gojo saying ‘i love you’ for the first time. ^.^
it really slipped out of him the same way a sigh does, or a habit, or the way he always reached for you in his sleep even when he was already late.
it was early. too early. the room was still gray, that soft in-between color where the sun hadn’t committed yet. you were half-awake, tangled in sheets that smelled like his shampoo and your detergent mixed together. gojo was moving around quietly, or at least trying to. drawers opened and closed. fabric rustled. his phone buzzed once and he groaned under his breath.
you were awake enough to notice him lean down, awake enough to feel his lips press into your hair, your temple, the corner of your mouth. it was automatic. he did it every morning he left before you.
“don’t forget to eat,” you mumbled.
he hummed, distracted, already reaching for his blindfold off the nightstand. “yeah, yeah.”
then and completely unguarded—
“see you later, princess. i love you.”
it landed wrong.
not wrong like bad. wrong like when something precious falls and you don’t hear it hit the ground right away.
your eyes were fully open now.
it took half a second for your brain to catch up, to realize you hadn’t dreamed it, that you hadn’t imagined the weight of those words settling in the space between you. your heart did something stupid and incredibly fast, like it was trying to outrun your thoughts.
he froze.
you could tell the exact moment it hit him because his hand stopped mid-motion and the blindfold dangling uselessly from his fingers.
there was a long pause and the air shifted.
slowly, he turned.
you were already looking at him.
his eyes widened just a fraction. barely noticeable to anyone else but you.
“. . .you heard,” he said.
a realization.
you swallowed. your mouth was dry all of a sudden. “yeah.”
another pause. this one heavier.
gojo opened his mouth, closed it. ran a hand through his hair and laughed.
he was clearly nervous. you could see it.
“i—” he started, then stopped again. “okay. wait.”
he stepped closer to the bed like he was approaching something that might bite him.
he sat on the edge, elbows on his knees and his head tilted back for a second like he was bracing himself.
“you heard that,” he said again.
you nodded.
he exhaled slowly, like he was counting down from ten in his head. when he looked at you again, there was no teasing in his eyes, just him. stripped down and very awake.
“i didn’t mean to—” he stopped himself, lips pressing together. “no. that’s not true. i did mean it. i just . . . wasn’t planning on saying it. like that.”
your chest felt tight.
“it’s okay,” you said quickly, maybe too quickly. “toru, you don’t have to—”
“no,” he cut in. “don’t do that.”
he looked down at his hands, flexed his fingers like he was grounding himself. when he spoke again, his voice was quieter.
“i’ve been thinking it for a while.”
that made your breath catch.
he glanced back up at you, almost wary. “i just didn’t want to mess things up. you know how i am. i talk without thinking. i didn’t want it to sound like that.”
“like what?” you asked softly.
“like i didn’t take it seriously.”
he laughed under his breath, shaking his head. “ironic, huh.”
you sat up a little, pulling the sheet around you. the room felt smaller now, more intimate, like the walls had leaned in when he said it.
“i don’t think it sounded unserious,” you said.
he studied your face, searching for something. fear. regret. anything.
“what did it sound like?” he asked.
you hesitated. your heart was still pounding, but there was a warmth spreading through you now.
“honest,” you said.
his shoulders dropped. just a little.
“yeah,” he murmured. “that sounds about right.”
there was a moment where neither of you spoke. the city outside hummed faintly. a car passed. somewhere, someone laughed. life kept going like nothing had just shifted on its axis.
gojo reached out, his thumb brushing over your knuckles.
you let him.
he squeezed your hand once, like he was reassuring himself you were real and that you were still here.
“i don’t need you to say it back,” he said. “not now. not if you’re not ready. i just— i needed you to know i didn’t say it because i was half-asleep.”
you smiled. “you were definitely half-asleep.”
he snorted despite himself. “maybe a little. but the feelings were very awake. trust me.”
you took a breath. let it out.
“i like knowing,” you said.
his lips curved into something gentle.
“yeah?” he asked.
“yeah.”
he stood then, reluctantly, like the world was pulling him away by force. he leaned down again, his forehead resting against yours.
“i’ll see you tonight,” he said.
you nodded.
this time, when he kissed you goodbye, it was slower. intentional. like he was sealing something.
he paused at the door, his hand was on the frame.
“. . . i love you,” he said again.
no panic this time.
you smiled into the pillow after he left, your heart still racing, already knowing that nothing was the same anymore — and somehow, everything was exactly right.