✧𝔻𝔼𝕍𝕆𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ~ 𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝑒𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓉 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃~✧

✧Gorou- Speech✧

GOROU, LIKE ALL half-beast, half-human beings, had trouble speaking for many years. He had to take speech classes for many more years to actually learn how to form coherent sentences, and also how to read and write. When he was injured or flustered, he would still struggle with speech. It was cute, rather than annoying, to many people. But some people hated it.

As unlikely at it seemed, Sangonomiya Kokomi was one of those people. She hated to see Gorou slip up in anything. She was perfectly kind when Gorou was doing as she wished and doing everything well, but when he slipped up in anything, she was the cruelest woman you had ever seen. She said that she corrected him and snapped at him to help him fix his mistakes, but neither you nor Gorou believed a word she said about that.

You had been friends with Gorou since before he could speak well. You were fully human, and you understood very well the difficulties of communicating with him before he could talk. You also knew how hard he tried to communicate with others despite his many slip ups. You loved him for this, and you didn't mind if he messed up sometimes. Learning how to speak perfectly had been a long, hard ride for Gorou. Many times, you had to reassure him when he was crying about how terrible he was at speaking and writing, so you knew that communicating effectively meant a lot to him. You hated Kokomi for making such a big deal out of his slip ups. She should just ignore them. They weren't that important, after all.

You fought by Gorou's side in the war against the Raiden Shogun, and you rose up the ranks to become his assistant, giving orders and commanding squadrons. You rarely fought on the battlefield, preferring to stick to the writing and cataloguing side of things. Gorou hated writing and cataloguing, and he fought often. Every time he went out on a fight, you were afraid for him. Afraid that he might get seriously injured. Afraid that he might die.

One fateful day, your fears came true. Gorou was brought back to Sangonomiya Shrine badly injured. Kokomi lent her bedroom to be used as a hospital bed, and the doctors did their best to heal his wounds. He had been shot in the chest, just below the heart, and stabbed multiple times in his legs. The leg wounds healed easily, but the chest wound was an annoyance.

Gorou regained consciousness a few days after his injuries, and immediately called for you. When you went to his bedside, you were overcome with sadness. Bloody bandages were strewn about the sheets, and medicines and salves were open, dripping and pouring all over the sheets and Gorou himself. The poor half-fox boy couldn't do anything to clean up his area. He could barely even sit up, his chest wound hurt so much.

"Y-Y/N... y-you're here..."

He stammered a lot, which was what he usually did when he spoke. His voice was slurred, but you could make out the words due to practice.

"I was so worried about you when I heard you were injured. My sweet baby fox..."

You gently pet Gorou's fluffy brown ears, making him blush a little. He never liked when people would touch his ears or head, but he would always let you do it. He loved the feeling of your fingers on his skin and hair. It made him quite flustered to admit it, but that was how it was.

"T-the a-arrow hit m-me in t-the h-heart... n-no... r-right below i-it, right?"

He was getting confused now. It was cute.

"Right below the heart. You're lucky you survived."

"Y/N... d-do you r-really love me?"

You were taken aback by that question, but you immediately answered in the affirmative.

"T-the demons i-in m-my dreams s-say you h-hate me..." he said. "They say t-that I-I'll never be g-good enough..."

"The demons in your dreams? Were you having bad dreams while you were unconscious?" you asked him.

"Y/N... I'm not g-good at s-speech... I-I'm sorry I-I'm stupid..."

"Gorou. You are not stupid," you said firmly. That point was nonnegotiable in your mind. Gorou was a very intelligent young man. He just had issues with speech, and that wasn't the end of the world.

"But-"

"There are no buts. You're intelligent, and handsome, and I love you. Just because you have issues with speech doesn't mean you're stupid. Don't let anyone tell you different. Especially not dark images in your dreams."

"I love you, Y/N," Gorou said.

You gave him a kiss on his cheek and murmured, "I love you too, my darling. Get well soon."