My Brother's Best Friend | Shachi x Reader

04 - Just a Touch

Despite you unrest, things got back to being slow.

You just about managed to continue your work, not saying a word as your pen scratched against your notebook. Though you were getting on, you had to remind yourself how to breath each and every time that the redhead would shift.

He was an extremely tall, and as you found out previously and unexpectedly, muscular yet lean man. That all meant he took up a lot of the space, leaving you to push yourself as far to the corner as possible out of sheer awkwardness.

But there were points where his thigh would touch yours and your heart would drop to your leg, making you fear that he could feel how hard it was beating. There were other times where his elbow would brush yours, even his arm, leaving you to suck in your breath and let it all out very slowly and silently as to not be too loud.

However, there was another thing to this.

Another side of which you did not know about, one that belonged to Shachi. As much as you thought this strange and slowly revealing - daresay - crush was one sided, it wasn't. For he had things to think for himself, one thoughtful question being why you?

Why the sister of his best friend?

Shachi noticed that your arm had dropped to your lap. It was creeping across your thigh in a spider-esque manner, almost like you were trying to comfort nerves. He thought to himself a bit of a presumptuous thought. Maybe so, but it was one that intrigued him greatly.

The young man cautiously extended his fingers in the direction of the back of your hand, waiting. He waited and he wanted to feel that electricity, the one which he had felt in the kitchen the previous day. Though he took his time, observing  his own appendage with caution.

He was careful, thoughtful and curious about it.

The tips of his fingers were so light as they brushed against your soft skin, yet you noticed all too quickly. With a small glance down, you watched with reddening cheeks as his hand slowly slid over yours. His fingers gently caressed your dainty hands, making you work on impulse. You flipped it over carefully, a little awkwardly but with intrigue as if you wished to see what he would do.

It was all too clear what was implied when his hand brushed against your palm, his fingers then curling in the spaces of your fingers. There was a warmth in your hand as his large one tangled with yours; that same warmth rippling in your heart. You, despite your hammering chest, took a glance up at him. His cheeks were dusted with pink, ever so complimenting to his deep, tangerine hair.

You wanted to ask him, as you sat there with your hand in his.

"Can you feel that, too?"

It was like no one else was watching.

His hand tightened and your eyes spoke words your voice did not. Not once did your mouth move, but your lips did. The both of you started with a look of experiment, like you were curious. Those expressions slowly flickered into smiles, ones that lasted as you both looked back to your work.

You could feel the comfort radiating from his touch, the touch on your hand and on your knee. It was a good thing that you wore shorts today, you concluded. There was no way in which you could've foreseen this, no chance.

And it was only when you teacher spoke did you move, the realisation that you weren't the only two people in the world kicking in.

"Wire. You better put that phone on my desk when you leave, boy."

Both your hands slipped apart almost too quickly, both sets of eyes glancing back to where your classmate sat. Everyone had changed focus from their work once more to watch the complaints roll in from the accused brunette, Mr. Dracule batting back with ease.

Then, all went back to how it was. Even you and Shachi got back to working hard, not even saying another word or doing another thing.

For now, you had gotten the answers you wanted - they were satisfying to know.

~~~

School had shot by, and you just couldn't wipe the beaming smile off your face.

You had walked all the way home with it and up the front stairs, even wandering through the door with it still permanent on your lips. It was like you were caught in a dream, lost to the world.

The look even scored a questioning glance from your dad as you stepped through the threshold into the kitchen, on a quest for a drink to calm your ever-pounding heart.

"You're smiley today, Bean."

The tall man stopped sorting out dishes leaned against the counter, watching as you absentmindedly pried the fridge open.

"Good day at school?"

Good day? Well, it certainly surpassed the mere meaning of good. In fact, you didn't think school could be so grand - not until that little moment in possibly one of your dullest classes.

"Uhm."

Rosinante thought that your hum was a reply born from being distracted by your drink pouring, when in reality it was from something much more complicated. Something he, and most definitely Law too, did not need to know about.

His lips curled up into a smile and he ruffled your hair as you passed, weaving past the island in the direction of the door.

"Let me know what you want for dinner, I can pick something up if you like. Law isn't back until later."

For a second, you dipped back into the real world and frowned towards the smiling blonde.

"I thought he was back?"

Your adoptive father shook his head, the mess of blonde atop it shaking too.

"He said he is over at Shachi's, I think the boys wanted to play a new video game or something like that."

Never did you think a simple name would make you blush.

But alas, it did.

Your cheeks went from their usual shade of (s/c) and pulled back into a crimson, your eyes completely averting towards your hand - which had been leaning against the doorframe. If you looked hard enough, you could see his own large one around it. Feel his warm grasp...

"You okay, (y/n)? You aren't sick, are you?"

Your dad made a move to step forward when you snapped your head up at him, shaking it vigorously. You chuckled nervously and forced a smile onto your features and prayed it replaced the blush, waving at him as you slipped out into the corridor.

"No, I'm okay. Just a little warm, is all."

That statement was truly a white lie, something both truthful and a diversion.

Your voice echoed down the hallway as you continued, your father looking thoroughly relieved that you weren't in any pain.

"And yeah, sounds good! Can we get Lebanese food?"

Rosinante's frown was replaced by a jolly smile as he called back.

"Sure thing, Beanie!"

~~~

14.08.2021

Author's Notes

Man, I love Lebanese food. I crave it all day and night, and there aren't any Lebanese restaurants around here :( there were many in my home city, but they're few and far between here in the country.

No matter.

The crush is reciprocated! But is it strong enough to stay bonded? I guess we're just going to have to see in the future chapters...

Bye for now, my wonderful people!

Cya

- TransponderSnail