Takes And Heartaches | Sukuna x Reader |

Chapter 27

Y/N felt her pulse quicken as she met Sukuna's gaze, the weight of his words hanging in the air between them. The breakfast that had once seemed so inviting now lay cold and forgotten on the table. She could feel the tension in the room, a palpable force that neither of them could ignore any longer.

Sukuna took a deep breath, his expression serious, yet tinged with a vulnerability that she had rarely seen. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, trying to find the right words to explain what had been left unsaid for far too long.

"Y/N," he began slowly, his voice low and steady. "I know things ended between us in a way that left a lot of questions unanswered. I owe you an explanation... for why I broke things off."

Y/N felt her chest tighten as she listened, her mind flashing back to the painful memory of that day. She had replayed the moment in her head countless times, trying to understand what had gone wrong, but she had never been able to make sense of it. Now, as she sat across from Sukuna, she realised that she had never truly known the reasons behind his decision.

"It wasn't because I stopped caring about you," Sukuna continued, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart ache. "In fact, it was the opposite. I cared about you too much. I started to feel like I wasn't enough for you... like I was holding you back."

Y/N frowned, confusion and hurt flooding her as she absorbed his words. "Holding me back? Sukuna, that's not true. You were never a burden to me."

He shook his head, his gaze dropping to the table. "I saw how you were thriving, how your career was taking off, and I... I felt like I was dragging you down. We were fighting more, and it seemed like every argument just confirmed what I was already feeling—that you deserved someone better, someone who wouldn't complicate your life the way I did."

Y/N's throat tightened as she listened to his confession, her emotions swirling in a maelstrom of disbelief and sorrow. "But you never told me any of this. You just... left. Without giving me a chance to understand."

"I know," Sukuna said, his voice laced with regret. "I didn't handle it well. I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go, by giving you the space to find someone who could give you everything I couldn't. But seeing you with Satoru... it made me realise how wrong I was."

Y/N's breath caught at the mention of Satoru. The memory of the night before, when she had mistakenly called Sukuna instead of him, was still fresh in her mind. She had been trying so hard to move on, to convince herself that Satoru could fill the void Sukuna had left, but deep down, she knew it wasn't true.

"But I wasn't happy," Y/N finally said, her voice trembling as she spoke. "Not really. I accepted Satoru's proposal because... because I was trying to move on. I thought that if I could be with someone else, someone who wasn't you, maybe I could forget how much it hurt when you left. But it wasn't the same. I wanted it to be you, Sukuna. I wished it was you."

Sukuna's eyes widened slightly at her words, and for a moment, he seemed to be at a loss for how to respond. The raw honesty in her confession left him shaken, and he could see the pain in her eyes—the pain that he had caused.

"Then why did you accept his proposal?" he asked, his voice filled with a mixture of confusion and hurt. "If you didn't want to be with him, why did you say yes?"

Y/N looked away, her fingers trembling slightly as she tried to find the right words to explain the turmoil that had led to her decision. The memory of what she had seen, the catalyst for her desperate attempt to move on, resurfaced with painful clarity. "Because of Saki," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "I saw you with her. I saw her kissing you. I thought... I thought you had moved on, that you didn't care any more."

Sukuna stiffened at the mention of Saki's name, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. "What do you mean?"

Y/N took a deep breath, forcing herself to confront the memory that had haunted her for weeks. "I saw her kiss you. That day on set, when I asked for a break... I was worried about you, so I went looking for you. And I saw Saki... kissing you."

Sukuna's eyes darkened with a mixture of frustration and regret as he realised what she was talking about. "Y/N, that kiss... it wasn't what you think. She kissed me out of nowhere, and I didn't—"

"You didn't push her away," Y/N interjected, her voice wavering with the effort to keep her emotions in check. "I watched, Sukuna. I watched as she kissed you, and you just... stood there. I thought... I thought it meant you had moved on. That you didn't care about us any more."

Sukuna's jaw tightened as he struggled to find the words to explain the situation, to undo the hurt that had been caused by that one moment. "I didn't want to cause a scene, especially not in front of the crew. But you have to understand, I didn't kiss her back. I didn't want that kiss, Y/N. I never wanted her."

Y/N's heart ached as she heard the desperation in his voice, but the memory of that day still stung. "But you didn't say anything. You didn't tell me. How was I supposed to know?"

"I know I messed up," Sukuna admitted, his voice strained with the weight of his guilt. "But believe me, Y/N, I never wanted her. That kiss wasn't what you think it was. Saki kissed me, but it wasn't mutual. She caught me off guard. I didn't want it, and I certainly didn't ask for it. The shoot was called off for a week because of that incident. She was reprimanded, and we're getting a new producer soon because of what happened."

Y/N stared at him, her mind racing as she processed his words. The revelation that the kiss had been unwanted, that Sukuna had been just as shocked and upset by it as she had been, sent a wave of relief and guilt crashing over her. She had assumed the worst, and in doing so, she had let that assumption drive her into the arms of someone else.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice filled with regret. "Why didn't you explain what happened?"

Sukuna sighed, rubbing his temples as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him. "Because I didn't think it would matter," he admitted. "I thought you were already moving on with Satoru. I didn't want to make things worse by trying to explain something that I thought wouldn't change anything. But I was wrong, Y/N. I should have told you the truth."

Y/N felt tears welling up in her eyes as the reality of their situation sank in. They had both made mistakes, both let their fears and misunderstandings drive them apart. And now, sitting here together, they were left with the painful realization of what could have been.

"I'm sorry," Y/N whispered, her voice breaking as she finally let the tears fall. "I'm so sorry, Sukuna. I should have trusted you, I should have talked to you instead of assuming the worst. I was just so hurt... I didn't know how to deal with it."

Sukuna reached across the table, his hand gently taking hers in his. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down her spine, and she looked up at him through her tears. "I'm sorry too," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "I'm sorry for pushing you away, for not being honest with you. I never stopped caring about you, Y/N. I just didn't know how to show it."

For a moment, they sat in silence, their hands clasped together, their hearts laid bare. The pain of their past mistakes still lingered, but at that moment, there was also a glimmer of hope. The possibility that, despite everything, they could find a way back to each other.

Y/N took a deep breath, her voice steadying as she spoke. "What happens now, Sukuna? Where do we go from here?"

Sukuna looked into her eyes, his expression softening as he considered her question. "I don't know," he admitted, his thumb gently brushing over her knuckles. "But I do know that I don't want to lose you again. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right, to earn back your trust."

Y/N's heart swelled with emotion at his words, and she nodded slowly, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the tears that still clung to her lashes. "I want that too," she whispered. "I want us to have another chance."

Sukuna's grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly, as if he was afraid she might slip away if he let go. "Then let's take it one step at a time," he said softly. "We'll figure this out together, okay?"

Y/N nodded again, a sense of calm washing over her as she realised that, for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel lost. She didn't feel alone. They had a long road ahead of them, but as long as they were walking it together, she knew they could find their way.