No Choice But You // Ominis Gaunt x Reader

Chapter 36

Y/n's POV//

Part of me didn't want to believe it, after the other run-ins I'd had with Ominis. This whole thing felt fragile and fake like it would crumble and fall apart any second. 

He held my hand as we walked to class on Monday morning, and my cheeks reddened any time someone looked our way. It didn't feel real. 

He'd said he loved me. 

I wanted to believe, but I almost couldn't bring myself to. Even as he clung to my side, he remained as stoic as always; it was hard to tell his thoughts and feelings. He was never one to wear his heart on his sleeve. 

"Y/n," are you alright?" Ominis asked me, pulling me from my thoughts. I hadn't realized, but we'd stopped walking. 

"Yes, I'm fine," I told him. He squeezed my hand, and although I felt a fluttering in my stomach, I couldn't help but stomp the butterflies down. 

"Tell me what's on your mind." He pulled me to the side of the corridor and leaned against the wall. His eyebrows were pressed together in a line.

"Are you sure you're serious about this? About us?" I finally told him what was on my mind. It's not like I could hide it--he knew something was up. 

"I told you that I was." He took my hand in his again and held onto me tightly. While his expression was still as hard as ever, I noticed a small crack in his facade. He wasn't sure about this, and I knew it. There was no way that he could switch up how he was feeling so quickly. I'd seen the evidence of that the last two times he tried. It didn't work, and I knew it wouldn't last this time, either. 

"If you still need time-" 

"I don't need time," he said, cutting me off. "I told you how I felt. I told you I wanted this, and I do. That hasn't changed."

Oh, but it will. 

I didn't know if I was being smart by letting him in so easily. It was going to end one of two ways--either he would do what he always does and pull away, or I'd hurt him again. Merlin knows that's the only thing that I'm good at. If he didn't leave soon, it was guaranteed that he would later due to my shortcomings. 

I am not the same person he met back in our fifth year. I am nowhere near as mooncalf-eyed and optimistic as I was. 

"You're not going to want this forever," I said. I almost wondered if I should just break this off now before I let it get too serious again. I didn't know if I'd be able to handle it if it did get more serious. "You say you love me, but I don't think you know me like you think you do." 

He'd said that he loved me all too quickly, and I knew it. It had to be a lapse in judgment. That, or he was taking pity on me because of my condition. There was no way in hell that he loved me. 

"You need to stop doing that," he stated. 

"Doing what?" I frowned and tried to pull away, but he grabbed my elbows and brought me in closer than I was before. 

"Pushing people away when you get scared. I don't care if you do it to everyone else, but I'm done letting you do it to me, the same as how I'm not going to do it to you anymore. I know what I feel. I tried to ignore it at first, but I see now that I don't want to. I want you, so no--you don't get to push me away anymore. Understood?" His face was close to mine as he spoke, and I could hear the irritation in his tone. 

I was about to give a rebuttal to his statement, but he lifted his hand and placed it on my cheek, running his thumb over my cheekbone. His touch was gentle and feather-light, but even so, the butterflies in my stomach sprang back to life. I was almost frustrated with myself because just the smallest touch, my heart was racing. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes before sucking in a deep, steadying breath. 

He stepped forward and placed a small kiss on my cheek and I felt the blush spread across my neck. "I know you're crazy about me too," he said, his face still close to mine. His breath skated across my ear as he spoke. "I still remember all the sweet little sounds you made last time I truly kissed you." 

And my stomach tied itself in a knot, my breaths growing short. He brought his lips to my ear and placed a slow kiss there. I gripped his elbows, trying not to fall over. I knew I was bright red, and I wondered what the passing students in the hall were thinking. I'd never been one for public displays of affection, but I didn't not want Ominis to kiss me. I liked his kisses. I knew that much. 

"I see you two lovebirds finally made up," Sebastian said beside us. I backed away from Ominis so fast that I bumped my head on the wall behind me. Ominis glared at Sebastian. 

"Don't you have something better to do than bother us?" Ominis said. I gingerly rubbed the back of my head, and Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. 

"You know I like to tease," Sebastian grinned. "Besides--you're both about to be late for History of Magic. Professor Binns wouldn't like that."

I rolled my eyes as Ominis took my arm in his, and we followed Sebastian to class.