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Now, if Sukuna knew he’ll be easily suppressed the second he took over the brat’s body who’s stupid enough to swallow his finger, he wouldn’t even bother to reincarnate himself and subject himself in imprisonment.
If he just let the kid die because of the poison from his finger, he wouldn’t be here right now, sprawled across his throne of bones as he dig into the brat’s memories just so he could entertain himself and not lose his sanity because of boredom. (Not that he has any sanity left, but he at least like to think that him staying quiet and not spewing death threats and talking about gutting people 24/7 is the most sanest thing he could do while he’s infuriatingly stuck inside Itadori Yuuji’s body.)
By now, he had almost watch all his memories from childhood until on his early teens. As expected, the brat lived a boring and pitiful life. (Seriously, he doesn’t expect his expectation for his vessel to sunk even lower when he doesn’t even expect anything from him from the start. But he guess there’s a first for anything as he watch 12 years old Itadori Yuuji climb up a tree that is relatively small just to rescue a cat, only for the cat to jump at the ground below the second he reached the branch it was hugging for the past few minutes.)
There are only few memories that made Sukuna snort out of amusement, like that one time his vessel tried cooking his own food for the first time and ended up cutting his finger. It was amusing how Yuuji tried his hardest not to cry as he washes the blood off his finger in the kitchen sink, eyes blurry with unshead tears as he mutter to himself don’t cry, Yuuji. You’re a big boy now, right? You can cook your own food. You watched gramps cook multiple times so you can do this. You can’t have gramps worrying over you just because you can’t cook and you’ll end up starving to death if you don’t try hard enough.
(To be fair, a six year old aren’t suited to be in the kitchen. But he guess that the child doesn’t have any choice as his gramps is stuck in the hospital and there are no other adults to look after him. Sukuna would almost pity him if he weren’t too pleased watching the brat struggle as he prepare his meal.)
There are memories that annoyed the hell out of Sukuna too. Like those times where Yuuji save other students from being bullied (if you’re trying to save them, at least beat up their bullies and give them a lesson, brat!) Or when he’s being too naive that other students and teachers are taking advantage of his kindness (you stupid kid. Can’t you fucking see that they’re just using you? God, I’m going to fucking strangle you later. I should be the only one who uses you as I deem fit.)
Those memories never failed to make Sukuna’s blood boil, and sometimes he catches himself almost tipping into the throws of bloodlust as he try to cut the person in the memory in half. (If he’s able to think a bit clearer, he’ll realized that he’s being way too affected with how these people play with his vessel. However, as annoyed as he is right now, he doesn’t care enough to think of those things and just chalk it up to calling his vessel stupid and an idiot for easily falling for their lies. He really, really wanna strangle his vessel right now.)
It was when he was sorting through his vessel’s memories in the middle school when he stumbled upon one memory with two other students standing behind a school building that catches his attention. Letting the memory play, Sukuna laid comfortably on his back as he watch, crimson orbs boring at the scene with rapt attention.
It looks like his classmates had already gone home, ‘cause in the memory, Yuuji was sitting alone on his desk as he watch the sky outside when he spotted a boy and a girl standing on the grounds below. Just from the stance alone Sukuna already knew what they were talking about, and was not surprised to see the girl give the boy a love letter. (He already saw this scene happen multiple times from the romance anime and movies that Yuuji watches that he already knows what was transpiring between the two brats below.)
The boy in the memory smiled and shyly rub the back of his neck as he talks. The girl looks flustered at his words. And by the sound of Yuuji’s dreamy sigh as he watch the two below share a quiet laugh, it looks like the girl’s feelings are reciprocated.
“Must be nice, to have someone confess their love for you.”
Now, if Sukuna wasn’t that bored, he would have put the brat’s memories back to where it belongs, sleep his entire day away and forget whatever memory that he witnessed that day. But Sukuna was bored, and he has nothing else to do, so as anyone who could get their hands on anything that can entertain himself at this point, he’s digging more and more on the brat’s memories. He searched, out of pure curiosity, for any other memory that the brat have while he’s in his middle school up until in the few months of high school and until the day before the brat swallowed his finger just so he could find out if someone did confessed to him.
As expected of someone of the brat’s look and personality, add his freaky inhuman strength, no one did. Sukuna find himself oddly pleased by that. But he only chalk that feeling at the fact that no one liked the brat enough for them to actually confess and feed the brat’s hopeless romantic side. Not that anyone had the chance to actually know the real Itadori Yuuji. His vessel was already well liked by his schoolmates because of his friendly and easy going personality. If given enough time to actually know him, the girl’s must’ve even fallen in love with him.
(Sukuna could begrudgingly admit Yuuji has this charm to him that easily draw people towards him as if his person is a magnet, and that it annoys him sometimes- no, most of the time too. Because these people should know that Yuuji is already his. The second the brat swallowed his finger, he’s already his property. Unfortunately, these sorcerers are stupid. And most of the time Sukuna has to fend them off just so they could keep their hands off his vessel. God, how he hates these mongrels for even touching his future body. He should cut those filthy hands off the second he has control of this body again.)
Now that he was done with his small investigation on his vessel’s love life, he’s pleased enough to actually head to bed and sleep his day away as he settles onto his bed of skulls when an idea suddenly pops up in his mind. He sat up with a start on his throne as he stared at the blood red water below him with wide eyes, lips slowly curling into a grin, and then his shoulder began to shake, muffled chuckles turned into guffaws as he imagined what his vessel’s reaction would be if he got his first confession from the King of Curses himself.
(Sukuna live for making his vessel suffer, alright? It would be really hilarious if he confessed to the brat, only to take back his words after because it is only meant as a joke. He bet the brat would end up crying afterwards, when the words finally sink in, and then Sukuna would have the fill of watching his vessel try to beat him up for his prank. Ah, he can’t wait for it to happen.)
With the prank in mind he patiently wait for the night to come, occasionally snickering as he could vividly imagine his vessel’s heartbroken look. He only stopped his daydreaming when his vessel finally turn the lights off in his room and settles on his sheets. Few minutes later the brat is snoring, and with his vessel finally falling asleep, Sukuna didn’t waste a second to drag his vessel’s soul inside his domain, his lips curling into a mischievous grin as he watch Itadori squawk indignantly as he fell face first into the water. He masked his smile with indifference when the brat threw a glare that’s supposedly threatening at his direction, but with the wet kitten look that he’s sporting right now, Sukuna find his glare to be amusing instead.
“Do you really have to drag me in your domain every single night?” Yuuji grumbles as he stood up, his hand coming up to wipe the water from his face away. Sukuna watch with his chin resting on his knuckle as he looks down at the brat from his throne, the corners of his lips quirking up into a smirk.
“Of course. Being stuck inside you all day is boring. You have to compensate by entertaining me at night.”
Yuuji rolls his eyes in exasperation before he started walking towards Sukuna’s mountain of skulls. He sat on one of the flat surface that doesn’t have any horns, just a few seat away from where Sukuna sat. Once comfortable Yuuji sighs, and says, “So, what do you want me to do?”
Sukuna lets out a hum, an act of contemplation, and then, “tell me about your day.”
Yuuji looks surprised at that, and then his eyes squint at him, a little hesitant, a little suspicious, but in the end he still nods and says, “Okay.”
The brat talks, about his day, about the mission that Gojo gave them and about Megumi’s cute rabbit shikigami. He also talks about Kugisaki, and a lot more other things that Sukuna didn’t care listening about as he watch his vessel talk animatedly about how his day went. Occasionally, he would nod, and ask questions when some of his vessel’s story doesn’t make sense to him, as if he really is listening to what the brat was saying. (He isn’t, he’s just bidding time. He gotta pull his surprise flawlessly after all.)
It was after hours of talking that Sukuna knew sooner or later the brat is waking up that he stood up from his seat, closes the space that separates him and Yuuji. He held his hand for his vessel to take, and when his vessel took it with a puzzle look on his face as he stood up, Sukuna took this as the cue for him to play out his plan.
“Yuuji.”
The use of the brat’s first name alone had his vessel look at him with obvious surprise. Sukuna did his hardest to hold back his laughter from the sight, giving his vessel’s hand a squeeze as he stares at him straight in the eyes, and says.
“I like you, Yuuji.”
His vessel’s reaction was instantaneous.
A beautiful shade of pink blooms on Yuuji’s face as he blushes, coppery brown orbs wide as he stares at Sukuna. His mouth open and close as if he wanted to say something but the words doesn’t come out, making him look like a fish out of the water (much to Sukuna’s amusement). Letting his hand go, Sukuna give the other a moment until Yuuji could finally form a coherent sentence without sounding like a scratched CD, honey brown eyes shyly avoiding meeting his own as Yuuji squirms at where he stood.
“R-really?”
At this point, Sukuna didn’t hold back the laughter spilling from his lips. The sound was sharp and degrading as it echoes through the confines of his domain. He watch, as Yuuji’s shy look turn into confusion, brows frowning as he watch Sukuna wipe the tears that gather in his eyes from laughing so hard. Sukuna’s grin was sharp and cruel as he looks down on his naive vessel, his words are like a knife that he mercilessly stab straight into his vessel’s beating heart.
“Of course not. I was just pranking you. You really think I would fall for you, brat? Not in a million years.”
He had expected for his vessel to react indignantly, maybe throw some punches in while crying as he babble about how heartless Sukuna is for toying with his heart like that. But neither of those came. Instead, every emotion drain from Yuuji’s face. The earlier flush and confusion is gone, now replaced by blank stares and even blanker expression as Yuuji nods at him.
“I see.”
The silence that blankets them was something that Sukuna isn’t used to. He’s not sure if its because of Yuuji’s suppressed anger and the feeling of betrayal palpable from where his vessel stood, or because of the awkward situation that he found himself in. Either way, something was compelling him to at least say something.
(Even if he do say something, he doesn’t even know what to say. Should he take back what he said and apologize? But that would mean he has to lower himself to the brat’s level. And he doesn’t want to. He didn’t go through all that trouble just to have his hard work thrown to the side. He wouldn’t even pull this thing if he isn’t bored out of his mind. He’s just doing it for his entertainment.)
Fortunately (or unfortunately), he doesn’t need to say anything as it seems that it was time for the brat to wake up. Yuuji turns his back on him without a word and began his descend. As his vessel reach the last steps before his feet touches the water, Yuuji spoke, his voice carefully blank as he says, “I hope playing with my feelings is enough to entertain you long enough not to summon me back in here. I don’t want to see you again.”
He was gone before Sukuna could even manage to dish out a retort.
Alone on his domain, he was washed with feeling of regret (can you believe that? The King of Curses feels regret. What a shocker) and something else that he couldn’t explain into words sitting heavily in his chest.
Running a hand through his spiky locks, Sukuna lets out a sigh.
He fucked up big time, didn’t he?
The next day, Yuuji completely ignored him.
Sure, the brat ignored him all the time, but at least he still came up with a sharp retort whenever Sukuna taunts him. Now, Yuuji is just flat out ignoring him.
It came even to the point where Sukuna had to materialize a mouth in his cheek when they were alone on Yuuji’s bedroom just to catch his attention, only to find out that the brat couldn’t hear him because he’s wearing one of those things that humans called ‘earplugs’.
Sukuna wants to tear those plugs into shreds.
Yuuji continues to ignore him the next day too, and then the next. And the next, and the next, until a week passed and Sukuna’s patience is running thin.
On the 8th day, he tried to drag his vessel’s soul back on his domain just so they could talk.
He found out that his vessel learned how to block their connection, thus it explains why Sukuna couldn’t feel any of the brat’s emotion even if how hard he tried. (How? Sukuna doesn’t know.)
He destroyed his throne of skulls that day.
On the 10th day, Sukuna was ready to just bury the whole incident out of his mind and ignore the heavy feeling that continues to grow heavier as days pass by when a chance to finally catch his vessel’s attention came in a human named Fushiguro Megumi.
Sukuna was too excited as he listens in to the two talk when Sukuna manifests a mouth on the brat’s cheek, smile wide as his opened one red eye as he look up to catch those honey brown orbs as he exclaims, a little bit giddy and half annoyed, the word. “Brat!“
His vessel’s body goes rigid for a second, and the next thing he knew, it was him who’s standing before an annoyed Fushiguro Megumi.
Blinking multiple times out of split second confusion, he frowned. Displeased that his vessel managed to escaped him, again.
Fushiguro might have an idea on what was going on between him and his vessel because he doesn’t let a beat pass as he pushes Sukuna inside Itadori’s room, his voice firm when he said, “Whatever you said to him, take it back. He isn’t sleeping for days because he doesn’t want to see you. If Itadori dies because of you,” he paused, his emerald eyes fixing him a hard glare as he make a promise. A vow. “I’ll kill you.”
Slamming the door close, Fushiguro left.
Sukuna wants to scream.
How the fuck can he fix it when his vessel completely ignores him?!
The next chance he get, was in the form of forgetfulness.
The brat sat on his bed, half awake as he read the manga he has on hand that he forgot about putting his earplugs on. The forgetfulness must be because the lack of sleep in the span of two weeks must’ve been catching up to him too, because Sukuna could feel the brat’s control on his newly learned skill of blocking him out of his own consciousness slip ever so slightly, letting him know that the brat is definitely exhausted and close to collapsing as Sukuna felt it seep deep into his soul.
If it was any other time, Sukuna would ignore the brat and let him rest, but now isn’t any other time, and Sukuna was at the end of his wits. Materializing a mouth on the brat’s cheek, he speaks.
“Yuuji.”
Yuuji’s body froze the second his voice filtered through the room, and Sukuna waited for a hand to come up and slap over the cheek where he’s currently at. A second pass, Yuuji hadn’t even moved from where he’s seated. Sukuna could see how his muscles tensed as the brat tries to think what action he should take, his control finally slipping as panic and exhaustion settles deep on his bones.
He felt the feeling on his chest grow heavier as Yuuji didn’t speak. Swallowing the sudden lump on his throat, Sukuna tries to sound less aggressive and gentle (as gentle as he can be).
“Can we talk?”
Being able to feel his vessel’s emotions and having an access to his thoughts once again after weeks of listening to nothing but silence, Sukuna knew that his vessel is having a war with himself. Suppressing a defeated sigh, Sukuna pursed his lips as he swallowed his pride. He won’t push his vessel if he doesn’t want to talk to him, he’s done enough damage that night he decided to prank him after all. He doesn’t want to make this whole thing even messier than it is.
“Its fine if you don’t want to-”
“No. Let’s talk. I’m tired running anyway.”
Sukuna silently watch as Yuuji closes the manga he has on hand before setting it on the bedside table. He waited as Yuuji make himself comfortable on his bed. By the time Yuuji has his blanket wrapped around him, Sukuna notices that his vessel blocked their connection once again.
“So, what do you want to talk about?” Yuuji tiredly asks, his hand fiddling with his blanket. A nervous tick that Sukuna had picked up on after a day of living inside his vessel.
When Sukuna had first thought of apologizing, he had kicked the idea away so hard that he tried over and over again for days to drag his vessel’s soul back inside his domain just so he could force him to stop ignoring him. He shouldn’t be apologizing for something that he only did solely for entertainment. But after he was given the silent treatment and the time to actually contemplate on his actions, he realized that trying to fix this mess that he made by force won’t work.
Right now though, as Yuuji finally talk to him again, he thinks that giving it a shot is worth a try.
“About what I did to you last time, I’m sorry.”
He thought his vessel was crying when his shoulders began shaking, but then he heard the tell tale sound of laughter, the sound bitter and grating on his ears as it bounced off the walls of Yuuji’s room, making him flinch involuntarily.
The sound of laughter slowly turn into wet sobs. Sukuna thinks that the crushing feeling of pain and dread that he felt right now must be what Yuuji must’ve felt back when he pulled his prank.
“Sukuna, you must be really bored if you’re pulling this prank on me twice now.” Yuuji says as he wipes his tears away, wet chuckles escaping him as he do so.
“I’m not pranking you this time, Yuuji.” Sukuna says solemnly.
“Oh. Ha ha, I thought you do.”
He doesn’t know what to say to that.
So he didn’t speak.
Silence fell on the room for a few minutes. Sukuna doesn’t know what to say as he waited for Yuuji’s sniffle to calm down. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to break the silence first, as Yuuji did it.
“Do you know that I was really happy when you told me you like me?”
Sukuna hums, making the other know that he’s listening.
I felt your happiness seep into my soul that time.
“I thought I finally got my first confession, from the guy I was secretly crushing on, no less. But then you just had to say it was just a prank. I think I felt my heart break after you told me that.”
I felt that too.
In his domain, Sukuna clench his hands tightly as unnamed emotions coils around his chest.
“I’m sorry.”
Yuuji brought up his left hand to touch the pursed lips on his cheek, gently running the pad of his thumb on soft lips, Yuuji shook his head.
“Its fine, I think I needed that one anyway. I was planning to confess to you first so I could finally get rid of my feelings, but you beat me from my own game with that prank of yours.”
At those words, he felt his world stops.
“What?”
“Ah, you didn’t know about my feelings for you? And here I thought I was pretty obvious.”
“But why?” Why me? There’s a lot of people to like. People that aren’t a curse. People that could treat you better.
“I don’t know. Its just that one day I just woke up and realized I really really like you.”
He wants to tell him that he’s so stupid for falling for a curse, for feeling things for someone who had nothing else to do but torment him. But words seems to escape him. Yuuji must’ve took his silence as a bad one as he stops on caressing his lip with his thumb.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to get rid of it this time.”
Yuuji’s words planted a deeply rooted panic inside him. Before he knew it, his mouth was already forming words.
“Don’t-” Don’t get rid of those feelings. Don’t lock yourself away from me.
Don’t turn your back on me, please.
“I like you.”
“Sukuna, you’re being downright unfair right now-”
“Yuuji,” cutting Yuuji’s protest off, he repeats the words this time, his voice both borderline desperate and serious, “I like you.”
He thinks he felt Yuuji took in a deep breath, and for the split second he found himself back on his domain, with Yuuji in his lap whose hands are tightly clutching on the front of his kimono as he pulls him into a kiss.
“Say that again.” Yuuji whispers, desperate.
“I like you.”
Another kiss.
“Again.”
“I like you.”
“Again, please.”
“I like you, Yuuji.”
“I like you too, Sukuna.”
I may only realized it now but I really mean it.
I like you, Itadori Yuuji.