Interesting (AfterDeath)

Chapter 36

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Reaper P.O.V

I sighed softly, smiling as Geno relaxed into my chest, panting quietly, flushing deeply, still slightly out of breath from our make out session.

"I love you~" I murmured, pecking his forehead gently, rubbing careful circles onto his back. Geno smiled, cuddling closer to me.

"I love you too~" he said softly, nuzzling his face into my chest. I held him closer protectively, and he relaxed into me more, humming quietly with content.

I sighed softly, smiling, listening to his soft, low voice travel over random notes, closing my eyes relaxedly, tightening my arms around him slightly, still rubbing his back gently.

"...are you hungry?" I asked suddenly, realising that neither of us had eaten in the past few days.  Honestly, I was used to forgetting to eat, often going days without food before remembering to eat.

Healthy, I know.

Geno hesitated, freezing up slightly from the simple question.

"Sweetheart..?" I said softly, my voice full of hesitancy.  "What's wrong..?"

Geno hesitated, then forced up a smile, making my heart hurt at how fake it felt to me.

"It's nothing," he assured, managing to meet my eyes, still with that fake smile. I frowned, taking his face in my hands gently, pulling us both into a sitting position, Geno sitting beside me.

"Gen...." I murmured, gazing into his eyes searchingly, caressing his cheeks softly. Geno leant into my touch for a few moments, then turned his head away, sending a dagger of hurt through my heart.

"Geno...." I whispered. He only smiled shakily, shaking his head, pain shadowing his eyes.

"Nothing's wrong, Reaps.  You don't have to worry about it."

"I...."

"No, Reaps.  Nothing is wrong," he interjected, his words firm, suggesting finality.

"....Geno... please, tell me what's wrong, I want to help, please.... I hate to see you hurt like this, I just want you to be happy, so please, I want to know what's wrong to help you, please, sweetheart, tell me what's wrong, I'm begging you," I pleaded, shaking slightly, tears that I didn't even know I was crying slipping down my face.

Geno seemed shocked, and he took my face in his hands carefully, brushing my tears away, hesitantly pulling me onto his lap, holding me close to his chest as I cried softly.

"Reaps..." he whispered, rubbing careful circles onto my back.  "I'm so sorry, Reaps, I didn't mean to hurt you....   I'm so, so sorry....  I just-  I just didn't want you to hate me..."

Another needle of hurt jabbed my soul.

"I-I....G-Geno, tell me what I've done to make you think that I'd hate you, please...  I...  don't know wh-what I d-did, t-tell m-me, please, I d-didn't mean to d-do it, I swear, I-" I cut myself off with a soft sob, clutching onto Geno's shirt tightly, burying my face in his chest.  "I'm s-so s-sorry."

'I did something to make him think that I could hate him.  I'm so awful, I can't do anything right.'

Geno's eyes widened slightly, and he held me closer, stroking my back calmingly.

"Reaper, no.... you didn't do anything," he whispered. "I swear, you've done nothing to make me think that. It's me. I'm the problem.... I'm so useless, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear I didn't."