The Sinful Liar - Shohei Ohtani x Reader.

Chapter 9: We made a deal

The night enveloped us as Shohei and I sat in the quiet solitude of his car. There was absolute silence but my heartbeat reverberated against my ears and his heavy breifly breathing filled the silence. The smell of his soap and cologne hit me in the face and sent my stomach fluttering. I looked over at him and saw he too had a blank expression on his face.

"Don't waste my time" he said. His eyes never leave the road to meet mine, his hand still holding onto the steering wheel and his fingers drumming the leather.

I took a deep breath, summoning the courage to broach the subject.  "I want you to reconsider the deal"  I said. His gaze met mine for a brief moment before diverting away again to the road.

"What makes you change your mind?" he asked.  It was an unnecessary question that only made me hesitate even more. The question itself gave me time to think over what I would say next without sounding so rushed.

"My mom is in an operation, I can't afford it ..."  I paused briefly to consider if I really wanted to go with this or not. I thought this story didn't relate to Shohei at all, he didn't need to know about it. I decided not to continue, instead looking back out of the window. I could see a couple of street lamps through the dark glass but it wasn't enough to make a difference.

He remained silent, letting me speak whatever was bothering me. But I couldn't. My throat tightened up, I struggled to find the words to express everything inside of me. "I need money"  I finally managed to get out in a whisper. My hands intertwined together anxiously as my palms started sweating. I wiped them discreetly on my jeans.

He let out an audible sigh.  "I don't care about how you will use the money"  he mumbled. "It's called "cash on delivery"." 

I tried to swallow, I felt like throwing up, I just didn't have the energy to do anything else right now. I just wanted it to end already. I turned to face him. Shohei's eyes were hard and unreadable.

I couldn't read his emotions. His jaw was clenched tightly and he refused to meet my gaze. I noticed the way he leaned his head against the driver's seat with his arms crossed across his chest. He was sitting in the same position as I was, staring straight ahead. His body  was rigid with tension, like a machine that was ready to explode. I felt myself shrink into my seat, suddenly afraid that he was going to blow up on me any second.

"Okay that's the deal. Meet me at my apartment, 10PM on Friday." He said after a long pause. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and typed something rapidly before pressing send. "Give me your number, I'll text you the address"  He gave me his phone,  waiting for me to enter it on my contact list. I didn't dare look him in the eye anymore.

"Done" He said and shoved his phone back in his jacket.  "Remember to be quiet. I don't want any photographer to catch you in front of my apartment"

I nodded, my voice caught between a croak and a squeak as I spoke. "I got it. But .... wait"

I hesitated for a few seconds, not sure if I should speak to him.

"What?"  He finally looked me in the eyes, a small bit of annoyance showing in his expression but also curiosity. "Do we need to shake hands?" he asked.

I hesitated for a moment before plunging into the heart of the matter. "What if .. things go beyond what we can control. I think we need a contract."

Shohei arched an eyebrow,  his expression still unreadable. Then he chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head and muttering "contract" under his breath. "Of course, we have to"I stared at him for a moment, unable to decipher whether he was agreeing or disagreeing.

"A contract, of sorts. Something to make sure we're on the same page." I said

He leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "A contract between us? What kind of ground rules are we talking about?"

"I printed it out. You can read it"  I fished around my bag and took out a document. When I handed him the paper, I watched him carefully as he read it. His expression slowly morphed into amusement. I waited for a response. "Is... that okay?", I asked tentatively.

"Why so many conditions?" he inquired, his eyes crinkling with his grin as he looked back up at me.

"I just want everything to be clear between us." 

"What if you want me, and I don't want you?"  he asked, raising an eyebrow with a half smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

I shook my head. "We have nothing in common. I don't like you that much."

His gaze lingered on me, his head tilted ever so slightly while he studied me. I found it difficult to breathe normally, my pulse quickened as he gazed into my eyes. Finally, his lips curled into a smirk as he leaned forward towards me, bringing his face within centimeters of mine.

"I'll agree to all of these conditions, " His eyes sparkled with mischief.

"If you agree one condition of mine"  -he added.

I gulped, trying to calm my frantic heartbeat. "And what's the condition?"

He  leaned back and folded his arms across his chest, his eyes never left mine. "Y/N could love anyone if she wants, but no one can touch her body except Shohei Ohtani."

I froze for a second, processing his words.

"What about you, Shohei? That's not fair. What if you sleep with other girls, you have disease and infect me?"

"You think I have that much time?"  he responded, turning away from me.

"I don't mean by that..."  My voice trailed off.

He glanced at me sideways and then averted his gaze. "Do you trust me?"

I opened my mouth to respond, thinking about my feelings, but he cut me off before I could say anything.

"Yes or no?"   He repeated. I could hear the edge in his voice.

A pregnant pause hung in the air. The question echoed in my mind, demanding a response.

Finally, I sighed, "Yes."

"Good," he said.  "Yes or no, simple as that."

"That's the deal"  I replied curtly.

"Deal."  He said again. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards. I could tell by the glint in his eyes that he was enjoying this, relishing in our little game of cat and mouse. 

"It's late anyway, let me take you home"  He started the engine and put the key into the ignition.

"We both need to sleep."  I closed my eyes as the warm engine began to rumble against my skin. After a few minutes, he drove down the highway.

I didn't know if this was a good choice or not. But it was the best choice of mine at this moment. I just only need to get over this phase. Soon, when things settle down, I would have a new start.