You're lying on your bed, staring up at your ceiling, still seething with anger. Fushiguro had gone out of his way to destroy that tree. Did he do that purposefully to torment you? Maybe not. He hadn't even seen you or Itadori eating from it, so he couldn't have known. You have three cursed fruits left tucked away in your dresser. Three more days' supply of cursed life energy that Ryomen apparently needed. Then what would happen when you run out? Ryomen had hinted that it would be more than an inconvenience for you. It gave you even more to worry about on top of your other concerns...Like Inumaki.
Why had you thrown yourself at him like that? In the heat of the moment you had been blinded by your anger at Fushiguro assigning the cursed speech user as your chaperone to 'keep you out of trouble.' Then you had gone looking for trouble on purpose. To prove what exactly? That Fushiguro wasn't in control of you? And yet here you are hiding in your room away from him and everyone else enjoying their stupid bonfire. Itadori had knocked on your door earlier to invite you, but you'd ignored him, covering your head with a pillow until he left. That also wrecked you with guilt.
"What's your deal?" Ryomen asks with no real malice in his voice.
"Your energy is all over the place..."
"I...I don't know," your voice is low, barely audible.
"I just feel like I have no control here. Everyone else deciding what happens for me reminds me of being back home. I hate it."
"You've been on your own for a long time. I've noticed you don't feel comfortable around most people." you can sense him theoretically thumbing through your memories again.
"What if coming here was a mistake? I never do well in these kinds of social settings. I don't know why I thought this school could be any different," you sulk.
"Humans are fucking terrible, " he laughs, "You've said that before too. Why do you keep expecting that to change for some reason?"
You huff with exasperation, "I know. But that still means I'm the asshole for being hopeful. As usual."
There's a surge or warmth as Ryomen's energy pools inside you, "You are just wasting all of this lovely cursed energy you've manifested. Let's do something with it, my pet."
The room around you grows dark, and there's the familiar sensation of falling as he pulls you into his innate domain. Your descent slows and your feet touch the floor gently. Ryomen steps out of the shadows into view, draped in his magnificent white kimono. Maybe it's because he hasn't summoned you here in a few days, but seeing him in person fills you with an overwhelming desire to throw your arms around him. So you do.
He utters a slight oof as you grab onto him, but tolerates your outburst patiently. You feel the gentle scrape of his claws on your back through the fabric of your uniform. When you bury your face into the folds of white silk, a shuddering breath escapes your lips. You inhale in his familiar scent of wood smoke and find comfort, humming contentedly as you sigh.
He brings his face closer to yours, nuzzling his mouth beside your ear,
"Miss me?"
Your whole being vibrates with the resonance of his words. With barely the coherence to reply, you can only nod.
"You've been working hard, and doing so good. Do you know how proud I am of you?" He whispers in that same soft but deep voice.
"You deserve to be rewarded for obtaining another portion of my soul. Not to mention developing your cursed abilities so quickly. What a good little sorcerer you are..." As he speaks his grip around your back tightens, pinning your body flush against his.
Your knees buckle as you squirm in his arms, but he's already lifting you off the ground
"You're so good," he pants against your neck as one of his hands reaches beneath your skirt. The pinpricks of his nails pinch into you as he squeezes your ass
"And so fucking cute in your little sorcerer uniform, do you know that? I could just eat you up." He guides your legs to wrap around his waist, then lies you down on the cold floor.
You dare to look to at him as he positions himself over your body, unprepared for the sight of all of his glowing hungry eyes penetrating right back into yours. He settles over you on his knees, bending so low that he's nearly whispering into your open mouth.
"You're overflowing with cursed energy, and the way your scent is intermingling with it...You're so irresistible right now to me, my little lamb."
His claws work to open the buttons of your uniform, desperately seeking your flesh. The sudden warmth of his palms groping and squeezing you pulls an agonizingly long moan from your throat. You're aware of your skirt being hiked up higher, exposing your bare thighs. Ryomen drags his nails along your naked skin, scoring you with thin red stripes. He huffs against your ear again, his second hand pinching one of your nipples cruelly.
"Scream for me," he demands, painfully clenching your thigh in his fist. His claws bite into you.
"Aah!" A pitiful whimper escapes you as you spasm with shock. It doesn't exactly hurt, but there is a viciousness behind it that startles you. The strength with which he grabs you, the way he was baring his teeth inches from your face. His eyes were squinted in the barest hint that he could have been smiling, but his features are fearsome.
"Louder! Come now, I want to hear how a sorcerer cries," he teases with an evil smile twisting his lips. Your voice pitches even higher when his teeth sink into your neck.
"Ah! Fuck!" you squeak, trying to squirm out of his grip and away from the shocking pain. His fingers find their way beneath your skirt. He rips your underwear off impatiently, eager to touch you.
"You're not going anywhere...Until you scream for me..." he commands, speaking through his clenched teeth. Your vision swims as the sensations begin to overwhelm you. He forces you between the excruciating pain of his fangs bearing into your neck and the electrical jolt of pleasure between your legs as he rubs and squeezes you with brutal vigor.
"P-please!" your thighs lock his hand in place as you writhe in sweet agony. "It hurts!" You dare to reach up where he's biting, attempting with futility to push his mouth away. He clamps down again with a dark chuckle, finding amusement in your panic and circling two fingers at your entrance. Then he presses them firmly inside you.
This time your sounds are ragged and frantic. "S-sukunaaa!" you can't help but roll your hips to meet his plunging fingers.
After a moment the pain eases when his jaw slacks, releasing you at last. The sight of your blood in the corners of his mouth makes your heart pound even harder. He kisses you, forcing the taste onto your tongue. When he pulls back, he bares his fangs again, all eyes on you.
"Ryomen..." you begin, but his hand slides over your lips slowly.
"Shhhhhh..." he chides to you.
His second mouth opens in his palm, demanding entrance. The warmth of his tongue sways you, and the way his chest slides down your body feels so promising.
"Let me taste that sweet fear, little lamb. Stay just like that..."
He lowers his face between your thighs and his tongue plunges into you.
"Mmm!" His second mouth swallows your cries of pleasure.
His tongues forcing into you at opposite ends leave you panting heavily through your nose. Your eyes roll back and you surrender your body to the demon devouring you. Your whimpering sighs goad him into a rhythmic motion. He roughly pulls your hips down to meet his tongue stretching impossibly deep into you. With his free hand, he slips two fingers inside again along with his tongue. He pries you open.
You absently stroke through his hair, unable to form any words. Your eyes refuse to focus and the only sound besides your own stifled cries of pleasure is the wet lapping of Ryomen's tongue. It feels like an eternity before he comes up, gasping and groaning in a sadistic voice. He removes his hand from your mouth, and you try to meet his gaze despite the room still seemingly spinning. He raises himself on his knees over your body, taking your face into his hands. His thumbs tug your chin, forcing you to open, then he spits inside. Your eyes widen and you lay stunned with the mixture of juices on your tongue.
"Have you ever tasted anything sweeter?" he hums darkly with both hands lightly gripping around your throat. Ryomen's eyes maintain their hellish glow, his facial markings are tinged with the same rising energy, pulsing with his eagerness.
"...I.." you don't know how to respond to him, but he does seem to want an answer.
He dips his head, kissing you slowly and gripping his hands around your neck tighter. You marvel at the velvety smoothness of his tongue massaging against yours. A taste that had been faint now overwhelms you. It was sweet but also had the tang of metal behind it.
"What...what is that?" you ask when he pulls away.
"Your sweet cursed energy, and I'll gladly take from any source that's succulent as yours..."
"Like the fruit?" you press, still trying to figure out how this change he was displaying could have come from you. His body now throbbed with a radiant swirling cascade of flaming energy.
"Both are like a food source for me. The suffering of another soul nourished into a physical cursed fruit contains traces of the original energy. Then there's you. Your own sweet suffering stirs your cursed energy constantly, but without being used for an active technique, it's just left within you." He licks his lips pointedly.
"And I'll happily lap every drop out of you, little peach. For both our benefit."
His markings slowly fade back to the familiar jet black. As he had said, your energy must now be gathering in his stomach. Your heart is still pounding. Essentially, you've just watched your lover consume and eat a part of you. The jury is still out on how you feel about this. But another question sits too heavily for you to ignore now.
"Ryomen? Earlier...When Inumaki and I were...uh, when we were-"
"Fucking?" Ryomen fills in for you while you stutter. "Are you referring to when that cursed speech user was stirring your guts around with his dick?" he laughs, rolling onto his side.
"Ah, yes that." Jeez, he was tactless.
"Could you, you know, feel the same things as me?" you ask finally, your cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Yes, indeed. That one's ability is quite impressive. Especially utilized in a sexual manner, fuck."
"So does that mean you enjoyed yourself as well?" you venture cautiously.
"As much as you did, my pet. Why are you asking?" He grips your chin between his fingers to command your gaze to meet his.
"It didn't bother you that I slept with someone else?" It hurts to ask, but you have to know the answer. He arches a brow at you with frustration.
"No. Again. Your human interactions do not hold any interest for me," he sounds exasperated at repeating himself. "I'm capable of more than any jujutsu sorcerer could hope to accomplish in every facet, be it combat or copulation," he boasts, giving your chin a small shake.
"Just wanted to make sure...Your feelings matter to me, you know."
"What's that?" he tilts his eyes down at you, giving you a studying stare from between his dark lashes.
"I said your feelings matter to me, Ryomen," you repeat. He looks confused for a moment, then uncomfortable. He releases his hold on your face, nose wrinkling as he scowls, "I think you've been overdrained of your energy, you're still loopy. You're good to go now. Go get some rest."
He folds his arms and whirls away from you, the echoing sound of his fingers snapping signal the closing of his domain.
The atmosphere of your dorm reappearing around you so quickly leaves you reeling. You lie sprawled on the floor, groggy from the rapid transition. Sitting up and shaking your head to steady yourself, you can't help feeling a bit stung. Why did Ryomen shove you out like that? He'd never been so hasty with his goodbyes before. Especially after being intimate.
"Ryomen?" you ask with no response. The room feels even more empty than before.
You want to investigate Ryomen's odd behavior, but there's a tentative knock at your door, pulling you from your thoughts. You're tempted to ignore the visitor at first, perhaps feigning to be asleep, but then a soft voice whispers from the other side.
"Kelp..."
Inumaki senpai.
You feel that you owe it to him to open the door now, at least to apologize for earlier. With a lump forming in your throat, you open the door.
"Tuna!" Inumaki chirps, offering a friendly wave.
Instead of his high-collared school uniform jacket, he had changed into a dark blue v-neck with long sleeves. He offers a smile. He doesn't seem like he's bothered by what happened between the two of you earlier. Nonetheless, your guilt flops your stomach over.
"Um, hi there...Come on in?" but he's already making himself comfortable, sitting upon the edge of your bed.
"I'm glad you came by. I wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier..." you begin.
"Salmon?" he inquires obscurely.
God, how you wish you could understand him better. You sit beside him, awkwardly clasping your hands together between your knees.
"I want to start off with apologizing to you. For...you know? I think I was acting out because I let people, uh, I mean this place frustrate me."
"Bonito flakes..."
"I'm used to being in control of almost everything in my life since I've been on my own for so long. But that's no excuse for me throwing myself onto a stranger like I did. So can you forgive me for that?" You venture a glance up at him. He doesn't look bothered. Mostly...concerned.
"Tuna." he says finally, but his face is still a blank slate.
Right, it was impossible to know what his words meant, but he didn't sound upset. If he wasn't, then why else would he be here?
"Ummm...I'm sorry, there was probably something you wanted to say too, right?" You awkwardly sputter, wanting to give him a chance to speak.
"Salmon," Inumaki reaches into his pocket and pulls out a blue cardboard package. He hands it to you. Upon inspection, you see that they're condoms.
"Oh..." now your face flushes with heat. Did this mean...he was interested in you? It was way more than a subtle hint. Or was he just giving them to you for your own use? You did feel bad for having not used one with him the first time.
"Tuna and mayo," he whispers, brushing a strand of your hair from your face.
You don't understand his words, but his gentle caress and the way he's looking at you is sending a clear message. It seems that everything is alright between the two of you, and by the nature of his gift, it's safe to say he wants to pursue at least a physical relationship with you. Though you're not sure if you're ready for that now. Not with so much still up in the air about your new life. Still, you allow his touch to soothe your worries, leaning into his hand until he cups your cheek. The corner of his mouth twists into a smirk.
"Salmon," he stands to leave, but extends his hand back to you while gripping the doorknob. The simple gesture said, "Come with me."
Well, why not?
.
.
The sun had already set, and the scent of a summer bonfire's smoke hung heavily in the air. The sweetness of the aroma made you think of Ryomen and a bitter twinge prickles in your chest. He's remained silent since shutting his domain on you.
Inumaki leads the way around the garden to the open field where the other students are gathered. You're able to pick out Fushiguro and Itadori standing together in the dim lighting. You see Nobara is next to a girl with a long ponytail, both facing away from you . As you approach, the last snippets of their conversation are barely audible throught the crackling of the now smoldering fire.
"And he said he would have killed them too. He looked right into their eyes and said that. Then they went head to head, like it was nothing. Like kids throwing blows in the schoolyard."
"Shit, and they're okay? After fighting a high level like that on their first mission?" the other girl asked.
"Kelp," Inumaki announces, making both of the girls turn around finally.
Nobara extends her arms in your direction, not so much as a "let me hug you" so much as "there, what did I tell you?"
"Huh, very impressive," the girl with the ponytail says, though she doesn't look impressed.
"So you're our newest first year student. Welcome. I'm Maki Zenin, second year. Just call me Maki."
You introduce yourself with a polite bow that makes Maki snort derisively.
"No need for the formalities. Life's a bit short for all that."
"Sorry. It's good to finally meet the rest of the students." You eye a giant panda that's flopped onto it's back and lazily eating mouthful after mouthful of bamboo leaves.
"Whoa..."
"That's Panda." Maki jerks her thumb towards where you're staring.
"And you know Inumaki apparently. Which means you've now met everyone here. Don't take it too personal that we didn't rush to meet you right away either. Sometimes new students have a way of dying quickly so it doesn't make much sense to get close before we know you've got what it takes to stick around for a while."
"That's a super harsh vibe," you murmur.
"Ha, yeah, that would be my fault they made that rule." Itadori sheepishly kicks at the ground with an embarrassed smile plastering his face.
"Remember I told you that I didn't survive a mission? Try not to die, seriously. We don't know if Sukuna would bring you back like he did to me."
You wonder briefly about that too.
You notice that from over Itadori's shoulder, Fushiguro is watching you carefully. He saw you walking up with Inumaki too, and had casually made sure to be the farthest one away from you. So he was still avoiding you. Fine.
"I'm glad you decided to come out with us," Yuji continues.
"I wasn't sure that Inumaki was going to be any better at convincing you to come out of your room than I was, but..." he trails off, but gives you a very warm smile,
"I'm just glad you're here."
"Oh, yeah...We got sorta close today, I guess?" A bright blush rises to your cheeks, impossible to surpress.
"Well...That's great," Itadori glances over at Toge, who was now trying to roll a very sleepy Panda father away from the embers.
"Inumaki senpai is kinda hard to read, but he's strong and really dependable. It's cool if you like him," his adds quietly.
You swallow hard, feeling so awkward talking like this with Itadori.
"But...what about..." you start, but he cuts you off with a gesture of his hand.
"The way things are here... We never know if we're coming home from these missions. Everything is uncertain for all of us. So if we feel like we need to seek comfort with each other in the meanwhile, we don't pass judgement for it."
Well, that certainly explained why he didn't seem jealous or even surprised. Did that mean the other students were already... Well, obviously, they must be.
The memory of you pressing Fushiguro to the floor to kiss him comes back to you. Although your motives were on obtaining Sukuna's finger at the time, Megumi had closed his eyes and allowed you to touch him without resistance. Was that because of this unspoken rule? He might have confused your actions and thought you were "seeking his comfort" from the events of your mission possibly.
Jujutsu Tech is definitely not what you were expecting. From within your mind, you can feel a rush of sudden excitement growing.
"Huh, this place just got alot more interesting..." Ryomen comments, breaking his silence.
.
.
.