Chapter Text
"I think I will love you forever, Yuji Itadori."
"Wha? Really? Are you going to love me forever? What about in, like…10 years??"
"Mmm, things can happen. But I'll always love you first,"
Yuji smiled his big puppy smile and pulled his girlfriend closer to him. He was going to love her for the rest of his life.
———
"Good work Miss Crow! Amazing job, keep up the good work. I'll send you your score and schedule soon!"
After her dance instructor left the room, Charlie sighed and stretched to her feet. She couldn't get any of her thoughts to focus; luckily, it didn't affect her performance during rehearsal.
Charlie lifted herself off the dance floor and went to pack her pointe shoes in her bag. She stared at herself in the wide mirror before leaving.
Her bun was still holding perfectly, but sweat lined her brow and lip. She frowned as she could feel bruises form on her feet just as the previous bruises were healing.
As much as she loved her art and the pain that came with it, she couldn't help but think about all the complications that had arisen since she'd been dancing without toe pads for two days. She'd make a note to herself to grab some new ones soon and set up an appointment with her chiropractor.
Don't get her wrong; Charlie loved being a dancer. Dancing was her entire life; even through the pain, she enjoyed performing for others. She didn't win every national for nothing, she wasn't sure where she was headed, but Charlie made it her entire life.
Despite what others may think, she never 'pushed through pain' the way they made it seem. She had regimens and kept up with her doctors. She also had the grip strength of a bodybuilder and was taller than most dancers in the class. She'd rather not risk a single thing regarding her legs.
Walking out into the cold street, she stretched her arms above her head and sighed.
"Oh yeah, that feels nice," she mumbled to herself. It didn't take long for her now overheating body to get ice cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and bolted down the sidewalk to call home.
She reached her condo without hiccups and shook off her jacket before opening the door.
She was greeted by her two-year-old dog, a Doberman that came up to her hip with pointed ears and a bright pink rhinestone collar.
"Down, girl, you're so excited to see mama? And I bet you want a treat too? Good girl, princess tutu," Did Nobara take you out?" The brown dog jumped onto her and left sloppy wet kisses all over her face.
"Jesus, here treat. Nobara! I'm home. You here!?" She called out while tossing a chewable bone at Princess Tutu and watching her bound off.
She threw all of her things into her room and scrunched her nose.
"Ah, Makis here," she said as she saw an extra pair of shoes on the rack.
She didn't mind when Nobara had her girlfriend over; she only hoped she got there hours after Maki did.
Charlie and Nobara had been friends for years; they were each other's first roommates and, so far, didn't see the need to change anything.
Their condo was pretty spacey; Nobara was the one who decorated 90% of the place and was obsessed with having a cute interior design.
"And I'm alive!" Nobara suddenly shouted and slammed her door open.
"I would hope so. Is Maki alive? I don't want to call an ambulance again,"
"Ugh, that was one time!" Maki shouted from Nobara's room and followed her out seconds later. She didn't usually have to call an ambulance, but the one time she did it was because Nobara almost broke Maki's neck.
"Charlie! What are you doing tonight? I hope it's nothing because you're coming with Maki and me to a cage fight. And don't use the rehearsal excuse. I know your schedule," Charlie cringed at the demand and turned around slowly to face the woman.
"Do I…have to? Also, a cage fight? Isn't that illegal?"
"Maybe, but yes. You haven't left to go party or do anything for the last month, and we got free open passes. Please, please, please?" As Nobara got on her knees to beg, Maki smirked and made herself a cup of tea.
"Maki, please get your girlfriend,"
"Are you coming with us?"
Charlie groaned and leaned on the counter.
"Fine, but you can't ditch me to fuck in a bathroom like last time."
Nobara visibly looked offended, "that also was a one-time thing,"
"No, it wasn't; remember we went to that party, and you left me with Junpei? We almost pissed our pants trying to find you. We thought you both died or something,"
Nobara walked off, mumbling something to herself while Maki sat stoically drinking her tea.
"How are rehearsals going?" Maki asked,
"They're good; I'll get you and Nobara some tickets for the performance."
"Cool, anyone else coming?"
"Nah, Megumi is out of town for a while, and the others have plans,"
"Mhm, and what about that one guy?" Charlie raised a brow. A guy. A guy…she had no idea who she was talking about.
"Uh…no? Which guy?"
"Oh, the one with…you weren't dating him?"
"No, I haven't dated anyone. I'm just not ready. When I am, I'll let you know," Charlie tried to laugh it off, but she got a one-eyed glare from Maki.
"Charlie."
"Mm?"
"It's been eight years. You keep saying that," Charlie's smile wavered, but she clenched her fist behind her.
"What about that girl I set you up with? What happened there?"
"She wasn't right for me. I told you we never went past a date night,"
"Okay, and what about-"
"Maki. Maki, I love you, but I'm not ready to date. I just haven't found someone-"
"Like him?"
As much as Charlie wanted to return with something mean or snarky, she couldn't.
"What if I just…what if I didn't want to date anyone? I don't need to date. I can live a single happy life with princess tutu. Okay?"
Maki let out a sigh and looked at her with a softness. She knew it wasn't pity, but knowing where she was coming from still hurt.
"There's nothing wrong with living a single happy life. But if your fear keeps you from making connections, then it might be a problem. I understand…I understand that things scar,"
Charlie raised her eyes and sighed. Maki was right, and she hated that she was. Especially about the idea of scars. Maki and Nobara held physical scars that went deeper than her emotional scars.
"I didn't mean-"Charlie chewed down on her lip. She kept forgetting that it wasn't just one person who got hurt. Nobara and Maki were not hurt, but Maki had the worst scarring between them. But they both had lost eyes.
"No, it's okay. Everyone was fucked up that day, huh? But I think it's funny that Nobara has the left eye and I don't have my right one,"
Charlie laughed at that and sighed.
"Okay, I'll come out with you guys. Just don't leave me alone; you know how I can get lost,"
Maki went off to get ready the same as Nobara did. Charlie stayed in the kitchen a little longer and wandered into her bathroom. She decided to lighten the makeup and wore something a little form-fitting. Her go-to was a long sleeve crop top with ripped skinny jeans.
"Oh god, I look like someone off of Tumblr," she mumbled and hunched her back.
"Princess tutu! Do I look like a Tumblr girl!" Her dog came rushing in and sat down at her feet.
"Okay! Thought so, good." She let down her hair and split it into two parts in an up-down style.
She twisted the blonde parts of her hair through the bottom and stood back to get a full view of herself.
She smiled lightly and grabbed her bag, only to walk out with Nobara and Maki eating each other's faces.
"You know, I might just stay home; why are we going to a cage fight again?"
Maki pulled away from Nobara and sighed. "Support! We have a friend who fights sometimes. There are lots of sexy men covered in blood and lots of sexy sign girls."
"I don't know how you think I might find that sexy, but okay" she grabbed her jacket and slipped it on; the other two women left first while she stayed and said goodbye to princess tutu.
—-
The travel to the fight was close, but it took many twists and turns to get there. One of those 'women get in free' deals was going on, so they could slip in easily. When they did, the stench of blood, alcohol, and sweat wafted through the air.
It was way hotter than Charlie imagined, and she had to shed her coat early. The stench burned her nose hairs, and she could see above most of everyone's heads. Many of them jumped and shouted towards a caged ring. It reminded her of that one scene in an X-men movie she had watched.
Before she knew it, Maki and Nobara had drifted off into the crowd. And there was no chance she could see them now with everyone jumping and shouting.
"You fuckers, I'm gonna kill both of them," she growled and gripped her jacket.
She loved the two, but for the love of god, they needed to stop ditching. She crossed her arms, trying to get through the crowd; a bunch of people pressed against her, and she could feel her sensory load grow. With a groan, she found herself up against the front of the cage.
Now she had a front-row seat.
———
"You know I got you fucking good; you want me to fight Jogo? I'll give it a go. No fuck ups, got it?" Sukuna wrapped his hands with hand wraps looking at his corner man.
"Of course, you know I got your back. This Jogo passed up all the undercards. He was guaranteed 1K every time he won a match but wanted to go up against you. Fucker got cocky; now, if he wins against you, it's 50k. But if you win? Whew, he's got it coming" Sukunas corner man, Aiko, smirked and raised his hands.
"Mmm," Sukuna brushed a hand through his hair, a devious smile plastered on his lips.
"Alright, let's get me out there," he finished his wraps and made his way to the opening.
Sukuna Ryomen, the undefeated King of curses, had been fighting most of his life. He found that he loved making people bleed, then when he escaped his parent's house, he got himself in the rings and earned his name in record time.
His tattoos lined most of his body and face; his hands were almost permanently stained red from blood. He cracked his neck, hearing the announcer call the other opponent into the cage.
"And his opponent l? The brawler, the mauler, the man who's so fast it's like he's got four arms? The King of Curses Sukuna Ryomen!”
Sukuna stepped out into the caged canvas and raised his arms. The mat was cold to the touch, and the air was mean to him. That stench of blood, sweat, tears and piss comforted him. It told him that wherever the fuck he was—was dirty. And he could fight dirty.
When walking out into the ring, his first glance at this Jogo character made him release laugh.
"Look at you, a real shortie, aren't you? Need ya boyfriend to come out and fight for you? It's almost funny how you think you can come against me," Sukuna always found something from his challengers to make fun of. He found it entertaining. As much as he loved delivering life destroying blows, he also loved to talk down on all of his opponents.
"You're weak," he stated right before the match bell rang. He watched as the short man vibrated. He smirked and held up his fist, beckoning the man to take a shot at him first.
When Sukuna was in the ring, everything fell silent. He only saw his opponent's movements, every step they took, and each breath they gave. He could tell their moves before deciding what they wanted to do.
His favorite thing when striking the other was the feel of their bones cracking beneath the surface of their body. With this particular person, he barely had to break a sweat with how much the other was moving.
He had speed but didn't know how to use it, and his punches were weak. Without a second breath, Sukuna pulled his fist back as Jogo ran towards him. His fist raised high underneath Jogo's jaw in an uppercut.
His body hit the mat with a hard thump shaking the cage. Sukuna's arms were raised in the air with a yell. As he paced the edge of the cell, his eyes scanned the crowd, and for a moment, he stopped. Per usual, he watched everyone shout his stage name and jump in his honor.
In the crowd, he spotted a tall woman. Her skin was dark, but her eyes were a kind of crimson red that shook his spine. Her hair was a mix of blonde and black that reached right above her hips. She wasn't smiling, but he could see a tiny gap between her teeth that made her lips look more defined.
They locked eyes for a moment, and he couldn't stop himself from smirking. She looked like a Queen among peasants in the crowd. He wanted to change her stern look and disinterest in the fight.
He pointed at her with a cocky grin he couldn't shake. He watched her look back and forth and then pointed at herself. He nodded in response, and all she did was roll her eyes.
He kept his eyes on her until he walked off the canvas, ready for the next fight.
"Aiko!" He shouted and watched as Aiko came out with water and more bandages.
"Yeah? What's up? See, I told you that dude wasn't going to get it,"
"Uh-huh, right. Who's the tall one in the crowd? Never seen her before," Sukuna snatched the bottle and downed it as he dropped himself down on a bench.
"Tall one…Uh…you mean the…black one?"
"Yes, dipshit, who else. Who is she."
"I don't know?" Sukuna furrowed his brow and grunted. He glared at the corner man and spat out some of the water.
"Well fucking find out. Please don't talk to me unless you figure it out! "Sukuna shouted, startling the man. He sighed and put the bandages down, and left.
He got ready for the next fight, re-wrapping his hands and hearing his name called again.
This time when he got out there, he spotted her first. She had that same tired look on her face, but when she looked at him, her eyes lit up just a second before she looked stern again.
Indeed, he couldn't focus on the other man in the cage. He was hit with a corkscrew punch that left his chin bleeding and another cross punch that cost him a couple of hits.
This left Sukuna stumbling, the crowd rioting at the hits. Sukuna spits out blood, stretches his arms, and cracks his neck. Like always, he saw red after being hit.
"You got it in for you now," he groaned, tearing his focus off the woman. He came after the challenger with a combination shot and followed up with some body work punches.
Although he's suffered some blows, nothing would stop him. His fist became sore while punching the other body; ignoring it, he clenched his jaw. He never wore a mouth guard, he knew he would never be touched, and it showed.
He spits onto the canvas and catches her eye again. There was the slightest bit of worry across her face, but when he smirked at her, he turned back to his opponent.
Sukuna watched in slow motion as he came after him, and with some swift moves, he beat him with a flash knockdown.
He wasn't sure why, but to see that woman smile at him was something. He leaned into the gate and leaned down till where she was.
"You! What's your name, princess?"
Charlie raised a brow at Sukuna's question and twisted her mouth.
"Who wants to know?" She shouted back at him. He only chuckled and wiped his chin.
"You ain't hear the announcement?"
"Mm…not really; mind giving me your name then?"
"Sukuna. Ryomen Sukuna, princess" he watched her smile, and she shrugged.
"Cool! See you around," Charlie winked and waved goodbye at him. His eyes widened when he realized she was going to leave, and he went straight for the exit of the ring.
"I gotta get her number," Sukuna told himself. He had more fights to win, but there was something he needed to see. He pushed away his cornerman again, grabbing his jacket and racing out of the area to find her. He walked out into the cold, and his body, which was running hot, finally calmed.
"Fuck, where…" he turned, and there he found her.
Charlie sat against the wall with her phone in hand. She wasn't doing anything in particular but waiting for Maki and Nobara to show up at some point.
She chuckled to herself about the interaction back inside, but didn’t think too much of it. That was until she saw the same man came up beside her.
Sukuna Ryomen, they said his name was. The first time she saw him shocked her a bit. It almost ended up with her leaving, but there was something she wanted to see.
She was shocked by how familiar he looked, but once she got a look at him, she calmed down. He had that soft shade of pink hair combined with a darker undercut. She thought, of course, it was a pretty exciting hairstyle and pick. So she didn't mind it too much.
Then the tattoos. They were attractive, and she couldn't tell what the meanings were behind them other than they looked hot. She remembered how he moved across the canvas like he was gliding through the air as she would on stage.
His fighting was brutal and aggressive but enchanting as a dance.
"You like being out in the cold?" Charlie glanced to her side, seeing the same man from the match.
"Hm? Oh well… it's okay," she looked down at him. She guessed he was maybe around 5'8, and internally she giggled about it.
"I couldn't help but notice you never told me your name, Princess."
Charlie shrugged, looking him over and seeing as he only had his jacket.
"Don't think I mentioned it. Are you not the one cold?"
"Nah, feels great. I run hot, especially after a match. Now, I have to ask again, your name? Princess," he smirked at the little nickname. Honestly, having it come from his mouth was cute.
"Charlie. Charlie Crow. And that nickname you have for me, you can go ahead and throw that out."
"What? Why? You look like one; bet you sound like one too,"
Charlie couldn't hide the lip bite she gave herself.
"I got more matches; you should watch me some more. Then maybe we could do something after."
She lifted from the wall and walked towards him, maneuvering herself to where his back was against the wall. Her hands found their place beside his head against it in a kabedon.
He wasn't expecting it, but his stature never changed.
"What makes you think I like…men like you? You're short for my taste," She asked, her devious smile creeping against her lips. In all honesty, she was lying. She preferred shorter men and only taunted them to see how they took it.
"Like they always say, size is just a number. I bet I could do some damage if I tried hard enough. Plus, I like tall girls with an ass like yours. I'd do anything,"
She clenched her jaw and leaned back.
"You're one funky fucker, aren't you? I know how important it is to watch a performance, so I'll stay and watch. Just don't let your ego cloud the way, yeah?"
"You got it; win them all just for you," he winked at her, cracking his knuckles and slipping back inside.
"Ew. You're cheesy," she watched as he walked back into the building. Charlie laughed to herself and thought about the idea of just going home, but she wanted to see him fight.
Maybe at the start, she didn't see how hot or sexy the idea of a man covered in blood was. Or the way he smirked while blood spilled from his lip. But when she saw that man give punches out like candy, she couldn't help the shiver that ran down her body.
She slapped her hands to her face and groaned. She was going to watch this man and then see what would happen. That was all.
——
Charlie couldn't remember how many rounds Sukuna went through, but he conquered the canvas like a king each time.
He was fast on his feet and was flexible in how he moved. She heard every crack of bone from the challengers; it was exhilarating to watch even. His fists moved like liquid; his arms were so fast it looked like he had four components. With each win, he'd look towards Charlie to show how amazing he was.
At the end of the night, she stood outside waiting for him, and just like she thought, Nobara and Maki stepped out soon.
"Charlie! We lost you and couldn't find you for hours!" Nobara screamed and grabbed onto Charlie. She could see the worry on Nobara's face and sigh.
"Chill, chill! You left me first! I told you to quit that shit. But yeah, I stayed, and now I'm waiting for someone, so you all get home; I'll text you later" the two women stood back in shock.
"What?" Maki asked and put her hands on her hips.
“Yeah…im gonna…I am meeting someone okay? So like, go! Leave," Nobara smirked and giggled at Charlie's urgency.
"Is it one of the fighters? What's his name? Which one? Are you going to spend the night? Every one of them kinda got hammered, but…." Charlie pushed her palm in front of Nobaras face.
"I'll tell you later! Just go before I start putting those same moves on you," the two women rolled their eyes and sighed.
"Fine, fine, but text us to be safe! Bye!" Charlie waved at the both of them and went back to leaning against the brick wall.
Time passed, and she watched as everyone left to go home, fighters and watchers. The longer she waited, the less patience she had; soon, she sat alone outside with her hands in her pocket.
She pulled her jacket up to her face and furrowed her brows.
"Great…" she mumbled into her jacket and closed her eyes. She kicked a pebble on the ground with her heel, unsure how to feel. Not too soon after, she yawned and decided she would go home.
As she was walking, she noticed a pair of red shoes come up close to her. She followed them and came face to face with the tattooed boxer.
"What? Leaving? Thought I ditched, princess?"
She rolled her eyes.
"No, just thinking about taking a walk," she thought he was more presentable. He had a bruise or two, but surprisingly, they were barely noticeable. He was wearing something straightforward, but on top of all that, he wore a thick leather jacket and red shoes. She sighed and smiled at the boots.
Cute.
"Well, if it's anything, sweetheart, I just wanted to ensure they weren't holding my money hostage." He raised a packet of money in his hand and shoved it into his jacket.
"Alright, boxer boy, what did you have in mind?" She asked him, and he rubbed his chin, looking her up and down.
"Your place or mine?"
"Of course, you'd ask that," she brushed past him with a smile and turned to him, "come on, you didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?"
He stood a little stunned, but he was interested and shrugged.
"Alright, I'll bite, princess. Where would you like to go?"
"What about a late-night cafe place?"
He smirked at her response and pulled out his keys while she showed him the address of a place she knew.
"We'll use my bike, don't look like you had a ride,"
"Nope. And a bike? Cool!" She chirped out and clapped her hands together.
He revealed his motorcycle. Watching him get on and offer his helmet to her made her little heart squirm. He was hitting all the cliche bad-boy tropes, and she was eating it up.
She wrapped her arms around his torso after tightening the helmet, and he shot off into the street. It wasn't her first time on a motorcycle, but it always felt like a new experience to her when riding one.
She giggled to herself and tightened her grip around his torso, no doubt making him feel a little cocky.
They eventually pulled up to the cafe spot, and she squealed.
"See? I think this is a lot better. You're free to leave if you're not interested," she twirled around, walking to the entrance. The man tied his helmet up to the bike.
"Oh no, I'm interested, alright," he told her while hanging back a little to watch her slide into the shop.
They took a seat next to a booth, she ordered something minor, and he called something not too sweet.
"I've been wondering this. How did a woman like you end up in a place like that? You're too…clean," He leaned against the table and put his hand against his chin.
"Mmm, just for fun. Came to see a fight, that's all; I think a friend wants to join in stuff like that; she's solid,"
"Yeah? Have a favorite? Match? Challenger? Champion?" He questioned, baiting her.
"Man, I'm not sure. A performance, I can tell,"
"A performance, eh? What would you know about that?"
He leaned back against the booth, his arms spreading to the back. She could see the lightest of happy pink trails on his torso. She covered her mouth with her hand and hummed.
"I'm a dancer; I know a performance when I see one; who were you performing for?"
"Ah…well, if you're a dancer, then I could call myself one too."
She reeled back, appalled by the comparison, "Really? How is beating people to a pulp considered dancing?" She almost felt offended by the idea.
"The only difference is the how. You twirl on your feet, and I use my fist. We perform for the audience. The way I move always has meaning. I have to predict and understand my opponent,"
She sucked in a breath and scrunched her nose, "Point…taken. But I'm not convinced. The performance or not,"
"Ah well, you know I can show you another kind of performance if you'll let me,"
"Mm, what makes you think I want to see it?" She took a sip, watching as his eyes glazed over her. As she was watching his movements, she gripped her mug. His pink hair and parts of the tattoos on his cheeks reminded her of something. Someone.
She relaxed a bit more, unsure why, but the little silence was enjoyable.
"Fine, come see me through the week,"
She chuckled against her drink, "and what? Watch you beat someone half to death, then go home?"
"Not! Let me take you places. You've intrigued me, little one. Then you can tell me how you feel,"
"Can't. Sorry. And the little one? Really? You're cute," She shut him down quickly as he offered, and he looked a bit shocked.
"I have rehearsals and things to do. They can get pretty late; if you want to see me, then maybe come to a performance,"
"You keep calling it just a performance. What do you do? For dance?" He leaned in towards her, messing with some sugar packet he found.
"I'm a professional ballerina. I travel most of the time and do my dances for many things. This week I have a solo; I'm hoping for first place as usual," she said with a chirp in her speech. She couldn't help but be proud of herself whenever talking about it. Dancing was her whole life, and she ensured everyone knew it.
"If you're as good as you perceive yourself to be, I'll have to see you then. I'll get myself a ticket," she could see the genuine interest in his eyes. She opened her phone and reached her hand out.
"Your phone, good sir.."
He handed her the phone to one of his contacts. She put in her number and messaged him a ticket.
"First time free,"
He took his phone back and inspected the online ticket.
"Now, my question for you, princess. This looks a little… slow-paced to me. What makes you think I'll like this little dance of yours?"
She wrinkled her nose, leaning over the table. She got close to his face.
"Don't worry; I'm anything but slow-paced. I have a feeling you'll like what I have to show," she patted the side of his cheek and leaned back. He had wide eyes for a moment and hummed.
"I'll make it,"
——
Sukuna and Charlie talked for a bit longer until she found it time for her to get home. They walked out into the cold, and she shivered.
"Cold, sweetheart?"
"Yeah, I like the cold, though,"
"Ugh, terrible"
She laughed at his distaste for the cold; she pressed a hand to her face and turned to him. She was backing him up slowly against the cafe walls.
"You love backing me up into a corner; what's this about?" Sukuna glanced around her. Although he was into her, he's been backed up by a hot woman before and robbed. He did not want that to happen again.
"I do; it's because I like it." She leaned down to him and grazed her fingers along his jacket. He got the hint and found her hands with his.
"God, you're cute. If anyone's easy, it's you," she sucked in a breath, grabbing his hands and swiftly pinning them above his head. She watched him grunt and gasp, and his expression was lost.
"I don't-"
"You want a piece of me, Sukuna?" She closed in on his face, her nose pressing against his.
"Uh…y-yeah…" he whispered and cleared his throat. He knew he could break through from Charlies hands, but the way his cock was feeling just by holding them? Completely different than what he thought.
"Okay, I'll see you later." She let go of his arms and began to walk opposite where he was going.
"Wait! You need a ride?" He almost chased her, but she turned around and shrugged.
"I live nearby. Have fun tonight, don't think too hard about me now,"
He watched her leave, enjoying her hips' sway and the long strides she could make. He wasn't sure how to express his feelings, but he was excited.
He had only spent a couple of hours talking about almost nothing, but he hadn't felt this ramped up to know more. To experience more.