Tyrant's Favorite | Sukuna Ryomen x Reader

033. Humans

They hadn't even been engaged for a week, and Sukuna was already convinced he lost you. The night before, you'd refused to sleep in his arms, and at dawn, he woke up alone in the huge, empty bed. He had to do something, fast.

He dressed quickly and went straight to the courtyard, sure to find you training. But you weren't there. The surprise was so great that began to grow in his chest. Although his stomach craved food, he decided to search for you throughout the castle. Every corner. Every hallway. Nothing. This was bad. Very bad.

You must have been avoiding him, hiding in some hidden corner, like he had before, when that vulnerability got the best of him. And then he wondered: Was that how you felt at that moment? So alone, so disoriented, lost within the cold walls of that old castle? Maybe... maybe he should give you space. With that thought in mind, he returned to the dining room, resigned to having breakfast without you. But there you were.

Sitting there, already dressed for the day, reviewing a document as if nothing had happened. Seeing him enter, you looked up and gave him a smile. Not just any smile, but one that, far from calming him, completely disconcerted him. Weren't you annoyed with him? Sukuna crossed the room silently, ignoring the bows of his subjects for having their full attention on you.

"Good morning, Sukuna," you greeted him with a smile.

"Where were you this morning?" He ignored your greeting, eager to know the truth.

"Writing the report you asked me." You arranged the papers and handed them to him with a bow.

"You weren't in the library, where were you?" Sukuna inquired.

"In the backyard, I wrote it while Choso was playing with the chickens," you explained.

Just then, Choso appeared from under the tablecloth with a mischievous smile, as if he were playing in the shadow of the table. You picked him up to signal him to sit properly in the presence of the king, a command he immediately obeyed.

"Chickens go buk, buk, buk," Choso clucked.

"Okay, Choso, and what sound piggies make?" you asked excitedly.

"Oink, oink!" Choso replied excitedly.

"At this age, they're like sponges; they memorize everything they hear, so watch your language," you asked Sukuna.

Sukuna didn't know what to say. An unexpected warmth welled up in his chest, spreading like a slow fire. He didn't understand what it was exactly, but he knew it wasn't something trivial. It was similar, perhaps, to the shudder he felt that time he saw you with that first dress, so beautiful it hurt to look at you. But this... this was different. Much more intense. Deeper. As if something inside him had been ripped out and, at the same time, healed. Without taking his eyes off you, Sukuna slowly sank back into his chair, as if he feared your words were a cruel joke.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked hopefully.

"No, I'm still upset that you indirectly called me disgusting," you answered directly. Some servants looked at each other as if to say, "Did you hear what she said?"

"So you don't love me anymore?" Sukuna asked pessimistically.

"What? Why do you think that?" you asked, confused.

"Well... You seemed very disappointed yesterday." He raised an eyebrow.

"And it won't be the last time," you answered truthfully. "But it's normal. Couples argue all the time; it's part of being human. It's something you'll have to accept if you want this to work long-term. If you don't want to deal with it, just kill me." You shrugged.