𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 - 𝗚𝗼𝗷𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘂 𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

~Chapter 2~

It's been a week now since you've last heard from Satoru. At this point, you were convinced that maybe he no longer wanted anything to do with you. You sighed as you left the bathroom, the aching feeling in your chest refused to leave. You dried your hair and prepared yourself to go out. You thought to yourself that perhaps a little walk outside would help you clear your mind.

Satoru was still stuck in his cycle of drinking and wallowing in self-pity. He had lost count of how many nights he spent drowning his sorrows in whiskey. But tonight was different. Tonight, as he stumbled back into his apartment, drunk off his senses, something caught his eye. On the table lay a familiar green notebook with some drawings inside it - they were your doodles. He picked it up absently, thumbing through the pages randomly without even realizing what he was doing. And then there it was - a drawing of him and you together, laughing happily like old times. The image made him feel something stir within him: pain mixed with nostalgia and regret all rolled into one sharp punch to the gut..

He wanted to call you, just hear your sweet voice once more. He wanted to run back to you, apologize and promise to never hurt you again. He knew his pride and arrogance would never allow him.

Satoru continued to stare at your doodles, smiling slightly at the cute little drawings you have created. He remembered how you'd draw while he watched you so carefully, admiring how beautiful you looked when you were so focused on your sketches and doodles.

I miss her.

His heart ached. He started at his phone, wondering if he should call you or not.

He shook his head, "Fuck it." He thought to himself as he pushed the notebook away, and picked up his phone. He dialed your number without thinking twice.

He got excited when he first heard your voice after a few rings, but the excitement was soon replaced with disappointment when it was just a recorded voice note of yours. Satoru sighed, slowly beginning to speak.

"Hey... you..." His voice was rough, filled with alcohol and emotions. "I just wanted to... I miss you..." He paused, swallowing hard. "Please forgive me for being such an asshole lately. I'm sorry if I hurt you or made things hard." He sighed heavily into the phone. "Just promise me that we can try again? Please?"

Satoru sighed, throwing his phone to the side as he plopped himself on his bed. He wouldn't be surprised if you never answered him. He wouldn't blame you either.

"(Y/N)..." he whispered softly to the empty room, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. "I'm sorry... for everything." He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him. I shouldn't have treated you like this... I love you. But what difference did that make now? It was too late; he had already ruined everything. You two might never be that carefree couple who laughed and made stupid jokes about nothing.

He rolled onto his side, reaching for the nightstand where he knew there would be another bottle of whiskey waiting for him. Maybe if I drink enough... maybe then it won't hurt so much.

After what seemed an eternity, but only a 15 minutes, the entire bottle of liquor was emptied. Satoru was staring at nothingness, his vision blurry and his mind groggy. His white hair strands fell over his face, and on his dull eyes, but he didn't care. He didn't care that he looked fucked up. He didn't care that he looked like a mess. He just laid there on his bed, with nothing on but his boxers and the ache in his chest.

Suddenly, his phone began to ring.

"Fuck..." he muttered under his breath. He didn't want to move; it was too effortless here, floating in this alcoholic bubble. But he knew if he didn't pick up, you wouldn't answer again. So with a groan and an exaggerated sigh of frustration, he rolled over and reached out for his phone. "Hello?" His voice sounded rough even to him.

"Oh... hi."

Your heart sank when you heard his voice. He sounded so drunk. So tired. And in so much pain. "I... uh, I got your voice message." You started slowly, rubbing your shoulder. It was a habit of yours whenever you were nervous.

"...I guess you heard what I said." He sighed, his voice heavy with alcohol and despair. "Sorry if it was too much... or whatever." He chuckled darkly, "You know me - always overdoing everything."

"No need to apologize," you said softly. God, his voice sounded so different when he was drunk, you thought to yourself. "I understand ..."

Satoru nodded, turning over to his side with the phone still on his ear. "I meant everything I said in the voice note, y'know..." there was silence. Satoru sighed softly. "Yeah," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "I didn't mean for us to... you know..." He trailed off, swallowing hard. "But it's just... everything feels so complicated now."

"It doesn't have to be complicated," you whispered softly, trying to inject some hope into your conversation. "We can make it work if we want to..".

Satoru's lower lip quivered. He wasn't gonna allow himself to cry. He has already embarrassed himself enough.

"Just you? Or us?" He breathed heavily into the phone, his voice now barely audible over the sound of his own sobs. He was crying. "I... I'm just so fucking tired, (Y/N)..." He paused, sniffing back tears. "Tired of fighting and arguing and... and not being good enough for you." His voice broke as he spoke those words. "I just want things to be simple again..."

Your heart ached at the sound of him crying. You swallowed the boulder that formed in your throat. Your eyes were teary, but you weren't gonna cry too. You wanted to be strong for Satoru. "Don't cry, baby." You whispered, "it's okay... it's gonna be okay."

He let out a sob, and then another, his voice cracking with every word. "I can't... I can't do this anymore..." His words were slurred, making it difficult to understand him. "It's always been you and me against the world... but now... now we're fighting each other too..."

A tear now fell down your cheek. You opened your mouth a few times, then closed it, not knowing what to say. It was just silence along with Satoru's muffled sobs.

"Baby please..." he croaked. "Please... just... come back... please?" He choked out between sobs, his voice barely recognizable now. I need you, (Y/N). "I promise I'll change... I'll be better... for you." He sniffled loudly. "Just come home to me." His words trailed off into silence as he broke down completely.

You wet your lips, your eyes darting around your room to find your keys. You wanted to go to him. "I want you to be you... and I want us to be... just us" you whispered as you grabbed your keys. "Just two normal... very normal people wanting to make it right." You continued.

"Just us... just two normal people..." He murmured softly, choking back sobs and sniffling back tears. It was like she had heard my thoughts. "I wish that too... just want to be simple again..." He paused, sniffing hard. "Just you and me..."

"Just us, baby." You whispered, hoping to comfort him. All you wanted was for you two to be normal. You didn't want the two of you to be defined by your powers or your ranks. I just wanted us to be... us.

"I'm coming over, alright?" You said, leaving your apartment. "We can talk more when I get there."

"...okay." His voice was barely audible, but there was a hint of hope in it. A glimmer of the man he used to be before everything went wrong. "Just... just hurry up, okay?" He paused, sniffing hard again. Then he whispered hoarsely into the phone: "And (Y/N)... please forgive me?"

You smiled weakly over the phone. "I forgive you..." you whispered. "I'll hang up now, alright? Be there in a bit."

"Okay... just hurry up... I love you, (Y/N)." His voice cracked as he spoke those words.

"I love you too, Satoru." I said softly. Before he could say anything else, you hung up the phone. Your heart was aching, but it was a different type of ache. One of guilt. The image of him sitting in that dark room, his white hair strands falling over his face and eyes filled with tears... It broke something inside you. Suddenly, everything seemed so clear; all the ridiculous arguments and fights about nothing seemed so trivial now..