Two Sides to Every Love (Gene x Reader)

Chapter 17~ Start Anew

"Well, I tried." I plopped down next to him on his bed. "So how's life?"

"We don't have a place to live, so kinda sucky."

"Fair point," I remarked.

"What about you? Kinda interested to hear about your college life, cause mine sucked."

"College was pretty normal; stressful, you wonder if anything is really worth it, and consider dropping out to sell fruit in an attempt to pay off your growing debt... It was a bit dull as I didn't make any new friends, so my free time was spent alone or with my family. The most eventful thing of those four years were my two relationships, but neither really had a future. I mean, one of them was a half-year relationship with this girl, but...she wasn't good for me."

"Why's that?"

"She was super outgoing, so we didn't see each other as much as I would've liked, and I felt really inferior compared to her," I explained. "It never felt real, hence why I only say I've only ever been in one serious relationship. She was super sweet and fun to be around, but the emptiness and self-hatred became too much."

"What made you stay for as long as you did?"

I sighed. "There were a lot of reasons, but it was mainly cause I didn't want another failed relationship, and I thought I could make myself feel different. I'm not sure why she really stayed with me, if I'm being honest." 

"Maybe she struggled with having people stay, too," Gene suggested.

"That's hard to believe, but...it's definitely a possibility. I didn't really hear about past relationships from her, despite how social she was... So, what about you?" I asked. "Any love stories of the century?"

"You didn't tell me about the other person you dated."

"It only lasted three months, so there isn't anything to talk about," I explained. "C'mon, I wanna hear about you now~"

"There's gotta be some story to even a three month relationship."

I sat up and my brows knit together. "Why...are you avoiding my question?"

His eyes widened. "That isn't what I'm trying to do. Sorry, I'm just curious about what I'm up against."

"Well, I am too... Unlike me, your confidence convinces and attracts people, so you probably have a lot more experience or something like that... I tend to keep to myself. I don't want to look like an idiot in front of you."

He brought me into his arms, my back against his chest. "I'm gonna be honest, I've had a lot of experiences, but they don't change how I see us. Besides, none of it comes close to how I feel about you. No matter what, I like you, Y/n. Maybe we'll both screw up along the way, but we shouldn't have to feel embarrassed."

I closed my eyes and smiled. "I like you too."

"I like you more, actually, and before it gets gross and mushy, I guess I could reveal stories about my past relationships."

I laughed before turning deadpan. "You mean hook ups? I'm not that oblivious."

"Pfffttt. You— You...caught me red handed." 

The only person I've ever slept with...is myself. If you include my imagination, I have like a hundred times worth of experience with Gene and fictional characters. As for him... "What kinda raunchy college did you go to? The times I've visited it seemed nice."

"It wasn't the college, it was the bars and clubs around it. Even then, I wouldn't use the word 'raunchy'. Looking back, it was more sad than anything. I wouldn't step into another one even if you paid me. Maybe if it was something I ran myself, but...a night club isn't exactly something I could manage just yet."