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Another mission again. The higher-ups had already loaded your plate with assignments today and you’d promised Sukuna you’d be home early.
You pulled out your phone and sent him a quick message.
You: Have another mission :(
Sukuna: OK. Come home soon.
You exhaled through your nose, fingers tightening around your phone.
It wasn’t ideal, but this mission was supposed to be a quick one.
Maybe an hour tops, and since the location was close, you chose to walk instead of drive.
As you approached the area, you unsheathed your sword, preparing for another routine fight.
Then you saw them. Two special grade curses.
Your heart sank just a little.
You’d handled special grades before, but not alone.
Still, one of them looked smaller, more agile, but hopefully easier to take down.
That gave you some confidence.
You ran toward it, blade ready, and struck.
It dodged just before your attack could land.
You tried again and again, but it kept slipping out of reach, always one step ahead, almost like it was taunting you.
The larger curse didn’t move. It just stood there, watching, eyes locked on you, expressionless but unnerving.
You adjusted your stance, tried a different attack, and managed to graze the smaller curse, drawing a hiss and a splatter of thick black blood.
It backed off, circling you more cautiously.
“One down,” you muttered, though your breathing was starting to get heavier.
The ground trembled beneath your feet.
The larger curse charged with terrifying speed despite its massive size.
You barely blocked its first hit, the impact sending a painful jolt through your arm and knocking you back several feet.
It roared and swung again.
You dodged, barely scraping its shoulder with your blade, but the moment cost you.
The smaller curse lunged, slashing deep across your side.
Pain shot through your arm as blood soaked your uniforms sleeve.
You grunted, staggering away from the curse.
“Damn it,” you gasped, clutching your arm, trying to steady yourself with your sword planted in the ground.
They were closing in.
And now you weren’t sure if an hour would be enough.
Your breathing grew shallow, each inhale sharp and painful.
Blood soaked your arm, sticky and hot beneath your fingers. You didn’t have time to fall apart.
You gripped your sword tighter, knuckles white. You weren’t going down without taking at least one of them with you.
The smaller curse moved first, claws and teeth bared.
You ducked low and swept your blade upward, finally landing a solid hit through its midsection. It screeched, stumbling back, but before you could breathe, the larger curse was already on you.
You tried to dodge, but you were a second too slow.
Its massive fist slammed into your shoulder, sending you crashing into a wall.
The impact cracked the wall, and your vision flickered from the force.
Something snapped in your arm, or maybe your collarbone, you couldn’t tell.
You staggered to your feet, barely holding onto your sword with your good arm, but you were shaking, your body struggling to keep you upright.
The smaller curse was still alive, writhing on the ground, and the larger one was stalking toward you, its eyes gleaming.
Your phone buzzed in your pocket.
You could barely pull it out, but the screen lit up.
Sukuna: It’s getting late.
You coughed, half a laugh, half a groan, as you stared at the message.
“Yeah,” you muttered, eyes still locked on the curses. “I know.”
You raised your sword again.
You spit blood onto the ground, and despite everything, you squared your stance, focusing everything you had left on the fight.
Your legs felt like they might give out, your injuries felt unbearable, but you couldn’t stop.
You wouldn’t.
The large curse let out a guttural laugh, as if it could feel your weakness.
It charged at you again, its heavy steps shaking the ground beneath you.
You sidestepped at the last possible moment, pain ripping through your side as you moved.
You couldn’t dodge forever, but you pushed yourself beyond your limits, plunging your sword deep into the curse’s shoulder.
It roared in fury, spinning around, and with one powerful backhand, it slammed you into the ground.
Your body cracked against the earth. You screamed, and your vision went dark around the edges.
Something sharp twisted in your leg, and you barely had the energy to look at it.
The pain was intense, overwhelming.
You were barely conscious, struggling to rise, but it was too much.
The smaller curse was almost dead, but it still slithered toward you, its bloodshot eyes gleaming with malice.
Your sword was heavy in your hand, but you raised it anyway, trembling with the last of your strength.
You lunged, throwing everything you had left into that one desperate attack.
Steel met flesh. Claws met bone.
And there was a blinding flash of light.
Then everything went silent.
You were on the ground, your body broken, blood soaking the earth.
You couldn’t tell if the curses were dead.
You didn’t know if you were even still alive.
The silence felt like an eternity.
You lay there, your body refusing to move.
The sword was a few feet away, too far to reach.
Your side was a mess of blood, and your leg felt like it was on fire.
Your vision swirled in and out, everything growing darker by the second.
You blinked, eyes heavy.
The sky above was dull and grey, and you felt as if the weight of it all was pressing down on you.
Your phone buzzed once again.
Sukuna: How’s it going
You stared at the message, your trembling fingers reaching for the phone.
It felt impossibly heavy, but you managed to tap on the screen.
Your hand fumbled, accidentally dialing the call button.
Three rings. Then his voice, low and concerned.
“You done?” His voice was sharp but there was an undercurrent of worry.
You let out a pained gasp, struggling to keep your breath steady. “Hello?”
“Sukuna… help.” You barely whispered, the words coming out broken.
His voice changed, instantly darker with a hint of alarm. “Where are you?”
“The park,” you whispered, fighting to hold back the tears.
You could hear him moving toward you, his voice cutting through the pain.
“Hold on. I’m coming.”
You closed your eyes, letting the darkness take over for a second, but you knew Sukuna was on his way.
Minutes felt like hours.
When he arrived, he didn’t say anything.
His presence was overwhelming, his anger mixed with concern.
Without a word, he wiped the curses out with a single, devastating blow, and then turned to you.
He knelt beside you, his massive hands gentle but urgent as he reached for you.
He cursed again, frustration in his voice. “Still… one left,” you muttered weakly.
He turned, obliterating the last of them in an instant.
You could barely keep your eyes open as he lifted you, pain shooting through your broken leg.
You winced, unable to suppress a whimper.
“Hold on, this might hurt,” Sukuna whispered as he carefully scooped you up.
You could hardly process his words before the pain in your leg intensified.
It felt like a thousand knives were driving into your body with every movement.
You clung to him, your body trembling from the agony.
He carried you to his car, wrapping your leg with a cloth he found in the backseat.
He settled you in the passenger seat, grumbling to himself about the higher-ups for sending you on a mission like that alone.
You could barely register what was happening, your eyes struggling to stay open.
Your arm bled freely, staining the car’s seat beneath you, but you didn’t have the strength to move it.
“Damn them,” Sukuna muttered under his breath, clearly angry as he drove, his eyes flicking between the road and you.
He glanced over, brushing a stray lock of hair from your face, a softness in his gaze that you almost missed.
“Hey, keep your eyes open.”
You blinked at him, feeling dizzy.
You arrived at your house, confused.
Why weren’t you at Shoko’s?
You just wanted to cut off your leg and make the pain stop.
Sukuna gently picked you up, his hands soft despite their size, and kissed your forehead.
His warmth enveloped you, and for a second, the pain faded just a little.
He carried you inside and set you down on the couch.
With surprising care, he stripped you of your blood-soaked clothes and examined your injuries.
Your leg had a massive wound, and your arm was scratched and bleeding, but nothing else seemed too critical.
He disappeared for a moment, returning with a first-aid kit.
“You have a thorn in your leg. This might hurt, but stay still as you can, alright?” he warned, his voice soft but firm.
You trembled, panic swelling in your chest as he moved toward the wound.
He saw the fear in your eyes and paused.
“Just hold my hand and squeeze as hard as you can,” he said, his thumb brushing over your knuckles in a rare moment of tenderness.
You weakly took his hand and gripped it, squeezing as the pain in your leg flared.
It was unbearable. You screamed, the agony making your vision blur.
“I know,” Sukuna murmured, his voice soothing, but the sound of tweezers pulling the thorn out of your leg made your head spin.
Every inch of your body screamed in protest, but you couldn’t escape it.
You faded in and out of consciousness over the next few hours, some memories of him cleaning you, carrying you to bed.
Through it all, you could feel him watching you like a guardian, his fierce affection settling around you like a blanket.
Even if you didn’t know if you were okay, you knew he’d make sure you were.
As you drifted in and out of consciousness, the pain seemed to ebb and flow with each passing moment, but the warmth of Sukuna’s presence never left your side.
When you finally woke fully, you were tucked under the covers in your bed, the sheets soft against your skin.
The faint smell of antiseptic and something comforting, Sukuna’s scent, lingered in the air.
Your body still ached, your leg throbbed, and your arm felt like it had been torn apart, but the worst of the pain had dulled.
Sukuna was sitting beside the bed, his gaze intense, though not as cold as usual.
His hands were clenched in his lap, his eyes flicking between your injured body and the bandages he had carefully wrapped around your wounds.
He hadn’t left your side, even when you’d passed out.
“You’re awake,” he muttered, his voice low but relieved.
You swallowed, your throat dry, and tried to sit up, but your body protested immediately with sharp pangs of pain.
A soft growl escaped Sukuna as he leaned forward, steadying you.
“Don’t try to move,” he warned, a flash of annoyance crossing his features.
“You’re in no condition to be up.”
You relaxed back into the pillows, letting out a small, pained sigh.
“How long…?”
“A couple of hours,” he replied, his voice calm but firm.
“Shoko’s on her way. She’ll help with the rest of the healing.”
His gaze softened slightly as he looked at you, his voice quieter.
“I told you not to go on a solo mission.”
You looked up at him, trying to muster the strength for a smile.
“I didn’t exactly have a choice… I didn’t think it would be this bad.”
Sukuna’s eyes darkened for a moment, and the muscles in his jaw tightened.
“Of course not. You’re reckless, but not stupid.”
You chuckled weakly, wincing at the pain it caused.
“Thanks for the confidence boost.”
He didn’t respond to that, but his gaze softened again, lingering on your face as if making sure you were truly okay.
After a long moment, he sighed and placed a hand on your uninjured arm, rubbing it gently.
“I should’ve gotten to you sooner. I won’t let that happen again.”
You looked at him, sensing the rare vulnerability behind his words, a side of him you didn’t often see.
Sukuna wasn’t one for sentimentality, but you could tell this mission had shaken him, even if he didn’t openly admit it.
Before you could respond, there was a knock on the door.
Sukuna didn’t even flinch; he knew exactly who it was.
The door opened, and in walked Shoko, her expression a mixture of concern and annoyance.
“You’re lucky he didn’t get here any later,” she said, eyeing you critically before turning her attention to Sukuna.
“And lucky you called me. What did I tell you about sending her on solo missions?”
Sukuna didn’t respond, just grumbled under his breath.
Shoko rolled her eyes and sat down beside you. She had her medical kit in hand, but she seemed more irritated than worried.
“Well, I’m not here to scold you,” she said, focusing on your injuries.
“But you’re lucky to be alive, and I’m going to make sure you stay that way.”
You sighed, relieved at least someone had some faith in you, even if it was more out of necessity than anything else.
Shoko worked quickly, applying healing techniques and wrapping your leg with expert hands.
Every touch of hers brought some relief, though you could still feel the remnants of the pain.
Sukuna hovered nearby, not saying anything, but you could feel his eyes on you, like he was silently watching over you the whole time.
Shoko finished her work with a satisfied nod.
“You’re good now. Just rest and let your body heal.
You should be fine in a couple of days, though you’ll be sore for a while.”
You nodded, your eyelids heavy again, the exhaustion finally hitting you.
Sukuna stood, his gaze still fixed on you as he turned to leave.
“I’ll be here,” he said quietly, as if to reassure both of you and himself. “Get some rest.”
You wanted to say something back, maybe something sarcastic or witty, but you were so tired.
The last thing you saw before your eyes closed was his form disappearing into the hallway, leaving the door slightly ajar.
The sound of his footsteps was the only thing that grounded you as you slipped back into a dreamless sleep.
The next few days were a blur, a mixture of rest, recovery, and a few visits from Shoko.
Sukuna remained by your side more than usual, though he didn’t always speak much.
Sometimes he would sit in silence, his presence more comforting than words ever could be.
Other times, he’d watch you with that unreadable expression, almost as if he was measuring your every breath.
It was like he couldn’t stand the thought of you being too far from him.
Eventually, you were up and moving around, though your leg was still stiff, and your arm was weaker than usual.
Sukuna had been right, healing didn’t happen overnight.
But at least you were alive, and you could still stand on your own two feet, even if just barely.
On the final day of your recovery, you decided to do something you hadn’t done in a while.
You dressed yourself, despite the soreness, and made your way into the kitchen.
Sukuna was sitting at the table, the usual scowl on his face as he flipped through some papers, but when he saw you walk in, his eyes flicked up immediately.
“Careful,” he warned, though his voice lacked its usual edge.
You gave him a wry smile. “I’m fine, you know.”
He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
“If you say so. Just don’t go getting yourself hurt again.”
You opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water, and then sat down across from him.
His gaze softened for just a moment before he went back to his papers, though there was an unspoken understanding between you.
You weren’t the same as before, not just physically but emotionally.
You had both been through something together, and even though he rarely expressed it, Sukuna had been there for you in his own way.
“You’re not gonna stop being reckless, are you?” he asked after a moment, his tone still sharp but with a hint of something else.
You met his gaze, your lips curling into a slight grin. “You know me too well.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then he chuckled, the sound low and rare.
“Just don’t make me worry again, alright?” he said, his voice quieter now, and for once, there was no sarcasm, no teasing.
Just a simple, genuine request.
You nodded, your heart lighter than it had been in days. “I’ll try.”
And for the first time in what felt like a long while, you felt the weight of the world lighten just a little bit, knowing that despite everything, despite the mission, the pain, and the challenges, you weren’t alone.