off. Your friend glances too, catching the small flicker of uncertainty in your eyes. She grins, already knowing where this mess is going.

[s-guru]

✦ oldman!sukuna vs. the trials and tribulations of aging and erectile dysfunction ‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎‏‏‎ﾉ ‎‏‏‎ eighteen plus

it’s another sunday night. your husband is dragging his birdwatching kit indoors, now waterlogged after a sudden and unforeseen downpour, and you’re preparing spaghetti sauce for the next day when you’ll be too sleepy to properly throw lunch together.

you scold sukuna for tracking mud in and he gravelly grumbles something disgruntled before dropping his boots outside, complaining about the ache in his back despite spending his days living off both of your retirement funds.

the two of you find yourselves on the couch soon after—his head lulling backwards and mumbling about ‘rusty fuckin’ door hinges’ in his sleep while you focus on the puff patterned quilt you’re crocheting for the newlyweds that just moved in across the street, reading glasses hanging from the bridge of your nose.

out of sheer boredom and in need of background noise despite your husband's sluggish snores, you turn the television on and quickly find yourself staring back at a sex scene.

raunchy, wet, pornographic.

you grimace.

your gaze flickers to your husband, shaggy and overgrown grey hairs mixed with the pink of his youth and solar lentigines from days spent under the sun. he’s got drooping eyelids and sagging skin… and he’s still as sexy as the day you met him.

you swallow thickly, something warm you haven’t felt in ages pooling in your loins.

“ryo,” you whisper, fingers tugging against his moth-eaten jacket he refuses to replace as he sees it as his good luck pin in a consumerist world.

he stirs, a frown coloring his face like crinkled paper, but remains dozed off.

you nibble on your lip, before reaching up and licking a long and languid stripe up the column of his neck before releasing a whine straight into his eardrums to rattle his brain.

now, he peeks out from an eye, carefully dissecting your movements before you press a tender kiss below his jaw.

“...woman. what’re you doing?” he quizzes, voice stern and vexed.

you roll your eyes. “pleasing my husband. what else—?”

you still as you place your hand against his crotch.

his claret irises lock on your wide ones, and you see unadulterated fear flicker in his eyes as your senses render.

“darlin’...” he starts, but you elbow-jab his side and throw the unfinished quilt in his face before stomping towards the bedroom with several huffs that make his stomach clench.

he stares down at his flaccid and limp dick resting on his thigh, eyebrows knitted and gritting his teeth in chagrin.

for the very first time in sukuna history, old age triumphed over the once fiery flames sexual needs, and he couldn’t even get hard for his wife.

[s-guru]

faking it

declined | previous chapter | chapter index

everyone has a price - even suguru geto

synopsis: with no friends and a wallet full of cash, you concoct one last idea to make your final semester one to remember. paying everyone's favorite pretty playboy to pretend to be your boyfriend to complete your college bucket list before you start the life your family is forcing you into. but you might be buying far more than you bargained for.

pairings: broke!Geto x rich!Reader x dropout!Sukuna

content: mdni, angst and fluff, college au, fake dating, pining, yearning, reader is a bit oblivious, emotional discomfort, anxious reader, terrible parents, arranged marriage mentioned, protective Sukuna/Suguru

art by @aransmind !!

There was a naked man in your closet.

Your mom knocked on your door, delicate little taps that really meant let her in in two seconds or there'd be hell to pay. You barely had the time to lock it, hurrying to kick all of last night's clothes - Sukuna's included - under your bed and tying a robe around you, tying it tight and leaning over your vanity in a rush to peel off some under-eye masks and sticking them on your face to hide where your mascara had smeared overnight.

"Sweetheart," She called out through the door, and you flinched. "Are you awake?"

Fuck.

"Um, yeah," You nervously called out.

Sukuna was probably fully awake too by now, despite the fact he'd still been rubbing his eyes when you shoved him in with all your clothes.

You hesitantly unlocked it, peeking through the crack just for her to shove her way inside. The door hit your shin hard enough to make you stumble, but she didn't notice.

No, her and her cloud of sickly sweet perfume had invaded your space and ripped out any shreds of privacy you thought you had, manicured nails already picking up your sheets and sniffing them like she could tell you almost had sex on them last night.

She flitted from your bed to your vanity then over to the full-length mirror. Touching up her hair, rubbing her fingers over the taut skin where wrinkles would've been without her month botox appointment.

Any concern for you came second.

"You haven't been by lately," She commented, not taking her eyes off her own reflection.

Exhaling softly, controlling your expression, you perched on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the hem of your robe before you quietly replied, "School year's almost over. Just been busy studying."

Your throat hurt. You were thirsty, but you didn't want to get up in front of her. Didn't want to be picked apart any more than you were about to be. Just putting ice in a glass would lead to a lecture on how you were doing that wrong.

Too fast. Too slow. Somehow impolite. Unladylike.

"Too busy for your family?" She scoffed.

You didn't say anything back. Just silently accepted whatever speech she prepared.

"I had to cancel plans to come here," She added, like it was somehow your fault. Like everything else in her life, you carried the blame. Shouldered it until she could shove you off on someone else.

"I'm sorry," You apologized anyway, keeping your head down.

That was how it went. They had problems - you were the verbal punching bag they took it out on.

"You're out here, what, partying?" She frowned in the mirror, turning around to paralyze you with her shrewd focus. Grabbing your chin and tilting it up, to each side, carefully assessing your appearance and clearly annoyed at what she found, clicking her tongue at you. "So much for that scholarship, huh?"

An ugly slimy feeling coiled tighter in the pit of your stomach, greasy and gross as you shifted. You hoped Sukuna couldn't hear. Hoped he wouldn't start to see you even a fraction of the way she did. A failure. A fuck-up.

But that's what you were, weren't you?

The guy you liked didn't want to have sex with you. The other guy you liked only tolerated your presence because you paid him.

"I'm-"

"Your father is driving your car back home," She interrupted your attempt to defend yourself, cold and cruel. Your mouth fell open, about to protest, despite the deaf ears you knew it'd fall on.

"I need it," You gaped at her, blinking too fast, an uncomfortable lump bobbing up in your throat. Tears you hated already forming in the corner of your eyes, something she'd dismiss as you being oversensitive. "I have classes and exams, and-"

"Find a friend to take you," She smiled, but it was tight, forced. Like she already knew you didn't have any.

You stared at her, searched her face for any sympathy. Anything other than blush and eyelash extensions and lipliner. But there was nothing there.

"There's barely a month left," you quietly said, a plea you wished she'd hear. "After that, I'll be back."

Until they shipped you off to your future fiance, at least.

"You can get your car back if you come to brunch next Sunday," she huffed, holding her head up high and haughty. One of her nails was digging into your skin, the sharp edge surely leaving an indent in your skin.

"I really can't miss my classes," You murmured, but she didn't care. Never had.

"You're a smart girl," She dryly mocked, letting go of your chin to pat your cheek instead. "You can figure it out."

This was a punishment. A reminder that the high you'd been riding on, the control you convinced yourself you had, was all fake. Had never been yours at all. Just something you stole for yourself for a little while.

And it was time for them to take it back.

You sucked on the inside of your cheek, rolled it between your molars until it hurt. Tried to strike back where you could, use one of the only tactics you knew would catch her attention. "I'm supposed to help tutor Satoru Gojo this week. How am I supposed to get there if I can't drive?"

She smiled - the first sincere one you'd seen in a while. But it wasn't for you. It was just for the prospect of using you for something else.

"Just ask him to drive you around," She simply shrugged, the corner of her cherry-painted lips twitching. "I'm sure he'll be more than happy to help."

She stepped back, looked at her reflection again, smoothing out her skirt like nothing had happened.

You knew she wanted an answer. Well, blind obedience would be more accurate, but the lump had turned into a fist, throat completely constricted and refusing to let any words through.

She tended to have that effect on you.

"What day is it?" She asked, waving her hand, irritated. "Your tutoring thing?"

"Thursday," You answered under your breath, your own nails digging into your palm as you averted her stare.

"I'll book an appointment for you with my lady," She said, walking back towards your bedroom door. There was no telling who she was even talking about. Her esthetician? Her manicurist?

Your mother turned her nose up, although it didn't really crinkle much, barely able to even arch her brows as she looked over you one more time.

"You look awful."

She slammed the bedroom door shut behind her. The front door to your apartment fifteen seconds later.

All-in-all, it wasn't the worst visit from your family.

A week without your car would suck. Trying to wiggle your way out of whatever appointment she scheduled would be tough. A brunch with your family and whoever else they invited would be borderline unbearable.

But the worst part was knowing Sukuna had been stuffed in your closet listening the entire time she was berating you.

How much did he hear? And how much would it change?

You waited a few minutes, struggling to compose yourself, wiping the stray tears from your cheeks and muffling your sniffles. He didn't try to come out, probably waiting for your signal.

But you had to let him out sometime.

Had to face what you'd been hiding. Well, not hiding, but burying.

You looked out the window first, just to confirm what you thought. Your car was gone. No longer in the parking lot. The only other car you recognized was Sukuna's, so you guessed mother dearest was gone too.

Still, your fingers were trembling when you pulled the door open.

Sukuna was scowling already. Arms folded across his chest, leaning against the wall. All his muscles strained, and judging by the way his jaw was locked, he listened to every word of your little exchange.

"Your mom's a bitch."

The last thing Geto expected when he rolled out of bed was two missed calls from you.

He was calling back before he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Hitting the button and cursing himself for not turning his ringer on before he crashed last night.

"Um, morning, Suguru?" You answered, and he immediately knew something was wrong.

"Are you alright?" He preemptively asked, getting out of bed and running his fingers through his hair. Searching for his keys already, trying to spot his wallet and grab a pair of jeans from the floor.

"Fine," You said. Lied. "Look, I'm gonna have to cancel for dinner later. I'm having, um car troubles."

"I'll just pick you up," He grumbled.

Although, when he did, when he knocked on your front door and you answered with that tight-lipped smile and sad little glimmer behind your eyes, he knew with absolute certain that everything was far from fucking right.

You barely spoke in the car, just tapped your finger against your thigh, your skirt riding up high enough to show your bare skin. Mumbled apologies for him having to come pick you up, biting your already raw lip until it bled.

He ordered appetizers once you got to the restaurant, any excuse to keep you here as long as possible.

"Bad night?" He asked, watching you swirl your straw, table vibrating by the force of you bouncing your leg under the table. He couldn't help but kind of hoped you did. That something went wrong with Sukuna rather than this being you nursing a normal hangover.

He immediately felt bad for thinking that, wished he hadn't and shoved it back down into his heart or whatever sick box in his chest it came from.

"Bad morning," You confessed.

"What happened?" He asked, fighting the frustrating urge to reach across the table and graze his fingers against your hand.

Your face scrunched up, like you were surprised he was that interested. But you obviously needed someone to talk to, someone to make you feel safe.

"My, uh, parents paid me a visit," You cringed when you said it, folding up the paper straw the napkin had been in. "They're not exactly happy with me."

He couldn't really imagine that. Couldn't picture anyone being disappointed if they had a daughter like you. Smart, sweet, sincere.

Suguru must've made a sound, because you started pouting, pushing around the food on your plate.

"They took my car," You confessed.

"For what?" He frowned, fingers twitching as he wrapped them around his glass, cold condensation dripping on them as he tried to stop himself from making a fist.

"Do they need a real reason?" You dodged the question, dodged his stare too.

Sukuna had said they hadn't wanted you to come to college. But Suguru liked to think he would've pieced together that something else was seriously fucked up with your family just from the way you were so flustered and frazzled after admitting you saw them. Or just the fact that you had to admit it instead of casually mentioning it.

But you didn't need him to comment on it. To make you feel worse or condemn you for it.

"Do you need a ride to your classes? Work?" He offered, and he couldn't stop himself from reaching out now, his fingers slowly brushing over your knuckles.

"What?"

You didn't pull away - seeking his comfort even if you didn't realize it.

"I could drive you," He continued, feeling his Adam's apple bob. "On one condition."

"What are you-" You started, but he stopped you again before you could try to pay him for it or pretend that you didn't feel the tension in the air between you.

"I don't want your money. No more transactions," He answered, watching the way your brows pinched together tighter. Struggling to understand what he meant - how this would change whatever your relationship was.

"I feel bad," You half-whispered, looking down at his hand on top of yours.

"Don't," He murmured.

He was here. Waiting and willing to be used any way you wanted. Happily.

You exhaled. Sucked in a small breath, shoulders shaking, trying to keep your face straight when you were obviously going through something bigger than this or him.

"Did you have to call out of work today?" He asked, sensing it would probably be easier to pull teeth than to get you to not feel guilty for not paying him.

"Sukuna kinda overhead everything with my mom," You muttered, embarrassed at the memory, rubbing the back of your neck. "He told me just to take the day off."

Suguru felt some heavy rock sink to his stomach, tied to his fucking heart judging by the way it dragged it down too. So Sukuna was there. At your apartment. In the morning. "Oh."

Were you already sleeping with him? Was the sliver of the chance he had with you already crushed? Beaten to it by a guy who couldn't be bothered to even drive you to work and give you some sense of normalcy?

Or was he just looking for more reasons to hate him just for having you?

"Um, you had something to tell me, right?" You tilted your head to the side, switching subjects like you always did when you were scared of getting too close. Of letting him in when he was knocking on your door.

Suguru still hesitated, unsure if what he had to say would lock him out permanently. "I wanted to apologize for being such an asshole for so long. You never deserved any of it."

Your lips froze half-open. He was honestly glad you didn't speak, because if you said his name right now, he might crack.

"I don't know if you remember the first time you bumped into me-"

"I do," You breathlessly interrupted him, eyes a little too wide, something shining in them he hadn't seen before.

"I found your profile afterwards, and um-"

Your face scrunched up again, features fading into a frown.

"But I don't-"

"It wasn't you. But I didn't know it back then," He admitted, heat rising to his face. "I just thought that-"

He paused, trying to find a way to make it sound not-so-shitty.

"You thought what?"

"I had a crush on you. And I got catfished," He murmured, cheeks probably pink as he confessed the stupid fucking thing that kept him away from you for far too long.

"By someone pretending to be me?" You blinked, like something about that didn't click. Or maybe, something was clicking, just not a piece you planned on.

"Yeah," He swallowed hard, hoping you didn't notice the fact he couldn't catch his breath either. You were weirdly quiet about it. No outrage. No flat-out disbelief. "Their profile is gone now but-"

"Don't worry about it," You dismissed it, but your voice sounded just off. Too thin, too fragile. Covering up for something or someone.

"Don't you want to know who might've-?" He tried to ask, but you were already shaking your head.

"I mean, you know it wasn't me. It's not like we could even find out for sure who did it," You excused, and he suspected he just ripped the wrong bandaid off, exposed some wound you didn't want him seeing.

"You do know though," He said it without thinking, and you flinched.

Suguru felt even more like shit.

He only wanted to help you. And it felt like every goddamn word that left his mouth just made you hurt more.

"You don't have to tell me," He murmured.

The relief on your face was visible, shoulders slumping as you rubbed your eyes. Your makeup was already smeared, not quite as waterproof as you probably hoped.

But you still hadn't moved your other hand. The one his thumb was still tracing stars on.

"Thanks," You softly said, and he watched the little shimmer of something he chose to believe was hope in your eyes when you finally looked down at his sturdy fingertips.

"We can talk about something else," He offered. Anything, actually. Whatever would keep you here with him for as long as possible.

"You have a lot of experiences with, um, girls, don't you?"

It was his turn to hesitate.

What the fuck was he supposed to say? Yeah?

He didn't want you to think he was a man whore.

"I guess, I mean, it depends on your definition of a lot," He slowly said, knowing what bullshit it sounded like and wincing when he heard it come out.

What he felt for you was different. Whatever this was, it was the first time he was terrified of letting go. Of losing you before he even had you.

"Can I ask you something?" You nervously started.

He nodded automatically, ready to be your therapist or your boyfriend or even just your friend if that was what you needed. "Sure."

"Um, if you liked a girl, and she wanted to have sex with you, why wouldn't you fuck her?" You blinked, once, twice, all doe-eyed with the faintest hint of desperation. "Hypothetically speaking?"

alsoooo for my girls that love the Geto/reader/Sukuna dynamic I am working on a new long fic here featuring them <3

[s-guru]

sweet tooth | ryomen sukuna

episode 4: expectations are too high

pairing: ryomen sukuna x fem!reader (university au)

summary: sukuna has a notorious reputation on campus of being terrifying, but it's hard to be too scared of the guy when he shows up to your family’s failing bakery every day to buy strawberry shortbread.

when your life feels like its falling apart you discover just how sweet he can be.

word count: 8k

content: 18+ mdni, eventual smut, university au, FLUFF, angst, humor, slow burn, idiots in love, miscommunication, parental illness/death, grief, toxic ex-bf, money issues, stress and overwork, introverted reader, both sukuna and reader are SO confused

a/n: sorry for the delay on this chapter I had some heavy life stuff to deal with but I'm back and should be updating regularly again! also sorry this chapter is so long lol

series masterlist | ao3 | previous chapter (ch3) | next chapter (ch5)

Friday rolled around in no time at all and you found yourself almost surprised at just how quickly the week had gotten away from you. 

Between the day that you spent at your dad’s bedside and all the extra hours that you’d picked up at the bakery to account for the fact that he was completely bedridden right now, your schedule had been packed to the brim. 

You’d managed to convince the uni to defer some of your deadlines to next week, which they were completely understanding of given your father’s condition, but you still didn’t feel like you had any time to just take a breath. It was like you were living your life constantly on edge, always waiting for the next thing to go wrong. 

More and more had been falling through the cracks lately. You hadn’t spoken to your friends in weeks, generally not even finding the energy to reply to their texts; you’d been neglecting to take care of yourself too, skipping meals and often going days without showering - too tired to go through the motions when you’d return home late at night and exhausted. 

You’d had more than a few breakdowns under the safety of your duvet, wrapping yourself in a blanket and sobbing until there were no tears left to cry. The stress of being majorly overworked was one thing, but more than anything you just couldn’t cope with the reality that your father was dying, dread tugging at your soul at every given moment. 

It had been easier to pretend that things were okay with him before this week’s visit to the hospital. You’d always known that his death was inevitable, something that would find him sooner rather than later, but you’d always been able to push it to the back of your mind. You no longer had that luxury. You’d seen him there on that IV drip, witnessed firsthand how frail he was now.

Pretending that everything was okay wasn’t possible anymore. 

Over the last few days you’d considered calling Sukuna when things got bad. It was an offer that he’d put on the table for you, after all. But you didn’t want to be a burden to him, didn’t want to lean on him with your problems when he was out enjoying life - that wouldn’t be fair. 

Besides, his offer was probably just him being polite - something that he suggested because he cared about your father. You doubted that he really expected you to take him up on it. So each time you felt the urge and hovered your finger over the call button on his contact, you talked yourself out of it. 

He didn’t really want to hear you sobbing again. 

Although, sometimes you let yourself entertain the fantasy that his care for you was genuine, especially when he was sending you so many texts all the time. He’d message to tell you about his day, his thoughts on the Ship of Theseus, ask you for book recommendations and send you movie recommendations in return. 

On one of the many late nights where you were sobbing in your bed watching sad edits synced to Let Down by Radiohead, Sukuna even sent you a message asking if you were okay and telling you to go to sleep, since it was so late. 

It made your heart flutter that he must’ve noticed your online status and taken the time to check up on you. You’d really considered calling him that evening, wondering if he was lying in bed like you were, clutching his phone as he waited for you to respond. 

You doubted it. 

He was probably doing something cool, definitely not wallowing in his own suffering by watching sad things that were just going to make him feel worse. No, that was certainly an experience unique to you right now. 

So you’d held off on ringing him, even if you did yearn to hear his voice. He was probably with his friends, maybe even with some other girl - you calling him would be a major inconvenience. 

You’d shot him back a text telling him that you were okay, and that you were going to bed. At least his text had saved you from your doomscrolling, and meant that you woke up relatively refreshed on Friday morning. 

It was hard to ever really feel good these days, with so many worries pressing down on you at any given moment. But that morning you at least felt hopeful that you might have a better day than usual, excitement buzzing in your chest at the thought of spending time with Sukuna.

Perhaps you were more excited than really necessary, considering that it was just a study session, but you’d been thinking about him far more than you liked to admit lately, heart racing each time he popped into your head. You couldn’t stop thinking about how much interest he’d shown in you, how gentle he’d been with you on the phone.

You needed to be careful, couldn’t let your heart run wild with desire for him when Nanami had so clearly laid out his reputation. Not to mention, Sukuna had made it clear that he wasn’t interested in a one night stand with you - whatever he wanted from you, it evidently wasn’t anything greater than friendship.

But that didn’t stop you from feeling excited. Your body didn’t know that you weren’t meant to be feeling that way about him. 

What did temper your excitement was you meeting with your friends that morning, shortly before you were scheduled to meet up with Sukuna. 

Utahime had caught you in the library after one of your lectures and encouraged you to join her and your other friends in the cafeteria to hang out for a little bit, emphasizing just how little time you’d been spending with them lately. 

Admittedly, her whole speech had made you feel a bit guilty, and you weren’t the sort of person who wanted to be responsible for the sadness of others, so you’d willingly gone along with her request despite having lots of work to catch up on. If you were willing to give up time for Sukuna, it was only fair that you’d give up time for your friends too. 

But if you’d have known just how much the hangout was going to drain your social battery, you definitely would’ve stood your ground and told her that you really needed to study. 

Things had started off okay, normal even, with Utahime bringing you over to the table and no one making a big fuss out of your unusual presence, simply bringing you in naturally to the big debate that they were having about Shoko’s love life. 

It had made you feel calm, a little less shitty about the fact that you’d been avoiding these people for weeks. You’d been convinced that if you showed up again to hang out they’d start asking questions about why you’d been so distant lately and you’d have to lie out of your ass to avoid an awkward conversation. 

But that wasn’t what happened. You were free to sit back, feeling completely welcome as you listened to Shoko and Yuki bicker, with Utahime, Nanami and Ino chiming in every now and then to take sides or voice an opinion. It felt almost like things were normal - as if you’d never left. 

That was, until your phone chimed with a message. 

[Sukuna]: my lecture finished early so i’m outside the main hall already

[Sukuna]: no rush though idk if you’re still in class

You didn’t think anything of it as you saw the notifications on the screen, heart fluttering a little at the sight of his contact name, excited at the thought of him waiting for you just outside. Fumbling under the table you reached for your bag, only for Utahime’s voice to cut you off.

“Sukuna?” She asked in disbelief, brow furrowed as she stared down at your phone on the table. 

Hands faltering, you turned to her, a pang of anxiety shooting through you at the displeasure in her tone. You hadn’t expected Utahime to know Sukuna - you hadn’t known him until recently after all. Nanami was the only one who you’d assumed would know him thanks to his association with Satoru and that whole popular crowd. 

Clearly you’d thought wrong. 

“Uh, yeah.” You swiped your phone from the table, as if removing it from your friend’s view would lead her to forget what she’d seen. 

“Ryomen Sukuna? Face tattoos, pink hair, basketball team? That Sukuna?” She asked, still clearly in shock. You weren’t sure of his surname, you’d assumed that it was Itadori like his father Wasuke, but the rest of her description lined up. 

You nodded slowly, feeling a bit nervous under her scrutiny. Knowing that Sukuna was already waiting outside had you wanting to leave as soon as possible, desperate to prove to him that your absence the other day had been completely unlike you. 

Unfortunately Utahime clearly wasn’t done with you, and her accusatory tone had drawn the attention of everyone else at the table - the last thing that you wanted right now. 

“Why?” 

You weren’t really sure what to say to that. 

Despite being familiar with his reputation thanks to your discussion with Nanami, you weren’t sure exactly what Utahime or any of your other friends thought of him - clearly it wasn’t something positive though. You weren’t keen on telling them that you’d met him at the bakery, cautious that might lead to questions about why you were working there now. 

Besides, if Sukuna valued a certain reputation he probably didn’t want you telling anyone that he ordered strawberry shortcake and read thought-provoking literature.

“I’m helping him study.” You said simply, figuring that was the easiest answer without going into any details. And that likely would've been enough for Utahime if not for the fact that Nanami was frustratingly observant. 

“Oh, what class do you share?” The blonde asked, pushing his glasses up his nose as he surveyed you, clearly not content with that answer. 

It didn’t help that you’d lied when asking him about Sukuna the other day, approaching him after class and asking if he knew anything about a scary-looking pink-haired man, claiming that you’d happened to run into him in the hall and were simply intrigued with who he was. Now that he was sending you texts, it was clear that you’d already known Sukuna’s name long before Nanami had told it to you. 

Feigning ignorance to your friend probably hadn’t been the smartest idea. 

“We…don’t. He’s taking a class I did last year and asked me to tutor him.” 

Not technically a lie. 

“How did he find out you’d taken that class?” Shoko asked, deciding to throw her hat into the ring on questioning your current life choices. 

“The lecturer recommended me.” The lie spilled from your lips easily. “I got full marks on all the assignments last year, she suggested Sukuna talk to me since he was struggling.” 

Most of your friends seemed to buy that response. You were one of the most diligent students out there, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for a lecturer to suggest that someone seek out your help. But it was clear that Nanami didn’t buy it, his expression filled with skepticism. 

“Even so, you shouldn’t get involved with him.” Utahime said quickly. “You probably don’t know because you haven’t been very social lately, but he’s not the sort of guy you want to be spending time with.” 

“I think I can make my own judgments.” You said, trying not to sound too bitter. You knew that Utahime meant well, and that she was just trying to look out for you, but with everything going on lately you weren’t keen on hearing a lecture from her right now. 

“I just think you don’t know what you’re getting into.” 

You shrugged. “He’s been pleasant enough, it's just studying.”

“Yeah, but he’s probably only doing it so that you’ll fuck him.” Shoko said plainly, voicing the words that Utahime seemed to be struggling to say. “He’s fucked half the girls on campus at this point.” 

The way that your chest tightened at her words was unpleasant. You shouldn’t care about that - who he was having sex with was totally irrelevant, it had nothing to do with your friendship with him. And yet you found yourself feeling a little worse than you had just moments before. 

“I don’t think so. And I’m not going to do that with him anyway.” Your tone was growing defensive, a little offended that they were treating you like some naive child who couldn’t think for herself. 

Shoko shrugged, clearly not invested enough in the matter to fight you on it. She wasn’t the type of woman who liked to put too much effort into things, much more interested in the fun things in life rather than arguing with her friends. Thankfully Yuki and Ino were the same - listening, but clearly unwilling to take a side. 

The same couldn’t be said for Utahime and Nanami, who still didn’t seem to be done with their anti-Sukuna rhetoric. 

“Fine, but even if you won’t sleep with him he’s bad news. That whole little group sucks, I hope Satoru chokes to death one day. You shouldn’t be associating with the likes of them.” Utahime continued. 

“They’re not all bad actually.” Shoko chimed in. “Suguru lends me cigarettes sometimes in our design class.” 

“Yeah, I’ve slept with Choso and he treated me sooo nice.” Yuki agreed with a proud grin. 

“Regardless.” Nanami said, swiftly moving the conversation back on track. “Sukuna isn’t someone that you want to be dealing with. He was a menace back in first year when I was roommates with Satoru. One time I went to get a snack from the common space and he was fucking some girl on the couch.” 

You were quick to dismiss the intrusive thought that popped up in your mind yearning to be that girl, wondering what it would be like to have his attention like that. It wasn’t in your best interest - that was exactly what you were being warned against right now. 

“I mean, that was years ago. People change.” You pointed out. 

“Maybe, but I’m sure he hasn’t.” 

“It’s true.” Yuki interjected. “This cheerleader, Yorozu, is in one of my classes and it sounds like he treats her like shit but she’s still obsessed with him for some reason.” 

You nibbled anxiously on your lip, feeling completely ganged up on. You really didn’t feel like explaining yourself, or outlining just why you felt they had the wrong idea about Sukuna and his intentions with you. 

“I think you should go back to Hiromi.” Utahime said matter-of-factly. “Nanami was talking with him recently and it seems like he’s keen to give things another try.” 

You instinctively scrunched up your nose at the mention of your ex-boyfriend. Your friends hadn’t been aware of the details around why the two of you broke up at the end of your first year in university, but you certainly wouldn’t be taking Utahime’s advice and going back to him. 

Not when he was largely responsible for how antisocial you’d become. 

“I’m good.” You muttered. 

It wasn’t her fault that she didn’t know just how badly the relationship with Hiromi had impacted you. It was something that you’d always intentionally kept to yourself, not big on your friends prying into your life and trying to offer you sympathy. But there was a part of you that wished they did know so they’d stop bringing him up to you as a romantic prospect every five minutes. 

“I don’t think you’re good if you’re hanging out with Sukuna.” She shot back. 

You ignored that, getting to your feet as you pulled your bag out from under the table. The morning hadn’t really gone the way you’d wanted it to. Considering that you’d been feeling pretty good when you woke up, you were really regretting letting Utahime pull you over here. 

Even if they did have your best interest at heart, spending time with Sukuna today was one thing that you’d actually been looking forward to, and now it felt like all the excitement had been sucked from you. 

“I appreciate your concern. I’ll catch you guys later.” Your voice was flat as you glanced over at your friends. 

Utahime and Nanami still looked frustrated, but the expressions on Ino, Yuki and Shoko’s faces came across as more sympathetic, perhaps guilty that you’d ended up feeling singled out at the first lunch that you’d attended with them in ages. 

“Babe.” Shoko called out as you turned to leave. “Let's have a spa day soon, yeah? I miss hanging out.” Her soft brown eyes were fixed on you, clearly making an attempt to make amends, not quite sure when she’d next see you considering how illusive you’d been lately.

“Sure.” You gave her a nod and a half smile, knowing that you wouldn’t be free to attend a spa day anytime soon. You were barely balancing everything as it was, there just wasn’t enough time for you to go and relax with your friends. Perhaps once summer break rolled around things would be different. 

You’d just have to wait and see. 

It felt like a relief to escape the overbearing presence of your friends as you made your way out of the cafeteria and to the front of the main hall, heart thumping against your ribcage as you noticed Sukuna on the sidewalk. 

He looked good, wearing an oversized red t-shirt with the name of a band you didn’t recognise, and a pair of black cargo trousers. His hair was a little messier than usual, as if he’d been running his hands frequently through his messy pink locks. A cigarette was hanging loosely between his lips. 

You began to make your way over to him, his red eyes shooting up to look at you with interest as he noticed you approaching. But before you could get too close Nanami’s voice was calling out your name from behind you. 

You weren’t keen on tearing your gaze from Sukuna, not when laying your eyes on him had butterflies swarming in your stomach in such a pleasant manner. But you and Nanami went way back, and you weren’t going to straight up ignore him even if he had frustrated you earlier. 

“Sorry.” Nanami said, bowing his head apologetically as you turned to face him. “That ambush wasn’t what you deserved, especially when I know socialising has been difficult for you lately.” 

Nanami was the only one in your friend group who had a deeper understanding of you. You’d known each other since middle school, and while he wasn’t aware of a lot of things like your father’s condition, he knew you well enough to understand that something wasn’t right at the moment. 

“Yeah, it was a bit intense.” You agreed, shooting a glance over to Sukuna whose fingers were wrapped around his cigarette now, brow furrowed as he watched you speak to Nanami. He was probably slightly too far away to hear what was being said, a fact that you were grateful for considering that the conversation was indirectly about him. 

“We’re just looking out for you, but you’re right - you’re not a child, and you're perfectly capable of making your own decisions.” 

“Thank you.” You said cautiously, fully aware that Nanami wasn’t finished yet. 

“But, I do just ask that you consider the things that we’ve said about him.” Nanami threw a stern glance over your shoulder in Sukuna’s direction. “I won’t try to make you stop hanging around with him if that’s what you want to do, but he’s not a nice man. He’s crude, he’s violent, and I don’t feel that he has any real respect for women.” 

“Right.” 

That wasn’t the impression that you’d gotten from Sukuna at all in the time that you’d spent with him so far. He’d stopped you from being harassed by those guys, showed interest in the book you were reading, and had spent the last couple of years entertaining your dad and his rambling stories. 

It just didn’t line up with the warnings that people were giving you. 

“Utahime was right about Hiromi, by the way. We’ve been chatting a lot in class lately and he’s been asking about you. I know things didn’t end well but he really misses you.”

“Mmm.” You didn’t dignify that with a response. 

The story that you’d fed your friends was that the two of you had grown apart and he’d ended things and broken your heart. There was much more to it than that but you didn’t think they needed to know the details. When things had ended you’d assumed that you wouldn’t be seeing Hiromi again.  

You certainly didn’t think he’d be popping up again over a year after things had ended. 

“Just think about it?” Nanami offered. “You guys made a good couple, and I know he’d treat you much better than Sukuna, if you’re even remotely thinking of heading down that road.” You had to hold back a scoff, knowing that even with Sukuna’s reputation you doubted that he’d cause you the mental anguish that your relationship with Hiromi had. 

“Sure.” You replied passively, knowing that arguing with Nanami was pointless, it was wiser to just listlessly agree until he felt his point had been made. 

His brown eyes narrowed, clearly not sure that you were really taking in what he was saying. Your gaze kept straying over to Sukuna who’d finished his cigarette now and had stuffed his hands into his pockets, watching you carefully, his expression unreadable. For a moment you thought you saw a flicker of frustration, but you couldn’t be sure. 

“Thank you.” Nanami said simply, an awkward silence settling over the two of you. 

“I don’t want to keep him waiting.” You gestured over to Sukuna, figuring that this was your cue to leave. “I’ll catch you later Nanami.” 

“Later.” You could feel Nanami’s judgemental gaze burning a hole through your back as you walked away, but you found it hard to care too much when Sukuna was smirking at you like he was right now. 

“Hey Angel.” He purred as you approached, red eyes flickering over your form and leaving you blushing. 

“Hey.” 

“Everything okay?” He asked, momentarily glancing past you to where Nanami was still watching from a distance. “He seems unhappy.” 

You shrugged. “Like I said before, he’s overprotective. It's no big deal.” 

Despite your reassurance, Sukuna seemed a little skeptical. His gaze lingered on the blonde for a while as he let out a hum of acknowledgement. It was clear that Sukuna didn’t like Nanami any more than Nanami liked him. Not like it was particularly surprising - they seemed to be complete opposites. 

“You ready to go?” Sukuna asked, returning his attention to you. 

“Sure. Do you have somewhere in mind?”

“There’s a great burger place not far from here, been meaning to try it for a while.” 

That sounded like a good suggestion as far as you were concerned. Lately your meals had consisted of pre-made sandwiches or onigiri from 7/11, and you were certain that those items weren’t providing you with all the nutrients that your body actually needed. Something with actual substance would do you good right now. 

“Can we walk? Or do we need to get the train?” 

“I can give you a lift.” He gestured to the black motorbike parked on the side of the road behind him and your eyes went wide with surprise, not realising that belonged to him. You’d never been on a motorbike before, and the thought of riding on one made you feel a little unnerved. 

Before you could protest Sukuna was grabbing the red helmet that sat on the seat and pressing it into your hands. “Put it on.” He said softly. You turned the object over in your hands, admiring the stickers that adorned the shiny material. They seemed to be stickers for various metal bands, but just like the one on his t-shirt, they weren’t names or logos that you recognised. 

“What about you?” You asked, noting that he only seemed to have one helmet. 

He shrugged. “I’ll drive slow, more important I keep you safe.” 

You desperately tried to stifle the swarm of butterflies fluttering in your chest at those words, reminding yourself that after all the warnings from your friends, you should at least make half an effort to not let Sukuna completely hold your heart in his hands. 

Pulling the helmet over your head, you looked up at him for guidance, not sure what he wanted you to do next. It must’ve been a source of amusement for him because he let out a short chuckle as he looked down at you. Perhaps you looked a little ridiculous wearing his helmet. 

He swung one leg over the motorbike, settling down on the seat before turning to look at you. “Climb on behind me and hold on.” 

Blinking a couple of times, you tried to process those words. He wanted you to hold onto him? You really hoped Nanami wasn’t still standing there watching because he’d probably throw a fit if he saw you gripping onto Sukuna on the back of his motorbike. 

But you weren’t about to turn the opportunity down with Sukuna looking at you the way he was. 

Carefully, you clambered onto the motorbike behind him, almost stumbling as you swung your leg over and tugging instinctively on the back of his shirt to regain your balance. He was laughing at the effort that you were exerting, encouraging you to wrap your arms around him once you were finally settled. 

You were grateful for the helmet hiding your face as you did as he asked, your cheeks burning a deep shade of crimson as you slid your arms around his mid-section, holding on to him tightly. Where your hands were resting you could feel the hard plane of his abs beneath his baggy shirt, and you tried to stay as still as possible, not wanting to seem like you were feeling him up. 

Even if you sort of did want to touch him more. 

He chucked once more, the sound rumbling through his body. “You don’t have to be so stiff. I don’t bite.” 

Those words did nothing to really get you to relax, now just more anxious about the fact that Sukuna was aware that you were acting a little weird in this situation. But he said no more on the matter, offering you one more reminder to cling on to him tightly before speeding off down the road. 

As you headed off you caught one last glimpse of Nanami, still standing outside the hall. He was watching you and Sukuna with a tightly clenched jaw, clearly not happy with what he’d just seen but powerless to really do anything. There was no doubt in your mind that you’d be receiving a strongly worded text message from him later. 

But that was a problem for another time. 

It was exhilarating being on the back of Sukuna’s motorbike, the wind whipping against your skin as he sped through the streets of Ueno. He’d said that he’d take things slow, but to you it felt like you were moving very fast, and you weren’t quite sure if you were enjoying it or if you felt a bit like you wanted to throw up. 

Either way, Sukuna got you there in one piece, pulling up at a cute little place tucked away down a side street. He pulled up outside and hopped off the motorbike, holding out his hand to help you climb off safely. Electricity pulsed through your veins as his fingers brushed against yours, and you sucked in a deep breath to try and steady your racing heart. 

If Sukuna noticed, he said nothing, smirking at you as he released your hand, softly pulling his helmet from your head. 

“Exciting, right?” He asked, gesturing to his bike. 

“Kinda scary actually.” You said nervously, head spinning. 

“That’s what’s fun about it.” 

You gave that some thought as Sukuna led you into the restaurant. It didn’t come as a surprise that Sukuna was a thrill-seeker, he definitely seemed like the type. But from a personal perspective you weren’t quite sure that you equated scary to fun. Your life felt plenty scary lately and you certainly weren’t having fun. 

The burger joint that Sukuna had led you to was cozy, and quiet enough in the middle of a weekday to feel quite intimate as the host led you to the back of the restaurant, sitting you down in a nice, secluded booth with a metal table between the two of you. 

Studying the menu you let out an internal sigh of relief at the sight of the prices, grateful that Sukuna had taken you somewhere that wasn’t too expensive. Even though he was paying for your meal, you didn’t want to feel like you were massively indebted to him, it wasn’t like you had the means to pay him back any time soon. 

The two of you sat in silence for a few moments as you decided what to pick, opting for a simple cheeseburger when the waiter returned, with Sukuna asking for a double bacon burger, insisting that it was the best choice since he needed to keep his protein intake high for basketball. 

A sense of nervousness settled over you once the waiter had gone, not quite sure how Sukuna wanted to proceed with this. You were here to study, right? Perhaps you should take the lead and bring out your notes from when you’d taken the class last year. 

But Sukuna seemed to have other ideas. 

“Was Nanami telling you not to hang out with me?” He asked, cutting straight to the chase. 

“Yeah.” You replied sheepishly, a little embarrassed by his complete awareness that you’d been discussing him. 

“Any compelling arguments?” Sukuna was leaning forward now, elbows resting on the table. The soft lighting in the restaurant had his red eyes looking particularly pretty, giving them a greater intensity than usual as he levelled his gaze on you. 

“Nothing he hadn’t already said before. He really doesn’t like you.” 

“Mmm, didn’t deter you though, huh?” He asked with a grin that you were sure had already won the hearts of many. If you weren’t careful it would win yours too.  

“I guess not.” You mumbled. Until you actually saw the Sukuna from the rumors, you didn’t think anything was going to drive you away. “Besides, there was no way that I was going to stand you up today, I still feel guilty about last time.” 

“You shouldn’t. You had your own shit to deal with.” 

You bit your lip as he trailed off. You’d wondered if he was planning on addressing the elephant in the room. On his call with you the other day you’d simply presented an outline of your father’s condition without going too deep into the details. It was hard for you to talk about it at length without crying. 

But now that you were actually hanging out you wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to discuss it. He probably had plenty of questions, and he clearly cared deeply about your dad. It wasn’t fair to keep him in the dark if there were things he wanted to know. 

“How’s your dad doing?” Sukuna asked, his expression serious. There was a certain amount of conflict in his eyes, as if he wasn’t sure whether or not he was allowed to ask you that question. 

“A little better now than when I last spoke to you. They got some fluids in him and he’s back to how he was the last time you were at the shop. I’d like to say he’s good, but he’s not.” 

You took a deep breath as you tried to control the tremble in your voice. You’d never really discussed these things out loud with anyone, and somehow putting it into words made everything feel much worse, like it was actually real. 

Your dad wasn’t fine. The doctors had given him until the end of this year at very best. The treatment should improve upon his quality of life, but ultimately he couldn’t be saved - his cancer had spread too much for that. It wasn’t something that you could linger on too much without breaking down, for now you just needed to appreciate the time that you had while he was still here. 

“And you?” Sukuna seemed to be closely examining you as he peered at you from across the table. “Are you doing good?” 

“Yeah.” You said quickly, defaulting to your usual answer. But the way that Sukuna tilted his head at you skeptically had you reconsidering. “No, not really.” 

“You don’t look like you’ve been sleeping. No offense.” You weren’t offended by his statement at all, it was just a fact. You knew that there were dark circles under your eyes and were well aware of just how exhausted you probably looked. 

It was hard to think of a response to that without getting too choked up, knowing that you’d probably burst into tears if you started talking too much about how much everything was getting to you right now. Besides, you didn’t want to trauma dump on Sukuna out of nowhere - it wasn’t fair, he probably wasn’t interested in all of that emotional weight. 

“It's hard.” You said finally. 

“Why didn’t you call me?” 

Your lips parted with surprise, not expecting him to care about something like that, figuring that he’d only put that offer on the table out of pity. And yet he looked genuinely offended by the fact that you hadn’t reached out. 

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” You said carefully, reflecting on Nanami’s words from the other day about him having a different girl over every night. 

“I wish you would.” 

You weren’t really sure what to say to that, a warm feeling spreading through you. If you didn’t know any better you would’ve assumed that he was flirting with you, but you knew that wasn’t the case. It was probably just a joke. 

Before you were forced to offer him a response, the waiter returned with your food, setting both burgers down on the table in front of you. It looked mouth-wateringly good, and you were quick to dig in, taking a large bite out of the cheeseburger. 

“This is good.” You said with a soft smile, changing the topic to avoid giving Sukuna a response to his last statement. 

It just wasn’t something that you wanted to get into. You knew that your fragile little heart would fall for him in an instant if he gave you too much to hold on to, you couldn’t linger on statements like that or you’d just end up getting hurt. It was important that you reminded yourself that the two of you were from very different worlds and his type certainly wasn’t you. 

You were just friends, that was all. And that was fine, after Hiromi it wasn’t like you were all that keen on being in a relationship anyway. 

“Mmm, real good.” He was already halfway done with his food, practically inhaling his bacon burger in one big bite

“We should probably get to studying after this, I’ve gotta get back for a lecture at 2.30.” You realised that it would probably be easy for the two of you to get carried away with talking and get no work done, and considering your limited time it was important that you actually helped him out. 

“Yeah, about that…” Sukuna paused for a moment as he scratched his head sheepishly, his pink locks sticking up in an unruly manner where his fingers had tangled in the strands. “I uh- I kinda lied about needing your help.” 

Huh?

“You- you don’t need my help?” 

“Nah…” He took a final bite of his burger, swallowing it down as he forced you to wait for an explanation. “When I was at the bakery the other day I wasn’t sure that you would wanna hang out if I didn’t give you a reason, so I figured asking you to tutor me would get your attention.” 

You stared at him blankly as you tried to process that information, almost letting out a laugh at just how guilty he looked right now, eyes darting around like a housecat who had just bitten their owner and was now pretending that they hadn’t. 

It wasn’t like you were mad. 

On the contrary, you were flattered that he’d gone out of his way to try and spend time with you. He hadn’t needed to lie to you, if he’d asked you to come to lunch with him you would’ve said yes anyway. 

Although, now you were thinking about it, maybe you wouldn’t have said yes considering how social interaction was far from your top priority right now. Turning your meeting into an obligation was surprisingly cunning - he’d probably learnt from your father that you weren’t the type of person to deny someone help. 

“Anyway.” He continued. “Now I feel bad because I didn’t know how bad things were with your dad, and I was running this whole scheme just to get you to hang out with me.”

“That’s so stupid.” You said with a soft little laugh, his lips curving up into a smile at the sound. 

“I thought it was pretty smart.” 

“I guess it was since I’m here, but what was your original plan? Were you just going to sit there and listen to me talk about linguistics for hours? Do you even take that class?”

“Actually I do. I just don’t need help with it.” You rolled your eyes dramatically, but you couldn’t help but be a little endeared by him. He hadn’t struck you as the sort of guy to come up with a plot like this, it was almost cute?

“So if you don’t need me to help you study, what do you want?” The question rolled off your tongue before you could stop it, taking the opportunity to try and understand his intentions with you. 

That seemed to stop him in his tracks, red eyes glancing down at the table as his brow furrowed. “To get to know you?” He almost seemed as confused as you were. 

“To get to know me?” That made his intentions about as clear as mud. 

“I guess I want to be friends.” He said carefully, and you couldn’t help but feel just a little bit disappointed at his words. There’d been a small part of you that had hoped that his interest in you was out of attraction, even if you knew that being a one-night stand of his was not a good idea. 

Really you should see this as a good thing. Nanami had said that Sukuna didn’t do relationships, so if you didn’t want to be just one of those girls that he slept with one time, this was probably the best you were going to get. Besides, Sukuna seemed to have a limited number of people who he valued as friends, and being one of them made you feel at least a little proud of yourself. 

“We can be friends. You don’t have to lie to me every time you want to hang out though - just ask next time.” 

“As long as you promise you’ll actually agree. Your dad said that you’ve been avoiding your friends like the plague recently.” 

A fair assessment. 

“That’s complicated.” You mumbled, chewing on your lip as you thought about how to explain that hanging out with him would be a source of comfort whilst being around your friends at the moment filled you with anxiety. “They don’t know what’s happening with my dad. If they did, they'd treat me differently and I don’t want that…but I can’t be around them all the time and pretend that everything is okay. It's just too tiring.” 

“It's easier because I know.” Sukuna offered and you nodded. 

“Easier because we didn’t know each other well before you found out. There wasn’t really a way for you to treat me any differently because we hadn’t established what normal looks like.” 

He seemed thoughtful for a moment, his hand coming to rest on his jaw. “Do you not want me to bring it up though? Your dad?” 

“Uh- no, it’s fine if you want to talk about him.” 

Honestly, the more you thought about it the more you realised that it was nice that Sukuna knew what was going on. It made you feel a little less alone, knowing that there was someone else out there who cared about your dad and understood the severity of the situation without being really overbearing with you about it. 

“Thanks.” Sukuna paused for a second, clearly running through a list of questions in his head that he’d been holding back, unsure before now if you’d be receptive to hearing them, clearly not keen to be the source of your misery. “Does he have anyone other than you looking after him?” 

“My aunt. You probably see her at the bakery sometimes.” 

Sukuna hummed in acknowledgement before continuing. “No mom?”

“They got divorced a long time ago. She lives down in Kyushu now. Although, she has come to visit a few times since he was diagnosed, she still cares about him a lot.” 

Your mother hated seeing your dad so weak, he’d been a strong and healthy man his whole life - seeing him reduced down to skin and bones and struggling to walk without support was heartbreaking. Part of you was glad that she lived so far away, you didn’t want her to see your father in this condition all the time - it would break her. 

“Does my dad know?” Sukuna asked, and you shook your head quickly. 

“My dad is too full of pride to tell people. He doesn’t want everyone fussing over him.” 

“Kinda like you.” Sukuna said, red eyes meeting yours playfully as an offended look crossed your face. 

“Hey.” You warned. 

His grin just grew wider at your protest, and you couldn’t stop warmth from spreading through you at the sight of his charming expression. It felt odd that he had such an understanding of your nature despite spending so little time with you, but you had to remind yourself that your dad had been feeding him information for years now. 

There was a part of you that really liked just how much he seemed to understand you - it felt like you were being seen for the first time in a while. 

You and Sukuna continued to talk at that table for a while, settling into easy conversation. He was quick to move the topic away from your father, seemingly not keen on bringing you down or making you cry. Even though you’d shown up at this lunch prepared to discuss it with him, you were grateful that he didn’t want to linger on it. You weren’t really ready yet. 

He did a lot of the talking, telling you stories about his friends, providing you with a completely different overview of the basketball team than the one that Nanami had supplied you with the other day. He had endless tales about Satoru embarrassing himself, pulling out plenty of examples of times where their group had gotten up to mischief. 

It was easy to understand why Nanami would absolutely despise them as a unit, he wasn’t the type of man who liked childish behaviour, and it sounded like Sukuna’s friends were all about that. Allegedly in their first year they’d gone into Nanami’s room and wrapped up all of his possessions in gift wrap - no wonder he wanted nothing to do with them. 

But from the perspective of an outsider the stories were amusing rather than problematic. 

Sukuna had suggested that you should meet them one time, telling you all about the parties that they’d throw at the house he shared with Choso and Toji. You’d nodded along but the thought of meeting his friends was terrifying - you already avoided social situations with your actual friends, going to a party and meeting a load of scary guys who would no doubt be very interested in the nature of your relationship with Sukuna was not ideal. 

Besides, it wasn’t as if you had much time for parties right now anyway. 

You told him a little about your friends, opting to leave out the part where they’d essentially all told you to avoid him because he was bad news. He didn’t need to know that, instead you went into detail about the things you used to do with them in first year - the trips into the mountains, the all night movie marathons, the time that Ino got locked out of his dorm and had to spend the night on the grass outside. 

“So, you don’t hang out with them much anymore because you’re too busy?” Sukuna asked, as you finished recounting your tales. Your plates had been cleared away now, drink glasses empty. You’d have to leave for your lecture soon, but you were having far too nice a time hanging out with Sukuna. 

“Mostly, yeah.” 

“Mostly?” 

“My social battery kinda took a nose dive at the start of my second year.” 

His brow furrowed with concern. “Because of your dad?” 

“No…” You chewed on your lip as you paused, trying to decide just how much you wanted to confide in him. The fact that he knew about your dad was already a lot, and you didn’t feel like completely spilling your guts, even if you did feel strangely comfortable telling him things. 

“I was dating this guy through most of my first year and after it ended I wasn’t really in a good place, ended up isolating myself a lot and before I could really get better my dad’s diagnosis came through and my social battery never recovered.” 

You lowered your gaze, not wanting to look at Sukuna as you spoke. He was far too perceptive, and you were confident that your expression would give away that there was a lot more to that story. But it wasn’t a can of worms that you wanted to open today.

And if Sukuna noticed he said nothing, letting out a quiet hum as he continued to stare at you from across the table. “The guy your dad hates, right?” 

You gave him a small smile. Your dad does hate Hiromi, it was amusing that he’d even outlined that to Sukuna at some point. You and Hiromi had originally met at the bakery - he was the son of one of your dad’s regulars, and your father had encouraged the relationship back at the start. 

But after seeing how broken the relationship had left you, he swore that he’d kill your ex if he ever saw him again. Although, you doubted he was strong enough for that now. 

“How much did my dad say about him?” 

“Not much.” Sukuna said with a shrug. “He just told me that you deserved someone much better than that guy and then asked if I was single.” You groaned at that revelation, not happy at the thought of your father trying to match-make behind your back.

“Sorry about him.” You mumbled, dragging your fingers down your face in embarrassment. Sukuna was smirking at you, evidently very amused by your reaction. 

“He’s endearing.” Sukuna said. “It's cute.” 

There was a part of you that wanted to ask Sukuna what he’d said in response to your father’s question, if he’d expressed any interest in you. But it was a stupid thing to wonder, a question that would only lead to pain. Of course Sukuna wouldn’t want you like that, he’d literally just told you that he wanted to be friends. 

That’s all you are. 

You couldn’t afford to think anything different, life was hard enough right now. Even if the sound of his voice had your brain short-circuiting, his smile causing butterflies to swarm in your stomach. It just wasn’t something that you could entertain. 

He’d asked to be friends, so you’d be his friend. That was all. 

“We should head back.” You said softly, eyes moving to your watch. 

Sukuna’s brow was furrowed as he watched you, pink lips parting for a second, as if he was considering saying something. But the moment passed and he simply nodded, waving over the waiter and paying for your food before ushering you out of the restaurant and back onto his motorbike, dropping you safely back on campus. 

“See you around?” You asked, as you hopped off the vehicle, and he gave you an easy smile. 

“Course. Make sure you call me sometime, angel. Don’t like the idea of you suffering all alone.” 

His words knocked the breath from your lungs, completely unsure on how to react to such care. The mantra of he’s just a friend playing on loop in your head as you tried not to read too deeply into his statement. But your heart was fluttering anyway. It was inevitable. 

You were so fucked. 

next chapter

a/n: i know his surname isn't actually ryomen before anyone comes for me, just saying it is for the sake of this fic hehe

thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed this chapter - reblogs and comments are appreciated, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist for this fic! <3

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© sukunahs

[s-guru]

sweet tooth | ryomen sukuna

episode 3: anyone out there?

pairing: ryomen sukuna x fem!reader (university au)

summary: sukuna has a notorious reputation on campus of being terrifying, but it's hard to be too scared of the guy when he shows up to your family’s failing bakery every day to buy strawberry shortbread.

when your life feels like its falling apart you discover just how sweet he can be.

word count: 7k

content: 18+ mdni, eventual smut, university au, FLUFF, angst, humor, slow burn, idiots in love, miscommunication, parental illness/death, grief, money issues, stress and overwork, introverted reader, both sukuna and reader are SO confused

a/n: there's a little bit of angst in this chapter but there's fluff to make up for it :) this chapter title is inspired by enkee1 by hemlocke springs so go listen!!

series masterlist | ao3 | previous chapter (ch2) | next chapter (ch4)

You didn’t show up for the study session. 

At first Sukuna had assumed that you were just running a little late, but as 15 minutes turned into half an hour with him still sitting alone at that table in the corner of the humanities library, he was beginning to lose hope. 

He’d shot you a text fairly quickly, wondering if perhaps you'd just forgotten that you’d agreed to meet today. You’d seemed pretty exhausted at the bakery last night, maybe it had simply slipped your mind. 

[Sukuna]: we still on for today? 

But as he stared at the text his brow furrowed at the little singular grey tick in the corner of his message, indicating that it had been sent but not received. Your phone must be off for some reason. 

That was odd, but he still had hope that you’d show up. 

He’d had so much fun talking to you yesterday, and you’d seemed at least somewhat enthusiastic about helping him study despite your busy schedule. So he stayed waiting in that corner, watching reels on his phone and raising his head each time someone walked over in his general direction. 

A full hour passed before he finally threw in the towel, concluding that you’d stood him up. 

He was pretty sure that he’d never actually experienced being stood up before and it certainly didn’t feel good. He’d spent all morning looking forward to seeing you - to be left hanging without a text made him feel like shit. 

Perhaps he’d misread you. His assumption had been that you enjoyed his company but you were just shy, that you’d need a little bit of coaxing if he wanted you to come out of your shell. But this had him wondering if you didn’t actually like him at all. Maybe you’d agreed out of politeness or fear and never had any intention of showing up in the first place. 

It fucking sucked. 

But even through his frustration and embarrassment at being stood up, he couldn’t help but give you the benefit of the doubt, shooting you another text as he headed out of the library, hating the feeling that everyone was watching him - like everyone knew what he’d just experienced. 

[Sukuna]: have to go to my game now

[Sukuna]: hope you’re okay? 

You’d been so sweet to him so far, even going so far as to not immediately impart judgement on him after Nanami had so callously assassinated his character. He didn’t believe that you wouldn’t show up just for the sake of cruelty. That wasn’t the type of person that you seemed to be. 

Perhaps something had happened? Your life seemed pretty hectic right now after all. 

Maybe you’d see his text later and come along to his game to explain - that would be nice, to see you in the crowd cheering him on. 

Yeah. You wouldn’t have stood him up out of choice. That wasn’t you. 

But as the day rolled on and his basketball game started with still no response from you, he couldn’t help but start to doubt himself, a sense of resentment creeping into his chest. Even if he was still choosing to believe that something had happened to lead to you not showing up, it didn’t make him any less frustrated. 

He wanted to see you, wanted to spend more time with you. What he didn’t want was for his heart to feel like it was made of lead, dropping down into his stomach just because you hadn’t shown up for a study session. 

If he’d invited Toji to hang out he wouldn’t see it as a big deal if he no showed. He’d just accept that something had probably come up and he’d move on with his day. He wouldn’t linger on it, wouldn’t agonise over what his friend might be doing instead. 

So why was it any different when it came to you? It wasn’t like you were anything more than friends, if you could even consider the two of you friends yet. 

No, you were essentially just an acquaintance that he knew a weird amount about. He needed to stop thinking about it, he was sure he’d see you at the Bakery at some point - it wasn’t worth worrying over. 

But as much as he tried to tell himself that, his body didn’t really cooperate - his frustration and confusion evident in the way that he played basketball that afternoon. He was an absolute monster on court, sinking shot after shot for his team. It had gotten to the point where their opposition had started putting three guys on him just to try and contain him. 

Not that it worked particularly well. Sukuna was as strong as he was fast, easily ripping through the defence and scoring several more baskets in the final quarter, openly taunting the other team about how much they sucked, taking the frustration that he felt about you and sharpening it into a weapon against the poor university team that they happened to be playing that afternoon. 

“Bro, what’s going on with you?” Toji asked as the five of them returned to the locker room after the game. 

Despite their victory, the atmosphere in the air was filled with uncertainty, as if they were all aware that something was wrong with Sukuna right now, all of them walking on eggshells around him. 

“Are you mad because of my own goal on Rematch last night?” Satoru asked. “Because I said I was sorry, I didn’t realise that game was going to make you de-rank.” 

Now that Sukuna was thinking about it, he was actually still mad about that. Although his frustration towards his blue-eyed idiot of a friend was dull compared to this morning’s humiliation. 

“I’m mad at you for that.” Suguru said with a soft laugh. It was clear that the two of them had made up, their argument from yesterday completely forgotten. 

“Nothing’s going on.” Sukuna muttered as he grabbed his change of clothes from the locker, slamming it shut with a little more force than he needed to. 

Nothing was going on, not really. 

If he explained to them why he was in such a bad mood he’d definitely be laughed out of the room. Sukuna’s reputation was based around not giving a fuck, the idea that he’d be so easily affected by some nerdy girl not showing up to help him study would certainly tarnish his name. 

“Yeah, sure.” Toji said, always annoyingly perceptive over Sukuna’s moods. 

He was good friends with everyone in the group, but Toji was the one that he really gelled with, the person that he’d hang out with most one-to-one, the person who he guessed he’d go to for advice if he ever needed such a thing. He and Toji had spent an insane amount of time together over the last three years, and he was extremely familiar with what made Sukuna tick. 

It pissed him off. 

“What? I gotta have some big reason to want to crush a bunch of losers?” He asked, addressing the whole room. 

Now they all knew that something was off, because Sukuna wasn’t generally the type to bother to defend himself. Usually he wouldn’t care enough. 

Toji opened his mouth to retort but Suguru was quick to cut him off, evidently not keen to see just where Sukuna’s evident rage would take him if they pushed too hard right now. “We’re going out tonight, right?” 

The group turned to look at Suguru, who’d already finished getting changed, his rucksack slung over his shoulder as he gestured to the phone he was clutching in his hand. 

“There’s a new club opening up, we should check it out.” 

Sukuna rolled his eyes as he rummaged about in his own bag for his phone, hoping that when it lit up it would display a message from you. But he had no such luck, his only notifications being a text from Jin asking if he wanted to call later, and an instagram dm from Yorozu, one of the cheerleaders, congratulating him on today’s win. 

“I’m gonna pass.” He said as he opened your contact name and noticed that the messages still hadn’t been received. He was starting to get a little bit worried now - if they were showing as delivered or read he could just accept that you didn’t want to see him, it would hurt and he’d be pissed as hell, but he could accept that. 

Undelivered was concerning. 

What if something bad had happened to you? After what had gone down with the men in the alleyway he couldn’t be sure that wasn’t the case. He should really go by the bakery and check that you were okay.

But as soon as that thought had formulated in his mind he was doubting himself, wondering if perhaps you’d blocked him and that’s why you weren’t receiving his messages. In which case showing up to the bakery would be a terrible idea, because you obviously didn’t want to see him. 

“You can’t pass.” Suguru said, pulling Sukuna from his thought spiral. “We’re all going.” 

Sukuna considered telling Suguru to fuck off, the words ‘you can’t tell me what to do’ right on the tip of his tongue. But going out probably wouldn’t be the worst idea right now. His mind had been running wild with thoughts of you since your first meeting and it was frankly embarrassing. 

You were just some girl that he knew, you weren’t all that - he was stupid for thinking about you as much as he currently was. He just needed to go out, get drunk and set his mind straight. If he fucked someone else you’d probably disappear from his mind entirely, and he could stop his stomach from feeling like a pit of anxiety everytime he wondered if you actually enjoyed his company or not. 

Yeah. This would be good for him, he could forget all about you standing him up this morning. 

If you wanted to text him back, you could. If you’d blocked him and never wanted to see him again, then he supposed you were both getting what you wanted. 

“You better buy me a drink.” He mumbled grumpily at Suguru, and his friend just shot him a calculating smile. 

“A small price to pay.” 

—

The club that Suguru had taken them to was nice, one of those shiny new places where the floor wasn’t sticky yet and the air was surprisingly free from the smell of piss. 

Much more pleasant than their usual grafitti-ridden dive bars, but not particularly Sukuna’s scene - especially when the bartender told him that they don’t serve beer here, forcing him to opt for some fruity cocktail instead. 

He really wasn’t pleased that it cost him 3000 yen, with Suguru somehow nowhere to be found when he came to pay for his drink. Bastard. He was going to get that free drink out of his friend at some point tonight if it killed him. 

Usually Sukuna liked being at clubs, but tonight he really wasn’t feeling it. Perhaps it was because the music choice fucking sucked, playing nothing but remixes of songs that had gotten popular on TikTok. Maybe it was because the whole place was far too bright and blue for his tastes. Or perhaps, it was because even with his mind dulled from alcohol, all he could think about was you.

He’d pull his phone out to check for notifications at every moment, still hanging on to that tiny bit of hope that you would get back to him, that there was a reasonable explanation for your absence this morning. But each time he was met with nothing, staring haplessly at that single grey tick mark, his mind running wild with possibilities. 

So he tried drinking more, pulling Suguru over to the bar to buy him two more stupid fruity cocktails, and downing both of them in the hopes that it would wipe you from his mind, at least temporarily. 

He let Satoru and Suguru pull him onto the dance floor for a while, pretending to enjoy dancing along to whatever shitty Taylor Swift song they were currently playing, like he wasn’t imagining himself in the bakery talking to you, wishing that he was there instead of here. 

Would you like it here? Would you enjoy dancing with him? 

Fuck. What had you done to him? 

Maybe drinking wasn’t such a good idea, because now he was sure that his desire for you was being heightened by the alcohol, his mind running away with silly little fantasies that he never would’ve allowed if he was sober. He hated drinking cocktails, good old fashioned beer wouldn’t betray him like this. 

His intent in coming to the club had been to forget about you, maybe find some other girl to bring back to his place so that his foolish mind could get back on the right track. But instead, when a girl approached him on the dancefloor, grinding up against him and batting her lashes, he found himself pushing her away, completely uninterested in the idea of sex with a stranger right now. 

Seriously, what was wrong with him?

Leaving the girl to try her luck with Satoru, he made his way off the dancefloor, starting to feel a little sick and desperate for an inch of personal space while he tried to sort through his jumbled thoughts. He found Toji sitting alone at a table, pink drink in hand, looking entirely unhappy with his current situation. 

“This place sucks.” He complained as Sukuna took a seat beside him, leaning back into the plush fabric of the booth as he stared out at the dancefloor. Satoru had that girl pressed up against him now, his hands resting on her ass as he grinned down at her. That would usually be Sukuna, if he wasn’t broken right now. 

“Total shithole.” Sukuna mumbled in agreement. 

“You want this?” Toji asked, holding out his drink, which seemed to have cotton candy on the top. “I feel humiliated just being near it.” 

Sukuna shrugged, taking the glass from his hand and downing it. It wouldn’t be his drink of choice but he had no problem with sweet things. Like you. His mind thought intrusively before he could stop it. 

Genuinely, he might be seriously sick at this point. 

“Where’s Choso?” Sukuna asked, trying to hold a discussion in an attempt to quiet his troublesome mind of thoughts of you - the memory of your gentle touch on his cheek a constant in his brain, the underlying worry that there might be something wrong with you today constantly nagging at the corners of his mind. 

It wasn’t his problem. You weren’t his problem. He needed to stop. 

Toji shrugged. “Lost him somewhere. You know him, probably chatting some girl up in the smoking area.” 

That was likely. Choso wasn’t a big fan of all the noise in clubs and would often find his way outside. If they were lucky he’d shoot them a text to tell them he was heading home, but most of the time they’d just assume that they weren’t going to see him again until the next day. 

At least now that Sukuna, Toji and Choso shared a house they could be sure that he was alive and well as soon as they returned home, the light from beneath Choso’s door a sure sign that he was there. Back in first year they’d text him over and over again in the group chat hoping that he’d wake up and respond, and that he wasn’t dead in a ditch somewhere.

Sukuna let out a hum of acknowledgement at Toji’s response and sat back in his chair, completely zoning out. Maybe he should just go home, fall asleep and hope that you’d gotten back to him by the time he’d woken up? Or perhaps a good night's sleep would totally clear his mind of these tangled feelings that seemed to plague him whenever he thought of you. 

“What’s going on with you, man?” Toji asked, looking over at Sukuna with interest. He wasn't the type of man who generally cared much about other people’s problems, but when Sukuna was in a bad mood it dragged everyone else down too. 

It was in everyone’s best interest to keep him happy. 

Sukuna shrugged. “Nothing.” He mumbled, and Toji rolled his eyes. 

“I know you.” Toji reminded him. “You wouldn’t be sitting here with me if there was nothing going on. Never seen you push a girl away before.” 

How annoying perceptive of him. 

“Nothing important.” He huffed as he brought out his phone again, heart sinking for what felt like the hundredth time today at the realisation that you still hadn’t gotten his messages. 

“You acting like this over a girl?” Toji pressed, glancing down at Sukuna’s hand, noting the way that his fingers were practically white with how tightly he was clutching the device. 

“Fuck no.” 

His response came out way more defensive than he intended it to, Toji raising his hands disarmingly, making it clear that he wasn’t trying to actively provoke the man. He knew better than most to not start digging about in Sukuna’s emotions. 

But perhaps he was feeling bold tonight. 

“What do you keep checking your phone for then?” 

Sukuna scowled at him, annoyed that he’d ask such a straight to the point question, because there was no real answer to that beyond the truth. All of Sukuna’s close friends were here, and Toji knew that Sukuna made minimal effort with his brother and dad - so what was he checking his phone for? 

Toji had a shit-eating grin on his face, clearly proud of himself for that line, confident that he’d effectively caught Sukuna in his trap. 

“None of your fucking business.” Sukuna hissed. Toji wasn’t particularly deterred, he’d had plenty of venom spat at him from Sukuna over the years, and they’d only ever come to blows once. 

“Oh, don’t tell me some girl rejected you and you’re all sad about it?” Toji was really poking the bear with that one and he knew it. There was no way that he actually knew what was going on with Sukuna - he was just throwing shit at the wall and hoping it stuck.

And unfortunately it was working. 

“As fucking if.”

He didn’t want to think about how near to the truth that actually was. Even if it wasn’t really rejection - even if he didn’t even want you like that, his humiliation at the library sure felt like getting turned down by a girl that he liked. 

Toji looked at him with narrowed eyes, a slow smile crossing his face. “Holy shit, am I right?” 

Sukuna fixed him with a glare, trying to silently signal that he would be saying no more on the matter, but Toji had never been one to let things go easily. He opened his mouth wide, clearly about to continue his tirade when Sukuna was saved by the appearance of Suguru, who seemed a little disgruntled as he threw himself onto the plush seats. 

As much as Toji loved to fuck with Sukuna when they were alone, he knew not to push it when others were around, dropping the conversation as a result of Suguru’s presence. However, he did give Sukuna a smug look that told him the conversation wasn’t over. 

Great. 

“This place suuuucksss.” Suguru groaned, earning a nod of agreement from Sukuna and Toji. 

“Why’d you bring us here in the first place?” Toji asked. 

Suguru shrugged. “Some of the cheerleaders were talking about it, I didn’t want to put them out by not showing up. Oh, speaking of-”

The shrill call of Sukuna’s name had the hairs on his arms raising. 

Yorozu. 

The black-haired cheerleader approached with several of her friends, giggling as she squeezed into the booth next to Sukuna. He found himself shifting towards Toji to get away from her overbearing presence. 

He was not her biggest fan. He’d slept with the woman once in his first year at university and she hadn’t left him alone since - always chasing him down on campus, showing up at clubs and bars he visited, making new instagram accounts to message him from when he blocked her on her main. 

She was totally insane, incapable of taking a hint - even when the hint was being directly told that he was not interested in her. 

And right now as she placed a hand on his leg, shuffling closer to him once again, he found himself more repulsed than ever. It was normal for him to want to avoid Yorozu - what wasn’t normal was for him to wish that it was your hand on his leg instead of hers, to fantasise about you next to him, huddling up closer to his side. 

Fuck it. He needed to get out of here before he lost his mind. 

Hissing at Yorozu to move, she clung to his arm gazing up at him with big eyes as she begged him to stay, asking if he wanted to come to her place for a bit. He was quick to shrug her off, telling her plainly to get the fuck away from him as he slid out of the booth. She certainly wouldn’t get the message permanently from that, but at the very least she might leave him alone for the night. 

“You leaving?” Toji asked, looking very uncomfortable now that there was no buffer between him and Yorozu - desperate not to be the next one that the girl set her sights on. 

“Need some air.” He grumbled, not wanting to tell Toji that he was actually going to head home, desperate to avoid the man trying to continue their conversation from earlier. 

Right now he needed to find a way to get you out of his head, and Toji interrogating him certainly wasn’t going to help. 

—

It was around 12.30 by the time he arrived home, trekking past Choso’s room and into his own, not even bothering to flip on the light as he collapsed onto his plush duvet. Today had sucked, he really just wanted to fall asleep and forget about it. 

Checking his phone on instinct, his drunken mind almost didn’t register that there was a notification from you on there, initially locking the screen to black and closing his eyes in defeat for a second before comprehending just what he’d seen. He was sitting up in seconds, eyes wide as he stared at the messages on the screen.

[strawberry shortcake 🍰]: fuck i’m so so sorry 

[strawberry shortcake 🍰]: there was an emergency and my phone was dead and I only just got back 

[strawberry shortcake 🍰]: i’m really sorry i’m the worst 

For some reason his heart was fluttering like crazy as he read those three sentences over and over again. He wasn’t sure if it was your words or the reminder of the sweet little nickname he’d chosen for you when he’d input your details, the memory of the way you’d flushed when he’d shown you what it was. 

Realising that you were probably waiting for his response, and that it was weird to read the same texts over and over again like some kind of fool, he wracked his brain to think of a good response for you.

God, he wished he was less drunk right now. 

[Sukuna]: don’t worry about it 

[Sukuna]: everything okay?

He watched with bated breath as his message was instantly shown as read, your speech bubble appearing for a few seconds and then disappearing, before reappearing once more. That continued for a little while, his heart beating faster with every passing second - it was agonising waiting for your response. 

[strawberry shortcake 🍰]: yeah surviving 

He stared at those two words intently. It did not take that long to write that message out, you must’ve been agonising over what to type just like he had been. The longer that he stared at the short message the more uneasy he felt. Were you okay? The word surviving certainly didn’t fill him with confidence. 

Before he could think better he was pressing the call button next to your contact name. It only rang twice before you picked up, sounding breathless as you let out a quiet little “Hello?”

“Hey.” Sukuna said softly. 

He wasn’t really sure what he was doing, had called you with absolutely no plan in mind, just pressing the button on instinct. He really wished he hadn’t drunk so many of those cocktails because then maybe his brain would’ve stopped him from doing something impulsive like this.

“Hi…” You repeated, as if you hadn’t already greeted him when you first picked up the phone. “I’m sorry about earlier.” Your tone was uncertain, perhaps even a little tearful? It was hard to tell without seeing your face. 

“It's fine.” His heart felt like it was about to jump out of his ribcage at the soft sound of your breathing on the other end of the line, it felt like you were right next to him. 

“It's not fine.” You protested. “You probably thought I’d ditched you or something.” 

“Well yeah.” He confessed. “Figured you didn’t actually want to meet up or something, like you’d only agreed out of obligation ‘cause I’m a regular at the bakery.” 

“No, No!” You said quickly, so fast that he couldn’t help but laugh softly at the panic in your tone. He supposed all of his worries about you wanting to avoid him had been pointless. 

“No?” 

“I like spending time with you, it’s just- something happened and I- sorry.” You trailed off, clearly unsure on how much to share with him. That made sense, you hadn’t really known each other very long - he could understand that you’d still be somewhat cautious of him. 

But what he was really focussing on was the first half of your sentence, the fact that you claimed to like spending time with him had his whole body feeling like it was on fire. How could simple words impact him so much? He wasn’t a man who had ever been easily affected, and yet a few sweet words from you had him feeling like some giddy teen. 

He considered teasing you for those words in an effort to diffuse the tension in his own mind, but the tremor in your voice gave him pause. Clearly you weren’t in a good place right now. 

“Are you okay?” Sukuna asked gently, surprising himself with how soft his tone came out. 

“Yeah…” 

“You don’t sound it.” 

“Oh, uhh-” Your tone was uncertain, clearly caught off guard by his response. 

“You can tell me if something’s wrong. I got nowhere to be.” He said.

That wasn’t strictly true, because he was extremely tired and should be tucked up in bed drifting off to sleep right now. But that didn’t matter when he had your sweet voice to listen to, he’d gladly stay up all night for that. 

You let out a sigh. “I don’t wanna drag you down.” 

He frowned. Your dad had always said that you were the type of person who didn’t like to cause fuss for others, that you’d keep your problems and feelings bottled up so that you could deal with them yourself. You didn’t like to be a burden to others, completely in the belief that you had to cope with everything on your own to avoid being a bother. 

“You wouldn’t. I asked, didn't I?” Sukuna was lying flat on his stomach now, one arm hanging off the bed while the other was keeping the phone pressed hard against his ear, desperate to be as close to the source of your voice as possible. 

Fuck, he was lame lately. 

And yet he found himself holding his breath as he waited for you to reply, desperately concerned that there was something wrong with you. After what had happened with the salarymen and how hard you seemed to be working all the time it just seemed like you couldn’t catch a break. 

“I was at the hospital today.” You said plainly. 

“Fuck, are you alright?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You paused for a moment before taking in a deep breath. “You speak to my dad a lot. Has he told you that he has cancer?” 

Sukuna hadn’t been told the specifics, but your words just confirmed the suspicions that he’d been having for a while about your dad’s health. Not that his prior awareness made the confirmation sting any less. He’d spent three years visiting that man, hearing the word cancer was like a punch to the gut. 

“It's stage four.” You continued. “If you don’t know what that means, the rundown is that he can’t be cured. They’ve been doing chemo to reduce the speed that the cancer is killing him but it will ultimately kill him.” 

There was a slight tremor to your voice, but you seemed to effectively maintain control as you rattled off that spiel - as though you’d practiced the explanation over and over again. Perhaps you had. Maybe the only way for you to cope with delivering the news was by having a robotic speech prepared that you could entirely detach yourself from. 

Sukuna was silent, he hadn’t realised it was that bad. He knew that the old man was ill, but he was still cracking jokes whenever Sukuna came into the bakery, always smiling and telling him stories just as he always had. How could he be dying?

“How long have you known?” Sukuna asked, the thought of your dad not being there at the bakery one day hitting him hard. He couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for you. 

“A few months. He started getting pretty ill at the end of last year - he didn’t really have an appetite and he was achy and tired all the time. By the time the doctors had run all the tests and found the cancer it was already too developed to cure. He collapsed this morning, he was too malnourished and needed to be put on a drip for a bit.” 

“Is he alright now?” Sukuna asked, alarmed that he might be in critical condition. 

“Yeah. He’s back at home with my aunt. He just needed some fluids.” You paused for a second, your next words coming out in a whisper. “It was really scary though.” 

Your breathing was heavy, as though you were purposefully taking deep breaths to try and keep yourself from falling into a tearful spiral. Sukuna couldn’t help but think about you in your room right now, all alone in the dark. His drunken mind couldn’t help but wish that he was sitting beside you, that he could comfort you in person. 

“Fuck, I’m sorry.” He whispered. 

No wonder you seemed so stressed out all the time, having to cope with the emotions of this situation on top of working at the shop and keeping up with uni - he was surprised that you were holding things together at all. 

And he’d been selfish enough to ask you to give up some time to tutor him, when he didn’t even actually need it. That was shitty. He’d spent the day so caught up with stupid things like worrying if you liked him, while you were battling with the worry that your father could die at any given moment.

“It's okay.” You mumbled, but he caught the sniffle that you desperately tried to stifle. “There’s nothing anyone can do.” 

He hesitated. You were right, there was nothing that he could do. But that didn’t make it feel any less unfair. He wondered if his own dad knew about his friend’s state - he hoped that your dad would’ve told him, Sukuna didn’t like the idea of Wasuke being left in the dark about this. It would break Wasuke’s heart if your father died without him even knowing he was ill. 

“I’m probably keeping you up.” You said nervously, filling the silence, clearly trying to make an effort to bring the call to a close - most likely assuming that Sukuna’s lack of response had been due to discomfort over hearing about your problems. 

“You’re not.” He said firmly. 

There was more sniffling on your end of the line now, your shaky breath a sure sign that you were crying, albeit making your best effort to not allow him to hear. It made him a bit sad, that you’d do your best to close yourself off even when he was making an active effort to listen to your worries. 

“Sorry.” You whispered as a small whimper sounded from your side of the line. “This is hard for me to talk about, I shouldn’t cry in front of you - you barely know me.” 

For some reason that irked Sukuna, because even though you were technically right, it sure felt like he knew you. Years of stories from your father had him feeling like you were an old friend, and if the way his heart raced whenever he thought about you was anything to go by, he cared immensely about your feelings. 

“Cry as much as you want, I’m here.” 

Between the sniffles, you let out a sound that sounded almost like a laugh. “Why are you being so nice to me? I don’t get you.” 

“I like you.” He said earnestly. “And I like your dad.” He quickly added, not wanting to give the wrong impression with that initial statement. He didn’t want to scare you off when you were already so illusive as it was. 

Besides, he didn’t like you like that. Right? 

“Oh.” He thought he sensed a hint of disappointment in your tone, but he couldn’t be sure. 

You were silent for a while longer, but Sukuna was sure that you were still on the other end of the line, the comforting sound of your breathing still loud against his ear. He wondered if you were lying on your bed in the same manner he was. 

Briefly his mind drifted to the thought of you laying on his bed beside him, warm bodies pressed together as he comforted you. But he was quick to push that idea away and lock it deep in some vault inside of him. 

Yeah, he’d definitely had too much to drink tonight - what were they putting in those cocktails? 

“Is there anything I can do?” Sukuna asked, breaking the silence. Secretly hoping that you’d want his help for something so that he could see you more. 

“I don’t know.” You said honestly, and Sukuna tried to hide his disappointment. He should��ve known that you wouldn’t be so willing to lean on him. “I like talking to you though.” 

The shyness in your voice was sweet, and it had his heart racing once again. That was something - maybe he should try calling you more? If it was something that you enjoyed he was more than happy to oblige. 

“Yeah?” He asked, a teasing lilt to his voice. 

“Yeah.” There was some more shuffling on your end of the line for a moment, and the sound of you taking a deep breath before speaking. “Did you read any more of the Ship of Theseus?” You asked, clearly trying to distract yourself, moving the conversation on from your father. 

Sukuna was desperate to ask you more questions on the matter, like how long your dad had to live, but now clearly wasn’t the time. You were already feeling terrible about it, he didn’t want you to think about the issue more than you had to. 

“Nah - haven’t had a chance to read since I spoke to you yesterday. I was busy with my game this afternoon and then we went out to a club.” He said, figuring that going into the details of his day would be a good distraction for you. 

“Oh your game! Did you win?” 

“Obviously.” 

“Well done!” 

His stomach flipped at how proud of him you sounded. He had dozens of people telling him how good he was at basketball everyday, had endless cheerleaders praising him constantly, and yet the sound of your soft voice congratulating him was better than all of that. 

“You should come to a game sometime.” He said, loving the idea of seeing you there in the crowd while he did his thing, desperate for your attention to be focussed on him for some reason. Even if he already got plenty of attention from others, he wanted yours. 

“If you want me to.” 

Your voice sounded a little uncertain. He didn’t know why you were still so unsure about him and his wants - hadn’t he made it clear to you that he was actively seeking your presence? Although, who could blame you when he still wasn’t even sure what he wanted from you. 

“I do.” His tone was earnest, and he hoped that conveyed effectively through the phone. It was hard to show just how serious he was being without body language. Likewise he found it difficult to get a read off you relying on voice alone. 

“Okay.” You agreed softly. “I didn't disrupt you at the club, did I?” 

There was a sweet edge of panic in your voice, as if you were afraid that you’d pulled him away from some girl. Like you were worried that you were somehow ruining his night, despite this call being the one good thing about his day. Hell, even if he had managed to bring a girl home he probably still would’ve answered your text - kicking her out for the sake of talking to you. 

Now he knew that he must be going insane. 

“No, my night sucked. Suguru took us to some horrible new place, I couldn’t wait to get out of there.” 

You hummed softly, and he noticed that the sniffling had stopped, your tears seemingly all dried up for the time being. He heard a bit more shuffling and nearly inaudible sound of you yawning. It had likely been a long day for you, and he didn’t want to deprive you of sleep anymore than you already were. 

Even if he did still want to talk to you. 

But before he could suggest ending the call, you interrupted him. 

“I‘m really sorry I didn’t show up today, Sukuna. Are you free on Friday?” 

Sukuna rolled onto his back, a wide grin spreading across his face at your question. He’d figured that with this evening’s revelations he wouldn’t be getting that study session - it would be selfish of him to ask with you while you’re facing such a difficult situation. But if you were offering, that was something else entirely. 

Plus, he wasn’t sure that you’d ever said his name aloud like that before, it sounded so sweet spilling from your lips. It was so lovely to hear that it had his cock hardening in his jeans - that was a new development when it came to you. 

It was definitely just because he was drunk. Definitely. 

“Of course, angel.” He purred. 

He wondered if you were blushing at his nickname. You’d blushed the last couple of times that he’d used it and it was cute - he wanted to see more. He wished that he could see your expression right now. 

“Lunchtime again?” You asked. 

“Yeah. Let’s go somewhere to eat this time though.” The hour that he’d spent in the library today was enough for him. He didn’t like it much there, always feeling like he was out of place, as if all the other students were judging him - like he didn’t really belong there. 

“I uh- I don’t think I can afford that.” You whispered quietly, and he instantly felt bad for suggesting it. He hadn’t considered that your financial situation wouldn’t be great with your father’s illness and the fact that the bakery always seemed empty. But he wasn’t going to let that stop you from having a good time. 

“I’ll pay.” He offered. 

“No, that’s too-” 

“I’m not asking, angel.” He cut you off firmly. 

He had plenty of money - his father’s business was doing great as always, it wasn’t a big deal for him to buy you some food. Besides, with you working so often and being so sleep deprived, he wouldn’t be surprised if you were skipping meals too - especially if you were broke right now. 

“At least let me make it up to you?” You asked.

“You already are by helping me study, consider this my way of saying thanks.” 

That seemed to be the most effective way to get you to comply - a favour for a favour. That way, in your mind, you weren’t acting as a burden to him. Not that he could understand that mindset of yours at all - as far as he was concerned, if someone was offering then you might as well take. 

“Thank you, Sukuna.” You whispered. 

“No problem. I’ll pick you up outside the main hall at 12.30 on Friday.” You let out a little noise of agreement and he found himself smiling at the thought of having you all to himself for a bit. “Oh, and if you wanna talk before then you can always call me.” 

He figured he'd leave that door open for you. He was confident that your stubborn nature would mean that you weren’t going to call him, but he at least wanted to plant the suggestion in your head that he was there. 

“I appreciate that.” 

“Goodnight, angel.” He whispered. “Sweet dreams.” 

“Night, Sukuna.” 

As he ended the call he tossed his phone across the room, running his hands down his face, his cheeks warm. His heart was pounding, butterflies swarming in his stomach. That was nice. He wanted more, wanted you to be pressed up against him while you whispered against his ear.

Maybe he wanted even more than that - you beneath him and squirming as he- 

No. He couldn’t think like that - even if his mind kept straying to it in his drunken haze. Although, he wasn’t sure if he could even blame this on the alcohol anymore. 

Fuck. He really had a problem. 

next chapter

a/n: love making sukuna's mental a total mess lol

thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed this chapter - reblogs and comments are appreciated, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist for this fic! <3

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© sukunahs

[s-guru]

sweet tooth | ryomen sukuna

episode 2: under your spell

pairing: ryomen sukuna x fem!reader (university au)

summary: sukuna has a notorious reputation on campus of being terrifying, but it's hard to be too scared of the guy when he shows up to your family’s failing bakery every day to buy strawberry shortbread.

when your life feels like its falling apart you discover just how sweet he can be.

word count: 6.7k

content: 18+ mdni, eventual smut, university au, FLUFF, angst, humor, slow burn, idiots in love, miscommunication, parental illness/death, grief, money issues, stress and overwork, introverted reader, both sukuna and reader are so confused

a/n: when I think about sukuna in this fic I always imagine this art of him its just so good omg

series masterlist | ao3 | previous chapter (ch1) | next chapter (ch3)

Not a single word had entered Sukuna’s head since he’d sat down for his morning lecture. His head resting on his arms as he stared down at the professor, pretending to listen to the man drone on about some equation, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. 

All he could think of was you. How cute you’d looked when you’d smiled up at him, how lovely the sound of your voice was, how amusingly skittish you’d been around him when he’d first made an appearance at your bakery. 

And most of all, how gentle your touch had been as you’d dabbed blood off his face. 

The entire interaction was playing over and over again in his head, and he couldn’t understand just what was wrong with him. 

He wasn’t the sort of guy who thought about girls like this. He’d never had a girlfriend, had never been interested before. Sure, he’d had a lot of sex, but there was never any attachment involved, it just wasn’t something he’d ever wanted. 

And yet here you were, nestling yourself into his mind like some sort of pretty parasite. 

It had been nice to officially meet you. He’d become accustomed to admiring you from afar, hearing your father’s stories and noticing you across campus. But never trying to approach you because a. He was technically a stranger to you, and b. Why should he care about the daughter of one of his dad’s friends anyway? 

It would’ve been weird if he ever tried talking to you before yesterday. In his mind you’d been this fictional character - someone that he heard about but never actually crossed paths with. But now that entire view had been shaken, and the strangest part was that he was insanely grateful that was the case. 

Because he’d had a weirdly good time with you yesterday and for some reason he wanted more. Which was not his usual experience with women. 

It was a little pathetic how regularly he’d been checking his phone throughout the lecture. He’d gotten you to exchange contact details with him before dropping you home yesterday and had been praying you’d shoot him a text. He’d brought up your number a few times already this morning, composing a text and then deleting it. 

You’d agreed to meet him at the bakery later anyway, he didn’t want to come across as too needy - that wasn’t the type of person he was. Besides, from the way your father talked about you he was pretty sure that you had a phenomenally low social battery and he didn’t want to put you off. 

Not that he could understand for a second why he was even worried about that. What did it matter if you liked him or not? There was no shortage of girls throwing themselves at him everyday, and you were nothing like the vapid women that he’d usually go for when he wanted to have sex. But perhaps that was just it - you were something different to usual, and different was interesting. 

He practically jumped out of his skin when his phone vibrated, almost dropping it under the desk as he fumbled the object in his hand, ecstatic at the idea that you’d decided to text him. Unfortunately it was just Satoru dropping a message into their groupchat, which was decidedly much less interesting. 

[blue-eyed freak]: meeting on the roof at lunch? 

Sukuna rolled his eyes and dropped his phone back onto the desk. Someone else could give that idiot his answer - they always met on the roof for lunch, he hardly needed to ask everyday, you’d think he was dropped on his head as a baby or something. 

He wasn’t going to be fooled by the next few vibrations of his phone, knowing that it was probably just Suguru or Choso replying in the chat, and he certainly didn’t care about that. He was far too preoccupied wondering what you were doing right now. 

You’d said that you had morning lectures, for all he knew you could be just a few rooms over - wasn’t that an enticing thought? 

There was a part of him that wondered if he’d be able to engineer a way to bump into you after his class was over, but he decided that would be far too pathetic. It was already lame how much he was thinking about you, he’d have officially lost his mind if he started switching his habits for you one day after your first meeting. 

It didn't matter, he’d get to see you later anyway. 

By the time lunch rolled around he was all but ready to skip his afternoon classes and head over to the bakery early. But he wasn’t exactly sure when your lectures finished, and he didn’t want to show up early only to find your father or aunt attending the counter instead of you. That would suck. 

So that left him making his way up to the roof to hang out with his friends for a bit before his afternoon lectures. It had been their dedicated meeting spot for three years now, ever since they’d first forged this friendship back when they’d all joined the basketball team in first year. The roof was technically off-limits, which meant that they were generally the only people up here, making it the perfect place for them to smoke on campus grounds. 

Usually their lunches were relatively peaceful, the five of them talking about stupid shit like which girls they’d hooked up with lately, which game they were going to play together later when hanging out on discord, whether they could eat one-hundred salmon nigiri in an hour - whatever came to mind. 

But today, for some reason, he emerged through the fire escape to a full blown argument between Satoru and Suguru. Choso was standing between them trying to mediate, while Toji stared at them from his seat on the wall, observing nonchalantly. Tending to fall on Toji’s side of the scale when it came to nonchalance, Sukuna didn’t bother trying to intervene, taking a seat next to the raven-haired man and lighting up a cigarette. 

“What’s their deal?” He asked. 

Toji shrugged. “They’re having a domestic.” 

Satoru had completely lost his composure, waving his hands around as he spoke, while Suguru seemed to be batting back any of his retorts with ease and grace. From what he could discern from the insults being hurled back and forth, the root of this argument was something to do with a girl that they’d both slept with and had now descended into the two of them airing complaints about how much the other sucked as a housemate. 

He wasn’t really sure why they were so bothered about sharing the same girl - it wasn’t like this would be the first time, and they spent so much time joined at the hip that they might as well just date each other. But it didn’t really seem like they were ready to confront that yet, so instead they had to make their issues everyone else’s problem. 

“Come on.” Choso reasoned. “We have a game tomorrow. Can’t you guys just kiss and make-up?” 

“Fuck you!” Satoru called out. 

Choso’s statement was clearly not the most appropriate wording for the situation, unsurprising considering that Choso was far from the most socially adept member of their group. That award no doubt went to Suguru, whose skills were in full action as he effectively made out Satoru to be the villain in their little argument, even though Sukuna doubted that was actually the case.

Satoru was an annoyance, but he definitely wasn’t a bad guy. 

Deciding that he didn’t want to get burnt further, Choso let out a sigh and left them to it, leaning against the chain link fence just down from where Sukuna and Toji were sitting. 

“Cigarette, Cho?” Sukuna asked, holding one out to him which he took gratefully. 

“What happened to your face?” Choso asked, gesturing to the purpling bruise on Sukuna’s cheek. He’d almost forgotten it was there, the events of last night seeming somewhat distant. 

“Got in a fight.” 

“With who?” Toji asked. His tone was a little offended, as if he was sad he’d been left out. 

“Just some drunk guys, no big deal.” 

Before any more questions could be asked on the matter, a fresh round of insults came flying loudly from the lovers spat happening mere feet away. 

“Can you guys try talking to them?” Choso asked after taking a long drag of his cigarette, evidently exasperated by the situation. Toji and Sukuna glanced at each other before both offering a noncommittal shrug. Choso glared at them. 

“Look, they’ll go home later and play some stupid video game while smoking weed and they’ll have forgotten all about this by the morning.” Toji reasoned. He had a point, whenever the two fools had argued before it was never particularly long-lived. 

Sukuna had already lost interest, drowning out the conversations around him as he stared down at the campus. Most of the time he wasn’t interested in what was going on in the space below, and wasn't really interested today. Or at least, not until his eyes moved across to the windows of the building opposite him and he saw you. 

There was no mistaking that it was you, with your cute little outfit and pretty smile. Although, he had to admit that he wasn’t pleased that the smile was currently being directed at someone else. 

You were standing by the window, engaged in what looked like a lively conversation with a tall blonde man. You were giggling and he was smiling at you fondly, and Sukuna found that he didn’t like the odd feeling that settled in his chest at the sight. 

His mind strayed to the night before, considering the feeling of your smaller hands pressing against his damaged cheek. 

Your hands against his skin had felt nice. 

“Oh, it's Nanami!” Satoru was standing beside him now, Suguru standing across on the other side of the roof, the argument clearly on a temporary pause while Suguru took a smoke break. Satoru had followed Sukuna’s gaze over to the other building, watching the interaction go down. 

Nanami. Sukuna should’ve recognised him - he’d been Satoru’s roommate in their first year of university so he’d seen the blonde around fairly often. But the two of them had never grown particularly close, Nanami had only really developed a friendship with Satoru and Suguru - he was far too serious a person to fit in with their whole group. 

But his serious nature clearly wasn’t stopping you from thinking he was hilarious, with the way you seemed to be giggling right now. Sukuna was confident that he could make you laugh harder than Nanami could, he wasn’t sure that man even knew what a real joke was. You were probably just being polite - he hoped. 

“We should invite Nanami up here at some point.” Suguru called from across the roof, a shit-eating grin on his face. “He’d tell you how unreasonable you're being.”  

Impressively Satoru didn’t rise to the bait. 

“He’s too cool for us now. Too busy with his little army of nerds like her.” Satoru shot back.

Sukuna glared at Satoru for that comment, but said nothing. It wasn’t like he was going to stand up for someone he hardly knew - if he came out with the words: ‘I think she’s endearing’ he would no doubt become the laughing stock of their group chat for the foreseeable future. 

Hell, even he was embarrassed that his brain would come up with that.

Maybe if he got to know you a little better he’d tell Satoru to lay off on saying stuff like that, but right now it just wasn’t worth the battle. Or the humiliation. 

Besides, he didn’t really want to put you on the radar of any of his friends anyway. Toji and Satoru were notorious for trying to seduce any girl that was available to them, especially if someone else in the group had expressed an interest. He really didn’t want to catch either of them trying to entice you into their bed. 

Not that you seemed the kind of girl who would be interested anyway. 

“Do you think she’s his girlfriend?” Satoru asked as he watched for a bit longer. “I mean she is cute, he was always into the preppy types.” 

Sukuna sure hoped not. Based on his recent conversations with your dad he was pretty sure that you weren’t seeing anyone - in fact, your father had basically called you a shut-in, claiming that over the last year or so you’d become basically allergic to socialising, choosing to spend most of your time alone. 

But he supposed you might just be in the talking phases with Nanami, not quite dating yet but on the way towards it. Perhaps that’s why you were so reluctant to let him buy you a cake - because you were already halfway taken and wanted to let him down easy. 

It wasn’t like he could complain. He’d only just officially met you, he was just testing the waters - he had no right to you as things currently stood, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted something like that. Although, the way his heart was pounding at the thought of you right now, he really wasn’t sure. 

What was wrong with him? He needed to get a grip. 

“Who cares?” He mumbled to Satoru as he turned his gaze away from you, pretending to be far more interested in his lighter which he was flicking dexterously between his fingers. 

“What’re we playing later?” Toji asked, not at all interested in conversation about Nanami. Toji hadn’t gotten along with the blonde at all, constantly referring to him as ‘the wet blanket’ back in their first year of university, claiming that he sucked the fun out of everything. 

Sukuna wouldn’t particularly disagree. He and Toji did always tend to be birds of a feather when it came to opinions. 

“I wanna play Peak.” Satoru answered quickly. That sounded good to Sukuna, he liked that silly little climbing game, especially when he could let his friends fall to their deaths. Not that he was sure he’d be able to play tonight anyway. 

“That’s only four players.” Choso argued.

“That’s not a problem right now. I don’t want him to play.” Satoru said childishly, jabbing a finger in Suguru’s general direction. Suguru seemed unbothered, scrolling through instagram reels as he took a long drag from his cigarette. 

“Don’t be childish.” Choso scolded. “We could play Rematch instead? That way we can all play.” 

Satoru looked almost offended at the suggestion, clearly trying to seek out any opportunity to exclude Suguru. But none of them were stupid, by the time they hopped on discord together later, the two fools would’ve no doubt forgotten they’d even had an argument.

“I won’t be on until later in the evening, so you guys can play Peak without me.” Sukuna said, putting out his cigarette against the wall. 

“Got a date?” Toji asked. 

“Something like that.” He mumbled, not keen to divulge any details about you or the fact that this date was far sweeter than anything that his buddies would generally expect from him. 

“So, I guess the time that you’ll be able to come online will be dependent on how long it takes you to get her out of your bed?” Toji snickered, wise to Sukuna’s usual ways of pulling a girl - doing the bare minimum of buying her a drink at the bar, bringing her home for a quick fuck, and then kicking her out as soon as he’d had enough without even an exchanged phone number. 

That definitely wasn’t his plan for this evening. It was never going to be his plan for you. 

Besides, he severely doubted that you were the type of girl who’d ever be willing to do such a thing. Your dad had said you’d had a boyfriend briefly in your first year, but there was a part of Sukuna that figured you were probably still a virgin. You came across about as innocent as a person could be. 

“Sure.” Sukuna waved him off. Toji didn’t need to know anything. 

—

It was just starting to get dark by the time Sukuna showed up at the bakery, with closing time approaching rapidly. 

But that was just what he wanted - he figured that the cafe would be completely dead at this time like it was yesterday, and that meant that he could have you all to himself. He’d get to have a normal conversation with you, one where you weren’t scared out of your mind thanks to him or some creepy salarymen in an alley. 

As he peered through the glass door he saw you standing behind the counter, leaning forward over the surface as your eyes skimmed a book that you seemed thoroughly engrossed in. You looked cute, your face twisted into a deep look of concentration as you scribbled something down in a notebook. 

For someone like Sukuna, the idea of studying while at work was completely unheard of. He barely studied with all the free time that he had now, only ever really making trips to the library when he had coursework to submit. When it came to exams he’d generally review his lecture notes the night before and hope it was enough. 

Generally it was. 

It was cute the way that you practically jumped out of your skin as he pushed through the door, the bell alerting you to his presence. You’d clearly been so taken with whatever you were reading that you’d completely stopped paying attention to your surroundings. 

Not the best idea considering yesterday’s debacle, but he wasn’t about to scold you for it.

“Evening, angel.” He said with amusement at the sight of your startled expression, which quickly shifted to frustration at the realisation that he was taking joy in your fear. 

“Do you always have to be so scary?” You huffed, snapping your book closed. 

He chuckled. “All I did was open the door, maybe you need to be less skittish.” 

You said nothing to that, silence settling awkwardly over the cafe. He got the sense that you weren’t particularly sure how to act with him yet, clearly suspicious of his intentions even if he had come to your rescue yesterday.

Luckily he wasn’t so easily deterred.

“What do you want to eat?” He asked, and you balked at him. 

“Huh? I’m the one who works here?” You looked visibly confused, it should really be you asking him that question. 

He rolled his eyes. “I said yesterday that I’d buy you a cake, so pick one.” 

“I can literally have these for free in like twenty minutes when we close?”

“Are you always this difficult?” Sukuna asked, feeling a little exasperated. He was foolish to assume that your quiet, social-avoidant nature would make things easy. “I’m just trying to do something nice.” 

That seemed to work, because your whole face went red. It was adorable. 

“Fine…” Your eyes scanned the cabinet for a moment before pointing to a slice of Hokkaido cheesecake. Sukuna noted that you’d opted to choose the cheapest option, but he said nothing - perhaps that just happened to be your favourite. 

“There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?” He rummaged in his hoodie for his wallet before placing some yen down on the counter. “I’ll have the strawberry shortcake.” 

“Is that all you eat?” You asked, as you busied yourself plating up the two items. 

“It's objectively the best choice.” 

You handed him his plate before placing your own down on the counter, mumbling a gentle thank you to him as you stared down at the cheesecake, clearly planning on staying at the counter to eat it rather than sitting with him. 

He certainly wasn’t about to let that happen. 

“Gonna leave me all alone over there?” Sukuna asked, injecting a bit of hurt into his tone because you seemed like the kind of person who would easily fold if you felt guilty. 

“I’m still working, you know?” 

Sukuna made a show of looking around the empty cafe, highlighting the fact that there were currently no customers and it was highly unlikely that any more were about to show up between now and closing time.

“Looks like it's just me, angel. I’m sure you can run back to the counter if anyone comes in.” He could see the conflict on your face, it was becoming evident to him that you were a stickler for rules, the kind of girl who was always doing what she was told. His complete opposite, he supposed. 

With a heavy sigh you gave in to him, following him over to the table by the window and taking a seat across from him, eyes focussed on your cheesecake as you picked at it with your fork, clearly a little nervous to look up at him. 

“Are you doing okay, after yesterday?” He asked, referring to the situation in the alleyway. If he was a woman that moment probably would’ve injected him with fear for months afterwards - at the very least his trust in men would be shattered. 

“All okay. Honestly I’ve got way too much going on right now to really dwell on it.” You said with a nervous laugh.

He wondered if you had too much going on to dwell on him like he’d thought about you that morning. He didn’t like the idea that he hadn’t even crossed your mind since last night - that you’d completely forgotten his existence until he walked through the door just minutes ago. 

“Yeah?” He asked, inviting you to continue. 

“Yeah. Between working here and trying to keep up with all my uni work, I just feel like I’m spread thin.” You said with a sigh, taking a small forkful of cake, still not really looking at him which was annoying because he wanted you to give him your full attention like you were doing for Nanami earlier. 

“Mmmm, I assumed that from the reading while on the job.” He said with a wave of his hand, gesturing towards the closed book left on the counter. “What are you reading anyway?” 

“House of Leaves. To be honest it isn’t really my thing, I’m just reading it because I have to write a paper on it for class.”

“That’s the one with the weird formatting, right? The horror book?” You looked up at him with surprise, which made him feel very smug. It was clear that you didn’t expect him to be all that well read, he’d noticed you staring at him strangely when he’d pulled out a book yesterday. 

It was funny that you’d assume that considering that he was actually an avid reader, and had been ever since he was a kid. He’d consumed basically every well-known fantasy and sci-fi out there throughout his teenage years, although lately his genre of interest tended to be horror.

“Yeah. It's interesting - pretty terrifying actually. Feels like something that could maybe be real? As if you’re the new Navidson and you’re discovering his account of all the weird things that happened to him.” 

“Navidson?” 

“The main character.” 

He liked that you were holding his gaze now, he got the sense that you were emboldened when talking about things that you were interested in. Your eyes were sparkling a little as you discussed the book, clearly happy to be able to talk about it with someone that would listen. 

“I saw someone on reddit say they started hallucinating after reading it.” He said, grinning as your expression filled with alarm, clearly not familiar with that particular post.

“What!? Things are hard enough as it is, if the size of my house starts changing and I start hallucinating doorways it might all be over for me. All for a uni assignment too…” You said, the exasperated lilt to your voice making him chuckle. 

God you were cute. 

“People are dramatic. That guy was probably just schizophrenic.” He said, brushing it aside in an attempt to put your mind at ease. “But the book sounds pretty cool, maybe I should give it a read.” 

“You’re reading The Ship of Theseus, right?” You asked, and he decided that he very much liked how much interest you were showing in him now that he’d steered the conversations to books. “How are you finding it?”

“It’s pretty good. I like the mystery aspect of it, although it’s hard to keep track of all the potential authors they refer to throughout the book.” 

“Hmm, I ended up writing a list of them all to make sure I could follow.” You said thoughtfully. “But I think it's a fair complaint.”

“You wrote a list? How diligent.” 

You blushed a little at his compliment, staring down at your cake once more, prodding at it with your fork. 

“I was writing a paper on it, to be fair - it’s not like I just do that for fun.” You defended yourself, sounding thoroughly unconvincing. 

It was amusing to watch you try to lie, because your dad had spent months outlining to Sukuna just how much of a nerd you really were. He’d never framed it in a derogatory way like how Satoru had said it earlier, but he’d certainly said it. 

“It's fine if you do it for fun.” He said with a chuckle. “I’m not gonna think you’re lame.” 

On the contrary, he found it strangely endearing. 

You watched him cautiously as he took a bite of his strawberry shortcake, chewing on your lower lip as you seemed to carefully consider something. 

“I find that hard to believe.” You said finally, unwilling to make eye-contact. 

“How so?” 

“Well, I guess your reputation doesn’t support that.” You said honestly, scooping up another piece of cake and stuffing it into your mouth so that you didn’t have to speak any longer. 

So you had asked someone about him. Wasn’t that interesting.

He probably should’ve been more concerned that you’d essentially just called him a bad person, but he was far too busy feeling smug about the fact that you’d clearly been thinking about him. 

“What’s my reputation, angel?” He asked as he leant forward, elbows planted on the table as he fixed you with a smug grin. 

You shrank back a little in your chair and that was of great entertainment to him. You were bold enough to slap a man in an alleyway, but nervous in the face of having an awkward conversation. Wasn’t that cute?

 “Nanami said that you and your basketball buddies only care about partying, getting high and having one night stands with girls. He said that none of you were the kind of people that I should be associating myself with if I know what’s good for me.” 

Ah Nanami. He would say something like that.

“He also said that you and Toji are the absolute worst and that if I gave you the time of day you’d just end up sleeping with me and then pretending that I didn’t exist.” You continued. 

Sukuna supposed that wasn’t an unfair assessment, he’d done plenty of that over the last few years. But he wasn’t going to do that to you, breaking down the barriers of someone so sweet and innocent would be an insane amount of effort for a one night stand, especially when he had so many women lining up to fuck him anyway. 

No, he was here because something about you made him feel weird, and it was a weird feeling that he liked. Nanami could go fuck himself. 

At least Nanami’s warning confirmed to Sukuna that you weren’t dating the blonde. Although it did suggest that Nanami might be interested in you and didn’t want someone else to get in the way - least of all someone like him. 

“And do you believe him?” Sukuna asked, figuring he’d at least get a temperature check on your reaction before he made any effort to defend himself. 

“Honestly, I don’t know.” You confessed, playing with the hem of your sweater as you looked up at him shyly. “I don’t think he’d lie to me, but nothing that you’ve done really supports his words. I mean, you come here and have small talk with an old man, you saved me from those creeps with no strings attached. So I guess I’m confused.” 

That was fair enough, he was confused too. 

He’d started coming to the bakery originally because his father had made him. Sukuna’s family lived in Kyoto now, making the move away from Tokyo a few years back. So when Sukuna made the decision to attend university here his dad had implored him to come to this bakery, saying that he’d be doing Wasuke’s old friend a favor. 

Generally Sukuna had no interest in listening to his dad’s orders, but he loved eating sweet things, so it wasn’t like coming here was ever really a chore. Besides, your dad was always so nice to him that Sukuna found himself enjoying the conversations, enjoying hearing his stories about you. 

He wasn’t sure why, but he always felt like a different person when he was here. A little less rough around the edges, less of an act to uphold with others. It was something of a sanctuary to him, a place where he’d leave his tough exterior at the door. 

But those lines were a little confused when it came to you. It was a big part of why he’d never approached you on campus in the past. You had all the softness of this place, but he wasn’t soft when he was out there. That just wasn’t who he was. 

And yet, the way that he’d spent all morning yearning for you to text him said different. 

He was really confused. Maybe he just needed to get laid - have sex with some faceless girl to stop him daydreaming about what it might be like to tenderly run his fingers over your skin. He wasn’t the type of guy who thought about stuff like that. 

That didn’t stop him from instinctively moving to defend himself to you though, not wanting you to think badly of him for whatever reason. Even though he usually couldn’t care less what anyone thought of him. 

“We party a lot, and we get high, and yeah I guess I’ve had a lot of one night stands, but that’s not what I’m trying to get from you.” He said. “Trust me, I’m only trying to pull girls at parties, I’m not about to try and use you for that when I come to this bakery constantly, how stupid do you think I am?” 

“Oh.” There was relief in your tone, but a little frown on your face, as if you were almost disappointed that he didn’t want to have a one night stand with you, which was crazy because you clearly weren’t that type of girl. Weird. 

“I get it if you don’t want to hang out with me around campus, I know that you’ve got this smart girl reputation and you don’t want me to drag you down-”

“I don’t care about that!” You said quickly, cutting him off as you peered up at him. 

“Honestly, I couldn’t care less about your reputation. You’ve been nice to me…” You were practically tomato red now, and he felt his heart racing. Not a feeling that he was particularly accustomed to and he wasn’t sure that he liked it. 

“Nanami is really overprotective of me.” You continued. “We’ve known each other since we were little so he’s always looking out for me but sometimes it gets a little overbearing.”

Sukuna let out a soft chuckle. “To be fair, Nanami isn’t my biggest fan for good reason. Back when he and Satoru lived together in first year we used to be over there all the time. We partied constantly, l mean, even during exam season we’d be getting drunk and being loud in the common room until 3am. It's no wonder he hates us.”

“I’d hate you for that.” You commented, and he shot you a smirk. 

“Good thing we met under different conditions then, huh?”

“Indeed.” 

The two of you fell into silence for a few moments and Sukuna found himself observing you. You’d finished the cake now, pushing about the crumbs on the plate. You weren’t much of a conversation starter, that was clearly something he needed to take charge of. But that didn’t particularly bother him. 

He needed to engineer some way to get to know you better, to spend a bit more time with you. The thought felt a little pathetic to him, because why did he even care so much? But you came across as such a mystery to him, your reserved nature leaving him wanting more, the tidbits of conversation that you were giving him not enough to sate him. 

Right now your walls were very much still up - not surprising considering your conversation with Nanami, but he desperately wanted to lower them. 

He wanted to know you better, wanted to have access to the person that your dad so affectionately talked about. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enamoured by the many nice stories he’d heard about you. He wanted to experience them first hand. 

“Have you ever done the life-cycles of languages elective class?” Sukuna asked finally, and the way that your eyes lit up made it clear that he’d got you hook, line, and sinker. 

“Yeah, I did that one last year, it was so good.” 

“Mmmm, I’m really struggling with it.” He said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. He wasn’t struggling with it, he was plenty intelligent but you didn’t need to know that right now. Not if it meant you’d offer to help him. 

You frowned. He really liked the way you scrunched up your brow when you did so, it was adorable. “Why are you even taking that course? That’s from the linguistics programme, I thought you did engineering?” 

“It's my extra, you know how they always encourage you to take something outside of your subject programme for enrichment? That was my choice.” You looked rather taken aback by that, but you quickly shook it off. 

“Huh…” 

“Anyway, I could really use some help with it if you’ve got some time?” 

Was he a manipulative person? Possibly. Did he really care right now? No. Not if it meant that the two of you could sit huddled together in the library or even better, at the desk in his room, while you talked him through the evolution of language. 

Once again he found himself wondering why the thought of that made him so giddy, but he hadn’t gotten this far in life by dwelling on his emotions and he wasn’t about to start now. He did what he wanted, and what he wanted right now was to spend more time with you. 

“I’m pretty busy.” You said hesitantly. “I guess I could help you out at lunch tomorrow though? I could meet you in the humanities library?” 

Sukuna grinned. “Sounds good to me. As long as we’re done by 2pm it's fine - I’ve gotta get ready for my game. Maybe I could help you out with whatever you picked for your elective?” That was probably a fair trade, maybe you’d picked something more science-y for your enrichment course. 

“Oh! Do you know anything about Russian Folklore?” 

Perhaps not. 

“No…I’ll guess I’ll have to find another way to pay you back.” He promised in a low tone, a soft blush spreading across your cheeks at the implication. Maybe you really were upset that he wasn’t inviting you for a one night stand. 

“Sweetheart, are you-” your dad called out as he entered through the door at the back of the shop, eyebrows lifting in surprise at the sight of you sitting at the table with Sukuna, a deep blush still visible on your face. “Oh! Sorry, I’m interrupting!” He said, quickly turning to head back up the stairs and leave you in peace. 

You were on your feet in seconds, the chair screeching as you stood up. “N-no, dad it's fine, we were just talking!” You explained quickly. “Everything okay?” 

Sukuna was concerned about your dad. He’d been coming here regularly for three years now, and in that time the man had changed drastically. He must’ve lost 20kg in the last six months, and it wasn’t like he’d been all that big to begin with. Lately he couldn’t even stand up without leaning on something with support. 

Besides, when Sukuna had asked in the past why you didn’t work here, your father had been adamant that he didn’t want you working at the bakery while you were in university. Yet here you were - juggling both responsibilities. 

There was no doubt in Sukuna’s mind that there was something gravely wrong with the old man. Even conversation seemed taxing for him now, and the anxious way that you addressed him did nothing to ease Sukuna’s soul. 

But it wasn’t his business to ask. If you or your dad wanted to talk about it with him you could, but he wasn’t going to ask. 

“All good. You two look like you’re getting along well.” Your dad said as he leant his weight against the counter, a glint of mischief in his eyes. 

“Dad!” Now your face was even redder. 

“What? It’s true!” 

You rolled your eyes in exasperation as you moved behind the counter and started to clean up. Neither of you had really kept track of time while you were talking, and the clock now showed that it was just beyond closing time. 

“Don’t bother with that, sweetie. I’ll sort it out later.” Your dad said softly as he watched you hurry around. “Your aunt has some leftover casserole you can take home with you if you want? It's in some tupperware in the fridge upstairs.” 

“Oh, thanks!” You said, heading towards the door at the back before pausing and glancing at Sukuna, clearly unsure if he was planning on leaving before you’d be back down, wondering if you needed to say your goodbyes before you disappeared off upstairs. 

“I’ll wait for you.” He said. “Don’t want you walking to the station alone after what happened yesterday.” You shot him a grateful smile which had his stomach flipping, before you jogged up the stairs. 

“What happened yesterday?” Your dad asked, face filled with concern. 

You didn’t tell him? It wasn’t exactly something insignificant - you’d been in real danger. A little strange that you’d keep it to yourself. 

“Some drunk guys were harassing her. I scared them off though.” Sukuna said, providing the abridged version of events, not wanting to go into too much detail if it wasn’t something that you wanted shared. Maybe you were embarrassed, or perhaps you just didn’t want your father worrying about you when he was in such a fragile state. 

Your dad shook his head with frustration. “This area is really going downhill lately, I’m glad that you were there for her. It's good to know that you’re keeping an eye on her.” 

Sukuna smirked. “It's my pleasure.” 

“It made me happy to see the two of you talking - I’ve been worried about her lately, it seems like she’s making her best attempt at becoming a hermit.” Your dad said with a tired sigh. But his eyes were kind, filled with love and care for his daughter. 

Sukuna couldn’t fathom having a father like that. 

Sure Wasuke loved him, but he was also a total hardass while Sukuna was growing up - his care was definitely not unconditional, and Sukuna did everything he could to push the boundaries. 

You, on the other hand, seemed to have unconditional love but still acted like a goody two-shoes all the time. Interesting - you’d really think it should be the other way around. 

“I’ll try not to let her become a hermit. She’s endearing, you know?” 

Your father was positively beaming at that statement. “You know, I wouldn’t mind you being my son-in-law one day.” He said with a chuckle. Sukuna rolled his eyes dramatically but returned his smile. 

“We’ll see about that.” 

next chapter

a/n: making the dad in this one SO nice to make up for to distant lands lol

thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed this chapter - reblogs and comments are appreciated, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! <3

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© sukunahs

[s-guru]

sweet tooth | ryomen sukuna

episode 1: going through it

pairing: ryomen sukuna x fem!reader (university au)

summary: sukuna has a notorious reputation of being terrifying, but it's hard to be too scared of the guy when he shows up to your family’s failing bakery every day to buy strawberry shortbread.

word count: 6.6k

content: 18+ mdni, eventual smut, university au, FLUFF, angst, humor, slow burn, idiots in love, miscommunication, parental illness/death, grief, money issues, stress and overwork, harassment, introverted reader, both reader and sukuna are kinda insecure in their own way, reader's life is falling apart but sukuna is there to make things better

a/n: okay here's the most self-indulgent fic I've ever written I hope you all enjoy the journey of these fools not understanding that the other person likes them lol

also, this first chapter is heavily inspired by the fragrant flower blooms with dignity, please check it out if you haven't already!

series masterlist | ao3 | next chapter

You could barely keep your eyes open. 

The last customer had left your family’s bakery about half an hour ago and you were desperately trying to stay awake and alert. 

But that was difficult when you’d stayed up until 3am last night studying, only to wake up just four hours later to ensure you made it on time to your morning lecture.

Usually after nights like those you'd head straight home after your classes and take a nap, but today you'd had to head to the bakery as soon as your lectures were done, not getting a moment of rest before starting your afternoon shift at the counter. 

It was approaching 8pm now and you were exhausted. 

All you really wanted was to go home and curl up in your bed, but the bakery was still open for half an hour, and even after that you’d have to stay a little longer to clean up. You didn’t want to leave a mess for your dad when he opened the store tomorrow. Especially not with how little energy he had since falling ill. 

You shouldn’t complain. Your dad was going through a lot right now, and helping out at the bakery so that he could rest more was the least you could do. It's not like a little bit of missed sleep for a few months would kill you. 

Deciding that you needed to move around a bit more if you were going to stay awake, you got started on wiping down all the surfaces - if you began to clean up now there’d be less to do once the shop officially closed, and you doubted that anyone would be coming in this late anyway. 

Cleaning the cafe was one of your preferred chores. Dealing with customers often made you anxious, and it was something that you’d always let your father do the bulk of when you were working here more regularly as a teen. He always had such a charisma with people that you felt you were lacking - you’d much rather do the isolated tasks that required less human interaction. 

You were humming a soft tune as you got thoroughly stuck into the task at hand. You wished you could play some of your own music, but your dad’s aesthetic for the shop was all based around this being a place of calm and relaxation, and you blasting pop music out of the speakers was not in line with the vibe he had so carefully curated. 

Wiping down the top of the glass display case, you stared down at the remaining sweet treats for today. More than half of what your father had baked that morning was still sitting there in pristine condition, all set to go to waste unless there was a sudden rush before closing time. 

It was depressing. 

This was the state that the bakery had been in for a while, struggling to compete with so many new places popping up in this part of Tokyo, the majority of them utilising social media to draw in large crowds - something that your dad seemed vehemently against doing. He always said that the cakes should speak for themselves, that people should visit because of his skill, not because of fancy marketing tricks. 

You’d tried explaining to him multiple times that marketing wasn’t cheating, that it was essential to bring in more footfall, to get people to try his baked goods in the first place. But he wouldn’t budge. 

Why did the elderly have to be so stubborn with trying new things? 

If no miracle came through soon you weren’t sure how long the shop would be able to stay open. And if it closed you had no idea how your father was going to continue paying the medical bills for his treatments. The situation was dire. You needed to find some way to help. 

The sound of the bakery’s bell jingling brought you out of your thoughts, and you called out a greeting on instinct, eyes still fixed on the glass cabinet. The customer approached the counter and you found yourself doing a double take as you glanced up at the man who was practically towering over you right now. 

He was massive, easily over 6’5, with dark tattoos running down his face and disappearing under his black hoodie. Multiple silver piercings lined his ears, with a couple more on his face - one on his lip and another on his nose. His eyes were a deep shade of crimson, and felt like they were piercing through you as he stared you down. 

In stark contrast to the rest of his appearance, he had a head of soft, fluffy pink hair - windswept and cute, and you couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t dyed it to line up better with his terrifying appearance. 

“Um.” You started nervously, trying not to stutter. “Can I help you?”

He was looking at you like you were stupid and it had the hairs raising on your arms. 

Was this guy here to kill you? Surely he wasn’t the type of person who frequented sweet little bakeries like this one. Maybe your father’s debts were finally catching up with him and this scary man had been sent to break your legs or something if your dad didn’t pay up. 

“Where’s the old man?” His voice was deep and gravelly, and it sent a shiver ricocheting down your spine. 

Yeah, this guy was going to kill you.

“He’s not here right now.” You lied, your tone defensive. Your dad was currently upstairs in his apartment, but you weren’t going to tell this guy that. As scary as he was, you’d die before you’d just give up your sick father like that. 

“Mmm.” He eyed you for a moment, as if he could tell that you were lying, and you gulped nervously as you held eye contact with him. 

You didn’t want him to ask any follow up questions, needed him to leave so that your fake confidence wouldn’t shatter under his unyielding gaze. How did a person who looked like this even exist? It's like some unknown force had crafted the world’s most threatening being just to make your day more difficult. 

“Can I get a strawberry shortcake?” 

You stared at him dumbly, unable to quite comprehend his words, as if he were speaking another language. 

“What?” You asked, confident that you’d misheard him. 

The man pointed at the top row of the glass display case, his finger angled towards the cake with white icing and a couple of strawberries on top. “Strawberry shortcake.” He repeated slowly, as if trying to teach you what the item was, like you were some kind of fool who’d never encountered strawberry shortcake before, despite your family owning a bakery. 

“Uh, yeah?” Your response came out as more of a question than anything, and a hint of a smirk flitted over his lips as he watched you remain motionless, the request evidently still not sinking in. 

“It's 500 Yen, right?” He asked, rummaging around in his hoodie pocket for change, and you blinked a couple of times in confusion before nodding, shaking off your surprise and grabbing a slice of strawberry shortcake from the cabinet while the customer dropped his coins onto the counter. 

“To go, or..?” You didn’t want to finish the sentence, the thought of him staying in the cafe any longer with his stifling presence was not ideal. Especially when you weren’t far off closing time anyway. 

“Stay in.” He cut you off, shooting you a sharp grin. 

Great.

You nodded meekly and plated up his cake, handing it over to him. His fingers brushed gently against yours as he took the plate from you, and you were surprised at how tingly the touch made your skin feel. 

God, you were touch-starved. You needed to go on a date with someone and soon if this guy was making you feel things.

“Enjoy.” You mumbled as he took his plate over to the table by the window. 

He took no time at all making himself at home, his large frame settling in against the chair that looked comically small beneath him. He rummaged in his black backpack for a moment before pulling out a book, flipping to a dog-eared page and beginning to read, taking bites from his cake every now and then. 

In your sleepy state, you found yourself staring at him for longer than you should have. There was no denying that he was attractive, even if it was in a vaguely terrifying kind of way. Not to mention, you were surprised that he seemed to be reading The Ship of Theseus, one of the many books that you’d written about recently in your literature classes. 

Considering the romance plotline that ran throughout the novel, it was not what you were expecting him to read. 

Not wanting him to call you out for staring, and ultimately concluding that he wasn’t here to kill you or break your legs, you decided to get back to the task at hand, continuing with your cleaning tirade behind the counter. 

About ten minutes later you were pretty much there with your responsibilities - the only things left being those that you could only do once the shop had actually closed, and for now you still had your tattooed customer sprawled out in the window seat. 

You were considering going over there and politely reminding him that the shop would be closing soon, and that he should really get a move on. But before you could do so your father made an appearance, swinging open the door that connected the bakery to his apartment. 

“All okay, sweetheart?” Your dad asked as he stepped into the cafe. 

He looked tired, wearing several layers of clothing despite the weather being relatively mild. It was to make up for all the fat that he’d lost over the last couple of months between his illness and undergoing treatment. He was cold all the time now. 

“All good!” You chirped quickly. “I told you I can handle it, you just go back upstairs and relax.” 

Having him move about too much made you anxious. He’d shrunk so much that you were afraid even a light breeze might knock him over. Between you and your extended family, it was best that you took care of things, and he got all the rest that he needed. 

“Nonsense.” He said, “it makes me feel a little better to get these stiff joints moving, I can’t stay cooped up there all day - besides, your aunt’s got one of her dreadful dramas on and if I watch much more I’m going to lose my mind.” 

You giggled in understanding, letting your father walk into the bakery and take a look around, evidently inspecting how well you’d taken care of it this afternoon. As his gaze swept the room, his tired eyes lit up at the sight of the customer in the corner. 

“Oh, Sukuna!” He called out. 

The customer, Sukuna, you supposed, looked up at him with a grin. “Hey old man. How’s it going?”

Your brow furrowed at the exchange, they knew each other? This man was not the sort of person that you envisaged your nice, kind, gentle father hanging around with. 

“Same as ever!” Your father replied, his tone chipper, as though he hadn’t had several doses of drugs pumped into his arm just last week. “I hope my daughter hasn’t been giving you a hard time?” 

Sukuna’s eyes moved to you, and you felt your heart rate increase beneath his gaze. “Nah, she’s been an angel.” He said with a smirk. 

You felt shy all of a sudden. If Sukuna was a regular then you really should’ve been less defensive with him, especially if you were going to be working here all the time now. Not to mention you shouldn’t have stared at him for so long when he sat down. 

This was no doubt all coming back to haunt you at some point.

“Sweetheart, this is Sukuna. Do you remember Itadori Wasuke from my kendo classes? This is his son.” 

You had a vague memory of the man that your father was talking about. Years ago, back when your dad was still healthy, he’d been a regular attendee at a kendo dojo not far from the shop. He’d made lots of friends there, but Wasuke was one that you’d seen often. You knew that he had two sons, but you’d never met either of them before.

You were not expecting that very respectable man to have a son covered in face tattoos. 

“Oh, uh- nice to meet you.” 

“You too. Your old man talks about you a lot.” Sukuna said, the smile on his face growing wider as your soul practically left your body at the thought of all the embarrassing stories that your father had probably shared with Sukuna. 

“All good, I hope?” You asked cautiously. 

“Of course!” Your dad cut in. “I told him all about what you’re studying, how you’ve always got your nose buried in a book making sure you get the best grades in your class, I’m so proud of you.”

Oh, so he definitely thinks that you're a nerd. Great.

Sukuna was eyeing you with something akin to interest, his gaze sending shivers running down your spine, and you felt your heart flutter with the attention. Your experience with men your age was limited - you’d been so focussed on your studies and making sure that your family was proud of you that you hadn’t had much time for a social life. 

You’d had a boyfriend for a little bit back in your first year of university, but it didn’t work out - you’d never really felt the spark that you were supposed to. Since then your love life had been embarrassingly dry.

So the sultry gaze that Sukuna had set on you right now was unfamiliar territory, and all you could do was hope that your face hadn’t turned bright red. 

“Thanks dad.” You managed to stutter out, not wanting his compliment to go without a response. But you quickly went back to busying yourself behind the counter - mostly pretending to work to avoid any further conversation. 

You’d had enough embarrassment for one day. 

Your dad chatted with Sukuna for a little longer before the pink-haired man started to pack up his things - telling your father that it was getting late and complimenting him on how good the strawberry shortcake was, just like always. 

As he headed for the door, you caught him glancing over at you with a smirk. “Catch you later, angel.” 

Now you were sure that your face was red, and you cursed yourself that the only words you could find in the moment were: “Uh- sure.” 

You studied literature, spent half of your time reading books, and that was the most eloquent line that you could muster? 

You wanted to die. 

Sukuna’s expression was filled with amusement, but he made no further comment on your poor response, raising his hand in a lazy wave as he headed out the door, the bell jingling as he left. 

You let out a deep sigh once he was gone, the intense pressure that he’d brought to the room dissipating with his absence. 

“He’s a nice boy.” You dad said as he approached the counter. 

“Yeah? You wouldn’t think so.” You responded. 

Your father chuckled. “Wasuke said that he used to be a bit of a handful before he went off to university - came back home one day with all those tattoos at age eighteen. I think he’s calmed down a bit now though, he’s never been anything but polite when he comes here.” 

“Does he come here often?” You asked, anxious about just how regularly you were going to be seeing this man. You were no doubt going to embarrass yourself in front of him again if he was a frequent customer.

“Three or four times a week maybe? He has a serious sweet tooth.” 

Great. That was more regular than most of the bakery’s returning customers.

“He goes to your university too.” Your father continued. “I’m not sure what he studies, something in science, I thought the two of you might’ve run into each other before - he always seemed familiar with you when I brought you up.”

As far as you were aware the two of you hadn’t met before today, but it wasn’t like you were really putting yourself out there much at university. You had your small, tight-knit group of friends and outside of that you didn’t talk much to anybody. 

Although, you didn’t think you were so unobservant that you wouldn’t have noticed someone as unique as Sukuna walking around. But perhaps you were more caught up in your own world than you thought. 

The idea that he was familiar with you though had your pulse quickening, you wouldn’t expect someone who looked like him to take any notice of your existence. There was nothing special about you. 

“No…I’ll keep an eye out for him on campus.” You said. 

“You should! Wasuke is always saying that he needs to find a nice girl to keep him in line.” You looked at your dad incredulously, certain that you were not the type of girl Sukuna would be looking for. 

Also, considering that the last time your father had tried to play matchmaker it hadn’t really worked out, you weren’t really keen for him to set you up a second time. 

“I think I’ll pass on that.” Your father shrugged, a sly smile on his wrinkled face

“Suit yourself! But he always seems very interested when I talk about you. Called you pretty when I was showing him some pictures too.” 

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, trying your best not to linger on those words. Sukuna was just being pleasant, or your dad was reading into things. It didn’t mean anything, you didn’t even know each other after all, and you doubted Sukuna wanted to get to know you. 

You clearly moved in very different circles. 

“Can I take these?” You asked, quickly changing the subject and gesturing to some of the leftover pastries. Your dad nodded, and although he hid it quickly, you caught the look of sorrow that crossed his face at the realisation of how little had sold today.

“Do you want to stay here tonight? It's getting late.” He offered, watching as you packed up your bag. 

It was tempting, you’d get to avoid taking a half an hour train back to your rented apartment in Ueno. But with your aunt staying with your dad full time now, there wasn’t really all that much space for you in the two-bed apartment above the store. You were so tired that you needed a good night’s sleep in an actual bed, the couch just wasn’t going to cut it. 

“No, I need to get back. It's closer to campus and I don’t want to miss my lecture tomorrow morning.” 

“Okay, sweetheart.” He said, although he sounded a little put out. He was leaning heavily on the counter, as if just standing up was a great amount of effort for him. “You’re coming in tomorrow afternoon again, right?” 

“Yeah, of course.” You said with a forced smile.

You didn’t want to let on just how badly you actually needed that time to focus on your coursework, and you tried not to think too much about the assignment that you needed to get done before the end of the week - you hadn’t even started the book that you had to write the essay on yet. 

You’d just have to stay up late once you were done with your shift tomorrow night, get a little bit of speed reading done and bash out your essay in a couple of hours. 

It would all be fine. Making sure your father wasn’t overwhelmed was more important anyway. 

Ensuring that the shop was all clean and ready for tomorrow morning, you gave your dad a soft smile. “Need me to help you up the stairs?” You asked, and he waved you off flippantly. 

“I’ll be fine.” He was a prideful man, and ever since his illness he’d despised the way that people would take pity on him, jump at any opportunity to help him. It was painful to watch him stagger around unaided all because he didn’t want to be helped. 

But you weren’t going to fight him on it. It was late and you were exhausted. 

“Alright. Goodnight, dad.” 

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” He said, raising his hand in farewell as you headed out into the street. 

The area was quiet at this time of evening. Your family’s shop was located in Shinjuku, where night life was generally thriving, but the bakery itself was tucked away down a side street, a little removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. You were mostly grateful for that, because it meant that the chances of being bothered by drunk salarymen while on your way home was relatively low.

Unfortunately, luck didn’t seem to be on your side today, because as you shuffled through the sidestreets in the direction of the station, you found your path cut off by three men, talking loudly with each other and chuckling, their faces red with intoxication.

Hoping that they were too drunk to even notice you, you kept your head bowed and tried to shuffle past them, mumbling out a quiet ‘excuse me’ as you did so. But things could never be that easy, because as you approached their focus quickly turned to you. 

“Hey, what’s a pretty girl like you doing out this late?” You took a step back as the man in the middle of the trio leaned over you, slurring his words as he spoke. 

‘This late’? It wasn’t even 9pm yet.

“Going to meet my boyfriend...” You said, trying your best not to let your voice shake. Usually the mention of a boyfriend was enough to placate men like this, they’d always respect a man after all. Besides, if you stood your ground they might just let you go by. All you wanted was to go to sleep, you really didn’t have time for this. 

“What’s the rush though?” Another of the men asked. They were really crowding you now, taking up so much of the narrow side street that you couldn’t easily get past without making an active move to dart around them. 

“Yeah, come drink a bit with us baby, we’ll show you a good time - I’m sure your boyfriend won’t mind.” Revulsion climbed up your spine at how pushy they were being. Any boyfriend certainly should mind three creepy men trying to proposition a girl who clearly wasn’t interested. 

“No, thank you.” You said firmly, and you took a step back, pivoting to try and walk around the men. 

But before you could quite get past, one of them grabbed your wrist firmly and your eyes went wide with shock, heart racing with fear and adrenaline. With a surprising amount of force, the man pushed you up against the wall, and you let out a yelp of pain at the feeling of your back meeting the brick. 

“Don’t be so difficult, yeah?” The man hissed, leaning close to you. “Me and my buddies here are just trying to have a nice night, why’re you ruining it?” 

“Get away from me.” You said firmly, body shaking a little as you considered the situation you were in. You needed to get away from here now.

“Aw, don't be like that.” One of the men said as he leant in close to you. And you struggled desperately, just about managing to pull one of your hands free, and on instinct you slapped the man hard across the face.

There was silence for a moment, and even you were shocked by the force that you’d put into the hit, not doubting that the impact would leave a mark on the man’s face. 

“You little bitch.” He hissed, and in an instant he was drawing his fist back, sending it flying towards you. Your eyes went wide, completely frozen in the moment and unable to do anything but wait to get hit, squeezing your eyes shut tightly as you waited for the contact. 

But the pain never came. 

Instead you felt a warm hand wrap around your shoulder, an arm tugging you firmly against a chest as you heard a thud. 

Your eyes flew open in surprise, and all you could see was the black fabric of someone’s hoodie. You pulled back a little and your heart picked up at the sight of who had come to your rescue. Holding you protectively was Sukuna, looking even more intimidating than before as his red eyes glared down at your harassers. 

Standing much taller than you, the punch from your attacker had bounced harmlessly off his back, but he still looked like he was very pissed off. 

“Sukuna…” You said quietly. He wasn’t paying attention to you right now, too fixated on the man that had tried to hit you. You stayed huddled against him, not wanting to move from the protective bubble you were in at his side. 

At the sight of Sukuna, the two other men had instantly fled down the street - their bravery no match for his fearsome appearance. But the ringleader stood firm, too full of pride to flee along with the others. 

“That bitch hit me, you know.” He explained to Sukuna, as if he could appeal to a man’s sensibilities and turn him against you. 

Sukuna’s hand was still grasping your shoulder tightly, and you felt his grip intensify at the man’s words. Looking up at him, it was clear that he was seething, an unsettling grin sitting on his face. 

“Yeah?” He asked, slowly releasing you but making sure to keep you behind him, not giving the man an opportunity to lunge at you. 

He took a few steps forward, towering over the man and leaning over as he spoke, highlighting the difference in height between them. “So that makes it okay, huh? A girl defends herself from some creep in an alleyway, and that gives you the right to punch her?” 

The threatening tone in Sukuna’s voice had your heart racing. If he’d been talking to you like that, looking at you with that terrifying gaze, you probably would’ve dropped to the floor and started crying by now. 

“Come on man, women like that need to be put in their place.” The man spat. 

Sukuna grinned, chuckling for a moment as he stood up to his full height, the man’s shoulders relaxing a little at his reaction, clearly thinking that he’d found a way to clear up this misunderstanding. 

Less than a second later Sukuna’s fist was cracking hard into the man’s nose, the sheer force of the punch sending him sprawling, and you gasped as you covered your mouth in surprise. 

This was the first time you’d ever seen such a thing in real life.

Sukuna stood over the man, watching him with amusement as he tried to stumble to his feet. It took him about thirty seconds, his hands desperately attempting to stop the blood flowing from his nose. It was clear that he was no match for your tattooed savior, and you assumed that Sukuna would encourage him to walk away - try to convince him that a fight wasn’t worth it.

But that wasn’t the type of man Sukuna was. On the contrary, instead of de-escalating the situation, he egged the man on.

“Aw come on - you had so much bravado when you thought you were going to hit a girl! Let's see some of that fire.” Sukuna mocked, and your heart leapt with fear as the man was goaded into taking a swing at Sukuna, landing a punch squarely on his cheek. 

You let out a cry of concern at the unpleasant sound of the impact, only for Sukuna to laugh loudly at the man’s attempt as he shook it off like nothing had happened, asking if that was really the best he could do. 

It was just starting to occur to you that Sukuna must be insane, when he was hitting the man once more, sending him to the floor again. And this time the drunkard didn’t want to stick around to try his luck with Sukuna any further, desperately scrambling to his feet and sprinting down the street in search of his cowardly friends. 

It was a pathetic sight, your attacker whimpering and crying as he fled, the confidence that he’d displayed before Sukuna’s appearance nowhere to be found. 

A deep sigh left Sukuna’s body, and he turned around to look at you. Your eyes were wide with fear and worry, not really capable of comprehending what had just happened. 

“You okay?” He asked, and you nodded quickly. You were fine, but you certainly wouldn’t be taking this route to the train station at night anymore. 

“Your face!” You said softly with a gasp. The man had gotten a solid punch in on Sukuna, and there was blood dripping from his cheek as a result of the contact. Even if Sukuna had asked the man if that was the best he could do, it was clear that he had in fact been hit hard.

You were over to him in a second, pulling a handkerchief from your pocket, standing up on your tiptoes and dabbing at the blood without a second thought. Sukuna leant down slightly to make it easier for you, seemingly enjoying being doted upon. 

It was only when you’d gotten most of the blood off his face that you felt suddenly shy, aware of how close you were to him.

“Oh, uh-” you took a step back, handing him the handkerchief. “Sorry, I should let you do it…” 

Sukuna smirked at you charmingly. “All good, angel - you were doing such a good job.” 

His praise did something to you, and you had to fake a cough to conceal the squeak of surprise that almost made it out of your mouth. 

“Thank you.” You whispered once you’d composed yourself a little. “You shouldn’t have had to go through all that for me.” Sukuna was still dabbing at his cheek, and he shrugged his shoulders apathetically. 

He was acting like it wasn’t a big deal but it was, he could potentially get in trouble for what he’d done, even if he was just doing it to protect you. 

“Don’t worry about it. Your old man would want me looking out for you. Besides, this is far from the first fight I’ve been in.” You nodded, feeling at least a little reassured by how laid back he was about the whole thing, as if he’d done this hundreds of times. 

As you looked up at him, his hair tousled and his crimson eyes wild with adrenaline, you couldn’t help but think about how handsome he was, especially with how he was looking at you right now - his expression so uncharacteristically soft compared to how he’d glared at your attacker. 

But you shouldn’t think that way. 

He was just being nice, doing a favor for your dad. He wasn’t the sort of person who’d be interested in someone like you, so you should really stop thinking about how hot he was, how nice he smelled, and how pleasant it felt when he’d wrapped his arm around you. 

“Want me to walk you to the station?” He asked. “You live in Ueno right? I think that’s what your dad said.” You tried to ignore the way your heart fluttered at the thought that he remembered things your father would tell him about you. 

“Oh, yeah - please.” You certainly didn’t want to be alone if you encountered those guys again on your way there. And if you were being honest, you didn’t hate the idea of a little bit more time with Sukuna. 

The two of you headed towards the station, with him falling comfortably in step beside you as you wandered down the street. Your heart was still racing, adrenaline pumping through you, and you were glad for Sukuna’s presence keeping you grounded. 

There was no doubt that your mind would be running wild with what-ifs if you were left alone to think about what had just happened. You were sure that was going to hit you with full force later once you were safely back at your apartment. 

But for now, Sukuna seemed to be actively working to keep you distracted with small talk. “I live in Ueno too.” He said. “You’re lucky I had to stop at Family Mart on the way back or I would’ve already been on the train by now.” 

That was lucky, you’d been wondering how he’d caught you just at the right time considering he’d left around ten minutes before you did. 

“If you live in Ueno why do you go to my family’s bakery?” You asked, genuinely curious. It was quite out of the way from the university campus, and you only went there because you had to. 

“It has the best cakes.” He said with a shrug. “Besides, my old man is always talking about how the bakery is struggling to get customers - I’ve been going there for a while.” 

“Mmm.” You nodded, satisfied with that explanation, and a little bit flattered by the fact that Sukuna would go out of his way like that. It was kind of him. He really didn’t need to do all that. 

“I haven’t ever seen you working there before though.” He commented.

“Oh, I’ve only just started again - when I moved out and started at university a few years back my dad made me quit, said he wanted me to focus on my studies and not worry about him but…” You glanced at Sukuna, assuming that he probably wasn’t aware of your father’s condition. “They, uh, needed a bit more help than usual lately, so I’m there part time now.” 

“That’s nice of you.” He said, clicking his tongue. “I see you around campus a lot, you know.” 

That brought some heat to your cheeks, the confirmation that he was aware of your existence before today was a little bit nerve-wracking, and had you feeling like you were on the backfoot, since you’d only learnt of his existence today. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Your dad is always showing me pictures and stuff, so you were easy to recognise. Always thought about saying hello but I didn’t wanna scare you like I did today.” 

Oh. That made you feel a little guilty. You’d made a complete snap judgement based on how he looked when he’d actually been nothing but pleasant to you. Your reaction to his appearance in the shop had been really rude.

“You, uh, didn’t scare me.” You tried lying, but it was extremely transparent and Sukuna let out a laugh. 

“Hate to break it to you angel, but you looked like you were gonna pass out.” You pouted a little, frustrated by your tendency to wear your emotions on your face. 

“Yeah, okay you’re right. I thought you were a debt collector or something.” He was laughing harder now, and you found that you really liked the sound, it was making your heart jump in your chest. 

“What? You thought I was there to intimidate you or something? Break your legs for late payment?” 

“Yeah.” You mumbled, and he grinned, endeared by your response.

“What do you study?” You asked, switching topics - not wanting to linger too long on how pathetic you’d been earlier. 

“Engineering.” He responded. “Its pretty interesting.” 

“Oh! I do Literature.” You said, deciding to offer a little information about yourself. 

“Yeah, I know.” He said, and you looked at him in surprise, almost a bit unnerved by how much he already seemed to know about you. “Don’t look at me like I’m some kind of stalker, your dad loves to talk and I’m usually the only one there.” 

You giggled softly - that sounded like it was the truth. Your father would take any opportunity to prop you up in front of others, it was just in his nature. “Sorry about him, there’s nothing he loves more than talking.” 

“It's all good with me. I like hearing him talk.” Sukuna said. “Although, it's nice to finally get to talk to you. Had this whole image of you built up in my head for a while now.” 

That was incredibly unnerving. There was no way that you’d be able to live up to all the nice things your father was probably saying about you. 

“Sorry to disappoint.” You said, self-depreciatingly. 

“Oh you haven’t. I’d assumed that you were meek based on what your old man tells me, but then I watched you slap that guy, so I guess you’re full of surprises.” He commented as the two of you approached the train station, hopping on the Yamanote line heading towards Ueno. 

The train wasn’t too busy at this time of day, but there were still a limited amount of seats. You found two together, and you couldn’t help but notice the way that your leg was pressed up against Sukuna’s - his frame far too bulky for the size of the seats. 

“Is your face going to be okay?” You asked, looking at the wound with concern. 

“Yeah, I’ve had way worse.” He said with a grin, and you decided that it was probably better not to ask, if the glee from him beating the man in the alleyway was anything to go off, you were certain that he’d had many more colourful encounters. 

“I bet.” You mumbled. 

The two of you sat in silence for a little while, letting the events of the evening sink in. Your mind was just starting to spiral into worry again about how far behind you were on work and how going outside at night felt scary now, when Sukuna cut through all your thoughts. 

“Are you busy tomorrow?” He asked, and you looked at him with surprise.

“Huh?” 

He sighed. “Do you have plans tomorrow, or are you free to do something?” 

You were a little caught off guard by his question. Why would he want to know? He was just bringing you home out of obligation right? Out of respect for your dad. Why would he want to spend more time with you? 

Maybe your father had told him all about how anti-social you’d grown lately, how much you’d shut yourself off from the world. Perhaps this was some sort of pity project that your father had set Sukuna on. 

That made you feel like shit. 

“I’ve got lectures all morning, and then I have to work at the shop.” You said. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to spend more time with him, but you were busy, and you didn’t want his attention just out of pity.

“Hmm.” He pondered for a moment, before shooting you a grin. “How about I come to the bakery in the evening again?”

“Oh you don’t have to - I’m fine really, if you’re just being nice…” You said, politely turning him down. It was better to stop things now before you got attached to him, it would hurt way more to find out that he didn’t really like you if you started spending time with him. 

“I’m not nice.” Sukuna said simply, sharp eyes fixed on you. “I want to know you better.” 

Now your stomach was doing flips, unsure what to make of this - not used to anyone being so straightforward with you, and still unclear on what it was he was seeing in you.

Sensing your hesitation, Sukuna cut in again. “Just let me buy you a cake, okay? It's the least you can do for me after I so valiantly saved you from those guys.” Sukuna reasoned.

The look in his crimson eyes was so earnest, and your traitorous heart couldn’t stop pounding from the way he was gazing at you right now. 

You supposed one little meet up couldn’t hurt. 

“Fine.” 

a/n: thanks for reading! I'm not sure how quickly this fic will get updated as my main focus is to distant lands but I'll try and have a chapter out once every two weeks

let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! replies and reblogs are appreciated as always!! <3

© sukunahs