To Fear or Be Feared || Umeji Kizuguchi x Reader || COMPLETED ✓

CHP. 24 • Proclaiming Love •

Y/N and Umeji walked home together, the H/C-haired girl having previously notified Osoro that she would be going to his house. Y/N had already explained the basics to him: how a student was poisoned, the scene with Osana and the mysterious black-haired girl that she kept crossing paths with. Umeji had listened to her with concern shining through his tough gaze, and currently he had his arm wound around her as a way of assuring that he was there for her. Y/N's arm tightened around his torso as the encounters of that day flashed before her eyes. Something strange was going on. There was no way that all of that could have been a coincidence.

"Y/N, relax. No one us going to get to you when I'm around" Umeji spoke softly, gently rubbing her shoulder with his rough hand. Y/N looked up and smiled at him in gratitude, before turning to look away again. It wasn't long before they reached Umeji's house and the boy briefly walked ahead of her to open the door. Y/N walked in and glanced around the area. It was a relatively small, but homely place, and Y/N instantly took a liking to it.

"Umeji? Is that you?" called a feminine voice from the kitchen. Umeji turned his head to yell back, "Yeah Mom, I'm home!"

He flashed Y/N a smile before taking her hand and leading her to where his mother was. Y/N's eyes widened with a barely concealed nervousness and her grip on Umeji's hand tightened. The male noticed this and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Hey Mom, this is L/N Y/N; my girlfriend" Umeji introduced, causing Y/N to glance timidly at his mother. The older woman smiled kindly and turned from away from the food she was making.

"Y/N-chan, I have heard so much about you. It's nice to finally meet you, I'm Kizuguchi Utano but you can just call me by my fist name" smiled Umeji's mother, shaking the girl's hand.

"I-It's nice to meet you too Utano-sama" Y/N replied, a nervous grin on her face. She didn't know whether or not Umeji had told her about the fact that she used to bully him, but she sure as hell hoped he did not. That conversation would be awkward.

"Mom, is it okay if we eat later? We've got a lot of homework today" Umeji lied. His mother looked at him and nodded.

"Of course, you kids go study" she said, shooing them out of the kitchen with a small smile. Umeji pulled a silly face behind his Moms back causing Y/N to hide a small smile. Once the door to the kitchen was shut, Umeji turned to the H/C-haired girl.

"Wanna go up to my room?" he asked. Y/N nodded excitedly and together, they climbed up the stairs to reach the blonde delinquent's bedroom. As Y/N entered, she smiled at the brightness of it. The walls were painted a beautiful pastel blue and as light streamed in through the window, it cast a lovely glowing atmosphere.

Y/N glanced at her surroundings and immediately zoned in on some old pictures situated on his desk. The girl gazed at a photograph of a young boy with salmon pink hair, being embraced by his family with a delighted expression on his face. She glanced at the one next to it and and winced slightly at the dramatic difference. There, Umeji was a teenager. He still had the same salmon pink hair and orange fading to yellow eyes, only now it was obvious that something was wrong. The boy in the picture seemed sad, almost scared, and for a moment Y/N felt pain by just looking at it.

Umeji came up behind Y/N and followed her line of sight until his gaze landed on the old photograph of himself. The blonde sighed and wrapped his strong arms around Y/N's waist while gently propping his head on her shoulder.

"I was pretty pathetic back then, hmm?" he asked, causing Y/N to turn around and stare him earnestly in the eyes.

"N-No, Umeji you weren't..." Y/N said looking away with an aggravated edge to her voice. The blonde's eyes showed understanding as he carefully lifted her chin with his fingers.

"Y/N, you don't have to worry about what you did to me in the past. I'm over it now and I became a better person. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have changed and I wouldn't have got to know you" he spoke genuinely. Y/N's eyes lit up slightly, but still held a sad aspect to them.

"Still... If I hadn't traumatized you back then-"

Y/N was cut off by a rough pair of lips on hers, but despite their texture, they were very gentle and sweet. The girl's eyes widened, only to flutter shut as she melted into the meaningful kiss. Umeji carefully cradled Y/N to himself, as she slinked her arms around his neck. The blonde's breath shook as she swiftly grazed her fingers into his hair, causing Y/N to smirk slightly.

"Whether you fear others or are feared yourself, you're still the same incredible person to me Umeji. I- I love you" spoke Y/N with a rosy blush slowly creeping onto her face. Umeji's eyes widened, but suddenly the orange fading to yellow exploded with a multitude of emotions. Y/N could only identify some, such as; shock, love, lust and happiness, but those alone managed to take her breath away.

"I love you too" he mumbled, suddenly bringing her into a passionate embrace. His arms held onto her tightly, almost as though she was his lifeline and Y/N reciprocated those actions, because it was true, he had in a way, saved her. As Y/N layed her head on Umeji's broad chest, she listened to the sound of his heartbeat thumping rhythmically inside his ribcage. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent, which was surprisingly relaxing to her.

They held onto each other, neither wanting to let go of the latter. Because whether they feared others or were feared themselves, it made no difference to them. All that mattered in that moment was that they would never be alone again.