my eyes violet

Right now, you were giving him the silent treatment but Satoru being Satoru, wouldn't accept it. He could not accept the fact that you were still mad at him. Satoru Gojo wasn’t raised to take a no for an answer, even if he knew things didn’t work that way with you. For you, he wasn’t the strongest, he was the man who had to do the dishes because it was his turn that night.

You crossed paths in a meeting this morning, he kissed your cheek lightly, “How are you doing, love?” he asked, coldly. You didn’t look him in the eyes, your only response being a short hum. If your colleagues and students hadn’t picked up on your distance the past couple days, they definitely noticed now.

You already knew there were dark circles under his eyes even if they were hidden by his blindfold, you could tell from the way he slouched as he walked and how he dropped his body on his chair. You still felt the instinct to take care of him like you did when he came home from every mission, he would deactivate his infinity so you could run your hands through his white hair and help him forget about his day— but at that moment you were so upset that you really wanted to ignore it.

Your husband left once again and you carried with your day as usual. When you finished your chores and the sun was setting, you were gathering your belongings in an empty classroom you occupied to fill in some paperwork, that’s when the door was opened and you noticed Megumi’s face peeking out.

You smiled at him. Even if he was cold most of the time, everytime you talked to Megumi a warm feeling settled in your chest. “Hey, you” you greeted him, “how was your day?”

“It was okay,” he answered, standing awkwardly in front of you.

It was rare to see Megumi acting shy and you knew him well enough to notice he wanted to talk about something.

You look at him intently. “So…”

He blinked like he was trying to get out of his own head. “I wanted to check on you, Sensei.” the words came out of his mouth calmly, like he had practiced it before. Even if you knew he was sincere, you sensed that wasn’t the only reason he came to you.

“I’m doing just fine, Megumi” you answered lightly, knowing that wasn’t the response he was looking for.

“No, I mean… I know, I just wanted to ask…” He trailed off and you interrupted him.

“You can sit down, you know,” you laughed a bit at his tense posture. He obeyed you and sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk you were using before.

He took a breath before he spoke, “I was just wondering, and I know it’s not my place so you don’t have to answer,” he looked at your face and waited for you to say something but you just smiled at him patiently. “Did Gojo sensei do something to upset you?” he finally asked and quickly avoided your eyes, scared of your response.

You looked at Megumi and couldn't help but see the kid he was almost ten years ago when Satoru first introduced the two of you, six year old Megumi who you taught how to properly tie his shoe laces, when his face was smaller so his eyelashes seemed longer but looked at you with the same boring gaze as fifteen year old Megumi. He could be taller and stronger now but it was hard for you to separate him from that kid.

His question almost took you by surprise. It was no secret you weren’t on speaking terms with your husband but you wouldn't have imagined it could affect Megumi. You mentally cursed Satoru, even if you knew you were the one who decided not to talk to him, you insisted on putting all the blame on him, the fact that you had to see Megumi looking like a lost puppy was his fault.

Despite feeling the anger slowly taking over you again, you felt a spark of amusement, even if for your students Satoru and you were like the good and bad cop respectively, Megumi still sided with you because he knew you were the voice of reason.

You were fantasizing of punching Satoru on the gut but you didn’t let it show since you didn’t want to make it worse. Trying to focus on Megumi, you imagined how he must’ve felt, Satoru and you took care of him even before you two were an official couple, it was like you had a whole son before even having a real kiss. It was only natural for him to be worried about your relationship since it was the first example of romance he ever had in his short life.

You sighed, “he can be too protective sometimes, that’s all”

“So he's not being a shitty husband?”

He is being kinda shitty, you thought.

You didn’t feel like giving Megumi details of the feud with your husband, instead, you tried to calm whatever thoughts were going through his head.

“No, Megumi,” you laughed lightly. “He’s just being him and I’m being me, we just have to figure some things out”

Despite your attempts to ease his concerns on your marriage, Megumi still didn’t seem convinced.

You think about how you could reassure him for a moment and your mind goes back a few weeks.

“You remember the other day, when Itadori asked Gojo sensei how he had managed to make me fall for him?” You asked him.

Well, those weren’t his words precisely.

Megumi’s attention turned to you again, he nodded despite his soft frown, a confused look forming on his face.

You recall the afternoon you had gone looking for Satoru to go home and he was finishing his class with the first year students in the training field. As you approached, you noticed Yuji and your husband laughing hard, you could swear there was smoke coming out of Nobara’s ears as she crossed her arms over her chest while Megumi was on his phone, trying his hardest to ignore the whole situation. It was clear that he was goofing around with Yuji and Nobara and Megumi weren’t having it.

When Satoru felt your presence, he quickly straightened his posture and squared his shoulders. “Hi, baby,” he greeted, pulling himself together in front of you. “How was your day?” he asked as he usually did at the end of the day, grabbing your face and smooching your cheek, acting like nothing was happening before you arrived. You closed your eyes for a second and sighed. There was no need for words, he understood immediately: it had been a tiring day for you.

He grabbed you by your waist and pulled you closer to the side of his own body, getting ready to say his goodbyes to his students when you noticed the puzzled looks on Itadori and Kugisaki’s faces.

“I still don’t get what God you prayed to marry her,” she squinted at her sensei, clearly still annoyed at whatever had been happening minutes earlier. Satoru let out a small giggle and gave your face another smooch, this time closer to your mouth.

You were a reserved woman, especially in front of your students but your husband had a tendency to drag you into his nonsense. You didn’t return his affections but you didn’t push him away either, it had been a long day after all.

“Yeah, she’s right! How were you able to pull her?” Itadori had said. His question was genuine in contrast to his friend’s sassy remark. “How can a classy woman like her be with a man like you?” He cleared his throat, quickly realizing his tone was out of line, “With all due respect, of course…”

“With my good looks and golden personality, of course,” Satoru smiled proudly, overlooking his student’s implication and held you tighter. “You should already know that your teacher is a charming man, it was only a matter of time from the moment she first saw me,” another smooch followed and you rolled your eyes at him. Neither of your students were buying your husband’s bullshit.

“Okay, now for real—” Nobara’s attention was fully on you now, “how did he?”

You raised your eyebrows, feeling a bit shy as your three students were waiting for you to reply, Megumi’s eyes finally leaving his phone screen, now intrigued about the conversation. You looked up at your husband’s face, who looked like he was looking for a real response but when nothing came to his mind, he shrugged and posed his eyes on you just like the three kids.

“Oh you know, he’s a good man…” You tried to dismiss their questions quickly, foolishly believing that they would be content with a simple answer.

“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Nobara interrupted you, “but he’s also irritating, there has to be something else.” You laughed softly, feeling less tense now.

“Well, his money helped a lot, too.” You joked. Satoru pinched your waist playfully and you paid attention to his face. He then took his blindfold off, his blue eyes waiting for another kind of answer. You got lost in them for a couple seconds before continuing.

“It’s simple, really. I just realized his heart and intentions were genuine. At the time, he did some things that made me realize that,” you told them. Yuji, Nobara and Megumi were waiting to hear the rest of your story but you had only whispered it into Satoru’s ear when he tilted his head with a frown on his face, confused of what you were referring to. You also remember the big smile that had appeared on his face.

The curious kids read the room: you were tired and weren’t willing to give them the exact details, but that was enough of an answer for them: you fell for Satoru because he cared.

Megumi wasn’t sure why you suddenly brought up something so random, but he was still as curious as that day. “Yes, you left us kinda hanging…”

“Well, Satoru had never been too serious about anything, less alone when it came to women.” You told him, reminiscing. “So when he began flirting with me, I had to constantly remind myself that he was probably just playing around, we were friends after all, I never thought I could be the girl who could magically change him”

You could talk about it freely now, but at the time, bottling those feelings for him had felt like torture. Satoru flirted with you nonstop, back then, he used to greet you with a “you look good today” instead of a simple “hello”, every single time. He always made sure to save you a seat beside him or walked you to your dorm and loved to ask you to feed him in the mouth, just to get the chance to see your red cheeks. You never considered it was anything more than him joking as usual, even if he liked you and was attracted to you, you never took him seriously.

Your younger self had locked those thoughts away in the back of your mind but it was hard when Satoru’s actions kept you awake more nights than you would like to admit, trying to convince yourself that he didn’t have a powerful effect on you.

The hardest time you had trying to kill the butterflies Satoru put in your stomach as a teenager was that one time you had saved money from your student allowance for months, but still weren’t any closer to buying the new digital camera you desired with your whole heart, so you had put together a simple but effective plan: use 80% of your monthly funds and then try to survive the rest of the month with the bare minimum, it was easy. It was only a month of not being able to hang out around the city with your friends or go shopping with them, it was definitely going to be a boring month but you’d have your camera.

You had explained this to all your friends except Satoru for some reason, but he was the only one of them available to go shopping with you the day you were getting the digital camera. When he heard your plan, he laughed it off despite looking a bit concerned for you.

He didn’t call you out on your terrible way of managing your incomes, but when it was time to pay, he took his wallet out and paid for the camera himself. “Christmas gift,” he had simply said, even if Christmas was a couple months away. You insisted that it wasn’t necessary and that you could never repay him, plus you couldn’t promise him you could buy him a decent gift by the holidays. “A kiss will do.” He gave you a cheeky grin and you could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks. You punched him playfully in the shoulder and just thanked him.

You wanted to believe it meant nothing to him, but there were times when it was hard to tell the teasing from his actual feelings. You didn’t sleep that night.

“It was only after we graduated that I stopped seeing as a goofy teenager and understood how big his heart really is…” you continued and you could see Megumi leaning slightly forward on his seat. “Do you know what happened around that time?” you asked him and he shaked his head, an expectant look on his face.

“He became your guardian.” You smiled at Megumi and he raised his eyebrows, you laughed softly at his reaction, unable to remember when was the last time he’d shown this much expression.

“H-how— What—” He stuttered, struggling to find the right words.

“I guess you could say that we wouldn’t even be together if it weren’t for you.” You winked at him.

“I’m sure that’s not entirely true…” Megumi scratched the back of his neck.

“Oh, no, that’s exactly how it went,”you laughed, despite yourself. “Did you know I was about to leave Jujutsu society after I finished high school?”

Megumi frowned, the curious look back on his face, but he let you continue your story. He didn’t ask what horrors you had to endure as a teenager, but he could imagine.

“But Satoru asked me to help him take care of you and your beautiful sister one afternoon…” You caught a brief spark in his eyes at the mention of Tsumiki, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “He told me all about his plans of becoming a teacher and forming a generation of sorcerers who could be as strong as him, even more,” you began to remember. “I don’t know… I guess it gave me hope. It convinced me to stay, to give it another chance.”

The memories flooded your mind, the times he would take Megumi to school and pick him up at the end of the day, or when you two used to go grocery shopping every month to get anything Megumi and Tsumiki could need. Satoru used to make sure they did their homework every afternoon and after that, they would invite you to watch a movie with them.

You didn’t know exactly when it happened, but you were sure it was on one of those many afternoons where you fell asleep on the couch, your head on Satoru’s warm chest.

Even beneath his serious demeanor, you could still see a certain fondness in Megumi’s eyes. Of all the things you could’ve said, that was what he least expected.

“You might think it’s a bit cheesy,” you defended yourself beforehand, afraid of sounding like a pathetic adult, “but every time I look at you, I’m reminded of his kindness and good heart,” you paused for a second, “please don’t tell him I said that.”

To your surprise, Megumi let out a low chuckle, “you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… you don’t have to worry about us. We will have disagreements but we’ll always find our way to each other.”

When you finished your story, you could see Megumi was no longer tense and the worried look on his face was nowhere to be seen. He gave a brief smile, almost imperceptible. You walked Megumi to his dorm that afternoon, he muttered a small “thank you” and entered his room. You knew he wasn’t just grateful for your company.

You came home, the sun was almost completely gone and your house was still empty. You sighed.

You were shocked how your conversation with Megumi made your anger —almost— disappear. You still wanted to curse your husband a little, but it was hard to stay mad at him when you spent the last couple hours reminiscing about the very early stages of your relationship. Thinking about Satoru as a teenager always made you a bit weak.

You showered and changed into your nightgown. While you were waiting for the microwave to finish reheating your dinner, you checked your phone: no sign of your husband—not a text or even a lost call.

You slipped into your big bed and once you were between the cold sheets, you decided it was time to end this stupid fight with your husband.

He was going to hear what you had to say, but at least you will begin to address his presence instead of ignoring him like you’d been doing.

You heard the front door opening and the sound of his footsteps—you could recognize them anywhere. You quickly turned onto your side, giving your back to the door of your shared room, pretending to be asleep.

He went straight to the bathroom and you heard the water running. After ten minutes, the shine from the bathroom lightened the bedroom and the steam and smell of his shampoo filled the air.

You felt the mattress dipping under his weight and your body went still when you suddenly felt his arms around you.

“Baby, please, let’s stop fighting,” Satoru whined softly with his face buried in your neck, “talk to me, please.”

You should’ve known better than to pretend to be asleep, his Six Eyes could read right through you easily.

You were expecting the distant Satoru from this morning to arrive home, but the barrier you set between you two must’ve affected him too. These past couple days he seemed to be very firm about his position on the argument, you couldn’t have imagined he was going to be the first to crack.

You finally turned your face to him, putting space between you two. He propped his elbow on the mattress and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. It was becoming harder and harder to stay mad at him when he looked so cozy, fresh out of the shower with his sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt that let you see his collarbones. He looked at you with a tired yet soft gaze. You looked at him back but said nothing.

“You need to understand, you are not fully healed yet, baby,” he insisted, “you need to rest at least a couple weeks more”.

“I can still fight,” you argued, anger taking over your tone.

Satoru frowned, “I won’t risk it.”

“And you had to go and decide for me like you own me? Like I’m some kind of dog?”

“You know it’s not like that, ” Satoru’s tone remained calm. “Of course I don’t think you’re a thing that I own—I’m sorry if I made the decision for you but I had to do it,” it was evident he wanted to put an end to this fight. “You wouldn’t have heard me. I can’t help but worry too much sometimes and I let it go to my head. Don’t you think I don’t notice how you try to hide the pain in your face when you move too fast? I do, I always do.”

“I understand…but this is my job, Satoru. I can’t allow myself the privileges you offer just by being married to you. What if someone gets hurt in a mission that’s supposed to be mine?” He avoided your gaze when your tone became more stern, and you gently grabbed his chin so his eyes met yours.

“What if you get hurt in my place?”

You caught the pained look on his face when he moved closer to you, “I’m sorry for that baby, really. But I wouldn’t forgive myself if you got hurt worse than last time— especially if I could’ve stopped it.”

You rolled your body on top of his, you put your hand on his hard chest as you straddled him, making his eyes go wide with surprise.

“You have to promise not to do that ever again, you need to talk to me first,” you wanted to stay firm but his words really had a way with you.

It annoyed you how much he cared for you and how pure his intentions were in the first place. You knew that the reason you had gone soft on him was because of the conversation you had with Megumi that afternoon, and because you were so tired you couldn’t wait to melt into his warmth as well.

“Does that mean you forgive me?” He smirked. He ran his hands from your ribs down to your hips, pulling you down against his crotch.

You tried to ignore the warm feeling that ran through your body and tapped his cheek, playfully but firm enough to wipe the grin on his face. “Satoru… you need to trust me,” you repeated, putting on a serious face again. “Promise me.”

He sat down with your body on his lap, putting you as close as he could—hands sneaking under the skirt of your nightgown and grabbing your upper thighs steadily.

“I promise, baby,” he said as he began to prep kisses on your face, slowly making his way down to your neck. “I promise, please forgive,” he planted a wet kiss on the center of your throat. “I missed you so much, let's not fight ever again,” his tone became a bit desperate when you took your sweet time to respond to his affections.

“Okay, okay. I forgive you” you said, interrupting him, “only because you are practically begging me to.”

You rolled your eyes when he pouted. “And I missed you, too,” you whispered to his lips only.

The time you’d been spending with Satoru lately had led to a new kind of intimacy between you—one that went beyond your friendship, and both of you knew there was no use in ignoring it. 

Neither of you said it out loud, but it was in the air and at this point, it was choking you. 

He let out a small giggle and lied down, opening his arms in your direction. You sighed and lied with him, wrapping your arms around his torso and making yourself comfortable. You had your head on his shoulder when you met his eyes. 

His gaze wandered over your face and lingered a bit too long on your lips. 

You had always been one of the main targets of Satoru’s flirtatious behavior, his charm was directed at you at all times. But this past couple of weeks felt different. You’d found yourself getting used to this new proximity—his hand on your waist as he passed behind you, the way he tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear mid-conversation, how he stood behind you with his chin hovering near your shoulder when you checked mission reports, or placing his hand on your lower back to guide you through a crowd. 

You almost didn’t realize how you were quietly seeking him out too—leaning close to him, fixing the collar of his shirt, resting your hand on his arm when you wanted his attention, gestures that seemed small but deep inside, you knew better. 

Satoru was the bold one, the one who made your cheeks flush and your knees buckle—you thought he’d be the one to take the first step to go further but he always left you wanting for more. 

Even if your bodies were tangled in a small couch and he held you in his arms so tenderly, he just kissed your forehead, “good night, pretty,” he said before closing his blue eyes, making the room go dark. 

You buried your nose on the crook of his neck, realizing how much you wanted him to open his eyes and kiss your lips, but he was already fast asleep.

You felt the shift days— maybe even weeks—before. Even if you acted like your friendship with Satoru hadn’t changed, the people around you definitely had. Especially Megumi and Tsumiki, who exchanged looks like there was something else going on.

One afternoon, Tsumiki called your name while you were helping her and Megumi with their homework and Satoru was cutting some vegetables for dinner on the kitchen counter, “do you have a boyfriend?” She asked, and suddenly the sound of the knife in Satoru’s hand went quiet. 

You squinted at her, knowing her question wasn’t as innocent as it seemed. “I don’t…” you simply responded, but your voice still sounded unsure for some reason. 

“What about you, Gojo?” 

Satoru, who had been standing with his back to you, turned around to have a better look at the table the three of you were sitting at. 

He locked eyes with you, it was brief but it was enough to suffocate you. His deep gaze implied that there was something only you and him knew, a secret only Satoru and you shared. 

You noticed Megumi’s eyes darting between the two of you and wondered if it was really a secret. 

Satoru then looked at Tsumiki, a giggle escaping from his mouth. He winked at her and turned around again, his attention back to cooking dinner.   

“Tsumiki, aren’t you too young to be thinking about boyfriends and girlfriends?” He asked her and she huffed, annoyed at Satoru for avoiding her question. 

It was becoming harder to ignore, especially when you started to feel jealousy. 

It took you by surprise, the pull in your chest when you heard Satoru joking with a teacher in the school hallways, they were telling him how he should pick a wife now that he was going to be the head of the Gojo clan. Satoru didn’t say anything, but he laughed in response—and you didn’t like it. 

It was a harmless joke, nothing you haven’t heard before, so why was it bothering you so much? You knew why, but didn’t want to admit it. So instead, you ignored him for the rest of the day, leaving him confused, following you around like a lost puppy until you decided you weren’t mad at him anymore. 

You really tried to quiet the voices in your head, but they haunted you whenever your insecurities crept in. 

What if your mind was making it all up and he was the same he’d been in high school? The same teenage boy who acted goofy just to catch your attention and tugged your hair whenever you didn’t laugh at one of his jokes—the same Satoru who called you pretty every chance he got. 

What if it didn’t mean anything to him and he planned on marrying someone the elders of his clan found fit for him?

Most importantly, how much longer could you bear with the weight of it? 

All these questions followed into your nightmares. 

When you woke up, Satoru was watching you from a chair in the center of the small kitchen slash living room, with sleepy yet attentive eyes, “morning,” he said with a groggy voice. “We can drop the kids to school and then I could take you home.” 

You hated how natural the words came out of his mouth, like it was a possible future—waking up together and taking the kids to school and then going to work. You hated how comfortable you felt around him even if your face was all puffy from your sleep and your hair a complete mess. And of course, you hated how he looked like an angel even in the morning. 

“Sure,” your words came out almost a whisper. You wanted to be angry, but instead, a sudden sadness took over you. You couldn’t take it anymore, waking up with his scent all over you, you could feel how the warmth of his body still lingered on yours—it had become too much. 

The car ride after saying goodbye to Megumi and Tsumiki was silent, you could feel Satoru shifting uncomfortably on the driver seat, he didn’t understand why your mood had suddenly changed or how to fix it. Was it him? Did he do something wrong? Maybe the pancakes were a bit burnt this morning, could that be it? 

“I was wondering… if I could shower at your place and then we can go to the school together?” He asked, feeling afraid of saying the wrong thing. 

There it was, the domestic ease and the casualness in the way he spoke, like he had done it a thousand times. It came with such effortlessness that it made your stomach twist.

“No problem,” you smiled tightly at him. If Satoru noticed your distance, he didn’t mention anything about it, but you knew it was a matter of time before he started to interrogate you. 

When you arrived at your apartment, you could feel Satoru’s gaze following you around the place, you tried  your best to ignore it but when you finally met his eyes to hand him a fresh towel, you could see the clear confusion on his face, like he was trying to solve a riddle. “There you go. Yell if you need anything,” you told him and disappeared from his sight, leaving him standing alone at the entrance of the bathroom.

You decided to do the dishes you left in the sink the day before to keep your mind occupied, but somehow it only made it worse. 

All you could think was Satoru—taking his clothes off and showering in your bathroom, using your shampoo and your soap and smelling like you for the rest of the day. Satoru, stepping out of the shower naked and wiping the steam off the mirror, the reflection of his wet chest and the water drops falling from his hair. 

It was only when you heard his voice that you realized you were standing still in front of the kitchen sink, staring off into nothing. 

“What’s got you so deep in your head?” he asked, his tone was between amused and confused. 

You jumped a bit and took a look at him. He was drying his hair with your pink towel, leaning against the doorframe. It frustrated you, really—he even looked like he belonged in here, how could he blend so well into the space that you carefully curated for yourself? 

“C’mon, are you really not gonna talk to me?” he stepped closer to you when you didn’t answer him right away. 

He walked towards you and when he was close enough to hear your heartbeat—or so you were afraid of—you put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Is there something wrong?” 

You sucked a breath, unable to look him in the eyes. “Please, stop.” You didn’t mean for it to come out as a plea, but it did anyway.  

“Did I do something to upset you?” He spoke, leaning down so he could search for your eyes. His soft voice making your heart clench. “Was it the pancakes…?” 

He was so close to you that when you finally looked at him, you had to lift your chin. “What? No—it wasn’t the pancakes,” you frowned, pausing for a moment that stretched for way too long. You felt the tension in the room increasing as you scrambled in your brain for the right words, but your mind betrayed you, you couldn’t form a rational thought. 

“I mean–I don’t know, maybe. Or not, it’s just…” You took a deep breath, trying to stop your stuttering. “You know what I’m talking about, what is this?” You asked him, pointing at the two of you with your hand.

He raised his brows, surprised. “What is what? Us?” you could notice the confusion taking over his features. The way he worded it made your chest tighten, like you or him no longer existed. ‘Us’ he said.  

“Yes, Satoru, this whole thing,” he flinched at your harsh tone. You didn’t mean to lose your temper, but then the words started to slip out of your mouth before you could stop them.

“What does all of this mean?” You questioned. “We spend all these afternoons together, you cook me dinner and make me breakfast, we take care of the kids, and then you come to my place and walk around like you own it?” You blurted all of your doubts like you were in a hurry. 

“What do you mean?” He shot back, “I thought you liked it, I–I just want to be close to you,” Satoru tried to explain himself, struggling to find the right thing to say to calm you down but his thoughts ran faster than his words. 

“So that’s it? You just wanted to be close?” You used his words against him. Satoru’s eyes were wide open, clearly not expecting that. 

He tried to reach for you again, but you couldn’t take the already familiar proximity anymore.  

“Of course it’s not just that,” Satoru said, his soft eyes narrowing. 

“Then, what is it?” You cut him off before he could continue. There was a clear contrast between his calm demeanor and your anxious one. “You do and say all these things but then I hear you talking shit about marrying some girl for the sake of your clan?” 

You knew you weren’t being fair with him. You knew that wasn’t how things had happened, but all your insecurities were resurfacing and you realized how hurt you still were from that day. 

His mouth falls open. 

Pieces of a conversation slowly coming to his mind in waves. It had been so insignificant to him that he could barely remember the conversation you were referring to. What he remembered clearly, though, was how cold you had been with him that day. It didn’t take him long to start connecting the dots. 

“What are you even talking about, y/n?” Satoru frowned even deeper, trying hard to keep his voice down. “When did I ever care about what those old fucks think?” 

You closed your eyes shut. You didn’t mean for the conversation to take this route, but it was too late to take it all back. “Then, why didn't you say anything?” You snapped, digging a finger on his chest. 

Satoru threw his hands in the air. “Because it was a stupid joke, it didn’t mean anything at all.” He paused, “are you seriously telling me you were mad because of that the other day?” 

“This is not about that fucking joke, Satoru. I’m talking about you not being clear with me.”

The room falls silent for a moment. The sunlight entering the window hit his face making his blue eyes glow. Your heart felt heavy at the sigh. Even at that moment you couldn’t stop the feeling, he made your knees weak, your breath falter, messing up with your head. 

“I thought I was being clear,” he said in low murmur, taking a step closer. “I thought we were on the same page.” 

“And what page is that exactly, Satoru?” you kept questioning him. “You don’t tell me anything, we slept together but you didn’t even kiss me.” The words slipped out of your mouth, almost without your permission. Your voice now softening. 

“I was waiting for you,” his hands reached for your face, cupping your cheeks. You allowed him, melting instantly at his touch. You stood there, “I just didn’t want to rush things and ruin everything by getting too excited, I wanted you to realize that I’m serious about you.”

Then, it clicked. For the first time in weeks, his touch made you nervous. Once you cooled down, you became aware of how close he was and the weight of his words sank in—it overwhelmed you to the point of wanting to run away from him, even though an answer from him was what you’d asked for. 

Standing there in the kitchen, all you could feel was the heat radiating from his body, his breath mixing with yours, his warm hands on your face and his soft eyes fixed on you, making it impossible to run away from it. You saw right through him, you never saw or heard him being so serious about anything. 

“When I had that dumb conversation, I didn’t say anything because I only want you”

You exhaled, feeling a weight lifted off your shoulders, “were you not playing with me?” You asked, just to be sure, scared that he could change his mind at the last minute. 

He laughed softly and wrapped his arms around your waist, pressing you against his body. “I should be asking you that question, you told Tsumiki you didn’t have a boyfriend.” 

You rolled your eyes and played with the collar of his shirt, still too shy to look him in the eyes after everything you said. “Well, it’s the truth. I don’t have a boyfriend.” 

“Are you sure about that?” He whispered as he placed small kisses on your neck, making your heart race. Now you were sure he could feel it beating against his own chest, threatening to escape from your ribcage.

His kisses trailed up to your cheek, only stopping right before your lips. You gripped his shirt tighter. This wasn’t teasing anymore. Suddenly, it all felt too real.

You lifted your gaze, fighting to maintain eye contact with him. Trying to be firm, you chuckled,  “Oh, I’m very sure.”

You didn’t want to give in so easily, Satoru was used to having everything he wanted the way he wanted it, you didn’t want to be one of those things. It was stubborn of you, you knew you were already doomed. You were already caged in his arms, you had already fallen for him. 

Satoru shook his head slowly, his nose brushing against yours, humming. “Mhm, I don’t think so…”

Wasting no more time, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against yours, leaving you out breath. Your hands traveled up to the back of his neck, your fingers slightly tugging his wet hair, trying to draw him even closer. 

Fighting all your thoughts, all your insecurities, you accepted his kiss like you’ve been waiting for it for years, maybe you were. You kissed him softly, his lips kept moving gently against yours but his hands gripped your waist firmly, keeping you pressed against his body.

You hummed lowly against his mouth, making him fist the fabric of your top. It was driving you crazy, how sweet his mouth tasted on yours and his fingers digging the flesh of your waist, the mixture of the tenderness of his kiss and the roughness of his hands and the way they slid from your waist to your ribs, his thumbs caressing your sides. 

You parted your lips and Satoru knew exactly what you wanted. He slid his tongue past your lips, deepening the kiss as he began to walk without letting you go, until your back met the kitchen counter.

It was all too intimate, the way he bit and licked your lower lip as his kiss became messier as the time went by. He gripped the back of your thighs, lifting you up until you were sitting on the cold marble as he placed himself between your legs, as if it could be possible to be any closer. 

His hands sneaked under your t-shirt, pulling away just so he could direct his hungry kisses down your neck, biting and licking the skin of your throat. You grabbed  him by his broad shoulders, making him look into your eyes and deciding this was going too fast and you were going to be late for work. Never in a million years would you imagine watching Satoru this way, with his mouth open, out of breath and eyes glistening with lust.  

“Satoru…” You called his name with a warning tone. 

“Baby…” He mocked your tone. The pet name rolled off his tongue like second nature, making your heart skip a beat. “You’re kind of scary when you’re jealous.”

You frowned. “I wasn’t jealous.” 

“C’mon,” you felt his hands squeezing your waist, clearly not believing you.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” 

“Tell me the truth.” He said, a cheeky smirk appearing on his face. 

“Okay, maybe I was a bit jealous… And maybe,” you paused for a moment. “I only want you, too” 

His smile spread wider across his face. “You understand, right? I’m serious about you.”

“How serious?” You wanted to believe you just wanted to tease him, but you knew you just needed reassurance from him one more time. 

“Pretty damn serious,” he answered, his tone firm. “What about you? Are you serious about me?” He grinned at you, playfully. 

“Pretty damn serious, too.”

He then crashed his lips with yours once again, his kisses as passionate as before while his hands climbed up your back, reaching for the hook of your bra. You pull away from him, placing a hand on his hard chest.

“We need to go to work,” you said, cupping his jaw. 

“We can call in sick…” he suggested as he leaned into the palm of your hand. 

You let out a quiet laugh. “Sick? the both of us?” He hummed in agreement. 

“And we can continue what we were doing…” He whispered as he kissed you shortly.

You shook your head disapprovingly. “Now it’s not time,” you said, trying to sound like the voice of reason, even if deep down you just wanted to tease him. 

“When, then?” He pressed, bumping your nose into yours. 

You hopped off the counter and made your way to the couch where your coat and your bag had been left. You couldn’t go much further before you felt his arms wrapping around you from behind. “I don’t know, let me check my schedule…” 

Satoru groaned into your neck, not enjoying your teasing. “So…tonight?” He insisted.

You snorted, breaking character. “Maybe…” 

He hummed happily, satisfied with your answer. Satoru couldn’t wait for tonight.

To be honest, three days wasn’t that long, but it was more than enough time for your boyfriend to lose his mind waiting for you. And you couldn’t lie, you missed him, too. 

When you arrived at his place, he didn’t waste any time, pulling you onto his lap and showering you in kisses. 

He gripped your thighs tightly, wrapping his arms around your waist to keep you impossibly close, as if you might vanish if he didn’t hold on hard enough.

“I missed you so much,” Eren muttered against your neck, his voice low and rough, leaving wet kisses at the center of your throat. He took his time, mouth lingering as if he couldn’t get enough, kissing every inch of skin he could reach while his hands squeezed your ass on his palms, pulling you flush against him.

“How much?” you asked, drawing your legs tighter around him as he roamed his hands all over your body, holding you firmly in place.

“So, so, so, so much,” he answered, breath warm on your skin. “Too much, actually. I had dreams of you—hallucinations, even.”

You giggled, feeling the faint tickle of his new beard brushing against your neck. “Weren’t you just high?”

Eren shook his head, clearly offended. “I wasn’t high. I was actually having withdrawals from you.” You snorted at that. “Didn’t you miss me, too?” he asked, stealing a kiss from your lips, then another from your cheek, trailing back down to your neck.

“Of course I missed you. I missed you too much,” you said, fingers threading through his long hair. His lips traced along your collarbones before drifting lower, leaving warm, lingering kisses against the gentle swell of your breasts.

“What I didn’t miss, though…” You cupped his face, forcing him to look up at you, “…is that beard. Weren’t you supposed to get rid of it?”

“What?” He looked at you with puppy eyes, confused. “Are you telling me you don’t like it?” 

You tried to look serious. “I’m telling you that you look homeless.” 

Your boyfriend parted his lips in surprise, pinching your waist. “You don't mean that.” 

Now you couldn’t help but laugh, shifting on top of him. “It’s not only the beard, you’ve got a little mustache, too.” You scrunched your nose. 

Eren looked at you in utter disbelief. This must be what betrayal felt like. Right in front of him was his girlfriend of barely three months—the girl of his dreams, the love of his life, his future wife (according to him)—telling him she didn’t like the beard he had spent a record-breaking four days growing out while she was gone.

“C’mon, you like Jean’s beard,” he argued, as if that had anything to do with this.

“I never said I liked Jean’s beard,” you snorted. “I said it looked good on him.”

He let go of you, collapsing back onto the mattress with a huff. “So it doesn’t look good on me, then.”

You rolled your eyes, leaning into him on the bed and pressing your chest against his. “It’s not that…” 

“Mmm, I already understood,” he said, pointedly ignoring you. He laced his hands behind his head, refusing to touch you even as you were practically draped over him. “You like Jean more than me. I get it.”

“Never said that either,” you laughed, shifting just enough to make it harder for him to keep pretending you weren’t there.

“You’re free to go after him if you want,” he muttered, eyes fixed on the ceiling, jaw tight. “If you can get him to stop pining over Mikasa first, that is.”

You traced your fingers on the curve of his neck, rocking slightly on his lap until his attention snapped fully back to you. His eyes locked onto yours.

“I like your beard,” you said, wide-eyed, playing innocent.

“I don’t believe you anymore,” he said, trying to stay firm, but it was difficult when you were on top of him, wearing a tight buttoned shirt and a black skirt that barely covered your thighs as you straddled him. 

“I’m not lying. I like it more than Jean’s,” you insisted, leaving a kiss along his jaw, dangerously close to his new facial hair.

“Mhm…” he hummed, feigning disinterest.

“I could dig it,” you went on, your fingers tracing circles on his chest. “It can be hot, I think.”

“Yeah, right.”

“But it tickles when we kiss… And you know I have such sensitive skin.” you said, stealing another kiss from his lips.

Eren rolled his eyes before giving in and melting into the kiss. You felt his hands slide slowly up your thighs, brushing over the hem of your skirt and stopping the curve of your ass, his thumbs pressed onto your hips. 

“You’re so full of shit,” he murmured against your mouth.

You couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not, it’s true,” you defended yourself. “But I also really like your pretty-boy face when you shave.”

“Pretty boy face, huh?” he raised an eyebrow, doubting you for a moment. 

As much as he tried to play rough, Eren was undeniably a pretty boy, he had soft features, big eyes, pouty lips. It was no wonder, he looked just like his mother in those photographs he’d shown you the first time you visited his home.

“Of course.” You said, leaning in to press yet another kiss on his lips, this time with more intent, opening your mouth to tease him with your tongue. “My pretty boy.”

“You’re playing dirty.” He accused you, grabbing you by the back of your neck. 

“Can’t I kiss my boyfriend into convincing him to shave his beard?” you joked, though it didn’t seem to amuse him much.

“You’re being mean,” he murmured, and that was enough to make you laugh.

“Oh my god, baby…” You tried to say, but he interrupted you.

“Forget it.” 

“Eren…” you whined, clinging to his neck to make you look at him. “My love.” 

He rolled his eyes, not answering. “My baby.” You kept insisting. “My pretty boy.” 

“Stop already.” 

“You look like your dad.” You said suddenly, making him finally look at you. 

“You’re lying.” He breathed out. 

You covered your mouth, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. “I’m sorry…”

“Stop laughing…” Eren complained, frowning as he flipped you onto the bed and pinned you to the mattress. It only made you laugh harder. “I absolutely do not look like my dad.”

“He has the same little mustache as you,” you giggled, reaching up to touch his face—but he clearly didn’t appreciate the comparison. It was so easy to rile him up.

“You’re the worst,” he hissed, catching your wrists and pressing them above your head.

“I know everyone says you look like your mom, but you’re very much giving Doctor Jaeger right now.” You knew you were in no position to tease him when you were under him like this, but you couldn’t resist, you never did.

He stared down at you, trying to decide what to do with you. 

“Don’t push your luck,” he warned, but the corner of his mouth twitched like he was losing the battle.

“Or what?” You asked, tilting your head against the mattress.

Those were the exact words you needed to say to send him over the edge. Then, he kissed you hard, still pretending to be annoyed at you, claiming your mouth and stealing the laugh from your lips. You felt his hard abdomen pressing you down, daring you to keep teasing him. You kissed him back, opening your legs to let him settle between your thighs as you arched into him. That seemed to break him fast. 

“You’re impossible,” he murmured, brushing his lips over yours, grip still firm on your wrists.

“You’re worse.” You whispered. 

Eren came back to your lips, kissing you deeper this time, his tongue slipping past your swollen lips and easily finding yours. His hands slid up your body, pulling you against him, palms pressing over your breasts through your shirt as his kiss turned needier, already losing control.

“Let me fuck you in this skirt.” He slurred between sloppy kisses, making you laugh.

“Only if you shave that beard,” you whispered, lips brushing as you let one of his hands slide beneath your skirt, knuckles grazing your inner thighs and thin fabric of your underwear. “The mustache has to go, too.”

Eren pulled back just enough to look at you, eyes dark. “Really?” He scoffed quietly. You nodded several times, biting your bottom lip. “Alright, deal. But you better sit on my face when I do.”

The time you’d been spending with Satoru lately had led to a new kind of intimacy between you—one that went beyond your friendship, and both of you knew there was no use in ignoring it. 

Neither of you said it out loud, but it was in the air and at this point, it was choking you. 

He let out a small giggle and lied down, opening his arms in your direction. You sighed and lied with him, wrapping your arms around his torso and making yourself comfortable. You had your head on his shoulder when you met his eyes. 

His gaze wandered over your face and lingered a bit too long on your lips. 

You had always been one of the main targets of Satoru’s flirtatious behavior, his charm was directed at you at all times. But this past couple of weeks felt different. You’d found yourself getting used to this new proximity—his hand on your waist as he passed behind you, the way he tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear mid-conversation, how he stood behind you with his chin hovering near your shoulder when you checked mission reports, or placing his hand on your lower back to guide you through a crowd. 

You almost didn’t realize how you were quietly seeking him out too—leaning close to him, fixing the collar of his shirt, resting your hand on his arm when you wanted his attention, gestures that seemed small but deep inside, you knew better. 

Satoru was the bold one, the one who made your cheeks flush and your knees buckle—you thought he’d be the one to take the first step to go further but he always left you wanting for more. 

Even if your bodies were tangled in a small couch and he held you in his arms so tenderly, he just kissed your forehead, “good night, pretty,” he said before closing his blue eyes, making the room go dark. 

You buried your nose on the crook of his neck, realizing how much you wanted him to open his eyes and kiss your lips, but he was already fast asleep.

You felt the shift days— maybe even weeks—before. Even if you acted like your friendship with Satoru hadn’t changed, the people around you definitely had. Especially Megumi and Tsumiki, who exchanged looks like there was something else going on.

One afternoon, Tsumiki called your name while you were helping her and Megumi with their homework and Satoru was cutting some vegetables for dinner on the kitchen counter, “do you have a boyfriend?” She asked, and suddenly the sound of the knife in Satoru’s hand went quiet. 

You squinted at her, knowing her question wasn’t as innocent as it seemed. “I don’t…” you simply responded, but your voice still sounded unsure for some reason. 

“What about you, Gojo?” 

Satoru, who had been standing with his back to you, turned around to have a better look at the table the three of you were sitting at. 

He locked eyes with you, it was brief but it was enough to suffocate you. His deep gaze implied that there was something only you and him knew, a secret only Satoru and you shared. 

You noticed Megumi’s eyes darting between the two of you and wondered if it was really a secret. 

Satoru then looked at Tsumiki, a giggle escaping from his mouth. He winked at her and turned around again, his attention back to cooking dinner.   

“Tsumiki, aren’t you too young to be thinking about boyfriends and girlfriends?” He asked her and she huffed, annoyed at Satoru for avoiding her question. 

It was becoming harder to ignore, especially when you started to feel jealousy. 

It took you by surprise, the pull in your chest when you heard Satoru joking with a teacher in the school hallways, they were telling him how he should pick a wife now that he was going to be the head of the Gojo clan. Satoru didn’t say anything, but he laughed in response—and you didn’t like it. 

It was a harmless joke, nothing you haven’t heard before, so why was it bothering you so much? You knew why, but didn’t want to admit it. So instead, you ignored him for the rest of the day, leaving him confused, following you around like a lost puppy until you decided you weren’t mad at him anymore. 

You really tried to quiet the voices in your head, but they haunted you whenever your insecurities crept in. 

What if your mind was making it all up and he was the same he’d been in high school? The same teenage boy who acted goofy just to catch your attention and tugged your hair whenever you didn’t laugh at one of his jokes—the same Satoru who called you pretty every chance he got. 

What if it didn’t mean anything to him and he planned on marrying someone the elders of his clan found fit for him?

Most importantly, how much longer could you bear with the weight of it? 

All these questions followed into your nightmares. 

When you woke up, Satoru was watching you from a chair in the center of the small kitchen slash living room, with sleepy yet attentive eyes, “morning,” he said with a groggy voice. “We can drop the kids to school and then I could take you home.” 

You hated how natural the words came out of his mouth, like it was a possible future—waking up together and taking the kids to school and then going to work. You hated how comfortable you felt around him even if your face was all puffy from your sleep and your hair a complete mess. And of course, you hated how he looked like an angel even in the morning. 

“Sure,” your words came out almost a whisper. You wanted to be angry, but instead, a sudden sadness took over you. You couldn’t take it anymore, waking up with his scent all over you, you could feel how the warmth of his body still lingered on yours—it had become too much. 

The car ride after saying goodbye to Megumi and Tsumiki was silent, you could feel Satoru shifting uncomfortably on the driver seat, he didn’t understand why your mood had suddenly changed or how to fix it. Was it him? Did he do something wrong? Maybe the pancakes were a bit burnt this morning, could that be it? 

“I was wondering… if I could shower at your place and then we can go to the school together?” He asked, feeling afraid of saying the wrong thing. 

There it was, the domestic ease and the casualness in the way he spoke, like he had done it a thousand times. It came with such effortlessness that it made your stomach twist.

“No problem,” you smiled tightly at him. If Satoru noticed your distance, he didn’t mention anything about it, but you knew it was a matter of time before he started to interrogate you. 

When you arrived at your apartment, you could feel Satoru’s gaze following you around the place, you tried  your best to ignore it but when you finally met his eyes to hand him a fresh towel, you could see the clear confusion on his face, like he was trying to solve a riddle. “There you go. Yell if you need anything,” you told him and disappeared from his sight, leaving him standing alone at the entrance of the bathroom.

You decided to do the dishes you left in the sink the day before to keep your mind occupied, but somehow it only made it worse. 

All you could think was Satoru—taking his clothes off and showering in your bathroom, using your shampoo and your soap and smelling like you for the rest of the day. Satoru, stepping out of the shower naked and wiping the steam off the mirror, the reflection of his wet chest and the water drops falling from his hair. 

It was only when you heard his voice that you realized you were standing still in front of the kitchen sink, staring off into nothing. 

“What’s got you so deep in your head?” he asked, his tone was between amused and confused. 

You jumped a bit and took a look at him. He was drying his hair with your pink towel, leaning against the doorframe. It frustrated you, really—he even looked like he belonged in here, how could he blend so well into the space that you carefully curated for yourself? 

“C’mon, are you really not gonna talk to me?” he stepped closer to you when you didn’t answer him right away. 

He walked towards you and when he was close enough to hear your heartbeat—or so you were afraid of—you put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Is there something wrong?” 

You sucked a breath, unable to look him in the eyes. “Please, stop.” You didn’t mean for it to come out as a plea, but it did anyway.  

“Did I do something to upset you?” He spoke, leaning down so he could search for your eyes. His soft voice making your heart clench. “Was it the pancakes…?” 

He was so close to you that when you finally looked at him, you had to lift your chin. “What? No—it wasn’t the pancakes,” you frowned, pausing for a moment that stretched for way too long. You felt the tension in the room increasing as you scrambled in your brain for the right words, but your mind betrayed you, you couldn’t form a rational thought. 

“I mean–I don’t know, maybe. Or not, it’s just…” You took a deep breath, trying to stop your stuttering. “You know what I’m talking about, what is this?” You asked him, pointing at the two of you with your hand.

He raised his brows, surprised. “What is what? Us?” you could notice the confusion taking over his features. The way he worded it made your chest tighten, like you or him no longer existed. ‘Us’ he said.  

“Yes, Satoru, this whole thing,” he flinched at your harsh tone. You didn’t mean to lose your temper, but then the words started to slip out of your mouth before you could stop them.

“What does all of this mean?” You questioned. “We spend all these afternoons together, you cook me dinner and make me breakfast, we take care of the kids, and then you come to my place and walk around like you own it?” You blurted all of your doubts like you were in a hurry. 

“What do you mean?” He shot back, “I thought you liked it, I–I just want to be close to you,” Satoru tried to explain himself, struggling to find the right thing to say to calm you down but his thoughts ran faster than his words. 

“So that’s it? You just wanted to be close?” You used his words against him. Satoru’s eyes were wide open, clearly not expecting that. 

He tried to reach for you again, but you couldn’t take the already familiar proximity anymore.  

“Of course it’s not just that,” Satoru said, his soft eyes narrowing. 

“Then, what is it?” You cut him off before he could continue. There was a clear contrast between his calm demeanor and your anxious one. “You do and say all these things but then I hear you talking shit about marrying some girl for the sake of your clan?” 

You knew you weren’t being fair with him. You knew that wasn’t how things had happened, but all your insecurities were resurfacing and you realized how hurt you still were from that day. 

His mouth falls open. 

Pieces of a conversation slowly coming to his mind in waves. It had been so insignificant to him that he could barely remember the conversation you were referring to. What he remembered clearly, though, was how cold you had been with him that day. It didn’t take him long to start connecting the dots. 

“What are you even talking about, y/n?” Satoru frowned even deeper, trying hard to keep his voice down. “When did I ever care about what those old fucks think?” 

You closed your eyes shut. You didn’t mean for the conversation to take this route, but it was too late to take it all back. “Then, why didn't you say anything?” You snapped, digging a finger on his chest. 

Satoru threw his hands in the air. “Because it was a stupid joke, it didn’t mean anything at all.” He paused, “are you seriously telling me you were mad because of that the other day?” 

“This is not about that fucking joke, Satoru. I’m talking about you not being clear with me.”

The room falls silent for a moment. The sunlight entering the window hit his face making his blue eyes glow. Your heart felt heavy at the sigh. Even at that moment you couldn’t stop the feeling, he made your knees weak, your breath falter, messing up with your head. 

“I thought I was being clear,” he said in low murmur, taking a step closer. “I thought we were on the same page.” 

“And what page is that exactly, Satoru?” you kept questioning him. “You don’t tell me anything, we slept together but you didn’t even kiss me.” The words slipped out of your mouth, almost without your permission. Your voice now softening. 

“I was waiting for you,” his hands reached for your face, cupping your cheeks. You allowed him, melting instantly at his touch. You stood there, “I just didn’t want to rush things and ruin everything by getting too excited, I wanted you to realize that I’m serious about you.”

Then, it clicked. For the first time in weeks, his touch made you nervous. Once you cooled down, you became aware of how close he was and the weight of his words sank in—it overwhelmed you to the point of wanting to run away from him, even though an answer from him was what you’d asked for. 

Standing there in the kitchen, all you could feel was the heat radiating from his body, his breath mixing with yours, his warm hands on your face and his soft eyes fixed on you, making it impossible to run away from it. You saw right through him, you never saw or heard him being so serious about anything. 

“When I had that dumb conversation, I didn’t say anything because I only want you”

You exhaled, feeling a weight lifted off your shoulders, “were you not playing with me?” You asked, just to be sure, scared that he could change his mind at the last minute. 

He laughed softly and wrapped his arms around your waist, pressing you against his body. “I should be asking you that question, you told Tsumiki you didn’t have a boyfriend.” 

You rolled your eyes and played with the collar of his shirt, still too shy to look him in the eyes after everything you said. “Well, it’s the truth. I don’t have a boyfriend.” 

“Are you sure about that?” He whispered as he placed small kisses on your neck, making your heart race. Now you were sure he could feel it beating against his own chest, threatening to escape from your ribcage.

His kisses trailed up to your cheek, only stopping right before your lips. You gripped his shirt tighter. This wasn’t teasing anymore. Suddenly, it all felt too real.

You lifted your gaze, fighting to maintain eye contact with him. Trying to be firm, you chuckled,  “Oh, I’m very sure.”

You didn’t want to give in so easily, Satoru was used to having everything he wanted the way he wanted it, you didn’t want to be one of those things. It was stubborn of you, you knew you were already doomed. You were already caged in his arms, you had already fallen for him. 

Satoru shook his head slowly, his nose brushing against yours, humming. “Mhm, I don’t think so…”

Wasting no more time, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against yours, leaving you out breath. Your hands traveled up to the back of his neck, your fingers slightly tugging his wet hair, trying to draw him even closer. 

Fighting all your thoughts, all your insecurities, you accepted his kiss like you’ve been waiting for it for years, maybe you were. You kissed him softly, his lips kept moving gently against yours but his hands gripped your waist firmly, keeping you pressed against his body.

You hummed lowly against his mouth, making him fist the fabric of your top. It was driving you crazy, how sweet his mouth tasted on yours and his fingers digging the flesh of your waist, the mixture of the tenderness of his kiss and the roughness of his hands and the way they slid from your waist to your ribs, his thumbs caressing your sides. 

You parted your lips and Satoru knew exactly what you wanted. He slid his tongue past your lips, deepening the kiss as he began to walk without letting you go, until your back met the kitchen counter.

It was all too intimate, the way he bit and licked your lower lip as his kiss became messier as the time went by. He gripped the back of your thighs, lifting you up until you were sitting on the cold marble as he placed himself between your legs, as if it could be possible to be any closer. 

His hands sneaked under your t-shirt, pulling away just so he could direct his hungry kisses down your neck, biting and licking the skin of your throat. You grabbed  him by his broad shoulders, making him look into your eyes and deciding this was going too fast and you were going to be late for work. Never in a million years would you imagine watching Satoru this way, with his mouth open, out of breath and eyes glistening with lust.  

“Satoru…” You called his name with a warning tone. 

“Baby…” He mocked your tone. The pet name rolled off his tongue like second nature, making your heart skip a beat. “You’re kind of scary when you’re jealous.”

You frowned. “I wasn’t jealous.” 

“C’mon,” you felt his hands squeezing your waist, clearly not believing you.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” 

“Tell me the truth.” He said, a cheeky smirk appearing on his face. 

“Okay, maybe I was a bit jealous… And maybe,” you paused for a moment. “I only want you, too” 

His smile spread wider across his face. “You understand, right? I’m serious about you.”

“How serious?” You wanted to believe you just wanted to tease him, but you knew you just needed reassurance from him one more time. 

“Pretty damn serious,” he answered, his tone firm. “What about you? Are you serious about me?” He grinned at you, playfully. 

“Pretty damn serious, too.”

He then crashed his lips with yours once again, his kisses as passionate as before while his hands climbed up your back, reaching for the hook of your bra. You pull away from him, placing a hand on his hard chest.

“We need to go to work,” you said, cupping his jaw. 

“We can call in sick…” he suggested as he leaned into the palm of your hand. 

You let out a quiet laugh. “Sick? the both of us?” He hummed in agreement. 

“And we can continue what we were doing…” He whispered as he kissed you shortly.

You shook your head disapprovingly. “Now it’s not time,” you said, trying to sound like the voice of reason, even if deep down you just wanted to tease him. 

“When, then?” He pressed, bumping your nose into yours. 

You hopped off the counter and made your way to the couch where your coat and your bag had been left. You couldn’t go much further before you felt his arms wrapping around you from behind. “I don’t know, let me check my schedule…” 

Satoru groaned into your neck, not enjoying your teasing. “So…tonight?” He insisted.

You snorted, breaking character. “Maybe…” 

He hummed happily, satisfied with your answer. Satoru couldn’t wait for tonight.

Right now, you were giving him the silent treatment but Satoru being Satoru, wouldn't accept it. He could not accept the fact that you were still mad at him. Satoru Gojo wasn’t raised to take a no for an answer, even if he knew things didn’t work that way with you. For you, he wasn’t the strongest, he was the man who had to do the dishes because it was his turn that night.

You crossed paths in a meeting this morning, he kissed your cheek lightly, “How are you doing, love?” he asked, coldly. You didn’t look him in the eyes, your only response being a short hum. If your colleagues and students hadn’t picked up on your distance the past couple days, they definitely noticed now.

You already knew there were dark circles under his eyes even if they were hidden by his blindfold, you could tell from the way he slouched as he walked and how he dropped his body on his chair. You still felt the instinct to take care of him like you did when he came home from every mission, he would deactivate his infinity so you could run your hands through his white hair and help him forget about his day— but at that moment you were so upset that you really wanted to ignore it.

Your husband left once again and you carried with your day as usual. When you finished your chores and the sun was setting, you were gathering your belongings in an empty classroom you occupied to fill in some paperwork, that’s when the door was opened and you noticed Megumi’s face peeking out.

You smiled at him. Even if he was cold most of the time, everytime you talked to Megumi a warm feeling settled in your chest. “Hey, you” you greeted him, “how was your day?”

“It was okay,” he answered, standing awkwardly in front of you.

It was rare to see Megumi acting shy and you knew him well enough to notice he wanted to talk about something.

You look at him intently. “So…”

He blinked like he was trying to get out of his own head. “I wanted to check on you, Sensei.” the words came out of his mouth calmly, like he had practiced it before. Even if you knew he was sincere, you sensed that wasn’t the only reason he came to you.

“I’m doing just fine, Megumi” you answered lightly, knowing that wasn’t the response he was looking for.

“No, I mean… I know, I just wanted to ask…” He trailed off and you interrupted him.

“You can sit down, you know,” you laughed a bit at his tense posture. He obeyed you and sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk you were using before.

He took a breath before he spoke, “I was just wondering, and I know it’s not my place so you don’t have to answer,” he looked at your face and waited for you to say something but you just smiled at him patiently. “Did Gojo sensei do something to upset you?” he finally asked and quickly avoided your eyes, scared of your response.

You looked at Megumi and couldn't help but see the kid he was almost ten years ago when Satoru first introduced the two of you, six year old Megumi who you taught how to properly tie his shoe laces, when his face was smaller so his eyelashes seemed longer but looked at you with the same boring gaze as fifteen year old Megumi. He could be taller and stronger now but it was hard for you to separate him from that kid.

His question almost took you by surprise. It was no secret you weren’t on speaking terms with your husband but you wouldn't have imagined it could affect Megumi. You mentally cursed Satoru, even if you knew you were the one who decided not to talk to him, you insisted on putting all the blame on him, the fact that you had to see Megumi looking like a lost puppy was his fault.

Despite feeling the anger slowly taking over you again, you felt a spark of amusement, even if for your students Satoru and you were like the good and bad cop respectively, Megumi still sided with you because he knew you were the voice of reason.

You were fantasizing of punching Satoru on the gut but you didn’t let it show since you didn’t want to make it worse. Trying to focus on Megumi, you imagined how he must’ve felt, Satoru and you took care of him even before you two were an official couple, it was like you had a whole son before even having a real kiss. It was only natural for him to be worried about your relationship since it was the first example of romance he ever had in his short life.

You sighed, “he can be too protective sometimes, that’s all”

“So he's not being a shitty husband?”

He is being kinda shitty, you thought.

You didn’t feel like giving Megumi details of the feud with your husband, instead, you tried to calm whatever thoughts were going through his head.

“No, Megumi,” you laughed lightly. “He’s just being him and I’m being me, we just have to figure some things out”

Despite your attempts to ease his concerns on your marriage, Megumi still didn’t seem convinced.

You think about how you could reassure him for a moment and your mind goes back a few weeks.

“You remember the other day, when Itadori asked Gojo sensei how he had managed to make me fall for him?” You asked him.

Well, those weren’t his words precisely.

Megumi’s attention turned to you again, he nodded despite his soft frown, a confused look forming on his face.

You recall the afternoon you had gone looking for Satoru to go home and he was finishing his class with the first year students in the training field. As you approached, you noticed Yuji and your husband laughing hard, you could swear there was smoke coming out of Nobara’s ears as she crossed her arms over her chest while Megumi was on his phone, trying his hardest to ignore the whole situation. It was clear that he was goofing around with Yuji and Nobara and Megumi weren’t having it.

When Satoru felt your presence, he quickly straightened his posture and squared his shoulders. “Hi, baby,” he greeted, pulling himself together in front of you. “How was your day?” he asked as he usually did at the end of the day, grabbing your face and smooching your cheek, acting like nothing was happening before you arrived. You closed your eyes for a second and sighed. There was no need for words, he understood immediately: it had been a tiring day for you.

He grabbed you by your waist and pulled you closer to the side of his own body, getting ready to say his goodbyes to his students when you noticed the puzzled looks on Itadori and Kugisaki’s faces.

“I still don’t get what God you prayed to marry her,” she squinted at her sensei, clearly still annoyed at whatever had been happening minutes earlier. Satoru let out a small giggle and gave your face another smooch, this time closer to your mouth.

You were a reserved woman, especially in front of your students but your husband had a tendency to drag you into his nonsense. You didn’t return his affections but you didn’t push him away either, it had been a long day after all.

“Yeah, she’s right! How were you able to pull her?” Itadori had said. His question was genuine in contrast to his friend’s sassy remark. “How can a classy woman like her be with a man like you?” He cleared his throat, quickly realizing his tone was out of line, “With all due respect, of course…”

“With my good looks and golden personality, of course,” Satoru smiled proudly, overlooking his student’s implication and held you tighter. “You should already know that your teacher is a charming man, it was only a matter of time from the moment she first saw me,” another smooch followed and you rolled your eyes at him. Neither of your students were buying your husband’s bullshit.

“Okay, now for real—” Nobara’s attention was fully on you now, “how did he?”

You raised your eyebrows, feeling a bit shy as your three students were waiting for you to reply, Megumi’s eyes finally leaving his phone screen, now intrigued about the conversation. You looked up at your husband’s face, who looked like he was looking for a real response but when nothing came to his mind, he shrugged and posed his eyes on you just like the three kids.

“Oh you know, he’s a good man…” You tried to dismiss their questions quickly, foolishly believing that they would be content with a simple answer.

“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Nobara interrupted you, “but he’s also irritating, there has to be something else.” You laughed softly, feeling less tense now.

“Well, his money helped a lot, too.” You joked. Satoru pinched your waist playfully and you paid attention to his face. He then took his blindfold off, his blue eyes waiting for another kind of answer. You got lost in them for a couple seconds before continuing.

“It’s simple, really. I just realized his heart and intentions were genuine. At the time, he did some things that made me realize that,” you told them. Yuji, Nobara and Megumi were waiting to hear the rest of your story but you had only whispered it into Satoru’s ear when he tilted his head with a frown on his face, confused of what you were referring to. You also remember the big smile that had appeared on his face.

The curious kids read the room: you were tired and weren’t willing to give them the exact details, but that was enough of an answer for them: you fell for Satoru because he cared.

Megumi wasn’t sure why you suddenly brought up something so random, but he was still as curious as that day. “Yes, you left us kinda hanging…”

“Well, Satoru had never been too serious about anything, less alone when it came to women.” You told him, reminiscing. “So when he began flirting with me, I had to constantly remind myself that he was probably just playing around, we were friends after all, I never thought I could be the girl who could magically change him”

You could talk about it freely now, but at the time, bottling those feelings for him had felt like torture. Satoru flirted with you nonstop, back then, he used to greet you with a “you look good today” instead of a simple “hello”, every single time. He always made sure to save you a seat beside him or walked you to your dorm and loved to ask you to feed him in the mouth, just to get the chance to see your red cheeks. You never considered it was anything more than him joking as usual, even if he liked you and was attracted to you, you never took him seriously.

Your younger self had locked those thoughts away in the back of your mind but it was hard when Satoru’s actions kept you awake more nights than you would like to admit, trying to convince yourself that he didn’t have a powerful effect on you.

The hardest time you had trying to kill the butterflies Satoru put in your stomach as a teenager was that one time you had saved money from your student allowance for months, but still weren’t any closer to buying the new digital camera you desired with your whole heart, so you had put together a simple but effective plan: use 80% of your monthly funds and then try to survive the rest of the month with the bare minimum, it was easy. It was only a month of not being able to hang out around the city with your friends or go shopping with them, it was definitely going to be a boring month but you’d have your camera.

You had explained this to all your friends except Satoru for some reason, but he was the only one of them available to go shopping with you the day you were getting the digital camera. When he heard your plan, he laughed it off despite looking a bit concerned for you.

He didn’t call you out on your terrible way of managing your incomes, but when it was time to pay, he took his wallet out and paid for the camera himself. “Christmas gift,” he had simply said, even if Christmas was a couple months away. You insisted that it wasn’t necessary and that you could never repay him, plus you couldn’t promise him you could buy him a decent gift by the holidays. “A kiss will do.” He gave you a cheeky grin and you could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks. You punched him playfully in the shoulder and just thanked him.

You wanted to believe it meant nothing to him, but there were times when it was hard to tell the teasing from his actual feelings. You didn’t sleep that night.

“It was only after we graduated that I stopped seeing as a goofy teenager and understood how big his heart really is…” you continued and you could see Megumi leaning slightly forward on his seat. “Do you know what happened around that time?” you asked him and he shaked his head, an expectant look on his face.

“He became your guardian.” You smiled at Megumi and he raised his eyebrows, you laughed softly at his reaction, unable to remember when was the last time he’d shown this much expression.

“H-how— What—” He stuttered, struggling to find the right words.

“I guess you could say that we wouldn’t even be together if it weren’t for you.” You winked at him.

“I’m sure that’s not entirely true…” Megumi scratched the back of his neck.

“Oh, no, that’s exactly how it went,”you laughed, despite yourself. “Did you know I was about to leave Jujutsu society after I finished high school?”

Megumi frowned, the curious look back on his face, but he let you continue your story. He didn’t ask what horrors you had to endure as a teenager, but he could imagine.

“But Satoru asked me to help him take care of you and your beautiful sister one afternoon…” You caught a brief spark in his eyes at the mention of Tsumiki, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “He told me all about his plans of becoming a teacher and forming a generation of sorcerers who could be as strong as him, even more,” you began to remember. “I don’t know… I guess it gave me hope. It convinced me to stay, to give it another chance.”

The memories flooded your mind, the times he would take Megumi to school and pick him up at the end of the day, or when you two used to go grocery shopping every month to get anything Megumi and Tsumiki could need. Satoru used to make sure they did their homework every afternoon and after that, they would invite you to watch a movie with them.

You didn’t know exactly when it happened, but you were sure it was on one of those many afternoons where you fell asleep on the couch, your head on Satoru’s warm chest.

Even beneath his serious demeanor, you could still see a certain fondness in Megumi’s eyes. Of all the things you could’ve said, that was what he least expected.

“You might think it’s a bit cheesy,” you defended yourself beforehand, afraid of sounding like a pathetic adult, “but every time I look at you, I’m reminded of his kindness and good heart,” you paused for a second, “please don’t tell him I said that.”

To your surprise, Megumi let out a low chuckle, “you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… you don’t have to worry about us. We will have disagreements but we’ll always find our way to each other.”

When you finished your story, you could see Megumi was no longer tense and the worried look on his face was nowhere to be seen. He gave a brief smile, almost imperceptible. You walked Megumi to his dorm that afternoon, he muttered a small “thank you” and entered his room. You knew he wasn’t just grateful for your company.

You came home, the sun was almost completely gone and your house was still empty. You sighed.

You were shocked how your conversation with Megumi made your anger —almost— disappear. You still wanted to curse your husband a little, but it was hard to stay mad at him when you spent the last couple hours reminiscing about the very early stages of your relationship. Thinking about Satoru as a teenager always made you a bit weak.

You showered and changed into your nightgown. While you were waiting for the microwave to finish reheating your dinner, you checked your phone: no sign of your husband—not a text or even a lost call.

You slipped into your big bed and once you were between the cold sheets, you decided it was time to end this stupid fight with your husband.

He was going to hear what you had to say, but at least you will begin to address his presence instead of ignoring him like you’d been doing.

You heard the front door opening and the sound of his footsteps—you could recognize them anywhere. You quickly turned onto your side, giving your back to the door of your shared room, pretending to be asleep.

He went straight to the bathroom and you heard the water running. After ten minutes, the shine from the bathroom lightened the bedroom and the steam and smell of his shampoo filled the air.

You felt the mattress dipping under his weight and your body went still when you suddenly felt his arms around you.

“Baby, please, let’s stop fighting,” Satoru whined softly with his face buried in your neck, “talk to me, please.”

You should’ve known better than to pretend to be asleep, his Six Eyes could read right through you easily.

You were expecting the distant Satoru from this morning to arrive home, but the barrier you set between you two must’ve affected him too. These past couple days he seemed to be very firm about his position on the argument, you couldn’t have imagined he was going to be the first to crack.

You finally turned your face to him, putting space between you two. He propped his elbow on the mattress and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. It was becoming harder and harder to stay mad at him when he looked so cozy, fresh out of the shower with his sleep shorts and an oversized t-shirt that let you see his collarbones. He looked at you with a tired yet soft gaze. You looked at him back but said nothing.

“You need to understand, you are not fully healed yet, baby,” he insisted, “you need to rest at least a couple weeks more”.

“I can still fight,” you argued, anger taking over your tone.

Satoru frowned, “I won’t risk it.”

“And you had to go and decide for me like you own me? Like I’m some kind of dog?”

“You know it’s not like that, ” Satoru’s tone remained calm. “Of course I don’t think you’re a thing that I own—I’m sorry if I made the decision for you but I had to do it,” it was evident he wanted to put an end to this fight. “You wouldn’t have heard me. I can’t help but worry too much sometimes and I let it go to my head. Don’t you think I don’t notice how you try to hide the pain in your face when you move too fast? I do, I always do.”

“I understand…but this is my job, Satoru. I can’t allow myself the privileges you offer just by being married to you. What if someone gets hurt in a mission that’s supposed to be mine?” He avoided your gaze when your tone became more stern, and you gently grabbed his chin so his eyes met yours.

“What if you get hurt in my place?”

You caught the pained look on his face when he moved closer to you, “I’m sorry for that baby, really. But I wouldn’t forgive myself if you got hurt worse than last time— especially if I could’ve stopped it.”

You rolled your body on top of his, you put your hand on his hard chest as you straddled him, making his eyes go wide with surprise.

“You have to promise not to do that ever again, you need to talk to me first,” you wanted to stay firm but his words really had a way with you.

It annoyed you how much he cared for you and how pure his intentions were in the first place. You knew that the reason you had gone soft on him was because of the conversation you had with Megumi that afternoon, and because you were so tired you couldn’t wait to melt into his warmth as well.

“Does that mean you forgive me?” He smirked. He ran his hands from your ribs down to your hips, pulling you down against his crotch.

You tried to ignore the warm feeling that ran through your body and tapped his cheek, playfully but firm enough to wipe the grin on his face. “Satoru… you need to trust me,” you repeated, putting on a serious face again. “Promise me.”

He sat down with your body on his lap, putting you as close as he could—hands sneaking under the skirt of your nightgown and grabbing your upper thighs steadily.

“I promise, baby,” he said as he began to prep kisses on your face, slowly making his way down to your neck. “I promise, please forgive,” he planted a wet kiss on the center of your throat. “I missed you so much, let's not fight ever again,” his tone became a bit desperate when you took your sweet time to respond to his affections.

“Okay, okay. I forgive you” you said, interrupting him, “only because you are practically begging me to.”

But you liked nights like these, where the silence in the room settled gently, and the only sounds were the soft ruffle of the wind outside, the quiet turn of pages, the moments when he suddenly asked about something he didn’t understand or when you shared a joke. So, just for tonight, you decided not to tempt the devil. At least for now.

You pushed your glasses up the bridge of your nose, yawning. This time, the silence wasn’t interrupted by your boyfriend’s voice, but by a loud thud against the wall.

“What was that?” Eren asked without taking his eyes off the book, barely paying attention. You didn’t, either.

“I think it came from Armin’s room,” you murmured, hearing him hum in response.

A few more seconds of silence passed. You were only two pages away from finishing the chapter, ready to go to sleep and drag Eren to bed with you if necessary, when your thoughts were cut off by two loud bangs against the wall, this time definitely from Armin’s room.

Raising your head to look at him, you found his eyes already on you. He frowned, opening his mouth to say something, but the sound kept going.

“What’s hap—” you tried to say, cutting yourself off as strange sounds carried through the room next door.

Eren’s confused expression vanished, replaced by wide eyes and a mouth opening to yell something. Before you could think twice, you launched yourself from the bed into his lap, your hand flying up to cover his mouth.

“Oh my god…” you whispered, pressing closer against Eren as you tried to keep him quiet. “Are they…?”

He caught your wrist, gently pulling your hand away. “They’re fucking,” he whispered back, his arm wrapping instinctively around your waist.

“You think so?” you laughed, covering your mouth. “I didn’t even know Annie was here.”

“I mean…” he whispered, letting the room fall into silence as the two of you tried to hear more. This time, the sounds were… less subtle. Not loud enough to make out actual words, but enough to make you snort softly against his shoulder and have to bury your face into his hoodie to keep from laughing, he quietly shook with silent laughter. They were unmistakably moans.

“Oh my god,” you whispered again, trying to laugh quietly as you wrapped your arms around his neck. “This must be payback, right? For the other night.”

Right — the other night. The thought alone betrayed him, pulling him back as the memory flashed behind his eyes. The way he’d pinned you into the mattress, your body arching helplessly beneath him, the way you’d been forced to swallow every sound with him between your legs, fully aware Armin was just next door. A quiet, dark chuckle slipped from his throat. It was funny to consider, but no, Armin would never. “I doubt it,” he said. “I bet they think we’re asleep.”

“You’re right,” you nodded. “We shouldn’t be hearing this.”

And yet, you didn’t move. Your arms stayed looped around him as you stared at the wall dividing Eren’s room from Armin’s, which kept bumping faintly. Neither of you couldn’t complain too much about it, you knew that you had been way louder than them.

“Are we perverts for this?” you whispered.

“Yes, definitely,” Eren answered without hesitation, pausing for a moment as the sounds continued. “Who do you think’s in charge?” he murmured softly into your ear, making a quiet laugh slip out of you.

“Eren…” you scolded, though your lips twitched with a smile.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t think about it.”

You snorted “No, actually. I wasn’t thinking of it.” 

“I think it’s Annie,” he murmured, a faint smirk in his voice.

“You sure?”

He nodded confidently. “Yeah. Doesn’t she have that kind of aura? Like she ties him to the bed or something.”

You scrunched your nose, though your lips were already twitching. “Well, maybe… but what if Armin acts all sweet and harmless, and he’s actually a dom daddy?”

Eren closed his eyes shut for a moment, leaning back into the chair, disgusted at the thought. “Please don’t ever put that word in the same sentence as Armin again.”

You leaned in anyway, closer, your nose brushing his, your breath warm against his lips. “What word?” you whispered, dragging it out slowly. “Daddy?”

His hands tightened on your waist automatically “Don’t start.” He warned. 

“Shut up, you started.” You poked his stomach, making him shift under you. Then, you spoke softer. “Besides… we shouldn’t be talking like this.” You glanced at the wall like it might tell on you. “What if they talk about us the way we’re talking about them?”

“They’re not talking about us like that.” He stated. 

“How are you so sure, huh?”

“Because It’s too obvious who’s in charge,” he said, a small smile pulling at his lips, leaning just a little closer.

“What?” You gasped, nudging his arm.

“Baby…” he murmured, far too smug for his own good.

“Is that really what you think?” you asked. “That you control me?”

He didn’t even hesitate. “Is that a trick question?”

“You’re an asshole.” You said in disbelief. 

Eren couldn’t help but smile, biting back a laugh“C’mon, baby. I didn’t mean it like that,” he said, his hands sliding gently to your thighs, guiding one of your legs around his waist until you were straddling him. You frowned slightly. “Don’t you like it when I tell you what to do?”

“No.” You deadpanned, pretending you weren’t noticing the way his hands were sneaking under your —his— t-shirt.

He leaned closer, voice dropping. “You seemed to like it yesterday at your place.”

“You’re wrong, you know?” you shot back, ignoring him. “You might think you have control, but I’m actually a master of mind games. I can get you to do whatever I want.”

“Is that so?” he said, a slow smirk spreading across his face.

“Yes, of course. I bat my eyelashes a little, and I already have you doing whatever I want,” you hummed. “Not only in bed, either — I mean everything.”

“Like what, exactly?”

You paused for a second, searching for an example, but the easiest one was right in front of you.

“Well, simple,” you said. “You think you suddenly fell in love with me? You’re wrong. I planned all of it.”

Eren held your gaze for a moment before he burst into laughter, unable to contain the sound as it filled the room.

“What are you laughing about?” you asked, almost offended.

“At you, of course,” he said. “I made you fall in love with me, too. You’re not that special.”

You shook your head, a crooked smile tugging at your lips. “No, it’s not the same. You don’t understand.” You cupped his face with both hands, pulling him closer until your noses nearly touched. “You think you made me fall in love with you because you’re cocky and irresistible, but I planted the seeds. I put it into work, for months. I wanted you long before you wanted me and then I made you believe you fell in love with me out of nowhere.”

You weren’t entirely sure why you were confessing this. It was one of your deepest secrets, yet somehow, you knew he was the only person you could ever admit it to.

You were not wrong. Somehow, your words made his heart swell.

“And are you telling me you just go around making guys fall in love with you the same way you did with me?” he dared to ask.

“I never said that.” You laughed, ignoring another loud thud against the wall. “I do it to make friends. Look at Sasha — she’s funnier and cooler than me. Do you think she would’ve been my friend on her own? Of course not. I had to pull some strings, get her to talk to me somehow. I was too shy.”

Eren frowned, clearly unconvinced. “So, following that logic, I would’ve never fallen in love with you if you hadn’t planned on it?”

You hummed, confident. “Mhm. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. I’m a professional.”

Eren sighed, shaking his head as he grabbed you by the waist and lifted you off the chair with him. “No, you’re not,” he said, carrying you to his bed, laying you down and hovering over you. “You might think you’re this super-smart person and yeah, you are — but you’re also incredibly dense.”

“Eren Jaeger—” you threatened, your head hitting the pillows.

“You’re actually dumb if you think Sasha wouldn’t have been your friend by her own choice.” He said, settling between your legs. “And you’re stupid if you think I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you in every possible circumstance.” 

You couldn’t help but smile like an idiot. “Stop insulting me…” 

He leaned in to kiss you softly, making your heart flutter. “Stop talking nonsense.” He murmured against your lips.

“It’s not nonsense.” You insisted “I’m telling you, I can’t reveal my methods, but I’m trusting you enough to confess to you my mechanism.” 

Eren snorted. “What is your mechanism, exactly? Being a pretty girl who knows how to bat her lashes?” 

“I scheme.” You insisted “I plan, I’m very smart.”

His hand slid up to your neck, tilting your head until you had no choice but to meet his eyes. A quiet smile flickered across his lips before he kissed you again — deeper this time. His tongue brushed against your lips only for a second before he pulled back, just enough to make your breath hitch.

His arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you with him as you both sank onto the bed, settling into each other “You’re… very cute.” He murmured against your mouth just for you to hear “And yeah, really smart — but pretty and kind, too.”

He pressed another slow kiss to your lips.

“A little grumpy sometimes,” he added, barely holding back a smile, “but also really funny… and really sweet… and really, really, really hot.”

“Are you trying to seduce me?” you whispered, warmth creeping into your cheeks.

“Shut up,” he smiled, his grip on your waist tightening just slightly. “You are all those things. That’s why I fell in love with you.”

You trace your fingers across his jaw, pulling him into another kiss. “You’re so whipped, it’s embarrassing.”

“Idiot.” He murmured before crashing his lips into yours. 

Maybe he was right — maybe you didn’t need to spend all those nights thinking of ways to bump into him on campus, or plotting little schemes to make him jealous. Maybe he would’ve fallen for you anyway. Still, a part of you couldn’t help but believe it had all been your doing, especially when his hands slid under your t-shirt as he deepened the kiss, tugging it over your head and tossing it somewhere across the floor, leaving you in nothing but your underwear.