Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15TH

Yuuji was burning from the inside out.

There were cold fingers shoved in his mouth. Thick digits roved pointed nails and rough pads across the inside of his cheeks and tongue, leisurely exploring the inside of his mouth and making saliva pool and spill from his swollen lips as heavily as the tears from the corners of his eyes.

There were more hands on him: one fisted in the tussle of his pink hair that kept his head forced back, the line of his neck exposed all too vulnerably; then, there was the one sliding under the folds of his yukata, the wet material pushed aside as long and sharp nails trailed deceptively gently over tense, quivering muscles; finally, there was the last hand, palm frigid cold as claws raked against his thigh, no skin broken as his leg was pulled up and made to wrap around a thick waist, the toes of his other foot struggling to keep his sandal on as he was manhandled further up the pillar he was pinned against.

The hands and the body they belonged to were so, so cold. Yuuji himself was still soaked from the rain, and even though heat was being leeched from him from multiple sources, he still felt molten inside, each stroke and pull from freezing fingers leaving him trembling and boiling from the sheer want.

He had all these hands on him and it still wasn't enough.

“We’ve barely begun.” Four crimson eyes gleamed in the low light, the dark voice rumbling in a pleased purr. “Yet you already look good enough to eat…” Cool lips pressed feather light against the wild pulsing of Yuuji’s throat, earning a muffled whimper. “Surely, you won’t mind if I. Just. Take. A. Bite.”

Teeth clamped down and Yuuji screamed around the fingers that had sealed his fate.

々

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13TH

Obon was Yuuji’s first festival without his grandfather. He’d lost his parents young, so his grandfather had been more of a father figure to him ever since Yuuji could remember. It was almost surreal for Yuuji to place a fresh flower arrangement in front of his grandfather’s photo, nestled on the altar next to his parents’.

He usually didn’t bother with following rituals to the T or wearing traditional dress for festivals, but his grandfather had, thus Yuuji had reason to make sure he followed tradition this year for the sake of his grandfather’s memory.

The festival was about honoring your lost loved ones, and Yuuji wasn’t going to waste this chance to participate, so he spent the day remembering his grandfather’s memory. He’d long since stopped doing so for his parents; something he never dared to tell the older man, because for as gruff as he’d like to play himself up, he cared. Especially about making sure Yuuji knew how much his parents had loved him despite their all-too early deaths.

So, when the sun had begun to set, Yuuji changed into one of his summer yukata: a dark blue colored cloth with white dragonfly silhouettes decorating the cuffs and hem. He found and lit the chochin, the crinkled yellow washi paper of the lantern painted with the kanji of his family name on one side and the insignia of a cherry blossom on the other glowing warmly.

Yuuji switched out his house slippers for a pair of zori sandals, slipping on his satchel and grabbing the pail he’d set aside earlier.

The walk to the cemetery was closer than his college, thankfully, and it took Yuuji about fifteen minutes to get there. Since it was the first day of the festival, he wasn’t the only one heading to the cemetery, nodding politely and greeting the families he’d known from the neighborhood.

There were more chochin hanging from the entrance, large and illuminating. The cemetery was full of families visiting their dearly departed, the different scents of lit incense mingling together and settling in Yuuji’s nose.

He made his way to the Itadori family grave marker, setting down the things he’d brought before smiling with as much brightness as he could bear.

“Hey, folks. Your beloved grandson slash son is here to pay his respects. I even dressed up for you, jii-chan, so you better be happy.” Yuuji greeted, turning his gaze back to the belongings he’d brought.

He pulled a cloth out from his bag, dipping it in the bucket and wetting it before getting to work cleaning the onyx black stone of the grave. When he was satisfied, he grabbed a second cloth to dry off the grave marker with.

Finished with cleaning, he picked up the vase on the base and emptied the old flowers into his pail before taking a new bunch out of his satchel and replacing them. He used a water bottle to fill the vase before setting it back down. He placed new incense sticks into the holder next, lighting them and letting the heady smoky scent of clove and rose fill his senses.

Finally, he pulled out a wrapped plate of goma dango and took off the plastic before setting it in front of the grave.

“I made your favorite, jii-chan.” Yuuji said, clearing his throat when his voice cracked a little. “I didn’t even have any stray sesame seeds fly out at me when I fried them,” he continued. “I remember when you first taught me how to make them… I had so many little dots from where the sesame seeds had popped on me, I looked like I had freckles. At least those went away,” he chuckled to himself before his head hung, teeth catching on his bottom lip. “…it’s not the same without you, jii-chan… I miss you.” His shoulders trembled slightly. “Hey, if you’re really here…let’s go home.”

Yuuji swept his fingers under his eyes to catch any stray wetness before bringing his hands together in a respectful gesture. He got to his feet when he finished, gathering up his belongings and settling one final glance upon the grave stone before taking his leave.

々

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14TH

Yuuji had slept in late, waking up to see he’d missed some messages from his senpai.

It was Sasaki; she had texted to ask if he was still sure about meeting up that night for their haunted field trip.

In all honesty, Yuuji would rather stay at home and go back to bed, but he knew he would regret it if he did, so he replied to her with an affirmative and a beaming kaomoji.

He dragged himself out of bed, heating up some leftovers and eating while rewatching an old horror movie. When he finished, he went to take a shower and get dressed, choosing a yellow yukata with a green fan leaf pattern.

He knew that there would be dancing and music along the street today as was customary for the second day of the festival, and he usually caught an outdoor stage performance, but he’d already gotten ready late, so he decided to go straight to the meeting place.

The meeting place being the remnants of an old temple located over the hill from his college. It was considered Sendai’s most haunted spot, and for all the book knowledge his senpai had, Sasaki and Iguchi had little experience actually visiting haunted sites. They would usually get too scared by themselves, so it hadn’t been until Yuuji joined that they were actually able to make it through whole trips.

He’d only known his senpai for a few months, but he liked them. They were the closest thing he had for friends. Yuuji, for as popular as he’d been thanks to his sunny, easygoing personality and athleticism (the way the coaches used to fight for him would have been funny if they didn’t impede his choices so much), had really just known people on the surface. The only person he’d been close to was his grandfather, but he’d started warming up to Sasaki and Iguchi as he’d gotten to know them.

So, when Yuuji finally reached the foot of the hill where the temple was, he let himself smile when he saw his senpai already there, waiting for him. Iguchi was wearing a plain dark green yukata and a pair of sneakers, while Sasaki had forgone any festival wear and stuck to a striped shirt and some capris.

“Itadori! You made it,” Sasaki smiled back as he approached them. “Are you ready for our most anticipated trip of the year?” she crowed.

“Of course, senpai! Are you two?” Yuuji grinned mischievously. “This is supposed to be the most haunted site in all of Sendai…and you have a hard enough time going through certain areas of the college at night.”

Iguchi frowned at the same time Sasaki let out an indignant noise.

“Itadori, it’s not the same!” Iguchi huffed.

“Besides, being terrified and still doing it is the whole point! It’s fun, and we love it!” Sasaki insisted, making Yuuji’s eyes twinkle in mirth.

He would never understand the thrill his senpai got out of being scared, but he did find the occult interesting, so it never really bothered him.

“If you say so,” Yuuji ended up shrugging.

“All right, no more dilly-dallying. Up the hill we go!” Sasaki declared, urging Yuuji and Iguchi forward.

“So, what exactly do you want to do when we get to the temple?” Yuuji questioned as they began walking.

“Explore the compound,” Sasaki answered. “It’s not a small temple, but it’s not as big as the college either. It’s so old no one knows what exactly it was dedicated to, but I’ve heard an interesting story on the dark web about it.” She smiled eerily, making Iguchi gulp. “Wanna hear it?”

Iguchi was nodding furiously and Yuuji chuckled. “Go on, senpai.”

“Well, some people say that there was a really powerful being sealed here like, a thousand years ago. They say that he had twenty fingers that were all spread out around the temple grounds to prevent him from regaining his powers… Some people have been able to find a couple and put them back with his grave marker, but the others have been really hard to find.” Sasaki explained.

“Twenty fingers? Like fingers and toes?” Yuuji raised a brow.

“No, this guy apparently had four arms,” Sasaki grimaced. “And two faces. He was huge.”

“Please tell me we aren’t going to look for the fingers…” Iguchi swallowed nervously. “Even for us, that sounds…risky.”

Sasaki crossed her arms, but it did appear as if she was making an effort to remain neutral-faced. “I never said that…just shared some lore, that’s all.”

“Ah, is that the entrance?” Yuuji pointed over to a faded red torii, paint chipped and whole pieces missing from the gate.

“We’re already here,” Iguchi said in a shaky voice.

“No time like the present,” Sasaki said in a falsely brave tone. “Let’s go.”

Yet as the trio made their way past the torii, the part of the woods that surrounded the temple already felt more ominous, Sasaki and Iguchi had inched closer and closer to Yuuji. By the time they reached the first building, the two senpai were huddled behind Yuuji’s back.

Used to it, Yuuji simply pulled out his phone and used it to light their way as he opened the heavy wooden door that led inside. Stepping in didn’t feel like any shift had occurred, and while they were creeped out, Yuuji assumed there was a certain level of eeriness one was allowed to feel upon entering a decrepit thousand year old temple.

Unsurprisingly, there was an overgrowth of plants and vines inside the building. They covered everything from the floors to the tapestries on the walls, and Yuuji moved the flashlight to illuminate them as they walked, curious to see what kind of things would be on them. Mainly, it seemed to be tattered remnants of old scripts and some artwork, but the most he could make out were nature symbols.

They made it through the first building uneventfully. The next two as well, which appeared to be built the same as the first one, just in varying stages of ruin.

When the trio reached the fourth building, their smooth sailing came to an end.

They hadn’t actually gone into any of the rooms in the other buildings, just wanting to explore the general grounds, but before Yuuji had known it, he’d slid open a door that had a painting of birds and flowers on it.

“Itadori! Why’d you do that?!” Sasaki was the first to hiss.

“I thought we made that unspoken agreement to go through all the buildings without actually exploring them, Itadori! Did you forget?!” Iguchi whispered in a choked tone.

“I thought I heard something behind this one,” Yuuji found himself saying. “And besides, look at this cool garden we wouldn’t have gotten to see otherwise.”

Indeed, the door had led to an inner compound garden. There was a small pond in the middle, surrounded by bushes of red roses, and the one tree planted next to the pond was blooming with orange osmanthus blossoms, branches stretching far and wide. There were small statues placed about the garden, but there was too much moss growth for them to tell what the statues were of.

“It’s…actually really pretty,” Sasaki managed to say after a few moments. “Who would’ve thought that there was actually something this nice still preserved here?”

“I wanna see what those statues are…” Yuuji admitted, stepping past the doorway.

“Itadori, wait, don’t just decide that by yourself!” Iguchi cried.

“It’s fin— ack!” Yuuji yelped as his sandal caught on a rock, causing him to trip but managing to land on his hands and knees.

“Itadori! Are you okay?” Sasaki and Iguchi hurried over to him, but Yuuji’s attention was on the old wooden box lying innocuously between a pair of statues. It would’ve been hard to spot from a glance, but being this low on the ground allowed Yuuji to see it perfectly clearly.

“Hey, you don’t think that could be…?” Yuuji trailed off, crawling over to the statues and picking up the box.

“Itadori…tell me that’s not what I think it is…” Sasaki gulped.

“Oh my god, you really found one.” Iguchi bemoaned. “A demon finger!”

“Well, we don’t know if he was a demon…or if this is even his finger.” Yuuji pointed out, sliding the box open to reveal an oblong object wrapped in seals. “Whoa, this thing’s big.” He realized, comparing his own index finger to the wrapped object. It was twice as long and thick.

“Why’d you open it?!” Iguchi cried, close to tears.

“I–Itadori, maybe put that down where you found it.” Sasaki pulled at the collar of her shirt nervously. “I don’t think it’s such a good idea to keep it.”

“We might as well put it back, shouldn’t we?” Yuuji suggested. “Can someone really rest in peace if, well, they’re in pieces?”

And Yuuji, bless his heart, the boy who had always made it obvious that he’d never really believed in repercussions, had just made it clear he didn’t understand what would happen if the lore was true and he was actually about to help make a powerful being from a millennium ago more complete.

Sasaki and Iguchi looked at each other, a whole conversation held through panicked flails and wide eyes, before they turned back to Yuuji.

“Fine, but you’re holding on to it, Itadori.” Sasaki decided.

“I don’t like this, but let’s just go to the last section of the temple already so we can finish this trip.” Iguchi shuddered, turning back to the door.

Yuuji got up to follow, pausing to brush the moss off the front of the statues he’d found the box between. He tilted his head; the grooves of the stone were worn, but it looked like a fox and a toad. Satisfied that he’d filled his curiosity, he followed Sasaki and Iguchi out of the garden.

The final area of the temple was between the first four buildings they’d been to, and Yuuji could tell it was a shrine of some sort.

The deeper they went, past the pillars and long burnt out candles, the louder the sound of taiko drums grew.

“I didn’t think we’d be able to hear the drums this far up the hill…looks like we’ll be able to join the dancing after we finish,” Iguchi said, trying to stay positive.

They all knew that it wasn’t possible for them to be hearing the drums as clearly as they were from this distance unless they were being played from within the temple area, but neither Sasaki or Yuuji were going to correct him.

Then, they reached what appeared to be the main room.

There was a large grave marker, certainly bigger than any Yuuji had seen in the cemetery, made with a black, marbled stone. Old, withered flowers laid on the foot of it, but what surprised the trio the most was the fact that there were more boxes exactly like the one Yuuji was holding that were stacked in front of the grave stone.

A quick count revealed that there were already nineteen boxes.

“Hey, Itadori…are you sure you still wanna return that finger?” Sasaki muttered lowly, sweat beading along her temple. The air of this area was different…a stifling pressure that she’d never felt before, and while she didn’t feel like they were in any danger, it still set her teeth on edge.

Yuuji looked down at the box in his palm, brow furrowing before relaxing. “Yeah. Even more reason to do so, right? It’ll finish the collection,” he said.

Sasaki and Iguchi watched cautiously as he approached the grave stone, the sound of the taiko drums growing so loud it nearly drowned out the thundering of their heartbeats from inside their chests.

“Ryoumen Sukuna?” Yuuji read the name carved into the black stone. “Well, it looks like I’m returning your last finger. Sounds like you’ve been waiting a long time for it. Rest in peace, buddy.” He finally set the box down atop the others, pausing as if to wait for something to happen, but when nothing did, he straightened and brought his hands together for a brief respectful gesture before turning back to his senpai. “See, that wasn’t so bad.” He smiled reassuringly as he went back over to join them.

Sasaki and Iguchi let go of breaths they didn’t realize they’d been holding, tension easing from their shoulders as they left with Yuuji.

“Well, I guess there wasn’t any reason to be scared after all,” Iguchi sighed in relief.

“I’m kind of disappointed that there wasn’t… well, more.” Sasaki admitted. “But we did find out that the lore about the fingers was true, so that was cool.”

“I liked all the old art, but that garden was really nice, too. Those statues were pretty cute and the roses smelled good,” Yuuji said happily.

The trio, caught up in the feelings of accomplishment and relief, never noticed that the taiko drums had stopped playing.

Nor did they notice that the box Yuuji had set down in front of the grave marker cracked, splinters flying as it fell. The box was halved and the wrapped item inside tumbled out.

々

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15TH

It was the final day of Obon, and Yuuji hadn’t slept well in the slightest.

His dreams had been plagued by red eyes and tattooed hands reaching for him. He’d wake up every time he was caught, and the chase would start all over again the moment he closed his eyes, always set in that temple he and his senpai had visited.

It was the first time Yuuji had actually had nightmares after an occult club trip, and he wondered if Sasaki and Iguchi had these sort of dreams before. Hesitant, he texted a brief message to them asking if they’d slept well before tossing his phone aside, hand rubbing over his eyes as he sighed.

He’d also remembered someone talking to him in his dreams, but the words faded out of his memory like water between his fingers until he couldn’t even recall what the voice sounded like.

The worst part had been when Yuuji realized that his wallet hadn’t been in his yukata, foreboding settling in his stomach as he realized that he would have to go back to the temple to retrieve it. He was almost positive it was in the garden, remembering how he’d tripped, and was convinced it had fallen out of his pocket then.

Knowing he’d feel better about going during the day time, Yuuji had gotten ready to get it right then, but then he registered that the steady puttering he’d heard upon waking was actually rain and it was pouring outside. He’d checked the forecast, seeing that it was supposed to rain all day, but there were a few hours of reprieve in the evening.

Sighing, Yuuji resigned himself to wrapping up his Obon on a gloomy, rainy Sunday that ended with a return trip to the only haunted site that had managed to creep him out. Briefly, he wondered about asking if his senpai wanted to go back to the temple, but he decided against it. This was a result of his own clumsiness anyway.

The good thing about rainy days was that he could stay inside for the meanwhile and indulge in some more movies and eat something piping hot to warm himself up. He did have all the ingredients for meatballs in his fridge.

Mood uplifted, Yuuji went into the kitchen with a pep in his step and a hum behind his lips.

々

True to the forecast, the rain did let up in the evening, so Yuuji went to his room to get ready. Today’s yukata was a special one. After the funeral, Yuuji finally opened the box that he’d been instructed to after his grandfather’s death. One of the items inside had been a yukata that belonged to Yuuji’s father.

Yuuji was a fan of patterned yukata, but this one… well, it was certainly a little more intricate than he was used to. He could barely remember his father, a flash of pink hair and honey brown eyes like his behind a pair of glasses, but that was it. Still, Yuuji tried to imagine if he looked anything like his father as he looked at himself in the mirror.

The yukata was white and came with a red sash. There were deep red accents speckling the hems and cuffs where spotted koi swam across the fabric, bright oranges and golds mixed with subtler blacks and whites. Yuuji was surprised that the colors didn’t clash with his hair.

It was…nice. Not a pattern he would’ve ever picked himself, but it did help him feel a little closer to the hazy memory of his father.

With a quick check outside the window, Yuuji made sure that it still wasn’t raining before heading to the living room to relight the chochin in front of the family shrine.

“Well, I don’t know if you had much fun hanging around the house these few days, but I’ll be taking you all back now.” Yuuji told the pictures as he got to his feet.

All he took was the chochin and his red umbrella, taking a sweeping glance of his house before slipping on his zori and leaving.

々

The trip to the cemetery had been uneventful. There were less families out compared to the first day of Obon, which did make Yuuji a little sad. He always liked to see the glowing lights of the chochin illuminate the night, especially to see them float down the river, but he knew it wouldn’t be the same because of the rain.

So, he skipped his usual trip to the river to head straight to the temple instead. Unfortunately, his luck ran out halfway up the hill when the gray skies finally loosened their bellies and the rain fell in sheets. By the time he opened his umbrella, he’d already gotten soaked through, and he couldn’t help the aggravated sigh that left him. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the rain, he loved it…from inside his dry, warm house.

He’d already reached the faded torii of the temple gates, and Yuuji would rather not have to make the trip again if he could help it.

So, he cut straight to the fourth building and looked for the sliding door with the painting of birds and flowers on it. Luckily, it didn’t take him much effort. He went in right away, careful not to trip over the same rock as he looked around for his wallet.

During his search, he heard a splash louder than just the sound of rain hitting the pond, glancing over only to have his eyes widen as he saw koi inside that hadn’t been there the night before. Yuuji even rubbed at his eyes to make sure he wasn’t imagining the fish, but they remained oblivious to his shock as they continued to swim idly.

They were beautiful, he couldn’t deny that, but something about their sudden existence set off alarm bells in Yuuji’s brain, and he took a step back without meaning to.

Only to bump right into something solid behind him.

Unable to contain his yelp, Yuuji spun around, eyes wide as he looked around furiously, but didn’t spot a single soul in sight.

“What the hell?” Yuuji whispered nervously to himself. He spent a few more moments glancing over his shoulder, but when he still didn’t find anything out of the ordinary, he deflated. “This place is really getting to me,” he muttered.

Even more determined to find his wallet so he could leave this place behind, Yuuji searched all over the garden, under bushes, behind statues, and even peering into the pond, but there was no sign of his wallet.

Resigning himself to retracing their footsteps, Yuuji left the garden and started looking along the path he and his senpai had taken. With every building he cleared, the stronger the churning in his gut became. It didn’t help that he kept getting paranoid at every stray noise that caught his attention, convinced that the shadows were playing tricks on him every time he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

When he’d finished checking all four buildings, he knew it only left one place to search.

Yuuji wasn’t a religious person, but he still murmured a quick prayer before making his way to the central area of the temple where Ryoumen Sukuna’s final resting place lay.

Despite the fact that it had been warm outside, muggy even due to the rain, it was colder inside the shrine area, and Yuuji could’ve sworn he saw his breath a few times.

When he finally reached the deepest part where the grave marker was, relief washed over Yuuji at the sight of his wallet sitting at the foot of the stone.

It quickly turned into horrified dread when he realized that all of the boxes containing the ancient fingers were broken open, seals haphazardly littering the floor with the fingers themselves nowhere in sight.

“I can’t tell if you’re exceedingly brave or just a fool, Itadori Yuuji.”

Yuuji sucked in a startled breath at the words spoken into his ear. Slowly, as if convinced that there wouldn’t be anything behind him like last time, he turned.

Only to be met with the sight of a being that towered over him.

The other was wearing a loose white kimono that had no sleeves, allowing room for his four tattooed arms to move. And as Yuuji craned his neck to trail wide eyes up, he saw that the other had two pairs of ruby red eyes already trained on him, lips curled into a smirk that sent shivers down Yuuji’s spine. The other even seemed to have pink hair like Yuuji’s, but his was longer and pushed back. The top left half of his face almost looked as if he was wearing a wooden mask, features just slightly off, but the eyes on that side of his face still followed the movement of Yuuji’s mouth as he tried to form words.

It was one of the rare times that Yuuji dared to ask what the hell he’d just gotten himself into.

“I…just came back for my wallet.” Yuuji managed to say after a few moments, swallowing. His mouth was so dry all of a sudden, creating a disparity of how his body was wet on the outside from the rain. “Are…Are you him?” he questioned, pointing unsurely at the grave marker.

“It’s amusing you’re even asking that question,” the other chuckled. “Did you really bring me the final finger I required for my awakening without knowing who you were helping? Then again, I doubt you would have if you’d realized. Yes, Itadori Yuuji, I am Ryoumen Sukuna, the Two-Faced Specter.”

“Well, the whole point of Obon is to honor your ancestors,” Yuuji replied slowly. He was still trying to process that there was an eight foot tall, four-armed being conversing with him at the end of the ghost festival of all things. “If there was the chance that someone was suffering in the afterlife and I had the opportunity to help them but didn’t, it would bother me.” He admitted.

His grandfather flashed through his mind, and Yuuji tried to swallow his sadness and focus on the predicament he was currently in.

“So, you’re a fool then. A soft-hearted one,” Sukuna raised a brow.

Yuuji bristled, fixing the specter with a displeased scowl. “This ‘fool’ was the one that apparently helped you come back to life, or whatever. Sheesh, you would’ve thought they cared more about manners from your day.” He narrowed his eyes before turning, heading for the grave marker. “Forget it, I’m just going to take my wallet and go.”

The sooner Yuuji left, the sooner he could put this all behind him like a bad dream.

“So, you do know how to bark back and not just squeak like a mouse.” Sukuna remarked in amusement, already leaning up against his own grave marker in the blink of an eye.

“How…?” Yuuji blinked in shock, trying to figure out how Sukuna had managed to get over there so quickly. Though, when he processed what had been said, an indignant flush made an appearance across his cheeks.

Sukuna bent to pick up Yuuji’s wallet, two of his arms crossed while one stroked under his own chin thoughtfully. “Now, what I’m hearing is: if you take this little trinket back, then you leave. Well, how could I let you go when you so helpfully pointed out that I haven’t shown you my manners. You are responsible for the revival of my powers, and it’s only fitting I show you the proper gratitude in return, isn’t it? Itadori Yuuji.”

Yuuji’s mouth dropped at the tone Sukuna used, not missing the way his name rolled off the other’s tongue like he’d been savoring the finest of flavors.

“No, that’s really not necessary.” Yuuji blurted, feeling an unfamiliar panic building inside him. It would be easier if he was simply afraid, so much easier, but something about Sukuna was so intriguing to Yuuji that he was scared if he didn’t leave right away, he was going to do something incredibly stupid. Well, stupider than apparently reviving a thousand year old specter. “You just go about your business and I’ll do the same. Can I please just have my wallet?” he wheedled.

Sukuna tilted his head at Yuuji, sending him that smirk again in full force. “Now, it’s your turn to mind your manners. It’s rude to reject someone’s hospitality. If you really want this back, why don’t you come and get it?” He held Yuuji’s wallet between two fingers, beckoning the human with his other hand.

This is a trap, Yuuji thought to himself. This is such a fucking trap, but damn it, jii-chan didn’t raise a coward.

Yuuji didn’t really have better judgment, usually at the whim of the first optimistic thought that came to mind, so that was why he squared his shoulders and walked straight up to Sukuna.

Him, an eighteen year old human, taking up the challenge of Ryoumen Sukuna, a literal four-armed being over a thousand years old.

He reached for his wallet, even raising on the tips of his toes, but as his fingers brushed against the leather, Sukuna’s hands were gripping his waist, fingers easily able to wrap all the way around his circumference and touch.

“Wh–What are you doing?!” Yuuji hissed, his own hands flying to Sukuna’s wrists, unable to make them budge in the slightest. The specter was cold to the touch, and Yuuji could feel his body heat being sapped from him by the second.

“There are three emotions my form typically seems to evoke out of humans,” Sukuna began, making Yuuji’s gaze snap back to meet his. “The most common is fear. I’m twice the size of a human, and my extra features as a specter are intimidating, I’m sure.”

Yuuji had certainly felt afraid at first, but that was more about the build up than of Sukuna’s actual appearance, so he knew he didn’t quite fit into that category.

 “Then, there’s hatred. I’ve razed dozens villages and killed so many I’ve long since lost count. It only makes sense some would come looking for revenge.” Sukuna continued, sounding so casual about it, as if he was talking about the weather.

Yuuji had been all too aware of the fact that Sukuna could probably take him out with just one of his fingers alone, but to hear him talk about how easily he killed people made him feel an undercurrent of anger. It wasn’t the hate Sukuna was talking about, so he waited to hear the last emotion.

“Finally,” Sukuna lowered his face so that he and Yuuji were only inches apart, “lust.”

He didn’t offer anything else, just dropping the statement by itself without further explanation, and that alone was more poignant than anything else he’d said.

“I… You…” Yuuji stammered, feeling his cheeks burn harder than they had before.

“It’s as if you didn’t even realize the way your eyes caressed my form,” Sukuna purred. “The unabashed want in your expression was quite…refreshing.”

And there it was, the final piece to the unnamed feeling that had been plaguing Yuuji since last night. He’d never understood the thrill Sasaki and Iguchi got out of being scared, of liking it. But his dreams—of being constantly chased and caught, the fear mingling with adrenaline—confused him. It was too new, too fresh for him to understand.

Sukuna’s form…it hadn’t scared him. What had scared him was the fact that he’d felt a stirring in his gut that was more than just interest. Yuuji had indeed wanted Sukuna the way the other was exposing.

“What do you want?” Yuuji finally managed to ask, still coming to terms with this new realization but knowing this was no time to get caught up in his head.

“Such a broad question.” Sukuna tutted, thumbs stroking over Yuuji’s stomach and enjoying the way the human’s muscles twitched under the yukata. “I’m going to assume you’re asking what I’m going to do with you, specifically. I’m in a good mood right now, an exceedingly generous one in fact, so if you tell me you still want to take your– wallet, was it? I’ll let you go as easily as you came.” Sukuna’s smirk widened, and Yuuji shouldn’t have been so ensnared by those hooded eyes, but he was hooked on the other’s every word. “If you choose to stay…I will ravish every last bit of you down to your soul.”

The choice should have been simple. Sukuna was literally telling him he could walk out of here with his wallet and Yuuji would never have to worry about this ever again.

So, why was it so hard for him to form the word no with his lips? Sukuna was more than patient, watching with a knowing quirk of his own mouth. Something about that look irked Yuuji, it dug under his skin.

He could already tell if he chose to leave, Sukuna would let him go without another thought, moving on to whatever else he had planned, but a part of Yuuji bristled at that. He had never felt the thrill of someone like Sukuna’s attention on him before, and to be brushed off, to try to go back to his life without experiencing the sort of soul-altering pleasure Sukuna was promising…it would be a regret Yuuji carried for who knew how long.

Alternatively, Sukuna already looked much too smug about the possibility of Yuuji staying. As if Yuuji was just playing into the palms of his hands.

Maybe Yuuji was. He wasn’t really experienced in this area; had never been so blatantly propositioned before.

“…I’ll stay,” Yuuji finally answered, meeting Sukuna’s gaze with his own.

Sukuna tucked Yuuji’s wallet into the folds of his kimono, one of his remaining two hands coming to slide into Yuuji’s hair and settling just short of too tight, sparks already tingling down the human’s spine at the treatment.

“Good boy.” Sukuna rumbled with a dangerous grin before he was leaning in to close the gap between them, lips slotting against Yuuji’s before his tongue pushed into Yuuji’s mouth with an intensity that already had the human’s knees going weak.

This wasn’t Yuuji’s first kiss, but it was his second, and considering the fact that his first had been a clumsy one on a playground in elementary school, Yuuji might as well not count it with how thoroughly Sukuna plundered his mouth.

Their size difference shouldn’t have turned Yuuji on so much, barely able to wrap his tongue back around Sukuna’s, the huge hands at his waist, the one holding him by the hair that was practically the same size as his head…but he loved it. God, Yuuji loved it.

Yuuji was starting to get lightheaded, not wanting their kiss to end but the need to breathe was winning, so he pushed weakly at Sukuna’s chest, making a soft noise from his throat that was swallowed by Sukuna’s tongue. His eyes were already beginning to water, but thankfully the other pulled back after a few more moments.

Yuuji sucked in greedy gulps of air, stuttering when Sukuna bit at the plush of his lower lip, not enough to draw blood, but hard enough to make the capillaries burst under the skin.

“So wrecked already, and just from a kiss.” Sukuna observed, sounding almost fond as his thumb came to smear the saliva on Yuuji’s chin. He swiped against the blooming red lips, eyes darkening when Yuuji brushed the tip of it with his tongue on instinct. The human moaned when Sukuna pressed his thumb inside his mouth, forcing it against his tongue and watching with full attention as Yuuji sucked . “Greedy little thing, aren’t you?” Sukuna chuckled, all too pleased. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you everything you want and more.”

Yuuji gasped around Sukuna’s thumb as the other walked them back to the nearest pillar, almost dizzy with how deftly Sukuna replaced his thumb with his other fingers, one hand going to his leg to draw it up around Sukuna’s waist as his last hand remained on his stomach, pushing aside his yukata so he could stroke his stomach.

Yuuji knew objectively he should still feel cold, but he’d been burning up ever since Sukuna first kissed him. He distantly processed the other’s words before Sukuna’s lips were at his neck, hovering so near it almost made Yuuji ticklish before the specter was biting down and making the human cry out loudly at the pain, fresh tears streaming down his face.

But when Sukuna sucked, tongue laving flat and wet against his skin, the sharp stinging sensation quickly made room for waves of pleasure, making Yuuji squirm and moan breathlessly in Sukuna’s grip.

The specter pulled away after one last hard suck, two of his hands going to slide Yuuji’s yukata off his shoulders, a low purr leaving his throat when he saw that the human’s flush extended all the way down to his chest.

“With the way you blush and writhe in that white cloth, you almost look like a little bride.” Sukuna commented, and Yuuji’s brow furrowed, whining around Sukuna’s fingers in embarrassment. The specter licked his lips, withdrawing his hand from Yuuji’s mouth to bring his wet digits circling around the human’s nipple. “I’ve had many virgins offered to me in efforts to spare villages,” Sukuna continued, rubbing the dusky bud with just enough pressure to make Yuuji’s snarky reply turn into a hiccuped moan. “But something about you… What a fascinating human you are, Itadori Yuuji.”

And then he dipped his head down to run his tongue up Yuuji’s chest, flicking against his other nipple and making the human keen, his own hands gripping at Sukuna’s inked biceps.

“I–I can certainly say the same about you.” Yuuji replied, daring to curl his fingers into Sukuna’s thick locks as the specter licked and bit his way across his chest. “I never really th–thought ghosts were– ah! R–Real before…and now I’m letting one have his way with me…”

Sukuna’s gaze flicked up to meet Yuuji’s, tongue flat against one of his nipples, keeping amber locked with scarlet as he placed a hand against the side of Yuuji’s face, palm easily cupping the whole length of the human’s face. Yuuji nuzzled into the chill of Sukuna’s palm without a second thought, sliding one of his own hands from Sukuna’s hair to his cheek, fingers barely grazing the specter’s ear in a mirror of how Sukuna was doing to him.

“No, Itadori Yuuji, I’m the best nightmare you’ll ever have.”

Yuuji’s face bloomed like the roses in the temple garden, mouth dropping open slightly as he swallowed thickly. Sukuna watched the action with hunger, surprise filtering in when Yuuji’s lips lifted into a little grin.

“You’re really something,” the human said, a little breathless but sounding just this side of reverent and excited. “Even in my wildest dreams I would have never imagined someone like you. I know you have a lot of experience, Sukuna, but forget about the others. And if you can’t, I’ll make you. Make good on your promise and just focus on me.”

There was a moment of silence where Sukuna just stared at Yuuji, intense and calculating, looking every bit the thousand year being he was. And had Yuuji not gotten over his nerves the moment Sukuna had cupped his face like he was something precious (and now who was the one showing unfiltered emotion without realizing?), he would’ve balked under the attention. Instead, he waited patiently, absentmindedly stroking Sukuna’s scalp.

Then, Sukuna tossed his head back and his deep laughter filled the whole room, reverberating all the way into Yuuji’s chest.

“Careful, Itadori Yuuji, or I might just keep you.” Sukuna warned as he turned a sharp grin to the pink-haired boy, grip tightening on his waist.

Yuuji, bless his heart, the very one that thudded like a drum against his ribcage, uttered three words that shut the door of turning back with a deafening slam.

“Why don’t you?”

Yuuji should’ve been shocked at what he was saying, but he knew better. He’d always been surrounded by others and yet felt loneliness deep in his core, never being truly understood by anyone except his grandfather. After losing the one person he’d held close, Yuuji was just going through the motions. He hadn’t even realized how stark the difference of living from day to day out of necessity was from the sheer eddy of emotions Sukuna set whirling inside him.

Yuuji had always liked the occult, but he never expected for the occult to like him back, and after tasting what it had to offer him, he didn’t think he could go back.

Yuuji startled when Sukuna readjusted his grip on him, having to grab at his inked biceps when he was lifted, losing a zori in the process as he wrapped his other leg around the specter’s waist.

“S–Sukuna, what—” Yuuji tried to ask him what he was doing but grunted when he was backed none too gently against the cold marble of Sukuna’s grave marker.

“I was going to kill you, you know.” Sukuna murmured, voice softer than it had been all night, hand gripping Yuuji’s jaw and watching how the human’s brows shot up. “If you’d taken the wallet, I would’ve let it be. But you decided to stay…and went and said just enough to peak my interest.” He continued, two of his hands pushing his kimono off his shoulders and letting it fall around his waist, leaving his obi on. “You’ve played with fire, Itadori Yuuji. You’re mine now. Prepare yourself.”

Sukuna finally let go of Yuuji’s jaw and the human gave him that confident grin that had both gotten him into trouble and saved him from disaster alike. He placed his hands on Sukuna’s shoulders, nails digging as he dragged them down the specter’s chest.

“I’m not running, Sukuna. I’ll have you as you’ll have me.”

Sukuna growled, surging down to reconnect their lips, and if Yuuji had thought he’d had the lights kissed out of him the first time, he was so, so wrong.

Sukuna devoured his mouth like a dragon staking his claim; Yuuji’s tongue, teeth, palette were all Sukuna’s shiny jewels and gold to plunder and keep. Yuuji was so focused on trying to keep up with him that he hadn’t realized Sukuna had slid his hand under his yukata until he was gripping Yuuji through his soaked boxers, making the human buck his hips into Sukuna’s palm with a whimper.

Sukuna pulled away, drinking in the glassiness of Yuuji’s gaze and the way their tongues were still connected by strings of spit, Yuuji’s nearly lolling out of his mouth.

“My, my, Yuuji, you’re so wet for me.” Sukuna grinned, teasing the human’s tip from where it peeked out of the top of his boxers. “I haven’t even seen it, but I can feel how badly your little cock wants to burst.”

“Su–Sukuna, please!” Yuuji gasped, eyes screwing shut as he ground his hips against the specter’s hand, head falling back against the marble. Distantly, he wondered if it was still considered desecrating a grave if he was with the person that was supposed to be buried there.

“You cry so easily for someone who was talking big only moments ago.” Sukuna teased, but his hand moved faster against Yuuji’s length. “Fortunately, it’s a good look on you.” He rumbled, pressing his face into the junction where Yuuji’s neck met his shoulder, and the human only had a moment to realize what was going to happen when Sukuna bit him again.

“A–Ah!” Yuuji cried, hips stuttering as the flaring pain only pushed him over the edge, spilling his release into his boxers, some managing to catch on Sukuna’s hand.

Sukuna withdrew, holding up his fingers to examine the sticky fluid coating them, and Yuuji went red at how casually the specter stuck and unstuck his fingers before placing them in his own mouth, tasting the human’s cum.

“Well, it appears seed still tastes the same even a thousand years later.” Sukuna observed after a moment.

“Good?” Yuuji replied absently, having been too caught up with watching Sukuna suck on his own fingers before snapping out of it. “Since I came first, let me down so I can return the favor.” He said, already starting to squirm a little so he could get to it. He was eager to take whatever Sukuna gave him, but he also wasn’t going to be a passive participant if he could help it. He’d spent too long waiting for this moment.

Sukuna chuckled, stilling Yuuji’s movements. “As…cute as your intentions are, I will only release when I’m inside you. I want to see you swell with it all.”

Yuuji was lucky he wasn’t standing; the words had him melting in Sukuna’s grip.

“Wait,” the human paused, disappointment curling in his stomach as he realized something important. “What about lube? We don’t have anything to stretch me with…” he said. Even though he was a virgin, Yuuji was a bisexual with a healthy curiosity that had played with himself enough to know that there was no way they were going to be able to do this dry.

Suddenly, something warm and wet curled around Yuuji’s wrist, the one that had strayed too close to Sukuna’s abdomen. He gasped, head snapping down to see that there was a mouth on Sukuna’s stomach.

“I think we’ll be fine,” Sukuna said all too smugly. Yuuji was going to let him have his moment; the specter had a stomach tongue!

“Wait, does that mean you’re going to—” Yuuji sucked in a breath when Sukuna pushed aside the folds of his yukata to bare the human’s legs. He pulled off Yuuji’s ruined boxers, not bothering to get them all the way down and letting them dangle off the human’s ankle. Sukuna rearranged Yuuji so he was positioned higher, right in front of the specter’s stomach, and Yuuji mentally confirmed that he did in fact have a kink for being manhandled.

“You made a mess down here, didn’t you?” Sukuna tsked, mock disappointed. “Why don’t we clean you up, hm?” He continued, and Yuuji’s half hardening erection twitched tellingly in interest.

Sukuna’s bigger mouth opened and his tongue eagerly came out to lick a long, thorough stripe from Yuuji’s perineum to the tip of his cock, earning a loud gasp from the human. Sukuna’s tongue laved over each crease and fold of Yuuji’s skin, gathering every remnant of the human’s sticky release from earlier. The treatment had Yuuji squirming again, fingers tight against Sukuna’s shoulders as he panted and moaned softly.

“K–Kiss,” Yuuji said after managing to focus his thoughts enough, his own tongue nearly lolling out again. “S–Sukuna…”

The specter wasn’t going to deny Yuuji, leaning down to suck on the tongue that had been begging for his attention. Sukuna was being indulgent because he wanted to be, but he was starting to get the nagging feeling that Yuuji was already wrapping him around his stubby little human finger. Sukuna had claimed Yuuji as his, but Yuuji had been just as quick to do the same.

Sukuna had rarely staked claims on humans before, and every lowly being that had thought they could own him or try to use him had been dealt with slowly and agonizingly.

So, how could he have let this boy burrow so sneakily under his defenses?

Sukuna let that train of thought go to the back burner when Yuuji cried into his mouth as the specter’s bigger tongue slithered down between his cheeks, circling around the human’s puckered entrance. Yuuji pushed his hips down, begging for more, and Sukuna was already giving it to him, tongue breaching him.

Yuuji was losing focus rapidly. Before, he had been trying to keep up with Sukuna’s kiss, but now as the stomach tongue wiggled past the first ring of tight muscle, Sukuna pressing him further down at an angle so he could let his saliva pool into his entrance for a slicker ride, Yuuji was already incoherent with pleasure.

He didn’t even realize he’d started tearing up again until Sukuna broke their kiss and caught a droplet against Yuuji’s cheek with his lips.

It was an intimate gesture, and even through the ecstasy fogging his mind, Yuuji’s belly was simmering with a new feeling to the mix…one he hadn’t been expecting: affection.

Yuuji was getting the best rimming of his life by a specter’s stomach tongue and yet one kiss to the cheek had him gushing like he was in middle school discovering Jennifer Lawrence again.

Sukuna gathered some of the saliva that was dripping from his bigger tongue, working a finger alongside it into Yuuji’s entrance and the human’s mind stopped working all together. By the time Sukuna had fit three fingers in addition to his tongue, Yuuji was painfully hard again, cock leaking so much precum against his stomach that Sukuna’s earlier cleaning was already done away with.

Yuuji whined loudly when Sukuna withdrew his fingers and tongue, hole clenching on air as he tried to chase after the digits, held in place by the specter’s firm grip.

“Sukuna, please,” Yuuji gave him a pitiful look. “Don’t leave me empty…it’s cold…”

Sukuna’s nostrils flared, fingers tightening hard enough to bruise his prints into Yuuji’s waist. “You just can’t get enough, can you?” he growled lowly. “Such a greedy little whore. You want my cock that badly? Hm, Yuuji? You want to be stuffed so deeply you can feel me in your throat?” Sukuna was baring his teeth, eyes flashing in hunger so animalistic it should’ve terrified Yuuji.

It did.

But more importantly, it made the lust coiled in his gut squeeze deliciously tighter.

“Yes, please. I want your dick in me so bad, Sukuna!” Yuuji begged, tugging at the other’s obi and trying to bring him even closer by digging the heels of his feet into the other’s back. “Fill me up like you promised,” he looked back up into Sukuna’s eyes with an earnest plea.

“You keep saying that, ‘fulfill your promise.’ I may be a manipulative bastard, but I keep my word.” Sukuna rumbled, hands gripping the backs of Yuuji’s thighs and pushing them up, spreading them obscenely wide to reveal the human’s messy, drenched hole. “If anything, you better be ready, Yuuji, because I’m not going to stop until I’ve had my fill.”

And then he undid his obi, letting his kimono fall open to reveal his cock.

Yuuji had known in the back of his kind that since Sukuna was big, there was a highly likely possibility that the size of his dick was going to be proportional. And proportional it was; the other’s erection was the size of Yuuji’s forearm and nearly twice as thick.

There was no way it was going to fit inside him.

But by god was Yuuji going to try. Sukuna had said he was planning on killing him earlier; he was probably going to do it with this monster cock of his.

“You probably would hit the back of my throat with that,” was the first thing Yuuji managed to say. “Let me just say a quick prayer for my ass before you go in, hold on.” Yuuji clapped his hands together and closed his eyes. “Please let me take Sukuna’s third leg without dying or any major organ damage, amen.”

“You’re not cute, brat.” Sukuna rolled his eyes, but his tone implied otherwise.

Yuuji flashed him a cheeky smile before reaching down to wrap a hand around Sukuna’s tip, fingers just shy of being able to close around it, and stroked. Surprisingly, the other’s cock was hot unlike the rest of his body, and Yuuji felt an excited shiver run through him in anticipation.

“So big…” he mumbled without really realizing he was talking aloud.

Sukuna had both of his wrists pinned against the marble of his own gravestone within moments, only needing one of his hands to grip so hard it nearly ground the human’s bones. Yuuji winced, opening his mouth to make a smart remark, but when he saw the feral gleam in Sukuna’s eyes, his teeth clicked with how quickly he shut his mouth.

Sukuna didn’t speak, only holding Yuuji firmly in place as he pressed the tip of his erection against Yuuji’s entrance. With a steadiness the human hadn’t been expecting, Sukuna slid inside him inch by inch, making Yuuji toss his head back, fingers clenching and unclenching as he tried to adjust to the near impossible stretch.

It hurt. God, it hurt so fucking much. There were big fat tears spilling down Yuuji’s face from the sheer pain, but he was allowed to cry. Sukuna was this close to tearing him in two.

“Breathe, Yuuji… you’re doing well.” Sukuna appeared to take pity on him, his one free hand stroking down the human’s side.

Yuuji sniffled, about to reply when the specter brushed past his prostate and the human shouted, body arching in Sukuna’s grip, legs jerking and sending his dirtied boxers flying. His nerves felt fizzed as if jolted by a live wire, and he realized that this was the first time Sukuna had touched that spot inside him. He’d already been losing it before, but now he wasn’t sure if he’d survive with the specter rubbing up against his sweet spot like this.

“We’re only halfway in,” Sukuna informed him lowly and Yuuji whimpered in response. “But I’m not holding back anymore; fuck, you’re so tight.” And there was a break in the specter’s composure, his teeth gritting as his voice dropped into a ravenous growl. He pulled back briefly, hips snapping back in without mercy and Yuuji writhed, trapped in place as he was made to take what Sukuna gave him.

The more Sukuna thrusted, the more the pain gave way to pleasure, the specter gliding right past Yuuji’s prostate each time. He hadn’t even been fucking into him that long when Yuuji felt a familiar tugging in his gut, eyebrows scrunching as he tried to form words.

“Su–Su…Sukuna,” Yuuji panted out, voice shaking as he was jerked with each thrust, “cl–close, a–ah!”

Sukuna licked his lips, readjusting Yuuji’s legs so that one was slung over the crook of his elbow and sliding his hand up the other until he had it pulled parallel to him, fingers wrapping around the human’s ankle.

“Cum as much as you want; I’m not stopping if you do, though.” Sukuna told him, biting the inside of Yuuji’s thigh.

It was all he needed to be pushed over the edge, and Yuuji sobbed as he clamped down on Sukuna’s cock, his own spurting across their stomachs. Sukuna hissed, his thrusts dragging slightly from how tightly Yuuji’s walls clung to him, but he didn’t let up like he’d warned.

The human whimpered, squirming in Sukuna’s grip as he tried to inch away, too sensitive to continue at the same pace, feeling every rub of the specter’s dick against his prostate like a shock to his system, insides trembling wet and tender around Sukuna.

“Sukuna!” Yuuji warbled, too fucked out to figure out if he really wanted him to stop or keep going.

“What is it, Yuuji?” Sukuna huffed, barely having broken a sweat compared to the human who was drenched in it. “Can’t even form words anymore? Is my cock that good? It’s so deep you’ve been fucked dumb?” He growled, voice growing more and more ragged with each punched sentence. “You were crying at my size but your hole is still swallowing me up. Greedy slut.” He bit out, and Yuuji whined, shaking his head, but his body betrayed him with the way he clenched around him. “I told you, I’m in a generous mood, so why don’t you have some more?”

Yuuji keened when Sukuna shoved even more of his cock inside him, overwhelmed and delirious. His thighs were burning with exertion and it felt like he couldn’t get nearly enough air into his lungs. His own erection was barely back at full mast, feeling too much and unable to do anything about it but be held against Sukuna’s grave marker as he got the brains fucked out of him.

“Nnh…too deep…can’t,” Yuuji whimpered. “I’ll…break!” he cried, tears blurring his vision.

Sukuna tutted, letting go of one of Yuuji’s wrists to guide the human’s hand down to his stomach. It took Yuuji a moment to process what Sukuna was trying to show him, and he gasped when he felt it…

He could feel Sukuna’s cock pressing against his hand, distending his stomach with every thrust.

“Fuck!” Yuuji choked, absolutely gone. “Sukuna!” he sobbed.

“That’s right,” Sukuna bared his teeth. “My name should be the only thing on your lips.” His thrusts grew faster, rougher, and Yuuji couldn’t move his hand off his stomach, exhilarated by the feeling of Sukuna’s cock pressing both inside and outside him. “Mine, Yuuji, you’re mine.”

“Yours,” Yuuji affirmed with a deep moan. “C’mon, S–Sukuna, fill me.” He breathed, walls fluttering enticingly around the specter.

Sukuna snarled, gripping Yuuji with so much strength that the human felt like he really was going to break. It only took a few more wild, dangerously deep thrusts for Sukuna to cum, release pulsing in hot torrents, coating Yuuji’s insides. The human’s toes curled at the sensation, and he hiccuped as he was startled into completion alongside Sukuna.

They were both still for a few moments, Sukuna not moving to dislodge from Yuuji, and the human could already feel some of Sukuna’s copious seed begin to leak out of him. He peered down at his stomach, and he let out a strangled noise when he realized that his belly really was swollen with Sukuna’s cum.

“Oh my god,” Yuuji whispered, partly awed and partly shocked, “I look pregnant.”

He squeaked when he felt Sukuna twitch inside him.

“Has anyone ever told you that pretty little mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble?” Sukuna tsked, hands tightening warningly against Yuuji’s limbs.

“Yeah, plenty.” Yuuji shrugged, before batting his lashes at the specter. “No one called it pretty like you, though.” He said before wiggling a little to try to make himself comfortable since it didn’t appear that Sukuna intended to let him go. The specter slapped his ass, making him yelp. “Hey!”

“Brat.” Sukuna huffed, but he did begin to slide out of Yuuji, the human wincing in pain. The post-orgasm high was there, but it didn’t mask the fact that Yuuji’s virgin asshole had been pounded to a near breaking point. Sukuna let go of Yuuji’s upper half, lowering the human gently before letting go of him completely so he could stand.

“Oop.” Yuuji blinked as his legs immediately failed him, feeling as if he was made out of jelly, and caught himself against Sukuna’s chest as the specter’s arm wound around his waist to hold him steady. He looked up at him, chin resting between the other’s pecs. “Hi.” He greeted, trying not to flush when he felt more of Sukuna’s cum start dripping down his thighs.

Sukuna’s lips quirked, and before Yuuji knew it, the other was smiling at him. A genuine smile, not a smirk or a snarl or a teasing lilt, but a sincere smile.

“Hello, brat. Are you satisfied?” He raised a brow, and Yuuji purred when he felt the specter's rumble build from his chest.

“Mm, yup.” Yuuji answered happily before his nose scrunched and his brow furrowed. “You still gonna kill me? I’d appreciate it if you didn’t; I’m kinda basking in this afterglow right now and it feels nice.”

Sukuna leaned down slowly, stopping only when the tips of their noses were nearly touching, the arm curled around Yuuji’s waist pulling him closer to him.

“I still could,” he said, making Yuuji frown, “but I won’t. I already told you, you’re mine. We’re bound now. Don’t think you’ll be rid of me so easily.”

Yuuji blinked, confusion spreading across his features. “Bound? As in…?” His brow wrinkled again, trying to figure out what Sukuna meant.

“It’s exactly as it sounds. You’re connected to me as I am to you. Be honored, this isn’t something I’ve ever allowed anyone else to do.” Sukuna explained, crimson gaze so serious Yuuji couldn’t help but swallow at the implication.

“O–Oh,” he replied softly. “Well, I guess that bride comment makes sense now,” he joked. “…unless I really am your wife now. Sukuna, did we just get married? Through fucking?” Yuuji’s voice went high, eyes wide.

Sukuna rolled his eyes, the intensity of his expression dissolving into exasperation. “We’ve been soul bound for all of five minutes and you’re already making me regret it.”

“Hey!”

“Being bound by our souls isn’t so easily described by something as flimsy as marriage,” Sukuna continued, making Yuuji shut up. “But if you want to call yourself my little wife, be my guest.” And he flashed his teeth in a grin that had the human pouting.

“With a husband like you, I think I have my work cut out for me.” Yuuji replied petulantly.

Sukuna only leaned down to press their lips together, and Yuuji broke immediately, arms winding around the specter’s neck.

Yuuji had no idea what he’d just signed up for, but he wasn’t going to complain. Much.

He wondered what his grandfather would think.

“Help others, Yuuji. Don’t die alone.”

Well, if Sukuna meant what he said, Yuuji wasn’t going to be alone again.

And honestly, that was all Yuuji had ever wanted in the first place.