𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 [ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ]

what now

Back at the coffee shop, Christmas music was playing overhead as background noise. You leaned on the counter, letting out a small sigh. The snow had been piling up more and more, making you nervous for travels back home since fall semester was about to end.

"Hey," Porco threw a towel at your head and you turned around, greeted by his smile.

"You good?" He asked and you shrugged, picking up the towel off the ground and throwing it into the dirty bucket beneath the counter.

"What's wrong?" He tilted his head a bit as his smile turned downward into a frown, his eyes narrowing in concern.

You really admired the way Porco cared for you. In a sense, he was like a brother, always worried and always protective. It was crazy you barely knew him at the beginning of the semester. Before you could even respond, you heard someone come in and turned your head around.

You froze.

Porco noticed the sudden tension in your body, his gaze flicking to the person that had just walked in. "Y/N, who is that?" His voice low.

For some reason, Floch had just entered the coffee shop. He was staring at you with those eyes, a blank expression on his face, one you didn't recognize. He wasn't usually like that.

Floch walked up to the counter, but as he approached, you stepped back. You didn't want to, but you couldn't help it. He still scared you.

"Y/N...?" Porco murmured again but you ignored him, your jaw clenched shut. You weren't sure if you could open it.

"One black coffee, please," Floch spoke up, sliding some cash your way.

Your gaze finally left him and flicked down to the crinkled bills. Slowly, you reached out to take them, afraid that Floch would grab your hand. But he didn't.

You put the cash in the drawer and glanced over at Porco, giving him a small nod that you were fine. He went to get the coffee.

"What do you want?" You finally said something to Floch, wondering why he couldn't just leave you alone.

"You said your piece, now you hear mine," Floch stared at you, intense brown eyes forcing you to hold the gaze. You hated it.

"I don't want-"

"Listen. Just...listen to me," he closed his eyes for a second before looking back at you, his expression a mix of guilt and pain.

You shut your mouth.

"When we were dating, I was stupid. I was a stupid teenage boy. I know that's no excuse, but growing up how I did, with how my dad treated my mom and I, it was the only way I understood what love was. I didn't know it any other way. And then I met you, and I just had this...this feeling inside of me that'd I'd never had before. And I was afraid I was going to lose it, to lose you. And I didn't want that. So I became controlling...and I hurt you. And I lost you. I'm not here to receive your forgiveness or expect anything from you, but I am here to apologize. I am here to take responsibility for my actions, because when I lost you, I realized how badly I'd messed up. I saw who I was becoming and I hated it. I really did. Y/N, I did love you, I just loved you the wrong way."

You sucked in a breath, the silence in the coffee shop making you want to scream. Floch was taking responsibility for his actions, something you never expected him to do. You thought he just wanted you back, you thought his previous apology was a way to get you back in his arms. But this? The way he was acting...it was different.

"Everything okay?" Porco arched a brow as you looked over at him, the black coffee in his hand.

"Everything's fine," you plastered a smile on your face, taking the coffee from Porco and handing it over to Floch.