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Ryoumen Sukuna is anything but human - he could make great men fall to their knees and kiss his feet, he could destroy an entire country if he wished to do so, he could wreak havoc on mountains and reshape them the way he wanted to - Everyone knew that if he had wished for something to happen, it would happen.
He is called the King of Curses after all.
But there's something that grounds him, that controls him - someone so unlike himself, that he would do anything for if she ever wishes it.
It was addicting - the feeling that he gets whenever he was with her, whenever he was able to hold her, whenever she plagued his mere thoughts - it had such a significant impact on his entire being that anyone would forget that he was quite literally, the strongest curse in the world.
Of course, he'd kept those thoughts to himself. How would anyone respect his position and power if they knew how putty he felt in the hands of a mortal human being?
No one would have guessed that someone who was offered to him as a mere and lowly sacrifice from a small rural village would later on become his wife.
So here he is now, the most powerful man on earth, laying on my lap peacefully with his eyes closed as I run my hands through his soft pink hair, massaging his scalp and scratching it every so often.
A year has passed since the day we first met. It was at his shrine - when he was luckily bored enough of killing the sacrifices offered to him by my village every 20 years, that he had given me a chance to offer him something that could please him enough to spare my life. When I had offered, out of sheer desperation, to cook and clean for him, he had laughed at my face as if I had told him the funniest joke.
He entertained the proposal I had thought of and after giving it some thought, decided to keep me around to see if I would live up to his expectations, which were pretty low to begin with, but I had impressed him nonetheless.
I wasn't entirely sure how I had impressed him at the time. Perhaps it was the fact that I didn't run away and stayed by his side, or the fact that I was truly acting like a loving wife to him despite being scared shitless the first month.
Maybe it was the intimate moments we had outside of the nightly duties I had as his wife - washing the blood off of him, feeding him meals I prepared or desserts that I made, or perhaps it was the physical contact we shared most of the time.
Who knows. One thing is for sure though - I've fallen deep and I wouldn't have it any other way.
"What's plaguing your thoughts?"
His gruff voice brings me out of my thoughts and I look down at his face. Four of his crimson eyes are open, staring at me with a hard gaze as if he was peering into my soul.
I take one of my hands and caress his cheek, grinning at him. "I was reminiscing about the past, mostly thinking about how we started out." He closes his eyes, grunting in acknowledgement before adjusting his head on my lap.
I continue stroking his hair, rubbing circles on his temple before taking one of his right hands and kissing his palm. He liked it when I peppered parts of his body with kisses, whether it would be in an affectionate way or in an intimate way. It's sweet and innocent and everything he isn't - It's why he's addicted to it.
"Would you have run away?" He asks absent-mindedly, as if he would not care about what answer I would have given him. I knew better though, the slight clench in his jaw said that what I would say next would matter to him greatly.
Of course, he'd never admit that. Ryoumen Sukuna was definitely far from the openly romantic type. The way he shows his affection is by ripping apart those who took a jab at me verbally or by the surprisingly attentive aftercare he would give after rearranging my guts - but the moment he comes down from his high and realizes how sentimental he's being, he would immediately go back to his usual self.
When we shared some moments though, Sukuna's affection for me could be overwhelming, but it was flattering to know that someone like me would have caught the attention of Sukuna long enough to make him like me, perhaps even love me in his own twisted way.
I only give him a reassuring smile and lean down to peck him on the lips, pulling away a bit. His hot breath hitting my face as he searches my gaze, waiting patiently for an answer and trying not to give away the fact that he was eager for my reply.
"I wouldn't," I pause, cracking up a teasing smirk as his eyebrows furrow a bit, "You would have probably taken your time killing me if I did."
He only raises an eyebrow at me before letting out a breathless chuckle, rolling his four eyes in the process. "You are unbelievable."
"That's rich coming from the King of Curses - we both know you'd have done so had I ran away."
"Shut up or I'll make you." He suddenly sits up to face me, and even with his seated form I still have to look up just to see his face considering the size difference we had. His eyes narrowed at me - anyone who didn't know Sukuna would have thought that with the face he was making towards me, he was going to rip my limbs out. It was a warning.
I knew better though.
I grin at him mischievously, and with the way his eyes twinkled, it tells me that he knew me well enough to predict what I was about to say.
"Make me."
Not even wasting a second, he suddenly pins me to the floor, roughly enough as a show of power but gently enough as to not hurt me. He was thoughtful like that, although he'd never admit it.
"If you were anyone else, I'd kill you."
"For defying you?"
"For a lot of things," I can only give him an amused smile.
"Then I'm glad I'm not anyone else then." I added, wrapping my hands around his neck to pull him down a bit, kissing him gently. He returns the kiss fervently, even swiping his tongue at my bottom lip - a way of telling me he wants to deepen the kiss.
I pull away from it though much to his dismay and opt to instead smile cheekily at him, "I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to see the great Ryoumen Sukuna so vulnerable for a human like me."
He let out a throaty growl before having his way with me, feeling completely satisfied by the fact that he had fallen into my trap of goading him enough to get him to do what I wanted.
No other being would be able to get Sukuna to do what they wanted considering he was the King of Curses, but when it came to his wife, he was simply reduced to an ordinary man seeking the pleasures of flesh.
______
Sukuna rarely took a day off - when he wasn't constantly putting curses in their place while he sat on his throne, he would often go on a stroll with me just to keep me company.
As I tighten my grip on Sukuna's arm, I take a quick glance to my left and see that the sun has started to set. I suddenly stop in my tracks and Sukuna is quick to stop as well - if he wanted to he could have dragged me and berated me for stopping so suddenly, but for some reason he kept his mouth shut.
"Isn't it so pretty?" I let out a sigh wistfully as I lean on Sukuna's arm, admiring the beautiful sunset with someone I never would think I would share this romantic moment with.
"Yeah." I hear Sukuna softly mumble as if his mind was elsewhere, I look up at his face to see him staring very fondly for a moment before suddenly hardening his gaze and opting for a neutral expression.
I stare right back at him, admiring his features. Sukuna was attractive, and with the golden lighting of the sun hitting his face it had somehow made him look softer and all the more appealing in my eyes.
"Do I have something on my face or what?"
"Am I not allowed to stare at you now?" I laugh, he only responds with a huff and turns away. For someone as scary as Sukuna, he can act like a child being told off by his mother sometimes.
"I never said anything like that." He grumbled.
"Good - It is most definitely not a crime for a woman to gaze at her husband."
He lets out a scoff, but I notice the way his eyes soften a bit even if he wasn't facing me, "You are unbelievable."
We continued walking along the field and happened to spot the shrine where I met Sukuna. It was when a few years ago the village that I grew up in threw me out and told me to go up the mountain to Sukuna's shrine, and that if I ever dared to come back, they would have done unspeakable things as punishment. My reminiscing of times where I thought my life would end were interrupted suddenly, when I spotted movement at the base of the shrine.
"Sukuna," I whisper, stopping in my tracks as I squint my eyes at the shrine, trying to determine whether the movement was from a wild animal or worse, a human from my village. Sukuna follows my line of sight, immediately picking me up and hiding somewhere near the shrine - close enough to see what was at the shrine, but far enough that they wouldn't be able to detect us.
I see a woman in their 20s with dried tears in her eyes, dirt all over the bottom of her kimono. She was frantically looking in every direction, as if expecting something to happen. As I get a clearer view at her face, I let out a small gasp.
"She's from my village." I mumble under my breath.
Before I had been exiled from the village, I knew this woman to be the soon-to-be wedded bride of a renowned jeweler in the village - but judging by the fact she was here and crying her eyes out, she was to be met with the unfortunate fate that I had. I looked towards Sukuna, an unreadable expression planted on his face as he stared at her with a blank stare.
"Stay here."
He appears before her all of a sudden, towering over her in all of his glory. The woman starts to hysterically sob as she falls to her knees - wailing for Sukuna to spare her life.
Sukuna only scowls at the woman he towers so easily, "Lift your head."
As the woman tries to compose herself, hiccupping as she tries to muffle out her sobs, Sukuna's patience starts wearing thin - He's always been very impatient.
"What are you doing here?"
"A-a sacrifice.. The village p-people didn't think you were satiated.." She managed to choke out, sniffling as she said so.
"A sacrifice? Satiated?"
"Y-you never showed any reaction that m-meant you were satisfied with the previous sacrifice.." She mumbles quietly.
Sukuna scoffs, "And you're supposed to be the compensation just in case I wasn't?"
The woman only stares right back at Sukuna's face, slowly nodding as the tight self-comforting grip she had on herself had somehow tightened even more as means to comfort herself. I would have done the same if I was in her position - Sukuna was unpredictable and chaotic, it's what made him so dangerous in the first place.
Before Sukuna could even think about ending this poor woman's life, I step out of the woods and into the dirt path, revealing my presence to the familiar woman who only stares at me wide-eyed with red rimmed eyes.
"Sukuna, spare her - let her go," Sukuna only gives me a confused look, brief irritation flashing before his eyes from even suggesting to spare some measly lower being's life.
"Please."
"Okay." He replies with no hesitation and not a hint of emotion in his words, but he listens.
A soft call of my name comes out of the woman's mouth. "Y-you," She let out a breath I hadn't noticed she was holding, "I - how?" she was clearly confused seeing me alive and suddenly disoriented.
To her and to the village people, I had met an unfortunate fate.
I only shake my head, "Head west, there's a village who'll help you there," I bit my lip as Sukuna returns to my side, putting a hand on my back to soothe the tension I didn't know I even had. I relaxed into his touch and cleared my throat before speaking up assertively, "To you, I am long dead and gone, and I hope that you would return the favor of sparing you by keeping my status a secret you'll hold to the grave."
She stays quiet and only bows her head, nodding along to my words.
"Remember this moment of kindness - because next time I won't be holding back." Sukuna is cold, clear and concise.
She hesitates for a second, taking a moment to process the words before bowing very deeply and sprinting to the other direction, stumbling from time to time as her figure becomes tinier and tinier from the distance she's already traveled. I look up at Sukuna, who still stays rooted to the spot next to me, looking at me.
"I'm fine, Sukuna." I gently assure, he looks away from me as his face scrunches up. "I didn't ask." He says coldly, but I can only laugh at him as I wrap my arm around his, and he lets me because he likes the physical intimacy of the touch.
"You didn't have to." I smile up at him, and I see the tension in his shoulders disappear - he was assured.
______
A few years have passed and my life was completely perfect - save for the fact that Sukuna had to leave me everyday in our shared residence to do what he considers to be 'kingly duties', which is just a more formal way to say that he needed to be imposing and terrifying.
Honestly speaking, I had gotten so used to the lavish lifestyle of having to do nothing but love and take care of him that even I was beginning to get a little bit spoiled. Not only did Sukuna's servants serve me just as well as my husband, but even Sukuna has gotten to be more open about his feelings in the 5 years we've been together.
Nothing has quite shaken me up like this moment though. I had started to vomit almost every morning, or at least feel like my stomach was churning. I wasn't able to smell certain foods either, because every time I get a whiff of them I feel like hurling whatever was in my stomach that day.
Sukuna had been nothing but worried for my wellbeing, seeing as how I had never gotten this ill. I had an educated guess that what I was experiencing was a side effect, but I decided to keep my mouth shut incase I was wrong.
I had put off requesting to see someone who could look at my state, but after Sukuna's long winded rant about how he didn't want me to suddenly die on him as if it would irritate him - which was his way of saying he didn't want to lose me - that I had decided to finally have someone check up on my health.
I stretched my back a little, straightening my spine because I could feel the ache going through my back. I look at Sukuna, who is uncharacteristically sitting in the distance as he waits patiently. It was rare to see Sukuna of all people to be so quiet like he is now, but from the way he was looking at me with rapt attention, I just knew he was trying to put the pieces together and figuring out what was causing me to be even sicker with each passing day.
I had a feeling he knew why, but all he needed was solid confirmation of what was happening to me.
One of Sukuna's servants, Himari, walked in. If it wasn't for the fact that I had to constantly remind Sukuna that I told her to take her time, Sukuna would have probably decapitated her for being late despite the fact that I told her to come at a later time.
She gives a deep bow to me and Sukuna, but Sukuna only grunts. The woman raises her head slowly, immediately assessing my body with her eyes. As I shift to a more comfortable position, she sits across me while scanning my body. I felt a little exposed despite being fully clothed, but I understood that this was her way of confirming through some technique - one that I would not be able to comprehend - about what was happening to my body.
It only took her a minute to fill the silence with her voice, "Congratulations," She beams, making eye contact with me for the first time since she's stepped into this room, and gives me a warm kind smile, "You've been blessed with a child - you're two weeks along."
My breath hitches and my eyes widen. I had a theory - a guess really - that I was pregnant, but I never would have thought that hearing the words out loud would have knocked the wind out of me after having it confirmed.
I was ecstatic to know that I had a little bundle of joy in me that I would later on be able to hold, but my eyes immediately drift towards Sukuna who was still sitting by the open shoji door that showed off the garden. He was just as quiet as he was when we first walked into the room to wait for Himari, who I just noticed, left the room quietly to give me and my husband some privacy.
"Sukuna?" I called out for him. I could feel the atmosphere shift a bit as he gestures for me to come over to him.
Sukuna always expressed his desire of, and I quote, 'putting a baby in me'. I didn't really expect him to jump for joy or show his feelings externally - that was not who Sukuna was.
What I didn't account for is the longing gaze he threw my way. He looked at me as if I was miles away from him - as if I were so fragile that even the most gentlest of touches would break me.
I stop to stand still in front of him, reaching out both of my hands to cup his face, gently grazing my thumbs on both sides of his cheeks and analyzing his face so closely as if it were the first time we were ever this intimately close to one another.
"Sukuna." I start, biting my lip as I see his eyebrows knit together as if he was thinking about something deeply that he's forgotten that I was right in front of him.
"Yes?"
"I-" I brush a hand through his pink unruly hair and place my other hand on his defined shoulder, "Are you okay?" I console, his face still holding the same expression from when his servant had broken the news. I was beginning to grow worried about whatever was going through his head.
"Sit here."
"Okay."
I sit down on his lap, my back on his chest as I adjust myself on him, putting my hand on top of one of his. He slowly unfolds my kimono with two of his hands, undressing me for the first time without any sexual connotation as he puts both of his hands on my tummy as if he could already feel the baby growing in me despite having no bumps whatsoever.
I laugh quietly, turning my head to look at him with a teasing smile,
"If I had known you'd be this romantic and intimate with me, I would have wanted to get pregnant sooner."
"Don't ruin the moment," He murmured so quietly, it was so unlike him to be so soft and gentle with me like this - but my heart fluttered at the thought that Sukuna was only ever vulnerable with me and was now even more vulnerable than he was before.
We bask in the silence, the rest of the afternoon passing by quickly in this quaint room with neither of us moving from where we were, comfortably resting in the warmth of each other's bodies.
I let out a long sigh of contentment, I wouldn't trade this moment for anything else.
"I love you." I suddenly hold my breath, flinching only a bit from having heard the words I never would have thought I would hear from him outside of being physically intimate night after night.
Sukuna was not a man of words, having only expressed how he felt towards me very rarely, but he had never outright expressed to me that he loved me - his actions alone had made me feel worshipped and loved, and for me, that was enough.
But those three words, those three simple words coming out of his mouth made kaleidoscopes flutter in my stomach - and I instantly fell for him even deeper than I thought possible.
His soothing hand rubbing over my belly stopped, his other hand that was placed over mine curled to interlock our fingers together. He calls out my name softly, so softly as if I would have shattered the moment he spoke any louder than he did.
"Little crane," He calls out again, but this time with the endearment he started to call me from way back when.
Cranes were a symbol of longevity, fidelity, happiness and love. When he had started to call me his little crane, he had meant it in the context of wishing that our marriage - one filled with loyalty, happiness, and an abundance of love - would last forever.
He refuses to admit its meaning, but having been married to him for the past few years, anyone could see the clear devotion he had for the object of his affection.
He calls out to me again for the third time, having been silent to him whilst being lost in my own mind.
"You're starting to worry me."
"Don't worry, I'm just trying to find a way to make you say you love me again." I quietly joked, trying to make him less worried about whatever I was thinking, turning around to look up at him again.
He rolls his eyes at me, his eyebrows still knitted together as if I was the most confusing creature he's ever laid eyes upon, "You could always ask."
I grin up at him, "Say you love me."
"I love you."
"Again."
"I love you."
"Again."
"I love you."
"Again."
He let out a long sigh, closing his eyes temporarily before looking at me again with a frown on his face, but it was clear that he was amused, "Are we going to do this all day?"
"We've been sitting in this room for who knows how long, so you might as well tell me you love me," I retorted, sticking out my tongue towards him like a child.
He rolls his eyes again, the frown on his face disappearing - replaced with the smallest hint of a smile, "You are unbelievable."
"But you love me anyway."
"I do," He starts, lifting up one of my hands and bringing it to his face, gently kissing the knuckles of it, "I love you, my little crane."
______
"Slow down."
Sukuna complains, irritated but mostly worried for my well-being.
It's been three months since we've known about the existence of the little bundle of joy growing inside me, a testament to the love that we shared. My arm is wrapped around his, trying to drag him up the grassy hill under the night sky. He humors me and pretends to get dragged by me.
"No, we're wasting time if you continue to act like dead weight."
"I've offered to carry you-"
"I want to walk!" I asserted.
"You are unbelievable." Sukuna lets out a long sigh, hurrying up a bit. Himari, the kind old woman who had been caring for me through my pregnancy, told Sukuna that I needed plenty of rest. Not only was I sharing my nutrients with my baby, but I had been giving him my cursed energy which Sukuna interpreted as me being so frail that I needed someone to take care of me to the extreme.
Ever since Sukuna had found out that I had been pregnant, he had been acting drastically differently. He had treated me like I was a helpless toddler that needed the constant watchful gaze of their mother, and had I not berated him for treating me as if I wasn't a fully grown adult, then he would have continued to treat me as if I was an expensive and prized porcelain vase.
We reached the very top of the hill, overlooking the forests surrounding us, and a lantern with candle light burning inside was placed on a blanket, various different delicacies of all kinds were placed in a small basket, and I immediately let go of Sukuna's arm and rushed towards the blanket.
Sukuna stays rooted to the spot at where I left him, and as I sit down, I pat down on my lap with a wide and excited grin. "Come," I tell him, patting my lap once more to gesture him over to lay his head down on me. He slowly walks forward, his eyes darting all over the blanket and staring at everything placed around us, before laying his head down my lap.
"What are we doing here?"
"Is it not obvious?" I raise a hand up to span across the night sky, as if showcasing it, "We're stargazing." I grin down at him.
Sukuna looks at me with a blank stare, snuggling up more on my lap and closing his eyes for a brief moment.
"Not the type of activity that I was hoping we could do tonight," He purrs, a suggestive grin plastered on his face. I gasp and flick his forehead for even thinking about something like that when I was trying to be romantic - but he ignores it and breaks eye contact, settling his gaze on the stars above us, "But I'm not complaining."
I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks and creeping up my neck - despite being with Sukuna for a few years now, I could never get used to the sweet nothings he implies - he was never one to be so direct about his feelings towards me, opting instead to show me physically how much he treasured me.
"Good, because you'd feel my wrath for not even giving me an ounce of appreciation for all of this," I grumbled, softly brushing out the knots in his hair.
He suddenly sits up from my lap and turns his body to face me, and he looks me dead in the eyes as he tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, "Anything you do for me, I cherish." He softly assures me.
I let out a small laugh, Sukuna was never this openly affectionate with me - or at least verbally.
"How come you're suddenly such a sweet talker?" I give him an amused grin, "I half expected you to either scoff at me or make fun of me by now."
His mouth presses into a thin line, as he stares right through me for a second as if to carefully choose his next few words.
"Because I realized that I did not want to make you feel any less loved," He whispers oh so quietly, as if speaking any louder would have made him sound less genuine, "I've seen the way you've been looking at yourself lately," He carefully takes my right hand in his, fiddling with the small band of gold on my ring finger before lifting it up to his face to press a gentle kiss on it, "It breaks my heart a little to know you do not see the way I see you." He laughed softly, so gently - so out of character for someone like him.
"And when you look at me," I start, biting the insides of my cheeks as I try to gather myself and calm my rapidly beating heart, "What do you see?" I wondered.
He doesn't take a moment to hesitate as his answer spews past his lips, "My lover, my wife, the mother of my child - the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes upon -" He's embarrassed all of a sudden, opting to look at the stars than into my eyes as if my gaze was putting pressure on him, "What else do you want me to say?" He murmurs.
My heart feels like it's going to explode into a million pieces - in a good way at least. Sukuna was never as open with how he felt about me or what he had thought of me in the past few years, only ever saying saccharine words whenever he felt the need to - and I had realized the moment he'd told me why he was being so sentimental that he was right about the way I've been looking at myself lately.
Pregnancy was something I fully embraced - I was happy to know that there was new life growing inside me, but my hormones made me feel less than what I am. I had been constantly berating myself internally and feeling hopeless and overwhelmed over little minor inconveniences that may have happened.
I rubbed a hand over my protruding stomach before reaching out towards Sukuna's face, gently moving it with both my hands so he was facing me directly. I give him a warm smile before leaning towards him to press a gentle kiss to his lips - and he returns it very slowly, but I could tell by the way he's leaning into me more that he was sure that this is where he wanted to be - to be in this moment.
I pull away from the kiss, our noses still touching, and I realize that while we shared a kiss he had wrapped his arms wrapped around my waist securely, "You've said enough," I grinned, snaking my arms as I wrap them around his neck, "If I had asked you five years ago, you would have merely called me a fool, the fact that you even answered me seriously is more than enough for me."
And he laughs so carelessly and boyishly at my outlandish reply - and we ended up falling into the soft blanket together, cuddling so close to one another that I could feel his heart pounding in his firm chest.
There was no place I'd rather be in than in his arms - if it were up to me, I would choose to pass away in them knowing that I was safe and secure.
We lay there for what seemed like hours, with no other words being exchanged until I map out a familiar constellation in the vast midnight sky. I snuggle up to him even closer, our bodies providing each other warmth from the cool air of the comforting night.
"Sukuna."
"Yes?"
"You see that?" I point to a cluster of stars and connect them with my fingers, and I look over to Sukuna to find him squinting at the sky as if trying to see what exactly I was showing him. "That's you," I tittered as he tried his best to connect the stars in the sky just as I did.
He eventually gives up, but humors me still, "What is that supposed to be?"
"It's Perseus, from a Greek myth - he slays a monster and rescues Andromeda and then ends up marrying her."
He raises an eyebrow at me, "And you believe that is me.. How exactly?" He questioned, and I took a moment to think so that I'd be able to give him a satisfactory answer.
"In a twisted sort of way, you saved me from my village," I remarked, lightly tracing circles on his chest, "And well, the rest is history."
"And where is Andromeda?"
"Uhhh…" I sit up and Sukuna makes no move to move from his position next to me, as I stare up into the midnight blue I try to map out stars and identify the constellation I was looking for, "Oh! She's right there, I think.." I point up to the cluster of stars near Ursa Major, drawing out the constellation so Sukuna would at least know what I was pointing at.
"See?" I tell him, my hand still pointing in the direction of Andromeda, but when I look back at Sukuna's face he wasn't even staring at what I was pointing at.
"Yes, I can see that."
I raise an eyebrow at him, "You're looking right at me though." I said, puzzled and confused as to why he didn't even bother looking up at the pretty Andromeda constellation.
"Exactly," He sits up, his seated position still towering over me as he leans forward to press a sweet and chaste kiss to my forehead, his lips warm and soft, and even as he pulls away to give me a small fond smile, the lingering feeling of his lips on my skin stays. He runs a hand through my hair, pulling me impossibly closer to him.
"Aren't I your Perseus?" And my heart beats a little faster than it already was.
______
"Stay here."
Sukuna is distressed and he tries not to show it for my sake - but the clench in his jaw and the strain of his shoulders were proof that he was anxious. The tears running down my cheeks and the wobble of my knees was probably amplifying how terrified I felt.
Jujutsu sorcerers are here, and they've come to take my husband's head.
"Sukuna," I grip both of his arms tightly, my fingernails digging into his skin as I try my best not to cry as much as I was right now. I was horrified to even find out about how this all might end, and I try my best to swallow my hiccups to whisper, "I'm scared."
"It'll be over soon - just stay where you are," He's tense and he's still trying not to show it, but he's just as worried as I am. He looks around as if trying to sense where the Jujutsu sorcerers are, "I promise I'll come back to you as soon as I'm done." He cursed under his breath as he tries to reassure me, pressing a kiss to my temple.
"I know, just -" I look frantically around me, and even with my average hearing I could hear the devastating battle happening outside, and I try to reassure myself by running a hand over my belly.
I look up at him and he lowers himself just enough for me to be able to slot my mouth against his, I kiss him fervently as if it was the last chance I'll ever get. I pull away just as quickly though, our foreheads touching, "Just be safe, please." I trembled, my voice strained and tight.
He laughs quietly, but there is no humor in it. He runs a hand through my hair before settling all four of his hands on my belly, looking between me and the baby still growing in me. "Safe isn't something that I do, but for you and for our child, I will be." He whispers before pressing a chaste kiss to my lips and disappearing just as quickly as he had kissed me.
There is nowhere for me to run - the Jujutsu sorcerers had already made plans to raid his residence as soon as they caught wind of it, they had managed to seal off every potential exit to be sure that the reign of Sukuna was to end.
And while the curses who could fight were out there, I was in a room that even I hadn't known about - hidden away and alone.
I ran a hand through my hair as I paced around the room, there was nothing I could do while Sukuna and his followers fought to the death to the humans that had sworn to eradicate their existence. I was already feeling miserable not only because of the battle currently happening, but knowing that the curses who I had befriended and had grown closer to over the years were being slaughtered while I sat alone in this room, safely away from the violence of it all.
I slump down to the bed as I run my hands over my belly soothingly, Ryoichi was kicking as if he too sensed the distress that I was feeling - and he probably is. I wept at the thought of the possibility of his life ending before it had even started.
But I try my best to calm myself down - to tune out the voices of curses and sorcerers alike, to imagine that I was still in bed with Sukuna as he lovingly grazes my protruding belly as he whispers sweet nothings to me and mumbling about promises to shower our son with nothing but affection.
But it was all for nothing - the voices nearing my hideout were getting closer - even angrier. I try to muffle out my sobs, praying to whatever higher being there was to not let them find me. I knew that the curses left near my room to protect me were already dead - the sorcerers were proof of that.
And I mourn for Himari, the only other person in this world that felt like family to me.
And it all happened so fast, so quick - the adrenaline pumping in my veins as if I had been part of the war my husband is fighting in. I could not hear anything nor could I see anything - it was all a blur the moment those familiar dark blue uniforms barged into the room. I don't remember screaming but my throat burns so harshly, and I don't feel the pain that courses through my body.
When my senses have already come together, I realize that I'm bleeding out on the floor - disoriented, alone, so very scared of what I knew was coming for me. I realized that death had already taken away my son before I even had a chance to carry him in my arms or hear the sound of his cries. And I weep alone, a shaking hand running through my stomach - the warmth of my belly and the usual kicks and jabs of my son had already slipped away from me so soon.
And I mourn over a life of what could have been.
I could do nothing but wail and attempt to scream into the dark, the bodies of sorcerers scattered around me as I cried as hard as I could - but I do not mourn for them nor could I care any less.
I had only realized it now, but Sukuna stands near me - bathed in blood. He wasn't smiling, the look on his face displayed nothing but horror and despair - a face that was usually plastered on those on the receiving end of his wrath.
He comes to my side, cradling my hand against his chest as he breathes shallowly, as if he could not breathe properly. Even with the spotty vision I had and the harsh ache of my head, I noticed his eyes well up in tears - a mix of emotions displayed on his face - of anger, of sorrow, of pain.
Sukuna had never cried before.
I slowly take out my hand from his, slowly moving it towards his face as I brush my hand over his bloodied cheek, and I try to muster up a reassuring smile, "I guess the little crane nickname doesn't fit anymore huh?" I laugh, my voice hoarse from how hard I had cried, "Seeing as how they're supposed to represent longevity?" I continued to give him a weak smile - but it had only made his tears spill from his eyes and down his cheeks.
His laugh is hollow as he tries to heal me with his reverse cursed technique slowly, but it was only making the injuries I had gained even worse than it already was. One of the Jujutsu sorcerers had probably used their technique on me in their final moments. My eyes were still stuck to my belly, and not even the amount of pain I had felt physically could ever compare to the heartbreak I felt deep in my heart.
Sukuna had never panicked before.
"You're unbelievable." He keened, his eyes wide - his face contorted into an unfamiliar expression - fear.
"I know," I try to push myself upright unto the wall, and I grunt as I pull a muscle and start to feel the throb in every single surface of my body, and I look up at him and still try to reassure him with a small smile, "You tell me all the time." I coughed out, and as I looked at my hand, droplets of blood were there.
"And I'll continue to tell you, just-" He's still trying to use his Reversed Cursed Technique on me, as if controlling the amount he's using will somehow miraculously heal me - but the pain was only growing worse everywhere and the cuts were growing bigger the more he tried, "Just hold on, please." He pleaded - he sounded so broken.
Sukuna had never been so terrified before.
I reach out to one of his hands that was still hovering over the large gash on my chest, I thread our fingers together to interlock with one another, and I bring his hand towards me so I could press a kiss on his knuckles - an action he often did to reassure me that everything was going to be okay.
"Sukuna."
He shakes his head, "No, don't start with me."
"I love you."
"Stop it."
"I'm scared." I shuddered - faltering in my act of trying to reassure him, even if I wasn't that convincing. Death had already lingered around me, but tonight, I can feel it creeping up even closer.
Sukuna had never felt so helpless before.
"I know," His breathing is getting even more shallow, sputtering over his words as he was still trying to heal me, "You'll be okay-" He faltered, as if those words were reassurances for himself, "You have to be, no, you need to be." His voice was quivering.
"Sukuna."
And he grows silent for a moment, looking everywhere but my face as if looking at it would make his very real fears come true, "What?"
"You know, I wished to spend the rest of my lifetime with you, and I'm glad I did," And even when I wince, I reach out my hand to cup his cheek, and he leans even closer to me. I tried to stop the tears from flowing to the sides of my face, but it was a battle lost the moment this tragedy had begun, "My only regret is not having fulfilled my promise of spending the rest of eternity at your side."
Sukuna had never felt so defeated before.
I feel even weaker, my heart pounding so slowly as if it was having a hard time trying to keep me alive. I try my best to pull him towards me, and he obliges almost immediately - and he kisses me as if it would be the last tender kiss we'd ever share - and it was.
When he pulls away, he looks even more melancholic - but his eyes still held the same amount of love and warmth he often basked me in, "A lifetime wouldn’t be enough. Eternity wouldn’t be enough. Not when I want to map every star in the sky with you in my arms. There is nothing I wouldn’t give you. Nothing I wouldn’t do for you."
"I love you." I barely managed to whisper, and it was true - and even if our time together was cut short, I don't regret a single thing.
He holds my hands together, clasping it into two of his hands as he presses his lips to them, muttering over them like a prayer, "Please wait for me and I'll tell you how dear I hold you in my heart, I'll tell you that I love you over and over again until you get sick of it-"
And as the black dots in my vision start to take over my sight, and the throbbing pain in my entire body starts to dissipate - he whispers, oh so quietly, trying to push down the mournful tone in his voice, "I'll find you again in your next life, my little crane."
Sukuna had never felt misery and anguish like this again.
______
Himari was going to kill me.
Hiroshi, the son I was hired to babysit for the weekend, had run away so suddenly when we had gotten into a small fight over the injuries he had gained after his classes yesterday. I had confronted him about it and told him that he could talk to me about whatever was happening, but he had only yelled at me about how he was fine and suddenly ran away without any warning.
I walk through the entire neighborhood and ask around about a boy with short black hair and a white shirt - which was unfortunately so plain of a description that nobody was able to say that they have.
And then I spotted a group of people - an adult and three teenagers walking around the neighborhood donning the same dark blue uniform, their hair had all sorts of different colors and unique styles.
"My house is up here! Thank you!" A familiar voice called out in the direction of where the group was, and I immediately rushed over to confirm who it was.
"Hiroshi! There you are," I breathe out a sigh of relief as I lower myself to hug him so tightly, and I pull away from him, a stunned look on his face before going back to the usual cheerful expression he has, "Where have you been all day? Do you even know how worried I was?" I exhaled as I looked around his body to look at any injuries he may have had - all the worry that was wrapping around my head was replaced with reprieve for seeing that he wasn't hurt while he was gone.
But even the relief quickly left my body, anger flowing through me, "Your mother would have my head if she found out I lost you!" I scolded him as I stood up above him.
He could only smile goofily at me, trying to butter me up with his adorable face so I wouldn't tell him off so harshly, "But I'm here now, that's what counts!" He assures me, suddenly pointing to the group of people behind me that had apparently stayed to watch the scene unfold.
"I would have been fine too, these guys saved me."
I look back at Hiroshi, an appalled expression on my face as I grumble, "You are unbelievable."
I turn back to look towards the four people - turning towards the white haired adult with the black blindfold covering his eyes and what looked to be three students of his, "Thank you so much," I state, bowing deeply to show my great appreciation towards them.
"It's no problem ma'am!" The boy with the spiky pink hair exclaimed.
I shake my head, "No, thank you, genuinely, you have no idea how grateful I am," and before I could even go on about how much I appreciated them for helping out Hiroshi, the pink haired boy's expression suddenly conflicted - contorted.
"I- are you okay?" I ask, genuine concern crossing my features as his two other friends look over him with the same concern lingering on their eyes - but even fear was etched into their features.
"Gojo-sensei, Sukuna is.." The boy exclaims as if in a bit of a daze, and Hiroshi merely hides behind my legs - suddenly scared of his savior.
"Let him out," Gojo says nonchalantly with no worries plaguing his brain. He even smiles towards me almost curiously, and suddenly faces his student.
"Let's hear what he has to say." He was amused. I was terrified, but nonetheless just as curious as to what was happening.
The other young boy's face contorted from one of concern to one of irritation, He sighs before exclaiming, "Teach, I don't think that's a good idea-"
"It'll be fine Megumi! He controlled him well enough before, surely he can handle it again," Gojo waves away. He puts his hands in his pockets and tilts his head towards the pink haired boy whose face was still just as confused as if he was struggling over control.
"Go ahead Yuuji."
And Yuuji suddenly smiles brightly, "Okay!" He exclaims optimistically as if he wasn't looking so distressed and out of it a minute ago. His eyes close and black marks on his face suddenly appear, a second set of eyes opening from what I thought were two scars on his face.
In this unfamiliar situation, the natural reaction would be to feel terrified at the revelation of something I didn't understand and couldn't comprehend - but I instead felt drawn and even more intrigued as to what was happening. Yuuji's eyes opened, but the air felt a little off - the way Yuuji was carrying himself and the energy he was giving off felt like he was a completely different person.
His eyes suddenly darted towards me, wide-eyed with a giant grin plastered on his face, and I could only tilt my head curiously at him.
"I've found you, my little crane."
______
“Love doesn’t die, even when you stop feeding it. There is no expiration date on the ache of missing someone you shared your heart, life, and body with.”
Drive by Kate Stewart