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Benji rolled over in bed, extending his arm outwards in hopes of cuddling with Tristan. However, to his surprise, he was met with vacancy and their side growing colder.
He slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself up. He reached over to his nightstand and put his glasses on. He checked the clock. 3:00 am. Where could his partner be at this hour?
His curiosity piqued, he swung his legs out of bed. The law student slipped on his Jujutsu Kaisen slippers and reached for the lamp, clicking it on. His gaze settled on the closed bathroom door. The light was on and some peaking through the small crack.
Benji's face twisted with confusion and worry. Why would they be up this early?
Getting up, he approached the bathroom door. He brought up a fist to knock but paused when he hear the sound of Tristan lightly crying. His heart dropped.
"Tris?" He called out. "You okay in there?"
There was a brief pause before Tristan responded. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine."
But the law student couldn't help but notice the tremble in their voice. He knows them too well. "Can I come in?"
Another moment passed before he heard a barely audible reply. "Sure..."
He slowly pushed open the door and stepped into the bathroom. The shower curtain was pulled all the way back and he could see their partner's silhouette inside the tub, their knees up to their chest and hugging themselves.
Benji's expression softened, his heart ache at the sight. "Tristan, what's wrong?"
They sniffled and wiped their eyes with the back of their pajama shirt sleeve. "Can... can you join me in the tub...? Please...?"
He nodded, kicking off his slippers. He pushed the shower curtain and stepped into the bathtub then pulled the curtains back so they could have some privacy. Benji sat down in front of them, wrapping his arms around their waist and resting his chin on top of their head.
The goth leaned into him, burying their face into his chest. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?" He asked. "You don't have to if you don't want to."
Their cheeks flushed. "I-It's kind of embarrassing... I don't really know how to tell you..."
"I don't care, Tris-Tris." Benji reassured them. "You can tell me anything. I won't judge."
Tristan breathed in, their breath shaky. "I-I'm... I'm bleeding..." They admitted. "Down... there."
"Oh?" Benji looked confused before the pinwheels in his head started turning and everything clicked together. His eyes widened. "Oh. You mean...?"
"Y-Yeah..." They murmured. Their cheeks felt like they were on fire from embarrassment at having to admit this to their boyfriend.
The law student's eyes soften, not saying anything. Instead, he gently wiped away the tears on their face with his thumb. "So then... why're you crying?"
"It's just... a really shitty reminder that..." They pointed a finger at themselves. "The inside... doesn't quite match the outside..."
"Oh..." Benji realized. He knew they've dealt with gender dysphoria before and still deal with it every now and then. This time, though, their episode seemed to be worse than the others.
"I hate it, Ben..." Tristan pulled their legs closer to their body. "It just makes me feel like... like I'm a freak, y'know?"
"Hey, hey. Stop that." He tightened his grip around their waist. "You're not a freak. You're so amazing and I love you. You make me so incredibly happy and I'm over the moon every time I get to call you my partner. You're the first person who never thought of me as cringe, who genuinely appreciates me and all of my goofiness, never once getting annoyed by my anime and manga obsession, hears out my dreams and aspirations, listens to J-Pop in the car with me..." He let out a small chuckle. "And I never thought I'd say this, but you also really got me into goth aesthetic." He blushed a little as he admitted that.
The goth remained quiet during his sweet little rant, letting his words sink in. The tears had stopped. "Really...?"
Benji nodded. "Yeah. And I wouldn't trade you for the world, babe."
Their lips curled into a smile. "I love you so much..."
"I love you, too." Benji said, leaning down to press a soft kiss on his partner's forehead.
But that didn't seem to settle with the goth because the moment he pulled away, they gently grabbed his cheeks, his skin warm against their hands, and kissed his lips.
He let out a gasp, a little surprised but accepted it, pulling them even closer against his chest. They eventually pulled apart, their foreheads leaning against each other as they both tried to catch their breaths.
"You feeling better?" The law student asked, running a hand along their back soothingly.
"A little bit yeah." They nodded. "You always know how to make me feel better, dontcha, Benny boy?" They gave him a small smirk.
Benji could feel himself practically turn into mush at that nickname. "H-Hey, stop that..." He muttered, shifting his gaze away but was unable to hide that goofy, love-struck grin. "You know what that does to me..."
"Yeah, but I like seeing you all red and flustered like a big ol' tomato." They leaned in and lightly rubbing their noses together.
"Stop iiiiit! You know how weak I am to you..."
"I know. And I'll never pass up the opportunity to get you like putty in my hands."
"Of course you won't...." Benji says right before he yawns. "Welp, it's late. We should head back to bed."
Tristan's once present smile shifts into a frown. "But the sheets... What if I...?"
"Then we can wash them in the morning if they get dirty. It's fine." He assured them before slowly standing up in the cramped shower space. "C'mon, let's hay the hit."
The goth chuckled. "'Hay the hit?' You're really bringing that back up again?"
"Of course I am! It's cute!" He says as he climbs out and extends a hand outwards to help his partner up. "And it makes you laugh, which in my book is a win-win!"
Tristan smiled and chuckled again. "You dork. I really hit the jackpot with you, didn't I?"
"Actually." He leads them back to bed, pulling the covers back and getting in. "I think I'm the one who hit the jackpot with you."
Tristan smiles shyly and lays down next to him, resting their head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. He wrapped his arms around them, kissing the top of their head. "Goodnight, babe."
"Goodnight." They replied as they snuggled against their boyfriend.
They laid in the silence, enjoying each other's presence. And soon enough, the sound of the two's synchronized quiet breathing filled the bedroom.