Work Text:
Yuuji hadn’t had much time to grieve his grandfather or the total upending of his life, and while he’s taking it pretty well (even dying and coming back to life went smoothly) he still gets depressed when he has too much time alone with his thoughts. When he’s training in the basement late at night he gets good enough keeping the doll stable with cursed energy that his mind starts to drift off while the movie playing becomes nothing but white noise to him. He misses his grandpa, grumpy as he was. He misses his friends and his school, even if he wasn’t very close with anyone yet.
He wonders if he’ll ever see them again.
Probably not.
He wonders what being executed will be like. How much time he has left. How many people he’s letting down, like Fushiguro, due to his weakness.
He doesn't realize when he started crying, or when the movie ended, the title screen just playing on a loop, or even what time it is. He just knows one moment he’s watching some random film and the next he’s laying curled around the doll letting out soft sobs just to himself.
He hears the faint and increasingly familiar sound of wooden steps creaking under footsteps and knows Gojou is coming down to check on him. The teen quickly bolts up to a seated position and wipes his eyes with his sleeve, hoping it's too dark that even the light from the TV doesn't betray the fact that he's been crying.
"Yuuji-kun~ how are things going down here?" Gojou approaches, seeming to be happy as ever to see his favorite student but still tired after a long day. He was still dressed in his normal uniform, blindfold on and hands in the pockets of his coat.
"G-Good, they're good" Yuuji internally curses how rough his voice sounds. "Um.. What time is it?"
Gojou was now stood at the side of the couch seemingly looking over Yuuji, although with the blindfold it was hard to tell for sure. "A little after midnight." The older man was silent for a beat. "Were you crying, Yuuji-kun?" his normal teasing attitude was replaced by something of soft and genuine concern.
Yuuji rubbed the back of his neck and looked away trying to find an excuse to give the guy who seemed to be able to tune in to just about everything. “The movie, uh, it had a sad ending” he perked at the screen seeing a title screen for a rom com flash on loop. Yeah his sensei wasn’t buying that.
Gojou took a seat on the couch beside Yuuji, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees, hands clasped and looking Yuuji over. This undivided attention made the teens skin crawl, just knowing all attention was on him in this moment of weakness, and attention from Gojou-Sensei no less, the super powerful and handsome teacher who was way out of Yuuji’s league. “Yuuji-kun, tell me what’s the matter” his sensei spoke softly and Yuuji dared look at him but only until he looked away to speak, not able to maintain eye contact while being vulnerable.
"I..." Yuuji hesitated, not being sure if he should share. He was already so weak, he didn't want to seem even weaker, but in the sensitive state he was in- just having someone prod him for information broke the floodgates for him. Yuuji curled in on himself and looked at his feet, "I miss my life" he choked out a sob, gripping the doll tightly. "I miss my grandpa. I miss my old school So much has happened and sometimes Sukuna doesn't shut up a-and I'm happy to be with you and Fushiguro and Nabara but it happened so fast and I'm scared sometimes."
Yuuji couldn't stop the tears from flowing, or the tightness in his throat. He hated that he was breaking down in front of Gojou-sensei, but he couldn't stop. It was late, he was exhausted, he was overwhelmed, and even after this short time, he trusts Gojou.
Gojou softly took the doll from Yuuji's hands, presumably deactivating it temporarily and setting it to the side before Yuuji lost control and got a punch in the face. "C'mere" Gojou guided Yuuji closer and wrapped him in his arms which surprised Yuuji, but it comforted him more, and he wrapped his arms around Gojou's shoulders and continued his crying as the older man rubbed circles in his back.
"I'm sorry" Yuuji mumbled into Gojou's clothed shoulder. "I'm being stupid."
"It's totally okay, Yuuji-kun. It's not fair. I know. I'm really sorry, too. But for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here too." Gojou murmured in his pink hair, and Yuuji knows he means it. After a few moments, he took in a few deep breaths, taking in the scent of Gojou's faded away cologne that he didn't even realize he wore until now. Gojou was such a mischievous tease most of the time, it was odd to have this moment with him where he was so quiet. Soon enough, Yuuji's breaths synched with Gojou's breaths and he calmed down enough to stop crying. He didn't want to pull away from the comforting embrace but didn't want to impose more than he already had. Still, following the steady rhythm of their breaths, and feeling the exhaustion of his emotional outburst, the hour, and his life as of late catch up to him, he found his eyes drifting shut, feeling entirely safe wrapped up in Gojou.
When he woke up, it was to Gojou's still steady breathing, the older man seeming to have adjusted them into a laying down position and subsequently falling asleep as well as some point in the night. Yuuji felt bad, making him sleep here on this old couch in the basement all cos he couldn't stop crying, but with Gojou's arm wrapped protectively around him, Yuuji indulged for a moment, deciding he'd soak this up for a little bit longer before closing his eyes once more.