Heartstrings | Johnny Lawrence x (y/n) | 1984 |

| 4 | Unspoken Tension

Johnny stood frozen for a moment, watching you disappear into the distance. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling under the surface. The boys, who had been watching from the corner, started approaching him, but he didn't want to hear whatever snide comments they had ready. He turned around, his fists clenched, storming off before they could say anything.

"Johnny, man, just let it go—" Bobby tried to call after him, but Johnny didn't stop. He couldn't just let it go.

You were walking fast, your heart still racing from the intense confrontation with Johnny. Every part of you felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. The last few days had been draining. You didn't want to think about Johnny, about the mess that had unfolded between you two, but it was impossible to escape it. His angry, confused eyes were still in your mind.

As you turned a corner, you sighed, relieved to be alone for a moment. But that relief was short-lived when you suddenly felt a presence behind you. You spun around, and there he was again—Johnny, breathing hard like he had run after you the whole way.

"Johnny, what the hell?" you snapped, taking a step back. Your voice was shaky, the lingering anger from earlier mixing with confusion. "Why are you following me?"

His eyes darkened. "Because I'm not done with you," he said, the edge in his voice sending a chill down your spine. "I want to know what's going on with you. You've been avoiding me like I did something wrong."

"You did do something wrong, Johnny!" you shot back, the words spilling out before you could stop them. "You hit me, you've been weird ever since... Ali... and I don't know what to think anymore!"

He blinked, stunned by your sudden outburst. "You're mad about Ali?" His voice softened slightly, confusion taking over. "I thought we were past that. She doesn't even—"

"I'm not mad about Ali," you interrupted, feeling your frustration peak. You were lying and he knew it.

"I'm mad because you've been different. One minute we're fine, and the next you're blowing me off for some girl?! You're messing with my head, Johnny."

He stared at you for a long moment, processing your words. His jaw tightened, and he took a step closer, forcing you to look up into his eyes. His presence was overwhelming, but you held your ground.

"You think I don't care?" he muttered, his voice low but intense. "I've been losing my mind the last few days because you're all I can think about. I didn't mean to hurt you in sparring—and!...and I didn't know about the whole Ali situation" He paused, running a hand over his face in frustration. "I was pissed because you wouldn't look at me, and I don't know what the hell's going on in your head anymore."

"You hurt me because you weren't thinking," you retorted. "You've been acting so cold, I don't know what you want from me, Johnny."

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What do I want from you? You really don't know?" His tone shifted, the frustration in his voice mixing with something raw, something almost vulnerable. He took another step closer, closing the space between you two.

"Johnny..." you warned, your voice faltering. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest as he leaned in slightly, his eyes locking with yours in a way that made it impossible to look away. His breath was shallow, and the air between you crackled with unspoken tension.

"I want you," he finally admitted, his voice rough and barely above a whisper. "I've wanted you for a long time, but I didn't know how to handle it. So yeah, I got jealous, I got angry when you were avoiding me. Because you matter to me more than I can even explain."

The confession hit you like a tidal wave, leaving you speechless. Your mind raced, trying to process his words, the intensity in his eyes, the way his hands were clenched at his sides like he was barely holding himself together.

"You—what?" you stammered, your voice barely audible.

Johnny took another step, his hands finally reaching out, one resting on the wall beside your head, the other lightly gripping your wrist. He was close now, so close you could feel the heat of his body against yours. His eyes were locked on yours, intense and searching, as if daring you to challenge what he had just said.

"I want you, okay?" he repeated, his tone more certain this time. "I've been acting like a jerk because I didn't know how to deal with it. But I'm not going to just let you walk away from me without knowing how I feel."

You stared at him, your mind racing, heart pounding. Everything about this moment felt surreal. The tension that had been building between you two, the confusion, the frustration—it all made sense now. But it didn't make it any less complicated.

"Johnny..." you whispered, feeling torn between anger and something deeper, something you hadn't wanted to admit to yourself. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

He exhaled sharply, as if he had been holding his breath. "Because I didn't know how. I thought I could handle it, but seeing you with other guys, avoiding me... it drove me crazy."

For a moment, the only sound between you two was the pounding of your heart in your ears. You could feel the weight of his confession, the raw honesty in his words, and it made your chest tighten in ways you hadn't expected.

"Johnny..." you started, but before you could say anything more, he leaned in, his lips crashing onto yours in a desperate, almost reckless kiss. His hand slid from your wrist to cup your face, holding you like he was afraid you might disappear if he let go.

The kiss was filled with all the tension, frustration, and emotion that had been building between you two for weeks. It was intense, heated, and undeniable. You felt yourself responding, your hands finding their way to his chest, gripping his shirt as if grounding yourself in the moment.

When he finally pulled back, both of you were breathing hard, staring at each other in stunned silence.

"Now you know," Johnny said, his voice rough but softer than before. "I can't stand the thought of losing you."