♡Nanbaka Oneshots♡

Upa x reader: So Close But So Far part 2

Requested by: @cross6100

"Things are gonna get more complicated now..." Liang puts his hand on his chin. "Some drama will stir up if no one knows the person that wrote the letter."

"Then lets tell Y/N ourselves, if we do it now then that drama won't happen, maybe." Qi lifts his eyelids a little upon speaking, overhearing Liang talking to himself before.

"Never thought I would agree with you... but you're right..." Liang looks back at Qi with widened eyes.

"Well then, off you go!" Qi goes back to his nap.

"HEY! GET UP YOU LAZY SCUM!!"

"Ehhhhh no. C'mon you can do this on your own, you don't need an 'old man' to watch you. Upa should go if you really want someone with you." Qi shuts his eyes once more.

"Ah, Upa!" He motions towards Upa, his blank stare worsening. "Yes, would you like to join me? Let's resolve this quickly instead of letting it build over time."

He doesn't nudge a centimeter, his vacant black eyes narrowing in annoyance. The red swirls of his cheeks warm up with frustration. "Why would I even go? This is stupid! Y/n will forget over time, not like she'd enjoy that letter anyway! She has better things to do! Liang, please, let's not bother."

— Later —

"No!" Rokuriki-san please!" Liang tries to push through Youriki as he forces the inmate into a choke hold. "Aggh! We need to see Y/n-san!"

"No. 02 you know the rules! This is a restricted area!" Rokuriki firmly states as he grasps Liang's wrist and begins to cuff him.

Liang glares down the hall upon seeing Y/n steeping out of the break room, he shouts out her name as loud as he possibly could. Y/n's eyes glance towards the scene nonchalantly.

"Y/N-SAN! IT'S UPA! UPA— AGH!" Liang's voice fades away as Kokuriki's hand slams against his mouth. The guard scoffs as his eyes tense up with a sour frown. "Quiet, No. 02! Geez, I thought you were the quiet one... Let's take him away, guys." Rokuriki and Youriki nod together as they drag the inmate in a muffled, struggling silence.

"Halt."

The brothers of authority stop, dreading the guard in their view. Y/n closes the distance between them, her eyes sharpening in curiosity. As she lies feets away from her coworkers, they almost tremble in fear as she towers over them.

"What is going on here..?" She asks, glancing to Liang as the hand over his mouth loosens. He pulls some distance away from the guards, making direct eye contact with Y/n.

"Ahem." Liang clear his throat, his voice calmer. "I wanted to tell you something."

Y/n loosens her guard, inching a tad closer. "Go on."

"It's Upa" Upon hearing the name, anxious thoughts drown her head. A knot forms in her stomach as she gulps. "Upa..." Liang trails away, glancing at the other male guards who seem intrigued as well. "Upa wrote that letter."

"How... did you know about that?" Her guard tightens as the knot triples, eyes widening as she takes a step back. The guards didn't really know what to make of it, noone at Nanba has seen Y/n like this. "I... I'll take... care of it..." Like the wind was taken out of her, she attempts to walk away as normal as she could. She rebuilds her cold wall, frantically adjusting her tie and cap. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised... Liang is in the same cell as Upa, not to mention they seemed to be friends for quite a while, even before prison. I don't know what to do... What will I say to Upa? What if the guards find out? What if the warden finds our?!?! I can't do this...

— Cell 8 —

Y/N peeks around the doorway in cell 8 to see Upa, meditating as he serenely floats wih his legs crossed. Her composure still and firm, she steps into the cell. "Upa..?"

Right when he hears her voice, he flashes his eyes open as he stumbles to stand after meditating in the air.

"Ah, relax no. 85! I'm just here to talk. It's about that letter."

The... letter??? "Dammit Liang! Hmph!" Upa stomps profusely, his expression flustering as his chest tightens. "...I'm sorry, that was nothing." He whips his eyes away, looking down almost as if he's bowing.

"The letter was very... uhm..." Y/n twiddles her thumbs as she puts her hands behind her back. "...comforting."

"It... was?" He slowly looks up to face her.

"Y—Yes! You know, I have never really been friends with the staff or inmates. I don't even talk to them unless it's work related. The last thing I'd imagine would be a love letter of all things. I didn't know you felt... this way." She kneels down to his level, her hand shakes as she rests both hands on his shoulders. Her eyes dart away in little seconds as she builds the courage to face him.

"Thank you." She curls her arms around him, clenching very softly but firm. "I think I might like you..." She muffles out as she rests her chin on his shoulder.

Upa stands still as he processes the shock, his eyes widen as he takes a few seconds. A small silence spreads into the room, Y/n tilts her head towards Upa's as she ponders her own words herself.

Upa begins to wrap around Y/n as well, gently embracing her. "It's okay to question those feelings. If I may be honest... I question my feelings all the time. I guess I can understand that sort of fear, that 'forbidden love' scenario can be dangerous and I don't want you to lose your job because of me..." Y/n closes her eyes as her grip around him relaxes.

"...Let's take this slow, we don't have to be together immediately. Why don't we explore together though? So we can understand these feelings better." Upa adds, trailing off into his own thoughts.

"That sounds... lovely." Y/n replies in a sweet tone, "But honestly..." she opens her eyes as the thought clutters her mind. "...what exactly are you feelings?"

"My feelings..." Upa's cheeks fade a pastel pink. He lets out a deep breath, pulling apart the hug to face Y/n directly. Staring into her eyes, those sharp, deep f/c eyes. He inches closer, closing the distance between him and her with a gentle, light kiss.

"I don't see a cold, brutal, scary woman. I see a strong woman. A woman who can excel anyone in qigong... and height." He holds her cheeks with his hands, carressing them lightly. "That's you, Y/n. You are a strong, capable, and kind woman. I know that being with an inmate is both illegal and can make you lose your job, but I just hope we can be closer as good friends at least. I want to do this more with you."

Y/n sits in stunned dumbfoundment. Those sharp eyes like bullets, shedding fragile, sweet tears. Her mouth struggles to formulate sentences, even small words. Her hands, weilding the unmeasurable power of qigong, holds the cheek of her favorite inmate. Y/n, the cold qigong master, crying into her inmate's chest as she sobs, but soft squeaks are the only thing able to escape her lips.