IV
Winter— beginning
The following winter arrived in fast. It's already been a year since they reunited. Geto would always be on Gojo's doorstep every day like he didn't have any work to do. On the other hand, Geto focused his attention on the lad and never admitted outside work other than his previous clients before Satoru.
Just like every other day, Gojo would wake up, and the first thing he'd do was open his window only to perceive Geto outside, leaning on his car and waiting for him to wake up and welcome him. Though his vision was limited and sometimes blurry, he knew from the silhouette that it was the person he was hoping to see.
Like today, Geto is there too... he's always there no matter what the season is. The torrid impressions of the hot summer were nothing... the warm morning and cold nights of fall, the cold embrace of winter and the warmth that comes after it, spring... He's always there.
Gojo shut the window harshly, preventing the snow from getting inside his room to compose his flustered expression like Geto wasn't doing this kind of stuff for a year now— for him to feel the same thing similar from the first time.
Geto chuckled to himself, seeing Gojo shut the window, 'cute.' He wasn't finished beaming by himself when Sayuri opened the gate and was about to check her plants buried by snow, "Suguru-kun? Gojo's still sleeping. Why don't you go inside? You're going to get sick if you stay outside for too long while it's snowing."
He ran to the woman, bowing at her, "That'd be a pleasure. What about you, Sayuri-san? why were you outside?" He stopped and looked around, confusing the lady, "It's not quite nice weather to take a walk in thin clothes."
"I was just planning to transfer my plants inside. Yer knows, I got too busy and forgot, then the snow started falling last night."
.
.
.
The next thing he knew, Geto was carrying the big pots one by one inside the house, but he didn't mind since the relationship between him and Satoru's family is open. The Gojo treated him as a family either because he and Satoru are inseparable.
There are times that they won't be able to meet because Satoru's father's home in the meantime; Gojo would whine for him to come over to his room, but sometimes when he's there, Gojo wouldn't utter a single word to him.
(flashback before winter) SUMMER
Geto tried to reach out for his ringing phone placed on top of the nightstand. As he failed to answer the call, a few message notifications from Satoru spammed on his lock screen, "come over."
"Dumbass, come over. My parents are sleeping." He laughed, imagining Satoru sneaking to text him. Geto decided to reply after wiping his face awake, "well, of course, they'd be sleeping... It's 1 in the morning, Satoru. And go ahead and sleep. It's bad for your eyes."
"No." He was about to reply again when Satoru asked for face time. "Come over," was the first thing he said.
"I can't... I'm..." saying he's exhausted might make Satoru feel bad. "Yeah. I'll be there in 10. Don't open your window until I tell you, alright?" Satoru ended the call after being satisfied with the lad's answer.
Geto sighed with a smile on his face when he saw Satoru's text after the face time, "Okay...♥."
It didn't even take ten minutes for him to arrive. He successfully climbed the second floor and entered the lad's room, and Geto was confused to see Satoru sleeping soundly. "Then who opened the... Geez, you never listen. I told you to only open it once I text you."
There was no response as it was clear that Satoru was really sleeping. He sighed and closed the window before proceeding to sit on the floor near Satoru's bed.
Geto can't help but stare at the lad's face, "You're such a meanie. You made me come here for what?" After minutes of resting his head at the edge of the bed next to Satoru, he stood up, ready to leave. Though Geto didn't want to drop without saying goodbye, and he's too lazy to write a note.
He kneeled in slowly, slightly brushing his long finger upon Satoru's hair and leaving a small kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight." Geto might appear selfish, but when it comes to Satoru, he can't hold back and suppress the unexplainable feeling present within him.
Gojo felt a warm presence and a soft pair of lips against his skin, 'Is it Geto...? No way did he just...'He opened his eyes, shocking him and Geto at the same time, "Ha..."
"Did you just..." he couldn't continue the question, but Geto knew what Gojo was referring to. "Yeah... I... I'm sorry. You should go back to sleep so you'll have all the energy tomorrow."
Geto didn't want to make it awkward and rushed towards the window when a pillow was thrown, hitting his nape, "Ow. What was that for?"
"You're just gonna leave?"
"I mean... you don't want me to?" Geto said, scratching the back of his head. "Are you stupid? I didn't say anything about making you leave. And I made you come all the way here."
Geto was surprised at how Gojo's a little bit talkative today when Satoru's not really saying anything unless he initiates. But he knew the lad was right... he never said anything about telling him to go. "Well, what do you want me to... do?" Geto asked.
Gojo tapped the space next to him, signaling Geto to sit next to him. He followed the lad, and the surrounding him started to glow white when Satoru neared his face with his hand on Geto's chest as support and kissed him back on the forehead. Geto unconsciously wrapped his one hand around Satoru's waist, afraid he's collapsed against him.
Geto's heart started beating fast and loud, enabling Satoru to feel it with the palm of his hand. "What was that... for?"
"Payback," said Gojo innocently.
He lost it.
Geto pushed himself to lie down on the bed while covering his face in embarrassment. "You're fucking adorable." Gojo was a little shocked hearing the lad curse for the first time, but moreover... calling him things like that made his ear turn red.
Satoru pulled Geto's hands away from his own face, "Stop covering yours... It's unfair. I've never seen you embarrassed before—" the other didn't put up a fight and just let Satoru do whatever he wanted. "Aw, that's unfair... I didn't get to see it."
Geto sat up and moved back to lean on the bed's headboard and opened his hand's welcoming Satoru, "come here and sleep... it's late now." Satoru did not hesitate to run in his arms and snuggled with him, Geto's arm as his pillow. "Since when do I keep being your body pillow for the meantime?"
"Till I'm able to buy one."
He turned side view, and Gojo buried his face on his neck, tickling him. "It's been months since you ripped it off by accident." Geto's hands ran up to his hair, caressing it to help Satoru drift off to sleep faster, "Yeah, but nothing is suiting my taste. It doesn't comfort me enough."
"Because they're new to you. Let it in your life, and as time passes by, you'll feel comfortable in those pillows."
"I don't want to..."
"HAHA alright, fine. Sleep for now... I have work in the morning."
(flashback before winter) FALL
"Come on, It'll be fun. We're almost there~." Geto said while pulling Gojo into the woods of orange leaves. "You better have memorized the way back, Suguru."
"Yeah, Yeah. I did."
The smell of water conquered Gojo's attention as Geto continued dragging him until they reached the destination. "We're close. Close your eyes." He placed his hands around Gojo's waist and slowly led him near the lakeshore. "What is this, Suguru? I'm not a kid, you know.:
Geto's one hand ran to his side pockets to grab the glasses he's been waiting to give Satoru and was the main reason why he brought him here.
He stopped right in front of Satoru and gently placed the eyeglasses perfectly on the other. While Gojo could feel cold plastic on his ear, and he knew what that was... but he wanted to wait until Geto told him to.
"You can open your eyes now..." The surroundings are breathtaking. Gojo would always stay at home before meeting with Geto again after a decade, so it was impossible for him to view a different scene other than the walls in his house.
"Isn't it pretty?" Gojo roamed his eyes around, appreciating the surrounding with a sparkling reaction present in him, making Geto smile as he was able to read the emotion the other was releasing. "though it looks... a little blurry... I like it so much, Suguru."
Geto turned around, surprised as he thinks he only did a bare minimum, "It was... nothing. Do you like the glasses? Sorry, it took months for me to avail one." He did not receive such a response but silence.
He looked back at Gojo to see him sobbing while trying to wipe his tears with his fingers.
Geto worriedly made Gojo turn his back to look at him, "Satoru? Did you not like it? Do you want to leave now?" Gojo repeatedly shook his head no.
"Then what's wrong, hmm?" Geto removed the glasses away from Gojo to wipe his tears with his own fingers, but it just kept flowing, "Did something hurt? What is it?"
Gojo smiled at him... and that's where he realized his assumption was wrong... 'maybe he's just happy... I was used to seeing him gloomy... so, maybe, it imprinted in me that it's almost impossible for him to feel joy.'
"Nothing's hurting, Suguru. You can stop worrying now—" Geto didn't wait for Satoru to finish talking and attacked him with a tight hug. "I'm... glad." Satoru rubbed his back, comforting him, "hehe. I'm fine."
Geto pulled away, his hands still lightly attached around Satoru, "Then, should we go boating?" he observed hesitation in Satoru's eyes, "But it's okay if you don't want to," he continued, hugging the lad back again.
'It's not that I do not want to... I never rode one since I'm short-sighted... and my vision has limited range,' he thought to himself, but he didn't wanna disappoint Geto, and this is a chance for him to experience new things.
Since he met with Geto again, he has had been going through things that were bad for him to do alone because of his condition... and with that.. Gojo felt suffocated staying only in his parent's mansion, but when Geto came... he had the taste of freedom.
"Won't it flip over?" he said, making Geto laugh, "No. Here, take my hand," he reached out his hand as Gojo gladly accepted it and jumped his way in the boat and attaching himself to Geto as soon as he got in, "Dear Lord!" the craft was wiggling. "Stop moving too much then. We'll flip over," Geto couldn't stop grinning to himself, realizing Gojo's a scaredy-cat.
Seconds later, Gojo found himself sitting comfortably across Geto, who was slowly paddling the boat with his two hands from left and right.
Instead of looking at the view, Gojo's looking at the man in front of him, and Geto was aware. "I'm getting a little bit embarrassed here if you keep staring at me like that." He continued paddling until it reached the spot that he wanted. "This's the spot I wanted to show you. Hehe, what do you think?"
Gojo looked around him and didn't even realize that Geto entered someplace while paddling, and now they are in the part of the lake where they are surrounded by orange and red trees, and everything that surrounds him just gives the autumn vibes. The color of the trees that encompass both of them reflects on the lake's clear water form.
It was also much tranquil... making it ten times better.
"Ahh... I wish every day was this peaceful." Geto said out of nowhere, settling himself next to Gojo to admire the surrounding. "What about you?... Satoru?"
Satoru's eyes were fixed on Geto's lips when the lad turned around, asking him and not paying attention to anything else. Geto could feel the tension, so he looked away to relish the view repeatedly to hold back from touching the other when he felt Gojo tug his black shirt with his hand as if he was begging to be held.
Geto couldn't hold back and gave in to what his heart was telling him to do. He let himself in with the flow, and everything was going smoothly.
When their lips were centimeters away from each other from touching, Satoru noticed something moving on Geto's shoulder, making him shout and back away incessantly in fear, "what the fuck is that?! It has one, two, three, four— eight mother fucking legs, AH!"
"Huh? I think it's just a bug..." Geto looked at his shoulder and picked up the bug only to hear a loud splashing sound, instantly making him look back at Gojo, who fell on the water, "Satoru!" he was holding his laughter, but he needed to take a picture of it. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and stuck it to the air, capturing Gojo, who just got resurfaced from the water. "Hey, what was that?! Did you just take a picture of me drowning?"
Geto, while laughing, placed his arms out. "No, I did not. Hey, are you okay?! Here, take my hand."
Gojo grabbed Geto's hand and forcefully pulled him into the water, and now they're in the same state. "Hey! That was so mean of you—" Satoru tried running away from Geto as he might attack him when it was too late. Geto ran after him and splashed him with water to slow him down.
"Get away from me!" said Satoru, still swimming away. Satoru was locked up in Geto's arms wrapped around his slim waistband, "Aha, not too fast. Let's go back to the boat."
"Noooo, there are bugs in there."
"It's safer there, Satoru. I don't know how deep this lake is, and it's dangerous for you," they reached the boat with only Geto talking. Seconds later, Geto's paddling back to the shore, and Gojo's been silent ever since.
They reached the lakeshore and offered Gojo help in getting out when the lad ignored him after grabbing his coat. Geto was left confused with his rejected hands still on the air. "What did I do..." he whispered to himself, following Gojo behind.
"Hey, what's wrong? We need to dry off first before going back to the car." He was ignored again until he couldn't take it anymore. He walked right in front of Gojo, stopping him, "What's wrong? Did I do something that made you like this?"
"Just when I was already having fun, you started acting like my mother and everyone else. And I hate it. You don't need to look out for me. I am not a kid. What? Was it because of my eyes that you're worried? I'm an adult too... I know what I see if it's dangerous or not." Geto sighed in response, feeling sad as Gojo mistook his concern for something negative, "Hey... no. It's not like that. So let's go back and dry ourselves, no?"
"I don't want to."
"Ha... why are you such a brat," Geto bent himself down to grab Gojo and carried the lad like a sack of rice, "now stay still."
"Put me dowwwwn!" Gojo was punching the air as he didn't want to hurt Geto even if he was upset. "No. I won't. Not unless you realize that I truly care for you as a whole, Satoru. I care about anything that has to do with you... It's not just your eyes..."
"Why..." was only Gojo could say before covering his mouth again, feeling flustered. He only realized it now... but Geto really knows how to push his buttons.
"Why? What do you mean why? You're worth it... don't be too hard on yourself" his heart felt like wanting to get out of its confinement after hearing Geto's reply. "Put me down."
Geto followed and placed him back to the ground full of dandelion-colored leaves, "Do you get it now?" he patted Gojo, who had the same height as him, "answer me."
Gojo pouted while looking away, "How can you say such shameless things?" Geto laughed at his question, "Hey! It's not shameless—" before he could even finish, Gojo did not hesitate to move and close the distance between them, crashing their lips together. It didn't take long for Geto to blush and react to the sudden initiative.
He sneaked his arms around the other, pressing Gojo's body closer while Gojo quickly wrapped both his hands around Geto's neck for support at his legs seeming weak all of a sudden. "Is this what you mean of drying off?" Gojo asked, making Geto laugh, "Gosh, where did you learn these things?" he captured Satoru's lips again, not even wanting to let go.
And that's how their first kiss happened.
and WINTER (back to the present)
"Ahhh, thanks for helping me move the plants, Suguru-kun. Here have some of the tea while waiting for Satoru. I'll call him for you ah?" said Sayuri making her way upstairs, "You don't need to. It's fine. He can take his time. I'm pretty sure he was tired from the session he had yesterday." But of course, Sayuri didn't listen.
Geto sighed and sat down again on the chair to sip on his warm tea, "Ha... I guess like mother like son."
Seconds later, Gojo was walking down the stairs wearing a black loose long sleeve, and his hair was messy. "Here he is. Be right back. I'm gonna grab the present in my room." Sayuri left both of them to head to the master's bedroom.
Geto walked near him goofily like a child and rested his chin on Gojo's shoulders. "Why are you even here?" he asked. "You're asking me that? It's your birthday... you didn't even tell me. I had to know from your mother," Geto pouted, now fully hugging Gojo from the back.
Gojo drank the tea from Geto's cup before answering, "Well, you don't need to know. It's not that special," he then unconsciously grabbed the flowers that were lying down, "oh, is this mine?"
"You're mean. You don't want to tell your boyfriend about your birthday?" said Geto, ignoring Gojo's question about the flowers. Gojo was quick to shove Geto away gently and covered his mouth, "Hey, you don't say that so easily here. What if someone hears? The maids?! My mother?!" Gojo was half shouting and was half whispering.
"Tch fine... Happy birthday, then," with that, he planted a small quick peck on his lover's lips before sitting back on the couch, leaving Gojo red.
Gojo sat on the chair across to Geto as his mother came in with a pretty definite present. "Oh wow. Mrs. Gojo, your wrapping skills are very... nice," said Geto preventing himself from laughing. "Aw, you're being sarcastic, Suguru-kun."
Gojo looked at his mother and his partner getting along so much, and it felt nice for some reason. "Hey, no way. Like, look at it. I can't even guess what you have for Satoru. Totally not a body pillow, hm-hm." Sayuri's widened, "Wait, how did you know it was a body pillow?"
Geto choked on his tea after spoiling the gift even though it was clear, making Gojo burst out laughing, "Oh uh, I'm sorry. I just guessed." He sat next to Geto, reaching his hand with a napkin to white the liquid residue off his face, "geez, why are you drinking like a toddler."
Geto felt scared about how touchy Gojo was getting when his mother was right in front, but Gojo did not seem to care at all and continued wiping his lips dry. Sayuri could feel that something was going on between the two, but he wanted them to tell her directly rather than squeezing out information.
"Anyways, I have an emergency meeting with some people today. The board called in this morning only. I'm sorry I had to leave you here with Suguru alone, though I know you'll like it anyways," Sayuri grabbed her bag before giving her son a kiss on the cheek, "See you tonight, darling!"
The sound of the door closing was heard, and both of them looked at each other at the same time. "Does your mom know?" Geto asked. Gojo shrugged his shoulders, "maybe we were too obvious?" Gojo took a glance at Geto to see him looking upset all of a sudden, "What's up?"
"Well, now that you have your body pillow back, will you still cuddle with me?" Gojo can't help but laugh, "Pft."
"Hey! That was mean. Why did you laugh at me?" Satoru pushed Suguru to lie lightly down on the long couch where Suguru was initially sitting and sat on top of his partner's lap. "You're such a baby. Getting jealous over a pillow like that," Suguru's other hand was behind to support his own weight while the other is on Gojo's hips.
"What about you? What's your birthday gift for me?" his long fingers felt something under Geto's clothing, "What's in here?"
"Oh, here?" Geto gently pulled down the fabric of his turtle neck to reveal a silver chain necklace with a working padlock as its pendant. "Oh... you already received it? I was gonna sue them since they didn't deliver on time for your birthday."
Geto chuckled, pulling his lover closer. "Anyways, what I got you is not much... and I don't know how to give it to you, so pardon me for being this basic ass boyfriend."
Gojo jokingly tightened his grip on Geto's neck, "don't say that. You told me not to be hard on myself, yet you—" his words got cut off when he noticed something different with how Geto looked at him. "Suguru?"
Gojo felt a cold material inserted in one of his fingers, making him question what was happening until he lifted his hands on the air. There he saw such sparkling simple silver ring set in his ring finger, and the diamond placed in the middle made it elegant. "Since when... was it in my fingers?"
"When I said that I'm a basic boyfriend, HAHAHA." Gojo was too stunned to even utter another word, making Geto feel happy that he feels joyful too. "Satoru... look at me."
Satoru shifted his look from the ring back to his partner like a clueless child, "Yeah?"
"I love you."
One thing after another... Satoru couldn't process what was happening. "Ah... I, Uhm, I lo—" Geto leaned in to kiss him softly before letting go, "You don't have to reply for now... I can wait until you're sure of your feelings."
Satoru was on the verge of shedding a tear. He feels terrible that he doesn't know what to say, "But—" Geto hushed his lips, "I've already waited for a decade, Satoru. What makes you think I can't wait for a few more years? As long as it's you... it's fine," Geto held his hand with a ring and planted small pecks.
Those sweet words left Satoru soft and ended up falling right into Geto's arms as tears were falling down his face. Emotions were mixing inside of him... but Geto was just there, comforting him with his hands caressing his soft hair.
"Hush now... my winter."
Winter— end
l.s