¤ Two Days Later ¤
¤ (Y/n)'s Point Of View ¤
I could spend days here in Sukuna's arms- I really could. At this moment, I felt content, more than I have ever been before. Feeling content or happy always used to be such a struggle for me, yet now it came so naturally. I sat comfortably in my lover's embraced, him enveloping me with his warmth. I have admittedly become obsessed with the feeling of his warmth- him...the man I would do anything for.
My head was laid in the crook of his neck as we watched the sunset together from the top of the temple. We had been here since noon, none of have having moved since. A bowl of grapes sat beside us, freshly plucked by a supporter of his from the vines that entwined with the trees that stood proudly infront of Sukuna's temple.
All day, Sukuna had told me more and more about the lands we stand on. He's told me everything from the history of this temple to what he had done here during the time in which before he met me. At that time, people offered Sukuna rare animals with cursed spirits attached to them for him to kill and even young virgin girls for him to play with. That part of the story should have upset me, but it didn't. Everyone had the right to a past.
Today was more calmer than the other days that I had spent here. I had spent all of today relaxing, whilst other days were filled with fun and adventure. I had explored all of Sukuna's land, from the fields to every room in his temple. Admittedly, I spent the most time in the library and the bathing room. Those were my two favourite parts of the temple and Sukuna knew that too.
For the last hour, we had cudddled in comfortable silence. The moment the sky became orange, we were both drowing in our own thoughts. My mind was on my family, wondering if they believed me to be dead or just missing. I was curious. I needed to see them soon or this curiousity would eat me alive. Shoving another grape into my mouth, my hand automatically went towards the bowl again. Though this time, I picked up a grape and rose it to Sukuna's lips rather than mine, wondering if he'd let me feed him.
My movement caught Sukuna's attention, making him look down at my hand which was ever so close to his mouth. He smirked as the grape touched his lips then took a glance at me who watched him intently, waiting to see what he would do. Knowingly, he looked me directly in the eyes and then slowly took the grape into in mouth.
But he didn't stop there...No, he then took both my thumb and forefinger into his mouth. His tongue instantly swirled around my fingers making me squeal and retract my hand as I buried my self deeper into his neck in embarrassment. Sukuna let out a roar of laughter, obviously proud of the shameful act he had just done.
"What did you expect to happen, Princess?" He asked me rhetorically, chuckling as he hinted that I should have already known what he'd do if I offered him my fingers. I grumbled in response, pouting at his words even though he couldn't see it. We fell back into a comfortable silence, just as before. Though this time, the nagging feeling inside me worsened as the image of my family in my mind became clearer.
Sukuna had told me that I couldn't return to my family just yet as I needed to stay beside him at all times until I could control my cursed energy. A part of me was thankful, him giving me a reason to not face my family. I wasn't sure how they'd react to this new me. Would they feel threatened? Disgusted? No, surely not...They were my family. They'd love me just the same.
But even with these consoling thoughts swimming around my mind, the nagging feeling inside me grew stronger everyday. At this point, I was hiding from them on purpose while they were there probably mourning my death. They deserved to see me- to know the truth. They'd be able to see how healthy I look, how strong I felt. They'd be able to rest easy knowing that I wasn't such a burden anymore. Maybe they'd welcome me back with open arms. They'd probably have questions...but with me avoiding them, they'd never be able to ask them. I owed them that much.
"Sukuna?" I asked suddenly, finally gaining the strength to speak what was on my mind. The pinkette hummed in response, taking another grape into his mouth as he waited for my question.
"I think it's time that I face my family." I said softly, staring out into the distance where I could faintly see the castle that they were all in, probably mourning me as we spoke.
"And when they see your markings? What then?" He countered, with a raised brow. He looked down at me as I looked down at my self, lowering my kimono as if I hadn't practically memorised my tattoos by now by staring at them everyday with a look of wonder.
I had my first marking right above my heart- ironic, was is not? It read 'Born again' in Kanji, it's black ink practically one with my skin.
Andh second was around the the whole of my neck and above my collarbones were markings almost identical to those on Sukuna's face.
(A.N ~ This is going around your neck. The bottom is where your collarbones are and the top is where the back of your neck is. Original picture belongs to it's original owner, however I edited it slightly to what I pictured)
I rememberhow much they had frightened me so much once I had seen them however Sukuna surprisingly loved it- he really loved it. His exact words were 'They look divine.'
"I'll tell them the truth. They are my family, they will accept me." I told him, my voice at a volume that showed how unconfident I felt even though I tried to sound as determined as possible. It just sounded as if I was trying to convince myself that it was all going to be okay because truthfully, I had no idea how family would react. I only knew how I wished they would react. My father was unpredictable and my mother just as much, so truthfully...I had no idea if they would accept me.
Sukuna grinned widely above me, seeming as if he already had idea as to what would come next. He enjoyed things like this, drama. Sukuna probably knew for a while now that I wanted to visit my parents, he was just waiting for me to ask. He hadn't forbod me seeing them, just me going alone- which meant that Sukuna would be coming with me to see them. He'd meet my parents, which honestly was a scary thought considering how much they loath him. Unlike me, Sukuna wasn't worried at all. He was excited. I couldn't see his grin but I knew it was there. He loved conflict.
That was when Sukuna gently yet suddenly began pulling me up. My eyes went wide as his hands locked around my wrists. A cheeky and scheming grin was on his face, just as I suspected it would be. I shook my head at him, feeling everything was going in slow motion. I knew what that grin meant, what he had planned. He snickered before inocently saying,
"Then let's go."
Once I was up, I looked at him with wide eyes and shook my head. I knew what he was about to do and he knew that I knew. But he only grinned at me excitedly as he pulled me closer to him. And before I could complain, he covered my eyes and hushed me. And within that same moment I felt like the word was taken from under my feet and put there again a second later. Then he uncovered my eyes, and just as I expected...We stood directly in the middle of my father's throne room.
I said I needed to face my family... but I did not mean that it needed to be at this exact second.
Looking around me, my breathing became more lighter as I noticed that we were in the meeting hall. Not only was my father there but also my mother, sister and all 9 of the royal advisors. The guards jumped back im suprise at our arrival, luckily for me, Toru not being one of them. I bit my lip nervously as they all stared at me, jaws dropped and eyes widened.
Not only were they all shocked to see me, alive and well but also to see Ryoumen Sukuna...The 'demon' that has made them feel threatened so many times before as he had been terrorizing and pillaging lands all over Japan. And even if they hadn't realised that it was him at first glance, after noticing his 4 eyes and 4 arms, they knew. It was impossible not to. I would have thought that he'd try to fool them with his jujutsu but judging by their gasps, Sukuna didn't have any intention of trying.
"(Y/n)?! You're alive!" My sister gaped in shock, sliding to the edge of her seat to look at me closer as if she didn't believe her eyes. So I was right. They had all assumed me dead despite the fact that there was no body to be found. Maybe that's why Toru wasn't here. Maybe he was still in denial, trying to find proof of my death. I bet all he found so far was the blood-soaked ground in which I crumpled to the ground and had my heart tore from my chest. I wondered of my heart was still there- or maybe Sukuna burnt it to a crisp.
"(Y/n)?! What is the meaning of this?" My father boomed, his voice echoing throughout the room. Suddenly my throat became dry, forcing me to be unable to answer his question. Or rather, I didn't know what to say. I had never been in a situation such as this one. Sukuna however had many things that he wanted to say...and he was definitely not afraid to say them.
"Hmm, so this is the Emperor? Your father? I must say, I don't see the resemblance. He looks quite ugly if you ask me." Sukuna nonchalantly pointed out, a hand clutching his chin as he judged those with a tilted head who sat in their designated spots around the room. Of course, Sukuna wasn't just saying this out of observation. He was trying to get a reaction.
And as I suspected, he instantly got what he wanted as the people around the room gasped at the audacity of his words. I couldn't help but bite my lip further anxiously, drawing blood instantly. Sukuna noticed this and smirked, quickly wiping his thumb across my lip before placing it in his mouth and humming in delight at the taste of my blood- once again, trying to get a reaction. And to his amusement, the whole room seemed to be on the verge of collapsing after such a vulgar action.
"Father...I-I'm sorry for my late return. I-" I was instanly cut off by his loud yell of pure anger.
"Late return?! You were never supposed to be gone in the first place! And now you dare return with this-this vile monster in our home?!" My father bellowed, his voice sending vibrations through the ground. Gulping, I looked at Sukuna who seemed to be having the time of his life.
The man pranced around the room with a sadistic chuckle, knocking vases off of their shelves and killing plants with a single touch of his fingers. He seemed to also want to kill one of my father's advisors, putting one of his hands around the woman's neck and getting ready to squeeze. But before he did, he looked over to me- as if he were asking for permission. I gave him a pleading look, begging him to behave with only my eyes. And so he did, stopping his actions by letting her go with a dissapointed sigh.
Sukuna then warped beside my father's throne within the blink of an eye before squatting on the arm rest beside him with a deadly bored expression.
"I should really have killed you for calling me a monster, you know." Sukuna said dully, putting a hand on my father's shoulder which made the man tense immediately. That was not a consoling action, them both knowing that that was a threat- saying that with this one hand he could turn him into ash for what he said.
"But...I'll let you live. You're welcome." He continued sarcastically, before warping once again beside me. Now that Sukuna had his fun, he handed me the reign, leaning back onto a pillar behind me as he motioned for me to start speaking. With a nod, I turned back towards me father- the lump in my throat slowly fading as I took in the fact that Sukuna had my back no matter what. I wasn't alone in this, and maybe that's why he caused so much chaos- to show that to my family too.
"Father, please just listen to me." I begged, waiting for him to give me a nod in response. But he didn't, he just sat numbly, still shook by Sukuna's took. So I took this chance to just start speaking, not waiting for permission.
"On my way back from the market, my heart gave out...I died three days ago. B-but Sukuna was with me and he gave me his heart! He saved me! I'm alive because of him!" I explained, moving my arms around as I explained with passion.
I tried to make them see this from my perspective, with a light shining down on my view. But as the whole room gasped at my words and began murmuring among themselves, I realised that they probably wouldn't see this through my eyes at all. By the look on their faces, it was almost as if I were another monster.
"He gave you his heart, you say?" My father repeated in disbelief. I nodded, gulping once again as I watched them soak this all in like a sponge.
To prove it to them all, I pulled my kimono down slightly, enough for everyone to see my neck and the top of my chest- to lay eyes on every tattoo that appeared on me since that day. That's when the room went wild, my sister and mother becoming hysterical after seeing the markings on my body. They seemed terrified, now certainly looking at me as if I were a monster.
"Y-you are cursed! He has cursed you-binded you to him for all of eternity! You were given a life that was not yours to keep!" My mother wailed, tears falling down her cheeks like rain from the sky. My eyes burned at here words, my hand lifting to my chest as if I were scalded by fire. I couldn't help but feel my heart break by her words. They had deeply wounded me. It felt so real as if she had attacked me physically.
"Y-you're wrong! He's given me a second chance at life! A healthy heart! Why don't you see?" I cried, pointing at my chest with exasperation. Couldn't they see how healthy I looked? Didn't they notice how I wasn't in pain after every breath I took?
"I do see! I see a demon and his pet! It pains me to say this but my daughter is long gone! She died three days ago due to heart faliure as a punishment for her foolish behaviour." My mother spat, looking at me and Sukuna with pure hatred in her eyes.
After those words left her mouth, I found that I could not speak. My lips trembled in shock after her confession. I looked down at my feet and clenched my fist in anger and frustration. I couldn't believe that she said that to me...I couldn't believe that they all agreed with her. More tears filled my eyes, burning me as they threatened to fall. It hurt so much. I thought that with this heart, I wasn't sopposed to hurt like this anymore.
Sukuna walked up to me from behind and gently pushed loose stands of my hair behind my ear. He leaned in and whispered into my ear while giving a sinister malicious smirk to my family.
"We could kill them all if you'd like, Princess? I certainly wouldn't mind." He whispered, licking his lips as he relished in the thought of a massacre this size. I wonder how long it has been for him since he had killed so many. He's been with me for the past few days, after all.
"No..." I whispered, as a tear fell from my cheek. I didn't want them dead. If we killed everyone who didn't understand us, we'd slaughter the whole world. That's when Sukuna's smile dropped...I assumed that for the first time in his life he was seeing me cry and he hated it. Not out of physical pain...No, this time it was emotional pain. I was heartbroken.
Broken.
After seeing my distaught face, Sukuna for once did not listen to my earlier request as he warped to my mother, grabbed her by the neck and simply lifted her into the air with ease. She screamed in fear, limbs frailing aorund like a fish out of water as she tried to break free from his hold. But of course, she couldn't. Sukuna was for too strong for her. He could break her like a twig whenever he wished.
"You dare bring her to tears infront of me?" Sukuna hissed through gritted teeth into her ear as he dug his nails into my mothers skin, instantly drawing blood quickly but not enough to kill her. I lifted my head up weakly to clearly see what was happening and for once, I didn't just instantly beg Sukuna to stop. I was driven by sadness and despression so much that I just watched her as her face grew red at the lack of oxygen. I numbly watched it all, her words echoeing in my mind.
The royal guards had quickly ran onto to platform where the thrones were, more guards barging into the room and rushing towards Sukuna only for him to turn them all into dust with a wave of his hands. Everyone screamed but nobody dared to move in fear they would also be turned into dust. After a few more seconds, I had finally snapped out of my haze and in tears called out for my lover.
"S-Sukuna. That's enough... You've made your point." I mumbled as tears still fell down my cheeks. Sukuna turned me with angry eyes but that look quickly morphed into a soft gaze. He once again sighed, for the second time this night before dropping my mother to the floor. The woman instantly began to crawl towards her husband, hiding behind his throne as he attempted to look strong.
"I want you gone. You shall never set foot in this castle ever again!" My father growled to me, giving me a chance to leave so that Sukuna would not cause any more pain or bloodshed to this castle. He didn't care about what happened to me, he never did. I nodded slightly, looking to my left to see that Sukuna had warped beside me in an instant.
"I just want to say to you all...Thank you for putting up with me and my illness for so long- for giving me a chance to live and life when you knew death would take me so soon. Thank you for teaching me that everytime something doesn't seem to go your way...t-to just smile and keep your head up." I said, now looking up at them through my tears while giving them a sad smile.
Then I looked over towards my little sister who looked grief striken, tremblingin her seat in what seemed to be out of sadness rather than fear.
"And Miyuki, you will become the most amazing Empress...I'm sure of it." I told her confidently, telling her something I knew for a while now. Looking over towards Sukuna, I saw that he had a unreadable expression.
"Let's go home." I whispered, leaning into his side, as he pulled me in close and covering my eyes. But before warping us back to the temple, he made sure to give those sat in the room a last deathly glare to make them all shiver in their seats. Then within the next second we were standing outisde the temple.
Once he uncovered my eyes and I realised we were no longer in my family's presence, I collapsed in Sukuna's arms. Tears freely poured down my face and whimpers flowed freely from my mouth. I was no longer supressing my sadness and finally after years of holding it in, I cried it out. Sukuna let me sob in his arms, staying silent for the entirety of the time. After all, he was never good with words. But he didn't need to say anything. I knew he cared. He proved that to me today.
So right now, I just want to cry in his embrace in silence.
And somehow, he knew that too...
(A.N ~ What do you think? Comment your feelings and thoughts! It keeps me motivated to know what you guys are thinking! ♡)