╰┈➤ ᯓᡣ𐭩 chapter twenty-four
Sayako arrived right on time. She had learned from yesterday's little encounter that being even a minute late would give Sukuna an opportunity to pounce with his relentless teasing. She carefully slid the door open, finding him in his cursed spirit form, all four arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. { beta reader: ugly form again }
He didn't move or say anything as she entered, but as soon as she got close enough to begin changing his bandages, he tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing just enough to indicate he was about to start trouble.
"Late again," Sukuna drawled, his voice dripping with mock disappointment.
Sayako paused mid-step and shot him a look. "I'm exactly on time."
Sukuna smirked. "In your head, maybe. But you're late in mine."
Sayako couldn't help but roll her eyes, trying to ignore the warmth in her chest at how absurd he could be. "Maybe your head needs a clock," she muttered under her breath as she started to unwrap his old bandages.
Sukuna's grin widened, clearly hearing her. "You've got some nerve, woman."
"I'm just being honest," Sayako quipped back, focusing on her task.
As she carefully wrapped a new bandage around his torso, Sukuna watched her with a curious intensity. His usually sharp gaze softened ever so slightly, though it still held that edge of mystery she couldn't quite decipher.
"Why do you care so much?" Sukuna's question came out of nowhere, his voice almost too casual, but there was an undercurrent of something deeper. "About taking care of me, I mean."
Sayako's hands froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn't expected him to ask something like that. Gathering her thoughts, she continued wrapping the bandage, her voice quiet but steady.
"Because I remember," she replied simply, her eyes focused on the bandage as she tied it off. "I remember what you were like before.... everything changed."
For a brief second, there was silence. Sayako braced herself for a snarky retort or a mocking laugh, but neither came. Instead, Sukuna remained quiet, his gaze fixed on her face as if searching for something in her expression.
Despite the blankness in his mind, Sukuna couldn't shake the strange pull he felt towards her. Every time she was near, a whisper of familiarity nagged at him, like a song he once knew but couldn't quite remember the lyrics to. It irritated him to no end, but the connection- no matter how faint- was undeniable.
"I see," was all Sukuna said, his voice low and almost contemplative. He didn't push further, which in itself was unusual.
Sayako finished securing the bandage, her heart heavy with unspoken words. She knew he didn't remember, that the Sukuna she knew was locked away somewhere deep inside the man before her, she didn't know if he even existed at all anymore. But she couldn't help hoping that maybe, just maybe, some part of him was still there.
As she stepped back to gather her supplies, Sukuna surprised her again.
"Thank you," he said, his tone gruff, as if the words were foreign on his tongue.
Sayako blinked, stunned. Sukuna? Thanking her? She almost wondered if she was hearing things. But there he was, the King of Curses himself, actually expressing gratitude. Before she could even process it, he added, "Don't get used to it."
That was more like the Sukuna she knew. A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself, and she couldn't suppress the wave of happiness that washed over her.
"I won't," Sayako replied, though her voice wavered with the emotion bubbling up inside her.
She quickly turned to leave, not wanting him to see the tears of joy welling up in her eyes. As she walked out of the room, her mind raced with a thousand thoughts. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was something. And for her, it was everything. The fact that Sukuna had acknowledged her care, even in his own grumpy way, was enough to make her heart soar.
'He may not remember,' Sayako thought to herself, wiping away the happy tears with the back of her hand, 'but he didn't change much....'
As she left Sukuna's room, she couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of determination. She would keep caring for him, keep being there, in the hope that one day, the memories would return. But even if they didn't, she knew one thing for sure: Sukuna was starting to feel something too, even if he couldn't name it.
Inside the room, Sukuna watched the door close behind her, his eyes narrowing in thought. That nagging feeling of familiarity lingered, more persistent than ever. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his mind. But even as he did, a small, inexplicable warmth settled in his chest, something he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Hmph," he grunted to himself, leaning back against the wall. "Stupid woman."
But even as he said it, there was no bite to the words, and the faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Maybe, just maybe, having her around wasn't so bad after all.
⋆⭒˚.⋆ 𓆩♡𓆪 ⋆⭒˚.⋆
884 words
Author: I have 0 energy to yapp y'all....
Beta reader: sukuna the tsu
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𝕸𝖞 𝕱𝖆𝖛𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊 | Sukuna X Reader/Oc | Book Two
FanfictionSECOND BOOK!! The lost of her love left her heartbroken, she knew she wouldn't be able to move on no matter how hard she tried. He had been the light of her life and now he became the fearsome king of curses... She had decided she would do anything...
