Purple Ink (SatoGou)

Chapter 13

thank you for all the love on this fic <3 I'm really enjoying writing it and seeing how much you guys are into it. I was honestly worried that this was my lamest idea yet but you've all made me feel a lot better about it :3

Also, sorry if the start of this chapter is underwhelming after the cliffhanger lol

For a moment, I'm paralysed with the fear that he's going to confront me, and I'm going to have to either tell him the truth in front of Dawn, or lie about who she is. I hold my breath for the second that he holds my eye contact, heart pounding. Then he turns away, and walks off, back turned to us, and I blow out the breath.

"Yikes. Even I felt that tension." Dawn shakes her head, shivering. "I can't believe Red is actually here."

"You and me both," I sigh. I haven't really encountered Goh properly since, so I have no idea how my brain will sort through the fact that they are one and the same.

"I still have two hours before my train," she says, checking her phone. "Are you gonna show me around, or what?"

I open my mouth to tell her there isn't much to show her beside shops and ugly buildings, but I see the sparkle in her eyes, and realise she's just trying to distract me to keep me from slipping back under, just like she has been the whole time we've been sat here. I swallow hard and nod, standing, and lead her out into the street.

— — — —

Mercifully, we don't come across Goh as we wander the city. My heart lifts with every second spent with Dawn, and when I'm standing on the train platform as her train slowly comes to a stop, I find myself choking back tears to see her go. She turns to give me a long hug, whispering some words of encouragement in my ear before giving me one last smile and racing for the open doors of the carriage.

Alone again, I glance at my phone, but no one's messaged me. I hadn't expected them to, not when I'd ignored them all week. I blow out a breath and start the ascent up out of the train station.

At the top of the steps, standing in the cold, I call Goh. My heart hammers against my ribs the whole time, rising up into my throat, fear threatening to paralyse me, but... He doesn't answer.

Can we talk? I send, my first message to him in a week. I have no idea whether to expect a response or not. I'd deserve it if he decided to ignore me back. I stick my phone back in my pocket and start the walk back to the flat. I barely make it twenty steps before my phone pings.

I rush to open the text. I'm at the park.

I swallow hard, pushing back my nerves at the invitation to meet him. Well, at least he's not shutting me out. It's a good sign that he might be willing to listen to me explain, but... Once he hears the explanation, things might take a turn for the worst. Hands shaking, it takes a lot more effort than it should to write back: Okay. I'll be there in ten minutes.

I force myself to start moving again, ignoring the roaring thoughts in my brain and the panic gathering in my chest, keeping my eyes trained ahead until the entrance to the park comes into view, the line of trees spreading out into the distance. I start to think I should have asked him which specific part of the park he's at, when I spot him, leaning against a tree like he's waiting for me.

He notices me as I cross over to him, and his face gives away nothing. I know my own isn't as calm- he can probably see every emotion written all over my face. It gets harder and harder to breathe with every step, until I'm just a few feet away from him for the first time in days, and every sane thought vanishes from my brain, replaced with the memory of him sitting in my lap, his lips on mine-