Safe With Me
Genre: angst, fluff
Warnings: vague mention of toxic households
Request: no
Characters: Chan, Y/N
Word Count: 2.5k
Sitting at the edge of her best friend's bed, Y/N suddenly felt very depressed; it was as though her stomach had dropped out of her, and the world's weight had sunk onto her shoulders.
It was the way she always felt when she knew it was time to leave; she couldn't bear the thought of having to leave the warmth of his bedroom, or the safety of his home. She wished she could stay tucked up in the softness of his bedsheets and be surrounded by his scent, its sweetness lingering on the material. She never wanted to leave … especially when she had nothing waiting for her at her own house apart from toxicity so heavy and so dark that it seemed to strangle her.
Y/N didn't want to go back to the constant bickering between her parents. She didn't want to clamp her pillow over her ears to drown the screaming out. She didn't want to tiptoe on eggshells in her own house, scared that any one of her innocent actions could instantly awaken their wrath.
As much as she loved spending these treasured moments with the one person she loved more than anything, Y/N also grew to despise them; she loathed the fact that her time with him always came to an end, that the temporary comfort she got from being in his presence would disappear like a fragile memory as soon as she stepped away from him.
"Stay here tonight," Chan's soft voice suddenly cut through her thoughts. "It's already late … just stay with me?"
Y/N turned to look at him. He was dusting down his bed, throwing empty snack packets away. His back was turned towards her so Y/N couldn't see his facial expression. But she heard the slight current to his voice … almost as if he really hoped she'd agree.
Or perhaps she was just imagining things. Perhaps she just wanted him to feel that way.
"I can't … " Y/N whispered. "You know I can't."
Chan straightened up and frowned at her, his eyebrows furrowing together. "Yes you can. Just tell your parents you're with … someone else. Not me."
Y/N's lips twitched. They both knew just how much her parents hated Chan's existence … Y/N often wondered if they hated him because he showed her the love that they never did.
Or because he made her feel like she was special, when all they ever did was make her feel like a burden. Perhaps it was because she was able to pour all her love and trust into him, instead of into them.
They'd never understand the mechanics of her brain, nor the functionality of her heart.
But she didn't need them to … she didn't need anyone to understand but the man in front of her.
And he truly understood her better than anyone else possibly could.
Chan shrugged. He suddenly chuckled and rubbed the nape of his neck. "You could make someone up? Just say you have a project with one of the girls from uni or something. It's not like they know who's who anyway."
Y/N smiled at that. She looked up at Chan as he tossed an empty water bottle away before jumping onto the bed. He crawled to the edge and swung his legs over as he sat beside his friend; the man's eyes were wide as he studied Y/N's face, and Y/N bit her lip, looking down at the phone in her lap as blood rushed to her cheeks.
"I don't know … " she whispered.
"Please stay," Chan's voice was quiet. She slowly looked up again to see his eyes melting into pools of honey in the dim lighting of his bedroom. His eyes looked so soft in that moment, that Y/N had the sudden urge to burst into tears. "Please. I want you to be with me."
Y/N's eyes were locked on Chan's for a moment too long; she felt as though she was falling, her stomach dropping again as if she was at the top of a roller coaster. Oh, his eyes … there was something so rich about his eyes, like the finest grade of dark chocolate, and oh so twinkly, like the stars that were scattered above his home. Every second that Y/N spent looking into his galaxies felt like years, like the time in-between them had suddenly frozen. She swallowed slowly, her mouth running dry as her cheeks began to burn extraordinarily.
She looked away again and clenched her eyes shut. She was terrified. Terrified at the thought of what her parents could do if they found out she was with the man they hated; and terrified at the rate of which her heart was hammering against her ribcage, making her breathless.
But of course, it was no surprise to her that he had this effect on her. They had always been so much more than best friends. It was in the way they looked at each other, the tender lingering of their hands on each other a little too long than was necessary, and the way their faces always drew close to each other like magnets when silence embarked upon them both. So close that if a gentle breeze happened to brush past them, they would fall into each other and their lips may find their way to the others.
But neither of them ever spoke up about their feelings. They were both petrified of ruining their tight bond with one another, even if the other's feelings were clear as crystal.
Chan reached his hand out and very slowly tucked her hair behind Y/N's ear. The tips of his fingers grazed the side of her face with the tingle of electricity flooding through her as he let them rest under her chin, his thumb caressing her skin.
"I don't want you to go back there," Chan breathed, urgency in his low voice. "It's not safe for you … I don't want them to keep hurting you."
Y/N's eyes had begun to prickle. "But … what if they hurt you instead?"
"You know I'd gladly take the pain if it meant you were okay," Chan murmured, sliding his second hand to the other side of her face. He stopped breathing for a moment; he ached to lean forward and kiss away the tears that had begun to trickle down her cheek …
Seeing the alarm in Y/N's eyes at his words, Chan smiled. "Don't worry. You know I wouldn't let them hurt either of us. I'll protect us both … okay?"
Her breathing shaky, Y/N nodded. She felt her body sag and let herself drop her head against the man's warm shoulder, his body immediately responding to her gesture. She shut her eyes and breathed him in, her fingers curling up against the soft cotton of his top.
Chan smiled softly. His own cheeks had begun to flush magenta in the glow of the lights, and as he wrapped his arms gently around the girl's shoulder, he felt his breath leave him.
"Promise me you'll stay?" He repeated quietly, sliding his fingers through Y/N's hair. He shut his eyes as he held her close to him; perhaps it was selfish of him to want her to be with him this badly. Perhaps he was a bad person for keeping her here when he knew what her parents could do to her … to the both of them. But Chan was afraid if he had to part ways from her one more time, his heart would shatter into a million smithereens. And he wasn't sure if he'd be able to find the pieces again. "I'll look after you."
Y/N nodded again. Her breath trembled against the worn cotton on his chest. "Okay," she whispered. And then she looked up at him, frowning. "I don't have any clothes with me."
Giggling suddenly, Chan patted her back with his gentle fingers. "I do. You can wear some of mine. You always wear my clothes anyway."
"They're comfy," Y/N yawned against his shoulder. She was already feeling drowsy … the sudden realisation that she was going to stay the night with Chan had hit her like a melatonin pill. "And … they smell like you."
Gulping suddenly at that last comment, Chan quietly cleared his throat. He realised Y/N was beginning to fall asleep on him, her breathing slowing already; that was probably why she said that.
She never would have otherwise.
"Are you sleepy?" Chan asked, rubbing circles into her shoulders. "Come on … change out of those clothes and then we can go to sleep. Sound good?"
Y/N hummed against him. She stifled another yawn, making Chan grin at her before he got up from his bed. He made sure she wouldn't topple over in her sleepy state before moving towards his wardrobe. Chan pulled out a t-shirt along with a pair of shorts.
"These okay? They're clean," Chan chuckled, holding them out to her. "Or you can choose something else if you want."
"These are fine," Y/N smiled and took the clothes from him. She bit her lip. "Turn around?"
Doing as he was told, Chan turned around; his cheeks flushed red and he looked up at the ceiling, trying not to imagine his best friend naked behind him. He cleared his throat again and studiously stared at the tiny chip of paint that had flaked off in the corner of his room.
"I'm done," Y/N whispered. "You can turn around again."
Chan faced her again, the corners of his mouth turned up as he saw his too big shirt hanging off of her like a dress. She looked adorable, and Chan mentally rushed up to her and lifted her off of her feet, swinging her around until they were both breathless with laughter.
He looked away, hoping she hadn't caught the burn of his cheeks as he indulged himself in his imagination. Instead, he moved towards his bed, gently turning back the corner of his duvet for her.
Once Y/N had slipped under the sheets, Chan did the same; he laid on his back, suddenly too afraid to move as Y/N rolled onto her side, looking up at him.
"Are you comfy?" Chan whispered. She'd been in his bed many times before … sometimes they watched movie after movie together under these same sheets. He had no idea why he felt so strange now. And he had no idea why he asked her that … he didn't know what else to say.
Y/N blinked at him. She shook her head. "I'm not."
Chan turned his face towards her, surprised. "You're not?"
She shook her head again. When he didn't speak further, Y/N took a gamble and slowly moved towards him. She looked him in the eye, and when he didn't object, Y/N slowly laid her head against his chest.
Chan slowly exhaled, his chest deflating under Y/N's cheek. He slid his arm around her waist as she carefully placed a leg over his; they were tangled together, and their skin that was exposed by their short sleeves was practically fire against each other. But at the same time, the both of them suddenly felt a huge wave of peace washing over them, and Chan shut his eyes as he tightened his embrace around her a little more.
"Are you comfy now?" Chan asked quietly. He hoped she couldn't hear the chaos his heart was creating inside his chest. It was almost as though the organ had started to have a party in his ribcage, bouncing off of his bones in excitement.
Y/N smiled. She placed a hand over his chest, cuddling up to him the way she had always wanted to. "I am."
"Good," Chan breathed. Then he chuckled nervously. "Otherwise I'd have been very offended."
He was secretly incredibly anxious; he hadn't worked out the way he had wanted to in the past few months … he was worried she could feel the hardness of his bones rather than the soft cushion of muscle. Maybe he shouldn't have been worrying so much about what a friend thought about his body … but he couldn't help but hold his breath as she got comfortable within his arms.
To Chan's relief, Y/N really did seem comfortable. She seemed more comfortable than she had ever been before.
"Your heart is racing," Y/N mumbled, startling the man beneath her. Her eyes were shut and she already felt as though she was half asleep, but she felt her surroundings as vividly as she did when she was fully conscious. "I think mine is too."
Chan bit his lip. He couldn't think of what to say as he began to run his fingers through her hair and down her spine in gentle waves. For someone who talked constantly all day long, Chan was surprised at his sudden lack of words. Suddenly his extensive vocabulary felt limited, the words that flew into his mind all incorrect. So he patted her shoulders instead, rubbing her back.
Just when Chan had thought she had fallen asleep, Y/N spoke again.
"I … I always feel so safe when I'm with you … " Y/N whispered. Her fingers curled into his t-shirt as Chan inhaled sharply, his eyes widening in the darkness. "No one else has ever made me feel like this before."
Her timid confession had robbed Chan of his remaining words, leaving his mind blank and his heart throbbing; he felt as though he was in a daze, and all his 'what ifs' suddenly flew out of his mind as he leaned down to gently plant a kiss on the surprised girl's forehead.
It was the softest of kisses, one that made Y/N feel as though her head was buzzing. She looked up at Chan, and she was even more startled when he tightened his hold on her, her hand coming up to cup the back of her head.
"Go to sleep, baby," Chan breathed, his voice cracking as he coaxed her head back to his chest. "I'll keep you safe the whole night … I promise."
Sniffing, Y/N nodded. She let Chan tuck the duvet under her chin before going back to pat her hair, his fingers cradling her head as if she was a baby. The feeling of his touch and the dull drum of his heart under her ear felt so soothing in that moment, that Y/N started to tear up as she shut her eyes. She'd never felt so at peace before, the sensation completely foreign to her. His breathing was soft in her hair, his heat insulating her like a second blanket and his scent incredibly intoxicating to her senses. It was quickly pulling her underneath a heavy current of slumber, and Y/N wondered if she was already dreaming when she heard three soft words being whispered to her before she lost all sense of consciousness.