𝕃𝕖𝕥'𝕤 𝕊𝕖𝕒 (FEM! Reader X Arataki Itto)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ³¹

"Shortie, can we talk?" I heard Arataki's anxious voice ask beside me. "When did you get here?" I giggled before nodding my head, "Sure. What is it?" He looked around nervously and knelt down to my level. "Alone?" His eyes shifted towards Mamoru who was still sitting next to me.

I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be nervous or suspicious or what, though his expression was quite serious so it must've been urgent. "O-Okay." I got up and received suggestive looks from the rest. "Oooo! You think Boss is gonna ask her?" Genta waggled his brows although I couldn't see.

* * *

"What is it that you wanted to tell me?" I asked once we were far enough from the rest. I was curious but also anxious. What could he want? And why did he want to talk to me privately?

My mind was racing with possibilities but tried to ignore it as he stopped dead in his tracks, taking a deep breath. The suspense was almost unbearable but I bit the inside of my cheek and waited patiently.

He chose his words carefully and opened his mouth to speak. "I was there." He said plainly and I tilted my head, not expecting this. "Where?" He slowly turned around but avoided looking at me. 'Why does he seem more nervous than me?'

"When Kujou Tengu confronted you. I heard what she said." My stomach dropped, dread overwhelming me simultaneously. This wasn't at all what I thought he was going to say. This is exactly what I was afraid would happen.

"Wh-What did you hear exactly?" I asked cautiously. "How much did you hear?" I changed my question and watched as his eyes trailed towards mine. He hesitated before speaking, "I know about your uncle." A small gasp escaped from me and my hand gripped tightly onto the hem of my outfit.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

My hand trembled slightly as I placed it over my mouth,
"I-I couldn't tell you. I didn't know how..."

This is it. This is where it ends.

"When were you planning on telling me?" He asked another question and I exhaled slowly, trying to remain calm but it proved to be easier said than done.

Pathetic.

"I... I wasn't planning on to." I lowered my head in shame, unable to look him in the eye. "I-I was just going to stay with y-you and the gang and... and forget." When I said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic...

He thinks I did it. Just like those Tenryou bastards.

"Forget? You were just going to forget about your uncle? Shortie, you can't do that..." His eyes softened and I felt my eyes tearing up and my throat go dry.

He probably thinks I'm some kind of monster.

"I know! I know I can't!... But I didn't know what else to do!" My breathing became ragged as the memories came flooding back, "Itto... I don't know what else to do..." My voice cracked and my bottom lip trembled.

I slowly brought both my hands to my face, trying to hide the first tear that ran down my cheek that would inevitably be followed by more. "I'm sorry." I turned my head away from him and tried wiping the tears as they fell.

I bet he's disgusted by me. I wouldn't blame him.

"Look at me, Y/n." I felt his large, warm hands on my shoulders and I looked up into his eyes that held tenderness, disrupting my intrusive thoughts. "Why don't you try telling me what happened? Maybe I can help?" I dragged my wrist beneath my nose and shuddered as I breathed in.

"Hey, if you don't want to, it's fine by me." My eyes widened when he wrapped his arms around me, engulfing me in his embrace. I remained silent, this type of warmth was foreign to me. Normally, I would be against this sort of contact but maybe it was the fact that it was his warmth. His scent filled my senses and I could only stand there.

"I want to help. I want to know what happened. From your side. I'm not the best at comforting people with words but I can at least listen. If that's okay with you?"

He wants to... Help?

My hands hovered above him, frozen by the sudden contact. When I processed his comforting words, I caved and hugged him back tightly. Desperately. It started off silent, until I began to bawl into his chest and let all the anger, fear, and sadness I felt out into the open. It felt so good to let it all out. I had been holding it in for so long.

How could I lie to myself, to create this false sense of security that if I just forget about my problems, they'll go away?

He silently squeezed me and allowed me to cry, offering a few reassuring words. A few minutes passed until I was able to finally calm down.

"I-I'm sorry for not telling you. I just... I was scared of how you would react..." He pulled back to look at me. "I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't do such a thing. I don't believe that Kujou Tengu one bit! Now, do you wanna talk about it?"

I thought about it for some time, considering whether I should tell him or not. I gazed into his kind eyes, finding myself subconsciously lowering my guard. Actually, my guard was lowered way before. Otherwise I wouldn't have cried in front of him. Have I always been doing that? Since when?

Finally, after thinking it over, I nodded solemnly. "Okay. I-I'll tell you. I'll tell you everything."

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