Better That Way - Waluigi x Reader

chapter twentytwo

She left Claire's place with her heart pounding somewhere in her throat, the rest of her body trailing behind like it had to catch up. Claire practically shoved her out the door with frantic encouragement—"GO! GO NOW! TEXT HIM ON THE WAY!"—and Y/N had obeyed, half-running down the street with her jacket half-on, half-off.

On the way home, she typed quickly:
Y/N: yeah
Short. Simple.
Just that.
But she'd lie if she said she wasn't nervous.

When she reached home, she realized she wasn't even sure if he would come at all, he might change his mind, but the possibility kept her moving fast. She tidied the living room quickly, scrubbing at invisible crumbs, straightening pillows that were just fine, pacing back and forth while her breath tried to steady.

Then. A knock. Small. Quick. Like whoever knocked already regretted it.

Her heart jumped so hard it hurt.

She opened the door.

Waluigi stood there, his eyes were unreadable. He was not even looking directly at her. He stared at something off to the side, his jaw clenched. He was holding something in his hands. It was her jacket.
He extended it stiffly.

"You forgot your jacket," he muttered.
His voice was flat, nothing tease, no warmth. Just... there.

"Uh," she said, slowly taking it. "Right. Thanks."

He nodded once. Already turning away. "Bye, then."

"What?" she breathed. "Didn't you want to talk?"

"No."
He did not even look at her when he said it.

"Walu, no, wait."

"Don't call me that," he said quietly.

Her stomach dropped. That was not something she ever expected to hear from him. "What?"

"You heard me."

Something inside her cracked.
"Why are you so mean to me?" she whispered.

"I'm not," he said immediately, almost defensively. "You're imagining things."

Imagining things.
The words hit harder than they should have.

"So..." she swallowed. "We're done? Just like that?"
It slipped out. She hated that it slipped out, but it was true, every part of him felt like it was shutting down, pushing her out, wall after wall after wall.

"What?" His voice was small.

"You wanna break contact?"
He didn't move. Didn't say anything. She felt dizzy for a second. "Please talk to me," she said, stepping half a step closer.

Waluigi's eyes flickered, finally meeting hers, but only for a moment, as if it burned. "What do you want to talk about," he murmured, monotone, tired.

"Please stop this," she said, voice cracking without her permission. "You're hurting me. I really want to explain it all to you."

He didn't respond. Just breathed in. Long and slow.
She tried again, this time softer.
"Can you come in?"

He didn't nod. Didn't shake his head. He just stood there, frozen in place, and she wondered if he'd turn around and leave without saying another word.

"Please," she whispered.

And something in him shifted. It was barely, but enough. He stepped inside. She watched after him, carefully, like he might run away. She watched the way his legs moved, the way his hands stayed shoved in his pockets, the way his hair fell slightly over his eyes....

She closed the door gently behind them, feeling suddenly too aware of the quiet of her apartment.
He didn't say anything. Didn't ask where to sit. He just stood there until she hesitantly gestured toward the couch.
They walked to it without a word.