Say Anything — Raj Koothrappali x Reader
Author's Note: I kind of liked this one? I hope you like it too!
P.S: English is not my first language, sorry if it's bad!
Warnings: insecurities, ending relationships and cheesy things!
Summary: you and Raj break up, but he decides to fight for your love
You knew that Raj had a rather peculiar past when it came to women and relationships.
In his youth, Raj would easily fall in love, yet due to his extreme shyness and selective mutism, he couldn't even manage to say "hello" to them. It was during a turbulent phase, what Penny referred to as "the Martini incident," that Raj discovered alcohol helped him loosen up and converse with women, albeit adopting an arrogant and self-assured personality.
His journey towards forming meaningful relationships was slow and steady, marked by several romances until he eventually began dating you. You dubbed him "Raj 5.0," believing you had found the most refined version of him, the perfect boyfriend.
There had never been issues with his past relationships or his tendency to swiftly transition from one romance to another, as he seemed to have changed. However, that night, you discovered he harbored a darker side.
"So, Y/N," Penny said while pouring you a glass of wine during a girls' night where you were invited as Raj's new girlfriend, "how are things going with him?"
"Wonderfully," you replied with a smile. "When I used to see him around the Caltech corridors, I thought he was just a funny nerd. I never imagined he could be such a passionate lover."
"We're all surprised by Raj's transformation," Bernadette remarked. "We knew he was a good boyfriend to my husband, but we weren't sure if he had the same skills with other women."
"Yes, he doesn't seem like the Raj who broke up with his girlfriend on Valentine's Day to pursue another woman, and when she rejected him, he tried to backtrack. Or went out with his ex while he was dating another girl" Penny commented, inadvertently laughing at the memory.
You stopped laughing immediately.
"Raj did that?" you asked, a mixture of concern and sadness in your tone. "That's terrible."
"Sweetie, Raj had his moments," Penny began, trying to justify. "But he's changed."
"Do his 'moments' mean he's acted like this more times?" you inquired, placing the wine glass carefully on the table, trying to process everything.
"He's come a long way since then, Y/N," Bernadette attempted to explain.
"I thought he was just clumsy, I didn't knew he had been so terrible to his ex-girlfriends"
A heavy silence filled the room. Bernadette nervously played with the wine glass.
"Unbelievable," you murmured, getting up to fetch your purse. "I thought he was different, he's just like everyone who hurt me"
With tears in your eyes, you left the house.
"Remember when you explained to me about comments that help and those that don't?" Amy said to Penny “I think that one definitely didn't help, bestie"
***
That night, you decided to end things with Raj. It was overwhelming for your mind, having been hurt enough in past relationships.
You had thought he was different, a man you could trust. He was romantic, kind, attentive, and cooked for you every night. Yet you knew that all princes could turn into beasts, and Raj seemed to have great potential for that. You didn't want to be around when that happened.
You went to his house to break up. You could have sent a message or ended it remotely, but that seemed heartless. With red-rimmed eyes from crying, you knocked on his door. He tried to hug you, mentioning he was surprised you were there since it was supposed to be a girls' night. You dodged the embrace and amid his confused expression, you ended it. He said nothing, just stood there for a while. You didn't explain your reasons, simply stating it couldn't go on.
In his stunned silence, you left.
***
 Raj gently knocked on Penny's door at ten o'clock in the evening. Just two hours ago, you had broken up with him, and since then he had cried like never before. His head throbbed intensely, and he felt dizzy.
"Sweetie, what happened?" Penny asked, visibly concerned, as she opened the door. She led him to the sofa and waited for him to gather himself.
"Y/N broke up with me," he said, tears welling up again. "She didn't even explain why, just said she needed to end it. I already miss her so much." It was then that he broke down in tears. "Why did she end it like that? Has she grown tired of me? Am I so hard to love?"
Penny remained silent for a moment, guilt squeezing at her heart. She comforted Raj while summoning the courage to speak.
"Raj... Y/N knows about Emily's story."
"What!?" Raj exclaimed, startled. "She must think I'm a jerk!"
"Well... Kind off."
"How did she find out? It doesn't matter. Maybe I am a fool, but I've changed so much for her. Before, I couldn't see sincerity in people, I'd fall in love and then grow tired... but she has held me in a way that I can't imagine my life without her now. But it's no use, she's gone."
"Don't give up just yet," Penny said, her tone encouraging. "Y/N is frightened, you know how impulsive she can be at times. She's had many bad relationships before and she's afraid this might be just another one."
"And what if it is?"
"It won't be. You love her and you've changed for her. Get some rest and talk to her tomorrow, give her time to cool her head as well."
***
Raj knew he should have waited a little longer. Lying on his bed, he tossed and turned all night.
Penny had given him hope that he should try, and he had decided to try. At three in the morning, he felt he could wait no longer and made his way to her apartment, with an old and ridiculously large sound system that until then had served only as decoration in his Raj Mahal.
And at three-thirty in the morning, you were awakened by the sound of "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. At first, you squirmed in bed, thinking it was just a dream. Upon waking and realizing the music wasn't just in your head, you considered the possibility of a party or a neighbor. However, as the music grew louder, you decided to look out the window, and there was Raj holding the sound system for you like Lloyd Dobler in "Say Anything."
"Raj, what are you doing!?" you exclaimed, opening the window. A cold front blew in, causing you to clutch your long-sleeved blouse pajamas tighter.
"I'm showing you that I haven't given up on our love, like Lloyd Dobler!" he replied, and you couldn't help but laugh.
"That's so cheesy!" you responded amidst laughter. "Come up here, it's terribly windy out there."
He turned off the music and stowed it back in the car before coming up. His heart was racing; he hadn't planned much beyond surprising you.
When he knocked on your apartment door, you hugged him tightly, your warm body contrasting with his cold one in the predawn chill.
"Who would've thought, cold in July and in Pasadena. They weren't kidding about global warming, huh?" you said, a habit of making random comments in stressful situations. Raj knew this, and he knew he wasn't here for small talk, so, holding your face gently, he gave you a passionate kiss, even knowing you might hate him for it for the rest of your life.
"The guy you hate, the Raj of the past who was a jerk with women and reminds you of your exes... I hate him too. I hate him and I'm disgusted by him, but he doesn't exist anymore... thanks to you."
"Raj..."
"I can't explain what happened, maybe it's just a soulmates thing where after just one day with you, I knew you're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with and do things right."
"I was really scared when I found out you used to be such... I guess the word is a jerk. I've been hurt and deceived many times, and when they told me about your past, my instinct was to end it before it got worse."
"I wouldn't be like that with you."
"I don't know. There's no way for me to know. You could get tired of me or fall in love with someone else, there are so many ways this could end with a broken heart. And I'm scared."
"Y/N..."
"But I like being with you, and I've decided to take a risk. I thought a lot from the moment I broke up with you and I know I was very... Intense with my decision, and I regretted it because everyone can be horrible, I can't predict that.Â
But to stay with you, you need to promise me that you will always be honest with me. Communicate any feeling and don't make me look like a fool."
"Always, Y/N, I will always do whatever you want," he said, embracing you tightly.
"The Say Anything move was a nice touch," you said with a laugh, breaking the embrace.
"Oh, you know I'm a hopeless romantic," he chuckled, holding your face again for another kiss.