"honesty and grace" (Mezo Shoji X Reader)

Chapter 29

It had been a few hours after you and Shoji’s heart-to-heart. From that point on, the two of you ate curry, watched comedy and horror movies, talked about nothing but nonsense, and got to know each other a little better. It was so calming to know that you now have such a loving boyfriend, someone who is so honest and genuine with his emotions. That was rare for boys, you assumed, so you considered yourself lucky.

Of course, over the span of those few hours, the dupli-armed boy questioned you multiple times. Some of the queries were simple, nothing more than an attempt to learn more about you. Others were based more on how you felt about him. Surprisingly, he seemed really insecure about if you meant your confession or not.

“You’re positive you’re just not being nice?” He asked you for the third time.

You sighed with a smile, grabbing his hand and intertwining your fingers. “What did I tell you before? I don’t say things to say things. I’m honest because that’s all I want out of people, too. So, as long as you meant your confession, I meant mine.” You smile, pressing your lips against the backside of his large hand.

He was bashful, which didn’t actually surprise you that much. Sure, you couldn’t see his facial expressions as well as you wanted to, but the blush on his face would grow so intense that you could see it just breaching the mask. Plus, he’d occasionally fidget with the fabric that covered his face. It was kind of cute, not going to lie.

Now, the both of you had been relaxing in the same way you were before. Your legs lay across Shoji’s lap while he sits casually, his legs extended underneath the coffee table with his ankles crossed over each other. His head is propped up against his hand, his first elbow resting against the arm of the couch. His right set of arms lay over your legs casually. His true hand rests against your shin, his thumb just nonchalantly moving in a back and forth motion. It was such a simple, yet relaxing gesture.

Shoji’s eyes were no longer focused on the show, though your’s were. In fact, you were really enjoying the comical nature of the series you were watching. This gave Shoji the perfect opportunity to look over your figure as he pleased. As much as he wanted to look at your body shape and such, he knew better than to do such a thing. He mostly looked at your style and body language. It was nice to see that you were relaxed. Of course, your feet would fidget, as would your hands that rested on your stomach, but that was expected. You may have been calm, but it was very clear there was a part of you that was uncomfortable.

Not wanting you to feel uneasy, the boy removes his hands from your shin and puts them behind his head. “Hey, is something bothering you?”

Hearing the question pulled you out of your little trance. “Huh?” You perk up a little bit, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. “No, I’m alright. Why do you ask?”

“You were fidgeting. That’s a sign that someone is anxious, meaning they got something on their mind.” He looks at you with a slight glare, knowing that you’re lying. “I don’t make you uncomfortable, do I?”

A sigh passes through you, causing you to close your eyes. Your palms rest lightly over your eyes, the skin of your forehead getting covered as well. “It’s not that you make me uncomfortable. I’ve just never been this close with someone, other than my mom. Literally.” You smile, gesturing to your legs along his lap.

Shoji tilts his head. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No, not necessarily. It’s great that I’m opening up to someone, it really is. But I keep getting this feeling that makes me want to be someone I’m not. I know that sounds super stupid, but it’s true.” You place your hands back onto your stomach gently.