My entry for kusahiguweek2024 Day 7 - prompt: Future.
I wasn’t able to participate every day in this event and this one is a late submission, but I’m happy to see my art getting better bit by bit. I’ve been wanting to draw them like this since I started shipping KusaHigu, they deserve happiness 🥹😭
kusakabe wanting no part in this sorcerer shit bcs he wants to go home to his family but suddenly jumps to protect this random guy arms stretched and everything like woah OKAAYYYYYYYYYY??!!!!!
nonsexual acts of intimacy ↬ reacting to the other one crying about something
❧ kusakabe atsuya x gn!reader | cw: pre-relationship, mutual pinning, story takes part in a bar setting but there's no mention of alcohol ❧
It's been more of instinct than a conscious decision, Kusakabe must admit as he's lingering behind the door, hand clenched on the handle. He sprinted to his feet right behind you and followed—but now, once he knows why you left the party so suddenly, his confidence popped like a balloon and faded.
Part of him is glad it's not sickness, part gnaws on his conscience and thrashes his mind from the inside. What is he doing here? He's never been good with crying people; he should turn back and call Nanami or Iori… Does he even have tissues on himself?
But the sight of your slumped back and curled shoulders, shaking in that characteristic rhythm of sobbing, clenches his heart with pain almost dragging a cry out of him too. It should be his chest you should hide your face in, not your hands, out there in the cold, leaning over the railing in front of a bar.
Maybe if he wasn't such a coward and finally pushed the matters further than courteous coffee and snack dates after work—
Kusakabe scratches the back of his head and gnaws on a profanity pressing to his tongue. If he did A, there needs to be B, or else he won't be able to call himself a man anymore.
"Okay there, Y/N?" He tries to sound casual, peeking through the open door, his coat thrown over his arm at ready. It's just a smoking break, not a rescue mission, and it doesn't matter that he quit smoking two years ago.
You jolt in place, wipe your eyes with both hands at once, your lips trembling slightly as you try to pull a smile, "Yeah, all good. Just needed fresh air."
Horrible liars, both of you.
He leans over the railing, close to you but keeping the distance suit for a coworker.
"You sure you don't need to call it a day?" Trying to push through awkward silence, he observes you with the very corner of his eye. Not obviously staring, just casually monitoring the situation, like a good colleague should, right? "I can call a taxi—"
"I'm okay." At least your voice doesn't tremble anymore. "It's been… A rough week. Just needed to cry some. Five more minutes and I'll be back."
You don't have any coat on, Kusakabe realizes and almost slaps himself for not doing so sooner. He should have grabbed yours, not his, if he really wanted to be useful. What is he going to do now, stay there with you awkwardly and dressed or return to the warmth, leaving you alone midst cursed December?
Just a coworker wouldn't—
"Here." He wraps his coat around your shoulders, his heart fluttering when your gazes meet. For a mere few seconds, he can't feel the cold anymore and the noise of the bar behind your backs seems as sweet as a rippling stream.
"And you—" You accept the offering and clench your hands on its skirts. Even if he were about to freeze, he would have no heart to take it back from you, no matter what you say.
"I just need one thing." Praying his hands don't tremble as much as he thinks they do, Kusakabe reaches into one of the pockets, soon fishing a lollipop out of it. "Here, for you."
He taps your nose with it, a stupid, childish impulse—but for the first time tonight you smile for real, soon even laugh a little, "Thanks. Thanks a lot. For checking on me and…everything. Thanks, Atsuya."
A second earlier he thought the sound of your laughter was the prettiest sound he'd ever heard. Oh, how wrong he was.
Even your laughter couldn't compare to the way you say his name.
a/n: I'll die on the hill that Kusakabe's iconic lollipop is a remain of smoking addiction. big thank you to my server peeps for support with my first time at trying writing him & to @clumsyraccoon and @lemonszesty whose Kusakabe writing served as inspo to reach for his drabble out of order!
EDIT: it's been brought to my attention that Kusakabe's antismoking lollipop is canon via databook. I'll leave the og note cause the coincidence is just funny lol
What's your take on how Kusakabe meets the reader :0? I always imagine the reader as a non-sorcerer since it makes sense that he has someone to go home to and I feel he might crave a relatively normal off-work life, but I always wonder how meeting Kusakabe went and how the relationship progresses (and even the idea of Kusakabe gently explaining the terms of everything sobs, he tries so hard to be patient since he wants you to understand the risks of dating him too)
from the moment we met, a. kusakabe
A/N: another moment where you did not at all ask for a fic (or multiple mini fics) but I took this and ran with it because I want more kusakabe fics :) sorry this is super rough and scattered, not proofread.
PROMPT: kusakabe has wanted to know you from the first time he saw you.
WARNINGS: none
WORD COUNT: 0.8k
It had become a habit of his to get a coffee on his way to work, finding a kick of caffeine being one of the better ways to prepare for his students in the morning. The shop wasn’t really special, Kusakabe didn’t call himself a coffee conisseour, but from the moment he tried their blend his routine solidified, never finding the need to try another cafe.
The first thing he thought, which has since become the first thing in his mind the moment he sees you, is how you shined brighter than anyone he had ever seen. The lilt of your voice, the way your lips tugged into a smile as you conversed with the register attendant, the little acts of consideration that many customers seemed to lack.
The fourth thing that came to Kusakabe’s mind was that he wanted, almost needed, to see you again.
—
The day you came up and talked to him, Kusakabe thought his world was turned upside down.
“Excuse me?”
His plain resting face softened the moment he turned to saw you standing behind him. IT was clear you were nervous- is it the same kind of nervous they make me feel?- a shy smile mellowing your expression.
“Sorry if this is out of line,” You laugh dryly, trying to break the tensions that come with talking to a stranger, “Your shirt tag is out, and since you seemed like you were on the way to work I,” Kusakabe’s heart flips at the fidget of your hands, “just thought I’d point it out.”
He finds himself staring at you, mesmerized once again at your careful kindness, before his hand reaches up, finding that his tag was in fact flipped out of his shirt.
A sigh leaves him, tucking the material back into his shirt, “Ah, thank you,” It takes more effort than he’d like to admit to keep his cool front, “My students would have had a field day with that.”
“Of course,” Receiving your smile first hand was almost enough to make Kusakabe’s knees cave him, “I see you around here a lot, right?” When you introduce yourself, giving him your name so casually, he thought he might have to start praying to some god in thanks for their kindness.
“Kusakabe,” He offers back, “Kusakabe Atsuya.”
—
From there, things only seemed to grow more comfortable between you both. He started arriving at the shop earlier, once even getting to pay for your drink because he arrived just before you. It was cute, he thought, how you said there was absolutely no need for him to do something like that,
He asked you out on a date the morning you called out his name the moment he walked into the shop, giving him a small wave and holding up an unwrapped lollipop in your hand.
You waited patiently for him to order, frowning when he didn’t let you even try to pay, before holding the sweet up to him once more.
“It’s supposed to an exclusive flavor,” You say with a smile, your skin brushing his own as you place it into his palm, “I couldn’t help but think of you when I saw it- you said you were getting tired of the flavors you have, right?”
Kusakabe hums, nodding and wrapping his fingers around the treat delicately, not missing how his hands were much larger than your own, “Do you want to get dinner sometime?” The question had left him before he had a moment to think, to plan, to weigh the risks of what he just asked. It caught him off guard as much as it clearly caught you from guard. He took in your slightly slack jawed expression, “I mean, you don’t have to-“
“I would love to!”
—
The first date was basic, something Kusakabe cursed himself for. You seemed to have a good time, sure, conversation was fun and easy, and your smile hardly ever waivered. But he wanted to do something more, something that would take your breath away, not just a simple dinner.
The more he got to know you, the clearer it was that you lived a life never having seen a curse. Though your life was not without struggle, on the days that weighed heavier on your mind, it lacked the certain deadness that Kusakabe had come to recognized in jujutsu sorcerers, or anyone who could see curses. There was something about your unawareness of the curse world that drew you to him, that when he was with you he could spend time pretending that those nightmares were simply that, bad dreams.
He didn’t like lying from omission, saying he was a teacher and head a swordsmanship club at his school, that he sometimes had to travel for side projects as a part of his job. But it was better than the alternative, at least for now. If things got more serious, there was no doubt he would have to tell you, have to be honest with just how dangerous his job really was, but for now he’ll bask in your warmth, in your laughter, pretending that he lives in a world without curses.
Since you like Kusakabe, could you share some hcs for us Kusakabe fans 🥺🥺
making my pathetic heart full with this request, i absolutely can <3 this is basically what i could think of in the moment, I'd also love to see some hcs from you anon!
꒰ 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙠𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨 ꒱
man has back problems. he’s stretching and massaging his shoulders often to release the pain. i guess it’s carrying all that stress during missions or something.
i just know this man is always so unlucky. he wanted to avoid by any means necessary dangerous sorcerers/curses in shibuya and just happened to find himself beside none other than the king of curses. and he curses under his breath every time something like this happens.
i’m sure he rethought all his life choices as soon as sukuna showed up too.
like i already mentioned; enormous forearms due to his sword training. and they’re hairy too just how I like it
he’s like a dad who’s stuck with kids and doesn’t want to endorse these responsibilities but is so good with them nonetheless. like how he teaches stuff almost better than satoru so that the students understand.
so basically, the kind of teacher that doesn’t give a fuck but that all the students like.
he’s the type to say "fuck this job." then go to work every day.
kusakabe’s so grumpy bro. he’d answer your every question but look so done with you while doing it.
he snorts when he sleeps.
he has a whole ass collection of lures that he keeps hidden at home.
prefers to text than call and there are never any emojis nor traces of joy. he’ll never forget the coma too.
kusakabe’s determined to look presentable every day before work. not that he takes a lot of time to prepare. it’s more that he insists on wearing his usual black blazer and coat which makes him look more professional.
to go on about appearances, he shaves his beard every day and it’s so clean too. i mean, have you seen his perfect sideburns?
also, he’d just ruffle his hair and go on about his day, not other care needed and he looks so hot nevertheless
often mumbles "why the fuck am i here?"
prefers winter over all other seasons.
i feel like he’s also pretty healthy, i mean he has stopped smoking and i know he eats basic but healthy stuff most of the time.
has one favourite type of lollipop and doesn’t want to experiment with other flavours.
i’m sorry but his jawline? UGH.
𝙖/𝙣 : definitely going to do some for hcs for him as your man so never worry about the lack of content for him sweet anon, i gotcha. also i’m obsessed with him and will never stop being annoying so please be annoying with me kusakabe lovers.
PLEAAASEE the way Atsuya just stops feeling guilty over his actions since he comes home to you?? I'm WEAK
coming home to you… a. kusakabe
A/N: nonnie you didn’t ask for this but I’m begging to write more kusakabe so here u go. it's not proofread or anything rlly just throwing this at you
PROMPT: nothing takes his work stress away like you
WARNINGS: maybe a little angsty but it is resolved, hints at shibuya night happening, it's very sappy
WORD COUNT: 1.3k
Kusakabe isn't sure when he first realized it.
He doesn't care, never one to dwell on something as specific as the date he had figured out that you had become his peace of mind, the keeper of his heart.
All he knows, all that matters, is that you make everything else melt away. Whatever he does during the day, may it be missions or a day teaching at the tech school, he'd do anything to come home and bask in the warmth of your love.
Kusakabe has lost count of how many times he's been called antisocial, no fun, a buzzkill, by his coworkers and students. It's fair, he can't deny their claims. But why would he go get drinks after work, see that silly worm movie that the students are buzzing about (for whatever reason), when he can go home to your smile and hear your laugh, hear about your day, hold your hands in his own.
So, sure, a buzzkill he might be. But it's all worth it when-
"Atsuya, you're home early?"
Yeah, the weight that the jujutsu world carries just melts off his shoulders at the sound of your voice ringing through the home you shared.
"Mhm. There's going to be a mission tomorrow," Kusakabe speaks through his trademark lollipop, though the thing tastes sour if he compares to how it feels to kiss you, "It's supposed to be big. Everyone was sent out to get ready."
He listens keenly to your footsteps padding closer, his heart never getting used to how the first glance of you after a long day makes it thunder. You had never called him out on how he stares at you, drinking in your appearance like a man parched. The way your eyes are stilted with worry, the wooden spoon in your hand signalling you must have been cooking dinner- god, he loves you.
"Everyone?" Your voice is barely above a murmur as you reach out to him, waiting for his hand to take your own once his coat is off, "Is everything okay?"
Pulling the sucker from between his lips, he smiles gently as he brings it to your own, stomach flipping when you wrap your lips around the sweet. Once you've freed his hand from the treat, it moves to delicately settle on top of your head. "You don't have to worry," Kusakabe promises, "I'm always coming home to you."
Whatever worry he should be feeling vanishes when his hand takes the spoon out of your hand, eager to take some of the dinner work off of your hands now that he's home. Worries are for tomorrow, for when there's a situation to worry about, strategies to plan. Right now, well… right now it was time for dinner, time to hear about your day, time to bask in the warmth of your presence.
He would worry when the mission started.
_______________________________
You never left his mind, not fully, even when the mission came close to taking his life. Not when it took the life of his comrades, of people he considered friends. Not when he had seen just how much damage had been done in one night.
Kusakabe knew his strength, he wasn't stupid enough to start a fight he couldn't win. The weight of what if I- had started to filter into his mind as he saw the bodies lining up, as he heard of more and more people who fell to the curses.
What if I had fought- what if I had tried. They rattled in his brain, seeped into his muscles, misted his eyes as he continued his walk home. Even if I couldn't win, could I have helped? Would it have saved them- or even just one of them? Should I really be a jujutsu-
"Atsuya!"
In the depths of his mind, the horrors he had witnessed rolling on loop in his head made him deaf to the sound of the front door open, to the first time you had called out his name. It wasn't until a warmth enveloped him, the comfort of your embrace squeezing him tighter than it ever had before, that the movie in his mind was turned off.
"Thank god," Kusakabe couldn't feel the tears that poured from your cheeks, his shirt too soaked with blood that wasn't his, but he could hear the tremble in your voice, could feel the desperation in your arms as you held him, "Thank god you're home, thank you- I was so worried, you were gone so long, I-"
The guilt rattling in his brain vanishes the moment your broken sobs wrack your body so hard that he shakes from the force.
"Come on," He murmurs, one of his hands finding its way around you, "It's cold, lets head inside." His voice is somber and you can feel the stress that had soaked into his bones. But still he guided you, lead you inside as if you were the one who had endured the nightmare of being a jujutsu sorcerer and not him.
Kusakabe can't bring him to take his hand off of you, wanting- needing- some part of you to touch him, to ground him back into your home. The home he promised to always come back to, the home that he had, the reason he couldn't go wasting his life. Hearing your now quieted cries made his heart beat easier. He did what he had to to come home, he saved everyone he could while never having to risk leaving you alone.
That was all he needed.
The fog of silence falls over you two as you help him out of his clothes, despite his quiet chides for you to let him do it, that he didn't want you getting dirtied from it. But after one look at your stern gaze, eyes still glazed with tears unshed, he found himself relenting immediately.
You needed to touch him, to feel him, just as much as he needed to touch and feel you.
Not many words are shared as the remnants of night bleed into the early hours of morning, but not a moment is spent apart. You follow him to the shower, your hands working the heavens into his skin as you washed him with such care he could cry. He stopped you when you tried to cook dinner, murmuring that leftovers are fine because he couldn't stand not having every ounce of your attention in this moment.
The two of you go through the motions like you had every day, the routine never growing old. But tonight, the bloodstained clothes left discarded in the trash made the routine go slower, the both of you fully savoring how it feels to be together, struggling under the weight of his promise to come home.
By the time you find your shared bed, the sun is steadily rising above the horizon. Kusakabe groans, leaning down to kiss your forehead before walking over to the blinds, pulling them as tightly closed as they can be.
"Sorry," He murmurs, looking at the sliver of sunlight that gleams on across your hair despite his efforts, "I know it's early."
His heart throbs as you shake your head, a silent answer, your arm moving to open the blankets and welcome him in. The sorcerer moves carefully, shifting with his back to the window, making sure the broadness of his shoulders shields you from the glimmering star. Kusakabe swears his world might fall apart completely as his arms wrap around you, head curling in to press a kiss to the top of your head.
He swears to never forget how it felt to fall asleep with you like this, with the sun shining across his back, to never forget his reason for staying alive.
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