[Cheerful!Boy x Depressed!Reader] Caretaker

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[ A/N: Surprise!! I'm not dead! ( Except all you sinners probably want me dead for leaving so suddenly and for such a long period of time, haha ^3^;; ) I want to say my work was the reason I've been absent but I feel like it's a lot more than just that. Don't wanna get into too much detail right now but I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter! ( and please don't kill me... ;u; ) ]

The world suddenly flashed out of existence, going completely dark. Yuki couldn't see where he was but he felt that the ground was flooded with at least 15 cm of water. He felt it soak through his clothes and up the sleeves of his shirt, nearly reaching his shoulders. The cloth was suffocating stuck to his skin and made moving uncomfortable but he pressed on. Where was he? Things were dead silent and he did his best tried to recall the events that had just transpired. You were with him just moments ago. Where were you?

Yuki suddenly sat up, disturbing the once still water as he heard a far away voice. Your voice. "[Y/N]?" He called out, scrambling to his feet, the water sloshing around him as he headed towards the sound. His legs felt heavy treading through the liquid but he kept pushing, a desperate instinct in his gut telling him that you were in some form of danger. As he got nearer... your voice became clearer in what he recognized to be soft sobs, his eyes barely making out your figure in the distance. Yuki's heart ached at the sound of your crying. Moonlight reflected against your form but he couldn't seem to find it's source. He called for you again, picking up his pace and stumbling a bit in an attempt to reach you. Something felt horribly wrong and he desperately wanted to see you, to comfort you and, in a way, comfort himself.

Once he was close enough, Yuki tried reaching out to you but suddenly reeled back in horror at the sight of his own hands. In the light, he saw that his arms were soaked in a crimson red. Blood. This wasn't water he was treading through. The liquid already soaked his clothing, practically staining his skin and a single answer clicked in his head. This was your blood. He was confused, shocked, and... scared. You had disappeared so suddenly that it felt as if his heart suddenly jumped to his throat, fear settling uneasily in his stomach. "[Y/N]!" He called out again into the darkness, hugging his blood-soaked arms close to him. It was cold and his legs felt weak but he didn't want to fall in fear of plunging his body even deeper into the blood that surrounded him.

Tears stung the corners of his eyes, his mind coming to irrational conclusions. This was your blood, meaning you were hurt, possibly severely. His chest compressed, forcing him to feel as if he couldn't breath. He wanted to see you. He desperately wanted to see you. To know that you were alright, as if the thought would bring him to ease. He had to find you. Immediately!

He knew it was his fault. There was nothing to prove it but he knew it was his fault. He should never have left. Why did he leave in the first place? No, no, no, you had to be okay. You had to!

He promised...

- - - -

"[Y/N]...!" You were slowly shaken awake from slumber, slightly dazed. "Huh...?" You muttered, barely able to register that it was Yuki who was by your bed, calling your name. Registering the slight shake in his tone, your concern made you more aware and you noticed the distraught expression in his usually cheerful features. "Yuki...?" You asked, "Is everything alright?" He didn't move, his lips parting and closing as if he was finding the right words to try— to try and explain why he had woken you up in he middle of the night. A million words were jumbled in his head but his throat went dry at the thought of you... gone.

You noticed that his eyes seemed slightly puffy, and that his breathing held traces of hiccups. "H-Have you been crying?" You stuttered, completely awake now and clearly concerned. You sat up fully and, without thinking, brought your hands up to his cheeks to gently wipe away the new tears that had formed. He whimpered slightly at your touch and brought up his own hand over yours, squeezing them tightly for reassurance. His eyes refused to leave yours.

"I—...." he tried to start but suddenly pulled you into a tight hug. You froze at his sudden outburst but quickly relaxed in favor of comforting him, wrapping your arms around his back and allowing him cry softly into your shoulder. "Please don't leave..." Yuki whimpered softly, hugging you tighter. "I-I won't..." you muttered and though you didn't understand what could've made him so terrified, your current goal was to calm him down as best as you could. You rubbed small circles on his back, feeling your shirt soak with his tears as you patiently waited.

After a while, he slowly ( almost hesitantly ) let you go, having calmed down significantly. "I'm sorry..." he apologized, head hung downwards. You gently squeezed his hand to reassure him, allowing him to intertwine his fingers with yours. "It's alright," you spoke in a soft tone, "I'm right here." Using your free hand, you wiped away a few remaining tears and gently turned him to face you. His cheeks were red from crying and his eyes were filled with remnants of distress but they seemed to calm slightly once they met yours. "Could I... stay with you for the night?" He asked, uncertainty in his tone. You felt a bit of deja-vu, a gentle smile forming on your lips. "Of course," you muttered, shifting over slightly and allowing him to curl under the covers with you.

Without a word, Yuki instantly pulled you into his arms, keeping you close and burying his face in the crook of your neck. He let out an uneven sigh and you kept still, resting your arms over his to try and comfort him. There was silence for a while until he decided to speak, "I had a nightmare...." He muttered into your hair, "You had left... and it was my fault..." His voice sounded so hurt and your heart ached to make him feel better. "Yuki..." you tried shifting to face him but he held you in place, as if asking you to remain still. "It felt so real, I was afraid that... that you were actually gone... I was so scared..." Yuki's voice turned to a hushed whisper as he spoke. He fell into deep thought for a while, debating something in his mind. "I—..." the words seemed to be stuck in his throat but you patiently waited, allowing him to speak his mind as he had done for you so many times before.

"I love you, [Y/N]...."

Your heart nearly stopped as the words left his lips. 'He... what?' You weren't quite sure how to react. You wanted to say something back, but what could you say? That you loved him, too? You did, but... He deserved someone so much better, someone better than you. Someone who was beautiful, and cheerful just as he was, someone who could make him just as happy as he made you. You didn't believe that could be you.

You were a mess, he shouldn't love you.

Just as you were thinking, Yuki spoke again, "I love you so much that it... it pains me when you're unhappy. My heart aches whenever you're not by my side and... and it just hurts so much when you tell me I can't have these feelings but—... " Yuki's grip on you tightened, his fingers intertwining with yours. "But I do..." He whispered, letting out a shakey breath against your neck. "My heart jumps every time you smile at me, and beats faster when you speak to me." You felt your throat tighten, your chest aching in a way you've ever felt before. What was he doing?

"I don't want to lose you... not now, not ever. Please don't kill yourself. Please don't hate yourself! If you leave me, I'll—..." Yuki made a small choking noise, unable to continue. "Please... please give me a chance...." He pressed his forehead against the back of your head and you gripped tightly onto his hand. You turned around to face him and without really thinking, you leaned up and pressed a soft, almost ghost-like kiss on his cheek. "I-I trust you...." you whispered, your voice barely audible. He looked down at you as if he was about to cry again, pulling you into a hug, burying his face in your hair as his arms wrapped tightly around your waist.

"Thank you....!"

[ A/N: Haha, what a chapter.... ;u; I feel like I'm loosing my touch but, eh... What do you sinners think? ;3; ]