The Librarian's Daughter (Ryuji Suguro x Reader)

18) SHOWING COURAGE

𝒮𝐻𝒪𝒲𝐼𝒩𝒢 𝒞 𝒪 𝒰 𝑅 𝒜 𝒢 𝐸

The rain was harder than ever and there was no end to it. The puddles on the floor seemed almost decorated as the colourful lights of the lamps around were reflected in them. Ryuji's former conversation with his master Lightning left him behind rather confused, until...

He saw (Name) in the distance. Standing at the top of a staircase that probably went downwards, he could only see the top. With the gentle breeze of the night, the girl's (favourite colour) dress flowed delicately with the wind. If it wasn't for the abstruseness of the moment, Bon would probably have stared at her a bit longer.

But it was a raining mess, cold, windy, dark, also late - so, to put it simple, it wasn't the typical time one would expect someone to stand around in no-man's-land. So, the boy sped up his pace and suddenly remembered the black umbrella he always kept deep in his backpack. Bon stopped in his tracks to quickly pull out the useful device, frequently looking up to check if (Name) was still there.

She didn't seem to have moved an inch.

And suddenly, before the girl had the time to even blink, the raining above her started so stop. Confused, she looked up and realized there was someone standing next to her. The wind became more slower until it was gone for good. The seconds Ryuji and (Name) stared into each other's face must have lasted an eternity, before the boy finally spoke up.

"You okay?" was all he said, his grip on the umbrella's handle tightening. Both of their faces and bodies were all wet from the extensive raining.

Before she answered, (Name) turned her head away from the boy and stared at the view in front of them again. "I'm alright. Thank you." There wasn't the tiniest hint of a bad or sad emotion lying in her neutral voice, but still - Ryuji thought something was going on nonetheless.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine I guess," he trailed off and began watching the view himself, too.

Bon wouldn't have expected her to laugh. Oh, that beautiful laugh...

"What, does standing in the rain seem so strange to you, you don't believe me when I say I'm fine?" she shook her head, smiling. "Geez, Bon..."

The boy tilted his head at her answer and decided to look at her again. Her face was illuminated with the different colours around them, from blue to red - they could also have been in a disco or something and no one would have noticed. But dancing in the rain, that's so cliche...

"You seemed pretty upset the last days, so...," he bit his lip, "I guess it wouldn't have hurt to ask."

To his confusement, the girl looked up to him again - smiling, of course. "I appreciate your concern Ryuji, I really do." And somehow, her smile faltered after these words. "I wouldn't need the umbrella if that's okay with you. I like the feeling of the rain," (Name) spoke while sitting down on the stony stairs, putting her hands unter her lower body part so the dress wouldn't knitter in the movement.

"I don't think I've been out in the rain more than three times."

And so, hearing these words, Ryuji closed the umbrella wordlessly, sat down next to the girl (having their knees touching) and put the soaking wet umbrella besides him on the floor.

"Don't you think we should rather head back to our dorms? It's very late...," Bon spoke more tiredly and therefore more annoyed than he intended to. As if she didn't hear the tone in his voice, (Name) replied with the most simplest words that could melt Suguro's heart in a second.

"Hmm, but I like spending time with you," she put her elbow on her knee and positioned her chin on it, bringing it into a comfortable position. "The world somehow feels safer when you're around."

Now Bon was at loss of words. He was more a man of action rather than words - hell, even in the first week of cram school he almost got himself killed by a big demonic frog just to prove his way of thinking. You can't prove your thoughts through actions, ... can you?

The boy slowly put his hand on top of the girl's - they were already close to one another on the stony ground, so it wasn't that big of a movement.

"I like spending time with you, too," he slowly choked out, almost embarrassed with himself at how cheeky this sounded. Did his face flush red? Well, it wasn't visible anyway with the bright colours flowing around them.

"I like you," he heard (Name) say before she softly put her head on his shoulder now and tenderly caressed his hand. Her silent tears couldn't be distinguished from the rain and somehow, Bon felt a heavy lump in his throat making it's way downward. "You freed me from my prison, Ryuji." The girl snuffled.

The boy couldn't think of anything to say, no words got formed in his head - so the only logical conclusion for him was to slowly bend towards her face and kiss her. Suguro gently cupped one half of her face and moved his lips so tenderly, as if he was scared he might break her like she was broken in the past. She didn't pull away and leaned in after a few seconds, bu this didn't change the tiniest bit of Bon's way of caressing. His hand was warm in contrast with the cold rain that poured down on them. As both of them decided it was enough, they pulled away simultaneously.

Bon had thought about liking her long before, but he wasn't the kind of person to handle such irrational thoughts easily - neither was she, as she usually drowned herself in the world of books, far away from people. It might have been out of fear of humans, but... that doesn't matter anymore. Happiness is long overdue.

(Name) and Ryuji looked away, almost if they were embarrassed. But they surely weren't since both of them smiled in a way that showed a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Hands still intertwined, the girl exhaled through her nostrils.

"I'm so happy right now." She brushed away another tear that wanted to crawl out of her eye. Bon snickered and reached out for her other hand, pulling it away from her face.

"Me as well."

And so, they would sit on these cold stony stairs for a little longer, the sparkling stars hovering above giving them company. This night seemed like a good ending to a fairy tale whose story should have been discovered more much sooner.

But they were glad they were here now. So very glad.