aum viam inveniam aut faciam... @kazuhareads - Tumblr Blog

May 14

Folded — jjk men [part 2]

pairing/characters: ex!jjk men x f!reader | gojo, nanami, yuji, megumi, toji, fratkuna synopsis: your ex finally shows up to come pick up his belongings that you folded and packed for him. but conflicting feelings arise, and you find yourself wondering if your relationship is salvageable... cw: cussing, some of these are a lil toxic, also fratkuna not canon sukuna wc: 1k-2k each a/n: this is a part 2 to my smau, but I decided to make this into oneshots :) masterlist

part 1 | part 2 (can be read as a standalone)

જ⁀➴ Satoru Gojo .ᐟ

You’ve been trying not to think about it. ‘It’ being the fact that your ex was supposedly stopping by your place to pick up the last of his belongings.

You were calmly lounging about, sitting on your couch and watching TV. But mentally, you were restless.

Was he even going to show up? He never did back when you two were still together, even when he promised. What were you going to do with his stuff if he didn’t show up? Maybe donate them? It’s not everyday charity organizations and thrift stores receive high-end clothing, so they’d probably appreciate it.

But what if he did show up? Should you put more effort in your appearance? Were you being too laid-back?

Why did you even care? You two were over. You shouldn’t care what he thought of you anymore.

Although you had shown him fierceness and unwavering resolve in your decision, you were unsure and scared behind closed doors. You two had been together for over a year now, and you’d really gotten used to having him around. You loved him.

Even if you were the one who ended things, it still hurt like hell.

You feel a sting in your eyes, as tears start to form, but you take a deep breath and hold back.

Your doorbell rings, and you’re stunned for a moment.

Did he really show up? You wondered, but after reflexion, you sigh.

Of course the only time he’d ever show up is to retrieve his designer clothes.

You quickly wipe your eyes and take a look at yourself in the mirror. They looked a little red, but it wasn’t obvious you cried.

You brace yourself before unlocking the door and carefully opening it.

With this being the first time in weeks that you’ve seen him, you almost forgot how tall he was. The second you open your door, you’re met with his chest instead of his face. But your muscle memory kicks in and you crane your neck to look up at him.

He wasn’t wearing his blindfold, or his glasses, but he was still in his jujutsu tech uniform. His hair was slightly disheveled and you could tell he’d either been running his hands through it excessively, or had hastily taken his blindfold off.

Either way, he looked really good.

His lips part slightly as your eyes meet before he closes them again. Clearly, he’s unsure of what to say. His usual carefree and easygoing demeanor were nowhere to be found.

“Hey,” you finally speak, and open the door wider.

He takes a moment before responding. “Hey.”

“You actually came.” you couldn’t help but mutter.

His eyebrows furrow and his nose crinkles for a millisecond, fast enough to miss it, but you didn’t. You never did. He looked pained, that much was obvious. “... Yeah.” he mumbles.

“I’ll uh, I’ll go get your stuff, give me a minute.”

He simply nods before you close the door again.

The moment you’re out of sight, he lets out the breath he was holding. A hand immediately rests on his hips while the other grabs the front of his hair, and runs down his face in frustration.

Idiot. A real idiot.

‘Hey’ and ‘Yeah’? Was that really all he could muster? When had he gotten reduced to a speechless buffoon?

What happened to his plan? To the speech he’d prepared? To the backup plan in case the first one didn’t work? (begging and grovelling at your feet)

He had to fix this. There was no other option.

Because if he didn’t fix this now, he’d lose you forever. And he couldn’t afford that.

He let out a deep and heavy sigh, as he turned away from the door, and threw his head back. Now both hands ran up and down his face repeatedly, as if to rub some sense into him.

He hadn’t even heard you opening the door again.

“... are you okay?” your soft voice cut through his thoughts. He immediately let go of his face and looked back at you.

“Yeah, I’m good.” he replied with practiced ease.

You nod along, unconvinced, and a small smile forms on your lips.

The sight alone is enough for him to come undone.

“Um anyway, here you go.” You hold the box out. “Let me know if you think I forgot anything. Although I’m pretty sure I didn’t.”

He looks down at the box and then back at you. And repeats that same process a few more times, as if in a trance.

You quirk an eyebrow and move closer. “Seriously, what’s up with you? Are you good—”

He finally looks away and pinches the bridge of his nose. “No.”

Your eyes widen in surprise. “Why?”

“Because I—” he starts, but struggles to find his words, which in turn only frustrates him even more. He takes a deep breath. “I don’t want to take my things back.” he finally looks at you again, the bright cerulean blue of his eyes immediately commanding your attention. “I don’t want to leave, I don’t want to say goodbye, I don’t want things to end.”

Now it’s your turn to look away from him. You stare at the ground, unable to meet his eyes. “Satoru…. I made my decision.”

“I know— God, I know.” the tone of his voice rises despite him. You’ve never seen him this taken by his emotions. “And I’m sorry but I can’t respect it.”

At his words, you feel a quiet anger bubble up in your stomach.

“You had every right for breaking up with me. I know I’m at fault for everything. I was neglectful, arrogant, and selfish.” His hand comes up right over his heart and he grips the fabric of his jacket. “But please—if any part of you still loves me, let me be selfish one last time and ask for another chance.” His eyes are wide open, his eyebrows furrowed, and his jaw tightly clenched.

You keep your eyes trained on the ground, because you know the moment you look into his eyes, you’ll fold.

“I’m sorry for everything, I should’ve put you first. Please, I’ll do anything.” he speaks again, and goes quiet for a moment, awaiting your response.

Your lips purse tightly, you hold the box out closer to him, and turn your head to the side.

Seeing your non-verbal rejection, his shoulders drop. His eyes dim, and his gaze falls on the box. He says nothing as he takes it from your hands.

“... Right. Thank you.” he throws you one last glance before turning around and walking away.

What did he think was going to happen? That you’d forgive him easily after batting his pretty white lashes at you? Pretend all the hurt he caused you never even existed?

He thought he’d changed, improved, matured. That he was a different person than the one he was 11 years ago. That he could manage to find someone important in his life and keep them, instead of driving them away.

But clearly, he was still the self-centered idiot he was back then.

The moment he has his back to you, you finally lift your eyes again. Seeing his tall and imposing figure slowly grow smaller as he walks further and further away, you feel heat rise in your chest, and struggle to keep your words behind your lips.

“How sorry are you?” Your voice is loud, clear, and cuts through the thick atmosphere like a sharp blade.

His steps halt, and he immediately turns around to face you again.

“I’ve never been more sorry for anything in my life—” he replies so fast his words almost slur together.

You tightly fold your arms over your chest and your jaw clenches before you speak again. “... And you’ll do anything?”

You blink, and suddenly he’s right in front of you before his box of belongings even hits the ground behind him.

You immediately deduce this was the work of his cursed technique or something like that—you never really understood it.

“Anything you want.” he steps closer, completely invading your personal space and cups your face with his hands, forcing you to look up at him. “Whatever it is you want, I’ll do it.”

Your eyes are wide with shock. The stinging sensation comes back, but this time you don’t immediately try to suppress the tears. They pool in your bottom eyelids, your vision turning blurry.

“... I just want you to be present.”

He feels his heart shatter at the sound of your shaky voice and words, and the sight of your tears. To think he was the cause of them was enough to destroy him.

“I will be, I promise.” he swipes his thumbs under your eyes to chase the tears away.

Your breath hitches as you speak again. “And… and I want you to keep your promises.”

“I will,” he tilts his head to kiss your temple, as if hoping it could soothe your pain.

“And I don’t— I don’t want you to keep me in the dark anymore...” you continue stuttering and tripping over your words as you sob.

“I won’t.” he moves down to kiss your tear-stained cheek.

You swallow thickly, and let the tears that had pooled in your eyes fall, whilst leaning into his touch.

He senses you finally opening up to him again, and holds you with even more tenderness than before.

The two of you stay that way for a while before you regain your composure and pull away, but stay close.

“... This is your last chance, Satoru, I mean it.” you look up at him and wipe the last of your tears away. “If this doesn’t work…”

“It will, I’ll make sure it will.” he cuts you off. “I can’t ask you to believe in us after what I’ve done… but I’ll show you I’m worth putting your faith into.”

You nod, while sniffling your tears away. “You better.”

A small scoff escapes him before he presses a lingering kiss to your forehead. You feel him smiling against your skin, and close your eyes, relishing the feeling.

“I’m still mad at you, just so you know.” you mumble.

“I know baby, I know.”

જ⁀➴ Kento Nanami .ᐟ

You look at the clock propped up on your wall. 12:41. He should be here any minute now.

You’re sitting at your kitchen counter with your lunch in front of you. But you were far too preoccupied to actually eat anything. Hence why you’ve been pushing your food around on your plate for the past minutes.

You sigh and let your fork fall against the porcelain dish. Turning your head, you look down at the cardboard box you’d set on the floor near the front door.

This was it. The final step. Kento would show up, grab his belongings, and he’d officially be out of your life for good.

You had decided to break things off with him. You couldn’t deal with the empty side of the bed anymore, or with the plate of food growing cold as you waited for him to get home. And you knew he hated overtime just as much as you did, but that didn’t change things. The fact was that he was never home.

You wanted Kento, not his ghost.

You bury your head in your hands, as if that would make your headache go away.

A knock is heard at your door, and your head snaps up to look at the time again.

12:45. Oh so now he cares about punctuality?

You let out a small scoff before standing up from your kitchen counter stool, and put your slippers back on before walking to the door.

Taking a deep breath, you finally open it.

His face is as rigid and stoic as ever. His jaw is clenched tightly, like always, and not a single hair is out of place.

Was this really the man who’d told you he wanted to avoid this final meeting? He looked perfectly composed.

“Hey, you’re right on time,” you crack a small smile to try and ease the tension.

He doesn’t return it, and instead only nods.

You open the door wider and take a step back, crouching down to pick the cardboard box up. Turning around, you hand it to him. He immediately takes it from your hands, not wanting you to exert yourself.

“You can go through it really quickly, see if I forgot anything…” you put a hand on your hip, while the other scratches behind your neck. You weren’t even itchy, you just needed to do something with your hands.

“... There’s no need for that.” he finally speaks. His voice is hoarse, and he clears his throat.

Your smile drops almost instantly. “Right, sorry… forgot you were a busy man.” you mimic him, and clear your throat as well.

“You misunderstand me.” For the first time since this conversation started, you notice a small twitch in his jaw at your comment. “I know you wouldn’t forget anything, that’s all.”

Your eyes widen just a bit. “Oh… sorry for jumping to conclusions.”

His shoulders drop. “Don’t be. I would’ve come to the same conclusion if I were you. After all I’ve done…” he starts, and looks down at the box. “Or rather, what I haven’t done.”

“Kento…” your hands fall to your side, and you have to hold back from reaching your arms out to him.

“Please, let me speak. I… I have to get this off my chest before I leave.” he cuts you off.

‘Before I leave’

The words echo in your head, and you suddenly feel it sink in. This really was it.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t hold my promises and be open with you. You deserved better. You always have.” he sighs, heavily. “Truth be told, I never once thought I deserved to be with you. It’s been obvious from the start that you’re too good for me.” He finally looks at you again, and his gaze is no longer cold. Instead, you find warmth, vulnerability, and a touch of despair. “But still I… I didn’t want to let you go. So I allowed myself to be selfish and have you, knowing I probably wouldn’t be able to keep you.”

Your lips are parted, your eyes wide open, and your heart heavy.

“Which is why I hope that you can forgive my selfishness, on top of my stupidity in taking you for granted. I believe it’s the only way I have the slightest chance of moving on from you… if that’s even possible.” he trails off, muttering his last sentence.

You stay frozen there, unsure of what to say or do. You definitely weren’t expecting this from him.

What you were expecting was for him to show up, maybe say two or three words, grab his things, and leave.

Without having been able to prepare yourself beforehand for this conversation, you decide to rely on your instincts, and say the first thing that comes to mind.

“I don’t want you to move on.”

Now it’s his turn to look at you in shock. His grip on the box loosens, and he has to make an effort to not lose his balance. He didn’t want to allow himself to hope, but at your words, he couldn’t stop the wishful thinking clouding his mind.

“... Why not?” He finally speaks after swallowing hard.

“Because I…” you start, but immediately struggle to find your words. What were you feeling right now? You didn’t even know. “Because you’re not the only selfish one here.”

His eyebrows furrow in confusion, and mouth opens to say something, but closes before he does.

“Kento… I know I should be more mature but—” you fiddle with your hands as you speak. “I don’t want you to move on and find someone else.”

A beat of silence passes, and this time he’s the one to break it.

Hope blooms in his chest. “Then… are you saying—”

“Yes, I am.” you answer before he can finish talking.

His rational side makes an appearance again, despite the rapid beating of his heart. “But I… I’m not good for you. I shouldn’t…”

“Stop worrying about what you should or shouldn’t do.” your voice cuts through his hesitancy, which causes him to clench his jaw. “Do you want this?”

He stares at you bewildered. Jaw still tightly clenched.

“Kento, do you want this?” you take a step closer, and notice the way he lowers the box he’s holding. “Do you want me?”

“More than you can imagine.” He immediately lets it fall from his hands, and steps forward, his lips crashing against yours.

You’re surprised at first. But your muscle memory kicks in, and you wrap your arms around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. He tilts his head, deepening the kiss, and his tongue swipes against the seam of your lips. A small groan escapes him, and you swallow it.

You pull back to catch your breath, and rest your forehead against his own.

He’s slightly out of breath, and his eyes trail back and forth between your own and your lips. “I… promise I’ll be better. I’ll become someone worthy of you.”

જ⁀➴ Yuji Itadori .ᐟ

This sucked.

You’re the one who broke things off. So why were you still bawling your eyes out? You didn’t have the right to. You knew that.

You knew that and yet, you couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

You weren’t exactly being very helpful either by spending your afternoon in bed, scrolling up to your old text messages and going through your camera roll and clicking on every photo or video with him in it.

But no matter how much you missed him, you knew this was for the better. You’d been pushed past your limit a long time ago, forced to go along with the motions and pretend everything was fine.

The problem with Yuji was that he shone too bright. He was too extroverted, and too selfless. He always put others first at his own expense.

At first, those might seem like positive traits, and they were, but it had gotten to a point you couldn’t get behind anymore.

Yuji was always too quick to sacrifice himself during missions. You always knew that. But what you didn’t know was how exhausted you’d be from constantly trying to prove to him that his life was just as valuable as his friends’. Everytime you told him to be more careful, to stop acting so reckless, to stop throwing himself in the way of danger, it felt like you were talking to a brick wall.

But that wasn’t the only thing. You liked Yuji’s extrovertedness, it was one of your favourite things about him. But the problem with dating someone who’s friends with everybody, is that you eventually end up on the sidelines. It never felt like he was truly yours. Him being the way he was, he treated everyone with kindness. Always cracking jokes, hanging out, etc.

But that meant he treated everyone the same, including you. And you hated it. After all, how can you make someone feel special when you treat them the same way you treat everyone else?

You used to think you were too clingy, too selfish, that it was wrong for you to want him all to yourself. But that’s not what you were asking for. All you wanted was to see that you mattered to him more than the others. Even if just by a little bit.

But still, it sucked.

You knew you made the right decision, and that the helplessness you were feeling right now would come to pass and you’d move on.

Which is why you let yourself drown in your sorrows for now, buried in your blankets, scrolling through your phone.

You come across a video you’d recorded a while back. In it, you could see Yuji peacefully lying on top of you, fast asleep, and snoring quietly. Your fingers ran through his hair repeatedly, and you could hear his soft humming at the sensation.

You laugh at first, but once you settle down, you feel yourself tearing up again. You turn your phone off and set it down.

This really wasn’t helping anybody. You thought to yourself, and sprung out of your bed in one quick move. With a deep sigh, you get up, and head to your bathroom to take a shower.

Hopefully, the cold water would help snap you out of it, and see things in a clearer way.

Once you’re done, you step out in a towel, and look around your room for a spare shirt or hoodie to wear with your shorts.

That’s when your eyes land the cardboard box at the foot of your bed.

You freeze, and stare at it.

He’d told you to get rid of them, that he didn’t want them back.

And you were well aware that you should give them away. But you’d been procrastinating doing so in the last few days, under the excuse of “not having found which charity or thrift store to give it to” yet. But even you knew that was a lie.

You just couldn’t bring yourself to get rid of them.

You let out a groan, and make your way to the box, opening it and grabbing the first hoodie you find. It was one of his favorites. Red, with a tiger design on the sleeve.

Without giving yourself too much time to think about it, you slip it over your head, and slide your hands through the sleeves.

You catch a glimpse of your reflection in the mirror of your room. The sleeves were a tad too long, and the bottom hemline reached your mid-thigh.

Fuck, you missed him and how big and warm he was.

Suddenly, you hear a ruckus right outside your door, and it sounds like it’s coming from the dorm hallway.

“Get out you creep! This is the girls’ dorms—” you hear Nobara’s unmistakably loud and fierce voice.

“Get off me, I just need five minutes!” you hear a familiar voice fight back. “Why do you always have to meddle?!”

You’re stunned as you register who it is.

The shouting and bickering gets louder, and you can only assume they’re headed for your room.

“Y/N, do not open the door!” you hear her call out to you, and you almost flinch. Too shocked to say anything in response, you stay quiet, and take a step towards the door.

“Shut up—” Yuji shouts back. “Y/N? It’s me, I just need to talk to you, please—”

“She doesn’t want to see you, you fucking idiot!” you hear a loud smack, and can immediately visualize her hitting his head with her unforgiving knuckles.

“I know, but please—”

They go motionless and silent the moment you open your door, both staring at you with wide eyes. She’s grabbing him by his collar, with her first raised at him, and his hands are held up in surrender.

“Y/N,” he mutters, as if in a daze.

You only give him a short glance before looking at your bestfriend. “What’s going on?” your eyebrows furrow.

“This pervert sneaked in, said he wanted to talk to you.” she scoffs. “Should I punch his teeth out, or do you want me to call Maki? She’ll set him straight.” she motions to the pink haired boy next to her with her chin.

You let out a nervous chuckle. “Okay, relax— I’ll take care of it.” you reach out to her hand that was gripping his shirt, and make her let go. She huffs again before walking away.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” she gives you one last glance over your shoulder.

You watch her figure grow smaller in the distance, and finally look at the disheveled Yuji in front of you.

“Hey,” he says, tone of voice soft and still slightly stunned. Nothing in comparison to the way he was talking with Nobara just now.

“Hi.” you reply, arms folded over your chest as if to stop them from encircling his waist.

“Hi.” he blurts out.

You raise an eyebrow and hold back a laugh. “... you said hi already.”

His face flushes red. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” you shake your head. “... you wanted to talk?— Wait, are you here for your clothes? ‘Cause I still have them—” you turn your head to look at the box behind you. At the sight of it open, you realize the predicament you’re in. You look down at yourself, and almost cringe once you remember you’re wearing one of his hoodies.

Shit. This was embarrassing.

“Sorry I-I just grabbed the first thing I…” you finally look up at him, only to be met with the softest hazel eyes.

“You look beautiful.” he breathes out, as if you actually took his breath away.

An awkward silence settles in, and you look back down at the ground, too flustered to say anything.

He clears his throat. “I’m not here for my clothes. I’m here because I…” he starts, and lets out a heavy sigh before continuing. “I’m here because I want you back.”

You keep your head hung low, and close your eyes shut, as you sigh. You figured that’s what he came for.

“I’m sorry I was such a shitty boyfriend. I should’ve listened to you… and I should’ve treated you the right way. Not like you were just someone else to me. Because you aren’t— you’re anything but.”

You raise your head, but look to the side instead of his face.

“I thought I was doing the right thing by putting others before me. Because honestly… I don’t really care what happens to me.”

At his words, you feel a familiar pang of hurt rise, and you immediately meet his eyes, ready to go off on him.

“Wait! Before you yell at me, let me finish.” he interjects before you can speak.

You reluctantly seal your lips again and glare at him, urging him to go on.

“The truth is, I still don’t care what happens to me. But I understand now that it goes beyond me. It affects you too.” a hand comes up to rest on his nape. “When I get hurt… you end up hurt too. I thought I was protecting you, but I was doing the opposite.”

“Yeah, you were.” you spit out.

His eyes go downcast, and you notice the way his fist clenches at his side. “... I’m sorry for everything. Please give me another chance.”

“Yuji, I…” your eyes soften, but you look away, your voice trailing off.

He feels you slipping from his reach once again, and feels a wave of despair wash over him. His hands find yours and he clutches them close to his chest. He leans down, your noses almost touching.

“Y/N please—I need you.” he rasps out. “I promise I’ll do better, just give me another chance.”

You feel your heartbeat hammer against your chest, and swallow the lump in your throat, contradicted.

“Please,” he adds.

You blink up at him a few times.

“... fine.” you huff, and close your eyes.

You miss the way his eyes widen in shock, but you hear his small gasp.

“Really? Thank you—” he moves his head to press a kiss to your cheek. “You won’t regret this, I promise!” he pulls back to look at you properly.

You’re speechless, your face bright red.

His smile falls. “Sorry, is it too early to kiss you? I shouldn’t have—”

You shake your head. “... no, it’s fine.”

Another grin breaks out on his face.

“Wipe that smirk off your face, you still have to show me you mean what you said.”

He nods vigorously. “Yes ma’am.”

“Good.” You stare at him for a second, hesitating, before you lean your head up towards him and meet his lips with your own.

His previously tense shoulders relax as he melts against you. His hands move to hold your waist as he dips his head further down to deepen the kiss.

He pulls away, breathless, and whispers into your lips. “I missed you so much… I’m so sorry for everything.”

You chase his lips with small, soft licks.

“I’m sorry… so sorry,” he repeats between kisses.

You laugh at his seemingly drunken state. “Yuji, I heard you the first three times.”

“I know, but—” he continues his assault, and moves to kiss the rest of your face, all over. “I’m really sorry.”

“Okay, okay, I believe you! Can I breathe now?” You try to push him off of you, unable to contain your laughter.

“Oh— yeah, sorry.” He pulls back, and stares at you intently, waiting for your next words.

You stare back at him with a quirked eyebrow.

If he had a tail, it’d be wagging right now. You can’t help but think, and a small laugh escapes you.

“What’s funny? Do I have something on my face—”

“It’s nothing.” you wave him off.

“No, tell me, I want to laugh too!” he leans closer, clouding your field of view.

The kicked puppy look in his eyes only makes you laugh louder.

જ⁀➴ Megumi Fushiguro .ᐟ

Thirty minutes. He said he’d come pick them up in thirty minutes. But forty minutes had passed, and he was nowhere to be seen.

You don’t even have it in you to be surprised in the slightest.

Planted behind your window, you watch the box of clothes sit outside your front door. The clock propped on your wall ticks, and you look up at it. Another minute has passed.

Alright that’s it.

You make your way to your door, and open it with one swift motion. Slamming it behind you, you crouch down to pick the box up, and stomp in the direction of your garbage can.

You hold the box against your hip to free an arm, and use it to open the bin.

You hesitate for a moment, and your gaze trails back and forth between the cardboard box and the trashbin.

Should you really be doing something so drastic? Sure he mistreated you but… no, that was it. He mistreated you.

You’d grown tired of the half-assed responses during your (one-sided) conversations and text messages, like he was doing you a service by being with you, or like he had better things to do. You were sick of his lack of communication with you. You were tired of being the only one actively nurturing your relationship.

I’ve had enough. You decide, and hoist the box up, ready to dump it.

“Y/N?” you hear a voice behind you and freeze.

Slowly turning around, you’re met with an out-of-breath Megumi.

Your eyebrows furrow as you notice the bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Flowers, really? Did he think that would be enough?

You hold back from scoffing. “... Nice timing. I almost threw your things away.” you huff before closing the bin. You take a couple steps towards him, and stop.

He looks down at the cardboard box in your hands, and then back up at you, still catching his breath. “... I don’t care about that.”

You almost want to laugh. “You don’t care about anything.”

His facial features twitch at your remark, and he hates himself for making you think that way. “That’s not true,” he responds weakly.

“Sure.” you shrug.

“I care about you.” he manages to say with a louder voice, as if that was the only thing he was certain of.

Your heart squeezes painfully. “... no, you don’t.”

“You can say whatever you want about me,” he takes a step closer. “You can hate me, cuss me out—whatever, but you can’t dictate my own feelings and tell me I don’t care about you.”

“I’m not dictating your feelings Megumi, I’m telling you how things look to me. And with the way you treated me… it didn’t look like you cared about me. Not in the slightest.”

He’s staring at you with wide eyes now, like this genuinely came as a surprise to him—like he really wasn’t aware of how much he hurt you.

The blank look on his face pushes you to vent out your frustrations further. “Whenever we’d go out, It always looked like you’d rather be anywhere else. You barely spoke, and when you did, you just sounded annoyed.”

His lips parted to speak, but he closed them again.

“But when it was just the two of us, you were different. I kept convincing myself that maybe one day I’d become good enough for you. That you would love me even when we weren’t alone. That the possibility of that ever happening was worth staying with you.”

“But I… I do love you.” he speaks in a slightly raspy and weak voice. “And you’re more than good enough for me—you’re too good.” He responds, tumbling over his words.

It’s your turn to be speechless now. Did he really just say he loved you? Were you hearing things?

“Look I—“ he starts but sighs in frustration, running a hand down his face and hiding behind it momentarily, as he finds his words. “I didn’t know I… hurt you this much. I didn’t mean to.”

You breathe out through your nose deeply, as if to convince yourself you were composed. “Well… you did.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” he croaks out.

His words stun you. What were you supposed to say to that?

You were mad at him for not communicating his feelings properly, but the truth was that you didn’t communicate your frustrations either.

“Because I… I was scared of how you’d react. I assumed you’d get mad at me for complaining too much.”

“That’s stupid.” He frowns, his eyebrows tightly knitting together. “I’d never get mad at you over that. I… can’t get mad at you, period.”

You set the box down, your arms getting tired, and you cross them over your chest. More so in a defensive manner, than in anger.

“Y/N, I love you.” he mutters after swallowing the lump in his throat. “I’m sorry it took me so long to say it, and I’m sorry for being a terrible boyfriend. I thought my actions were enough… but then I started getting lazy there too. I can’t do anything right when it comes to you.” he raises a hand to run it through his hair, as if it could help him sort out his thoughts. “You just… I’ve never felt like this for anyone before, and it scared me. So I shut you out.” he lets his hand fall from his head, and finally makes eye contact with you again.

You’re still quiet, not sure exactly what to say or how to feel.

“I can’t even… I can’t ask you to take me back because I know I wouldn’t if I were you." he sighs. "I'm here because I just don’t want you thinking any of this was your fault, or that I didn’t love you. Because I did—I do.”

His gaze falls again, and he suddenly remembers the bouquet of your (favorite) flowers in his hands.

“I.. brought you these. You don’t have to keep them though.”

You tug on your sleeve for a moment before unfolding your arms and holding your hand out. “... They’re too pretty for me not to.”

He says nothing as he hands you the bouquet, his fingers touching yours for a second too long, as if savoring the last of your touch before losing it forever.

He then crouches down to pick the box up. He stares at you in silence for a moment, before speaking. “Sorry for everything.”

You don’t even give him the time to walk away when he turns around.

“Megumi, wait.” you grab at the hem of his sleeve.

He takes a moment before turning back to face you. His jaw is clenched tightly, and his gaze is sharp. He looks down at you expectantly, without wanting to get too hopeful.

“... I’m sorry too.” you look away, but keep your tight grip on his sleeve. “I should’ve been more honest with you, instead of waiting for you to magically guess how I was feeling.” you finally let go of him, but he’s quick to grab your hand before it falls to your side again.

“Don’t apologize. It’s my fault you didn’t feel comfortable enough to tell me how you felt.”

Flustered, you keep your gaze on your linked hands. His thumb traces small circles against the back of your palm. Your eyes trail up slowly to meet his. He steps closer while simultaneously moving the box to hold it against his side instead.

The hand that was holding yours moves to cup the side of your face instead. “I know I said I wouldn’t ask you to… but can you please—”

“Yes.” you cut his words short.

His face falters, and he swallows again, before leaning down and pressing his lips to yours in a soft, almost apologetic kiss. His hand slots itself further against your jawline, fingers carding through your hair.

Megumi pulls away after a while to catch his breath, his forehead resting against yours. “I’m sorry for everything… I’ll do better, I promise. So please—” he chokes up, still needing to catch his breath. “Please give me another chance. I don’t know if I can do this without you.”

You stare up at him through your lashes before nodding against him. “... one chance.”

He breathes out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” he whispers, before chasing your lips. “And sorry again…” he mumbles in between kisses.

The box has fallen to the ground, and it’s been long forgotten by now. His other hand presses against your lower back, coaxing out a small and surprised yelp out of you.

He stops and pulls back just enough to look at your flustered features. “Sorry… I just missed you.”

“I missed you too.” you squeeze his arm.

The sight of you so winded, looking up at him like he hung up the moon, made his heart feel full in a way he never could’ve imagined.

“... I don’t deserve you.” he brushes some hair out of your face. “But thank you.”

જ⁀➴ Toji Fushiguro .ᐟ

It was currently pretty late in the evening, 8:30 to be exact, and you were getting ready to go out with your friends. They had suggested a girl’s night out to help get your mind off of your ex.

Your ex who cheated on you.

It hurt, really hurt this time. It hurt more than when your previous ex cheated on you. Because you thought Toji would be different. Sure, on the surface he might’ve seemed like a careless douchebag, but he wasn’t. And you loved that about him.

He spoke with curt and unromantic words, he didn’t buy you flowers or chocolates with teddybears—but he always held your hand whenever you’d go out, always made sure to go to sleep only after you did, always listened to you talk and talk for hours on end, always kissed you before leaving the house, always made sure you felt comfortable and safe.

Also, he was pretty hot, which was a nice bonus.

The point is, that you loved him, and trusted him. You truly never would have expected betrayal from him.

You shake your head and let out a heavy sigh as you stare at your reflection in the mirror, tears pooling in your eyes.

I just spent twenty minutes doing my eye makeup, I will not cry. You huff stubbornly, before standing up from your vanity and making your way to your front door. Grabbing your wallet and other essentials, you stuff them into your bag, put your shoes on, and reach for the doorknob.

The moment you open the door, you freeze.

There he is, all six foot two of him, one hand on the back of his neck, the other hovering in the air like he was just about to knock on the door.

Your eyes scan him from head to toe slowly.

His hair looks tidier than usual, he’s wearing proper shoes for once instead of his usual slides, with slightly baggy jeans in a dark wash, and an open flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, a black t-shirt underneath.

He also gives you a lingering look-over.

Once you’re done gawking at each other, you stare into one another’s eyes and speak at the same time.

“You look nice.” you sneer.

“You look nice.” he mutters.

Both stunned, your eyes widened. He keeps quiet, while your lips part to talk again.

“... Thanks.” your eyes narrow into a glare.

He just nods in response.

“Let me get your things,” you sigh before turning around and reaching for the bags hidden in your shoe closet. You turn back to face him and hold them out to him.

He grabs them. “Where’re you headed off to lookin’ like that?” his eyebrows furrow slightly.

Your tongue pokes the inside of your cheek as you glare at him even harder than before. “... I have a date,” you lie.

He lets out a small scoff and smirks, immediately knowing you weren’t saying the truth.

You hated how well he knew you, how he paid attention to everything when it came to you.

“Okay well, I don’t want to keep him waiting, so if you don’t mind—” you gesture for him to get out of your way, but he doesn’t budge. You step forward, hoping that would make him back off, but it only makes his smirk grow wider. “Toji, move.”

“Not until you hear what I have to say first.” His grin slowly melts into a more serious expression.

“What is there to say? You cheated on me.” you fold your arms over your chest.

Immediately, he sighs heavily, and rolls his eyes back. “I didn’t cheat on—will you at least give me the chance to explain myself?”

“No, Toji, I won’t.” you spit out. “I saw it, clear as day. I was waiting for you outside the restaurant where we were supposed to meet, and when I finally saw you, you were being dragged into some back alley by a woman— a very hot one at that!”

“Exactly, I was being dragged, I wasn’t following her willingly.” he retorts.

“Well you definitely weren’t fighting her off!”

“Was I supposed to punch her in the mouth?” he asks in an incredulous tone.

You open your mouth to argue again, but no words come out. He had a point.

“That woman that you saw was a hooker, a street girl.” he explains in an exhausted manner. “She just randomly grabbed me hoping I’d be a customer.”

He notices the skeptical look in your eyes, and huffs with a shake of his head before reaching for his backpocket.

Your suspicious gaze turns curious as you stare at his hand.

He pulls out a small rectangular piece of paper.

“Look, even gave me her business card and everything.” he holds it out to you reluctantly, while looking away.

You stare at the card, then him, then the card again, and snatch it out of his grip. You read carefully over the details. Sure enough, it was what he claimed it to be. Even had a picture of her on it.

You slowly look up at him, waiting for him to explain further.

“Had to tell her I wasn’t interested at least ten times before she let me go. And even when she did, she forced me to take her card." He reaches for it, and you hand it back to him. He tears it up before throwing it in the trashcan he knew you kept by your apartment’s entrance. “Wanted to show it to you over our dinner before throwing it away for a good laugh, but after waiting for an hour for you to show up, I realized you probably saw me and got the wrong idea.”

Your face and stomach both drop at the mental image of him patiently waiting for you. You feel guilt crawl up your spine.

“Thought I’d keep it for evidence.” he shrugs, before shoving his hands back in his pockets.

A beat of silence passes before you speak up, your voice shaky.

“Toji, I… I’m so sorry.” one of your hands comes up to cover the bottom half of your face.

His jaw clenches tightly before he speaks. “... it’s fine.”

Your vision turns blurry, as tears well in your bottom lids, but this time you don’t bother holding back. “No, no it’s not okay I—” you choke up and swallow the lump in your throat. Your hand falls from your face so you can speak clearer. “I kicked you out for something you didn’t do.” you frown.

Noticing your tears, his hands leave his pockets to hold you against his chest instead, strong and firm arms anchoring you. “It’s okay.”

You shake your head against him, tears staining his dark shirt. “I’m so awful, why couldn’t I just trust you? I knew you’d never do something like that but I still—”

“You’re not awful.” he says firmly. “You’ve just been hurt before.”

“But still, I… it’s not an excuse to hurt you.”

He presses a lingering kiss to the top of your head. “You didn’t hurt me baby, it wouldn’t have been the first time I found myself homeless.” he scoffs, cracking a joke in the hopes of it lightening the mood.

You stare up at him through wet lashes before letting out a small chuckle. “That’s not funny…” you sniffle and continue chuckling at the same time.

“Why’re you laughing then?” he quirks an eyebrow, proud grin on his face.

You roll your eyes before resting your cheek against his chest and wrapping your arms around his middle.

He holds you, his hand rubbing up and down your spine to soothe you.

You take a deep breath. “... I’m sorry Toji.”

He hums, the sound making his chest rumble against you. “It’s okay doll, not your fault. It looked bad.”

You say nothing, letting your breathing return to a normal, steady pace.

His rough and scarred hands pull you away from him, and cup your cheeks. “Quit cryin’. You’re too pretty for that.”

You nod, eyes glassy and bloodshot. “I love you,” you whisper.

His smirk softens into a small, almost imperceptible smile. “... love you too.”

જ⁀➴ Ryomen Sukuna .ᐟ

You lie in your bed, watching the tv propped up on your wall in front of you. You picked out your favorite romcom in the hopes that seeing somebody else’s happy relationship would help you forget about your failed one.

Your eyes betray you to look at the time, and your jaw clenches once you notice it’s already 3:15. Maybe he already dropped by and took his things without you knowing. You’re tempted to stand up, walk over to your window, and check if his belongings are still there.

Why should I care? This doesn’t concern me anymore.

And yet, you still swing your legs over the edge of your bed, and make your way to your window. Your heart stutters as you see the cardboard box still sitting outside.

Maybe he doesn’t even want to pick them up. You think to yourself, and roll your eyes, frustrated with yourself for caring so much. You turn around and head straight for your bed.

That’s when you hear a distant booming noise outside. You freeze. The noise gets louder and louder, so you can only assume it's approaching. Once it’s close enough, you’re able to discern what exactly it is.

Rap music being blasted out of a car’s speakers.

He’s here. He actually showed up.

You groan to yourself, of course he’d blast his music even now. You just hope he leaves quickly and doesn’t make a scene.

He parks the car, and turns the engine off, the music stopping.

Your stomach drops.

Don’t tell me he’s staying.

Sukuna comes out of the red sports car, slamming the door behind him. He immediately looks up to your window with a glare.

You shriek and hide behind your curtains. How did he know you were lurking?!

He looks back down in front of him, and notices the box of what he presumes are his things, judging by his name scribbled in sharpie on its surface.

He keeps a scrutinizing look on it, before kicking it out of the way with a scoff and marching right up to your front door like he owned the place.

His hand comes up to knock three times.

You stay still in your room, not moving to go downstairs and open the door for him. You’re thankful your housemates are all in class right now.

He lets out a frustrated sigh, before his knuckles rap against the door again. More aggressively this time.

You hesitate, making a couple strides toward your own door.

“I know you’re in there! I saw you by your window!” he shouts.

He waits for a response, but when you don’t give him one, he speaks up again.

“Just so you know, I’m not leaving until you open up the door for me.”

He’s bluffing, right? He’s not actually patient enough to wait that long.

“Or I could wait for one of your little roommates to come back and let me in.” he adds.

That didn’t sound too good. You sigh heavily, before making your way to the front door.

Taking a deep breath, you brace yourself, and open the door just a crack.

His fists clench, and his eyes immediately land you, hiding behind the door. If it weren’t for you looking slightly frightened, he would’ve forced the door open, but he doesn’t. His eyes soften just a bit.

You slowly raise your gaze to look at him. None of you say anything at first, letting the silence consume you.

Unsurprisingly, he breaks it first.

“Gonna let me in or what?”

You’re unsure of yourself, but you manage to stand your ground regardless. “... no.”

He clicks his tongue in annoyance. “Why not.”

“Because your things are outside.” you glance at the toppled box lying on the grass behind him.

He doesn’t even look back at them. “I don’t give a fuck about that.”

Your eyes narrow into a glare.

Seeing how you don’t seem to be giving in, he looks away, sighs, and then looks back at you.

“Please.” he mutters. “I just want to talk.”

The unfamiliar softness in his voice surprises you and you hesitate for a moment.

Maybe he just wanted to apologize, in which case you’d gladly accept it.

Whatever he wanted to do, you knew he wouldn’t harm you or anything.

So, you step aside and let him in.

“Thanks,” he mumbles, barely audible, but you still catch it.

You close the door behind him, and turn to face him. “Talk.”

He quirks an eyebrow at your assertiveness, but doesn’t comment on it.

“What I said at that party… I didn’t mean it.”

The mention of the event immediately brings you back to it.

Him calling you clingy and obsessed in front of his friends, laughing with their drinks in hand.

It was only thirty minutes after actually arriving at the party that you’d found him. The moment you did, you questioned him, asking him where he was and why he hadn’t replied to your calls and texts.

He was with a couple of his friends at the time, and thought it would be funny to play it cool in front of them.

You clear your throat, willing the memory out of your head.

“It definitely sounded like you did.” you reply under your breath.

“I didn’t.” he affirms.

You shrug and look away. An uncomfortable silence settles in between you two once again. “Is that all you wanted to say? Or can you leave now?”

“No. I’m not done.” he takes a step closer to you.

You cross your arms, determined to show him you wouldn’t be so easily intimidated.

You expect him to start yelling and cussing, to tell you you’re overreacting, or that he should’ve been the one to break up with you, not the other way around.

But he doesn’t.

“Y/N.” he calls your name, softly.

You’re stunned. “... What?”

“I…” he starts, and it looks like he’s in pain just from trying to articulate his words. He lets out a frustrated huff before finally spitting it out. “I’m sorry.”

Well, this is new. Sukuna apologizing. To you.

You know this must’ve taken a lot of effort for him, and pride, but you’re not going to praise him for it.

“For what?” you question, your arms still folded over your chest.

“For being such a fucking asshole to you.” he looks down at the ground.

“What else?”

“For humiliating you.”

“And?”

“For taking you for granted.”

That last one shocks you a little, and you stay quiet.

He takes the opportunity to continue speaking.

“These last few days without you,” he starts, and shoves a hand in his back pocket while the other pushes his hair back. “They sucked. I can’t be bothered to eat ‘cause it all tastes like shit. I can’t sleep ‘cause you’re not there with me. And everyone who tries talking to me just pisses me off because I don’t wanna see them.” His hands move once more to run down his face as he sighs into them. “I just wanna see you.”

He lets his hands fall and meets your gaze.

“Don’t leave me.”

Your heart squeezes painfully at the desperation in his eyes. “Sukuna… you made me leave.”

“I know. But I can change—I will change. For you.”

Sukuna was always true to his words. If he said he would get something, or achieve something, he always did.

Which is why you were so tempted to say yes.

“Just give me the chance to.” he adds.

You poke your cheek with your tongue, debating internally.

“Why are you doing this?”

“I love you.” he says it, plain and simple, as if commenting on the weather. Sure, this wasn't the first time he said it, but it felt different. It felt heavier now.

“You know that’s not enough, right?”

“I know. That’s why I’m asking you to give me a chance.” he takes a couple steps in your direction.

Just like earlier, you don’t budge, letting him invade your personal space.

He tilts his head down to look at you.

You feel your resolve breaking bit by bit.

“I…” you start.

He remains silent, and surprisingly keeps his hands to himself.

“I won’t accept the bare minimum. And if I get even the slightest suspicion that you won’t keep your promise… I’m leaving.”

His eyes soften again. “I will.”

“But we’re not back together, okay? We’re just…”

“On a break.” he finishes your sentence.

You nod.

“I’ll take it.” his hands find your hips. “Just… don’t ghost me anymore. Everything sucks without you. Can't stand it.” he rests his forehead against yours, eyes fluttering shut as he whispers.

You hesitate for a moment, before reaching for the hair at the back of his neck.

He hums, pleased.

“I want this to work, Sukuna. Don’t let me down.”

He reaches up to grab a hold of your wrist, tilting his head to press a kiss against it. “I won’t.”