Vice King [SugawaraxReader]

Prologue

"(y/n), do you trust me?" Sugawara questioned, refusing to take his eyes off the tiny town below the hilltop they were perched on. Familiar miniature shops and homes began to wash over with the harsh golden light of the distant setting sun.

"I do." (y/n) lied. She wanted to, more than anything else. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it. It was almost like there was some invisible knot tied around her heart, and any time she tried to get close to him, the knot would tighten. Afraid he would see right through her, (y/n) cast her gaze downward, taking special interest in a particularly green blade of grass.

"Then why won't you open up to me?" he asked. 

Sugawara reached out a hand and tilted (y/n)'s chin back up to eye level, wanting to judge her reaction to what he was about to say next. "I... I really like you. I've let you into my life, shared things with you, things no one else knows about me. So why do I feel like there's some sort of wall around you that I just can't break? I can see it. You'll start to tell me something, like you forget the wall is there, and then suddenly you draw the curtain and I can't get to you anymore," he sighed, like a weight had just been placed on his chest - right over his heart. Sugawara tore his eyes away from (y/n), instead focusing on the seeming empty ghost-town far below.

Although (y/n) couldn't see the hurt in his eyes anymore, she could hear it in his voice. 

"Please," he begged, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

"I-I can't Koushi. I want to trust you, Believe me when I say I do. I just don't know how." (y/n) looked away, unable to stand seeing him upset with her. 

"Then let me teach you," he sobbed, "like I taught you to love volleyball, and English, and music. Like I taught you to be comfortable around me and to stop apologizing to people for who you are!" Tears were spilling now, and each word came out more desperate than the one before. "Please, (y/n). Otherwise, what was all of this for?" Sugawara never begged for anything in his life, but right now he couldn't think of anything else to do.

"I don't know." was all (y/n) replied. There was so much more she wanted to say, she just didn't know how.