faded in my last song arisu ryohei x reader
when you and arisu have no other choice but to run from a wandering sniper, you both have to manage with the loss of the beach—no food provided, no warm beds, the only thing you had was each other and your lingering memories.
you didn’t like this, any of it.
not the constant running, not the desperate scavenge for something decent enough to satisfy your hunger. certainly not the fact there was a chance you could die at any moment, yet the only thing that kept pushing you was him.
arisu.
he was your only source of stability in the borderlands, the only thing that held you down whenever you felt yourself slipping off the deep end.
it didn’t help that you managed to develop feelings for him along the way. he was selfless, always making sure you were okay, he was smart. his intelligence had saved your ass in a couple of games, deep in your heart you felt like you owed him your life.
you knew he would protest that thought.
there wasn’t much stock in the abandoned grocery mart you had encountered, arisu browsing in a separate aisle as you had carefully plucked non-expired goods from the shelves. the basket you cradled only holding four cans of chicken broth.
once you both reunited at the fridge that held a small selection of drinks, your shoulders touched briefly. you sighed softly, body sagging as arisu glanced at you. “what’s wrong?”
“i’m so exhausted, my legs are killing me.” eyes weakly looking up at him, he frowned nodding his head towards the ground.
“wanna sit?” at your nod, he placed down the items he held in his arms, you doing the same as you both sat on the cold tiled floor. a deep exhale escaping you as your legs felt a brief ease.
the comfortable silence that surrounded you two felt comforting, even through all the anguish that you had endured. a sudden laugh had escaped you, making arisu peer at you in slight confusion.
“i can’t believe i’m about to tell you this, but i can’t believe you never noticed that i had a crush on karube.” your laughter grew louder at his shocked expression, eyebrows raised and eyes wide.
“y-you? you had a crush on karube?” sputtering through his words, your hand fell on his thigh as he had glanced curiously—surprise not being hidden in the slightest.
“unfortunately, it started in high school. whenever i first became friends with you guys, god it was so long ago.” you shook your head, memories flushing in your mind at the dumb feelings your younger self had.
“did you ever stop?” you couldn’t quite place the tone at which he had asked, the edge in his words making you grow a little suspicious. it almost sounded like jealousy.
“oh yeah, i had realized he just wasn’t my type, y’know. too bold, too eager to get in a fight. he was an amazing friend, though.” you listed, yet the mischievous side in you had sparked. wanting to test the emotions that arisu showcased, you leaned in closer to him. “i realized i was more into smart guys, ones that were into video games like i was, guys that had no problem being nice to me without thinking it would ruin their masculinity.”
the obliviousness in his eyes made yours roll, not wanting to reveal your intentions just yet. you kept on. “i liked the more messy type, baggy clothes, messy hair—specifically black. a guy that would stay with me through tough times, and be loyal. does that sound familiar to you in anyway, arisu?”
“i-i’m not sure.” you could tell he was putting the pieces together, even though he was smart, he wasn’t in the love department. it took him longer to process things like that, you had noticed whenever girls would express their interest in him—he wouldn’t realize unless they were trying to physically make it aware.
“arisu, c’mon.” you pleaded, staring into his dark eyes as realization dawned on him.
“me?” a nervous chuckle erupted from his chest, at your slow agreement he glanced down at his lap. once he met your eyes once again, it was as if time slowed. the borderlands becoming distant in your mind as you gazed at each other, the inching being uncommented upon until your lips met.
the slow locking and release had your eyelids closed in euphoria, you didn’t think the moment would have ever occurred. you were brought back to your senses when you felt a brush of a hand along the back of your head. seeing arisu give you a side smile, you cursed under your breath before you leaned in once more.
the passion that radiated off the two of you, it was if you were making up for all the lost time. when you pulled away, a string of saliva still connected you.
you felt a ting of hope in your chest, maybe arisu truly was the answer for you to make it through this hell.