sukunatoes

[sukunatoes]

Sanguine

Chapter 11: The Price of Pleasure

True Form Sukuna x Fem Reader

18+ ONLY, MDNI

CW: Smut, Dubious Consent, Vaginal Fingering, Ruined Orgasm?, Alcohol Consumption, Sukuna Being Mean Idk

Chapter Index

Forever changing, sui takes no form. It is in a constant state of movement. Eternally ebbing and flowing much like the human mind and the emotions that take root in us. Much like the blood that courses through our veins.

Like blood, huh?

Speaking of blood, yours must have been completely consumed by the mirror, because it stopped working as soon as you finished reading the sentence you were on. The exposed kanji in its reflection quickly became replaced by nothing more than the worn, barren page on which they were written.

What a pain in the ass.

With a quick click of your tongue, you laid the mirror back down on the tattered fabric you used to wrap it and pushed both the book and your freshly written notes to the side. You had been at this for a long while, and a break was long overdue.

Reaching towards a glass bottle that rested in the center of the table you sat at, you slid it towards yourself. It was a top-shelf whiskey you had found hidden behind some bottles of sake. You had never drunk this particular brand, although you did recognize it from your days as a bartender working in a nightclub.

The amber-hued liquid it housed cascaded into your glass with ease, and soon you were bringing the bitter beverage to your lips. A grimace briefly overtook your face as it left a fiery sensation trailing down your throat.

You much preferred the sake you had drank previously to the whiskey that filled your cup now. However, after that pink-haired bastard force-fed it to you last night, you wanted something different.

Thankfully you hadn’t gotten sick from your overconsumption. Immediately after you got healed, you stumbled carefully back to your room and passed out. However, you felt the harsh after effects soon upon waking, with an unforgiving headache eating away at you. You’d likely stay away from any more sake for a couple of weeks.

Standing up, you walked through the tatami of the common room, freshly poured drink and bottle in tow. You crossed over the threshold, and your bare feet ghosted across the cold, wooden floors of the hallways until they brought you to the courtyard’s entrance.

You gently slid open the door with one hand while juggling both your drink and the bottle in the other. Before stepping through, you glanced to either side of you one last time, only to be met with empty hallways. You hadn’t seen or heard Sukuna since your encounter last night. Despite your current annoyance at him for his behavior the previous evening, you often caught yourself wondering throughout the day when he’d wake from his sleep again.

Small droplets of dew splattered up onto your ankles and saturated the bottom hem of your yukata with every step you took across the grass. The moon was full, shining brightly in all its glory, and was surrounded by millions of twinkling stars. Not a single cloud could be found as its ethereal glow illuminated the entire landscape before you.

Being that the entire town had been evacuated for over two months, the ryokan’s courtyard itself was unkempt. The grass was in need of mowing, while the gardens that weaved through it were overgrown by shrubs that begged to be trimmed down. Regardless of this, it still managed to be beautiful, though you imagined it would be absolutely stunning had someone been maintaining it.

You began lowering yourself down onto a gravel pathway that ran between some bushes. It wasn’t the most comfortable spot. However, the plush lawn was far too damp and would soak through your clothing.

Setting the bottle down to the side, you planted your left hand firmly behind you and shifted your weight back onto it, allowing you to gaze up at the night sky. The self-inflicted wounds you had acquired from using the mirror briefly stung and prompted you to wince. Your right hand stayed wrapped around your glass, occasionally raising it up to take periodic sips.

It was nice out. Not a single sound could be heard beyond the soft breeze rustling leaves and the faint sound of crickets chirping in the background. You knew you shouldn’t stay out here too long. There were things that needed your attention far more than the night sky. Even though you had been working with the mirror all day, you still felt as if you needed to somehow do more.

You technically weren’t on any timeframe to complete your mission, and your excursion with Sukuna had thankfully kept him occupied enough that he hadn’t wreaked any havoc. However, he was incredibly unpredictable, and more so than usual the past couple of days. The greatest threat the world could possibly face was currently traveling with you. Everyone was relying on you to finish this grueling mission, and you needed to push forward.

You downed the remainder of your whiskey with a large gulp and began pouring yourself a second glass. You’d allow yourself one more drink before you’d head back in. Although considering how heavy-handed your pours were, it was more like having two drinks instead of one.

Nestling the bottle back into the rocks, you reached for the pack of cigarettes and lighter tucked tightly into your obi. You flicked the top open only to reveal a nearly empty box. Three cigarettes were all the cardboard housed.

“Shit,” you muttered under your breath, reluctantly placing one between your lips.

The town would undoubtedly have some in one of the stores, and it would likely have a supply large enough to satiate you for a while. However, you didn’t have the energy nor desire to rummage through various abandoned buildings searching for a pack of cigarettes this late at night.

On top of having larger priorities, you also didn’t want to risk straying too far from Sukuna. This part of the nation was riddled with cursed spirits, and there was no telling what sort of monstrosities Kenjaku had released. The nature of your technique already put you at a disadvantage whenever it came to curses, and it being late at night in an area you didn’t know well would only add on to that. It would be much safer to wait it out until morning than attempt to venture out on your own after dark.

Your thumb spun the small metal wheel and pressed down on the red button, allowing its flame to ignite your cigarette. You took a long drag and let out an even longer exhale, the translucent smoke drifting through the air. You’d just have to make the other two last for the rest of your evening, which meant you’d likely only spend another hour or so with the mirror.

You lifted up your cup and absentmindedly swirled it around. The golden beverage hit the sides of the glass like waves against a shoreline as you instinctively glanced back at the ryokan. Watching the muted lights filter through the sliding door, you continued nursing your drink through puffs of your cigarette.

It was strange. You half expected Sukuna to make an appearance by now. He had a habit of showing up around this time, yet there was no sign of him. In fact, there wasn’t even any reason for you to believe he would show up. No sounds could be heard and there had been no shift in his energy. There was nothing but emptiness as you gazed at the inn.

So why were you waiting on him to show up?

You tilted the glass back yet again. However, only a few drops slid onto your tongue this time.

Huh.

You were already finished and didn’t even realize it.

Cutting your eyes down, you noticed your cigarette was nearly down to the filter too, which meant your break had unfortunately come to an end.

You took one last puff before scraping the butt against a piece of the gravel and clutching it tight in your palm to throw away once you got back inside.

Shifting your weight to your heels, you pushed up to your feet and reached down to snatch up the bottle. You felt something in the air shift as you took a step back towards the inn.

The breeze came to a sudden halt, and it felt as if the temperature dropped multiple degrees within an instant. The sound of crickets faded, and soon enough, everything was unbearably silent.

There was a sense of unease you could feel along with the stilling of the atmosphere. It wasn’t the same feeling that you had felt the day you discovered the mirror or whenever you had met Sukuna by any means. There was no all-encompassing dread nor fear, just a sense of strangeness.

You came to a stop and briefly pivoted your body back towards the courtyard. Sure enough, everything was as unmoving as you expected.

With a soft shake of the head, you began to turn back around only to collide into what felt like a brick wall. Your body stumbled backwards as gravity took hold, beginning to pull you towards the ground. A massive hand reached out, catching you before you could fully fall, and repositioned you upright.

“You’re awfully clumsy when you drink, aren’t you?”

You cut your eyes up to be met with four vibrant red irises peering down at you.

Sukuna.

When the hell did he get here?

You hadn’t heard him approach or sensed his presence at all. Had you been so caught up with whatever sense of unease overcame you that you didn’t notice?

No, that was only a short moment that you had been distracted.

Had he purposefully snuck up on you for whatever reason?

Was he the sense of unease you felt?

You instinctively pulled away from him, his hand falling as you took a few steps back.

“Now is that the thanks I get for catching you?” The corner of his lips pulled down as if in some sort of frown.

He was being weird again. No matter how hard you tried, you could never get a read on him. Just whenever you thought you figured him out, something in him would shift, and you’d find yourself right back at the beginning.

“I apologize. You just startled me.“ You kept your response curt. “I was actually just heading back inside.”

You took a few steps forward and attempted to go around him, only to have him block your path.

“Heading off so soon?” Sukuna wrapped one of his hands around the bottle you clutched. You offered up little resistance. His fingers alone were probably twice the size of a normal human’s and would be able to take from yours with ease even if you had.

He twisted the top off and tilted the bottle back, taking a couple of chugs. Swallowing it with ease, he passed the bottle back to you and wiped his mouth with the back of his upper left hand. “The sake was better.”

“On that we can agree. However, after my indulgences yesterday, I didn’t feel up to any sake tonight.”

Judging by the grin that grew on his face, your annoyance with his behavior the prior evening was thinly veiled.

“Don’t tell me that you didn’t enjoy our evening together. I thought we had a delightful time.”

You nearly recoiled as he leaned over you, his eyes reflecting the radiance of the full moon. His head partially tilted to the right as he traced over every inch of you. Something about it felt analytical, and you felt the sudden need to hide underneath the scrutiny of it.

His behavior the past few days had been less than pleasant, so much so that you think you preferred the Sukuna you had grown used to. The one who did nothing more than complain about your lengthy hikes to different shrines and grumble about how you were a worthless idiot.

“Did you come out here to shove more alcohol down my throat?”

“No, but it looks like you’re doing a fine job of that on your own.”

An exasperated sigh fell from your lips. “May I go in now?”

“But the night is still so young,” he drawled as he lazily pointed to where the moon was situated in the sky. “Why are you in such a hurry to retire to bed?”

For whatever reason, he once again had no intention of letting you leave.

“Look, I only have two cigarettes left, and that’s enough to last me another hour working with the mirror. Can we do whatever it is you’re trying to do another night?”

“So you’re in such a hurry to wrap up your evening because you’re almost out of your cigarettes,” he scoffed. “Are they that important to you that you can’t function without them?”

You grit your teeth at his little jab. Whenever he worded it like that, it sounded absolutely ridiculous.

“I can function without them fine,” you muttered. “I just don’t want to.”

“Such a simpleminded being.” His judgmental tone was filled with disdain.

“Yeah, and how is that any different than you eating copious amounts of food whenever your body doesn’t even require it to survive?”

“Are you genuinely fucking stupid?” He sneered at you. “I’m not referring to whatever vices you have. But if something is that essential to your life, why don’t you just go and get more?”

Oh.

You clicked your tongue and briefly contemplated your response. Telling him you were unnerved by the possibility of encountering another cursed spirit while on your own was not something you wanted to do. It would give him the impression that you relied on him for something, and even if it was true, you didn’t want him to know it.

“Well?”

“Because I don’t have the energy to go dig through abandoned stores in the middle of the night looking for cigarettes.”

One of his hands reached out and grabbed you by your left wrist, elevating it up into plain sight. He pried open your fingers, causing the extinguished cigarette butt you held to fall onto the gravel beneath you. In doing so, multiple wounds that stretched across your palm were revealed.

“But you have enough energy in you to drain your blood for that cursed looking glass?”

“It’s not like I enjoy using the mirror, but it has to be done.” You gently tugged your wrist backwards, but his grip only tightened. “The weapons must be found.”

“So you can attempt to put an end to my life, is that right?”

“It is.”

A chuckle escaped his throat. “And what will you do whenever this plan you’ve put so much into falls flat and you fail?”

You yanked your wrist, this time much harder, but he still refused to free you from his grasp.

“I guess we’ll find out if the time comes.”

“I suppose so,” he mused, his grin stretching ear to ear, pearly white canines glimmering brightly. “The idea of fighting you, actually fighting you, intrigues me. Excites me even.”

Your nose scrunched up at his strange confession. What the hell did he mean by actually fight? The two of you already fought during your first encounter with one another. It ended with you beaten and forced into a mutual vow with the King of Curses.

“What do you—“

“Come, woman.” He pulled your arm, dragging you forward, his eyes never leaving you and he strode backwards towards the ryokan. Instead of leading you to the door, your direction changed towards the left side of the building.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Town.” No further explanation was offered as he released his grip and stepped behind you, one of his hands placing itself on your center back, fingers splayed out. He gave you a shove, nearly causing you to stumble.

“Why are we going to the town?”

“Do you want your fucking cigarettes or not, you ungrateful brat?” He barked out, giving you a second shove.

“I already said I didn’t want to go into town tonight, and if I did, why would I want to go with you?”

“You’re too scared to go alone, now pick up your fucking pace before I change my mind.”

You threw him a glance over your shoulder, his eyes meeting your now widened ones immediately.

“Don’t look at me all surprised. It’s no secret how easily frightened and overly cautious you are.”

You diverted your gaze back ahead of you and pressed your lips into a tight line. It was incredibly frustrating how he could read you like a book, but you couldn’t figure out a single thing about him.

The both of you circled around the side of the building and made your way onto the front lawn. You leaned over and set down the empty glass you had tucked underneath your right arm so you could grab it whenever you came back. Glancing at the bottle of whiskey in your hand, you briefly considered leaving it as well, but honestly, if you had to deal with his weird behavior again tonight, you’d likely be better off having a couple more drinks.

The asphalt road you climbed onto was cold beneath your bare feet, and its rough surface dug into your flesh. You wished you were in shoes, although it was highly doubtful Sukuna would’ve allowed you to waste time going inside to get some. He did go everywhere barefoot, after all.

The ryokan wasn’t too far away from the town itself. You could see silhouettes of buildings in the distance. It likely wouldn’t be more than a ten or fifteen-minute walk. You brought the whiskey bottle up to your lips and took a large gulp, your face contorting into a grimace the second you swallowed.

A large hand reached over your shoulder and grabbed onto the bottle, prompting you to drop your grip on it. You rolled your eyes as you looked back at Sukuna chugging your whiskey.

You were still pretty sure that he couldn’t even get drunk, and you knew that he didn’t enjoy the taste of it. He just wanted to annoy you.

The buildings slowly became more distinguishable as you grew. The occasional flickering streetlight passed overhead as you crossed the small bridge that led you over a waterway. You had briefly driven through on your way to the inn but hadn’t stopped to actually explore.

Overall, the town itself was largely still intact, which was rare for the southern half of the nation. A few buildings had suffered severe damage, a handful of them partially collapsed with their roofs caved in, but other than that, you wouldn’t think anything was wrong with the place.

Regardless of the lack of damage though, judging by how many curses still roamed the nation and how few sorcerers there were, it would likely be years, if not a decade, before people could return.

Turning back towards Sukuna, your hand reached out and motioned for him to pass the glass bottle back to you. Eyeing him up and down, you grabbed it and took another swig.

“You better hope there’s something worth a damn that I can eat in this place,” he huffed.

So that’s why he came with you. He wanted something to eat.

“Likely nothing that’ll appeal to your sick tastes.”

He said something back to you, but you couldn’t make out anything other than the word insolent, as the sight of a market just two blocks away had you sprinting.

You soon found yourself met with a glass storefront. It was small, but from what you could see inside the dark building, it’d likely have what you’d need.

Sukuna maintained his steady pace, taking his time to catch up as you pushed the door in, and thankfully, it opened with no resistance.

The town still had electricity, which meant the lights themselves were just shut off. Just enough moonlight trickled through the windows to help guide you to the back room, where you searched for the breaker box.

At some point, the sound of Sukuna’s feet grew closer, immediately followed by the crinkling of plastic and items smacking against the floor. The glutton was already rummaging through searching for something to eat.

Fighting the urge to roll your eyes as you pried open the front panel on the silver box and started flipping the switches encased within it. A low hum of electricity could be heard for a brief moment before the nearly unbearable fluorescent lights flickered on throughout the entire store.

You ghosted back towards the front of the store, sliding behind the counter until you found the brand of cigarettes you smoked. Grabbing a few packs, you just tucked them into your obi. They’d stay there well enough until you got back to the inn.

“Did you find something suitable for your appetite?” You absentmindedly inquired as Sukuna’s footsteps approached from behind you.

“The same dried meat you eat,” he said loudly between his chews. “It’ll suffice.”

Sure enough, you turned back around to see him shoveling jerky into his mouth at an unprecedented rate. You watched as he’d stick one of his hands into the bag, scoop out a handful, force it into his mouth, give it a few chews, and swallow before repeating the process again. Within just a minute he was dropping the empty bag to the floor and already opening another.

Giving your head a shake, you pushed your way out from behind the counter and down one of the aisles to see what all the store had. A familiar pink and silver can in one of the coolers suddenly caught your eye.

Peach chuhai. It had been a while since you had one.

You pulled the aluminum can from the cooler, twisting it around to read the label on the back. Popping the top, you took a quick swig.

Mild sweetness and artificial peach flavor were quickly overshadowed by the bitterness of the alcohol. The fact it was room temperature due to the coolers being shut off for so long did it no favors either. Your face twisted up at the aftertaste as a shadow slowly grew over you, with a massive hand reaching to pluck the can out from yours.

“Somehow everything you consume is significantly worse than the last.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that I got it for myself and not you,” you snapped, taking back the can only to be met with the fact that it was almost empty. “Did you have to drink all of it?”

Calloused fingertips were quick to grip your chin, diverting your gaze to the humming cooler next to the two of you. “Grab another one, you petulant brat.”

You cut your eyes to Sukuna and tried to pull away from his grip, but he held firm. “Has anyone ever told you that you have absolutely no concept of personal space?”

“Yeah, you,” he spat.

“Oh? And here I thought that nothing I said was worth remembering.”

He leaned down, fingers still digging into you, not enough to actually hurt but strong enough to likely remind you of who he was. “It sounds like you’re the one who’s clinging onto every word I say.”

Sukuna’s words dripped with venom, but if he was actually angry with you, it didn’t show. His cursed energy didn’t flare up in the slightest like it usually did.

Was he just teasing you?

He leaned away from you, dropping his hand from your face and back to his side. “Where is that brown liquid you brought with you?”

“The whiskey? I set it on the front counter when I was getting more cigarettes,” you leaned to the side, pointing to where the glass bottle was perched.

“Grab whatever you want out of here, we’re leaving. I want to look around this town some more.”

Your nose involuntarily scrunched up as he walked away from you. You really needed to get back to the ryokan and try to get some more work in with the mirror. Although you had a feeling that wouldn’t be happening.

With an exasperated sigh, you grabbed a couple more cans of the peach-flavored alcohol and made your way out of the store, trailing behind Sukuna, who was already wandering ahead of you.

His lower left arm clutched a couple more bags of jerky and the bottle of whiskey, while the lower right swung lazily by his side. You couldn’t see either of his upper arms, but you assumed they were crossed against his chest. Even being a decent stride ahead of you, his shadow blocked the moon’s illumination and swallowed you whole.

He suddenly turned left on a side street, strolling between a pair of buildings. His eyesight never strayed from his path, and he paid no mind to the various stores on either side of him. It didn’t look like he was exploring but more like he already knew where he was going.

You opened one of the cans you were carrying and began to indulge as you continued behind him on his path. Soon the two of you ended up on the edge of a forest alongside the northern outskirts of the town. A single trail of cobblestones weaved through the towering trees and was adorned by a massive wooden sign signaling an onsen ahead.

Sukuna still hadn’t spoken to you or even done much besides occasionally drink from the whiskey bottle he carried, so you had no clue why he was dragging you out to the town’s hot springs.

He slowed his pace as the air grew thicker with the steam that the warm water emitted, and you watched as he eventually came to a full stop, a massive pool of water dancing in the moonlight directly behind him.

“If you wanted a soak so badly, we have a private onsen back at our ryokan.”

“I’m well aware of that,” he remarked, standing on the rocky edge of the hot spring. “And I’m not looking for a soak.”

So he was just being weird per usual then. You completely disregarded him and plopped down onto the ground. It was rough, and various stones dug into the underside of your legs, but it wasn’t nearly as damp as the nearby grass.

You finished off the first can of chuhai and opened up your second before fishing out a cigarette and your lighter.

“This is a natural bath, not a man-made one,” Sukuna said. Although you were too busy fumbling with your lighter to give his rambling much mind.

The tip of the cigarette began to glow hues of orange as you ignited it, harsh smoke filtering down your throat and into your lungs.

“I told you to look at me when I’m speaking to you!”

You could hear the scowl on his face before you even raised your gaze upwards, and sure enough, when you finally did, his disdainful expression was in fact waiting for you.

“Did you even hear anything I said?”

You tilted your side slightly to the side, from the lines in his face and the acid in his tone, he seemed irritated with you. However, his cursed energy was stable once again, and that never happened whenever he lost his temper with you.

“Yeah,” you nodded your head, taking sips from the can between drags of your cigarette. “You said this place is a natural onsen.”

“Your impertinence never fails to astound me,” he hissed, taking three large strides until he stood directly in front of you before lowering himself to the ground. “And I told you to look at me whenever I’m speaking to you.”

Well, you certainly didn’t have much of a choice now that he placed himself directly in your line of sight.

“As I was saying, this hot spring has been a place of interest for over a millennium. I came here once traveling through the area.”

So that’s why he looked like he knew where he was going.

“I suppose you could say there was no purpose in us coming here beyond my curiosity.”

You offered no response but a nod as a silence overtook the both of you. It wasn’t one of discomfort or awkwardness, just emptiness. His eyes carefully flickered over you as you finished both your cigarette and the second chuhai you had brought along.

Squeezing the now-empty aluminum can in your palm, you rose up to your knees and plucked the whiskey from where it sat next to him. If you were stuck out here with him for the time being, you may as well enjoy yourself.

“I’m surprised you haven’t complained yet about needing to return to the ryokan,” Sukuna drawled as he jutted his lower pair of arms behind him and leaned his weight back onto them.

“And if I did, would it change anything?”

“No.”

“I’m surprised you’re out here relaxing under the stars.” After taking a swig, you set the bottle between the two of you before sitting back down. “Was sleeping for days on end not enough for you?”

“My rest was much needed, and I’ve truly never felt better.” A grin overtook his face, stretching as wide as his mouth would allow. “But you seem displeased. Don’t tell me you’re waiting for me to awaken.”

“Absolutely not.” A lie that you silently prayed sounded a lot less forced to him than it did to you. “I’d sooner wait for hell to freeze over.”

Heat rose to your cheeks as you diverted your gaze towards the ground. You definitely had spent part of your day wondering when he’d leave his room again. However, you’d never admit such a thing out loud. It was something you had done out of familiarity, or possibly even boredom, and nothing more.

“You’re much more expressive when you’re intoxicated.”

“I’m not drunk,” you scoffed.

Another lie. You had started to feel it after you finished the first peach chuhai. That light, euphoric feeling that coursed through your body and filled you with ease. It was far more pleasant tonight than the prior evening when Sukuna had force-fed sake to you. You were somehow actually enjoying yourself, even stuck in his presence.

He completely ignored your statement and instead sat up to rip the top off of a bag of jerky he brought along with him. Forcing it open, he pulled a handful out and tilted his head back, dropping it all in his mouth at once.

Watching him as he reached down into the bag once more, your eyes widened as you realized it was the maw on his abdomen that was opening wide, allowing him to insert the meat onto the massive tongue and instinctively chew once it was brought back inside.

You had never seen him eat with his second mouth before.

“Does it have a sense of taste?” Your eyes widening even more as you realized the words intended to be nothing more than a fleeting thought actually escaped from your lips.

“It’s a goddamn tongue. Of course it can taste.” He looked at you like you were a fucking idiot.

“Sorry, I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting someone with an extra mouth, so I wouldn’t know.”

“It’s common fucking sense.”

You huffed, reaching out towards the bottle between you, when suddenly a hand was grabbing onto your wrist and yanking you forward. Everything happened so fast you couldn’t fully process it as you were dragged forward and fell right onto Sukuna’s lap, four sinister eyes barreling into you as soon as you collided with his thighs.

“You’re curious if the maw on my stomach is capable of tasting, are you? We’re going to test it then.”

Panic surged through you as the mouth fell open, a massive tongue rolling out. The muscle wrapped itself around your forearm as his hand pulled yours into the opening, sharp canines grazing against your wrist.

Was he going to fucking bite off your hand?

No, he couldn’t. The vow he made with you — no. It didn’t matter.

You could hear your heartbeat pound, and your breath got caught in your throat. Lifting up your free arm, you shoved him back as hard as you could, and he put up absolutely no resistance. The tongue dropped its hold on your arm and retreated back into his mouth.

Falling straight onto his back, he pulled you with him, hand still firmly wrapped around your wrist. Knees digging into the stones, one planted on either side of him, you landed on his abdomen, just below the mouth, which was now closed.

A loud, roaring laughter erupted from his chest as your face contorted into a mixture of rage and confusion.

He was fucking with you.

You yanked your body backwards and attempted to shift your weight to stand up, but he instead pulled you tighter to him.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Don’t be fucking dense,” he hissed. “I’ve been trying to get a proper rise out of you since the day we met. It’s not my fault you forgot that I can’t hurt you even if I want to.”

“I didn’t fucking forget.”

“Then why did you panic?” He barked right back at you.

“I don’t know!”

“I think you need to relax. You’re always so on edge,” he said it casually, like he didn’t just pretend he was going to tear into your flesh like some sort of apex predator.

“No, I’m not.” The words sounded more like you were pouting than anything else.

He pushed up with his upper arms, allowing him to lean on them and raise his head and the upper part of his torso off the ground. “It’s just lie after lie with you, isn’t it?”

You scoffed, ready to get your jab in whenever the sensation of his hands grabbing onto your hips made you realize what sort of position you were in.

Intoxicated and disgruntled, you hadn’t fully pieced it together until now. You were straddling him wearing your yukata, and with the entirety of your weight pressing against his abdomen, your underwear was rubbing against his bare stomach.

Sukuna’s flesh was hot under you, pressing against your inner thighs and through the thin layer of cotton that covered you. A heat of a different kind was now noticeable in your core and had likely been festering since you landed on top of him. How the hell did you not realize it until now?

Rough fingertips traced down from your hips to where they connect with your upper thigh. The brief contact was enough to make the pressure in you skyrocket, the fiery feeling only growing stronger.

“I was wondering how long it’d take you to notice.”

You were absolutely mortified at what was transpiring and opened your mouth to say something, absolutely anything, but your voice failed you as nothing could escape from your parted lips.

“At a loss for words, are we?” A smirk crept across his face, but it was different than the one he usually wore. It lacked cruelty and appeared to be comprised of something else entirely.

Was getting you into this position the intention all along?

“You did this on purpose.” Your accusation came out far weaker than you had hoped, but in your humiliation, you were desperate to place blame on anyone but yourself.

“I didn’t do anything.” His voice was smooth and slow, fingers still drawing in a circular motion through the fabric of your yukata. “You’re the one leaving a wet spot on my stomach.”

As soon as the words fell from his mouth, you were quick to push yourself away from him, and he allowed you to pull free without a fight. Lacking both the strength and grace needed to jump to your feet, you instead fell backwards and landed directly between his open legs on the rough ground.

Your eyes were diverted towards the ground, unable to look him in the eyes during what was likely the single most embarrassing moment of your life.

In one swift movement, Sukuna was on his knees, leaning over where you sat. “I didn’t expect you to pull away so hastily. After all, I thought you were no stranger to seeking out pleasure.”

Your gaze shot back up to his as he recalled the drunken conversation the two of you shared the prior evening.

Without missing a beat, he continued forward, his increasing proximity forcing you to instinctively lean back. An arm planted itself on either side of your body, as your attempt to put distance between the two of you was solely in vain.

Soon you were forced to lean your weight onto your arms as your lower back made contact with the ground beneath you.

A low rumble came from deep within him as he laughed, his smirk growing into a toothy grin.

Everything was moving so quickly, you couldn’t fully piece it together, but your embarrassment was soon replaced by a familiar ache between your legs as he slotted himself there.

Absolutely not. This could not happen.

“I am not going to fuck you,” were the only words you could force out, soon followed by the sound of a harsh swallow.

“Of course not,” he chuckled, a hand finding its way to the waist of your yukata before briefly pausing. All four of his eyes lifted up to yours. “I’ll remind you once more since you seem to keep forgetting, I took a vow that I would not harm you.”

He pulled open the fabric like curtains, the cold January air colliding with your now exposed skin. “If you truly don’t want any of this, all you have to do is ask me to stop, and I’ll be forced to oblige.”

None of it was making any sense to you, how the two of you ended up in this position or why his attitude towards you had suddenly shifted so quickly within a short amount of time. Perhaps the most perplexing part of it all was why you couldn’t bring yourself to demand he stop. Instead, as the desperate need for some sort of touch overwrote every shred of common sense in your brain, you just watched as his fingers slipped under the edge of your panties.

A soft gasp fell from you as his hand sunk lower and lower until it made contact with your swollen clit. His movements were unbelievably slow and deliberate. Something that was rather uncharacteristic of him, but the sensation was so remarkable, you couldn’t bring yourself to think too deeply into anything at all other than him.

Sukuna’s skin was incredibly warm, and his breath was unreasonably hot against your cheek as he leaned in closer to you, a fingertip sliding down your slit to your opening, collecting your slick, and traversing back up to where you needed contact the most.

Foolishly caught up in the moment, you leaned forward in an attempt to capture his lips in yours, but he was quick to angle his face away, not allowing you to do so.

“You’re impatient,” he clicked his tongue. “That’s a dangerous trait to have, you know.”

His tone was light but almost sounded as if it carried some sort of warning with it. You had no chance to inquire what he was speaking of or to pout about his rejection as a string of symphonious moans emerged from you instead as his finger began encircling your clit with more pressure.

His hand was quick to remove itself, and within an instant, all you could hear was the sound of tearing fabric as the cool atmosphere crashed down on your newly exposed core. A piece of your torn underwear flying over his shoulder as he tossed it out of his way.

“You could’ve just pulled them down,” you scoffed. However, your voice lacked any real bite as you awaited his touch to return.

He leaned back, a low grunt escaping his mouth as he spread your lips with one of his lower hands. His index finger prodded at your entrance, carefully tracing over it and applying a light pressure before he decided to slide it in with one singular motion, all the way to his knuckles.

Fuck, one of his fingers alone was absolutely enormous.

He curled his fingertip upwards, hitting that sweet, gummy spot inside that drove you absolutely insane. Your head fell backwards, eyes half-lidded, staring up at the night sky.

Sukuna carefully removed his finger, a thick string of your slick connecting your sopping cunt to his hand, glimmering in the moonlight.

“I must admit, I do wonder how you taste,” he remarked, raising his now-soaked finger up to eye-level, examining it.

You stared with wide eyes, expecting him to lick your juices clean off his finger, but rather, another hand, this one far more aggressive, grabbed your face on either side, forcing your mouth to part.

“You tell me.” His demand was instantly followed by his finger forcing its way into your open mouth.

Your lips reflexively wrapped around him as he held you in place with his iron grip, forcing you to look directly into two pairs of ruby eyes as you sucked yourself off of him.

“Well?”

You just nodded your head in response. He hummed in approval, dropping his grip from your face. Soon his finger yanked free from your lips and quickly rejoined your cunt.

Sukuna pressed two of his fingers in as he returned to you, but his carefulness was fading quickly as the pace grew far more aggressive. His movements were methodical, thrusting and curling upwards, hitting the perfect spot every single time.

You couldn’t tell what was louder, the sounds of his fingers relentlessly fucking you or your cries of ecstasy.

A second hand was soon between your legs, this time rubbing your clit with the same rhythm as the fingers spearing you open. Head thrown back once more, your eyes rolled back as a pressure began to balloon up inside your abdomen.

“You’re close.” You heard him remark, but for some reason, it sounded more as if he was speaking to himself rather than to you.

A third arm snaked itself around the upper part of your torso, pulling you in close to him, but never once breaking the momentum he was building in you. Your face wedged itself in the crook of his neck, and your arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders as you grew closer and closer to your peak.

You were right on the precipice, truly so close, yet somehow you still wanted more.

No, you needed more.

Pushing your body into his as hard as you could, your nails dug into the muscles on his back, clawing into his thick flesh as your hips desperately bucked into his unforgiving hands.

A small, rational part of you that wasn’t delirious from the pleasure was absolutely disgusted. Your conscience was screaming at you the entire time, and of course you knew shame and self-loathing would soon kick in once everything came crashing down.

Letting yourself be so consumed by something as trivial as lust that you were clinging onto Ryomen Sukuna as he buried himself knuckle-deep inside you was unforgivable, but fuck, you had never felt so good in your entire life, and it was from his hands alone.

“Sukuna,” you breathed into his neck, each syllable fractured as your climax was mere seconds away.

The pressure that had accumulated within you began to explode. Unfettered ecstasy coursed through you, but it was short-lived as the euphoric high was instantly replaced with an excruciating pain.

A burning sensation ran from the nape of your neck up the back of your head and wrapped itself around your skull. A feeling as if tendrils made of hellfire were inside you, wrapped around your brain, and squeezing with an intensity the likes of which you had never felt.

It was Sukuna’s cursed energy, and fuck, it had never felt worse.

You didn’t have time to think or fully piece together what was going on. All you knew was that your body felt like it was burning from the inside out, and there was no escape. You bit down into him where his shoulder met his neck, teeth ripping through his flesh like some sort of animal.

The pain came to a sudden halt, and then a deep, sinister voice completely devoid of any emotion followed. “So, it does hurt you.”

You unlatched your teeth from him, streams of red pouring from the skin before he instantly healed over the holes you’d left behind.

Pulling back, you stared at him, eyes wild and full of horror. Tears welling and sweat beading on your forehead, you struggled to catch your breath.

He had known about the cursed energy all along.

“What did you say?” Your voice was shaky and weak.

He pried his fingers out from inside you and rose to his feet, wiping them on his fucking pants leg.

“I first noticed it after your fight with the cursed spirit. I was healing you when I sensed my cursed energy was flowing into you.”

You remembered it so clearly. With your depleted stores of cursed energy, his had infiltrated your body with ease, and you had no way to fight it off. After he insisted on healing you, he had stormed off in anger, but you hadn’t even bothered to wonder why he was so furious.

“But there was something I couldn’t figure out.” Upper arms crossed, he stared down at where you were still planted on the ground. Looking at you like you were nothing more than some sort of parasite. “At first I thought you were deliberately doing it, but as time passed, I began to wonder if maybe you weren’t aware of what was happening.”

“And what the hell does this have to do with anything?” You were quick to cover up your exposed body, disgruntled and confused by everything that had just transpired.

“I was going to just ask you about the situation in a way that would ensure you were telling the entire truth. Unfortunately, you were not very cooperative, so I had to seek out other methods.”

The previous evening whenever he had forced you to drink and put you into a binding vow with him. It was all beginning to make sense.

“In order for you to absorb cursed energy as strong as mine, I imagine it would take a decent amount of effort. However, if you were fully immersed in something else, you wouldn’t have the concentration to do so.” Sukuna’s head tilted to the side as he continued to look down upon you, eyes digging as deep as ever.

You felt a deep-rooted rage blossom within you as you slowly rose to your feet.

“So I had to keep you completely occupied while I upped my cursed energy output. If my cursed energy still infiltrated you while I kept you in a position where you were unable to focus, then I’d know it’s not intentional on your part.”

The sound of skin colliding echoed throughout the clearing as your fist collided with Sukuna’s jaw. He stumbled backwards at the force of the impact, blood sputtering out from his lips, and a loud laugh soon followed.

“I do often forget you use your cursed technique to enhance your strength,” he smiled as he used one of his thumbs to wipe the blood from his bottom lip. “You are stronger than I give you credit for.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Your voice was shrill as it bordered along the lines of being an all-out scream.

You watched as his face went from the amusement of being hit to analytical to a sudden realization.

His expression contorted into something that could only be described as pity. “You didn’t actually think I wanted to fuck you, did you?”

Your expression quickly changed from one of unfiltered rage to unmasked horror as he broke out into a fit of wild laughter.

Tears welling in the corners of your eyes that had threatened to spill over your lash line began to flow freely as he stood there cruelly cackling in your face.

Cheeks growing red and puffy, you brought your hands up to them in a desperate attempt to wipe away the tears.

“You are a vile creature, Ryomen Sukuna.” Your voice cracked as you continued to try and contain your emotions.

His incessant laughing came to an end, and the corners of his mouth turned downwards ever so slightly. He was mocking you. “It was far easier to get you to break than I imagined. Apparently something as simple as rejection is all it takes.”

“Do you think I’m genuinely upset over that? You absolutely humiliated me!”

“Humiliated you how? There’s no one here other than you and I.” He took a step towards you. “Nobody will ever know what transpired here, and you have no reason to feel any sort of humiliation around me, because it would be impossible for me to think any lower of you than I already do.”

Sukuna extended his finger and stuck it right in the center of your chest. “You are nothing more than a worthless human and probably the most idiotic being I’ve met throughout all my years of living. Your only redeemable quality is your cursed technique, which you are too weak to even properly wield!”

“At least I have redeemable qualities!”

“If you think you can wound me with petty insults, you are sorely mistaken, woman.” Stepping back, he pulled his finger away from where it prodded into you. “Besides, you shouldn’t fret. It was you, after all, who claimed that pleasure came at a steep price, was it not?”

“I’m leaving,” was all you could force out as you turned your back towards him.

Tears continued to fall down your face as you sprinted away. You could hear his sinister laugh rumbling and echoing as you retreated back down the path and to the street. Your gaze landed in the opposite direction from which you came. It’d lead you away from the ryokan and away from Sukuna for the night.

The moon was beyond its peak in the sky and already had begun to lower itself back down. It was just a few hours shy of sunrise. If you could find a place to relax until then and sober up, you’d be able to think more clearly, and things would get much easier for you then.

You wandered down the road for a while, the town nowhere in sight whenever you glanced back over your shoulder. Enough distance was likely between you and Sukuna now, so you should be able to stop. You veered off the street into a surrounding forest.

Tears began to silently trickle once more as the evening’s events replayed in your head over and over. Eventually, they turned to audible sobs as you found yourself sitting against a tree, head resting against your knees.

You felt utterly humiliated and defeated. Sick to your stomach with shame about what you let take place earlier and filled to the brim with rage.

You didn’t want this mission anymore, you didn’t want to be around Sukuna, and you didn’t give a shit about those stupid fucking weapons.

The sound of footsteps could suddenly be heard approaching from behind you, and you felt your heart drop to your stomach.

Sukuna.

Did he seriously fucking follow you?

“I don’t want to be anywhere fucking near you right now.” Your voice was worn down from all the crying, but your anger was still apparent.

“Well, that’s a shame. I’ve really been looking forward to our meeting.”

You brought your hand up to your mouth, barely containing a choked sob before it broke free.

Sukuna’s voice didn’t sound like that.

It was far lighter than his, yet somehow still carried a sinister edge to it.

You had a bad feeling about what was waiting behind you, and as if you didn’t feel sick enough already, you grew so nauseous, you genuinely believed stomach bile would come up at any moment.

So caught up in your emotions, you hadn’t felt them approach.

There were two. Neither one was human.

For a brief moment, you squeezed your eyes shut and took a ragged breath before rising to your feet.

You turned around, and your gaze was met with two cursed spirits. Both with kanji branded in the center of their foreheads.

Go. Five.

Roku. Six.

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chapter index

[sukunatoes]

sanguine chapter 11 will be posted sometime this week, and i’ll also be posting a sukuna one-shot likely sometime this week or next.

[sukunatoes]

sanguine chapters 11-13 (maybe 14, depends how i split them) are really intense and a lot in happens in that short timeframe. they’re also likely also going to be significantly longer than the usual 4-5k i type per chapter. that being said, it’ll likely take around 10-14 days for each one to drop. just wanted to give a little update ab the possible posting schedule :)

[sukunatoes]

Sanguine

Chapter 10: Spilt Sake

True Form Sukuna x Fem Reader

18+ ONLY, MDNI

CW: Alcohol consumption, minor amounts of blood

Chapter Index

Drinking in your state had definitely been a questionable idea. It only took a few drinks before you began to feel light, like everything that had been weighing down on you had finally been lifted. It wouldn’t last long. As soon as the alcohol’s effects wore off, you’d be back to the same atrocious situation you found yourself stuck in — a grueling journey to find ancient weapons strong enough to eliminate the King of Curses.

But for now, even while still working towards your ultimate goal, you felt free. And you’d take that fleeting moment of peace.

The sake flowed effortlessly down your throat as you tilted the small ceramic cup back to ensure not a single drop went to waste. You set it back onto the wooden table in front of you and reached for an emerald-hued bottle to pour yourself yet another.

You were already on your fourth cup. That in itself probably wasn’t a lot over the course of a few hours. Though, considering your slight blood loss and the fact you had hardly eaten anything all day, it was starting to hit you hard.

Two days had passed since you were able to figure out that the mirror was capable of revealing hidden text within one of your books. The vast amount of blank pages actually were filled to the brim with information. However, in order to read it, you needed to supply the cursed tool with your blood.

Considering that it consumed the blood quickly and required a large amount to continuously work, you had to break the book down into multiple sections to ensure you weren’t losing too much. You would make a shallow cut, feed it to the mirror, quickly read what was hidden on the page, and then copy it down into one of your notebooks so you’d eventually be able to freely access it whenever you needed to without the help of the cursed object.

It was a rather mundane thing, and one you had carefully carried out over the last couple of days. You had hardly made a dent in the book, but the information you were retrieving was absolutely priceless. Ancient, lost knowledge was being unearthed for the first time in over a thousand years, and you were the one accomplishing such a remarkable feat. However, it was a time-consuming venture, and one you’d like to speed up if at all possible.

You instinctively reached towards the knife, sunk it into the delicate flesh along the backside of your hand, and allowed your blood to rise to the surface. Giving it to the cursed tool, you then held the mirror in front of the book and carefully read the inscription before writing it down in your personal notes.

Most of it so far had just read into the five Godai, and a bit had gotten into the element of sui itself. Occasionally, surface-level information on the water weapon, Suiryu, would make an appearance, but it was often how it related back to the philosophy of the Godai. There was nothing yet on what it could do or where it could be found.

The pen you were holding clattered onto the table as you reached towards your cup. It was growing late. You could see the almost-full moon creeping up to the center of the sky through the windows. Once your sake was finished, you’d likely retreat back to your room for the evening and rest up.

You cut your eyes down to your left hand, littered front to back in dozens, if not hundreds, of cuts. Despite not having much depth, they were still incredibly sore, and you tried to avoid using that hand as much as possible outside of your work with the cursed mirror.

Honestly, you could probably get Sukuna to heal it for you, and that would give you a fresh canvas to work with. Replenishing your lost blood would also allow you to speed up your process. He’d likely outright refuse if you asked him, no matter how polite you attempted to be. However, if you sliced yourself deep enough, he’d likely do it on his own accord. He apparently wanted you in one piece for whatever nefarious plans he’s already charted out.

Your bottom lip pulled itself in as you absentmindedly chewed on it, lost in thought. Could you trick him into healing your hand? He’d undoubtedly know your intention behind it, and it wouldn’t be much of a trick. However, if you injured yourself enough, he may feel as if there was no choice.

No, it probably was a bad idea. It’d just anger him, then you’d have to deal with his cursed energy giving you a massive migraine, or whatever it was that it did to you. The soreness of the open cuts hurt far less than his cursed energy did.

Tucking the mirror back into the same fabric you originally discovered it in, you slid it into the book before stacking it on top of your notes. After pushing everything to the side, you picked up a roll of gauze you found nestled in a first aid kit and began to wrap up your wounded hand.

A sudden noise could be heard down the hallway from you. Footsteps, followed by a door opening and closing.

Sukuna.

You hadn’t seen him since he healed your hand in the courtyard two evenings prior. In fact, you hadn’t really even heard him all that much. This was only the third time in forty-eight hours that he had left his room. You weren’t entirely sure what he had been doing since your arrival at the inn, but the only logical answer was he had been sleeping the entire time.

The last encounter you shared with him had been strange. Something was off about him. His eyes were brighter, and he didn’t look devoid of life. Even beyond that, he just felt different. His demeanor felt as if it was shifting to something else than what you had grown used to since your first encounter with him.

It was probably something you should investigate further just in case. However, whether it was your mind being preoccupied by the idea of finding the weapons or the blanket of false security your shared vow provided you, it just wasn’t at the top of your priority list.

The heavy sounds of Sukuna’s feet began to grow closer until the man himself appeared in the open archway of the common room where you sat. His blush-colored strands were sticking out for once instead of being slicked back. One of his eyes had a minuscule amount of crust in the corner while all four of his arms hung lazily by his side. The black haori he usually donned was missing, and his white pants were incredibly wrinkled.

He had just woken up.

Neither one of you spoke as he stood there. You waited for him to say something, but instead, after a few moments more of standing in silence, he trudged over to the table where you sat.

“You’ve been busy,” he remarked, four eyes cutting between you and your things.

“I have.” You kept your voice even as you took a sip of your sake. “Enjoy your nap?”

You expected him to glower in return, followed by some sort of empty threat, but instead the corner of his mouth turned upward as he lazily motioned to your bandaged hand. “Enjoy slicing into your flesh for days on end to acquire a bunch of useless fucking knowledge?”

In a rare turn of events, it was your face that contorted into a scowl at his jab. “And how would you know it’s useless?”

“I see you’re chattier than usual tonight.” He reached his bottom left arm over, prying the cup from your grip. Raising it up to his face, he gave it a quick whiff. “Not a surprise considering you’ve been drinking.”

Instead of setting the cup down and sliding it back to you, like one would think, he brought it to his lips and downed it in its entirety.

“Tastes like shit.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m the one drinking it, and not you.” Now you were the one prying the cup from his hands as you leaned over the table.

Sukuna allowed you to take it back with ease. No fierce glare graced his face, and no comment about your lack of respect could be found.

“Can an incarnated being even get drunk?”

“Don’t know and don’t care.”

“So you drank my sake because?”

“Because I had the desire to do so, and there’s more, so cease your whining immediately,” he demanded, shoving the nearly finished bottle towards you. “Actually, go fetch me a cup while you’re at it.”

Letting out a defeated sigh, you pushed yourself off the tatami flooring and crossed the room to grab another cup. You silently scolded yourself for not heading back to your room sooner. Having to deal with that bastard is not how you intended to spend your evening.

You reached out for a cup similar to yours, and your eyes darted towards the unopened bottles of sake on the shelf. The bottle you were drinking out of was almost empty, and if he drank anything like he ate, you imagined you’d be needing to grab some more.

Snagging two more bottles of sake, you tucked them between your left arm and abdomen and grabbed another cup for Sukuna with your right hand. You could feel his eyes on you the entire time you had your back to him, and sure enough, four scarlet irises were burning into you whenever you turned around.

“Now there’s no need to look at me like that,” he drawled out, his voice the smoothest you had probably ever heard it. “I just find myself to be in a good mood this evening and feel like indulging in something.”

You instinctively swallowed; you didn’t realize you were looking at him like anything. Your guard was lowered more than usual, and you needed to be careful. Something was still up with him, and you couldn’t place your finger on it.

“How was I looking at you?” You inquired as you lowered yourself back down to the floor. Sitting adjacent to him, you carefully poured him a glass before pushing it in his direction.

“Like I ruined your evening.”

“Who’s to say you didn’t?”

He just chuckled in response before pointing to your cup that he had emptied just a minute prior. “What, you don’t want to have another glass?”

Actually, you really did want another cup since he had downed yours. You cut a quick glance between him and the sake before reaching out towards it.

Just one more wouldn’t hurt.

You winced as you wrapped your left hand around the cup to steady it in place while you poured with your right.

“It’s unfortunate that you’re unable to use the reversed curse technique,” he remarked as he downed his glass of sake in one go before pushing it out towards you for a refill. “Your little project probably would’ve been finished by now.”

“I understand the concept behind it. You multiply your negative cursed energy against itself, and in doing so, the now positive energy can heal you.” You carefully poured yourself more sake then began to fill his cup as well. “I was just not given training on how to do so.”

Sukuna scoffed in response. “It’s not something you need training for. You just do it. If you grasp the concept, you should be able to figure it out on your own.”

“Do you think I haven’t tried? I’ve attempted to heal myself more times than I can count over the years.” You reached into your obi and pulled out an unopened pack of cigarettes and a lighter. “It’s never worked, and I’ve never had anyone to guide me on the matter.”

“You are such a fucking idiot. Your entire technique revolves around cursed energy manipulation, and yet you can’t multiply your own energy against itself?”

“Your good mood sure lasted a while,” you deadpanned as you fumbled with the cellophane wrapper, peeling it back and flipping the cardboard top open.

“Oh, I’m in a wonderful mood. Best I’ve felt in a while, actually!” A hearty chuckle escaped his throat, and a wicked smirk expanded across his face to match his sinister tone.

Sukuna’s behavior was growing erratic and unreadable. First the other night in the courtyard, and now here, sitting across from you. There was a strange tension rising in the room, and you were beginning to grow uncomfortable.

You brought your lighter to the cigarette that sat between your lips and lit it ablaze. As soon as your sake was finished, you would return to your room and leave him be.

“Why do you smoke those?” He suddenly inquired, motioning towards the pack now sitting on the table. “What purpose do they serve you?”

It was strange that he was attempting to carry on a seemingly casual conversation. However, tobacco didn’t make its way to Japan until the Edo era, long after his death. Being that he’s reincarnated, he’s bound to have a genuine curiosity about the modern world from time to time.

Picking up your cup, you took a sip between drags of your cigarette. “They release a chemical in your brain that induces pleasure.”

“So they serve no purpose to you outside of pleasure?”

You shrugged your shoulders in response, taking yet another sip of your sake. This time much larger than the first. “It’s the same as people who indulge in delicious meals or consume alcohol. The reason why people gamble — why they fuck one another. It feels good, as simple as that.”

Finishing the last of your sake, you placed the empty cup on the table and rose to your feet, slightly swaying as you ascended. “Pleasure is a tricky thing. It’s often fleeting and can come at a steep price, yet people will always fall into its maw. You’re no stranger to pleasure either, Sukuna. The entirety of your existence has been lived solely according to your own desires.”

“It only comes at a cost for the weak,” he replied coolly, finishing his second cup before slamming it on the table. “Now sit back down and pour me another drink.”

Streams of smoke swirled from your lips as you gazed down at where he sat. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow or whenever you’re not sleeping next.”

“No, you’re going to sit back down and stay here.” He was irritated. You could feel his cursed energy begin to bubble up.

“And why would I do that?”

“I’ll heal your hand.” He said it so casually as he lifted one of his own to point towards the cream-hued bandages wrapped snugly around you.

Your eyes widened slightly. He was up to something. Sukuna never did anything for others unless it served a purpose for him as well, but you knew that allowing him to heal you would allow your task of searching the book to go by significantly faster. He was offering to give you exactly what you needed.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

He chuckled, propping his upper left elbow on the table and allowing his cheek to rest against it. “The idea of reversed curse technique is a marvel to you because you can not do it. However, it’s nothing to me. No different than walking or breathing. It takes absolutely no effort on my end.”

His words weren’t a jab, nor was he being petty. It was the honest truth and reminded you once again that despite your abilities, he was far more powerful than you could ever hope to be. It also helped remind you why the divine weapons must be found with haste. Without them, you’d never stand a chance against Sukuna. You needed him to heal you so you could make that happen.

Swallowing your discomfort, you plopped back down where you had previously sat. You reached for the open bottle, and you poured him another serving of sake, completely emptying the first bottle.

“Pour yourself another,” he demanded, yanking his own cup back towards him.

“I’m good, I’ve already had enough to drink.”

“I said, you will pour yourself another,” his tone was nearly as sharp as his glare.

“Why do you want me intoxicated?”

“Why would I heal someone who won’t even share a drink with me?”

You begrudgingly reached towards the second bottle and twisted off the cap. “I don’t trust you.”

“Good, you shouldn’t.” Sukuna downed his now-third cup and pushed it back towards you for yet another refill. “But I didn’t ask you to trust me. I asked you to stay and have a drink.”

The clear liquid gushed out from the newly opened bottle, filling both his cup and yours. You brought it up to your lips, allowing the alcohol to pass through with ease.

“What all have you found in that book of yours?” He was quick to change the subject, his cheek still resting against his palm.

“Unfortunately, not a lot. As you very well know, I’m constantly limited by the fact I can not replenish lost blood, so going through the book in its entirety is taking me longer than I like.”

“And the little that you were able to read?”

You slid the notebook you had been using to copy the text towards him. “It’s all in here.”

He offered up nothing more than a “hm” as he picked it up and flipped through the few pages that you successfully transcribed. You watched as his fiery eyes carefully scanned each kanji, taking it all in.

You took one final drag of your cigarette before dropping the butt into the first sake bottle that was now empty.

With a click of his tongue, he set the notebook onto the table and lazily shoved it back towards you. “Just as I assumed, utterly worthless.”

“It’s not worthless.”

“Well then enlighten me, woman. What purpose will that philosophical bullshit serve in our journey to find these weapons?”

You finished your fifth, and hopefully final, glass of sake and set the cup down, pushing it to the side. “It may be of value to us, and we just don’t know it yet. Alternatively, it may not be of value now, but it could be one day.”

Sukuna let out a quick, dry laugh. “Somehow everything you say manages to be even more idiotic than the last.”

“And yet, you asked me to stay and keep you company,” you huffed.

“Do not put words in my mouth again,” he warned, reaching out towards your now empty cup with one arm and the bottle of sake with another. “I asked you to stay and have a drink, not to keep me company.”

“I don’t want another—“

“I do not care what you want!” Sukuna filled your glass to the brim as well as his before he motioned for you to take it. “You’re going to have another.”

He watched intently as you reluctantly reached towards the cup, dragging it back towards you. “Why do you want me to get drunk?”

“Who said that’s what I wanted?”

“You’re practically force-feeding me sake.”

“You really are an ungrateful bitch, you know that?” He sneered, sharp canines exposing themselves as his lip curled upwards. “I offer to heal your injuries so you can continue to search for your little mythical weapon that you plan to use in an attempt to end my fucking life, and you’re sitting here bleating about how I’m offering you a drink.”

You gave him nothing but a glare in response as you yanked the sake upwards and took a large gulp. “I was really enjoying my night before you came in here.”

“Well, I’m still enjoying mine,” he quipped as he finished his glass and poured himself a refill.

Your sixth cup was now empty, and you were feeling the sake’s effects harshly. While you weren’t completely inebriated, you definitely were far from being in a stable state of mind. Your body was beginning to feel hot, and your legs had grown numb. As much as you absolutely did not want another glass, you knew he’d force you into having another anyways.

You reached out and began to pour yourself another cup. Tilting the bottle over too fast, the sake surged out, splashing up the sides of the cup and spilling over onto the table.

“Shit,” you mumbled as you set the bottle back down, almost knocking it over in the process as well before Sukuna shot one of his arms out to stabilize it before anything else could spill.

Glancing around the room, no towels or napkins were anywhere in sight. You offered up a sigh before settling on using the sleeve of your yukata to wipe up the mess. After all, it wasn’t too bad of a spill.

“How terribly ungraceful,” Sukuna mused. You didn’t even have to look up. The grin on his face was evident from the tone of his voice alone.

You wiped up the spilt sake to the best of your ability with your sleeves, soaking them through in their entirety. Had you been sober, the wet fabric clinging to your forearm may have been a bother. However, after all you drank, you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

Planting your arms behind you, you leaned back on them, averting your eyes to the ceiling before shutting them. You felt as if you were floating, and now you were really wanting to go to bed.

“Tonight is the most the two of us have conversed since our meeting.” You could hear Sukuna’s voice, but you stayed in the same position, not giving him so much as a glance. “It’s a pity, really. I often find myself wondering about you, yet you’re always so closed off.”

“You’re not much of a social butterfly yourself,” you mumbled in response. He replied to you, although you had no idea what he said. All you knew was that you wanted his rambling to stop.

Sukuna continued to speak for another five or six more sentences, but it continued to go in one ear and out the other. The last two sounded far more aggressive, and you could feel his energy rising. He was probably pissed you were ignoring him, although you really didn’t care. You could probably fall asleep here and now even with him pestering you.

Suddenly, the sound of your name made your eyes fly open. Surely you were audibly hallucinating. You offhandedly told him your name once sometime during the first few days after the two of you met. It had been while you were still up north, driving to some shrine to search for more clues. You mentioned it in hopes he’d stop referring to you as a sorcerer, but he had never once given you the courtesy of actually using it.

You leaned forward, your attention fully on him now. “What did you say?”

Sukuna repeated your name as you just stared back at him in shock.

“I’ll let you leave, and I’ll heal your hand like I promised. However, there’s something I want us to do first.”

The prospect of leaving somehow managed to grab your attention even more than him speaking your name did. “Which would be?”

“I’ll ask you three questions, and you must answer them honestly.”

“Why should I do that?” You inquired, slightly cocking your head to the side.

“To make things fair, I’ll allow you to ask me three questions as well. We’ll take turns asking.”

“Yeah, like you’d ever be honest.” You may have overindulged, but you weren’t near intoxicated enough to believe him.

“Well then, how about we both vow to tell one another the truth? Even you know I’ll be forced to honor it then, or else I’ll be the one paying the price.”

Your lips parted as a soft yawn escaped. It seemed ridiculous to enter another unbreakable vow with him over something so trivial. It seemed innocent enough on the surface, but you knew that Sukuna was renowned for his usage of binding vows, and he knew how to exploit them to his benefit. Yet, it was almost tempting to agree to his terms. You may not get another opportunity like this again.

“Fine,” you mumbled, weakly sticking out your right hand.

His upper left one shot out and gripped onto yours, giving it a tight squeeze. “Looks like we have an agreement.”

You attempted to retract your hand, but instead his grip grew tighter as he pulled you closer, your body now leaning over the wooden table that separated the two of you.

“Let’s drink on it, what do you say?” His signature wicked grin made yet another appearance as he picked up his cup.

He finally released you, allowing you to sink back down to where you sat. Glancing down at the cup of sake you had poured yourself earlier, you wrapped your hands around it. The mess you made had prevented you from consuming it yet. If you drank it, this would be your seventh cup of the night and fourth within a roughly thirty-minute time span. You really didn’t want to consume it, but there really wasn’t much of a choice if you wanted to leave anytime soon.

You watched your rippled reflection in the clear liquid as you brought it closer to your face. “This is my last one.”

“Fine by me,” he chuckled as he downed his serving in one go. You followed suit and did the exact same.

“What do you wish to ask me?” You pushed your cup somewhere off to the side.

“Your family’s name, what is it?”

Your answer was absent for a moment, as you just stared at him. You were unsure what your facial expression was, but you imagined it gave off far more discomfort than you wished to disclose. Speaking about yourself or your past was not something you often did. Hell, you didn’t even like to think about it. Although, you supposed there was no escaping it now.

“I don’t know.”

Sukuna’s already thinly veiled annoyance with you grew into something far deeper as his face twisted into anger. His cursed energy began surging, and even this intoxicated, it somehow still felt like it was scorching your brain from the inside out.

“I genuinely don’t know! I was taken from my family at a young age, and I have hardly any memories of them. And, you know that’s the truth because we both just vowed to be honest with one another.” The words came tumbling out of your mouth in rapid succession, all of them blurring together in an attempt to ease the flare of his cursed energy.

He knew you weren’t lying, but it seemed as if it still wasn’t the answer he had been hoping for. Even though his energy began to simmer down, it was still apparent he wasn’t pleased with you.

“Ask your question now.”

It was your turn now to press him for whatever answers you desired, yet out of everything you needed to ask him, your mind completely drew blanks. Suddenly, it dawned on you why he had forced you to drink so much. He likely didn’t want you in the right state of mind whenever you were asking him questions.

“I will not repeat myself — ask me your question immediately.”

“Where is Uraume?”

“Running an errand for me.”

“That doesn’t tell me anything.”

“I promised you my answers would be truthful, not that they would be specific.” He leaned slightly forward and fixated all four of his eyes on yours to make sure you were watching as he taunted you. “Before you agree to a vow, you should really negotiate the terms.”

Bastard.

You weren’t surprised at all by what he was saying as you knew there had been a catch all along. Regardless, he was really getting under your skin. “Ask your second question.”

“Who took you from your family?”

“A sorcerer.”

“I will admit that I made an error, which is incredibly rare for me,” he began slowly, completely ignoring the answer you gave him. “Whenever I saw you spilling the sake, I was under the impression you were far more inebriated than you actually are. Unfortunately, I realized my mistake too late once you asked about Uraume.”

“I’m drunk, not fucking stupid.”

“That’s highly debatable.”

You glowered at him as you began unconsciously tapping your foot against the tatami flooring. “You hoped I would speak freely and answer all of your questions without holding back and in return would ask you nothing but nonsense. That’s quite the gamble, Sukuna.”

“You can leave now, little sorcerer.” The words came out through his clenched teeth.

Without any hesitation, you grabbed all of your things and rose to your feet. You stood up far too fast and stumbled backwards, barely catching yourself before you fell. Your legs felt like jello, likely due to a mixture of the large amount of sake you consumed and sitting for so long.

You began moving towards the door and stumbled once more. This time it was one of Sukuna’s arms that balanced you.

“Clumsy idiot,” he muttered, his upper left hand firmly planted on your shoulder as his lower right reached for your bandaged hand.

“What are you doing?” You attempted to pull back from him, but instead of successfully escaping his grasp, he pulled you in closer.

His hand successfully made contact with yours and tugged on the end of the bandage, allowing it to fall to the floor. “Do you want me to heal your goddamn hand or not, you ungrateful brat?”

“We didn’t finish the questions.” You tried to wriggle out from his grip once more. This time his second left hand grabbed onto you and dug into your hip.

You glanced up at Sukuna and watched him as he began healing you. A faint, white light could be seen in your peripheral vision, and the soreness of your wounds began to slowly ease.

Your gaze carefully traced over the entirety of his face, examining every single line and curve, as he continued to heal you. It was currently hardened as if he was concentrating. He had previously stated earlier that using reversed curse technique took no effort on his end, and you knew that wasn’t a lie. So, what was it that had him so lost in thought?

Suddenly two eyes were cutting over at you, and you attempted to rip yourself back from him, but he pulled you in closer, your right hip colliding into his body. His grip was as tight as it could possibly be without physically hurting you.

“I still have one question left.”

“You’re just going to get a vague, bullshit answer anyways now that I know your game.”

“When we first met, you told me you had no interest in the weapons for their power, and that they were solely being sought out to kill me. Yet, you stole one of those books about the weapons years ago before I even incarnated. Why?”

You remembered the conversation the two of you had shared just a few nights prior in your apartment, and you had known then how badly you slipped up. Of course, he’d remember it too. You should’ve expected it to come up at some point.

Between his close proximity, the uncomfortable question, and your growing dizziness from the final beverage you had just consumed, you were desperate for escape.

“I wanted to seek them out at an earlier date. It was the truth that I’m not interested in personal power. I was planning to fight someone far stronger than I am and thought I would need them.”

You could see the wheels turning in his head at your answer as you pulled away from him completely. He allowed you to step back without another word.

Almost making it out of the entryway, the sound of your name stopped you in your tracks. It was the third time he had called you that tonight. You turned to face him, your eyes undoubtedly betraying your surprise.

“There’s something about you that’s been bothering me for a few days now. Actually, ever since your pathetic little battle with that cursed spirit.”

You reached your arm out, grabbing onto the wall in an attempt to steady your wobbling legs. “And what’s that?”

“If I ask you directly, I know I won’t get an honest answer, but I do know that you’re hiding something from me.”

“Sukuna, I don’t know what—“

“Leave now. I do not want you in my sight. But know that one way or another, you’re going to give me what I desire to know.”

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[sukunatoes]

actually it’ll probably be tomorrow it’s basically finished but im still working on editing it sorry 😔😔

Sanguine Chapter 10 can be expected somewhere between Sunday and Tuesday :)

[sukunatoes]

Sanguine Chapter 10 can be expected somewhere between Sunday and Tuesday :)

[sukunatoes]

Sanguine

Chapter 9: The Ritual

True Form Sukuna x Fem Reader

18+ ONLY, MDNI

CW: Blood

Chapter Index

Your feet carried you across the tatami flooring, an almost finished cigarette in your hand. You and Sukuna had found yourselves in an onsen town near the southern coast. It was just two hours shy of the shrine you had visited yesterday and was the first town you came across that managed to still have electricity.

Just by looking at it, you could tell it was a lively tourist destination before the Culling Games had forced a mass evacuation on the southern half of the nation. The now-barren streets were littered with small cafés and souvenir shops, but the real star of the place was the ryokan you discovered.

At just six guest rooms, it was a rather small inn, but regardless, it was luxurious. It provided you and Sukuna with enough space where you weren’t in contact with one another constantly but allowed close enough proximity where he’d ward off any powerful cursed spirits that could come near you.

The place you were staying was nearby multiple other locations you could search for clues, had a kitchen with some salvageable ingredients, and, above all else, a private onsen that you planned to take full advantage of.

You reached out and slid the door open, allowing the January air to brush against your cheeks. It wasn’t terribly cold this far south, but it still carried a slight chill with it. You sauntered over to the hot spring. It was decently sized and surrounded by a vast array of stones and lush greenery. The scene truly looked like something out of some extravagant travel magazine.

Bringing your left hand up to your mouth, you took one last drag of the cigarette before putting it out in a makeshift ashtray. You allowed the cotton yukata you donned to effortlessly fall to the ground and made your way down the bamboo steps leading down into the onsen.

Warm water slowly crept up your body as you descended into the pool. You had been here just over twenty-four hours, and the majority of the time you had spent toying with the mirror. Not once had it shown you anything other than your normal reflection. Its purpose and the strange, fleeting image it had shown yesterday remained a mystery.

Satoru Gojo had replied to your text yesterday evening to inform you that he had no knowledge of such a cursed tool but would try to find something out. However, you weren’t going to hold your breath. You doubted he would be able to unearth anything on it, and if he did, it would likely take far longer than you were willing to wait.

You had already scoured the old book you stole from the Gojo clan’s private library long ago as well as the illustration you found at the first shrine. Both attempts at discovering more were in vain as you kept coming up empty-handed. Currently, the only two clues you had were the brief reflection of your childhood self and the engraved kanji on the back of it, which read deceit. There had to be something you were missing.

Sukuna was absolutely no help, which was expected. He had holed himself up inside one of the rooms as soon as the two of you arrived, and you hadn’t seen him since. Not that you were complaining — any amount of time without him was welcomed with open arms. However, you found it frustrating that he was the one who forced you into this pact and bound the two of you together, only to do basically nothing since then.

He almost seemed like he was intentionally slowing you down at this point, which was possible, but you hadn’t a single clue why he would do so. You were yet to find out what his endgame was, and that was yet another answer that felt impossible to find.

There was also still the issue of how his cursed energy affected you. While it hadn’t been much of a problem the past couple of days, as you’ve avoided angering him so his cursed energy output was fairly low, it still didn’t make any sense. You thought the situation over quite a bit and had gone back and forth on whether he was intentionally doing it or not.

At first, you were almost fully convinced that he was purposefully using his cursed energy to infiltrate your body for some unknown reason. However, it only ever occurs whenever his emotions rapidly rise. Sukuna could certainly change his cursed energy output anytime he wanted, so if he was actually trying to harm you that way, he wouldn’t need to do so in a fit of rage. As it stood, it seemed as if not only was he not doing it, but he didn’t know it was happening at all.

You stretched your arms out and set them on the stone behind you and leaned your head back, your gaze settling on the night sky above you. It was remarkably clear out, and the stars were brighter than you had ever seen them.

A soft sigh tumbled from your lips as your eyes fluttered shut. Multiple problems ate away at you, and too many questions were left unanswered. It felt like every step forward was two steps back. Solving the issue of the mirror would come first. You truly believed it could be beneficial to your search in some way. Once you completed that, everything else would come after.

You continued to bask in the hot spring, allowing its warmth to consume you and provide you with a much-needed moment of peace. As you soaked, yesterday’s events replayed over in your mind more times than you could count.

A sudden sound from inside the building pulled you from your thoughts, and you quickly opened your eyes, glancing towards the inn. Sukuna was rambling around in his room. It was the first sound you had heard from him at all in over a day.

You needed to get out and get dressed in case he started to explore the property more. Him stumbling upon you soaking was not an encounter you wanted to have. You made your way out of the onsen and reached towards a stack of towels by the doors. After using it to dry your body, you wrapped it tightly around you and made your way back into your room.

The sliding of a door and footsteps could be heard, but thankfully they were heading away from you. You opened the closet and reached towards a fresh yukata. Composed of soft linen and alabaster in color, it was a simple yet delicate piece of clothing. You slid your arms through and wrapped the front around before grabbing a matching obi.

It was common for ryokans to provide guests with yukatas and kimonos to wear during their stay. Wearing them while you were out searching for the weapons would be highly impractical, but they were perfect for whenever you were staying at the inn.

The sound of footsteps could be heard once again, as well as a door opening and closing. Sukuna had already returned back to his room after just a couple of minutes. You had no idea what he had been doing for the past twenty-four hours in the slightest, but you imagined it hadn’t been much, considering how silent he had been the entire time.

You slid the closet door closed and headed towards your futon in the center of the room. The mirror rested on the floor next to it, along with both books. Lowering yourself onto the futon, you reached for the book you found in the first shrine you visited.

Flipping through the pages, you finally settled on the drawing in the center of the book. A mysterious man, illuminated by the moon and bloodied from battle, gripping a tantō in his right hand. You gently traced your fingertips over the kanji scribbled at the bottom of the page.

Divine.

It had now been just over a week since that fateful night you met Sukuna and found this book. You must’ve stared at the art before you at least a hundred times over since then.

Only the three major clans possessed knowledge of the divine weapons. It was an unspoken law of the sorcerer society, and one that had been strictly followed for over a millennium. You were just an anomaly — someone who was shown something forbidden and accidentally acquired knowledge beyond what was allowed.

All three of the clans had various documents and books pertaining to the weapons, but much of it was incomplete. Just scraps of knowledge pieced together that led to absolutely nothing. In the current age, it was more for a historical record than anything else.

Throughout history, all of the clans had conducted their own searches for the weapons. Whenever the scales would shift too far in one direction, whatever clans found themselves at the bottom would seek out in a desperate hunt with hopes of acquiring an otherworldly power. Time and time again they would come up empty-handed with nothing to show for it but wasted time and resources that could’ve been spent elsewhere. Eventually, those who were told of the weapons grew to believe they were nothing more than folklore.

As far as you knew, the book in front of you now was the only record of the weapons that did not belong to the three head families. Had this been found earlier, before the sorcerer world was flipped onto its head, it would’ve been monumental and likely ignited a new interest in the divine weapons among the clans. However, none of that mattered now. It was up to you, and you alone, to uncover their whereabouts and use them for the sake of the world.

It was strange. Such a large book to only contain a small amount of information. The majority of the pages were completely blank, and what it did contain was in the middle of the book, not at the front. It was like something else had once been written in it, only to have been erased.

You flipped the pages back to study the lone kanji that came just before the drawing. Stretching from edge to edge, it took up the entire page.

Prophecy.

You slipped your finger underneath the page to return back to your previous spot whenever the edge of the paper sliced across the tip of your right index finger.

A paper cut.

And on the same finger you had gotten the splinter in yesterday. At least, the paper cut wouldn’t bleed.

A sudden realization washed over you as you cut your eyes down to your finger.

Blood.

Your finger had been actively bleeding whenever the image appeared on the mirror. Immediately, you rose to your feet and rushed over to your backpack. You dug through it, tossing out random items you had packed onto the floor until you came across what you needed to test your theory, a pocket knife.

You made your way back to the mirror and knelt down next to it. Taking the knife into your right hand, you lifted up your left and softly slid it across the tip of your middle finger. It was a shallow cut, but enough to allow blood to begin welling up on the surface.

Reaching down, you carefully grabbed onto the mirror and raised it up, placing your bleeding finger onto the back of it where the kanji was engraved.

A strong wave of cursed energy surged from the mirror, and immediately the reflection shifted, the same childlike version of you from the previous day now staring back. What the image meant you weren’t exactly sure, though a few theories began to take root in your mind.

The reflection was short-lived and, within just a few seconds, completely disappeared. You flipped the looking glass over, only to see that your finger was no longer bleeding, and there was no blood anywhere to be found. It had completely absorbed it.

So, blood was not only the key, but in order to work, the mirror required a constant supply of it. There was something you wanted to attempt with the cursed tool, but you still didn’t know the extent of its power yet. The cursed energy it had emitted was already strong on an inconsiderable amount of blood. You weren’t sure what exactly would happen if you fed it more.

You needed to be cautious and take precautions with what you were about to attempt. There were things you needed to do first in order to prepare should anything go south. You rose to your feet, bringing both the book and the mirror along with you, and set off to prepare for the ritual you would soon perform.

—————————

It had been perfectly silent for well over an hour. You were up to something. Sukuna knew that much.

Since the two of you arrived at the inn, he had spent the majority of his time resting and trying to recover his strength. He was starting to feel more like himself, and with every day that passed, he continued to grow stronger. If one had to guess, it would likely only be three or four more days until this new body, his body, was fully regenerated.

You, on the other hand, had hardly slept at all. He’d occasionally wake from his slumber to reposition only to hear the constant sounds of you moving about. You had been completely restless, and he assumed it was over the cursed object you discovered in yesterday’s shrine.

Sukuna’s suspicions were soon confirmed whenever the mirror exuded a wave of cursed energy, and the sound of you traversing the property, searching for something, followed. Soon after, he was met with pure silence. If it weren’t for the fact you were currently using your cursed technique, he would’ve assumed you fell asleep.

The amount of cursed energy you were releasing was rather small, so whatever you were doing with your technique seemed to be a mundane task. Regardless, he found his interest to be piqued.

Sukuna made his way out of his room and followed the trail of your energy. It led him down the hallway and towards the courtyard behind the inn. He reached out, sliding the door open, only to reveal you sitting on your knees, perched atop a patch of grass.

You were completely encircled by dozens of talismans that looked as if you had drawn them up yourself. An off-white yukata loosely draped across your body as you held one of them in your hands. Your fingers gently grazed the top, depositing small amounts of your cursed energy into it before setting it to the side, allowing it to join the others. Beside you in the circle was a knife, the cursed mirror, and the book you had discovered the night the two of you met.

He leaned against the doorframe, examining you as you continued your task at hand, never once lifting your head to acknowledge him. Either you were so entranced by what you were doing that you didn’t notice him, or you felt his presence and didn’t care enough to pay him any mind.

“Sorcerer, what the hell are you doing?”

Your eyes were fixed on yet another talisman. “I want to test something out.”

Sukuna’s face instinctively twisted into a scowl at your vague answer. He walked over to where you were standing. Upper arms crossed, he stood just inches from you, staring down at whatever your pathetic little project was. “You will look at me whenever I’m speaking to you.”

Your lips slightly parted to allow a soft sigh to escape as you tilted your head back to return his gaze. “I can get the mirror to work now, but I wasn’t sure what it’s fully capable of, so I wanted to take some precautions is all.”

He rolled two of his eyes. You were such a fucking loser. “Are you so frightened by an old mirror that you have to go to such extreme lengths?”

“I suppose one could say being overly cautious is just in my nature,” you mindlessly mumbled as you diverted your stare back downwards to finish what you were working on.

“And what is it exactly that you think the cursed object does?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” you replied, repeating the same process of allowing cursed energy to pool in your fingertips before depositing it in the symbols onto the thin piece of paper you had picked up. “However, if I had to guess, I think it reveals deception.”

Setting the talisman down, instead of picking up another, you began weaving hand signs in rapid succession. Sukuna counted a total of eight different signs. However, only five were familiar to him, the other three were a complete mystery. You repeated the sequence four times before a burst of cursed energy flared upwards, surrounding both you and the cursed object next to you.

He reached his hand out towards the thin blue veil that now surrounded you, only for it to be immediately shoved back upon contact.

A barrier.

No, not a normal barrier, but one that you had reinforced with your own cursed energy. Its purpose was likely to serve as some sort of seal. A barrier like this would be considered a more advanced level of sorcery, especially being able to push back Sukuna’s own energy with force. He was almost impressed someone as worthless as you could pull off such a feat.

“The mirror showed you something yesterday afternoon.” While he hadn’t been close enough to your car to catch a glimpse of whatever it was you saw, the look on your face had been one of absolute horror.

You pulled the cursed tool directly in front of you and flipped it over to reveal its backside. “Yes, it did. It showed me a reflection of myself as a child.”

Reaching over to grab the knife and the book, you placed one on each side of the mirror. Once they were aligned in front of you, you lifted your gaze back to him once more. “And while I hold a theory that it reveals deceptions, I may be wrong. For all I know, something sinister could be sealed within this cursed object.”

Sukuna threw his head back as a loud laugh rumbled from deep within his chest. You really were the most idiotic human he’s ever encountered. “You were so petrified by an image of you as a child that you built this elaborate barrier.”

The corners of your mouth slightly dipped downwards, and for a brief moment, you almost looked taken aback.

He walked over to a nearby rock before lowering himself down onto it, his cackling finally ceasing. “Do you realize just how fucking pathetic you are? It’s truly laughable.”

You said nothing else to him and instead reached for the book in front of you, opening it up. He had seen it once before immediately following your first encounter with him. It was almost completely empty except for one drawing of a man holding the water weapon and two words, prophecy and divine.

The page you opened to was completely blank, and Sukuna pieced it together almost instantly. You thought activating the mirror would allow you to read the pages that appeared to be empty. It was a theory worth entertaining. Based off of what you told him about your experience at the shrine where you met, the one from yesterday was remarkably similar. He could see how you arrived at such a conclusion, but would it actually work?

He unconsciously leaned forward where he sat, resting his upper left elbow on his thigh and leaning his head against it. You picked up the knife with your right hand and opened the palm of your left.

So the looking glass required human blood to work.

“And if this mirror does uncover deceptions, what exactly does that have to do with the book you found?”

Of course, he already knew the answer, but he wanted you to have to explain it yourself. Being able to pull back the curtain on how your mind worked and pick apart your words one by one provided him with more insight on you, and would ultimately give him a larger hold on you in the end.

You were a strange person, guarded and overly paranoid. He wasn’t able to just simply observe you like he’d be able to with most humans, so he had to pull back each layer slowly and deliberately.

“Deceit takes many forms,” you said, bringing the knife to your skin. “Outright lying is just one.”

You brought your gaze up to him and pressed down. The sharp tip began piercing through the palm of your hand. “Withholding information is another form.”

The cut was fairly shallow and only allowed a small amount of blood to rise to the surface. You pressed it onto the back of the mirror, and instantly it began absorbing into the engraved kanji. A wave of cursed energy emitted from it, and you immediately flipped it right side up. You held it at an angle next to the book, and while he couldn’t see the reflective surface, the small smile forming on your face told Sukuna everything he needed to know.

It worked.

Within just a few seconds, the blood you had given the looking glass was already completely absorbed. You were noticeably unsurprised by this as you set the mirror back down and picked up the knife once more.

“Very well, but what does that have to do with it showing you an image of yourself as a child?”

You froze. It was brief, and you recovered yourself almost instantly, but Sukuna caught it. Within that moment, your eyes held the same exact look they did whenever he had inquired about your family a few nights prior. It was a fleeting emotion they held, one he couldn’t fully discern, but it’s what he had been looking for — a weakness of yours he could exploit.

No response was offered. Instead, you pressed the knife back to your hand, just above the first wound. The blade sliced through your flesh, this time with far more pressure and depth. Streams of sanguine began to pour from the site and ran down your wrist, soaking the white sleeves of your yukata.

Your eyes were glassy, likely from the sting of the cut, and reflected the light of the moon as you knelt there, feeding your blood to the cursed tool in front of you. Strong surges of energy rushed from it as you held the mirror back up to the empty pages.

Sukuna watched as your eyes moved side to side, and you’d occasionally adjust your positioning. He involuntarily licked his lips as his gaze fell to the blood now dripping down your forearm.

He was hungry.

No. Ravenous.

His eyes began darkening, and he grew restless at the sight in front of him.

No.

He would settle for something else for now. There were plans already set in motion, and he needed you to fulfill them. He was bound by that goddamned vow anyways. Afterwards is whenever he’d finally get a taste.

Sukuna was pulled from his thoughts as you set down the mirror and began to slice at one of your sleeves. A clean-cut piece of fabric fell, and you instantly began wrapping it around the wound on your hand.

He chuckled under his breath. You figured he wouldn’t be willing to heal you and didn’t want to push your luck with the cut.

“Well, what did it say?” He barked out, causing you to flinch in surprise.

You kept your eyes on the fabric, pulling it until it was taut. “Suiryu.”

Sukuna’s mouth instantly went dry at the name that tumbled off your tongue. He was thankful your eyes weren’t on him, because his reaction was hardly contained.

“Suiryu is the name of the water weapon,” your voice betrayed your giddiness as you moved the talismans, breaking the barrier that held you in.

You quietly stood up, collected your things, holding them with your right arm, and began to head back inside. The second you attempted to stroll past him, he was on his feet and behind you before you could even react. His lower right hand reached out, grabbing onto you and pulling you into him.

A small gasp escaped your lips as your back collided with his abdomen. He snaked his hand upwards, allowing it to rest along the base of your neck, and he used it to pull you in as close as he possibly could.

Your body was rigid, and he didn’t need to see your face to know you were nervous at the sudden contact. Sukuna’s grip was firm, not hard enough to harm you, but just tight enough to make you wonder if maybe he had found a loophole to the vow you two shared.

His lower left hand lifted yours and supported it while his upper left hand pulled at the makeshift bandage you had just wrapped around yourself and let it fall to the ground.

“There’s something I want you to do for me,” he drawled, softly pressing his fingertips onto the wound and allowing his positive energy to soak into it. A soft, white light could be seen as the cut slowly began to close itself. “And until then, you will keep yourself in one piece.”

While you didn’t know exactly what his plans were, he knew that you were aware he had ulterior motives for accompanying you on this journey.

His upper right hand reached for your chin, pulling it upwards and to the side, allowing your gaze to connect with his. “I told you that you will fucking look at me when I’m speaking to you.”

You just swallowed in response.

“Tell me you understand!” He demanded, tightening his grip on both your chin and neck.

“You’re different tonight,” was all you whispered back, your eyes searching his.

He just laughed in response. You were finally starting to piece it together. It’s a shame it took you this long. Had you noticed sooner how weak he had truly been, you would’ve saved yourself from a lot of pain and suffering down the road.

Sukuna released his grip on you and stepped back. Without another word, you scurried inside, your head down the entire way. He watched as you quickly opened and shut the door, likely hurrying towards your room and as far away from him as you could safely get.

A grin flashed across his face. You’d find out soon enough.

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[sukunatoes]

sanguine chapter nine should drop tuesday or wednesday at the latest :)

[sukunatoes]

Sanguine

Chapter 8: The Looking Glass

18+ ONLY, MDNI

Chapter Index

It was an inexplicable feeling. One you felt before and had hoped to never feel again. The feeling of an all-encompassing unease that took root in your abdomen and spread throughout your body like a fire. It infiltrated every corner of your body and quickly turned into one of pure despair.

Yes, you had felt exactly like this only once before. The night you had first met Ryomen Sukuna.

Over the past few days, you occasionally thought back to that day and how you had felt just prior to your encounter with him. A handful of times, you wondered if it had been some sort of ill omen — a warning of what unfortunate fate would befall you.

Here you were, a full week later, and once again feeling the same. Except this time, he wasn’t the source. Currently, he posed you no threat due to your mutual vow. So what exactly was filling you with such dread, if not him?

You wondered if the man trudging behind you could sense if something was off.

You glanced over your shoulder at the King of Curses. He looked utterly uninterested in his surroundings. That unusual blank stare stretched across his face once more.

The previous evening had been both the second and last night you spent at your apartment in Tokyo. You had woken him up before dawn broke and immediately headed south to continue your search for the divine weapons. This was just the first stop of the day.

“Sukuna,” you called out to him, your voice low. “Does something about this place feel strange to you?”

He spared you a glance from two of his eyes. “It feels like an old empty shrine.”

You returned your gaze to the hallway in front of you. The wooden floor was stained black, while the walls on either side of you were red in color. This was the largest shrine you had been to yet. There must’ve been over two dozen rooms, which was unusual. From the exterior it appeared to be a typical shrine, but once on the inside, the place felt more like it was constructed to be someone’s home than a place of worship.

Though it was gargantuan in size, every single room you had entered so far had been empty. Not a single piece of furniture or decor could be found in the vast building. Despite this, you could pick up on the faintest trace of cursed energy.

Once you had searched every room on either side of the corridor, you were left with one final door at the end. It was the room from which the cursed energy was radiating — that much you knew.

Reaching your hand out, you slid the door open in one swift movement, and your mouth went dry at the sight before you.

It was almost exactly like a scene you had witnessed just a week prior. A barren room except for one singular table against the opposite wall. Dark wood with intricate carvings spanning across its entirety and a lone, worn talisman resting atop.

The situation you found yourself in was far too similar to be a coincidence. This shrine had to have some sort of connection to the very first one you visited, where you had uncovered the illustration of the water weapon. You knew this much without having to explore further. However, that didn’t explain the feeling you carried deep within you.

You were quick to stride over to the piece of furniture, hands extended to snatch up the talisman. Almost identical to the one you had collected from the first shrine you visited, although the cursed energy emitting from it was different.

You lifted up the piece of paper, and as soon as you removed it, a sudden strong wave of cursed energy could be felt rising from the ground below you.

Could it be?

No. It was strong but not strong enough to be one of the divine weapons.

You shoved the furniture out of the way and lowered yourself onto the ground. Just like before, a single small indentation could be found on the wooden panels beneath you.

Footsteps could be heard making their way over towards you as the tips of your fingers slipped into the minuscule space. You pried up one of the boards to reveal part of a singular stone step.

You glanced up and over at Sukuna, who was now standing just a meter away from where you were kneeling. “Do you remember what I told you the night we met, about where I discovered the drawing of the weapon?”

He cut his eyes from the hole in the floor to you and narrowed them. “Nothing you’ve ever said has been worth remembering.”

A sigh fell from your lips. You knew he could likely recall what you had told him. He was just being a pain in the ass, per usual.

You began lifting the next three boards up, revealing more of the staircase. This one somehow managed to be far steeper than the first and appeared to lead further underground. Reaching into your back pocket, you fished out your phone to turn on your flashlight. Shining it down into the abyss, all that could be seen were the stairs with no end in sight.

With one last tug, you freed the final board and scooted over to the edge, maneuvering yourself down. Your left hand grabbed onto the wall for balance, while your right kept a firm grip on your phone.

You took a few more steps down before looking up at the opening above your head. Sukuna could technically fit down the staircase, although you assumed he’d likely stay put. You opened your mouth for a brief moment to call out to him and let him know you’d return shortly but instead promptly closed it. He couldn’t care less about what you were doing, and it’d be nothing more than a waste of breath.

You descended the staircase swiftly, although it was as you predicted, and this one was far deeper than the first shrine’s underground passage. As you grew further from the surface, the trail of cursed energy grew more pronounced.

A solid, level surface finally came into your line of vision as the walls around the staircase slowly began to widen. There was no narrow tunnel waiting at the bottom of this staircase, but instead it opened up into one giant chamber.

This place was different from the first, as far as appearances went. There were no shelves spanning the room, with no scrolls or aging books gracing the chamber. Instead, a single wooden chest sat in the middle of the room. It was old, the outside worn down by the passage of time. If the age of the shrine was anything to go by, whatever was inside was older than Sukuna himself.

Waves of cursed energy consistently pulsated outwards. Too strong to be just a talisman, it was likely a cursed tool or weapon of some sort, although you knew it was still far too weak to be one of the divine weapons.

You were quick to make your way to the chest, dropping to your knees in front of it and extending your right hand without a second thought. The decision to do so felt more unconscious, like your body was acting before your brain had a chance to catch up.

Brushing against the rugged wood, you moved your fingers toward the lid. A sudden pricking sensation caused you to softly recoil.

A splinter.

The sliver of wood protruding from your right index finger was large for a splinter. Regardless, you reached for it with your left hand and pinched it, pulling it from its confines within your skin. A small speck of blood rose to the surface, which you immediately wiped on your pants leg.

You grabbed onto the chest once again, this time allowing the tips of your fingers to carefully slip underneath the notches. There was no lock or latch you needed to undo, just a quick tug, and the ancient hinges were crying out as you pried the chest open.

A singular beige piece of cloth sat in the center of the interior, noticeably wrapped around something. You carefully picked it up, the fabric rough against your skin, and unwrapped it with haste.

Inside, a mirror no larger than your hand rested. It was circular and framed by a thin line of gold. The reflective surface itself was perfectly clear, without any sign of age. You flipped it over to reveal a lone kanji engraved into the back of it.

Deceit.

You gently traced the engraving with your fingertips. Its cursed energy was undeniable as you held it in your hands, although you were unsure what it did. You hadn’t heard of a cursed mirror during any of your research.

Flipping it back over to the reflective side, you gazed into it only to see yourself staring back. You tilted it at different angles, brought it closer towards you, just inches from your face, before extending it away from you. No matter how you looked at it, you couldn’t figure out what its purpose was.

“What are you doing?”

You jumped, startled by the sudden sound echoing throughout the chamber, before raising your eyes up to meet four crimson irises.

Sukuna. You were so engrossed with the cursed object you hadn’t even heard him come down here.

You looked back at the mirror one more time as you rose to your feet and extended it out towards him silently. Maybe he knew what the cursed tool was, and if not, perhaps he could figure it out.

“A looking glass of some sort,” he remarked as he took it from your hands, surprisingly careful in doing so. “So, this is where the cursed energy was emitting from.”

“Do you know what it is?”

“No,” his reply was curt as he rotated it around in a similar manner to how you had. His boredom was apparent as he immediately shoved it into your face, waiting for you to take it back. “You told me you were hunting for weapons that promised the power of a god, yet I stumble upon you playing with mirrors.”

You quickly snatched it from his hand. “I think it might be important.”

“It’s a fucking mirror,” he scoffed.

“It’s a cursed object.”

“There have been thousands of cursed objects throughout history. Do you think all of them were important?”

Your brows furrowed as you leaned down to grab the fabric it had been encased in. “Whatever, I’m taking it with me.”

Yet another scoff. “I don’t give a shit what you do.”

Your fingers carefully wrapped the mirror back up into the piece of cloth, securing it as tight as you could. Normally you would just stay here and try to figure out what exactly the cursed tool did, but you couldn’t shake the uneasiness within you.

“I want to head back to the car,” you informed him. Your mouth drew into a straight line as you unconsciously pulled in your bottom lip.

You quickly turned on your heels to begin heading back towards the steps. His lower right arm shot out, grabbing onto yours, and stopped you in your tracks.

“You seem more on edge than usual, sorcerer.” A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as a taunting tone escaped him. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of this old shrine.”

You pulled your arm from his grip and allowed it to rejoin the other holding the mirror. Your gaze was still cast down at the cloth you clung tightly to. “I just don’t feel well, is all.”

Ascending the stairs was quick work compared to your descent, and soon enough you were climbing out of the passageway and back into the main building of the shrine. Sukuna’s footsteps could be heard somewhere behind you, although you wasted no time heading back towards your car. You had acquired a possible clue and were ready to leave.

You switched your phone’s flashlight off and opened your messages, sending a quick text to Satoru asking him if he was aware of any cursed mirrors. Thankfully, you had phone service at this shrine. With a quick click, you locked your phone and slid it into your back pocket.

Soon you were exiting the shrine’s front entrance. The sun from earlier was growing dimmer as dark clouds began littering the sky. It looked like it would soon storm.

How strange.

January was Japan’s driest month of the year, yet this was the third storm you had witnessed within the week. On top of everything, it had stormed the first night you met Sukuna. The night you had previously felt like this.

No.

The two shrines being related to one another was likely, but the weather had nothing to do with it. You were just on edge and being irrational.

You shook your head and pressed on towards your car. Thankfully, it wasn’t parked far and came into your sight quickly. Pulling your key fob out, you unlocked it and slid into the driver’s seat. Sukuna was somewhere behind you, you could sense him. However, he was taking his sweet time.

Another drop of blood had formed on your fingertip where the splinter had been, and you were quick to wipe it away.

Unwrapping the mirror, you brought it close to you again, this time examining it in the daylight. Twisting it over, its gold backing still managed to shine even with the sun’s heavily muted rays. You stared at the engraved kanji, tracing it over a few times with your fingertip.

Deceit.

You flipped it back over once more, this time your breath catching in your throat.

It wasn’t you staring back.

No.

It was you. Just you as a child.

You instinctively dropped the mirror at the sight, and it fell into your lap as you brought your hands up to your face for a brief moment.

What the hell was that?

You reached for it once again. However, this time, the reflection was normal. It was you, the current you, that you saw.

“Surprised by how ugly you are?”

You flinched at the sonorous voice.

Sukuna.

He stood just a couple of meters from your open driver’s side door. His upper arms were tightly folded across his chest while his two lower arms rested by his sides.

When did he get here, and how much had he seen?

“This is the second time today I’ve startled you so easily,” he drawled as he drew closer to you. “Are you going to lie to me again, or are you going to tell me what’s got you so on edge?”

You began wrapping the mirror back in the fabric. He didn’t need to know about what you saw in the mirror, at least not until you could figure out more about what it does.

“Truth be told, I’m unsure.” You opened the center console and carefully placed the cursed object down in there before cutting your eyes up to his. “I’ve felt uneasy since we got here.”

Reaching towards one of your cup holders, you grabbed the pack of cigarettes sitting in there and pulled one out, bringing it up to your lips. “It’s hard to describe, although I keep saying it’s uneasiness, I guess you could say it’s more of a dreadful feeling.”

Your fingers pushed down on the little metal wheel, allowing the lighter to ignite your cigarette. “I’ve only felt this feeling once before, and that was the night I met you.”

“There’s a cursed spirit nearby,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Its energy is probably causing you to feel this way.”

“What?”

“I said, there’s a cursed spirit close to us. Do you need me to spell it out for you?” He sneered.

“I don’t understand.” You took a long drag, prompting smoke to swirl out from both your nostrils and your lips. “I’ve encountered many cursed spirits, and none of them filled me with such a terrible feeling.”

“It’s a strong curse, likely far stronger than the one you fought a few days ago,” he shrugged.

Hachi. The eighth.

You had thought about that curse once or twice since your battle. It had promised the two of you would meet again and that you would face a terrible reckoning for what had transpired. You didn’t think much of it, as Sukuna’s cursed energy was flooding through you at the time with little resistance and had been causing you immense pain. It didn’t matter now, as the curse was long gone and would unlikely ever cross your path again. Regardless, it was still such a strange interaction. Though, you could say the past week as a whole has been strange.

Taking another drag off your cigarette, you glanced down at your now-closed center console that housed the mirror. It seems you’ve yet again found yourself with more questions than answers.

Your first priority now was to find a place you and Sukuna could both rest. There were plenty of abandoned towns and villages nearby. You might be able to find one with power still. Once that’s done, you could try to examine the mirror further and hopefully find out what you had just seen in its reflection.

Whatever cursed spirits were lurking nearby likely wouldn’t cause too much of an issue as long as you stuck close to Sukuna. While you carried a powerful technique, its usage against curses was far more limited than against other humans. However, there wasn’t a single curse that could best Sukuna in a fight, and as far as you knew, he still needed you alive for something.

Taking one final drag, you dropped the cigarette in a makeshift ashtray before looking up at Sukuna. “Let’s go. We’re going to try to find a place for us to stay.”

He made his way over to the passenger door and climbed in. Slipping the key into the ignition, you rotated it clockwise and started the engine. Suddenly, goosebumps spread across your entire body. A similar feeling, but this time it was almost different.

As if there were a pair of eyes on you.

You glanced out your driver’s side window one last time. Sukuna had told you it was a cursed spirit, which could be true. However, you knew it couldn’t be too close in proximity. Otherwise he would’ve likely engaged it in battle by now.

So, why was it that all of a sudden, you felt like you were being watched?

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[sukunatoes]

Sanguine

Chapter 7: What Lies Beneath The Surface

True Form Sukuna x Fem Reader

18+ ONLY, MDNI

Chapter Index

It was quite the somber sight — your once bustling neighborhood was now nothing more than a ghost town. As the evening drew close to midnight, its sky was nothing more than a black abyss. Thunderclouds blocked off the light of the moon, with the only source of illumination coming from your headlights and the seldom street lamp.

You applied pressure on the brakes, allowing yourself to slow down enough to effectively weave through the debris that littered the barren streets. As you drew closer to your apartment, the scene in front of you only grew more bothersome. Your neighborhood had been in bad shape since the Culling Games first started, so this was nothing new that you were bearing witness to. Regardless, it still struck a nerve to see your colorful, lively neighborhood be reduced to such a state.

Many of the surrounding buildings and homes were in ruins, with only an occasional one still intact. The area was completely evacuated. However, it seemed to remain a hotbed for cursed spirits. You could sense hundreds, if not thousands, within just a couple of kilometers. Albeit most of them seemed to be incredibly weak.

You cut your eyes over to Sukuna, who was crammed into the passenger’s side of your car. His seat was reclined partially. Otherwise, he’d have to duck to avoid hitting his head on the roof. Two upper arms were folded across his chest as his two lower ones rested in his lap.

Both of his legs were ramming into the dash despite the seat being fully pushed back, and he was shoving the left side of his body into the door to avoid intruding across the center console into your space. It was likely not out of consideration for your comfort, but more so he truly did not want to interact with you if it was avoidable.

Sukuna’s head was angled toward the window, with all four eyes gazing out of it. Every time he had been in your car so far, his discomfort was obvious, though you knew he’d never voice it. This current world was not built for someone like him.

Then again, was it ever?

As far as sorcery goes, Sukuna was the ideal being. He possessed both exceptionally large amounts of cursed energy and the capability to wield it with razor-sharp precision. However, even if he did not have that, he still would be a force to be reckoned with.

His sorcery abilities were unfettered largely in part to his remarkable physical form. A second set of eyes gave him enhanced perception, while two extra arms allowed him to weave hand signs more efficiently. Plus, an extra mouth afforded him more opportunities to chant incantations. It was as if he was specially evolved to be an unsurpassable sorcerer.

Without a doubt, his body gave him advantages in fighting that no other human would ever be able to achieve. In the world of jujutsu, Sukuna was perfect.

But what of the world outside it? The parts of one’s world where sorcery did not matter — the parts where one just existed. How had Sukuna fit into that world in his previous life?

You snapped your head back to the road in front of you before giving it a soft shake to rid your mind of such a ridiculous question. He was your enemy and, upon finding the divine weapons, would soon become your opponent as well. There was no room to offer a being such as him any empathy, no matter how fleeting the thought may be.

Ryomen Sukuna was considered to be the most vile, evil human to ever walk this planet. He was cruel and sadistic. Bound by no code of honor and lacking absolutely any morals, he lived solely only for himself. Upon returning home, you would plot out a new course in your hunt for the weapons, and once acquired, you would rid this world of him once and for all. You’d allow yourself just one month to do so.

A familiar building began to come into your sight. Just five stories tall and made from concrete, it was simple. No frills or amenities, just basic and reasonably priced apartments. Regardless, it was your home, and considering everything you had been through the past few days, you had never been happier at the sight.

You pulled into your usual spot on the side of the street and shifted into park. Reaching behind you, you grabbed your bag before swinging the door open and jumping out. The lights at the bottom of the stairwell were lit, which meant your building still had electricity.

Excellent.

Wasting no time, you quickly ascended the stairs all the way to the fifth floor, where your apartment was. The wind was beginning to pick up as you fumbled with your keys in the breezeway. Slipping the key into the lock, you turned it counterclockwise and pushed the door open. Holding the door open with one hand, you ran the other across the wall until it settled on the light switch.

You kicked your boots off to the left of the door and immediately entered the kitchen. As much as you wanted to shower and change into clean clothes, cooking came first. You had been five days without a decent meal, and it was at the forefront of your mind.

With a soft thud, you let your backpack fall from your hand onto the tile floor. You pushed it aside with your foot before sliding your keys across the granite countertop.

Making your way to the refrigerator, you bent down, reaching for the handle on the bottom drawer. You pulled the freezer door open and began examining the contents, seeing what your options were. It was limited, as you knew you’d be on the road and hadn’t been shopping since you had been assigned your mission.

An unopened bag of frozen tuna steaks, a singular salmon fillet, and four packages of steak were all that awaited you. The tuna would likely take the least amount of time to prepare a meal out of, so you grabbed onto the plastic bag and lifted it up.

The front door could be heard slamming shut, and within an instant, you could feel two sets of eyes on you. Glancing up, you saw Sukuna standing opposite you, with his arms crossed.

Right.

You still had him to deal with.

You glanced down at the frozen tuna in your hands. Usually it would be non-negotiable to prepare a meal for a guest staying in your house, but he was no ordinary guest. If he could even be considered a guest at all. Something like basic hospitality should be completely off the table. He absolutely didn’t deserve it.

However, there was one issue that could arise. Even if Sukuna did not have to eat for survival, he ate for pleasure. He was bound to desire something to eat at some point during his stay here, which meant he’d seek it out on his own. You knew what kind of vile appetite he had, and although there wasn’t a human within multiple kilometers, he might still make the trek to find one.

Perhaps if you could sate his hunger before it fully develops, you could avoid something like that happening. But what could you offer him that he’d be willing to eat?

You scrunched your nose in annoyance.

What a pain in the ass.

“Woman,” he grumbled. “What the hell are you doing?”

You finally looked back up at Sukuna, and it was the first time you had actually looked at him in hours. Every time had been nothing more than a fleeting glance, but studying his face now underneath the fluorescent kitchen lights, his exhaustion was apparent. His stare was blank and almost unfocused while his shoulders slightly drooped into a lazy posture.

Strange.

You knew his behavior had been off throughout your short time together, but you didn’t realize the extent of it. Something was off with him, you knew that much. Even though you hadn’t personally met Sukuna before your unfortunate encounter just a few days prior, you knew enough about him to know he’s been acting uncharacteristically the entire time.

While he’s been aggressive and cruel towards you, he’s also been a lot easier to deal with than you could’ve ever imagined. You had mainly chalked it up to him being stuck in a vow that ensures he cannot harm you and possibly a change in his personality due to his brush with death. But what if there’s something else you’re missing entirely?

“I’m making something to eat, and I plan to make enough for the both of us. If you want to partake, then you’re welcome to do so.”

“What makes you think I want to eat your shitty fucking food?” His empty expression quickly twisted into a scowl.

A sigh escaped your lips as you dropped the bag of tuna back into the freezer. He was really going to make such a simple task impossible. “Well, don’t. That just means there’ll be more for me, so I won’t complain.”

He scoffed before you could even finish getting the words out of your mouth. “And what was it you thought was even worthy of offering to me?”

“I don’t know,” you replied truthfully, throwing both your hands up in exasperation. “I do not know what I’m making yet. Think about it if you want, or not. I really do not care.”

A second scoff.

You looked back down into the freezer at what you had to offer him. There was a large chance he wouldn’t eat no matter what you served him. However, if there was a way you could possibly prevent him from harming any humans, you’d try anyways.

He seemed to like the beef jerky he stole from you earlier, and you knew Uraume had served him roasted boar a couple of nights prior. The steaks were probably your best bet. If he did decide to eat what you made, he’d probably eat a vast amount of it. You imagined he had an appetite as large as his terrible fucking attitude.

You reached for the packages of steak. Each one contained three individual steaks, so if you cooked two packages, you could feed him five and eat one yourself. Hopefully that would be enough.

You stood up and walked over to the sink, setting both packages to the side. Sukuna’s eyes burned into you as you sliced into the packages and pulled out the frozen meat before setting them in a large bowl of water to help them thaw.

“It’ll likely be an hour or so before it’s ready,” you informed him as you turned back around, pulling a rice cooker out from one of the bottom cabinets. “If you’d like, you can go clean yourself up. I have a tub large enough to comfortably fit you, and I know it’s been a while since either of us bathed.”

You set the rice cooker on the counter and plugged it in. Glancing over your shoulder, your eyes met his as he just stood there glowering at you.

“Or not. Do whatever you want. It’s just an offer while we have access to running water.” You reached up into one of the top cabinets and pulled down a bag of rice and an unopened bottle of mirin. “But if you do decide to bathe and want me to wash your clothes, leave them outside the bathroom door, and I’ll stick them in the washer while you soak.”

Nothing but silence.

You continued your task of prepping dinner as you finished rinsing and putting the rice in the cooker. You opened the fridge to pull out a few more ingredients.

Steak donburi is what you had settled on to make. It was a fairly quick meal and loaded with protein, so maybe, just maybe, it would be up to his standards. You weren’t even sure if he’d eat the rice, but you assumed he’d at least try the steak and the egg.

After a few minutes of glaring at you in silence, you could finally hear Sukuna stomp away in retreat, and soon after, the sounds of a slamming door and running water followed.

“Thank god,” you muttered under your breath. He acted more like a petulant pest than the King of Curses.

You made your way over to the bathroom, and right outside the door was a black haori and a matching pair of pants. Scooping them up, you walked back towards the front of the apartment. In the front entryway, a small washing machine and dryer were tucked away behind a pair of folding wooden doors.

Shoving them in the washing machine, you poured in some soap and pressed start on the cycle. As soon as they finish, you’ll just use your cursed technique to dry them rather than use the dryer so Sukuna wouldn’t have to wait.

You shouldn’t even be doing his laundry at all, but they were the only clothes he had, and frankly, you didn’t want him sleeping on your furniture in them. It had been five days since you had last bathed, and it had likely been even longer for him. He didn’t appear to be someone with bad personal hygiene, but he more so just hasn’t had the proper facilities to do so.

You could hear the sound of water cease as you headed back towards the kitchen to get started on the steak, and you could hopefully pull something together that would be enough to satisfy Sukuna.

—————————

The water had long gone cold since Sukuna stepped into the bath, but regardless, it still felt good on his body. His head was leaned against the wall behind the tub, with all four of his arms resting along the sides. You were right — he did comfortably fit into the tub. It had been a long time since he was able to relax like this.

A pair of footsteps could be heard just outside the door, followed by a soft plop. It was likely his now-cleaned clothes being brought back to him. The footsteps softly retreated, and the second he was sure that you were gone, Sukuna sat up and reached down towards the drain to lift up the plug.

As much as his muscles longed to continue soaking, an aroma wafted throughout the apartment and smelled of freshly roasted meat. He originally had no desire to even try whatever pitiful excuse of a meal you would attempt to serve him. However, he supposed it wouldn’t kill him to give it a try. Even if it was nothing more than an excuse for him to further berate you.

As soon as the water began draining, Sukuna pushed himself up to his feet and stepped over the edge of the tub onto the tile floor. A single gray towel laid across the counter next to the sink, although it was unfolded and likely used. He brought it up to his face and took a large whiff. The right side of his upper lip immediately curled into a sneer. It reeked of you.

Disgusting.

Sukuna tossed it over his shoulder, and a soft sound could be heard as it collided with something behind him. The fact you even possessed the nerve to imply he needed to bathe was astounding. Whether it was true or not was irrelevant. Usually he would never tolerate such impertinence, and if it had been anyone else who had said such a thing, it would’ve been the last words they ever spoke.

That goddamn vow.

Although he supposed it really didn’t matter. Soon, you’ll be suffering a fate far worse than your minuscule brain could ever comprehend. The thought alone was enough to bring a brief smile to his lips.

He reached down to the cabinet underneath your sink and yanked open one of the doors to reveal a stack of neatly folded and presumably clean towels. Pulling one out, he started atop his head and began vigorously rubbing the fabric against his wet hair. He then slowly moved onto his face and his torso, allowing the cotton to absorb the dampness from his skin before finishing off the lower half of his body.

Now fully dry, he made his way over to the door to see his freshly washed clothes lying in a folded pile right outside. He slipped on his pants and haori before following the tempting scent back to its source.

Sukuna had been correct, and it was the scent of roasted meat. He leaned against the wall and observed as you were slightly bent over the kitchen counter, a knife in one of your hands diligently slicing through a chunk of meat, while the other hand held it in place. As soon as you finished the first piece, you moved on to a second.

The outside appeared to be charred, giving it a deep brown crust on its edges, while the inside was a reddish hue. A bright, scarlet liquid seeped from the center. At least a moron like you had enough common sense to prepare him some sort of red meat.

“Have you decided whether you want some or not?” You inquired, never once looking up as you pushed the second now-sliced hunk of meat to the side and reached for a third.

“I suppose I’ll indulge. I do look forward to seeing what else you can pathetically fail at.”

With a click of your tongue, you briefly cut your eyes over to him before returning them to your task at hand.

You thought you were difficult to read, and to most people you probably were. However, Sukuna was not like others, and even being as idiotic as you were, you should’ve realized that by now. You could play aloof all you desired. He was still able to peer through the cracks of the feelings you regularly tried to repress.

Emotions often act as a catalyst for exposing one’s weaknesses. Unfortunately, you seemed to possess the ability to quickly regain control of yours. Even after your draining fight with that cursed spirit, you had gotten ahold of your anger before it began to spiral. It was a sign of a decent mental fortitude.

No matter, he’d still find a way to wear you down bit by bit. If he could not physically control you, he needed to find a way to do so mentally. He would patiently chip away at your exterior as he awaited Uraume to return with Tatsumaki, and in time, whatever lies beneath the surface will be laid bare for him to see. All he desires will finally be his for the taking.

Sukuna sauntered over to the wooden table in the center of your living room and lowered himself down as he awaited you to serve him. He dragged his fingers across the table in front of him. The surface was completely empty. In fact, besides furniture, your apartment was almost completely bare.

It was strange — most humans decorated their personal spaces according to their tastes or hobbies, but yours was completely void of anything of the sort. No pictures of family or friends graced the walls, and no forms of entertainment were to be spotted. It was like a blank slate.

Whenever you had first mentioned coming back here, he hoped he’d be able to gather more information on you just by observing where you lived. However, it wasn’t likely, judging by his current surroundings. He’d have to acquire what he wanted through different methods.

“It’s steak donburi,” you informed him as you made your way over with a bowl in each hand. You stretched out your left arm to place the bowl directly in front of him, and a pair of metal chopsticks clattered onto the table immediately after. “It’s nothing but rice, steak, a few seasonings, scallions, and eggs.”

Sukuna leaned over to inspect the meal in front of him. Short grains of fluffy, white rice were almost completely covered by thin strips of the meat you had sliced up. Two large amber yolks were perched atop, with the occasional green speck littering them.

You placed your bowl opposite Sukuna’s and lowered yourself down to the floor as well. Your portion was a similar size to his, except with only half the amount of meat and much more greenery.

He observed as you pushed your chopsticks into the yolks on top, allowing them to break and spread their gooey interiors throughout the dish. You carefully picked up a slice of the meat and some rice before bringing it to your mouth. Gentle, deliberate chews followed before you reached to pick up another piece.

Sukuna knew you were starving. You were unlike him, which meant your mortal body actually required sustenance to survive. For the past five days, you had lived off of small amounts of food, never once having a full meal. Despite the hunger you must feel, you still ate mindfully and leisurely. It was a show of self-restraint in a situation where one did not need to exhibit such behavior.

Interesting.

He looked down at his own food and finally reached towards his pair of chopsticks. It looked and smelled decent enough, he’d give you that much. Most modern food did not appeal to him in the slightest, but this he may just be able to stomach.

He lifted the bowl up with one hand and used another to pick up two slices of meat before bringing the chopsticks to his lips. Upon tasting it, he immediately clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes.

He loudly chewed and swallowed before hurriedly grabbing two more pieces of the meat, this time dipping them into one of the egg yolks and picking up a small amount of rice along with them.

“Is it tolerable enough for you?” Sukuna glanced up to be met with your inquisitive eyes. You seemed genuinely curious.

“Hardly,” he growled through gritted teeth. “I find myself barely able to choke it down.”

It was actually an adequate meal. No, it was more than adequate. But he’d sooner fucking die than ever tell you that.

The two of you briefly ate in silence, but it wasn’t long until Sukuna’s meal was devoured and he once again found himself feeling unsatisfied. He dropped the empty bowl, allowing it to clatter against the table and break the quiet atmosphere.

“More, now.”

With a gentle sigh, you reached outwards and lifted up his bowl. “Thankfully I anticipated you having a large appetite.”

You soon returned with his bowl replenished. However, this time your opposite hand carried two books in it, one of which he recognized as something you had discovered the night of your fateful meeting.

Setting his meal in front of him, you made your way back to your seat before opening the book he wasn’t aware of. You pulled out a singular folded piece of paper and opened it up, allowing it to spread across the table.

A map of Japan.

“This is where we are.” Your finger hovered over the star that was labeled as Tokyo.

You insolent brat.

“I know where Tokyo is on a fucking map,” Sukuna spat.

You completely disregarded his statement, allowing your finger to slowly trace further down. Another thing you often did that pissed him off.

One of his lower hands that rested by his side began tightly clenching into a fist, his knuckles turning a shade of white. This was not the first time you had ignored him, although if he could have his way, it would certainly be the last.

“Originally I had planned to start my journey at the northern part of the country and work my way down.” Your finger glided further down the map, beginning to near the southern coast before it came to a halt. “However, due to unforeseen circumstances, there will be a change of plans, and instead we’ll start in this area.”

Sukuna did not give a shit what the two of you did nor where you went on your pathetic little search. He just needed to keep you occupied and in one piece until he could get ahold of the wind weapon. He just grunted in acknowledgment and continued to eat the meal in front of him.

“There’s a bunch of abandoned towns in this area, so I’m sure we’ll be quick to find shelter and supplies. Plus there’s a bunch of locations to be searched just within a few hours of one another.” Your finger began to tap on a few different locations on the map, although he really paid no mind to exactly where they were. “We’ll be able to hit multiple within the same day and get through them faster.”

Sukuna knew you were impatient to cover more ground and finish your mission as fast as possible. You wanted to be free of this laborious task, and more importantly, him. However, slowing your search down was beneficial to him at the moment. While you were busily entwined in your hopeless quest, it allowed him more time to lay the groundwork for his scheme. But more so than anything else, stalling you gave him time to rest.

Forming this new body of his from cursed energy alone was utterly exhausting and had taken everything out of him. He had been hoping to be back to normal by now. However, his body was still desperately trying to recover from the strain he put on it. You somehow hadn’t realized it yet, but he was weakened in this state, and had you been able to pick up on it, there was a chance you could have finished him off during your first encounter.

How unfortunate it was for you to have already missed your only opportunity to complete your mission. Sukuna grew less fatigued by the day, and it won’t be much longer until his regeneration is fully completed.

You babbled on about your plans for the search, but he wasn’t paying attention. Rather, he finished the second portion of the meal and pushed the empty bowl to the side as he awaited your obnoxious rambling to cease.

After you finally shut your damned mouth, you carefully lifted up the map and refolded it neatly before setting the open book in front of him. Sukuna glanced down with one of his eyes and immediately straightened his posture, leaning forward at the sight that was now before him.

“Where did you get this?” He carefully reached down, his fingers caressing the worn pages.

Each page held a drawing of two weapons. On the left were two tantō blades, and on the right were two katanas. It looked like something had been written underneath each individual weapon, but the bottom parts of both pages had been ripped out. In the center, stretching across both pages, was a singular kanji, sanguine in color.

Divine.

That’s how you knew of the weapons.

“I stole this from the Gojo clan’s personal library years ago along with a few other books that contained information on the weapons.” Sukuna’s eyes immediately snapped up to you. “I was forced to return the others but managed to keep this one concealed.”

You claimed you were after the weapons as a way to successfully end Sukuna’s life, so why did you steal this book years prior to his incarnation?

You sat up on your knees and leaned across the table, pointing with your index finger at the pages. “Apparently the weapons each have individual names, but someone tore them out years ago.”

Sukuna ran his finger along the jagged edge where the fragile paper had been torn. That’s why you only referred to them as the divine weapons.

Kazan, the fire weapon. It was a katana and the largest of the four. The hilt was a vibrant red hue and adorned by delicate gold ornaments in the shape of flames that could be seen protruding from underneath the wraps. Its tsuba and blade were golden as well.

Tsuchi was the earth weapon and was also a katana. It was the plainest of the four weapons. The hilt was an emerald green, with the tsuba and blade both being silver. No intricate carvings or adorations could be found anywhere on it.

Suiryu was the formal name of the water weapon. The tantō’s blade itself was golden, while the hilt was wrapped with various hues of blue. Suiryu’s tsuba was not circular but instead shaped like a wave. It was the smallest of the four weapons.

And finally, Tatsumaki, the second tantō. The prize Sukuna was eager to get his hands on. It’s said to be the strongest of the four weapons. The blade along with the tsuba were both silver in color and carved with intricate designs, while the hilt was wrapped in lilac with silver adorations peeking through.

All four weapons possessed a unique ability, although Sukuna only knew what Tatsumaki and Suiryu were capable of. He knew significantly less about the katanas.

“How is it these weapons that allegedly have the power of a god exist, yet I’ve never heard of them despite living in an era close to their existence?” He cut his eyes up to you.

“They’re not talked about outside of the three major clans. Only members of the Gojo, Kamo, and Zenin families are allowed to know of their existence.”

Good. You really were clueless. He figured as much, but it never hurt to check.

“And you claim to be from a non-sorcerer family,” Sukuna drawled as he pushed the book back towards you. “Yet you know plenty about them.”

For a brief second he saw it. A fleeting look in your eyes that if one were to so much as blink, they’d miss it entirely. A look Sukuna couldn’t quite put a name on. Was it anger or sadness he saw? Perhaps even disgust. Maybe a mix of all three.

“It’s complicated,” you shrugged, pushing yourself to your feet. “And not really worth discussing.”

It may not have lasted long, but that momentary expression gave him what he was so restlessly searching for, a possible weakness he could exploit. Whether it was the mention of your family or the three big clans, he did not yet know. However, he’d find out soon enough who you were and what all you hid.

He couldn’t resist the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Nothing you’ve said since I met you has been worth discussing, yet I’m still charitable enough to listen. What’s one more useless story?”

You snatched the book up and gave him a polite smile, one that he knew killed you inside to force upon your face. “It’s late, and I believe we’re both tired. I need to go clean up and get some rest. Goodnight, Sukuna.”

Sukuna soon found himself alone after you made a quick exit, not even bothering to clear the dirty dinnerware from your table. He glanced over at the now-closed bedroom door you had escaped through, and a soft chuckle erupted from his throat.

It appeared you were already being pulled apart at the seams. He’d just be the one to fully unravel you.

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[sukunatoes]

No Strings Attached Masterlist

Nerd Satoru Gojo x Fem Reader

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” You didn’t need to see your face to know how appalled you must look.

“I was wondering if, uh,” Satoru’s voice began to falter as he was quickly losing confidence, something that was wildly uncharacteristic of him. “If, uh, you wanted to hook up with me.”

Synopsis: You and Satoru Gojo have been inseparable for as long as you could remember. However, for most of those years, you’ve been head over heels in love with him. Despite your one-sided feelings, you’ve successfully managed to keep your friendship strictly platonic. At least you had, until the day he asked you to hook up — with no strings attached, of course.

Content: Friends to FWB to Lovers, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Female Reader, Unprotected Sex, Oral Sex (M and F Receiving), Modern AU (College/University), No Cursed Spirits or Techniques, Each Chapter Individually Tagged

Status: Ongoing (Chapter 2/5)

18+ ONLY, MDNI

Story can also be found here on Ao3.

1. Chapter 1

2. Chapter 2

3. Chapter 3 [Coming Soon]

[sukunatoes]

No Strings Attached

Chapter 2

Nerdjo x Fem Reader

18+ ONLY, MDNI

A/N: Art in banner is by the lovely @/84midnightsun on Twitter

CW: Unprotected Sex, Oral Sex (Fem Receiving), Vaginal Fingering, Creampie

Chapter Index

The university’s library was cold per usual — not just the physical atmosphere, but cold in its appearance as well. The unforgiving fluorescent lights looked more like they belonged in a supermarket aisle than a place of study. They ricocheted off the white, marble floor and were nearly blinding. Built-in shelves graced the colorless walls, housing tens of thousands of books.

Despite the lack of warmth and coziness one would hope to find in a library, Satoru somehow still managed to brighten up the room with his presence alone. He sat directly opposite you — his cheek propped up on his left hand while his right furiously scribbled into various notebooks. A long-sleeved black sweater draped loosely across his shoulders with the edges of his collarbones exposed. Tousled strands the color of snow fell across his forehead in multiple directions, stopping just shy of his glasses. His azure eyes never once left the work in front of him.

Somehow, even with his attention fully devoted to the physics textbook in front of him, he still managed to shine. He never even had to try, because everywhere Satoru Gojo went, he always managed to be a source of light. Perhaps that was just one of the many reasons you had fallen in love with him to begin with.

In a way, it was almost like he was the sun. His brightness was always the focal point as he illuminated everything in his path. He was funny and kind — the type of person who would do anything for a friend in need. Whether it be pulling an all-nighter to help someone study or moving a piece of furniture, he was always the first to volunteer. He was a self-assured and confident man, especially when it came to academics. Everyone, including him, knew he was a genius, and that was one thing he was not humble about. And on top of everything else, he was truly the most beautiful person you had ever met.

Yes, Satoru Gojo was the sun — and you had been trapped in his orbit for as long as you could remember.

He was completely oblivious to you staring at him, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. It was well known that once he started studying, it was damn near impossible to tear him away until he was finished. He had always been that way.

Your gaze traced over him, and you meticulously studied every single detail as if this was the first and last time you would ever see him. From the gentle contours of his cheekbones to the sharp edges of his defined jaw, everything about him was perfect. But it was when your eyes reached his supple lips that memories from the night you two had shared just a week prior came rushing in. The trance you found yourself in was immediately shattered by a harsh ache in your heart.

Immediately following your tryst, the two of you went separate ways for the evening. The next morning, and every day since, not a single word was uttered about what had occurred. Satoru acted as if nothing transpired. You expected as much — he did tell you that it was no strings attached. Regardless, it still burned all the same.

“Satoru,” you whispered in an attempt to gently grab his attention.

He offered no response as he continued penning down his notes. You leaned forward a bit and glanced over what he was writing. Complex equations sprawled across almost two full pages in their entirety. His eyes constantly jumped between the textbook and his notebook, his hand never stopping to take a break as he jotted it all down.

He reached with his left hand to quickly flip over onto the next page. You shot your hand out and were just barely able to catch him before he continued on in his physics-fueled trance. Satoru glanced up at you, his eyes finally meeting with yours. He reached his right hand up, pen in tow, and used his index finger to push his glasses up as they began inching down the bridge of his nose.

“Oh, sorry,” he replied with a lazy grin. “Did you say something?”

You forced a small smile to match his. “I just wanted to let you know that I think I’m going to head home. I don’t have any more classes today.”

“Okay, sure.” The corners of his mouth turned further upward as his grin grew into a smile. “I’ll see you later then.”

You nodded your head in response and began gathering the books sprawled out on the surface in front of you that you hadn’t even touched since your arrival. The wooden chair squealed as it scraped against the tile below. Rising to your feet, you tucked away everything into your backpack and pulled out your phone to check your messages. Just a couple of texts from Suguru and Shoko in the group chat inviting you to game night at their apartment tonight.

You turned towards the door, phone still in hand as you began to type out a reply, when suddenly your body collided with something. Immediately looking up, your eyes were met with a widened pair staring right back at you.

A blonde girl, about the same height as you, carrying a stack of books immediately backed up, one of her hands now raised. You didn’t recognize her, which was strange. Your university was decent-sized, but still, you were familiar with the majority of the students. She must be new.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” Her hushed whispers were urgent and carried a sincere, apologetic tone.

“I’m fine,” you offered with a smile. “I should be the one apologizing. It was my fault.”

“Naori!” You heard Satoru’s voice call from behind you. You turned your head around to see him excitedly pointing to your now empty seat.

They knew each other? He had never spoken about her before, and you two told each other everything.

Well, almost everything.

“I’m so sorry again,” Naori said as her hand brushed against your shoulder, pulling your attention back towards her.

You just offered a gentle smile in return and kept walking past her towards the exit. Before exiting, you glanced over your shoulder one final time at your friend, and your face immediately fell at the sight in front of you.

Neither one of them was studying but instead appeared to be deep into a conversation. Both his notebook and textbook had been closed as he began packing them away in his bag. You saw his hand begin to reach across the table and decided it was enough as you turned your gaze back ahead of you.

Pushing on the door, you exited the library and carefully climbed down the concrete steps. The dull ache in your chest was now replaced by a burning sensation as you felt a nasty emotion take root in you. You shook your head to rid yourself of the thoughts trying to course through your mind. There was no point in jumping to conclusions about what you just saw, and even though you knew what you were feeling, you refused to give a name to it. Satoru was never yours to begin with.

——————

A gurgling sound could be heard as you felt your stomach twisting itself into knots. You were famished to the point it made it difficult to concentrate on the presentation you were attempting to put together for Professor Yaga’s class.

Immediately after you arrived home, you holed yourself up in your room to get some work done. It ensured there would be no distractions, but more importantly, it ensured that you could avoid Satoru. He came home just two hours after you, and since his arrival, you’ve refused to go out into the common areas.

Was it childish? Absolutely. However, you currently had larger things to worry about, and letting your emotions grow out of control would cause far more issues. So once again, you decided you’d just shove them down and deal with them at a later date. You knew it’d come back to bite you sooner rather than later, but in this moment, it felt like the easiest way to deal with things.

Your stomach gurgled a second time —this one was much louder than the first. You pulled your laptop from where it rested on your thighs and set it to the side on top of your nightstand. As long as you were this hungry, you would get absolutely nothing done. You were pretty sure Satoru was in his room and had been since he got home. If you could just run out to the kitchen and quietly grab something quick, chances are you’d be able to make it back without running into him.

Standing up, you slid a pair of slippers on and walked over to your bedroom door. You gently twisted the knob and pushed open the door, allowing your head to peek out of the small crack. Satoru’s room was on the opposite side of the apartment as yours, with the kitchen being in the direct center of you both. He wasn’t in your line of sight, so you opened the door further and pushed yourself forward. You ghosted across the tile floor, not a single sound coming from your footsteps. Upon reaching the end of the short hallway, you peered around the corner into the living room and dining room. Both were empty.

Perfect.

Making your way into the kitchen, you found yourself in front of the pantry. You carefully opened the door and reached in, grabbing a half-empty bag of potato chips. Slipping them under your arm, you grabbed a sleeve of chocolate chip cookies for good measure before closing the pantry back.

“You’re not coming to game night?” Satoru’s voice called out as his bedroom door swung open. You jumped back in surprise, nearly dropping the snacks under your arm.

He had just gotten out of the shower. His milky hair was still damp and effortlessly cascaded around his vivid eyes. Nothing but dark-wash jeans with a pair of gray Calvin Kleins peeking over the top graced his body. You immediately brought your eyes up to his. The last thing you wanted was for him to notice you gawking at his body.

“Well?” He looked you up and down with a small frown.

You glanced down at yourself only to remember you were wearing your pajama shorts. No wonder he was asking.

“No, I’m staying home. Have some stuff to do.” You kept your response curt as you attempted to head back towards your room.

“Oh, come on! Everyone’s gonna be there.” You already knew his face carried a massive pout without even turning around. “Even Nanami’s coming, and he hates game night!”

“Sorry,” you mumbled as you made your way back into the room, using your foot to kick the door shut behind you.

Crawling back into bed, you peeled open the sleeve of cookies and shoved one into your mouth, taking as big of a bite as you could muster. Reaching over to the nightstand, you grabbed a water bottle and popped the cap off before taking a swig. You moved your computer back to your lap and opened your presentation back up.

Your phone began to vibrate next to you, and after glancing over, you saw a single message from Satoru containing nothing but a frowning face. The screen went dark as you slid your finger over and clicked the lock button. You needed to focus on your project. Everything else could wait.

Your fingers frantically typed, only occasionally pulling away to bring another cookie to your mouth. Another buzz came from your phone as the screen illuminated. It was from Satoru again, this time a message containing two frowning faces. You just rolled your eyes in response. Why was he being so damn persistent today? He rarely even went to game night himself. Usually he was the one who was locked away studying.

Suddenly, your bedroom door swung open, nearly slamming into the wall, and Satoru was standing in the entrance, both hands placed firmly on his hips.

His hair was now dry and styled as usual, landing perfectly atop the frame of his glasses he had just put on. A blue button-down was neatly tucked into his jeans with a black leather belt snaking through his belt loops. He looked as good as he always did.

Your name sweetly dripped from his lips like honey, and your heart immediately fluttered. Sometimes you really hated how you were nothing more than putty in his hands.

“Please get dressed and come out with me. It’s going to be fun.” He walked further into your room and plopped down onto the edge of your bed as he pleaded with you.

“I have this presentation to finish for Yaga’s class,” you said as you pulled your eyes back to the screen and began typing again. “The deadline is in two days, and it accounts for a pretty big chunk of my grade.”

“Then I’ll help you with it when we get back.” He tried to reach his hand over to grab your laptop, but before it could make contact, you were swatting him away.

“Gojo, stop.” Your eyes widened as you realized what you said the second it escaped your mouth.

Satoru was just as taken aback as you were. His brows instantly furrowed as a look of pure bewilderment took over his face. You don’t think you’ve ever called him that the entire time you two had known each other.

“What’s going on with you?” His voice was laced with genuine concern.

Setting your laptop to the side, you fully sat up, finally giving him your undivided attention. “Look, I’m sorry, but this presentation is a really big deal. Besides, they host game night every month. I’ll just join in on the next one.”

Your presentation’s deadline was in two days — that much was the truth. However, if it weren’t for what you had witnessed unfold earlier at the library, you’d likely still be going to Suguru and Shoko’s place.

What you had seen had likely been nothing more than a harmless interaction, but even if it wasn’t, it was none of your business. You and Satoru had never been nothing more than friends, and a one-time hookup wouldn’t change that. However, no matter how you looked at the situation, you were still hurting, and you were desperate for a distraction. If throwing yourself into schoolwork offered you even a moment of solace, you’d eat it up.

“Bring your laptop into the living room, and I’ll help you work on it.” He pushed himself to his feet and turned towards the door. “I’m gonna go tell Suguru that we’re not coming tonight.”

“No, Satoru, you don’t have—“

Your words were cut short as he shut the door behind him.

Fuck.

Of course he’d offer to stay home and help you. That was just the kind of person he was.

You shot to your feet and rushed into the living room, catching him just as he picked up his phone and began typing.

“Satoru, seriously, it’s okay,” you reassured him, your voice a far higher pitch than you hoped it would be. “You don’t have to stay in and help me tonight.”

“I want to, seriously,” he said as he continued typing for a moment. His fingers came to a stop, and he looked up at you with a smile. “This is obviously important to you, besides we’ll just go next month like you said.”

“But—“

“No.” He was quick to cut you short before you could protest any further. “Now, go grab your laptop, and I’m going to go change.”

Disappearing to his room without another word, you began trudging back to your room. Once you grabbed what you needed, you headed back towards the couch and plopped down. You pulled the black coffee table towards you and set your laptop on it before folding your legs underneath you.

Satoru soon returned, this time in a white pair of sweatpants and a black compression shirt. He secured himself right next to you and immediately leaned forward, his fingers clicking through the slides you had already completed. You held your breath as his elbow bumped into your knee. The two of you were currently far too close for your liking.

This was the exact opposite of how you had wanted to spend your evening. At least if you had gone to game night, there would’ve been a bunch of other people there with you, and you wouldn’t be forced into such a close proximity with Satoru. Everything had completely backfired.

”Do you mind if I change a few things on the slides you’ve already done?” Satoru asked as he glanced over his shoulder at you.

“Not at all.”

You watched as he sat back up and leaned against the back of the couch. He set your computer on his lap, and the sounds of typing and clicking soon followed.

Scooting over as far as you could, you laid against the couch’s armrest and began mindlessly scrolling through social media. The tension in the air was palpable, at least to you anyways. Satoru had no idea how you felt or what was truly going on, and he was terrible at reading others’ emotions anyways. He always had been.

Roughly an hour passed with the two of you staying in the same positions, neither one speaking a single word. You locked your phone and rose to your feet. A pair of cerulean eyes cut up to you as soon as your weight shifted off the couch cushions.

“Going to get a snack,” you informed him as you shuffled over to the refrigerator.

Satoru stood up and immediately followed suit. “Do we have anything sweet?”

You couldn’t resist the smile that tugged at the corner of your lips. He truly never changes. “As long as you live here, we’ll always have something sweet.”

“Oh?” A shit-eating grin spread across his face, stretching ear to ear as he reached around you into the now open fridge.

Your cheeks grew hot as you turned your face back towards the fridge, hoping he wouldn’t notice. You smacked his hand away, and he immediately pulled it back. “Now, that’s not what I meant, and you know it. And wait your turn, I was here first.”

Reaching in, you grabbed a container of chocolate-covered strawberries and turned around, setting them on the counter. You flipped open the clear, plastic lid and pulled out one dipped in white chocolate that was decorated with red sprinkles. Bringing it up to your lips, you sank your teeth in and took a generous bite, only leaving the leaves for you to discard.

Satoru was staring at you, and you already knew he wanted some. You flipped the open container towards him and motioned at the five remaining strawberries as an offer.

“Are you not going to feed me one?” He fluttered his eyelashes, a smile still gracing his face.

You rolled your eyes in response and shoved the container of strawberries closer to him. “Absolutely not.”

His bottom lip protruded into the most dramatic pout he could muster. “We’ve been best friends for almost twenty years, and you won’t even feed me a strawberry.”

You let out an exasperated sigh and snatched up a strawberry, this one covered in a layer of milk chocolate with white chocolate stripes. He opened his mouth expectantly, and you brought it up to his lips. He took a bite, and you could’ve sworn his smile grew even larger with every chew. If there was one thing about Satoru, he loved his sweets.

“Are you happy now?”

You received an immediate hum of approval as you closed the lid and turned to set them back in the fridge. “You know, Satoru, after all these years, you’re still just as annoying as ever.”

“Annoying, huh?” You froze as his breath was suddenly hot on your ear. The container fell from your hand at the sudden sensation and hit the plastic shelf with a clank.

Before you could react, he placed a soft kiss on your neck, just below your earlobe. A pair of hands snaked around your waist from behind and slipped underneath the hem of your tank top. Flashbacks of the week prior flooded your mind, and the way you felt was almost identical. You knew, after everything, you should end this before it escalated, but once again, you couldn’t bring yourself to stop. The second his lips touched you, all logic went out the window.

Your hands settled on top of his and guided them downwards until they sunk under the waistband of your shorts. He pulled you backwards, and as soon as your bodies collided, you could feel his hard length rubbing against you. Satoru left a gentle trail of kisses along the side of your neck as his hands sunk lower and lower.

His right index finger slid between your folds and immediately made its way to your entrance. He wasted no time sinking it in as far as it could possibly go. A gasp escaped you at the sudden intrusion, and you leaned forward, grabbing onto the fridge door for support as he curled his finger inside of you.

“Already soaked,” he cooed as his left hand found its way to your clit. You let out a whimper as he began to slowly draw circles around the sensitive nub, his lips never leaving your neck.

He continued until you were just about to reach your climax before retracting both of his hands from you and spinning you around. You opened your mouth to protest the sudden loss of contact, but before you could get any words out, he shoved the refrigerator closed and pushed you back against the stainless steel. Satoru immediately fell to his knees and lifted your right leg over his shoulder while your left was still firmly planted on the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“I told you I wanted something sweet.” In one fluid motion, he pulled down both your shorts and your panties. Within an instant, his mouth was on you. You let out a moan as he began gently moving his tongue back and forth. His movements were slow and deliberate, as if he was trying to savor it.

“Thought about this all week,” he confessed. You couldn’t tell if the butterflies you felt were from the physical pleasure or his sudden admission that the night you shared hadn’t left his mind.

Before your thoughts could stray further, Satoru placed his left hand under the upper part of your right thigh, offering you much-needed support as he began to pick up the pace. You entwined your fingers into his soft strands and gently tugged on them, prompting a quiet groan from him.

Your left leg began trembling and your right heel dug into the muscles on his back as you grew close. Heat began pooling in your abdomen. Your eyes forced shut as you threw your head back. Satoru continued to lap at your clit as your moans grew louder and louder. Your climax exploded through you, and his grip on you tightened as your body jerked forward. He slowed his pace back down, allowing you to ride it out before pulling back.

He rose to his feet and instantly captured your lips with his. The kiss was messy and desperate as he pulled you into him. Both of his hands slipped underneath you, and as he lifted you up into the air, your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.

He deepened your kiss as he carried you towards the couch, his tongue prying your lips apart and pushing its way into your mouth. Lowering himself down onto the couch, he brought you with him, your knees landing on both sides of his lap. He finally broke the kiss, a thick string of saliva connecting his mouth to yours as he briefly pulled away.

“Please let me fuck you,” he pleaded breathlessly as he slipped his sweatpants and boxers down his thighs. His hard cock sprung free, the tip swollen and red, leaking beads of clear fluid.

You leaned forward, raising yourself up enough for him to line up perfectly with your entrance. Lowering yourself just a bit, his tip began pressing into your cunt, prompting a soft groan from him. In a singular, swift movement you pushed all the way down, taking him all in one go. A second, louder groan fell from his lips as a gasp escaped yours.

His hands connected with your waist, slipping underneath your tank top and pulling it over your head, tossing it to the side. He leaned forward, bringing his mouth to one of your nipples as you slowly began bouncing up and down on his cock.

His tongue encircled the hardened tip as he brought one of his hands to the other, capturing it between his thumb and index finger, rubbing back and forth.

You threw your head back as you started to pick up the rhythm. “I thought about this all week.” Your admission was tumbling from your mouth before you even knew what you were saying.

“How your hands felt on my body and your mouth on mine.” You knew you should quit while you were ahead, but you felt so intoxicated by him you just couldn’t bring yourself to stop. “The way your cock fit inside me perfectly, like it was made for me.”

He pulled back, both of his hands gripping your ass as he took control of the pace, guiding you up and down his length. “If you don’t stop talking like that, I’m not gonna last.”

Your head fell forward and rested against his shoulder as he rutted into you. His pace was far rougher than the first night the two of you shared.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” Satoru managed to choke out between his symphony of groans.

His cock repeatedly pushed into your cervix as he shoved himself as far into you as he could physically go. His pace began to grow sloppy as he continued ramming in and out of your sopping cunt.

You could feel him twitch inside of you before he began flooding your insides with his thick, white cum. He thrust into you a few more times as he rode out his climax, his warm seed and your slick juices dripping out from around the edges of his cock and running down your inner thighs onto his lap.

You leaned forward, resting your forehead against his, and closed your eyes. He wrapped his arms around you, still not pulling out, and allowed you to rest there for just a moment as he attempted to catch his own breath.

“Did you mean what you said?” He mumbled, his lips so close to yours that you could inhale him. “That you thought about me all week?”

“Mhm,” you opened your eyes to see a bright blue pair staring right back at you from behind the lenses of his glasses. “Did you?”

“I did,” his voice was incredibly soft as he offered a smile.

The position the two of you found yourselves in was far too intimate for friends who were just hooking up. Whether he realized it yet or not, whatever arrangement you shared with one another would never be casual. You knew the truth was that no matter how hard you tried, you wouldn’t be able to outrun your feelings for him. You could desperately push them down and try to drown them out, but they’d always be there, bubbling back up to the surface until they finally erupted.

You knew what you had to do now. Coming clean and confessing how you felt was truly the only viable option. Not tonight, but soon. Even if your feelings were unrequited, you couldn’t hold them in any longer, because you knew that Satoru Gojo was the sun — and you’d never be able to escape being stuck in his orbit.

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[sukunatoes]

Sanguine

Chapter 6: Inconvenience

True Form Sukuna x Reader

18+ ONLY, MDNI

CW: Tobacco Usage, Very Brief Violence, Broken Bones

It was unbearably bright, as not a single cloud graced the azure sky. The breeze carried a slight chill, although it was still a good bit warmer than it had been days prior. Soft tendrils of smoke gently drifted upwards from your mouth with each drag of your cigarette. Somewhere behind you, you could hear the sound of the brittle winter blades of grass crunching beneath Sukuna’s feet.

The shrine you both just visited was yet another dead end. Not a single clue to help aid you in the search for the divine weapons. It had been just three days since your battle with the cursed spirit. The following morning when you awoke, your cursed energy had been almost fully replenished, and the two of you set out almost immediately. Since departing the temple ruins, you had managed to investigate four more sites along the northern coast. That brought the total of places you’ve now searched to six.

You continued your leisurely pace throughout the meadow until a small boulder appeared in your line of sight. Walking over to it, you sat on top of it and stretched your aching legs straight out.

Whenever you had originally planned this excursion, you envisioned it going a lot differently. Sukuna tagging along put a damper on things. He had often insisted on only visiting one location per day before making camp and settling down for the evening. Only once did you visit two places in the same day, and that followed a brief argument between the two of you. Ideally, you needed to visit three to four locations daily. Otherwise, you’d be spending months on your search.

Besides the fact he was slowing you down majorly, he was also why you had to sleep out in the elements. For whatever reason, the majority of Kenjaku’s spirits stayed south of Tokyo. As the southern parts of the country are being overrun, many citizens have been evacuating north. Cities, towns, and even smaller inconspicuous farming villages were being filled to the brim with refugees. Visiting any sort of inn was off the table as long as he was involved.

“I’m not surprised that you’ve led us to yet another dead end.” Sukuna’s mocking tone echoed throughout the meadow as he approached you, casting a shadow as he grew closer to the rock where you sat. “It’s quite pathetic, actually.”

Sukuna had been speaking to you a lot more since he and Uraume parted ways. However, it was mostly just him complaining or mocking you. You ignored him most of the time, only offering the occasional response if he began to show signs of annoyance.

It was strange. You knew it was due to him being bound by a mutual vow not to harm you, but regardless, as of right now you viewed him as more of a nuisance than anything else. Though he probably thought of you much the same.

“Brat, I’m speaking to you.” He kicked his right foot out, colliding with the boulder. It wasn’t strong enough to move or crack it, just enough to attempt to gain your attention.

You cut your eyes to him. His face was twisted into its usual scowl, and his cursed energy was slowly beginning to spike as he grew annoyed with you. One thing you had learned about him is that he hated being ignored. You assumed it was due to the fact that he chalked it up to a mere weak human daring to disrespect a being such as him. In fact, if it weren’t for your vow, he’d likely punish you for such a thing.

“So far, I’ve searched six places in total and found one clue. Considering how well hidden they are, those aren’t bad numbers,” you quipped.

You crossed your right leg over your left, allowing you to extinguish your cigarette on the sole of your boot. After sliding the butt into one of your pockets, you pulled your backpack forward to unzip it.

“We’re not going to get anywhere at this pace,” he growled.

“On that, we can agree,” you mumbled as you fished out a package of beef jerky.

That was another thing. You had hardly eaten at all since this journey began. With the exception of three salmon and mayo onigiri you purchased from a convenience store during a stop for gas, you’ve been living off of protein bars and jerky. Something as simple as going to a restaurant was impossible with him, so it was nothing but gas station food for the time being. Plus, with you camping, they had to be non-perishable. It was an annoyance.

You popped open the bag and reached in your fingers, but before you could even grab on to a piece, Sukuna stuck out one of his hands and ripped it from your grasp.

“Hey, I was eating that!”

He immediately plopped down on the ground in front of you with a huff. Leaning back on both of his left arms, he slid two fingers from one of his right hands into the bag. Pulling out a piece of the jerky, he shoved it in its entirety into his open mouth.

“I watched you pack another in your bag,” he said between his loud, obnoxious chews. He returned his fingers back into the pouch and pulled out two more pieces. Holding them in front of his face, he maneuvered the chunks of jerky around, examining them. “This food is one of the better ones I’ve had since reincarnating.”

“It’s dried meat, of course you’d like it,” you said with an exasperated sigh as you dug for the second pack. “After we leave here, I’d like to drive back to my apartment in Tokyo. We can stay there for a couple of days while I reevaluate our search. Also, that’ll allow me to clean up and gather more supplies.”

Your apartment building was in one of the wards completely overrun by cursed spirits. The entire neighborhood evacuated and was now considered abandoned. Taking Sukuna there for a few days should pose no risk to civilians.

He offered nothing more than a grunt in acknowledgement of your statement. With no opposition from him, as soon as you both finished eating, you’d head back to your car and be on the way. The thought of a bath and a warm meal was enough to bring a small smile to your face. You popped open the second package of jerky and began dipping your fingers in.

“On your feet,” Sukuna’s sudden command boomed out. Its loudness caused you to flinch. You glanced up to see him now pushing himself to his feet.

Now what?

“We’ll leave when I finish eating.”

“We’re not leaving.” He reached down and snagged the bag from your hands yet again before dropping it on the ground next to him. “On your feet now.”

Seriously?

With a click of the tongue, you reluctantly indulged him and followed suit. Rising to your feet in front of him, you crossed your arms as you stared back, awaiting his explanation.

“You’re going to use your cursed technique on me.” He extended his lower right arm towards you, urging you to make contact.

“And why would I do that?”

Sukuna gave no answer to your query but instead grabbed onto your right hand, forcing you to make contact with him. Your palm collided into his wrist and was absolutely swallowed by its sheer size. You’d probably be unable to fully wrap your hand around it if you tried.

“You need to learn the concept of personal space.” You attempted to pull your hand from his arm, but within an instant he caught it, forcing you to maintain your contact.

“Now.” His tone was far more stern. He was growing annoyed again — you could feel his cursed energy wanting to spike.

Despite your cursed energy being replenished, you frankly had no desire to provoke him. Especially considering it would likely end with you following his order at some point anyways.

You sighed as you tightened your grip on him and began sending cursed energy out from the tips of your fingers. His stare was analytical as he focused on the blue aura seeping out from your hand and into his body.

It suddenly clicked. He was attempting to figure out the mechanics behind your cursed technique.

“Ryomen Sukuna.” His eyes cut up to yours at the sound of his name bouncing from your tongue. “If you release yourself from my grip, your arm will break.”

“You only know one trick, is that it?” A smirk grew on his face to accompany his taunting tone.

You fought the urge to roll your eyes. “More like this isn’t worth putting any effort into.”

He ripped his arm back from your grasp, and the second the contact broke, your energy began to go to work. The both of you stared as his arm began twisting and contorting. The noise was disgusting, and it took everything in you to suppress a shudder at the sounds of his bones snapping. Sukuna, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered by the situation. His face never once betrayed any sign of pain.

“I thought as much, but wanted to confirm it. It’s your own cursed energy that you’re manipulating. The reason you have to make physical contact is to transfer it to the person or object. So that contact isn’t negotiable,” he said as he rotated his injured arm, studying every inch of it. Suddenly he cut all four eyes up to you. “However, if that’s the case, you should be able to transfer energy from any point on your body, not just your hands.”

Shit.

The fact that you could use the rest of your body to transfer cursed energy was something you didn’t want him to discover. It was one thing you had to keep up your sleeve to help level the playing field between the two of you.

If you outright refused to respond to his statement, it’d be a dead giveaway. However, if you vehemently denied it, it’d also clue him in.

“In theory, I should be able to,” you began, carefully choosing your words. You kept your voice steady. “However, I’ve never done it. I’ve always just used my hands.”

The lie you offered up seemed reasonable enough to believe.

Instead, a snort immediately escaped him. “You’re the worst fucking liar I’ve ever met.”

Your face immediately dropped. You knew you weren’t a terrible liar, so how could he always tell? Deceit and manipulation were a part of the specialized training you had received all those years ago.

Your upbringing as a sorcerer was far from a normal one. While others trained solely to hone their cursed techniques and fight cursed spirits, you were forced to expand your skill set in unusual ways. Deceiving others was something you excelled at.

“That crater I dragged you out of was a perfect circle. That’s an incredibly rare feat.” A faint white glow began emitting from his injured arm. “It’s unlikely that you did that from hitting the ground in one spot, and the easiest way to allow your cursed energy to infiltrate the ground in that pattern would be through your feet.”

“Astute as always, I see.” You watched as the bones in his arm slowly started moving back into place. “You’re correct. I can use other parts of my body for my technique, but it drains my cursed energy significantly faster, so I can’t fight nearly as long.”

You reached down and grabbed the bag of jerky you had just opened that lay next to Sukuna’s feet before turning around to store it and his empty one in your backpack. “I have a significantly lower cursed energy output than most special grade sorcerers. In fact, it’s likely on par with that of a first or even second grade. It’s both my technique and what I’ve accomplished in my line of work as a sorcerer that rank me so high.”

Turning back around, you notice his arm was now fully healed, like it had never been touched by you at all. As you raised your gaze back to his, you noticed he had never taken his eyes off of you.

“It’s a shame,” Sukuna drawled, leaning down until he was eye level with you. “Such a remarkable technique was wasted on such an insignificant pest like yourself.”

You offered nothing more than a grunt in response as you turned back around. Snagging up your backpack, you began your trek towards the car. Sukuna’s pestering could wait until after you ate an actual meal.

You heard a huff from behind immediately followed by his footsteps trailing you. Reaching into your bag, you pulled out another cigarette. As you went to light it, a shadow was cast over you from behind, completely engulfing your body.

You spun around, and a hand reached out, catching your shoulder and holding you in place. Sukuna was now towering over you, an almost unsettling look gracing his face.

“You’d do well to remember that you and I are not the same. At no point have you or will you hold the upper hand against me, sorcerer. Your secrets will not save you.”

With that, he removed his hand from your shoulder and walked ahead of you, disappearing through thick foliage on the opposite side of the meadow you two were traversing while you stood firmly in place.

What the hell was he even talking about?

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[sukunatoes]

sanguine update tomorrow and no strings attached update this week as well :)

[sukunatoes]

What if Satoru and reader had a daughter born with the six eyes and limitless? With how rare it is, she’d be both a target by curses and by other clans. Some wanting to get rid of said daughter or buy her..and it’d make for an interesting oneshot.

i think that’s a really interesting idea! i also think it’d also be interesting for gojo to go on and have children who are incredibly powerful and watch how he navigates parenthood/raising them.

shielding them and protecting them from the dark side of the jujutsu world but at the same time trying to strike a balance between training his kids but also giving them the childhood/familial love he never had. that would be such a cool dynamic to explore!

[sukunatoes]

Sanguine

Chapter 5: Cursed Reckoning

True Form Sukuna x Reader

MDNI, 18+ ONLY

Content Warning: Canon typical violence, fighting, cursed spirits, blood, canon typical injuries

A few hours had gone by since Sukuna had wandered off to join Uraume. He seemed to have put a good bit of distance between the two of you, as you couldn’t feel the signature of his cursed energy any longer. You were pleased to be free of him, even if it was just temporary.

Most of your afternoon had been spent in your car. Thankfully, you had brought along a couple of spare sets of clothes whenever you had first set out on your mission. You changed out of your dirty outfit, ate a makeshift dinner, and were even able to make contact with Gojo. The conversation was far quicker than you would’ve liked, and unfortunately you were unable to get his opinion on the matter of Sukuna’s cursed energy latching onto you. However, he was now clued in on the vow that bound you to Sukuna.

You made it clear to him that the vow would not hinder your ability to complete the objective, and it may even be helpful in doing so. He believed you and agreed that your current position may prove to be useful. You felt a sense of relief that at least someone you trusted was now aware of what you had gotten yourself into.

Your walk back from the car was peaceful. As the sun kissed the horizon, the final remnants of the daylight quickly disappeared alongside it. The temperature began falling rapidly. If you had to guess, it had to be approaching freezing and would only get worse as the night progressed. Neither the blanket you packed in your bag nor the jacket you slipped on would likely be enough. You needed to find a place to make camp and build a fire to keep you warm.

This was the second night in a row you were forced to camp out at your destination, and you had no intention of forming a habit of it. Granted, Sukuna was in a tight spot as he didn’t have the luxury of being able to check into a motel. Regardless, that was his problem and not yours. You agreed to allow him to accompany you on your journey, not to live out in the elements.

The temple now in eyesight, you came to a halt a few hundred meters just shy of it. Rows of towering Japanese cedar, their usual green foliage turned shades of burgundy due to frigid winter temperatures, and a few moss-covered boulders of varying sizes surrounded you. There was nothing special about the area, but the ground had a large enough space between trees to build a decent-sized fire.

You began scrounging for any sticks or logs you could use as firewood. This process would undoubtedly be easier if Sukuna was around, and you could put his dismantle to use. However, building a quicker fire was not worth having to deal with him or his cursed energy.

After finding a few logs, you started arranging some rocks into a circle, forming a small pit for the firewood to lay. Carefully placing the logs, you stuffed some dried leaves underneath and between them. Pulling your lighter out from your pocket, you hovered it overtop of the leaves and ignited it. Before the leaves could catch fire, a soft gust of wind from the north blew the flame out. Your thumb slid down the metal wheel of your lighter once more, but it was in vain as yet another breeze blew through.

A sudden chill slipped down your spine as you felt a pair of eyes on you.

You weren’t alone.

And it wasn’t Sukuna.

A cursed spirit.

You knew what it was without even sparing it a glance. Its aura was strong, likely a special grade. However, its energy output was significantly lower than Sukuna’s, so you were confident you could end this quickly.

A cursed spirit being this far from a populous area would normally be considered an anomaly. Cursed spirits were born from cursed energy, which directly stemmed from negative human emotions. Areas with higher population densities had a larger amount of spirits, and they were often significantly stronger too. Encountering a special grade curse in the middle of the forest told you this was likely one Kenjaku had released.

Despite your confidence in the situation, you still needed to stay on alert. When dealing with a cursed spirit, anything could happen.

You pushed yourself to your feet. “There’s no point in hiding. I know you’re there.”

Dead leaves crunched directly behind you as footsteps approached.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

A sudden halt.

Turning your head to the right, you glanced over your shoulder.

There it is.

Humanoid in appearance, but still carrying strange physical traits that unmistakably belong to a curse. The body was masculine and clad in nothing but a beige hakama. Straight, hip-length black hair was lazily pulled back in a singular ponytail, tied directly under the nape of its neck. Its skin was sickly looking, grey, and devoid of any life. Eyes that were entirely black minus a thin strip of chartreuse that resembled a serpent’s pupil. Thick lines of red, scarred skin branched across the center of its forehead where a singular kanji was branded.

Hachi.

Eight.

What a freak show.

“Are you just going to—“ Your taunt was cut short as streaks of pale skin blurred across your vision. The spirit was already inches from you.

He was unbelievably fast.

Likely even faster than Sukuna.

You barely twisted out of the way in time, but not before a stinging pain shot through your abdomen as a dagger sliced across your stomach in one fluid motion.

Your eyes widened.

It didn’t have that dagger just a moment ago.

You jumped back, putting space between you and the curse. Its expression held absolutely no emotion. Most intelligent spirits enjoyed toying with humans. Whether it was bringing a person physical or psychological pain, they normally reveled in the act. That was just the core of their nature. However, this one appeared to be different than most.

“What is your name?”

The one downside to your technique was that it usually couldn’t be used on the cursed spirits the same way it could on humans. It was rare for a spirit to have a name, and on the off chance one did, it would most likely be a higher-ranking special grade to possess that much comprehension and awareness.

However, it was possible the curse before you now had one. Solely from its appearance, you could assume this one had a decent level of consciousness. That was usually the case with the more humanoid-looking curses.

You waited for its response, but unfortunately, it never came. The curse offered nothing more than a few blinks. Perhaps you had vastly overestimated this one’s intelligence.

The dagger completely disappeared from the curse’s hands, and within an instant it was practically on top of you yet again. Its technique had to be one rooted in speed. The movements were so fast they could not be seen by the human eye. The spirit’s hand grazed your hip, and upon making contact with you, the dagger reappeared.

You leapt back once more, another slice through your skin. Blood began pooling to the surface at the site of the second slash. They were shallow wounds, and as far as you could tell, not a cause for concern at the moment.

“Can you understand me?” Your words were slow and deliberate, putting emphasis on each individual syllable. Even if you couldn’t pull a name from the curse, it’d be a good idea to judge its thinking capabilities.

“Eight.”

Your breath caught in your throat at the deep, raspy voice that escaped from the curse.

Eight? Like the kanji branded onto its face?

Never mind the spirit’s nonsense. It could understand language to a point, so it retained some sort of awareness.

You kept your gaze fixated on the curse, trying to see if it had any tells. For now, you were able to at least partially dodge two of its attempted attacks. All you knew was that it had remarkable speed and could summon a dagger, likely a cursed weapon of some sort, at will. Your opponent was undeniably strong, but with that sort of speed, it likely lacked in physical strength. Meanwhile, your strength was permanently reinforced due to your technique. If you could counter-strike on its next attack, you could likely injure it to some degree.

“I have no name,” the spirit’s voice rasped. Within an instant, your sight was flooded by the silver tip of a dagger staring you in the face. You grabbed onto its wrist with your left hand, nails sinking in, stopping the weapon just centimeters from your flesh.

“I’m just the eighth.” Not even a second after the spirit finished, you brought your right fist, now reinforced with the blue aura of cursed energy, upwards and it collided with the side of its face.

The impact sent the curse flying backwards, likely even further than Sukuna had sent you yesterday. Your assumption had been correct. It was lacking physical strength, which in turn meant it would have poor defense.

“I sure hope that doesn’t mean there are seven more of you lurking around these woods.” You couldn’t quite make sense of what it had meant by being the eighth, although that wasn’t what you needed to focus on. The curse had a noticeable weakness now that could be exploited.

It had landed a good distance away in a moss-covered area. Thankfully, you still had eyes on the spirit. It was likely out of earshot though, which you would use to your advantage.

You glanced down at the two slashes on your abdomen and grabbed onto the cotton of your shirt with your hand. “Shirt, reinforce.”

Your cursed energy sunk itself into the fabric, weaving itself throughout every single fiber to form a barrier of cursed energy around your abdomen. Since you were unable to fully dodge its attacks, you’d let the cursed spirit keep coming to you and push back with brute strength. Your cursed energy interwoven with the fabric should protect your internal organs from taking any damage should the attacks get more aggressive.

You peeled your eyes back up to the spot where you had punched the curse, but it was empty. No sign whatsoever that he was ever lying there.

Suddenly a gust of air hit your right ear. Angling your head towards it, you caught the ends of the obsidian ponytail twisting through the air. A blur of a grey hand and the red handle of a dagger appearing in it could be seen out of your peripheral vision on the opposite side as the spirit circled around you.

Damn, it was fast.

You managed to catch its wrist once again with your left hand, but not before you took a cut across the back of your knuckles. You pulled back your right hand, ready for yet another punch.

The curse suddenly ripped its arm back, pulling you in closer. “I don’t intend to take your life tonight. I want you to come with me.” It spoke slowly, gritting a set of blackened teeth in your face. “I just need you injured enough where you won’t fight back.”

You felt the cursed energy on your back ripple. Glancing over your shoulder, you saw its other hand had reached around you, a second dagger summoned in it. The tip of it was trying to force its way into your lower hip, but your cursed energy held up well enough to reject it.

Cutting your eyes back to the curse, you threw your head back and rammed it forward, both of your foreheads colliding. Pain ricocheted through your face, your previously injured nose now throbbing at the collision. The dark violet-hued blood that was signature to cursed spirits began flooding out of both of its nostrils. Whatever damage you had done to yourself, you caused it tenfold.

You swung your right fist upward, a blue streak of cursed energy trailing behind it, and hit the spirit directly under its chin. At the same time, you released its wrist, causing the curse to fall back once more.

“Sorry, but I already have one bloodthirsty freak I can’t get rid of. Don’t want to add another.”

Thankfully, you were able to be free of Sukuna, even if it was just for one night. The only reason you were able to fight this well currently is because his cursed energy wasn’t here entangling with yours. You had a clear head and could focus on the battle in front of you, which was something you weren’t able to do the night before. Although you supposed it didn’t matter, because if he were present, the spirit would’ve easily been exorcised by now.

You lunged forward this time, hoping the spirit was injured enough for you to catch it off guard, but your attempt was in vain. It not only moved out of the way but completely vanished. You could still feel its cursed energy, so it hadn’t gone far. Likely hiding amongst the trees, attempting to recuperate from its energy. Healing and regeneration was far easier for cursed spirits than it was for humans, and they did so without using reversed curse technique.

Weaving through the towering trees, you trailed the energy signature of the curse. Starting out faint, it gradually grew stronger as the trees began getting closer together. It had led you to an area with far more foliage, likely so it could hide better. The curse was technically at more of an advantage in this location, but you still held the upper hand. Its aura began to grow strong enough for you to know that it was now within meters of you, despite still remaining successfully out of your eyesight.

A singular, purple droplet caught the silver light of the rising moon as it fell soundlessly to the forest floor from the tree closest to your right.

Blood.

Without a second thought, you shot your hand out, making contact with the tree.

“Tree, collapse.”

It came tumbling down, crashing into another tree next to it. Getting caught in the branches, it never hit the ground. However, the movement alone pushed the spirit from its hiding spot. A pale blur jumped onto the branches, nestling itself among the leaves of a different tree just a couple of meters away.

You dashed towards it, hand reaching out to make contact with the tree’s rough bark. Two fingertips barely grazed the trunk before the cursed energy reinforced at your back began rippling again. The spirit was behind you, trying to force one of its daggers into the center of your lower back. You quickly spun around, pooling cursed energy in your right foot, and swung it upwards for a kick. However, the spirit had long caught on to your plan of counterattacking and retreated back, your foot colliding with nothing but empty air.

A searing pain ripped through your left leg as a dagger punctured through the center of your calf. Thankfully your reaction was quick as you moved to attempt yet another counterattack, forcing the spirit to dodge you again. This wound was deeper than the others you had received but still shallow for a stab wound. The blade likely hadn’t sunk in more than a couple of centimeters, and while the surface of the muscle was injured, you could still move. No major vessels had been hit either, so bleeding wasn’t of concern.

Your quick reflexes and the cursed spirit’s desire to avoid your attacks had saved you from the possibility of a far worse injury. You had injured the spirit more than you realized earlier, because despite healing itself, it was doing everything in its power to avoid taking a single hit from you. The spirit had adjusted its strategy, which meant you needed to as well.

Bringing your hand up to your face, you cradled your cheek and chanted your own name aloud. “As long as you choose to fight this spirit, your entire body will be shielded from any attacks.”

Your cursed energy flowed outward from every corner of your body, nestling itself around you to form a shield. Imposing a rule this strong on yourself would drain your cursed energy incredibly fast, and you wouldn’t be able to hold it for long. If you had to guess, you likely had less than ten minutes before you’d burn through all of your cursed energy. This fight needed to end soon.

The sprint launched another attack, its blade slashing towards your body, except this time it stopped short of your flesh, much like your reinforced shirt had done for you earlier. You kicked your right foot up, hoping to sneak a strike in. However, it had already twisted behind you, the blade trying to penetrate through your energy and collide with your calf again. Every attempt you made to counterattack was dodged. Thankfully, your cursed energy held up, and you took no damage.

On the outside, it probably appeared to look as if something similar to Satoru Gojo’s infinity was surrounding you. Every slice or stab would be stopped mid-air just short of your body. However, Gojo’s technique was an impenetrable distortion of space and time. Yours, on the other hand, was merely just a shield of cursed energy that covered every inch of you, and like all shields, it could be weakened. You needed to maneuver yourself to the best of your abilities to ensure the slices didn’t wear down the same spots.

The cursed spirit began attacking in rapid succession, slice after slice. It had likely deduced that your shield of cursed energy was not infallible and would only hold up for so long. In the cursed spirit’s mind, this was now a battle of endurance. You followed its movements to the best of your ability and attempted to launch a counterattack, but it was successful at avoiding every punch and kick you hurled at it.

You and the curse danced around one another, twisting and turning amongst the trees. Slice after slice, you allowed the curse to push you back. You carried a minor limp from your earlier injury, but as long as it was just pain and nothing more serious, you could power through.

Occasionally you’d lunge or roll away and change the direction of your movement, coaxing it to follow. The curse was so caught up in its attack it didn’t even notice the path you had begun leading it on.

Firmly planting your feet in the ground, you turned and met the curse head-on, holding your now crossed forearms out in front of your face in hopes of putting a slight bit of distance between you two.

“You can’t keep this up forever,” the curse sneered.

“You’re right, I can’t.” You admitted, circling your right foot behind you, shifting all of your weight to it. “Ground, collapse.”

You stepped back as the ground in front of you crumbled in on itself. The trees began toppling as the fragmented pieces of earth beneath them fell into the forming crater. After the debris settled, you immediately jumped down into the opening and reached your hands towards a fallen tree. The cursed spirit was trapped under the weight of the wreckage, and, even if just for a moment, its speed was hindered.

You slammed both of your hands down onto the trunk of the nearest tree.

“Tree. Imprison.”

The tree itself began distorting and expanding, sprouting out thick, wooden tendrils that snaked their way through the rubble. They came to a sudden halt after just moments of searching and shot up through the surface of the wreckage, cursed spirit in tow. The winding strands of wood coiled tightly around the spirit’s body like a serpent would its prey.

“My cursed technique allows me to impose a rule on any being or object.” You took a step towards the cursed spirit. “In order to do so, I must touch the person or object and recite their name.” As you took another step over the rubble, a smirk began forming on your face. “However, I don’t have to touch them with my hands.”

“I don’t like being backed into a corner,” the curse warned you as its energy swelled in an attempt to break free from its confines. However, this backfired as the hold on it only tightened in response.

“I send cursed energy out from my body, and it infiltrates a target of my choosing. It’s not the object or person I am manipulating, but my own cursed energy inside it. The entire time you were chasing after me, I led us in one large circle, depositing small amounts of cursed energy from my feet as we went along.” The wooden bonds pushed the struggling cursed spirit down to its knees as you closed in on it. “Resisting is pointless, because when it comes to a tug-of-war of cursed energy, mine will always win.”

Unless it’s Ryomen Sukuna’s energy, that is.

You stood directly in front of the cursed spirit, your hands now at your side. Slowly, you began pooling the faint remainders of your cursed energy in one of your fists, ready to make the final blow.

It was a common misconception that you could only use your bare hands to make contact with your targets, and it was one you rarely corrected people on. Your hands were your go-to, as it was easier and used less energy. Using a different part of your body could be done when in a tight spot, but it used up double the amount of cursed energy. If the body part was clothed or covered by something, it used up triple the amount of energy.

The spirit in front of you watched you cover your body in the shield and, much like Sukuna, assumed your hands were required for the technique. While you did not intentionally deceive Sukuna like you did to the cursed spirit, you imagined that it would still come in handy down the road.

You had hardly any cursed energy left — the stunt you performed using your feet to collapse the ground drained almost every drop from you. Enough remained in your body to reinforce one, maybe two blows, and hopefully, that would be all you needed. Your right fist, now fully drenched in cursed energy, pulled back. The curse struggled even harder. Its fingers began trying to contort themselves into what looked like some sort of hand signs. Any last-ditch efforts at whatever jujutsu it was attempting were a waste. You swung your arm forward, a trail of vibrant blue energy following, and your fist collided with the center of the spirit’s forehead.

Your headbutt from earlier had done far more damage than any punch you threw at it. For whatever reason, the kanji scar on its forehead was its weakest point. Shades of indigo spewed from the curse’s mouth immediately on impact as its blood splattered across you, soaking through the fabric of your shirt.

The curse went limp in its confines, and one more punch was all that was left to fully exorcise it. You pulled your fist back once more and reinforced it with the very last of your energy. Before you could hurl your arm forward, a blinding pain ripped through the nape of your neck and up through the crown of your head. It spread throughout your entire body like a roaring fire, burning throughout every inch of you.

Sukuna.

You collapsed to your knees, face in hands, as tears threatened to topple over your lash line. Your vision grew blurry as high-pitched ringing filled your ears. This was far worse than any of the times before. Without any of your own cursed energy left, his was spreading throughout your body with absolutely no resistance.

With you in this state, your technique couldn’t hold itself any longer, and a loud thud could be heard as the curse’s body hit the ground. A single trembling grey finger slipped itself underneath your chin, pulling your tearful eyes up to meet the cursed spirit’s chilling gaze.

“We will meet again.” Its voice was incredibly weak, each word sounding like a struggle. “And when we do, you will face a terrible reckoning.”

You offered up nothing more than a blank stare in response. The spirit slipped away. It wasn’t as quick as before, but it still had decent speed behind its movement. Not that it mattered, you had neither the energy nor the will to fight any longer.

He would be here soon, and for whatever reason, his cursed energy output was higher than it had ever been — somehow even higher than it had been in the car earlier. As he grew closer, so did the pain. Tears began streaming down your face, and it took every fiber in you to not physically cry out in pain. You’d save yourself that last bit of dignity if nothing else.

The moonlight’s illumination disappeared as a shadow overtook your body. Thankfully, Sukuna’s energy completely retracted as soon as he laid eyes on you, taking the hell you were experiencing with it. You brought your gaze up to meet his. He stood at the crater’s edge, upper arms crossed, looking down at you like you were the most pathetic thing he had ever seen.

Free of his energy, you fell backwards from your knees until you were lying flat on your back.

“You’re injured,” he mused, sounding unimpressed. He jumped down into the crater and within a few long strides was towering overtop of you.

“None are severe,” you replied, your exasperation apparent.

What the hell was he even doing here?

And why did he charge up with such high levels of cursed energy?

He prodded you right below your ribcage with his foot, like you were some sort of injured animal he was checking for signs of life. “Severe enough that you’re crying.”

Another prod from his foot. Your limp body easily moved along with it. “What the fuck happened here?”

His foot extended for a third prod, but before it could make contact, you reached out, grabbing onto his ankle. You sunk your nails in as far as they would go, though you knew it would cause him no pain.

“I encountered a cursed spirit, and I’m not crying because of my fucking injuries,” you spat.

He yanked his ankle from your grasp and squatted down, bringing himself to your level. His signature grin spread across his face at a record speed. “Fighting really brings your temper out.”

After him attempting to get a rise out of you multiple times in the past twenty-four hours, he had finally succeeded, and he looked enthralled. “Enlighten me, if you’re not crying from your injuries, then what is it?”

He was taunting you, trying to push you even further. You knew he was playing a game, one to fuel his own pleasure, and you shouldn’t give in to it.

Sukuna reached his hand out towards your waist, and you instantly swatted it away. “Don’t.”

You rolled over to your side, planting your shaky arms into the compacted dirt beneath you. You mustered what was left of your strength and pushed yourself back up to your knees.

Now that the adrenaline from the fight had worn off, your injuries were far more noticeable. There was not a single part of you that did not hurt. A sharp pain from your left calf radiated upwards throughout the entire leg. Even kneeling on all fours was painful.

A single tattooed arm slipped itself underneath your abdomen, lifting you with absolute ease. You opened your mouth to protest, but he wasn’t having it.

“I’m trying to heal you, you ungrateful brat,” he barked before gently tossing you over his right shoulder.

You could feel two of his eyes burning into you as he began walking towards the crater’s edge. Lifting your head to look back wasn’t necessary — you had a pretty good idea what expression graced his face.

With one jump, he leapt upwards out of the hole you had forged into the earth’s crust, managing to gracefully land without even shaking you. Despite his enormous size, Sukuna was somehow incredibly agile.

He began trudging back towards your campsite, following the trail of footprints you and the cursed spirit had left among the earth. One of his hands rested on your lower back, holding you perfectly still the entire walk. His touch was surprisingly soft. It was undoubtedly an effort to keep you from being injured any further, but regardless, it was still a strange phenomenon to see someone like Sukuna hold you as if you were made of glass.

Sukuna lifted you off of his shoulder and lowered you down onto your back next to the fire pit you had built earlier. He immediately knelt down beside you and brought his two upper hands to your left calf, slightly raising it up and prompting your knee to bend.

“Tell me of the cursed spirit,” he demanded as his fingertips grazed against the open wound through the hole the dagger had made in your pants.

A sharp hiss left your lips at the contact, prompting an eye roll from him. “Pathetic,” he mumbled as a faint white glow emitted from his hands.

“It was a special grade curse and was intelligent enough to communicate and understand language,” you replied, watching the muscle in your leg slowly suture itself back together with the energy he was pumping into it. “Its technique was speed-based. The movements it made were so fast, they couldn’t be seen by the human eye.”

“Yet you’re alive,” he drawled.

A gentle warmth could be felt spreading throughout your leg, replacing the previous pain from the injury. The muscle fibers were now fully repaired, and your skin began to slowly regrow itself overtop.

“I dodged its attacks on instinct alone, and thankfully that was enough to escape with just minor injuries.”

“Tell me,” he cut his eyes up from your leg to meet yours. “Do you always cry over minor injuries?”

You clenched your jaw at his childish jab and began to shift your leg out of his reach. A third arm shot out, grasping the underside of your knee to hold it firmly in place.

“And you’re going to sit here while I heal you, so I don’t have to fucking listen to you complain about it later.”

His cursed energy peaked slightly in annoyance, causing your head to begin aching. Without any of your own cursed energy left to fight it off, any minor shift in his energy would cause you excruciating pain. Angering him would only cause you more harm, and you both physically and mentally could not withstand any more tonight. It would be best to just allow him his snarky comments.

As the skin finished fully regenerating, he laid your leg back down and reached upwards. Sukuna lifted the hem of your shirt and inched two of his hands onto your lower abdomen, placing one above each of the slashes. The same white glow appeared at the contact between the two of you.

“Unusual to encounter a cursed spirit this far from humans,” he commented, though it sounded as if he was just speaking aloud rather than directly to you.

Though you felt it was smart to reply, just in case he was expecting one. “Likely one Kenjaku released.”

The slashes on your abdomen healed far quicker than the wound on your leg. As soon as the skin was sealed, Sukuna climbed closer to you. You propped yourself up onto your elbows before fully sitting up. One of his hands slipped under your chin, tilting your face upwards and towards him.

“Your nose is broken in three spots.”

One of those was from your brawl with Sukuna from the prior evening, which meant you had caused the other two during the fight with the cursed spirit. Perhaps you didn’t realize how badly you had injured yourself after all.

He placed two fingers on the tip of your nose, and his energy instantly began sinking into your bone to help mend it back together.

“The spirit had a kanji branded into its skin in the center of its forehead. It turned out to be its weak spot. I kind of rammed into it with my own head.”

His scoff was immediate. “Idiot.”

The pain in your face began easing off as the lower part of your nose was now healed. Sukuna slid his two fingers up the bridge of your nose, stopping midway and began healing the second fracture. “What did the kanji say?”

“Hachi.”

“Eight? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

You shrugged in response. “I don’t know. It kept saying it had no name, that it was ‘the eighth.’ Although there were no other spirits around, so I have no clue what that was supposed to mean.”

You let out a sigh of relief as the second fracture healed itself, and Sukuna moved his fingers up to the final fracture. He placed one on each side of your bridge, directly between your eyes.

“We’re staying here tonight, and we’ll head out tomorrow morning.” You hummed in acknowledgement of his statement. “You’re completely drained of cursed energy, and I don’t want to have to deal with it. You’re to sleep as soon as you’re healed.”

You couldn’t stand the way he spoke to you, but he was right. Nothing but residuals of your energy remained within you. As soon as the third fracture was healed, he pulled back and reached for your left hand, taking it between two of his. Your hand completely stiffened at the contact, and you fought the urge to rip it away from his.

“Is Uraume joining us tonight?” You inquired as he began working to heal the gash on the back of your knuckles.

“No, I sent Uraume off on their own for a while.”

“Why?”

He immediately cut his eyes up to yours. “Personal matters.”

You knew Sukuna had been plotting something since the moment your paths crossed, but you had yet to figure out what. Uraume missing was likely a piece of that. However, you knew he wouldn’t divulge any more information if that was the case.

You averted your eyes downwards as he continued healing your hand, although you could feel that his gaze never stopped burning into you. As soon as the final wound was healed, you looked up at him, and the second your eyes met, he ripped away from you like your touch had physically burned him. A look of pure revulsion crossed his features as he rose to his feet.

“I’m going to find some more wood for this pitiful excuse of a fire you tried to build.”

Every word dripped with venom, and for whatever reason, his energy began swelling up again. Throbbing spread through your head instantaneously, though you grit your teeth in an attempt not to show your pain. The last thing you needed was to clue him in on the effect he had on you.

He furiously stomped away from you, not sparing you another glance.

For whatever reason, he was pissed. However, you didn’t feel like doing the mental gymnastics to figure out what you did this time to send him into a fit.

“Sleep.”

His demand was the last thing you heard as you watched his back disappear through the trees, though you could sense that he never traveled too far from you as he scoured for more firewood.

After grabbing the blanket you packed and changing out your bloodied shirt, you settled down and allowed sleep to overcome you before Sukuna had the chance to return.

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[sukunatoes]

No Strings Attached Masterlist

Nerd Satoru Gojo x Fem Reader

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” You didn’t need to see your face to know how appalled you must look.

“I was wondering if, uh,” Satoru’s voice began to falter as he was quickly losing confidence, something that was wildly uncharacteristic of him. “If, uh, you wanted to hook up with me.”

Synopsis: You and Satoru Gojo have been inseparable for as long as you could remember. However, for most of those years, you’ve been head over heels in love with him. Despite your one-sided feelings, you’ve successfully managed to keep your friendship strictly platonic. At least you had, until the day he asked you to hook up — with no strings attached, of course.

Content: Friends to FWB to Lovers, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Female Reader, Unprotected Sex, Oral Sex (M and F Receiving), Modern AU (College/University), No Cursed Spirits or Techniques, Each Chapter Individually Tagged

Status: Ongoing (Chapter 2/5)

18+ ONLY, MDNI

Story can also be found here on Ao3.

1. Chapter 1

2. Chapter 2

3. Chapter 3 [Coming Soon]