“for every first i was having with him, he had already had his with her.”
it was stupid really, feeling insecure over something both of you had no control over. it wasn't like he could build a time machine and go back in time to stop himself from getting in his previous relationships. but oh, did you wish he could.
you couldn't keep track of the amount of times it has crossed your mind. were you good enough? by all means, your lack of experience didn't go unnoticed. he talked you through most of it, showering you with love and giving you the utmost patience. it didn't seem to bother him at all, so why did it loom over you? you could be sharing a good moment between you two, and your mind will immediately give into the the voice in the very back of your head, whispering insecurities until they manifested themselves into reality.
late at night, you'd scroll through his exes' social media pages. at first, it was out of pure curiosity. what did they look like? what did were they like? and so on. sukuna answered all your questions honestly, but he didn't think the way a girl did. some answers you needed to find on your own. one of them was the chapter president of her sorority. she was absolutely breathtaking, very popular and sociable... and sukuna's longest relationship. you found yourself staring at her profile the longest, comparing yourself to her in every which way. it made you sick to your stomach, but you couldn't stop. you had to see it from his shoes, what made her so great, even though you couldn't give yourself the same grace. you still didn't know why he wouldn't pick someone pretty, outgoing, and experienced over someone who got excited when your hands brushed. it just didn't make sense.
you still hid your face when he brought you over the edge, still held your tongue instead of letting him hear how good he was making you feel. you'd bet none of them did that. you bet he never had to take time to pause and make sure you were okay since it was all still very new for you. all of these things hung heavy on your heart and led to slowly distancing yourself from him. you weren't trying to punish him—it was the exact opposite actually. you didn't feel worthy of his touch, his praise, his anything. the more you spiraled, the more you pulled away. and one thing about sukuna, is that he'll always say it to you straight.
you heard a knock at your door and you slowly rose from your bed. you already knew who it was. only one person would be bothering you at this hour. you took a deep breath before unlocking the door. your boyfriend stood there in a disheveled state. his hair was slightly mused and his eyebrows were furrowed in concern, eyes wide as he took you in.
"we need to talk," he said instantly, brushing past you as he walked in uninvited. you blinked at him and closed the door. he made his way into your room and sat on your bed like he's done hundreds of times, but this time was different. you could feel it.
you sat down beside him and stared at your feet. moonlight poured in from your window, shining down on the two of you like a spotlight. taking center stage was you, anxious out of your mind for what was to come, and sukuna, who was silent despite coming all this way just to talk.
by the time he cleared his throat, you had convinced yourself it was over. everything felt wrong: the awkward silence between you too and how far away he was from you. sukuna always wanted to touch you somehow, by hugging you, holding your hand, and so on. despite your nervousness surrounding it all, you didn't dare look up. you weren't sure if you could stomach the look that was probably crossing his face. a stricken expression, you were sure, that said everything that was on his mind without him even uttering a word.
"whatever is going on, please just say it," he sighed and shifted on the bed. "i can't keep continuing like this." the soft creaking snapped you out of it and you snuck a glance at him. he was staring right back at you and your heart broke right there and then. sukuna, your ever so arrogant boyfriend, looked so meek sitting there on your bed. he loved being in control, and he was anything but right now. the uncertainty that surrounded your relationship had seemingly crushed his ego and confidence. "i've been up all night, trying to pinpoint where it all went wrong, but i can't. help me understand," he swallowed hard, "like you always do."
your stomach lurched at his words. you felt sick. help me understand, like you always do. did he really have to make this harder than it needed to be? remind you of tutoring sessions that brought your together, and ultimately, here. your eyes flew to the door like you were planning to get up and run if need be. of course you were being ridiculous, but it felt like your dinner was what was to leave your mouth instead of an answer. you pressed your lips in a firm line and sighed.
"i've just been thinking a lot about things...how you and i differ and it's affected the way i view us." that was the best way you could put it. you didn't know how to put your newfound insecurity into words. it crept up on you before you saw it for what it really was.
from the corner of your eye, you saw him shake his head and scoff. "yeah, we're pretty different, that was obvious when we first met. but we've always made it work, haven't we? what in the world could have possibly changed since then?" he asked, his tone strained. he was once again, using every ounce of patience left in his body, on you. why? he never gave anyone the same grace. if you were anyone else, he'd sure to have dismissed them out by now. written them off without a second thought. the special treatment made you feel sick. you weren't some charity case.. you hated the fact that it was what made you stood out from everyone else in his life. you finally pinpointed it: over time, it felt like the entire relationship was built on pity for you.
"maybe we've been wasting our time here," you heard yourself say, "maybe it's all just a lost cause." you don't remember rehearsing that line over and over in your head like you typically did. it seems like you were on autopilot with the goal of ending the conversation as soon as possible. even if you were too scared to be anything but subtle.
the silence after your insinuation was gruesome. you fought the urge to sneak another look at him because you knew you would fold. dealing with those thoughts everyday was absolute torture. you felt stupid in your own skin. it wasn't enough to stay with him in the dark. it wasn't worth sacrificing your sanity over.
"alright, if that's how you feel then." he finally said. you heard shuffling as he got up to go to the door. he paused, and you felt his eyes on you. of course he just had to shoot you one last glance before leaving entirely. when you heard the front door slam shut, the ache in your chest was almost instant. the reality of what you'd just done crashed down on you. were you really walking away over that? like he said, the two of you always made it work. well, not as of late but—
and him. he didn't even fight for you. if the roles were reversed, you'd have insisted to actually discuss things and have a productive conversation about each other's feelings. four, maybe five sentences were exchanged between you two, all of it anything but productive. what did you just do?
those five words rang in your head as you fumbled for your phone. he couldn't have gotten too far. maybe if you just called him, he'd hear you out. you found your phone around where he was sitting and froze. you didn't see him go on it...but then again, you barely looked at him for longer than two seconds.
you opened it and immediately found his contact. or, his number. the contact was deleted and his number was blocked. the asshole did the rest of hard work for you. you were speechless. had he been secretly want things to end too? did he see the opportunity and ran with it, letting you do all the hard work? whatever it was, you were stunned. you didn't unblock his number. you didn't call him and beg for him to turn around. instead, you spent that night drowning in your own tears, reminiscing all the good times before it all went wrong.
sorry for disappearing my loves. been a hot minute since i've written angst so please excuse me if it's not the best. did you catch the tif day and tatbilb references? 🥹 maybe even a slight njz one...
PLEASE READ: i saw another writer point out how some people will join taglists, comment, like, n whatever on the posts, but not even follow you, so i cleared out some people on the taglist.