Late into the night, neither of them had managed to fall asleep. They lay on the same bed, a wide, uncomfortable gap between them, with backs turned, bodies stiff.
Yuji shifted, restless, before finally mustering the courage to roll over.
Gasp.
His eyes widened when he realized Gojo was already awake, staring at him. Their gazes collided in the dark.
"Can't sleep?" Gojo asked, caught off guard himself, though he quickly masked it with a casual tone.
Yuji's face heated, and he only managed a shy nod.
The silence between them thickened, charged with everything unspoken. Gojo pressed his lips together, frustrated. This is why I can't tell him. If I admit what his scent does to me… with this kind of horniness, we'd both drown in awkwardness.
He sighed loudly, the sound cutting through the quiet. Yuji flinched at the suddenness of it.
Before Yuji could react further, Gojo reached out and pulled him into his chest.
"Ahh—!" Yuji yelped, face burning as he found himself wrapped in Gojo's arms. Their eyes met again, so close this time that Yuji could feel the warmth of Gojo's breath brushing his skin.
His heart thudded painfully fast. He couldn't even form words.
Gojo smirked faintly at Yuji's expression. For a moment, the mood teetered on the edge of something dangerous, something neither of them knew how to name.
And then, with absolutely no warning, Gojo's hand darted down and ruthlessly tickled Yuji's side.
"Wha—hey! S-senpai, stop—! Aahaha!" Yuji twisted, nearly kicking the blanket off as he tried to push Gojo away. But the older man only grinned wider, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Oh? Ticklish here too?" Gojo teased, fingers dancing mercilessly along Yuji's ribs.
Yuji shrieked with laughter, his voice cracking. "N-no—! Senpai—ahaha, s-stop it! I can't—!"
"Too late," Gojo sing-songed, easily shifting his weight to pin Yuji more securely. He straddled Yuji's hips, long fingers darting under his arms, brushing those sensitive spots that made Yuji thrash helplessly.
"Senpaiii!" Yuji's laughter shook the room, muffled by the pillow as he writhed. His chest ached from breathlessness, and his face burned red–not only from laughter. He's too close… way too close.
"Oh? You think you can beat me?" Gojo leaned down, his loose hair tickling Yuji's cheek, their noses almost brushing. His grin was wicked as his fingers continued their playful assault.
Desperate, Yuji grabbed his wrists, managing to roll them sideways. The bed creaked loud under their weight, sheets twisting around their tangled legs. "Got you!" Yuji panted, trying to pin Gojo's arms.
But Gojo twisted free with infuriating ease, attacking again until Yuji squealed. Their laughter spilled together, echoing bright and warm, chasing away the heavy silence from before.
"Senpai, nooo—!" Yuji howled as Gojo lunged, rolling them hard. This time, Yuji's back hit the mattress with a soft thump. Gojo loomed above, hair falling into his face, his chest rising and falling fast.
Yuji writhed under him, still gasping with leftover laughter, but the moment stretched strangely quiet. Gojo's weight pressed down firmly, his hips settling between Yuji's thighs as if pinning him was the most natural thing in the world.
The realization hit Yuji all at once–how their legs had tangled, how the heat of Gojo's body pressed flush against his own, how every shaky breath brushed across his lips. His laughter died in his throat, replaced by a stunned hitch of breath.
Gojo blinked, almost as if he too had just realized the position they'd landed in. His hands still rested at Yuji's sides, fingers curled slightly against the soft fabric of his shirt, dangerously close to skin.
Neither moved. The playful energy hung in the air, but underneath it thrummed something heavier, hotter.
Yuji's face burned crimson. His heart pounded like it was trying to escape his chest, every nerve screaming at the closeness. This… this isn't just a game anymore.
Gojo swallowed, his grin faltering into something crooked, almost uncertain. "...Oops." His voice was low, breath ghosting against Yuji's cheek.
Yuji couldn't speak. The only sounds were the frantic thud of his heartbeat and the faint creak of the mattress beneath them. Neither dared to move away.
And then their eyes locked–Gojo's blue irises shimmering, dilating with an intensity Yuji had never seen before. Yuji's breath caught, and his gaze, almost against his will, traced the sharp lines of Gojo's face, down to his lips.
Gojo leaned in, slow and drawn, like he was caught in a pull too strong to resist. The distance between them shrank until their mouths hovered a breath apart–until—
Gojo suddenly snapped back, freezing half an inch away. His eyes squeezed shut, jaw tight, and then–just like that–he threw his arms around Yuji, plastering on a wide, goofy smile to mask the heat in his expression.
"Yeaaah! Finally, Yuji-kun smiles! I was starting to think you'd grow old with that pout stuck on your face!"
Yuji blinked, stunned, before realizing his senpai was squeezing him like a mischievous older brother instead of… whatever almost happened. He tried to scowl, but his lips betrayed him with a tiny twitch upward.
"Senpai…" Yuji groaned, muffled against Gojo's shoulder. "You're so… stupid."
Gojo only laughed, loud and unbothered, even as his heart pounded just as wildly as Yuji's.
+++
Once Yuji's breathing had evened into sleep, Gojo carefully tugged the blanket higher over his chest, tucking it in like some clumsy guardian. For a moment he lingered, watching the boy's relaxed face, then quietly slipped away.
He grabbed one of the oil lamps, its soft flame bobbing with each step, and wandered out into the night. The air was cooler now, touched by the desert's chill, but his mind was anything but calm.
His feet carried him to the reservoir, the little oasis that had somehow become their place. The moon hung above, pale and full, its reflection rippling across the dark water. Gojo sank down at the edge, lamp at his side, elbows on his knees, and stared into the glowing surface.
And all he could think about was the warmth of Yuji's body against his, the way those wide brown eyes had locked onto his when their lips were just a breath apart, and the scent–.
Gojo dragged a hand down his face, groaning. "God, I'm pathetic. Virgin all my life, and now I'm… what, drooling over someone thirteen years younger? My student? How disgusting can I get?"
The word echoed too loud in his own head, bouncing back with a sting. He bit down on his lip, jaw tight, but then let out a broken little laugh, shaking his head. "Hahh… maybe I need to start praying. Or hit myself. Something."
His reflection wavered in the water, fractured by the faint ripple of breeze. For once, he looked every bit the man he tried not to admit he was lonely, worn, and stuck in a place that felt both timeless and suffocating.
"Eight years trapped here with him…" he muttered, voice low, almost swallowed by the night. "No wonder my brain's scrambled."
Gojo leaned back on his hands, gazing up at the star-scattered sky. "Idon't even drink, but right now? I feel like I'd kill for a bottle." His laugh came again, soft and self-mocking, curling into the empty space around him.
The desert was silent save for the quiet lap of water and the faint hiss of the lamp flame. And Gojo sat there, torn between the guilt pressing down on him… and the aching sweetness of remembering Yuji's smile.