Character: Mikage Reo / 1k±
POV: Alcohol, noise, music: a club party that almost ended in disaster. But Reo is always there where you need him. Even if you both pretend there's nothing between you. An embrace in the car, the smell of rain, and a line you will remember forever...
tags: sfw, flaff, romance, pre-friendship, awkward moment, mention of alcohol
Please do not translate my work, copy it, or use it to create bots. C.AI without my permission.
Let me stay like this for a minute... or two
It was around three in the morning. Club, parties — just another wild Friday. Only on nights like this, before the weekend, can you truly enjoy the evening: no worries, nothing necessary or boring, just a carefree atmosphere, as if you're sixteen again and your whole life is ahead of you. Loud music pounded against your ears. How much had you drunk? Unclear, but your head was spinning fiercely and your legs were giving way. The spotlight blazed onto the dance floor, from which you stumbled, drunk, and walked away.
You clumsily made it to the wall in the far corner. It was quieter there, the sound from the speakers less annoying, and you leaned against the wall. The cold surface sent pleasant goosebumps across your skin. You closed your eyes and let out a satisfied breath — you wanted to stand like that for a minute, maybe more. Catch your breath while the world spun and danced in different colors around you.
"Hey, cutie. Why're you standing here all alone? Feeling sad, are you?"
The voice came from somewhere nearby. At first you didn't know who was talking: a man or a woman, or even if it was a real person or just a hallucination from the alcohol. But when a figure appeared beside you — a man covered almost entirely in tattoos, holding two glasses of whiskey — you clumsily backed away from him.
"No, I... um... thanks," — your tongue felt like stone, the words barely stringing together — "I've had enough alcohol for tonight."
"Oh, come on," the guy said casually, placing a hand on your shoulder like an old friend — which he wasn't. "Let's have a drink together. Nothing's gonna happen."
He held out one of the glasses. But when he saw you shake your head, refusing, his brows furrowed.
"Too proud to drink with strangers? So what's the problem? We can get acquainted."
"I said no," — your voice came out too soft, not convincing at all.
"Don't be so stiff, sweetheart. Didn't you come here to have fun? I'm just trying to help you have a good time... all the way."
The guy leaned toward you, his lips now millimeters from your ear, his warm breath brushing your skin, and that unpleasant heat sent goosebumps down your body. You felt a lump rise in your throat, panic building inside. People were all around, dancing, drinking, having fun — who cared about a drunk girl cornered by a persistent creep? No one.
But then, in one moment, the crowd parted. Or maybe not parted — someone was walking through it, moving smoothly like a waltzing dancer. Someone walking so confidently that everyone stepped aside and let him through... Purple hair, carelessly scattered across his face, with a messy ponytail in the back that didn't even seem to hold the short locks. He clearly wasn't dressed for a club — white shirt, black tie, loose trousers — more like a gentleman than a partygoer.
It was Reo.
You recognized him almost immediately. Of course, a man like that was impossible to miss. He was your old friend, the one with whom you had that "pre-friendship." You balanced on the edge between friendship and something much deeper: partners. The usual playful flirting, teasing, and jealousy toward each other's partners. Mikage never commented on it, but it was clear he felt that strange connection between you too.
Now he didn't even grace you with a glance. His purple eyes narrowed and fixed directly on the man whose hand rested on your shoulder. You could have sworn there were sparks in Reo's violet eyes, clearly accompanying a threat. The tattooed guy started to say something, opened his mouth, but under the footballer's gaze he faltered. His hands tensed, as if some physical force were pressing down on him.
"Hey, let's go," — without saying a word to the man, Reo brushed his hand off your shoulder like it was the most insignificant thing — trash. "You've had plenty of fun for tonight."
The footballer took your hand and pulled you toward the exit. Your legs could barely keep up with his quick stride. You didn't pay attention to anything else anymore; the world narrowed down to you and Mikage's hand, leading you through this hell of music and furious beats. The man didn't say anything after you, only watched with a confused look, still holding the two glasses of whiskey.
Outside, a cool wind greeted you. It had rained recently, and puddles had formed on the asphalt. It smelled fresh — so pleasant and calm. Even as you staggered after Mikage, this pleasant wind and dampness made you want to close your eyes. Reo walked quickly, without looking back. His palm firmly gripped yours. You tripped over your own shadow, your heels slipping on the wet asphalt, but Reo didn't even slow down.
The car was parked by the curb — black, gleaming after the rain. Reo yanked open the passenger door almost violently and paused for a second: his violet eyes scanned you from head to toe. His purple hair was damp, several strands sticking to his temples and cheekbones. In the light of the streetlamps, his face looked pale, as if carved from marble.
"Get in," he muttered shortly.
You clumsily climbed into the car. Inside, there was a pleasant, tangy scent, something expensive. That very scent that belonged to Reo, the one that made your soul feel warm and calm. Calm — because Reo was near. Because Reo would never let you down, would always be there no matter what. Then the driver's door slammed shut. Mikage sat down, leaned back in the seat, and closed his eyes, exhaling. Silence filled the car: awkward and anxious at the same time.
"Um... Reo..." you began awkwardly, trying to string words into a sentence, but even his name you mumbled clumsily.
Your hands reached for him — you didn't even know why — but in the same moment they wrapped around his neck. You pressed yourself against him, desperately seeking comfort. He smelled nice, of expensive cologne, so familiar and pleasant. That very scent that always came from Reo.
The footballer froze. As if nailed to the spot. You felt his back tense, his hands, even his breathing almost stopped. His hands hovered in the air, not daring to hug you back, but not pushing you away either. He waited to see what you would do next, ready to pull you away in time if this crossed the line.
"Okay, that's enough, stop," his voice sounded strained, awkward.
But you didn't listen. You only tightened your arms around his neck and lifted yourself slightly to hug the footballer more comfortably. Your fingers clenched his white shirt, tightly, afraid that Reo would pry you off. His clothes were damp, his hair cold, unlike Reo's skin: hot and so pleasant...
"Let me stay like this for a minute, please..." — a couple seconds of silence, and you continued — "...or two."
Mikage didn't answer, but his back relaxed, and his arms dropped to his sides, not touching you. His violet eyes stared directly at the top of your head, waiting for your tactile need to end and for you to break the embrace. You closed your eyes — your soul felt calmer than it had minutes ago, so warm and cozy... Silence settled between you.
"You have no idea how scared I was," the footballer whispered after a couple of minutes, then paused for a few seconds, letting it sink in. "Seeing your location at that club... and your drunk voice message... it was awful. I couldn't imagine what they could have done to you there, especially in that state. You're not like that... you trust almost anyone, and then you're surprised the world isn't pink but such crap."
His hand found your back and settled between your shoulder blades, holding you. He could hear your heart pounding almost as fast as his, but he tried not to read anything into it. When you tried to answer, Reo interrupted you.
"Shut up. You don't need to say anything."
You pressed your lips together, no longer trying to speak, just hugging him in silence, warming yourself in his heat.
"You don't even know how much you mean to me, you fool..."
There was no anger in his voice, only a tired, almost fleeting weariness. He gently stroked your back, leaving faint goosebumps wherever he touched... No one else tried to break the silence.
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