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Yuuji hated this.
The way his heart was jumping into his throat every time he caught a whiff of the rich cologne of his classmate sitting next to him. Was it sandalwood? There definitely was some leather in the scent that had been haunting him at night lately.
Well, not only at night.
All the time, actually.
He hated the way his palms were sweaty while he tried to follow clear instructions, yet his mind was foggy, and he could barely focus because of the body heat his classmate was radiating.
Yeah. It was that bad.
"...Jesus fucking Christ, Itadori. You're really stupid, you know that?"
Yuuji snapped his head to the side, squirming at the reprimand from his classmate, who tugged his notebook closer to cross out a couple of lines with red ink.
His eyes traced a sharp profile. Pink hair looked soft and was brushed back, opening handsome face. Sharp eyebrows were furrowed in annoyance at Yuuji's lack of concentration on his tutoring. Red eyes skimmed through his messy writing, and full lips were pulled down in a frown as his classmate checked his mock exam solutions that Yuuji knew didn't make any sense.
Math truly was the bane of Yuuji's existence.
So was Sukuna.
When Yuuji received his C- on the last test, he felt the walls closing in. The red ink had stared back at him like a curse as he dreaded not passing the finals at all. Nanami-san had already looked at him with disappointment, sipping into his gaze, but what he suggested sent Yuuji's whole body into a stupor.
"It's best if you get some tutoring, Itadori. Try to ask your classmates. I think Ryoumen can help you."
The ache in Yuuji's chest wasn’t only from his possible academic failure. Now it was mixed with the thought that Sukuna would probably laugh in his face if he asked for help.
Because Sukuna was so mean, yet perfect.
He was acing every class. He was good in sports to the point that every team wanted him in their club. No one dared to bully him because he was a "nerd." He looked like he could hold his own in a fight anyways. Yuuji had seen it for himself during PE, the way Sukuna's muscles moved under his shirt, taut and ready. He was confident, and maybe a little cocky. And no one wanted to be his friend as he came off as arrogant.
Well, Yuuji would be arrogant too if he looked like Sukuna and had straight 'A's in his grade charts. And it's not like he ever expressed any interest in having friends. He always sat alone during periods between classes and at the canteen, and girls often giggled and tried to approach him, though he never paid them any attention, always cool and collected.
And so Yuuji was just like those girls.
With a huge crush on him.
He didn't know what it was, but it had started small. Or at least he thought. Like a spark of admiration when he saw Sukuna speed through a physics exam like it was child's play and came out with the highest grade in class. It was the way Sukuna called the teachers out for a mistake on the board, with his voice dry and flat but undeniably smug.
Or maybe it was just how good he looked doing literally anything. He was charming. In the way villains often were in those shōnen manga: cool, cold, and prideful.
Yuuji didn’t even know when it started. When did he begin to look for Sukuna's figure in the canteen or stare at his side profile during classes? When did he notice that Sukuna preferred cherry soda over Coke?
Before he knew it, all these little things turned into a full-blown crush.
He was screwed from the moment Nanami-san suggested Sukuna for his tutoring. After a couple of days of screaming into his pillow and staring into the abyss in his room, Yuuji finally gathered all his courage and approached Sukuna. He didn't even remember how he worded his need for tutoring. All he remembered was that he was going to go die in a hole if Sukuna laughed at him.
But Sukuna didn’t laugh.
He stared at Yuuji for a long, tense second as his lips tugged into an annoyed line before he muttered under his breath.
"Fine. Nanami's already breathing down my neck about 'peer enrichment' or whatever. Let's just get this over with."
He said it like it was a punishment for him. And Yuuji imagined it must have felt like one: a straight-A student spending his free time to tutor someone who was hopeless in math.
But Sukuna kept showing up.
And now they were tucked in the far corner of the library, surrounded by dusty books and thick silence. Yuuji tried his best to focus on math while his brain short-circuited every time Sukuna leaned in too close. Every brush of their knees, every flick of red eyes scanning over his terrible work, every muttered insult—it all left a raw, impossible ache in Yuuji’s chest.
He'd never crushed this hard before.
He hated how good Sukuna smelled. He hated how clean and sharp his handwriting was. The way his voice dropped an octave when he was focused. How effortlessly he explained things—only to scowl when Yuuji didn’t catch on immediately.
Mostly, Yuuji hated how badly he wanted to kiss him.
So perhaps it wasn't hate he felt.
Just longing. And it hurt.
Sukuna groaned, dragging a red pen across Yuuji’s notebook and snapping him out of his thoughts. "You put cosine in a question about binomials."
Yuuji winced. "I—I panicked."
"Are you even trying?" Sukuna snapped.
Yuuji blinked, then flushed. "I am! I just… don't get it."
"You don't get any of it."
Sukuna tossed the pen onto the desk and leaned back in his chair. His arms crossed over his chest, and Yuuji's eyes darted to strong forearms flexing under the rolled-up sleeves of his school uniform. "Seriously, it's like teaching a toddler."
Yuuji squirmed under the judgmental gaze of red eyes, wanting to melt into the floor. "You don't have to be such a dick about it…"
"I’m helping you, aren't I?"
"Yeah, but you don’t have to act like I’m the dumbest guy on Earth."
Sukuna raised a sharp brow. "Am I wrong?"
Yuuji groaned and covered his face. "God, I hate you."
No, he didn’t. Not even a little bit.
Not when Sukuna sighed and reached for the pen again, uncapping it with his teeth and leaning over Yuuji's notebook so their shoulders touched. Not when he started explaining the problem again, this time slower and less snappy.
Like he actually cared and tried for Yuuji.
"Here," Sukuna said, voice low. "You missed the sign change. That's why your whole equation's fucked."
Yuuji turned his head slightly, unable to focus again because of how long Sukuna's eyelashes were.
"Thanks…" he mumbled.
"You're welcome, dumbass."
There was no bite in the insult this time. Yuuji dared to glance up. Sukuna was already looking at him, unreadable. His eyes were steady and half-lidded, like he knew exactly what was happening inside Yuuji’s head.
It wasn’t fair.
He wanted to hate Sukuna. Wanted to be annoyed that he was so smart and cool. But instead, Yuuji felt his heart doing backflips in his chest every time his classmate looked at him.
Sukuna's lips curled in a slow, smug smile. "You're red."
Yuuji stiffened and his heart raced in his chest when Sukuna's brows furrowed suddenly.
"You good?—"
"I like you."
Yuuji’s throat grew tight. He didn't plan to ever confess. Not like this. His brain-to-mouth filter must have malfunctioned or something because he would have never blurted it out like this.
Oh shit, shit, shit, shit—
Sukuna blinked. His eyes went wide, like Yuuji's words finally sank in, and his face—
High cheekbones bloomed with pink.
He was flustered.
Yuuji swallowed thickly, hesitating. But maybe—
Maybe this was his chance? Sukuna didn't punch him, after all. So Yuuji pushed the words out before he could second-guess.
"I like you. Like, in a like-like kind of way. Not just the 'thank you for saving me from failing math' kind. More like, um…"
He wanted the floor to swallow him on the spot. Why was it so embarrassing?!
"...more like, 'I keep dreaming about kissing you in study hall' kind of way."
Yuuji's ears burned, and he hated how desperate he sounded. His confession felt like stepping out into a storm without an umbrella, and he squeezed his eyes shut, ready to be ridiculed. Or punched. He didn't know what would be better at this point.
But when silence stretched for too long, filled with his heartbeat drumming in his ears, he opened his eyes only to find Sukuna staring at him. His eyes were still wide, but then they narrowed into slits, and oh god, he was about to kill Yuuji—
"You absolute idiot," Sukuna muttered, and his voice was oddly breathless. He stood up abruptly, making Yuuji jump in his seat, and jerked his chin towards the shelves behind them.
"Come with me."
What?
"Wait—what?! Where—"
"If I kiss you here, we'll get banned for life."
Yuuji's jaw dropped, but Sukuna was already tugging his arm and dragging him between tall rows of bookshelves. Yuuji stumbled on his feet, following him with his heart beating out of his chest and butterflies filling his stomach. Sukuna turned sharply, almost making him knock into the side of the shelf, and then finally stopped. They were surrounded by dusty books and old archives when Sukuna turned and cornered Yuuji into the window glass.
He looked a little annoyed, but not angry, no. Yuuji gaped at the new expression.
It was frustration, soft around the edges in a way he had never seen before.
And Sukuna was so close like this. Yuuji could see the perfect trim of his undercut now, the way a few strands of his hair curled slightly over his ears. He could count the tiny freckles under his eyes, the ones he never noticed before because Sukuna always sat just a bit too far away.
And god, that cologne again. It was stronger here for some reason. Or maybe Yuuji was breathing in too much. It was leather and sandalwood and something sharp—like air before a storm.
Sukuna braced his hand on the glass behind Yuuji’s head, caging him in place as his other hand clenched tightly at his side. His mouth opened like he was about to say something. Then closed. Then opened again.
Yuuji blinked. "…You okay?"
Sukuna let out a sound, somewhere between a sigh and a growl. He ran his tongue over his teeth like he was annoyed—with himself or with Yuuji, he didn’t know.
"This is stupid," he muttered.
Yuuji's heart sank. "Oh."
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry—
"No—Fuck, not that," Sukuna snapped. "You confessing. Like that. All at once."
"I didn't plan it!" Yuuji flailed his hands, face burning again. "It just—Came out! Like a word vomit or something!"
Sukuna stared. Then he snorted. "Figures. You're so damn impulsive."
Yuuji bristled, embarrassed but also a little annoyed at Sukuna's attitude. "You're the one who dragged me here!"
"Because I didn't want to kiss you in front of that old hag at the front desk! And there were other people too!" Sukuna hissed, voice low.
That shut Yuuji up.
He blinked. Sukuna's sharp cheekbones turned pink. Yuuji blinked again.
"…Wait. You wanted to kiss me?"
Sukuna's ears flushed red. He looked away, jaw tight.
"I mean. Obviously." He inhaled and exhaled, mumbling. "That's what I said, wasn't it?"
"Dude? I don't know?" Yuuji said, and his voice cracked. "You've been calling me a dumbass for two weeks straight!"
"Because you are a dumbass," Sukuna muttered, glancing back at him. "But you're also… not terrible. Or something."
Yuuji stared at his classmate, whose face was gradually turning red.
Then it hit him.
"…are you confessing right now?"
Sukuna looked like he wanted to throw himself out the window behind Yuuji.
"This is the worst," he said flatly. "I'm going to die."
Yuuji's heart was thudding like crazy, but he bit his lips, trying not to grin so hard.
"You like me."
"Shut up—"
"You like me."
Sukuna glared, and his face was now beet red, making butterflies in Yuuji's stomach flap their wings harder. "Say it again and I'm throwing you out of this window."
Yuuji let out a laugh. His heart was thumping against his ribcage and he felt lightheaded. His face was hot, and it hurt to smile so wide, but he couldn't stop. He felt so warm and giddy.
Sukuna liked him.
"You're so mean all the time," Yuuji breathed out, biting his lips and feeling how his palms got sweaty. "But… I really do like you."
Sukuna's eyes flicked to him, serious and almost nervous. His arm lowered from the window, and he shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders bunching up a little.
Then he muttered quietly, almost like a secret.
"I've… liked you for a while. Idiot."
Yuuji froze, with his breath hitching at confession. Time paused with that, and he felt his whole body grow numb. He didn't expect this. Not Sukuna's face flushing this lovely pink with sunlight from the window turning his eyes into embers. Not the unsure, almost sheepish expression of his stoic face that usually only had a scowl of distaste on it. Not the awkwardness of Sukuna's hands that he pulled out of his pockets to brush the back of his neck and fiddle with the bookshelf nearby.
"You're a menace," Sukuna muttered again, popping Yuuji's bubble of disbelief and stepping a little closer. "Making me tutor you when you're this—distracting."
Yuuji's eyes went wide. "I'm distracting?!"
Did Sukuna not look in the mirror?!
"You make all these stupid faces when you're trying to focus," Sukuna accused. "And your hair is always a mess. And you chew your pens. It's like watching a rom-com and a train wreck at the same time."
Yuuji burst into laughter. "Is that your type?"
"...you're my type..."
Laughter died in Yuuji's throat, and Sukuna just looked down at his mouth, wetting his lips. The silence shifted, making his pulse quicken, and he felt his heartbeat in his ears.
Sukuna stepped closer, and Yuuji could feel his body heat. His classmate was a little taller than him, and Yuuji looked up at him, not knowing where to put his clammy hands. He gripped the windowsill behind him, swallowing thickly.
"…can I?" Sukuna asked finally, and his low voice sent shivers down Yuuji's spine. His breath hitched, but he nodded before he could overthink.
Sukuna leaned in slowly, like he wasn’t sure how this was supposed to go. His hands landed right next to Yuuji's on the windowsill, and their fingers brushed. His nose bumped Yuuji's first. Then his lips brushed over his, dry and warm. With his stomach twisting in anticipation, Yuuji shut his eyes close and heard a soft whisper that ghosted over his mouth.
"Cute..."
Then they kissed. And Yuuji melted.
It wasn't perfect. Their teeth clicked a little, making them both wince. Yuuji tilted his head the wrong way and had to readjust with his heart leaping out of his chest. Sukuna cursed under his breath and muttered something about "fucking angles," but neither of them pulled away. Their lips brushed against each other slowly, and it was so warm and good, and these butterflies wouldn't stop flapping their wings in Yuuji's stomach—
It was so soft. Hesitant. He could feel Sukuna's breath stuttering, a little minty. He briefly got worried if his own breath smelled, but then Sukuna hummed, and it felt so good Yuuji lost himself again. Their first kiss made his chest flutter and his hands twitched with the need to hold onto something—anything—to steady himself or else he felt like he would just float away or something.
So he grabbed Sukuna's shoulders and held on, feeling how warm lips stretched into a smile.
They didn't part, and Sukuna kept kissing him. There was a little more pressure now, a little more heat, like he'd been waiting for this.
Like he'd thought about this too.
Yuuji's brain stopped working the minute they got here, but now it felt like it was oozing out of his ears. Everything felt so good: Sukuna's lips chasing his in slow motion, his breath hitting his wet mouth, and the smell of old books and his cologne. When a hot tongue licked his lower lip, heat pulled in Yuuji's stomach. Their lips pressed tighter, and slick tongue felt so good that Yuuji opened his mouth wider, panting. It slipped in, and he felt his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Sukuna licked into his mouth slowly, brushing his tongue too, and Yuuji tried to reciprocate despite feeling like a hot goo melting in the sun. Their teeth clicked again as he tried to follow him, and when Sukuna sucked on his tongue, Yuuji shuddered, feeling hot and sweaty. All he knew was that Sukuna's hand slid up his arm and cupped the side of his neck, thumb brushing the corner of his jaw as their lips moved in sync—slow and sensual, so full of want that Yuuji thought he might faint right here.
When they finally pulled away, trying to breathe a little, he felt dizzy. It took him a minute to focus his vision as they pressed their foreheads together. They both panted slightly, lips slick with saliva and a little swollen. Sukuna looked at him, and Yuuji felt his face flush, shy.
"…that was good," he croaked out, his throat parched suddenly. He felt dazed, like he was high or something, with heat pooling in his belly. His classmate looked the way Yuuji felt: he was pink all over, his face and neck, as he breathed shallowly with wide eyes.
Sukuna stared at him and licked his lips. Yuuji's eyes immediately dropped to his mouth, following his tongue.
"Yeah... More?"
Yuuji nodded, breathless, and they kissed again. It felt so good, the brush of their lips, the way their noses bumped into their cheeks, and Sukuna's breath on his face. A warm thumb brushed the skin under his ear, and Yuuji swore his knees almost gave out. He clutched the front of Sukuna's shirt, feeling the silk of his tie, and Sukuna made a low sound. Something between a sigh and a groan vibrated against Yuuji's mouth, and suddenly hands were gripping his hips.
The next moment he was lifted off the ground onto the windowsill, and Sukuna pushed between his legs. Yuuji whimpered into their messy kiss, and a deep hum made his toes curl in his sneakers. Their mouths slotted together so easily and fell into soft, eager kisses that left them both panting. When they parted, Sukuna was grinning, and Yuuji's poor heart was flipping in his chest. He was suddenly aware that he was sitting on the windowsill with his crush between his legs, kissing him till he saw fireworks behind closed eyes.
Wow.
He really liked him.
"…Woah," Yuuji breathed, voice cracking a little. "That was…"
"Yeah." Sukuna's lips curled into a smile, and he muttered reluctantly. "Not terrible."
Yuuji couldn't help but snort. "You're so bad at compliments."
"I'm good at other things," Sukuna said, and smugness crept back into his voice as he straightened his tie that Yuuji roughed up a little. He seemed all cool again despite the redness in his ears and pink cheeks.
Yuuji raised a brow, feeling all tingly and fuzzy inside. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Like math, dumbass. Which we still need to finish, unless you want to keep that C minus."
Yuuji groaned, slumping back to the window. "You're killing the mood."
Sukuna grinned, leaning closer. His body slotted just right between Yuuji's legs, and his hands brushed up his thighs all the way to his hips and waist, making Yuuji grow even hotter.
"Pass the exam, and I'll kiss you all you want without worrying about tutoring a dropout."
Yuuji exhaled, suddenly feeling bold and squeezing Sukuna's waist, playing with buttons on his shirt.
"We need a reward system." He bit his lip, smiling and dizzy with happiness. "A kiss for a correct answer?"
Sukuna grinned, leaning closer and whispering. "Works for me." He pecked Yuuji's lips and smacked his thigh. "Come on, we need to finish your mock test."
Yuuji made a face. "Ew."
That made Sukuna snicker, and he grinned, not making any move to pull away.
"If you pass the exam, I'll do a lot more than just kisses."
Yuuji choked on air, and Sukuna leaned in, eyes glinting with mischief. "Motivated now?"
Yuuji nodded so fast his neck cracked, and he winced, earning a sigh of defeat from Sukuna, who leaned closer for another kiss. He then pulled away, leaving Yuuji breathless, and muttered something that made Yuuji's heart grow so big it kind of hurt a little.
"God help me, I'm dating an idiot."
His voice was soft. And when they went back to their desk, he turned into his annoyed self, mumbling insults and crossing out Yuuji's answers with his red pen, while Yuuji still couldn't focus on anything, dazed and happy.
And Sukuna's hand stayed close. Just in case Yuuji wanted to hold it.
So Yuuji did, feeling how his cheeks hurt from smiling so much as he watched his now boyfriend's cheeks flush pink.
Math be damned.