The Theft (Gojo Satoru)
They stood in silence, a decade of distance stretching between them. The weight of everything left unsaid hung in the air. Until he stepped forward. A single stride across the chasm separating them. ... “You know," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear carefully, "on top of breaking my heart, she stole my favorite sweater." - WC: 3.4k
Kiko's Masterlist | AO3 💕 | ko-fi ☕️
AN: I talked about this briefly on the stream on Wednesday, and it's finally here! I wrote it with Goinko in mind. But no names are mentioned, so it can be read as an x reader, too. In fact, literally no one is specifically named in this one. Fic and title are inspired by The Theft by Atreyu, which is the song included in the story. It's not required to listen to it, but I think it would add to the experience! This is a different format for me, as I usually don't like including song lyrics in a story, but I felt it worked for the narrative! Fun fact: the basic plot of this story is one I've had in my drafts for almost fifteen years... but it hit me not too long ago that it would be perfect for Goinko! It's a lil angsty, a lil fluffy, a lil bit of tension, and a lil slow burn... Hope you guys like it :)
The Theft
“Hi everyone.”
The woman’s calm voice echoed slightly as she greeted the small crowd. She stood confidently in front of the microphone, a gentle smile on her face. Her eyes, however, darted anxiously around the room.
“We appreciate you being here tonight for our little spur of the moment show. And we appreciate them accommodating our silly request.”
The owner let out a loud scoff from where he stood behind the bar, rolling his eyes dramatically.
“It’s been a bit since we had the chance to ‘come home,’ so to speak, so we wanted to do something special while we’re here. For those of you who don’t know, we played our first-ever show in this bar more than ten years ago. Just a young cover band who had no idea what they were doing.”
“And you’re saying you do now?” the owner called, raising his eyebrows.
She laughed, along with the rest of the band, the sound resounding when all of their mics picked it up.
“You’re not wrong there,” the guitarist replied, playing a quick, playful riff.
The drummer tapped a quick beat in agreement.
“We’ve just gotten better at pretending we know what we’re doing,” the woman teased, drawing chuckles all around. “Anyway, we’ve got a short one planned for tonight, but we hope you enjoy a little walk down memory lane with us.”
As the evening wound down, she took a long drink of water before releasing a labored breath.
“I hope everyone else has had as much fun as we have tonight. We’ve got one more before we call it a night. Seems fitting to round things out with the first song we ever released, yeah?”
The sight of the small bar she’d spent countless hours in packed to capacity with people brought a hesitant smile to her face. Ten years later, it was comforting to know almost nothing had changed about this place.
“A fun fact about this song,” she began, licking her dry lips as she grasped the mic stand tightly, “is that I actually wrote part of it in this bar. I think I was sitting at a booth somewhere in the back when I scribbled a couple lines on a napkin and prayed that I wouldn’t lose it before I got home.”
She knew exactly which booth it was. The same booth they always sat in together. Except she’d been all alone.
Back where I started… I’m empty without you, and I want to disappear…
“I’ll admit I was a few drinks deep by the time I wrote it, so while I’d thought it was genius at the time, sober me the next day took a while to figure out what the hell to do with it.”
As the crowd laughed, she grinned sheepishly. She’d been more than a few deep. And really, the hardest part had been reading her half-legible drunken scribbles the next morning.
“It was worth it, obviously, because it got us to where we are today. Thank you all again for spending your evening with us. We hope to see some of you tomorrow at the show.”
She stepped back, taking another large gulp of water while the band began playing. As the music filled the room again, her eyes scanned the crowd absently, unseeing. Even after so long, she still struggled with her nerves.
Taking a deep breath, she rested her hands on the microphone, letting the words flow out of her.
He bends and he breaks If he gives, they will take away His passion, his pain, his grace He exhales… a thousand black flowers explode Into butterflies as they’re away
The untold piece of the story she’d shared weighed heavily on her mind. The fact that she’d written the song to cope with the heartbreak she couldn’t escape no matter how hard she tried. No matter how many drinks she used to try to numb everything. Heartbreak she’d had no one to blame for but herself.
Rip them out, take them Burn to coals as they crush him Leave nothing that resembles the soul of a man See him numb, see him crushed See him numb, see him crushed
Questions still haunted her. What-ifs that would never be answered lingered in her mind constantly. As she took a breath, her eyes moved to the booth she’d referenced, noticing the man sitting there, and she faltered before tearing her eyes away.
Rip them out, take them Burn to coals as they crush him Leave nothing that resembles the soul of a man Leave him numb, leave him crushed Leaves him numb, leaves him crushed
Her gaze was drawn back to the booth. Had he been there the entire time? A woman sat beside him, wide-eyed as she leaned forward in her seat, clearly listening intently.
One of a thousand of her questions finally answered. A reply she never expected to ache so deeply when it had been so long. A twist in her chest that she shoved down as deep as it could go.
Took the fire inside one too many times He’s burning over and out as he flails Up against the raging tides No more sides Everything you ever wanted to see: See it in his eyes One more time One more time
One last look at his eyes was all she allowed herself, a fleeting glance as she took a labored breath and continued.
Climb down to test the waters My hands feel like they’re rusting away, yeah So I’ll pace around like a lamb before the slaughter I’ll stay here as long as you’ll let me
The words she wished she told him. Words she wished she’d had the courage to say instead of running away.
Decisions been made obvious So I will return where I started I’ll stay there Unfinished I’ll wither away
Though she felt the pull to look back at that booth in the corner, she focused on everything else. Anything except the knowledge that he now sat in the booth they’d spent countless evenings together — despite his distaste for crowds, despite how much he despised the smell of alcohol — with someone else.
Rip them out, take them Burn to coals as they crush him Leave nothing that resembles the soul of a man See him numb, see him crushed See him numb, see him crushed
As the music faded, her eyes wandered back to the booth before she could stop them, only to find it empty. It seemed silly for her chest to ache, for it to sting so deeply when she knew better than to think any other outcome was possible.
She knew better than to hope that he might want to talk to her.
Blinking quickly, her attention moved to the audience before her as they clapped, her answering grin somehow feeling genuine and forced at the same time. She felt an arm around her shoulders as her bandmates joined her, bowing instinctively alongside them.
“Thank you all again for spending your evening with us!”
They moved to the bar, each of them ordering a drink and she faintly registered her bandmates’ voices as they joked with the owner about how much better they sounded now.
“Yeah, yeah, too bad for you, I had to listen to your soundcheck earlier–”
Her ears rang slightly as she stared forward, exhaustion settling in her shoulders and regret rising in her chest. She couldn’t help but feel coming here tonight had been a mistake.
The drink in her hand tasted sour, but she forced herself to take another sip, then another, and another, finishing it swiftly.
“Gonna get some air,” she informed the others, pushing herself to her feet and waving off the offer to join her. “I won’t be long.”
Stepping out into the cool evening, she pulled a deep, cleansing breath into her lungs. Her mind raced, the shock of cold air doing little to help ground her. Still, she lifted her head to stare up at the sky. The stars seemed dim as they twinkled weakly, but the moon shined bright enough in their stead, almost drowning the lamps along the quiet street.
A whisper of her name reached her ears, so soft she thought she imagined it until she noticed the shadow from the corner of her eye.
Turning, her heart stuttered as she faced the familiar figure standing just a few meters away, his hands shoved in his pockets.
They stood in silence, a decade of distance stretching between them. The weight of everything left unsaid hung in the air. Until he stepped forward. A single stride across the chasm separating them.
“I’m… surprised you’re here,” she finally murmured, her throat dry.
He looked down for a moment, seeming almost sheepish.
“Heard you were putting on a show like the old days, and I couldn’t miss it.” He lifted his head again, his eyes burning into hers. “You look beautiful.”
Another step, this one larger, and he stood directly in front of her, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
He looked just as handsome as she remembered. He still towered over her, his hair strategically messy and his face perfectly blemish-free. The only signs of his age were slight wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, obvious indicators of frequent smiles and laughter.
The weight of his stare anchored her in place, his eyes still more brilliant than the moon above.
Beautiful, flawless, untouchable. A statue carved from marble and far too precious to be around someone like her. His family had made that clear every chance they got.
“It’s good to see you,” she whispered. “How have you been?”
“Getting by,” he replied, his voice just as quiet. “Working. Old man is set to retire soon so I’ll officially be taking over when he does.”
No surprise there. He’d been expected to take over almost his entire life. One of many reasons his family had wanted him to have nothing to do with her. An odd sense of relief filled her knowing he’d been successful. It seemed to confirm she’d made the right choice all those years ago. All she’d wanted for him was to be happy and successful, even if those came at the cost of losing him.
Words escaped her now as she stood in front of him, feeling exposed and vulnerable under his observant gaze.
“What about you?” he asked, his eyes searching her face. “You made it big.”
A slight nod and a smile were all she could manage, but she couldn’t deny the pride in her chest at his words. She’d gone and made her dream come true despite everything saying she couldn’t.
“I heard the show tomorrow is sold out, too.”
“I’m… guessing you won’t be there.”
The statement made him hesitate briefly before he slowly shook his head.
“I don’t have tickets.”
Somehow even though it was the answer she expected, the words dug into her chest and nestled inside her ribcage. She hated that it bothered her so much when she knew it wasn’t something he enjoyed. It wasn’t his scene.
The treacherous part of her mind couldn’t help but wonder why life was cruel enough to put him in front of her after so long just to give her a sense of false hope before ripping him away again. But she knew that this was never meant to be anything more than a glance at what could have been in a different life.
Him being at the show tomorrow would have changed nothing, anyway. It wasn’t like she would have been able to see him.
Nodding, she stepped back, willing herself toward the door.
“I should get back inside,” she murmured, fighting the urge to lean into his presence. Staying near him was dangerous. “It was– it was good to see you.”
“Wait.” He grasped her hand, the simple touch sending a spark through her veins. “We should– let’s catch up sometime. If not now, then–”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She wanted to. She wanted to catch up. She wanted to keep hearing his voice. She desperately wanted to pretend that things were different. But she knew better than to let herself be swept away by the fairytale that was them. There wasn’t a world where they caught up without her yearning for more. And she wasn’t willing to intrude on the life he’d built for himself. It wasn’t fair to either of them, or the woman she’d seen sitting beside him during the show — the woman she could only assume was his wife.
“Why not?” he asked. “It’s been years, and I’ve missed you.”
She’d missed him, too. More than she could ever say. But she wouldn’t be an intruder in his life.
“You know why,” she replied, ignoring how her chest ached as frustration threatened to rise. He knew she wasn’t the type to be the other woman. At least he used to know. But even worse if he thought they could just catch up because he felt nothing at all. “I won’t– where’s your wife?”
He blinked slowly, his brow furrowing.
“Wife? What are you talking about?”
“The woman who was here with you.”
“Her?” His face scrunched at her words before he released a quick breath through his nose. “You mean my assistant? She’s probably home, or at a friend’s, gushing about getting to see you live. I only sat with her because she’s the reason I found out about tonight and I didn’t want to be an ass and avoid her outside of work.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he raised his eyebrows in challenge.
“You can talk to her and ask,” he offered drily. “She might faint from excitement at meeting you first, though. She’s a big fan.”
He held his free hand up, wriggling his fingers to emphasize the lack of a ring. It made no sense to her. It was one of the expectations on his shoulders for most of his life.
“But your family–”
“They’ve taken enough of my life from me,” he cut her off, rolling his eyes. “They tried to set something up a few years ago, but I told them I didn’t care if they gave the company away to someone else just because I wasn’t married.”
“You can’t just tell your family–”
“Well, I did.” His eyes seemed to twinkle down at her now as he tugged her closer. “I never wanted the company to begin with. I wanted to be with this girl I met in college. She was really pretty, had an incredible voice, and she put up with me and my dumb family with a smile. But they somehow convinced her she didn’t deserve me.”
Swallowing thickly, she tried to keep her jaw from trembling.
“She wouldn’t listen when I said I didn’t care what they thought, and I was too stupid to realize that they’d already done what they wanted.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear carefully. “You know, on top of breaking my heart, she stole my favorite sweater. Been waiting for a chance to ask for it back.”
A snort of laughter escaped before she could stop it. Leave it to him to bring up something so ridiculous and silly.
“You’ve been waiting a decade for a sweater?”
“It was a nice sweater,” he defended, a smirk pulling at his lips now. “And she looks really good in it. She always looked great in my clothes.”
The statement had memories flooding her mind, the countless times she’d plucked his shirts or sweaters from the floor of his room. How he’d always teased her about liking them more than she liked him. How he had looked at her whenever he said they looked better on her, anyway.
His arm snaking around her waist forced her back to the present, his breath fanning across her face as he leaned down.
“I–” She fought the heat climbing her neck, her eyes flitting down to the loose sweater she wore. She didn’t want to admit she’d worn it because she’d been thinking of him. That a part of her had hoped he would show up. Hoped deep down in a place she wouldn’t even admit to herself that he hadn’t forgotten her entirely by now. “It’s a comfy sweater.”
“That’s why it was my favorite.” His voice held a teasing edge as he lifted her chin to meet her eyes again. “I’ve missed you.”
The words had his lips brushing against hers, and her heart pounded at the familiar sensation. Her eyes slid closed as she tilted her head back a bit further– the door to the bar shot open, startling both of them, his hands releasing her as she jolted back.
“There you are! We were getting worried– ope.” Her bandmate stopped abruptly, eyes darting between them as a sly grin formed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to, uh, interrupt. Just letting you know we’re getting ready to head out for the night.”
They disappeared through the door before either of them could reply, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. They would never let her live this down. The others would probably be standing right inside the door waiting to ambush her.
“I should go,” she murmured reluctantly, meeting his gaze again as dejection bloomed in her chest.
This really was it. They’d gotten so close to… what? Reuniting? What did she think would happen? There had never been a real chance for them to work. Not really.
“When will you be back?”
“We’re touring for another six months,” she replied, “and after that… Well, this isn’t exactly home for me anymore.” Pausing, her gaze dropped to the ground, her hands fiddling with the sleeves of the sweater. Despite the part of her screaming not to, she just couldn’t help herself. “I won’t– I can’t ask you to– but if you want, we could stay in touch, and I could–”
“Yes.” He didn’t hesitate, cutting her off and pulling her close again. “I’d love to keep in touch. I want to talk to you.”
Relief filled her so quickly it made her dizzy, the smile on his face knocking the air from her chest.
“I’ve missed you, too,” she whispered, the admission feeling more like a confession. “I know it’s never really been your scene, but did you at least enjoy the show tonight?”
His smile grew as he nodded.
“Your voice was just like I remembered,” he replied. “It really took me back. Had me feeling nostalgic, wondering how things would’ve worked out if I’d told my family to screw themselves earlier.”
They both knew that never would’ve worked. Not back then.
“Still such a sap, huh?” she teased anyway, drawing a chuckle from him. Glancing toward the door, she released a quiet sigh. “I should go before more of them come out here to snoop.”
Retrieving her phone, she held it out for him to take.
“I… know it’s been a long time, and I travel a lot, but I– I really do want to stay in touch,” she said, watching him enter his contact. “I know it’s not fair to ask you to wait–”
“I’ve waited ten years, sweetheart,” he cut her off, smirking. His tone had a teasing lilt to it as he handed her phone back. “Another six months is nothing.”
She bit her lip to fight the smile, sharing her contact with him before shoving her phone back into her pocket.
“I guess that’s fair,” she conceded.
His arm around her waist tightened, and he leaned down again until she could feel his breath mingling with hers.
“Just don’t keep me waiting forever,” he whispered before pressing a lingering kiss to her cheek, “because I expect you to return this next time I see you.”
He tugged the collar of the sweater playfully, a smirk on his face as he released her and stepped back.
“You’ll have to take it from me,” she teased. Excitement shot through her at the sight of his eyes narrowing, and she quickly retreated to the door. Meeting his eyes over her shoulder one last time, she asked, “Until next time?”
“I’ll see you then.”
AN: What'd you guys think? I enjoyed writing it 😊 I thought it was cute and sweet. Thoughts? Questions? I might continue it to show some of their relationship in the past and/or write their reunion after her tour ends... 🤔