Nostalgia 𖹭 Joost Klein x Reader

𖹭 fifteen 𖹭

unexpected feelings.

𖹭 𖹭 𖹭

Joost's POV:

"Go away, Joost." she pleaded between sobs, her voice muffled by her hands. The raw vulnerability in her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and my heart ached as I watched her shoulders shake with each broken breath.

I didn't move. I couldn't. Seeing her like this, so hurt and ashamed, made it impossible for me to leave her side. "Y/N, please... let me help." I said softly, my voice trembling with emotion.

She shook her head, her hands still covering her face as if trying to hide from the world. "You shouldn't have to see me like this." she whispered, her voice cracking. "I'm so pathetic... 23 and still a virgin. I can't even get that right."

The words hung in the air, filled with so much self-loathing and pain that it made my chest tighten. I could hear the anguish in her voice, the years of internalized shame that she had clearly been carrying with her, and it broke my heart.

"Why is that pathetic?" I asked gently, my voice barely above a whisper as I leaned closer to her. "Y/N, why does that make you feel like you're less than anyone else?"

She sniffled, finally lowering her hands to look at me, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The raw vulnerability in her gaze made my breath catch, and I could see the deep-seated pain she had been holding onto for so long. "Because... because everyone else seems to have it all figured out. Everyone else has had these experiences, these relationships, and I'm just... I'm just here, stuck in the same place, never moving forward."

Her voice wavered, and she looked away, as if she couldn't bear to meet my eyes. "I'm scared, Joost. Scared that I'm never going to be enough. That I'm never going to be wanted, or loved... not like everyone else."

I felt a sharp pain in my chest, the weight of her words almost unbearable. I wanted to reach out, to pull her into my arms and make all of this pain go away, but I knew this wasn't something I could fix with a simple hug. This was something deeper, something that had been eating away at her for a long time.

"Y/N." I began, my voice thick with emotion, "you are not pathetic. You're not any less because of what you've been through or because of the choices you've made. Your worth isn't determined by whether or not you've had sex or been in a relationship. That doesn't define you. You define you."

She looked at me then, her eyes filled with tears but also with a hint of disbelief, as if she wanted to believe me but couldn't quite let herself. "But... what if no one ever wants me? What if I'm always just... alone?"

ⁱ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ʸᵒᵘ, ⁱ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ˢᵒ ᵇᵃᵈ.

The pain in her voice was palpable, and I couldn't stop myself from reaching out, taking her hands in mine. "You are wanted, Y/N." I said, my voice trembling. "You are loved. You have so much to offer, so much light and kindness in you... anyone would be lucky to have you in their life."

I squeezed her hands gently, trying to convey just how much I meant every word. "You're not alone. I'm here, and I see you for who you really are—a beautiful, strong, compassionate person who deserves all the love and happiness in the world. And you don't have to rush into anything. Your worth isn't tied to what others expect or what society says you should be. You're enough just as you are."

She stared at me, her tears still flowing but with a different kind of emotion now, one that was softer, more hopeful. "Do you really think that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I know that." I said firmly, my eyes locking onto hers. "And I'll keep reminding you of it every single day if that's what it takes."

For a moment, she didn't say anything, just stared at me as if trying to absorb everything I'd said. Then, slowly, she nodded, her grip on my hands tightening as if she was holding on for dear life. "Thank you, Joost." she whispered, her voice trembling with gratitude.