Pleasure and Insanity

Act 12: Date

The smell of coffee beans and a soft chatter surrounded the two seemed to be drowned out to nothingness for Yuji as he daydreamed all of a sudden. The two guys have been sharing their hobbies, their life, aspirations, and dreams when all of a sudden, Yuji just went silent and it concerned Gojo; stopping his blabbering.

"Yuji?" Gojo called Yuji out while waving his hand in front of him as if trying to break him out of the trance.

"Huh?" Yuji spoke softly after a few seconds, fixing his gaze back to the man before him like a camera in focus who was looking at him with a curious but perturbed expression.

"What's wrong? You were staring at nothing." Gojo remarked.

Hearing it, Yuji huffed a sheepish chuckle as he apologetically scratched his hair, smiling wryly.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something— Nothing to worry about." He tried reassuring Gojo, but the man pouted slightly in return.

"Don't keep it a secret." Gojo retorted, this time furrowing his eyebrows slightly. "Tell me."

"I-It's nothing really!" Yuji exclaimed in a flustered tone, waving his hands in front of him in denial.

"Yuji..." Gojo shook his head slightly as he called the man's name in disbelief but concern was still laced in his voice. "I thought we've gone through this. No more keeping secrets, okay?"

Yuji went silent and was looking away as he tried to voice out his own thoughts. It felt awkward for him to talk his mind and be open unlike he usually does, considering their current "state".

"Well, I really appreciate you looking out to me." He started, looking back again to Gojo with a soft smile plastered on his face. "And even taking me out for lunch... like this. Thank you."

But Gojo reached out and pinched his nose playfully, grinning slightly as he said the next words."You don't need to say thanks for this, sweetheart." He spoke tenderly as he pulled away, it was soothing like the soft waves of the sea and mellow like a lullaby.

But the gesture caused Yuji to warm up, a soft tint of red dusted his cheeks.

"Did... Did you just call me sweetheart?" He said in disbelief, trying to digest what he had just heard, only earning Gojo's amused expression at him.

"Hmm... Why? Do you hate being called 'sweetheart'? Well, I have more nicknames in my arsenal~" Gojo smiled playfully again as he teased the young man, counting the nicknames with his fingers. "Like honey, darling, sugar, babe, or baby..." He trailed off, still brainstorming inside his mind.

"Hmm... How about Pookie? It's popular these days." He laughed.

"What?! P-Pook— oh, shut up." Yuji went red while trying to recompose himself from Gojo's usual antics.

"It's just..." Yuji said softly, glancing at his drink while fidgeting his fingers around it; trying to phrase his words as much as he could.

"All of this is just new for me, you know? I've had relationships before but going out with a guy- Never have I ever thought I'd experience that." He continued, his voice soft before shifting his tone as he directed a question to Gojo, sounding more confident this time.

"H-How about you Gojo-san? Have you dated a guy before?" He asked curiously, taking a light sip in his drink to calm his nerves a little bit.

"Dated?" Gojo reiterated the word as if he was not familiar with it. He had recalled the times he spent with Geto— they were teens back then and they were curious about the idea of hanging out as more than friends.

"Hmm... Kinda?" The other guy answered, shrugging his shoulders. "But it just didn't work out. Long story short, he and I decided that it's better that we only treat each other as best friends."