My Brother's Best Friend | Shachi x Reader

18 - One Chance

As quietly as you could, you slipped from the sofa. Your father had fallen asleep next to you and was clearly extremely tired, one hand resting over his chest as it rose and fell. There was no lie in saying you felt bad, it was probably your fault. This whole ordeal was taking a toll on everyone, and it must've been hard for him to see his precious kids fighting.

Carefully, you pulled the blanket from the armrest he was leaning on. The item was then gently spread out as you placed it over him, hoping not to wake him in the process. You reached for the remote and switched off the mumbling tv, giving him some peace.

Once all that was done, you snuck to the door. The sun had since long gone behind the horizon, leaving the room in darkness with only the occasional patch of light from a passing car. You took one last look over your shoulder, attempting to adjust your eyes in the pitch blackness, smiling to yourself.

"Goodnight, Cora-san."

There was no way he would hear your whisper.
Your hands tightened on the frame of the door.

"Thank you for being the best dad."

With that, you slipped out into the corridor.

Since you had struggled to sleep for a few days, you knew that trying was futile. Not only that but you were still hungry, despite having eaten not too long ago. Seemingly your need for comfort food had grown greater, and apparently that was just something people experienced when they went through break ups.

Break up?

You didn't ever remember calling it that. As far as you were aware, nothing had been officially pulled apart so Shachi was still your boyfriend. Then again, you often thought about that. Apparently, that was the only comforting thought that came to you.

And it came to you especially as you went to get your snack. It was a cup noodle that was high up on the shelf, something that triggered a memory since you still couldn't quite reach it...

"Here."

You were going to protest right before there was a pressure against your back. This pressure caused you to suck in your breath, your cheeks burning a little hotter than what body  temperature was.

Through the thin material of a shirt, you could feel a muscular chest against your back. Those muscles went taut as a hand reached up over your head, easily getting the noodles for you. You glanced up to see the tattooed forearm of your brother's best friend, looking away quickly in embarrassment. How Law and his friends got away with tattoos, you would never know. But that wasn't the point.

All you could question was why were you so embarrassed about being helped?

You had your arms outstretched, but they slowly retracted. The small smile that had curled your features slowly dimmed until it fell into a frown, the great wave of sadness washing over you. Now that you thought about it, would everything be different had you not felt that spark as his chest touched your back? Would you be in the position you were in now?

No, certainly not.

In an effort to suppress the lingering thought, you got to work. You filled the kettle and made sure that it was on properly before pressing the switch, watching as it heated up slowly. It was warm and made you feel less cold, although you still had this swarming sense of unease. Something that's cause you then became aware of as it stepped into the kitchen.

"Why aren't you in bed?"

You didn't need to turn around to feel your brother's eyes boring into your back. Nor did you want to, you were angry enough. Muttering, you poured the kettle's hot contents into the little cup.