Worth It (N. Todoroki X Reader)

Chapter 7: Promise

The following months were endless days of dates and hanging out. The dates ranged from going to expensive restaurants to sitting on the couch and watching TV.

Honestly, I am a little bit upset at myself for giving Natsuo such a long time span because that just gives me more time to fall even harder for him. And that's bad because if I don't see his apology fit then I will just go into a hole of despair.

But, oh well, I guess. This is the consequence of my actions. Now I have to live with them.

It really sucks, actually. Mainly because I have fallen way harder for him, and so far I haven't seen it right to forgive him just yet.

But today, I am free. Free of homework. Free of college classes. Free of a lot of things, and I am finally able to just relax and lay—

I'm going to kill whoever knocked on my door.

This is my one day. My one day.

I reluctantly got out of bed, sitting on the floor for a few seconds while I debated whether or not to wrap the blanket around myself. I decided to do that, because it was cold but also to hopefully convey the message that I do not care.

And then I opened the door. And regretted my decision to look like absolute crap.

Because Natsuo stood there, looking slightly nicer than he normally did while I stood there looking like absolute garbage.

I noticed the bouquet of f/f in his hands, wondering how he knew my favorite flower since I never told him. He held them out to me, our hands grazing together as I took them from his grasp and let him inside.

He kissed the top of my head as he walked in, waiting for me to find a vase to put the flowers in (which I ended up using one of those plastic containers for leftover food as a makeshift vase) before he started saying what he came to say.

I almost discarded the blanket before I realized that I wasn't wearing a bra. So that blanket went back over my shoulders.

Natsuo started his whole speech, stating that the end time I gave him was getting closer and he was starting to get worried. He expressed that he didn't want to lose me and reassuring once again that he actually did like me and didn't get with me to piss his dad off.

What caught me by surprise was the small box he pulled out of his pocket—big enough to fit a ring inside.

I immediately started panicking because holy shit no, not yet, I am not ready.

The panic simmered down when he saw the panicked expression and explained that it wasn't an engagement ring, but a promise ring.

He opened the box and showed me the ring that was inside. It was two thin gold bands that were intertwined in a spiral type thing, one of the thin bands adorning small diamonds that ran all the way around.

It was a really pretty ring, but it was one of those things where it looks too expensive and I just feel like I'm going to ruin it.

But Natsuo took my left hand and put it on my ring finger. "I love you, Y/n, and I have every intention of marrying you and spending the rest of my life with you."

Holy shit.

Holy shit.

Ho. Ly. Shit.

What.

Did he just—

I want to scream.

No, I don't. This is great.

But what if he's just saying that so I do stay with him? And that's it? What if—

I don't even know anymore.

I just stood there, staring at the ring he put on my finger. It was so pretty and looked so . . . right on my hand.

"And I know that you have anxiety," he continued, taking both of my hands in his and making me look at him. "I know that you can get really depressed sometimes. I know that you doubt yourself. I know that you overthink everything. And I know that you have an eating problem. I'm willing to stand by your side through all of it. Because you're worth it. You're worth every penny I spend, every second of my day, you're worth it."

I don't want to blink.

I don't want to blink because I feel tears already threatening to fall, and if I blink they definitely will. And I did not want to spend any part of today crying.

Natsuo let go of my hands, gently cupping my face and wiping the few tears that had fallen because of allergies. No other reason.

"I love you, Y/n. It might be early to say it, but I do. I don't expect you to say it if you don't want to, I'll patiently wait."

And there go the tears.

I wrapped my arms around his torso, pulling him to me in a hug and crying into his shirt. He returned the hug, both of us falling to a pile of people on the floor.

I knew in that moment that I had fallen completely in love with him.

I pulled away from the hug, cupping his face with my hands and pulling him in for a kiss. "I love you, too," I said in the short moment we were separated, going in for another kiss.

I didn't need to say I forgave him.

He already knew that I did.