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cheiyunn · 1 year

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Raison d'être [Part 2]

Sekkun -> Sosui (in case it's confusing, because I completely forgot his name the first time whoops)

~Duck River office~

Sosui: I have led Wakakusa-san all the way to the front entrance. Shu-san on the other hand had jumped up and ran off somewhere though-

Ujigawa Gen: I don`t care, good work.

Ujigawa Gen: Goodness, talking to a child is exhausting. You, pour me a cup of warm tea

Sosui: Understood. But sir, was it really the best choice to just tell them?

Ujigawa Gen: The thing about Duck River’s successor being Wakakusa-kun? Or is it the thing about how he and Shu are half brothers?

Sosui: Both. When the announcement of a successor is revealed, the fact that Wakakusa-san is your son will be obvious. Of course, plans to deal with the media are ready , however, the timing to reveal it to both of them was surprising, is what I thought.

Ujigawa Gen: Because Shu looked like he was about to make another out of pocket move. Before he becomes a thorn to Wakakusa-kun and FuRai, it was best to cut him off earlier.

Sosui: I see

Ujigawa Gen: As the face of Duck River, Fujin Rizing needs to be a successful band after all. For that, there being some minor sacrifices is a given

Sosui: Indeed, just as you said.

Ujigawa Gen: There is no use in keeping unusable pieces, time and money is finite you see. You simply just need to cut off ones you don’t need.

Sosui: …you’ve never changed, even from back then

Ujigawa Gen: Did you say something?

Sosui: Ah no, it's nothing. Your tea.

~Furai sharehouse~

Fuuta: Hey Ko-nii, has Aoi not come back yet? You think it's better if we go to pick him up?

Yamato: On the way there we can go to a convenience store, for some reason, I’m hungry.

Kohei: Yeah, but its not good if we miss each other. Someone should stay back

Misaki: Then what’d we do? Wanna decide this with rock paper scissors?

*Door opens*

Aoi: I’m back..

Fuuta: Ah, Aoi! Welcome back!

Yamato: Welcome back. ..hm? You seem to be lacking spirit. Are you hungry as well?

Fuuta: What's wrong? I’ll grab Sakutaro here, wanna sing together? Then you’ll be back in spirits!

Aoi: No.. I’m fine, thanks though..

Kohei: Its pretty cold right? I’ll pour something warm for you so wait a bit

Misaki: Ah, I’ll help as well!

*Walks away*

Misaki: Yo.. Ko-nii.. What did the pres say to Aoi? Its pretty obvious that something happened, its written on his face

Kohei: Yeah, but I’m not sure its something we can force out of him. Even I don’t know, so maybe we should wait until Aoi talks

Misaki: But like.. Ain’t it something that affects us as well? Sooner or later we’ll find out anyways..

Kohei: Yeah, but if its bad news, seeing us all hurt by it, he’ll view it as the person who broke the news; his, fault

Misaki: You got a point..

Kohei: So, we should leave the time to talk about it to him

Misaki: Well, if you say so. But regardless of the news we’ll accept it, its hard seeing Aoi being the only one with a sad face

Kohei: Of course

*They return*

Kohei: Here you go, Aoi, cocoa. Its hot so drink with caution

Aoi: Thanks

Fuuta: Hey Aoi, what did the presi-

Kohei: Fuuta.

Fuuta: Oh. What’s up Ko-nii?

Kohei: Ah no, why don’t we leave that conversation for later?

Fuuta: …

Misaki: Yo Aoi. Something happened right?

Kohei: Oi Misaki..

Misaki: Sorry Ko-nii, I can’t handle it. If he doesn’t wanna say it so be it, but I don’t like it when Aoi is the only one suffering

Fuuta: Me too. Seeing Aoi lack energy is harsh, you think so too right Yamato?

Yamato: Yeah. You guys have gotten through everything together right? So I think that its better to talk to everyone and face the problem together.

Fuuta: Yup, and since Yamato is with us too

Kohei: Thats true.. Okay. Aoi, did something happen? Just say the things your comfortable with explaining, we’ll hear everything out.

Aoi: You guys.. Got it.. I’ll talk. The truth is-

(Aoi explains the situation)

Misaki: WHOA WHOA WAIT. This is a little too big to follow!

Yamato: To sum it up, your real father is Duck River’s president. Did you guys not know?

Kohei: We only knew about the parents in Nagasaki being Aoi’s adopted family of course

Fuuta: Is that so..?

Misaki: Aoi told us this when we were small right

Aoi: To me, my real parents are my mom and dad in Nagasaki

Kohei: But this time, that president is not only announcing your blood relation, he wants to name you his successor above all that.. This is a pretty unbelievable situation

Misaki: Aoi becoming head of that big-ass company, thats big

Yamato: Thats right, but whats important here is us. Aoi, when you found out he was your real father, were you shocked? Or are you more troubled with the successor crisis?

Aoi: No..I didn’t really care about myself at that time. To me, what will happen with FuRai and you guys was what weighed on my mind the most.

Kohei: Aoi…

Aoi: FuRai being signed with Duck River and debuting was all because I was his successor, is what he said. I think the president wants to use FuRai and do whatever he wants.. At this rate, we’ll forever be that company’s lap dog!

Aoi: But if I said that I didn’t want to become the successor, I’m sure our support will be cut off..

Misaki: But like! The most important thing here is your feelings. If you don’t want it then we don’t want it either. And if the opportunity disappears then so be it!

Aoi: But! You all saw how that company works! The reason FuRai is in this situation, is my fault… and plus, mom and dad.. Might become saddened by this.. I don’t want that!

Fuuta: Aoi.. don’t cry, I’ll start crying too…

Aoi: You guys… I’m sorry!

Kohei: No. You didn’t do anything wrong.

Fuuta: But, why does Aoi have to suffer through this? It would’ve been fine if we continued making music together as always, that we’d always be happy… — —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —

Shu: Before I realized it, I fell asleep huh. I don’t… even know what time it is now. I don’t have the energy to wake up, I don’t even have the energy to take a breath in and out, its painful.

Shu: Why.. do I have to wake up.. It would be so much better if I just… slept like this forever…

Shu: … then I wouldn’t.. have to think about anything anymore

– flashback-

Ujigawa Gen: Duck River’s successor has been decided to be Wakakusa Aoi-kun. I have no intention of supporting from now on. By now, you are no longer someone with any form of relation to Duck River. Whether you want to continue with you band, or go back to Kyoto, do as you wish. You are no longer of any use to me. I don’t want to see your face ever again.

- end of flashback -

Shu: …why… did papa not look at me…? why… did papa throw me away…?

Shu: Why… was it that since I was small, papa and mama were never by my side..? At school events, important days, even the day I caught a fever.. Why was I always alone..

Shu: …thats why I…made a song for papa… If its a song I put my heart into…surely it would reach him… if what I thought… but that, was all a lie…

Shu: I’m sure… the people who listen to my music are the same… 3 years in the future, 5 years in the future, even after this… there won’t be people who will always be there to look… at my music, at me.

Shu: If they get bored, it’ll all just be thrown away… aha… just like a toy they don’t need anymore.

Shu: The most ridiculous thing here is…me

Shu: In the end, I was just a worthless kid that they could’ve found anywhere…if that's the case then why… am I here…

Shu: why… am I alive…?

–flashback-

Young Shu: Mr.Felix! How do you read that french word..?

Felix: Ah.. this is “Raison d'être”

Young Shu: Raison de..? What does it mean?

Felix: Hmm.. Raison d'être.. In Japanese I suppose it could mean; A reason for living, possibly?

Young Shu: What does a reason for living.. mean?

Felix: Thats a quite philosophical term hence putting it simply is a bit difficult. Hmm.. lets see.. Its something that means that above realizing your reason for life, one must come to terms with the despair present within..

Young Shu: Thats too hard..!

Felix: Ahaha~ You’re right, even for grown ups, its a hard to define word after all..

-end of flashback-

Shu: One after another, useless memories keep popping up… my head… is filled with words..! If I don’t spit them out… my head feels like it might explode..!

Shu: Keh.. My notes… where did I put them…

*Sound of writing*

Shu: Aha~ My hands are shaking… so much… that I can’t write properly… its suffocating… but, I need to write it out… everytime I write, I feel like I can breathe… just a little more…

Shu: I wonder… what happened to the notes I had burnt… what was written on them… was it words written in pain like the ones now…

Shu: …or were they filled with lovely memories… I wanted to keep…

Shu: …I hope my words… will reach someone, someday…

~Epsi sharehouse~

*Knock on door*

Reiji: Shu, I brought food. Even if you eat only small portions, its better to have something- may I enter?

*Knock on door*

Reiji: Pardon me, I’m opening the door.

Reiji: He’s not here? …shit, since when?! …there's no note or anything too

*Dials phone*

*Shu’s phone rings from inside the room*

Reiji: He left his phone..? And wallet…?

Tadaomi: How’s Shu-kun’s condition? …oh? He’s not here… where did he go?

Reiji: Tadaomi, sorry but I’m going out for a bit!

Tadaomi: Reiji-kun-!

~Outside~

Reiji: I went to all the places I suspected he’d be but nothing.. Shit. Where is he? Since he left both his phone and wallet, there’s no way he’d be back in Kyoto. When I called the secretary, he said that he hasn’t come around either. If thats the case…where? There shouldn’t be a place that Shu can rely on, since he doesn’t have a single reliable friend after all..

Reiji: Am I… in a good mood? If I look at everything I’ve been through, I feel slightly better. ..but, the one I swore revenge on isn’t Shu; its his father. Him and my father… in the past he had made a wreck of my father’s Skyfox Records after all. If Shu falls here, that’ll be a big problem..!

Reiji: And, he’s only a child. The only ones that protect him, protect his music, is only me. Then, there’s only one place to go.

~Duck River office~

*Knock on door*

Ujigawa Gen: Who is it?!

*Door opens*

Reiji: Karasuma Reiji.

Ujigawa Gen: Ah you. What is my secretary doing.. I don’t have any appointments with you.

Reiji: I have hasteful issue at hand. Shu has disappeared.

Ujigawa Gen: Disappeared? Hah. Isn’t that just his normal act, sooner or later he’ll come back anyways

Reiji: But he hasn’t brought both his phone nor wallet and simply left home..! If we use the people from the company we should be able to find him immediately, could you please assist in the search?

Ujigawa Gen: You’ve always been painfully swung around by Shu all the time right? How about you use this chance and grow a pair of wings or something?

Reiji: Wha-

Ujigawa Gen: Its simply his common lash out for attention, there’s no use in worrying. My god, what a bothersome kid..

Reiji: Isn’t it because you’re like this, that Shu grew up to become that sort of kid

Ujigawa Gen: Oh, you say funny things.

Reiji: With no doubt he is selfish and self-centered. As time passes, he grows further from being an adult and instead pivots into caring less and less. And you say you really don’t know the reason why..?

Reiji: Shu wanted to be loved by you! He wanted to be loved, praised, acknowledged by the father he loved so much! All his actions were done so you would simply look at him!

Reiji: And yet despite all that, you haven’t done a single thing as a father, at the very least find him, and say something to him..!

Reiji: Apologize to him!

Ujigawa Gen: Fuhaha!

Reiji: Apologize to Shu!

Ujigawa Gen: You seem to be very heated. IS that truly the attitude when asking something from others?

Reiji: ugh..!

*Reiji bows on the floor*

Reiji: Then as this..!

Ujigawa Gen: Aha! To grovel on the floor is another old-fashioned tactic. I have seen many grovel in front of me, but to have someone this young is a first..!

Reiji: I beg…of you…

Sosui: Oh my, Shu-san. Since when have you been here? To eavesdrop here is a bit..

Shu: Ah!

Sosui: To have such a servant that thinks so much for the master, are you sure you shouldn’t go in there to help him? To say, I’m here, to him.

Shu: *Runs away*

Sosui: Fufu~ This reckless behavior given by youth warms my heart, however, it seems that they need a bit of an adult’s helping hand after all…

~Street~

Fuuta: hah… it feels like today’s practice wore us out

Yamato: It can’t be helped.. Right now there isn’t anything else we can do..

Misaki: Talks between Duck River have become wishy-washy after all, well what we’ll do hasn’t been decided either so..

Fuuta: Ah c’mon… even walking feels like a drag and I’m kinda hungry how… Ko-nii, why don’t we grab a bite somewhere and then go back?

Misaki: Sounds good… lets eat somethin’ good and get our energy back

Yamato: As longa s there’s white rice I’m good with any shop

Kohei: I got it (2x), we should do that once in a while too. Aoi, what do you want?

Aoi: …I’m good… I’ll take a walk and get back home okay? Don’t eat something too expensive, okay? Then I’ll be off…

Misaki: Oi, Aoi..! Well he left…

*Aoi walks off*

Kohei: We should give him some alone time

Yamato: Thats sounds good

Kohei: If it gets too late, we should go pick him up together

Fuuta: Yeah..

~Park~

Aoi: Woah..! It suddenly started raining..! Maybe, I should be better getting back home.. Huh? That person sitting on the bench…?

Aoi: Uhm… Ujigawa-kun…?

Shu: You… what do you want?

Aoi: Erm.. its started raining, if you stay here you’ll catch a cold

Shu: You’re a sore, go somewhere else

Aoi: Even if you say that, I can’t just leave you here alone… and I, have been wanting to talk to you…

Shu: You’re noisy, shut up.

Aoi: No… I won’t shut up. Ever since that day, you face was burned into my mind. I, I know. Thats a face from a person that had fully given up.. But I didn’t know what to do…!

Aoi: It’s not like I was close to you, and you may not even want to see my face…! Even now, I don’t know for sure what to say, but..! Seeing you sitting all alone in the cold was something I couldn’t just let be-

Shu: SHUT UP SHUT UP, SHUT UP! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE!

Aoi: Wait! Ujigawa-kun..!

Shu: LET GO OF ME!

Aoi: Where are you going this late at night empty handed?! Do the other epsi members know? Since its started raining, I’m sure they’re worried too…!

Shu: WHAT’S WITH YOU?!! You appear all of a sudden and suddenly start acting all brotherly?!

Shu: ITS YOUR FAULT..!

Shu: ITS ALL YOUR FAULT THAT I-!

Shu: WHY IS IT YOU AND NOT ME..! When I had it all… from the beginning… if only you…weren’t here..! Just disappear now! DISAPPEAR FROM MY SIGHT-!

Aoi: No. If I disappear now, then you’ll be all alone again..!

Shu: YOU DON’T HAVE TO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT SOMEONE LIKE ME…!

Aoi: OF COURSE I CAN’T!

Shu: WHY!

Aoi: I DON'T FREAKING KNOW?! BUT MAYBE ITS BECAUSE YOU’RE HERE, CRYING..?!

Shu: GUH-!

Aoi: There was a time that I thought you were scary but, you’re really an amazing kid. To have that much talent, and to be able to make music enough to move adults..! Surely your music… can reach even the furthest of people..!

Aoi: But from now on, regardless of whatever path you take, when you’re feeling alone and lonely, I’ll be here by your side until you’ll be able to say you’re okay.

Shu: …why… are you crying…?

Aoi: …because Ujigawa-kun… Shu-kun, you’re crying as well

Shu: …eh..?

Aoi: I’m sorry…I’m not able to comfort you when you cry..

Shu: …I’m…not crying in front of you…

Shu: … ah, what… is this…

Aoi: …I have…times that I cry when I really don’t want to…

Aoi: …but at times like that… isn’t it better to cry it all out until no more tears fall..?

— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —

Reiji: Shu!

Shu: …Reiji…

Reiji: You were in a place like this..? Your clothes are soaking wet as well. Goodness. It’ll be quite a problem if you don’t specify your destination beforehand. Come, we’re going home, are you okay?

Shu: …I’m okay… I got it, I’m going.

Reiji: Wakakusa-san, thank you. We will repay this someday.

Aoi: Ah, okay..

*They walk away*

Fuuta: Ah! I found Aoi! You guys, this way!

Misaki: Ah, seriously! Aoi..! You good?

Aoi: You guys…

Kohei: We were so worried. You didn’t come back so we went out to search for you. You’re chilled… here, have my jacket

Yamato: Its good that you’re safe. Fuuta and Misaki were making a big scene about what would happen if you got kidnapped or something. So we all ran out in a panic.

Misaki: I didn’t say that.!

Fuuta: Hm? Aoi, did you cry again?

Aoi: …I didn’t cry!

Misaki: You sure? If you’ve putin’ on a show we won’t believe it

Aoi: Nope, I’m really fine. Thanks for picking me up together

Kohei: Of course we would, c’mon lets go back. We got your portion to-go

Fuuta: It definitely feels more safe when we’re all together

Yamato: Even if we’re missing one, it feels really off

Misaki: Yeah! We’re the best like this, no takeaways!

Fuuta: Hey (2x) Maybe tomorrow we should really go to Duck River..? Its best for this stuff to get dealt with earlier

Misaki: Ooh… we sneakin’ in? I’m all in

Yamato: Sounds fun

Kohei: Come on you guys…

Fuuta: Even just now you were complaining nonstop about the company too!

Aoi: Ahaha… is that so?

Yamato: Yeah, if anything happened to you, he would've blown fists away into the company(?)*. He’s always been such a calm person though…

Misaki: Oho? I know right?

Fuuta: Then lets immediately start making a plan when we get back. We, won’t lose to anyone!

~Epsi sharehouse~

Kohei: Apologies for being late..!

Fuuta: Pardon the intrusion, coming in~!

Yamato: Comin’ in…

Misaki: Uweee~!

Aoi: Thank you for the hard work~

Kanata: You’re late- Did you get lost on the way or something? This is why country bumpkins are a hassle~

Misaki: aH? Not like y’all are from Tokyo either?

Fuuta: Yamato is from Tokyo though! Within us, he’s the most City Boy!

Kohei: and with that Yamato, he is also the reason we came late… even though its his hometown..

Haruka: Any area thats outside of Tokyo is already considered the outer countryside though..

Tadaomi: Its nice to see everyone in FuRai in good spirits though. Since I heard your plans for debuting fell through, we were worried that you’d be all down in the dumps or something…

Kanata: Not even debuting, you guys snuck into Duck River and got fired right~? Aha~ Wow, lame~!

Yamato: No, rather than being fired, there was a difference in opinion so our contract got annulled. So we said “That's our line” to them.

Haruka: Ahaha…that's funny

Aoi: Well, that just means we’re back at the startline! We’ll just have to start from one again, together.

Shu: Okay~ with the proud babysitter at tow~

Reiji: Shu, since everyone is here, we should start soon

Shu: Yeah~ Okay everyone listen up~ From now, I’m going to be making a very~ big announcement

Yamato: Is it… another scheme you’re planning?

Shu: No worries~ Today is just good news after all~

Shu: First, the label that I made; SkyFox Records is going to start full scale soon.

Kohei: The label you made..? But you’re only still in middle school right? How in the world is a child going to represent a company?

Shu: Aha~ Just like what you said, a child can’t represent a company~ being said is something I’ve already anticipated. So the representative of the company is someone we all are familiar with instead

Tadaomi: Someone we all know..?

Shu: Sorry for the wait, you can enter now~

Sosui: Hey everyone, its been a while… or not

Fuuta: Huh? You’re Duck River’s secretary… why are you here?

Sosui: Aha~ thats |previous| secretary to you

Aoi: Previous..? So that means?

Sosui: I have already cut ties with that company. Well then, let me do a re-introduction; my name is Sosui Sanetomo. From now on, I will be acting as SkyFox Records’ representative.

Kanata: Eh~ Even if you say previous, its still someone from that company in an important position like this~

Misaki: Well it ain’t a problem with us, as long as we ain’t dragged into messy problems like before yeah?

Shu: Oh don’t worry~ this old man, is on our side after all

Sosui: Eh~? To you all I’m already an old man..? Oh well, putting that aside, SkyFox intends to place the people here; Fujin Rizing and Epsilon Phi, under an artist contract.

Aoi: EH?!

Fuuta: Aoi? What does that mean?

Haruka: An artist contract is the same one you guys were under with Duck River. It means that both you and us are debuting under SkyFox. Am I right?

Shu: Thats right~

Kanata: Hm~ I’m still a little iffy about being on the same level as them but since we’re able to debut I guess its fine?

Tadaomi: Yup, its really good news..!

Kohei: This is something we didn’t ever ask for…so why?

Sosui: I’m sure that during LRFes, you all already faced up against other bands, but that was only on an amateur level. From now on, It’ll be a head-on fight as pros.

Fuuta: Head-on…as pros

Sosui: Yup, from now on, only bigger challenges will open. In this world of rivalry between bands, the bands SkyFox bets on winning are Epsilon Phi and Fujin Rizing.

Yamato: I see, and we don’t want to go back to being a company’s lap dog

Fuuta: And I only want to be with everyone. From now and forever, with the FuRai that I love and making the Skaa music that I love

Sosui: Of course, both you and Epsilon Phi are to continue making the music you each want. SkyFox is a label for that reason after all

Misaki: Ko-nii.. How we feelin’

Kohei: I have a few question but for now, I got it. You guys, we’ll talk about it later

Aoi: Yeah, lets discuss it together

Kohei: Thank you very much. Let us have a more thorough discussion afterward

Sosui: Oh course, anytime

Shu: Well, of course you could fail as well. We’ll think about that if it happens. Lets see how far we can go

Sosui: I have no intention to fail though~ Well for everyone here from now on, what you want to do in the future, why you chose the path of music, is something I want you all to ponder over seriously. I have high expectations

Shu: Okay thanks~ So for everyone here, you’ll start being more busy~ There won’t be any breaks until the world knows SkyFox is the best~

Misaki: Seriously?! Is this seriously gonna become a “black company”?!

Fuuta: Eh?! A dark company means-!

Aoi: I’ll explain it all later!

Shu: Ah Reiji, I have something to ask of you later

Reiji: Understood

— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —

Shu: (In the past, the SkyFox Record that Reiji’s father made, and my father destroyed. Its the same name, but not the same. The one here, the one who made this label, is me.)

Shu: (The SkyFox I made, today has let out it’s first cry. The past and Duck River, I could care less about. The one thing in my eyes are the future from where I stand.)

— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —— —

~Epsi sharehouse~

Shu: Raison d'être… you say

*Door knock*

Reiji: Shu. The item you ordered has arrived

Shu: Ah, wait a moment. Okay (2x)

*Door opens*

Reiji: The haircutting scissors you ordered.

Shu: Thanks~ I wanted to freshen up a bit~

Reiji: You’re going to cut your hair yourself? I think you can book an appointment at a hairdresser somewhere

Shu: Nope~ I want it now. Plus, the person who’s cutting it isn’t me, its you.

Reiji: Me?

Shu: Yeah. I’ll sit here all quiet. I’ll warn you in advance though, if you give me a weird haircut, I’ll turn you into a monk (haircut)

Reiji: I understand

*Hair cutting noises*

Shu: There. You can cut it shorter

Reiji: Okay

–

Shu: (Why does Reiji, listen to my words… why is he still by my side? Reiji had always been by my side solely to swear revenge on my papa…)

Reiji: This time, look down… hm? Shu? Are you lost in thought?

Shu: Hm? No, its nothing

Reiji: If you keep spacing out you might get injured

Shu: I know.

Shu: (Shouldn’t it be fine for the me that is hated to get injured..? That time, Reiji-)

Flashback Reiji: (Shu wanted to be loved by you! He wanted to be loved, praised, acknowledged by the father he loved so much! All his actions were done so you would simply look at him! And yet despite all that, you haven’t done a single thing as a father, at the very least find him, and say something to him..! Apologize to him! Apologize to Shu!)

Shu: (To even grovel to him… but, then I’d…)

–

Reiji: Shu, today you’re quite out of it. ..I’ve finished. I am no hairstylist so this is to the extent of my ability. Later on, do schedule an appointment to get it cleaned up.

Shu: Hmph, its fine like this~ Now its your turn to sit down here~

Reiji: Me too?!

Shu: Well because~ You’re a person to be used by me right~? If thats the case, you need to be cooler. You’ve always had this hairstyle after all. Okay~ Take a seat~

Reiji: At the very least spare me from the monk hairstyle

Shu: Ahaha~ Well then~ What to do~

===

*- I couldn’t quite catch what Yamato said, any help will be appreciated.

#AAAAAAAAAAAA #Aoi and Shu... my babies...#Epsilon phi #Fujin Rizing #from argonavis

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vennilavee · 2 years

Text

NECTAR

pairing: bartender sukuna x chubby reader (no curses au)

summary: it takes purple, blue and pink lights and your elusive neighbor, sukuna, for you to come out of the funk you're in. or, sukuna is your not so new attractive but harsh neighbor in your apartment building. you've taken a liking to showing up to his bar. he thinks you're annoying, the way you burst into the doors of his bar as if you own the place (you don't, he does). then, he finds himself looking forward to your sudden appearances. what changed?

warnings: alcohol, cursing, naoya makes an appearance, feelings of insecurity/questioning self worth, smut (spitting, some dirty talk, penetrative sex, kissing); this is an 18+ story

word count: 7.5k

a/n: can be read as a prequel to LOVE TALK, but can also be read as a standalone. enjoy!

Ryomen Sukuna is relatively new to the apartment building. He’d been saving up to move to a newer place, a place with amenities in a city-esque kind of feel, for the last few years. In between ensuring that his younger brother Yuuji was taken care of, and tirelessly working two jobs to support the both of them… He’d finally made it.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough for him. Besides, he thinks he’s earned a few ounces of luxury, considering the life he’s lived.

Yuuji’s in his third year at university and currently living with his best friend, Fushiguro Megumi. It’s the first time in his entire thirty-something years of life that Sukuna has truly, fully been alone.

It’s still taking some adjusting to, but he thinks he’s enjoying it. He’s already located his favorite bakery, close to his bar. The couple who owns it has his morning order memorized, complete with hot tea or coffee and fresh bread or melonpan. He’s not usually one for sweets, but he could always go for a matcha melonpan.

It takes a few months (nearly the better part of a year) for him to truly settle in, for him to begrudgingly think of the Fushiguros as family rather than his brother’s friend’s family. He ventures into Toji’s boxing ring with beers and wings at least bi-weekly, and he seems to always have leftovers from Fushiguro-san in his fridge.

Fushiguro-san always mischievously asks if he’s dating anyone or if there are any friends she can set him up with. She seems to always know that he’s lying through his teeth whenever he rolls his eyes and gives her a blunt ‘no’.

The truth is, there is someone who’s gotten under his skin, and it’s one of his pesky neighbors. You live on his floor, just across the hallway. Despite being his neighbor, the first time he had met you was when you had stumbled into his bar with two of your friends.

You’d already been drinking with Utahime and Shoko, as evidenced by your loud giggles and slightly slurred speech. When you approach the bar with both arms tightly wrapped around your friends, Sukuna catches a glimpse of your midriff.

“Hi! Can we-” you gasp, “Hey! You just moved into my building! You’re my neighbor-”

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” Sukuna deadpans, setting aside three glasses for you and your friends. Despite growing up in it, he hates excessive noise and each sound that comes out of your mouth just grates him further. It takes all of his thin patience to keep from snapping at you. You’re still a customer.

“Well, you don’t have to be so rude about it,” you mutter under your breath before giving him your drink order. And precisely after that, you’d flipped him off (with Shoko’s encouragement and Utahime’s disapproval).

Sukuna rolls his eyes. He has a feeling he’ll be doing that quite a bit around you.

From then on, you’d somehow wormed your way into his life. You showed up at his bar, sometimes alone and sometimes with your friends. You didn’t talk much to him, but he caught you looking in his direction more than once.

You know when you’re wanted, after all.

Sukuna only just started nodding at you in acknowledgement on the floor of your apartment or on the unfortunate instance that you were both caught on the elevator together.

You’ve both come such a far cry from then. From Sukuna’s piercing glares in your direction to him texting you when your rowdy neighbors are causing a ruckus at 2 AM on a Wednesday night. He hates unnecessary noise and you’ve quickly picked up on that. If there is anything you both share common ground over, it’s loud neighbors. In between this time, it’s become a habit that you both take your recycling out the same day and time of the week (on Thursdays) and spend the walk complaining about how loud your floor and your upstairs neighbors can be.

He shouldn’t be so surprised when he starts to reluctantly look forward to you showing up at his bar to hang out with him. Sukuna doesn’t understand why you choose to spend your free evenings at the Kings and Curses. You always stand in the same spot, your favorite spot by the corner of the bartop where you can people-watch. And it’s Sukuna’s favorite spot, too, because your chest nearly always spills out of your shirt whenever you lean over to speak to him.

You had scoffed at him when he’d asked why you spent so much time at his bar-

“What, I can’t spend time with my favorite neighbor?”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were obsessed with me.”

“Yup, you caught me…” you reply with a heavy roll of your eyes.

Sukuna isn’t used to anyone waiting for his company and in truth, it was a hard adjustment for him to just take a minute and breathe. Living in the moment is a foreign concept to him- he’s used to thinking weeks, months, years into the future. But now that Yuuji is settled in college, now that Sukuna knows he’s happy, healthy and with a good head on his shoulders.

Well. Yuuji’s always been an impulsive kid, but at least Megumi’s around to balance him out. Maybe. But Sukuna’s convinced that Megumi is just as chaotic as Yuuji is. He’s just more composed about it.

People have come and gone but Sukuna has never made it a priority to sink his hands into the ground and build a foundation with healthy roots. Yuuji has always been his priority and sometimes he still struggles to let him go completely. To allow him to make his own mistakes and have his own success stories.

The struggles of having a ten year age gap with your younger sibling.

Sukuna is an intensely private person, never sharing more than he needs to with anyone. But of course with you and the curious way you barrage him with questions…how can he not share with you bits and pieces of his past? His answers are only several words, maybe a sentence at most. And usually end with him halfway insulting you, but it still makes you laugh.

He thinks the turning point of his reluctant, barely there fondness for you may have been a random Thursday you had walked into his bar.

You’d clearly come here straight from work, your pristine business blazer squarely hugging your shoulders and your grey pants hugging your hips. Despite your composed appearance, your shoulders are hunched over and your lips are drawn into a thin line. It’s clear you’ve had a rough day, irritation bubbling in your dark eyes.

“The usual?” Sukuna asks in amusement. His only reply is a melodramatic groan from you.

You muster the strength to lift yourself onto the barstool and lean back tiredly, pinching the bridge of your nose. Work has been rough this week- so many meetings, negotiations and things to do. On top of that, you had to deliver some less than positive feedback to one of your employees, and they didn’t take it well. Your own manager had been on your ass about one of your projects and none of your team members seemed to consider it a priority.

Honestly, you had intended to head to the gym to blow off some steam. But then your mother called you and lectured you again about not calling or visiting enough. And then about checking in on your younger brother more often. You couldn’t hold your tongue this time, and you told her that it was her job to parent him.

To which she let out an offended gasp, and before she could lecture you more about how rude you were being, you told her you had to go. You promptly hung up on her.

Today was not the day. After that phone call with your mother, you changed directions and headed to Kings and Curses for their happy hour special. You hoped Sukuna would be working today. At least he could keep you silent company while you sulked. He’s not a man of many words and you like that about him.

“Thanks,” you mutter when he slides your drink in front of you, “Is this when you tell me it’s on the house because you see how disheveled and you take pity on my poor ass?”

“Does it look like I run a charity house here?” Sukuna scoffs, “But I made your drink a double. You look like you could use it.”

“Wow, thanks,” you mumble sarcastically, “Tell me I look like a hot mess without telling me I look like a hot mess.”

“You said it, not me.”

After the fourth heavy sigh in as many minutes and with loosened lips, you decide to open your mouth. “Hey, you have a brother right?”

“Yeah,” Sukuna says simply.

“You ever feel like you spent most of your life looking after him, when he’s on his own, you don’t know who you are outside of that?”

Sukuna narrows his eyes at you suspiciously. He says nothing, instead letting you ramble about your parents and your brother, how your parents can’t seem to get through to him and now that responsibility falls on you. How you feel like you took on the parental role without you really wanting it and now that you’re older and trying to figure out how you fit into this great, big world, you feel clueless. You feel like you’re in your early twenties rather than your thirties when it comes to self-discovery.

Behind and backwards. You feel as if you’re falling behind and walking backwards at the same time.

“It’s selfish,” you shrug, “I know it is. It’s the duty that comes with being an older sibling, or whatever. But he has to learn on his own, too. How to live.”

Sukuna is silent for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. “My grandfather raised us,” he says abruptly, his eyes piercing. Before you can trip over a response, he cuts you off. “He died when Yuuji was fifteen. It’s just been me and him ever since, but I had to make sure he was better off than either of us were.”

“It comes with the territory,” he says stubbornly, “But now that he’s in college, he doesn’t need me anymore. At least not as much. He’s doing his thing and I’m…”

You hear his unspoken words, his agreement with you on the tip of your tongue. Offering him an understanding smile, you raise your glass to him.

“Cheers to us, for being everything but ourselves.”

Sukuna snorts but drinks with you anyway.

As time passes and the seasons shift from spring to summer, Sukuna comes up on his one year anniversary of living in this apartment building. And in that time, you’ve pushed your way into his life as a constant with your sweet eyes and barbed tongue.

Sukuna senses the tension in your gait, gathered and knotted at shoulders, the moment he catches a glance at you walking through the hall to your apartment. Your bottom lip is pulled into your mouth by your teeth and your eyes are unfocused, maybe a little glassy.

He doesn’t mean to stare (really, he does) but you look so sexy in your outfit, especially the way your legs fill out your jeans.

You don’t seem to realize he’s gazing at you like this until he calls your name. You turn your head quickly, hoops dangling and dancing against your jaw. It’s the last thing you wanted, to be seen like this when you had gotten stood up for a date.

But of course, fate has other plans for you.

“You’re back early,” Sukuna says gruffly, leaning against the doorframe.

“Were you waiting up for me? You really shouldn’t have,” you mutter, deflecting his pointed statement.

“Don’t fucking flatter yourself,” he scoffs, “Date didn’t go well?”

“...Yeah. Something like that,” you reply, not meeting his eyes.

“Something like what?” he narrows his own eyes, “Did he do-”

“He didn’t do anything,” you snap, finally looking him right in the face, “That’s the fucking problem. Naoya didn’t even…show up.”

The silence is deafening and Sukuna watches as your eyes well up with unshed, humiliated tears. Your heart aches, embarrassment coloring your chest at the prospect that someone, anyone would dare take pity on you. You say nothing as you walk away from him and dejectedly immerse yourself in the shadows of your apartment.

Sukuna waits exactly fifteen minutes before incessantly knocking at your door. He won’t have this, he won’t have you moping and sulking over some boy who doesn’t deserve to even breathe the same air as you. Much less take you out on something as sacred as a date.

He hears your groan from the other side of the door. Surely, you’re sulking under layers of blankets and watching trashy television, as you do whenever you’re sad.

Your eyes widen when you see him and he knows he looks good. Tight black jeans and his muscles bulging out of his tight black shirt paired with a single silver chain, tiny silver hoops and black studs in his ears.

Ignoring the sudden dryness of your throat, you snap at him- “What the fuck do you want? Leave me alone, Sukuna-”

“Shut up and stop moping, you look fuckin’ stupid when you whine,” Sukuna says sharply, ignoring your affronted gasp, “Go get dressed. Now.”

“Excuse me? Get dressed for what?” you fire back at him, “I’m already in pajamas, I’m not fucking changing just because you barged in here-”

“I’m taking you out. You had a shitty date, right? Let’s go,” Sukuna says gruffly and your irritation almost instantly fizzles out.

“Fine, but I’m not wearing any make-up,” you mutter, “Take me as I am.”

“Do I have a choice?”

“No, now go sit on the couch and don’t touch anything,” you say, welcoming him inside and disappearing into your bedroom.

“You have ten minutes,” he reminds you, quite loudly, “Don’t take fucking forever.”

Sukuna has always been good company and you’ll begrudgingly admit it if anyone asks. You’ve loosened up with him as you sip on your third cocktail of the night and share appetizers with him in your booth at the corner of the restaurant.

The faint purple, blue and pink lights that shift from minute to minute make him look like he’s glowing. He looks good, he’s always looked good- since the moment you spotted him in your apartment building all those months ago.

You swallow your drink down, nearly chugging a third of it in one go and shrink into your seat. Pulling your oversized bomber jacket over your torso, you stuff a hand into your pocket harshly. It’s your safety net.

You subtly try to make yourself smaller, however you might.

…

As a bartender (and a bar owner) himself, Sukuna takes personal offense to when his drinks are watered down. Which is why he’s at the bar, glaring at the bartender and ready to cause a scene. If not for your tiny hands (well, tiny in comparison to his) wrapped around his bicep, he already would have caused a scene.

You’re tapping your feet to the song playing on the speakers and humming under your breath. He’d already told you it was annoying, that you were clingy but you had only glared at him. And he had rolled his eyes but left you be.

After all, he can still see slight sadness tinting your eyes.

“Hey,” Sukuna snaps loudly at the bartender after finally getting her attention, “You call this a fucking drink? It’s got more juice than anything else. Who taught you to make drinks? Toji? Amateur-”

The bartender glares right back at Sukuna before the heat in her gaze simmers almost instantly when she recognizes who he is.

You know that Sukuna somehow seems to know everyone in the city, but it startles you how quickly the woman starts to make new drinks for you both. Before she can even pour an ounce of liquid into a new glass, Sukuna is already making his way behind the bar.

“Wait, you can’t be back here! Hey-”

“Take it up with Fushiguro,” Sukuna mutters, “Tell him I’m doing him a fucking favor.”

You allow yourself to get comfortable on one of the sleek, burgundy bar stools. The bartender stomps away, surely to tell her boss that his friend-slash-rival has just usurped her spot at her very own bar.

It pulls a laugh from your lips.

“Something funny?” His voice rumbles, and despite the bass of the music in your ears, you’re able to hear him clearly.

“Toji’s gonna beat your ass,” you reply in a sing-song voice.

“Yeah right,” Sukuna scoffs, “He’s gone soft, with that wife of his. And his son-”

“You mean Fushiguro-san? His wife that he’s been married to for nearly twenty years and Megumi, who’s your brother’s best friend? Weren’t you just saying how good her homemade food is-”

“Shut the fuck up,” he hisses, as if you’ve spilled an unknowable secret. Though, perhaps you had- the man behind the bar with tattoos on nearly every inch of his skin, his broad chest and his back has gone soft because of his brother’s best friend’s mother’s home cooking.

You laugh again.

“Toji is a modern day feminist, you should take some notes from him instead of pushing his bartenders around, you absolute heathen-”

“Shut up and drink this,” Sukuna replies and pushes a drink close to you, “It’ll help with your shitty heartbreak.”

“I am not heartbroken-”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“What are you, a love doctor now?” you roll your eyes and take a long sip of the drink he had slid to you. It tastes better than your last drink- far more flavorful and rich. It tastes like the answer to your insecurities lies at the bottom of the glass.

“No, I am a man and a man can tell when a beautiful woman is in the unfortunate presence of boys.”

You say nothing to him, ignoring his heated gaze. You tell yourself you don’t care for his opinion. Sukuna has seen Naoya leave your apartment on the rare occasion and you pretend that you hadn’t seen his not so subtle glare in your general direction.

“How poetic of you,” you scoff and throw back your drink in another long sip, “Make me another.”

…

“You can either drink about it or you can say something about the stupid boy who fucked you over,” Sukuna says bluntly, “But you’re a lightweight so pick your poison.”

Despite the throbbing ache in your heart (maybe it was more so your ego), your lips pull apart into a smile. Your eyes are dark and wide, nearly shimmering purple as the lights wash over you. You look at him with curiously parted lips as your smile drops into something fond. Sukuna almost falters at the soft look on your face and pulls away from your gaze to down half of his drink in one single chug.

“There’s not much to say,” you shrug, leaning over the table, “I got ghosted, it happens-”

“Ghosted? What, is he twenty-one? His balls haven’t dropped enough to tell you to your face that he’s not interested?”

You wince visibly, but at least Sukuna is straightforward.

“You know I was seeing Naoya and…he stood me up but sent me a text that he wasn’t looking for anything serious,” you say in air quotes and heavily roll your eyes, “And then I saw him at the same place with some other girl…”

You shrug and lean back into the booth, wishing it would swallow you alive. Instead you meet Sukuna’s eyes and are vaguely intrigued by the irritation in his darkened eyes.

“I mean, I think he was embarrassed to be seen with me. He said it in so many words, and the girl he was with is like, the opposite of how I look. He’s an asshole, he thinks he deserves the most beautiful girl to wait on him hand and foot just because he has fucking frosted tips. And you know what, it would look good on him if he wasn’t such a dick.”

Sukuna’s chest burns when you speak as if you are not affected. As if he can’t tell that your eyes are still puffy and a little red. As if he can’t tell that your heart hurts, that you’re caving into yourself bit by bit. It sickens him, makes that burn flare like wildfire, that you would allow yourself to be defined by this boy. That you carve yourself into smaller and smaller bits to allow for ease of consumption. You would dare to lessen yourself, to think less of yourself because of this boy.

“Well,” Sukuna says finally, “Your taste in men is questionable, to say the least. I mean Zenin Naoya? Don’t know what else you were expecting, sweetheart.”

You laugh in surprise, your smile bright and loose as if his words set something free inside of you. It’s not about the boy, after all. It’s about the principle of it- it’s the unspoken promise you are replaceable, unwanted, something to be hidden just because of how you look. You are a woman made of steel and honey, deserving of reverence by gods at your feet.

Naoya was no match for you anyway.

The first time Sukuna had seen you in the well lit hallway of your apartment floor, he had done a double take.

He’s never done a double take, not for anyone. But you had earned one from him.

You hadn’t seen him, too engrossed in the conversation you were having on the phone. Presumably a friend, from the way you laugh loudly, your smile illuminating the pretty planes of your face and the glow of your cheeks.

It’s a similar look to the one you wear on your face as you stumble through the streets of the city in a tipsy haze. Sukuna’s only seen you like this a handful of times, all of them a result of a night out with your friends.

And then there was the one time when you had clearly not been in your right state of mind at nearly 3 AM, loudly stomping through the halls of the apartment building (or so he recalls)-

Sukuna is awoken from his deep slumber, the sheets warm and toasty around him as his heart races to identify the source of noise. He rubs his eyes and listens to the sound of keys jingling at his door and frustrated groans on the other side of it.

Well, if he’s being robbed, they could have at least waited until his REM cycle was completed.

Sleep is washed away from his eyes completely, instead replaced with alertness. Well as much alertness as is possible at 3 AM. He’s not particularly concerned even if he’s being robbed. He could probably take them, anyway.

He’s just irritated that his precious sleep is ruined. If there’s one thing in his life that should not be trifled with, it’s his sleep.

Surprise colors your face, surely mirroring his own, when Sukuna swings the door open ready to give you a mouthful about bothering him. He’s a little amused to see your brow furrow and you cross your arms over your chest. He tries and fails not to stare.

“What are you doing in my apartment?” you accuse him, even going so far as to point a finger to his chest. Your dark eyes are slick with the evidence of your drinking.

“Your apartment? Are you stupid?” Sukuna says easily, and you gasp. It’s all very dramatic in his opinion. You blink up at him in confusion and sway on your feet, steadying yourself on the doorframe. You can’t help but stare at him, your handsome, rugged and rough neighbor standing in front of you with his pink pajama shorts with little black cats on them.

You try to focus on the conversation rather than the way his black sleep shirt clings to his torso.

“I’m not stupid, you asshole-”

“No, you’re just drunk. Close enough, if you fucking ask me-”

“Go away, I want to sleep.”

“Your apartment is there,” Sukuna points down the hall, “This is mine. Do I need to show you how to read numbers?”

You glare at him, your eyes unfocusing comically to read the number on the door behind him. Sukuna even does you a favor and ducks his head so you don’t have to crane your neck. A surprised gasp leaves your lips and you cover your mouth with your hand.

Sukuna snorts. “Told ya so. Drunk ass.”

Before you can scold him for being so rude in your drunken state, he tells you to get out because you’re ruining his beauty sleep and all but slams the door in your face. You huff, stomping your way over to your apartment and not feeling the slightest bit foolish.

You don’t notice him cracking the door just an inch to make sure that you make it safely into your home.

You walk shoulder and shoulder with him (well, you try to walk. It feels more like a light jog to match his strides. He told you to quit lagging behind when you yelled at him to wait up for you. What a gentleman) through the bustling streets of Tokyo. Your voice somehow doesn’t get drowned out by all of the noise and sounds and Sukuna irritatingly finds himself easily listening to you chatter on about the new izakaya next to the train station and that it apparently has the best gyoza and beer you’ve ever had in your thirty-something years of life.

“And who made you the leading authority on gyoza and beer?” Sukuna scoffs. To his surprise you laugh, your head tipping back to the stars as your eyes close in mirth. Sukuna can see laugh lines at the corner of your eyes only when you smile, and he hates that he notices this detail of you.

He rolls his eyes. Whether it’s at you or at himself remains to be determined.

“Well, maybe you should come with me and judge for yourself sometime,” you muse, voice low and syrupy. Sukuna doesn’t even shrug you off when you wrap an arm around his bicep. Instead, he gets a pleasant waft of your warm perfume. Your dark eyes are fixed on him, curiosity painted in the corners of your irises. “I know you’d love free food, beer, and the opportunity to critique-”

“You asking me out on a date?” Sukuna snorts, ready to protest.

“Would that be so bad? You wouldn’t stand me up would you? Wouldn’t leave me alone, all dressed up and waiting by myself,” you croon, tugging on his arm and pulling him to a stop on the middle of the sidewalk. Sukuna swallows, narrowing his eyes at you as a snarky comment begins to form itself on his tongue. But you look at him with those sweet eyes, your hand boldly ghosting over his chest (not quite touching him) and a small smile playing on your painted lips. “You wouldn’t do that to me…”

He’s entranced by you for a moment, taken by the way your chest rises and falls and the glossiness of your lips. He’s not immune to a beautiful woman, and he’s man enough to admit that.

But still.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he mutters, “Get off me, you drunk ass. I can smell your gross fucking breath from here.”

Your peals of laughter echo in his ears as he stomps away from you. But you catch up to him and wrap an arm around his bicep again and he doesn’t push you away.

“If you’re gonna need me to walk your stupid ass back home, then don’t walk so fucking slowly.”

The alcohol still ebbs and flows in your bloodstream, making you feel a lot more bolder than you normally might. The thought of your date ghosting you without a second thought seems so minor now, as you stand in the elevator with Sukuna. You make no attempt to mask your ogling. Your neighbor has always been ruggedly handsome and loudly brash, and over the last few months you had quietly quelled your budding crush into nothingness. Or so you thought.

He’s wary of your gaze but he is struggling to keep you at arm’s length. Sukuna unwraps your hand from his arm, gruffly telling you that “you’re perfectly capable of using your two working legs” and that he wasn’t your “fucking walker”. In truth, he wants nothing more than to part your lips with his and taste your lip gloss on his tongue. He’s kept you far from his inner orbit on purpose, knowing that you fully have the capability to burst your way through his carefully curated life and make yourself part of it.

So when you bat your eyelashes at Sukuna and ask him if he wants to join you for a nightcap and some food, he should say no.

Instead, he finds himself nodding and following you into your apartment. He’s been here a handful of times (to borrow laundry detergent a few times, and the one time your package was delivered to him accidentally, and when you had hosted a potluck for the floor. He didn’t join until the last thirty minutes and brought store-bought dessert, but at least he showed up. The happy surprise on your face had been worth it).

You head to the bathroom, giving yourself a pep talk as you stare at yourself in the mirror. The after effects of alcohol still remain in your system, you know it. But it’s just enough liquid courage.

You come out of your bedroom without your denim jacket on, only wearing your jeans and your tank top. With your heart pounding in your ears and your best bedroom eyes, you pour out a glass of wine for both Sukuna and yourself.

He swallows, eyes carefully tracking the purposeful swing of your hips from his spot on your green velvet couch. You sit close to him and hand him the glass of wine. He tries his best not to imagine what your thighs around his head would feel like, but he is only a man.

“Thanks for hanging out with me tonight,” you breathe, pulling your dark eyes up to meet his, “I had fun.”

Your chest brushes against his arm and Sukuna doesn’t have the self-control to avoid shamelessly ogling you. With glossy eyes and glossier lips, you lean into him further as if you’re trying to soak up his heat.

“It was better than hearing you fucking mope around all night, I guess,” he replies, pulling a chuckle from you.

“You guess,” you hum, “How lucky for me.”

You don’t let go of his gaze as you sip on your glass of your wine. You only allow a few sips to pass your lips before setting it to the coffee table and somehow moving even closer to him.

Sukuna’s dark, seemingly red eyes narrow at you suspiciously. But he doesn’t stop you or the way you unravel and unwrap him with nothing but your sticky, heated eyes. He’s always had a small soft spot for you. After all, he wouldn’t take just any sad soul out to cheer them up. The scent of your warm cologne curls around him, nearly drawing his nose towards your neck.

He holds himself back, but he gasps audibly when you press your lips to his hastily. Sukuna can still taste the cocktail from hours ago on your lips, and as much as he wants to lick the roof of your mouth and watch your eyes flutter closed…

He pulls away.

“Don’t kiss me after you’ve been drinking,” Sukuna chastises you gruffly, squeezing your cheeks and allowing for his thumb to brush over your bottom lip, “Don’t be a coward. Do you have the balls to kiss me when you’re sober, too?”

And with that, Sukuna leaves you alone in your apartment and tries to push your dazed eyes out of his mind as his heavy footsteps echo in your brain as he sees himself out.

It wasn’t a complete rejection, was it? Sukuna had kissed you back, as incredibly brief as the press of his lips was. You can nearly taste the feel of his chapped lips against yours if you think hard enough. It was airy and barely there, barely even an imprint on your lips.

But still. It was enough for you to mull over it for nearly twelve hours. You are many things, but you’re no coward. You’d spun the events of the previous night over and over in your mind until you could recall every little detail- the way his piercings glinted in the dim light of the bar, the way Sukuna would bite and bark at you but still have an ounce of softness in the corner of his dark eyes…

With a sigh, you fall back on your bed with an unceremonious thump and stare up at the ceiling. You could either wallow and consider all of the what ifs, or-

Or you could march out of your apartment and straight to Sukuna’s and make good on his words to you. To ‘kiss him when you were sober, too’.

Your mind is made up in half a second and you ignore the erratic rattling in your chest as you make your way out of your comfort zone.

It feels like deja vu when Sukuna hears impatient knocking at his front door. It’s most likely you (you’re the only one with the audacity to bother him before nine AM on a weekend). He contemplates not answering the door and continuing his day of relaxation (complete with a burgundy silk robe).

But then he hears your irritated voice, “How long are you going to leave me hanging, Sukuna?”

When he swings the door open, he’s greeted with a scowl on your face and your arms crossed over your chest. The handsome smirk and peek of his abnormally sharp canines nearly sends you over the edge as you stare him down with heat in your eyes.

“I’m no coward,” you glare at him, “And I’m sober now.”

“Oh, is that so? Good for you,” Sukuna says dismissively while simultaneously pulling you into the threshold of his apartment by your forearm. Your heart pounds in your ears as your face heats up, but still you stand your ground.

“I-I have the balls to kiss you when I’m sober,” you mutter softly but you still shoot him a glare.

Sukuna hums, lazily appraising you from his spot against the wall. He’s waiting for your move, completely allowing you to drive the direction of this interruption to this morning. You’re incredibly frustrating in every sense of the word- Sukuna can’t pinpoint the exact time that you had wormed your way into his life, into his thoughts. Leaving him reluctantly desiring you, eager for the evenings when you’d barge into his bar without a care in the world. As if his steely glare and barbed tongue just made you want his company even more.

Your bottom lip is tucked under your teeth, one of the things you do when you’re thinking. But it doesn’t stay tucked for long, when you push yourself off of the balls of your feet and take a few strides towards Sukuna. Strength radiates off of him, tucked away under the folds of his silk robe. You’re itching to touch him, to allow for the drag of your nails down his chest. To trace the lines and swirls of his tattoos with your tongue.

The impatient press of your lips to his is familiar, in a dreamlike sort of way. Sukuna wastes no time in deepening the kiss, pushing his tongue through the seam of your lips just as eagerly. He kisses you in the way he wanted to kiss you last night, your belly flipping up and down when he grips your waist tightly.

The bittersweet taste of his coffee blooms in your mouth as he devours you with only one swipe of his tongue. Sukuna guides your movements, walking you towards the couch in between kisses. He barely allows for you to catch your breath as your heart pounds in your throat, only for him to seize you once more.

He roughly pulls you into his lap, barely wasting a second in tugging you into his chest to kiss you once more. Sukuna doesn’t allow for you to even try to exert any amount of force in trying to push him back into the sofa cushions. He maneuvers you with big, rough hands on your waist, only to squeeze and not-so-lightly smack your ass when you try to kiss him.

You moan into his mouth and his cock jumps against your clothed pussy. You take what you want, your nails slow over his chest as you trace the outline of his looming body.

Sukuna always wants you like this, your thighs spilling out of his tight grip as you rock into him. Your hips clumsily knock into his as if you’re trying to mold into the curvature of his corded muscles. He pushes under your t-shirt to press against your waist with thick fingers, finally feeling your heated skin under his fingertips.

You shiver into his mouth as his touch traces up your spine lightly before kissing him again. Sukuna loses himself in your spit-slicked mouth, in your soft sighs and whines, in the way you fumble your fingers in his hair and tug lightly.

When Sukuna finally pulls away, his chest heaves when he takes in your bitten lips and your hazy eyes. You’ve always been easy to read to him. You never back down from a challenge but you like when he takes charge. He doesn’t allow himself to go too far, his lips only a breath away from you. You groan as his hands roam up your shirt roughly, squeezing and softening as he explores the terrain that is your body.

You push into him, hands tiny against his chest, as you try to coax him into another kiss, then another, then another. Sukuna teases you, only allowing you a second over him before seizing the moment and dropping his lips to your neck, just under your ear. His robe loosens in your grip, leaving his tanned chest open for you to ogle with hooded eyes.

“Oh,” you mumble in surprise, “Sukuna…” you’re not shy about the noises he pulls from you with each pass of his lips on the column of your neck. He hums into your skin as he leaves open mouthed kisses on you and you lean further into him.

“Look what the cat dragged in this morning,” he teases you, shooting you a glare, “Couldn’t get enough, huh?”

“Shut up,” you scoff, shoving his shoulder, “I had a point to prove.”

“What a brave, brave girl,” Sukuna sneers.

“I must be, to start my morning with you,” you shoot right back at him and Sukuna cuts your laughter off with a sharp kiss and a smack to your ass.

It’s the middle of the summer afternoon and the air in Sukuna’s apartment is sticky. Not from the summer heat, though. Sukuna would be damned before allowing even a single particle of the heat enter his apartment.

Sukuna has you flat on your back as the balmy air floats over you like a hazy cloud and he pushes himself in and out of you in perfect rhythm with your moans. He’s already had you on the floor, on your side, on your belly… Sweat lines his brow as you desperately cling to him with your legs wrapped tightly around his waist, eager for him to kiss you until you can’t breathe. His robe has been tossed to the side, somewhere close to his couch and you’re certain your panties are in the same general vicinity.

Sukuna holds his kiss over you, instead nipping your neck and making his way down your chest. He takes his time with you, wanting to draw out every sigh and whine from your throat. But you’re an impatient thing and you’re loud about it.

“Do something, Sukuna,” you complain, “Fucking move-”

“What, my dick isn’t enough for you?” he says with gritted teeth, “Greedy girl.”

You roll your hips into his for relief and he presses a hand on your belly to still your movements. He just wants to feel you for a second and he blankets himself over you once more to quiet your complaints with a kiss. Your body aches deliciously when he stretches you out once again, your wetness coating his cock with a sound that hardly even makes your cheeks flush anymore.

Your thighs are a mess, the remnants of both your cum, his cum and sweat mixed on your skin. It’s dirty but he makes you feel so good as your toes curl in pleasure and your heart hums in delight. He makes you feel utterly desirable as he pushes in and out of you with his hand in yours. Sukuna makes you feel beautiful as his lips press against your chest, unintentionally leaving marks there.

And when you open your mouth when he asks you to, the gruff purr of ‘good girl’ that comes out of his lips nearly makes you cum as he spits into your mouth and seals it with a kiss.

“I think you broke me,” you say hoarsely with your eyes closed as you sprawl out on his bed and try to catch your breath.

“Your pussy broke?” Sukuna says and you swat his shoulder.

“You love this broken pussy,” you hum, “You love this broken pussy so much that you’ll get gyoza and beer with me tomorrow.”

“Speaking things into existence doesn’t always work,” Sukuna replies.

“Are you saying you don’t want to go on a date with me?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“I’m not putting anything in your mouth, other than this broken pussy-”

“Oh my god, shut the fuck up,” Sukuna groans and tosses a hand over your waist to pull you under him. He shuts you up with another series of kisses, your protests melting away into moans of his name.

You spend the next few hours rolling around in his bed (which you refuse to admit is more comfortable than yours), mainly with his lips on yours and with him lazily thrusting into you. His grey sheets are cool to the touch against your warmed skin. Sukuna lightly bites on your earlobe as he mumbles to you how good you’ve been to him, how good you feel around him, how pretty you are. Your belly flips with his words and you’re unable to convey how he makes your blood burn, instead kissing him sloppily. And hoping he understands you.

To your surprise, he even brings you water and a snack afterwards. What a gentleman. Before Sukuna knows it, he’s watching you doze off in his bed and doesn’t have the energy to tell you to move.

***********

You rub your eyes tiredly, trying to make sense of your surroundings. A soft breath caresses your cheek as you try to settle against an unfamiliar pillow. You try to chase the source of this new, odd warmth with your legs and wrap yourself to cocoon yourself in the warmth. The sun is beginning to set, and then you remember where you are. Ah yes… you’d come to Sukuna’s apartment to make a statement and ended up with your legs bent at the knees.

Your body aches deliciously, soreness settling in but you’ve never been so blissful in your life. You stretch and accidentally shove your hand into Sukuna’s face and he abruptly moves the arm that was cradling you close to his chest to his face.

He groans loudly and rubs his cheek before blearily opening his eyes. Surprise colors his eyes and it immediately sets you on edge, clearly he wasn’t expecting you to stay-

“You’re still here?”

“Where the hell else was I supposed to go?” you say indignantly, itching to pinch him.

“Don’t you have your own bed? Literally down the hall?”

This time you really do pinch him in the side and roll your eyes before gathering your things to dress yourself and leave. You try your best not to be annoyed with him for kicking you out in not so many words, but you can’t help but laugh at how so like him this is.

“I still need a proper apartment tour. This isn’t the end of this,” you say, vaguely threatening him with a finger to his chest.

“Is that a threat?”

“Sure is, sweetheart.”

And with that you exit Sukuna’s apartment with a small smile on your face and a purposeful sway to your hips. You’ll give him something to remember you by, after all.

tags: @kentobean @aeanya

#sukuna x reader #ryomen sukuna x reader #sukuna x you #ryomen sukuna x you #sukuna #ryomen sukuna #wow am i bad at summaries or what sdlkjfsldkf

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