Chapter Text
The first time you laid eyes on Sukuna, something snapped inside of you.
You had only known Yuuji Itadori for a couple of weeks, after meeting him in your Intro to Chem class, but the two of you had become fast friends. Yuuji loved making jokes about the “chemistry” you had together, and you couldn’t help but smile each time - even as you rolled your eyes.
“God, you’re such a dork,” you’d tell him.
Yuuji’s smile would widen as he replied to you.
“Yeah, my brother says that all the time, too - but I think you both secretly like my puns.”
You knew that Yuuji’s brother Sukuna went to the same university that you did, and that he was even part of the fraternity Yuuji was in. And yet, you had never met him in person. Even when Yuuji brought you over to the frat house to introduce you to his friends, Sukuna was nowhere to be found.
“He disappears a lot,” Yuuji shrugged when you’d asked him about it later. “Sukuna’s kind of a weirdo, but you’ll meet him eventually.”
You were curious. Yuuji and Sukuna were identical twins, but from what Yuuji and his friends had told you, it seemed like the Itadori brothers were from different planets. Yuuji called Sukuna his evil twin sometimes, which you had always assumed was a joke. But, after meeting Sukuna for the first time, you weren’t so sure about that.
☙
It was a normal afternoon. You were hanging out at Yuuji’s house instead of studying for the exam you had tomorrow in Classic Lit. Some of the other frat members were there, and you had just settled into the living room to watch a movie, when suddenly the door to the kitchen slammed open.
“Fucking brat, did you hide my goddamn keys again?”
The voice that ripped through the small room was one that you hadn’t heard before. It was rough and deep, yet somehow vaguely familiar. But it certainly didn’t belong to anyone you’d met.
You looked across the couch to see Yuuji’s friend, Megumi, rolling his eyes so far back into his head that he had to close them. In fact, you weren’t entirely sure that he hadn’t just chosen to fall asleep to avoid the situation. Yuuji was already up out of his seat, a pair of keys jingling as he took them out of his pocket. He was smiling as always, totally unfazed by the intrusion.
“Yup, I did,” said Yuuji. “But only cause I wanted to see you before you ran off. And I wanted you to meet my new friend.”
Yuuji gestured down at you, and you turned around to finally take a look at whoever it was that had barged in on you.
The breath seemed to leave your lungs as you looked up at him - this was undoubtedly Sukuna.
Standing before you was a tall, muscular man with a scowl creasing deeply across his face. He glared down at you with dark eyes that almost seemed to glow red as the TV reflected off of them. He looked exactly like Yuuji - same hair, same build, same face. The only immediately obvious differences were the solid, black tattoos that wrapped around Sukuna’s arms and neck. Beneath the collar of his shirt, you could see that they extended onto his chest as well.
“Um, hi.” You gazed up at Sukuna, who seemed to exude power and bad energy as he glowered back at you. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m-”
“What the fuck is this, Yuuji?” Sukuna cut in. “I don’t want to meet your damn girlfriend. Just give me my fucking keys!”
“Alright, alright.”
Yuuji handed the keyring over, and Sukuna snatched it with another scowl. He turned to leave, then spun back around to stare down at you. Your stomach did a flip as his eyes pierced through you, flicking up and down up and down as if he were judging something. He studied you for only a second, but it felt like you were under his gaze for much longer. His eyes finally met yours as he opened his mouth to speak.
“Word of advice? My brother is a fucking loser. Don’t waste your fucking time with him. And don’t leave your keys where he can get to them.”
And with that, Sukuna stormed out of the house, slamming every door behind him.
“Hmm.” Yuuji sighed as he plopped back onto the couch. “I think that went pretty well.”
☙
After that first encounter, you started to see Sukuna around more often. Sometimes he would be outside when you came over, working on an obscenely red motorcycle in the driveway. Apparently the one that Yuuji had a habit of hiding the keys to. Usually, though, he just sulked in a corner - never directly talking to you, and rarely interacting with anyone who wasn’t Yuuji. Or maybe it was just that the rest of the group tended to purposefully avoid him. Sukuna was intimidating, but at least he was never as angry as he had been that first day.
That didn't mean he was nice, however. Sukuna seemed to be the embodiment of a bad attitude. He teased Yuuji relentlessly - mostly about you. It made your face heat up every time Sukuna would sneer and ask how Yuuji had managed to trick a girl into liking him. You definitely weren't his girlfriend… although part of you did like to wonder if you and Yuuji could ever be more than friends. And while you knew Sukuna was just trying to get a rise out of his brother, it was embarrassing to have those private thoughts and fantasies thrust back in your face as mockery.
Yuuji, for his own part, took it all in stride. It was obvious that he had been putting up with Sukuna since birth, and knew exactly how to handle him. Nothing could shake Yuuji’s confidence or his good mood.
Sukuna was an undeniable asshole. And yet, you found yourself drawn to him like a magnet.
You knew it was wrong. You knew you should feel outrage instead of whatever confusing mix of emotions surged through you whenever Sukuna opened his mouth. And you had, at first. The fierce heat that rose to your cheeks had been anger - but quickly it had morphed into something else.
Sukuna’s tongue was sharp, but you couldn't help imagining what that tongue would feel like against yours. Would he force his way past your soft lips, ravishing you in a way you had never experienced before? No one had ever kissed you like that. No one had ever grabbed you roughly. You'd had sex, sure - but never with the kind of vulgar passion that you pictured whenever you thought of fucking Sukuna. Sukuna seemed like the kind of man who would grope you in the middle of a packed bar, or pull you into a scandalously dark alley. The thought of being with someone like him scared you, but it was also exhilarating.
But you couldn't think like that. Sukuna was your friend’s twin brother. It wasn't okay to have these fantasies about him, when Yuuji was the one you should like. And you did like him. Yuuji was kind and compassionate. Someone you could bring home to your parents. Sukuna wasn't worth the time you spent thinking about him. But, controlling your innermost desires was easier said than done.
Sukuna held a power over you, and there was nothing you could do about that.
☙
A few weeks went by, and as midterms finally ended, Yuuji’s frat planned a party to celebrate. Obviously you were invited, and Yuuji made sure to let you know that Sukuna would be there as well.
“I know you've got a crush on him,” Yuuji laughed as he poked you. “I've seen the way you get all flustered when he walks in.”
“Yuuji!”
It was bad enough that Sukuna constantly made fun of your relationship with Yuuji. The last thing you needed on top of that was for Yuuji to start teasing you about Sukuna.
“What?! It's not a bad thing.” Yuuji raised his eyebrows as he gave you a conspiratorial smirk. “To be clear, I'm not telling you to get involved with him. Sukuna breaks hearts like I tear up my math homework… but, a harmless crush never hurt anyone.”
Yuuji’s words nagged at you all week. You wished you could be less obvious. You prayed that Sukuna hadn't noticed. As things stood now, Sukuna seemed to think of you as more of a prop to bully Yuuji with than as an actual human being - and that was probably for the best. If he were to realize that you had a pitiful, misguided crush on him... well, if that happened, then you weren't so sure that Yuuji’s words about a crush never hurting anyone would be true.
As the night of the party approached, you tried to push those thoughts to the back of your head. You told yourself that, more than likely, Sukuna wouldn't even show up. He didn't seem like the kind of person who would enjoy parties anyway. He'd probably think the whole thing was stupid, if he even spared a second to think about it. You were sure he wouldn't go. You could relax and enjoy yourself - maybe even try to make a move on Yuuji if the timing seemed right.
Your logical mind was still trying to convince the rest of you to pursue Yuuji; to go with the safest option. As if dating Yuuji would be simple and uncomplicated by the fact that his bad boy twin brother had you crossing your legs every time he so much as glanced in your direction. Maybe you should give up on both of them.
You sighed as you glanced at the clothes that were lying out on your bed. The thought that you should probably just skip going entirely crossed your mind. The party was in a couple of hours, but it wasn't like you would be missed.
Except that wasn't true. Yuuji would notice if you failed to show up. And regardless of your complicated feelings for him or Sukuna, did you really want to be a bad friend? No, you decided. You would put all of that aside for Yuuji. He had already put up with so much crap from Sukuna. And with you having your silly little schoolgirl crush on the person who teased and berated him. The least you could do for your friend was to show up when he invited you to a party.
You, somewhat reluctantly, put on your outfit - a short black skirt and your most flattering top. It was nothing fancy, but you thought you looked good. Maybe you really would get Yuuji to fall for you tonight. If Yuuji made a move on you, you could finally take your mind off his twin brother. You could quiet the guilt that swirled in your head.
Well, you could dream of it anyway. Lord knows you dreamed enough about Sukuna’s hands slipping between your thighs…
You stopped yourself. You had to quit thinking about that. Flustered by your own inability to keep Sukuna out of your head for two seconds, you grabbed your phone and locked your dorm room behind you.
You had made up your mind. You were going after Yuuji tonight.
☙
“Heyyyyyy! Glad you could make it!”
Yuuji’s voice was barely louder than the noise that filled the room. The music seemed to wrap around your body physically; you could feel the thrum of the bass in your chest. The house was packed, with people crowding into the kitchen for drinks, sprawling out on chairs and couches as the alcohol coursed through their systems, and more than a few rowdy couples were practically having sex on the sweltering dancefloor. The atmosphere was overwhelming.
“Course I did!” you shouted back.
Your voice felt too small in the cramped room. Yuuji smiled at you, though you weren't sure if he had heard a word you’d said. You couldn't imagine how he could, despite standing right next to you.
“Sukuna’s probably around here somewhere,” Yuuji told you.
He raised his eyebrows, and gave you a knowing look. You groaned as you pushed him away, playfully putting a hand on his chest in a way that you hoped was at least a bit seductive. You weren't the flirtiest person, but you tried to swallow your awkwardness.
“I'm not here for Sukuna,” you responded, leaning a bit closer so that no one would overhear you. “I'm here for you.”
You looked up to see Yuuji smiling again. He was almost beaming down at you, but you couldn't read the meaning behind his expression. Was he happy you had come for him, or giving you a “yeah, sure” look that said you both knew why you'd really come?
You tried to tell yourself it was for Yuuji. Of course, you'd come for Yuuji - your friend and maybe more. You leaned a little closer to him, pressing the side of your body against his left arm.
“Hey, can I get you something to drink?” Yuuji asked.
The music had softened, just slightly, but enough so that you didn't have to strain to hear him. Colored lights bounced around the darkened room as you and Yuuji stood together.
“That would be great. Could you get me a rum and coke?”
“Coming right up!”
Yuuji gave you a smile and a thumbs up as he disappeared into the crowd, heading toward the tangled web of bodies that surrounded the small kitchen.
You looked around. You didn't recognize many people here, but you could pick out a few members of Yuuji’s frat. Megumi was getting his ear talked off by a girl who you thought looked somewhat familiar. You debated going over to say hi, but didn't want to lose Yuuji if he came back with your drink.
Staying planted to your spot for another several minutes, you surveyed the room a bit more. No sign of Sukuna.
No! For the thousandth time. Why were you thinking about him? You had to get him out of your head - even if doing that was easier said than done. You looked around impatiently for Yuuji.
Maybe you would go see what was taking him so long. He was probably letting the whole party cut in front of him. Or maybe he had gotten sucked into playing host, trying to stop people from jumping on top of the kitchen table or something.
Carefully, you pushed your way through the crowd. The music had picked up again, and it was slamming into your ears. Disoriented, you apologized as you squeezed past a group of people engaged in a very animated discussion. Where was Yuuji?
And then you saw him.
Yuuji was standing close to a wall, clearly engaged in conversation with someone. And he was smiling. Not the wide, goofy smile he seemed to wear around you, but a softer, loving smile. You didn't know the girl he was talking to. Some stranger; some random person he had never even told you about. The girl laughed, and blushed. Covered her face with one hand while using the other to push Yuuji away, just like you had done earlier.
Well, maybe she was just a friend. Yuuji must have other close friends, you told yourself.
That illusion was shattered as Yuuji leaned down to look at the girl, playfully brushing her hand away. Their lips inched closer and closer, until they were finally locked in a kiss. Yuuji’s eyes fluttered closed as the girl pressed her body against his. You watched in disbelief as he stood there, kissing some other girl with your drink in his hand.
Your head was spinning.
Who was this girl? Why had Yuuji never told you about her? The two of you spent so much time together - how could you not know that he had a girlfriend? You focused long enough to look back over at them. The girl was blushing again as Yuuji traced a soft thumb along her cheek. The way they looked into each others’ eyes made you sick. You couldn’t hang around to see any more.
You turned and rushed off as they started to lean into each other again.