Work Text:
- Genre: Fluff, angst, slice of life
- Prompt: Pumpkin
- Word Count: 5,515
- Pairing: Reader x Murayama
- World: High&Low
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A fierce pounding on the front door made you jump, nearly falling off the couch. Your heart was racing within your chest as you got up, slowly approaching the door. “Who is it?”
“Open this damn door, Natsuki!”
Hearing your mom’s name made you frown, pain tugging at your heart. “I’m sorry but she… she no longer lives here.”
“Bullshit!” He hit the door harder, causing it to rattle. “Open this damn door or I’m going to break it down!”
You didn’t have the money to fix it if he did break it down, so you made the decision to open the door, the chain preventing him from bursting inside. He was a huge guy, easily towering over you. “Please… she’s no longer here.”
He seemed to calm down a bit upon seeing you, folding his arms over his chest. “Where did she go?”
“She… died. A week ago.”
“Died?” he repeated in surprise, brow furrowed. “How?”
“Hit and run. She was -” You stopped yourself, figuring that he didn’t need to know that she had been wasted and wandered into the road.
His eyes flickered to the apartment behind you. “You live alone, kid?”
Your eyes narrowed suspiciously. “That’s none of your business…”
The man sighed, running a hand through his slicked-back black hair. “Listen, kid. Your mom owes my boss a lot of money. And now that she’s gone…”
“It falls on me,” you muttered flatly and he nodded.
He glanced around before moving closer, lowering his voice. “If I were you, I’d leave town. I’ll say that no one was home, but I won’t be the last one to come looking.”
“How much is the debt?”
“Five grand.”
“F-Five…” Your eyes widened, dread filling you. You didn’t have that kind of money! You were barely managing to scrape by as it was, every bit of your check going to bills and a little bit of food. With your mom gone, you didn’t have to worry about her wasting money on alcohol or partying with her friends, but that also meant you didn’t have the income from her job, either.
“For what it’s worth… I don’t think kids should inherit their parent’s debt,” he frowned, giving you a sympathetic look that had you scoffing.
“Yet you’re perfectly fine enforcing it.”
“We all do what we have to do to survive. Leave town before you get hurt.” And then he turned on his heel and walked away.
You closed the door, sliding down the wood until you hit the ground, a heavy sigh passing your lips. What the hell were you going to do? You honestly had no clue. He suggested that you leave town, but that required money, too. It’s not like you had any family to reach out to.
You closed your eyes, head falling back against the wood. “Even from the grave, you’re hell-bent on making my life as difficult as possible…”
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Murayama was lying across the couch in Oya’s gym, tossing a baseball into the air and catching it repeatedly. He was frustrated because you’ve been ghosting him lately, ignoring his calls and not responding to his texts. Every time he saw you, you were in a hurry and looking exhausted though you assured him that everything was fine. You were just busy with work.
He knew money was tight for you, especially after your mom passed away, but was it really so bad that you had to work constantly? He knew there was something you weren’t telling him and it was driving him crazy.
With a scowl, he tossed the ball onto the couch as he stood up, leaving the gym. He had decided he would wait inside your apartment until you got home and then he would demand answers. When he reached your apartment, though, he found the front door cracked open.
His brow furrowed as he stepped inside, calling out your name. The apartment was trashed, furniture broken and strewn across the floor. Drawers had been tossed, their contents sitting in piles. He screamed your name, fear gripping his heart as he began to search for you.
You were in the kitchen, resting against the cold tile floor, your back against the counter. Your face was bloody and bruised, brow furrowed in pain.
“Oi!” He cried, falling to his knees beside you. “What happened? Who did this?!”
You winced at his loud voice, pain shooting through your skull. “Do you have to be so damn loud?”
“Sorry,” he muttered, reaching out to brush his thumb across a cut on your cheek. “Tell me who did this.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” His brow furrowed suspiciously as he searched your tired eyes. “If you’re lying to me -“
“I’m not lying,” you muttered, leaning your head back to stare at the ceiling. “Apparently, my mom racked up quite the debt before she died. They can’t collect from a dead person so they need the next best thing.”
“Hah? You’re telling me debt collectors did this?”
“Yeah. I don’t know how they knew I got paid today…” You ran a hand down your face with a groan. “Rent is due tomorrow but they took everything… fuck, what am I gonna do, Shiki?”
Murayama shifted so that he was sitting beside you, carefully putting his arms around you. You didn’t hesitate to lean into his warmth, fingers curling around his t-shirt as you buried your face into his neck. He wanted to tell you it would be alright, but the words didn’t come.
Truth be told, he didn’t know that things would be alright. He certainly didn’t have any money and he had no idea who your mom owed money to. Something told him it wasn’t just some street gang and, as strong as Oya was, they weren’t ready to take on the Yakuza.
All he could do was hold you. He felt powerless and he hated it.
“Shiki?” you called softly, looking up at him tiredly.
“Yeah?” He cupped your cheek, loving how you leaned into his touch.
“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. This is my problem, not – ouch!” You scowled when he flicked you lightly on the forehead, dark eyes narrowed at you.
“Your problems are my problems, idiot.”
“Yoshiki,” you stressed, sending him a serious look that made him want to squirm. “I can’t lose you, I… I can’t.”
“And you won’t.” He cupped your face, leaning his forehead against your own. “I won’t ever leave you, I promise.”
Your hands rested over his own. “Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone.”
He scoffed. “You really think I’m gonna let you be alone after this? If those bastards come near you again, I’ll kill them.”
“Shiki -“
“Safely. I’ll kill them safely.”
Despite yourself, you laughed at the ridiculous comment, the motion sending pain throughout your body. “Ah, it – ahaha – hurts to laugh.”
Murayama chuckled. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
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You glanced at Murayama as he slept peacefully in your bed, hair falling over his eyes. You knew you should have woken him up because he didn’t want you to go anywhere alone, but he just looked so pretty that you couldn’t bear to wake him.
Plus, he had spent half the night cleaning up the apartment after you fell asleep and you felt as if he had earned the extra sleep. You smiled at him, brushing away the hair from his forehead so you could press a kiss there.
“Don’t be mad,” you whispered softly before leaving the apartment. You were on edge the entire way to Dan’s store but, thankfully, you made it there with no issue. He was restocking the fridge when you entered. “Morning, boss.”
“Good morni- what the hell happened?” His eyes widened when he turned to look at you, quickly putting the box on the ground before rushing over. Worry filled his brown eyes as he took in your injured face.
“I, uh,” you rubbed the back of your head, offering him a sheepish smile. “I fell down the stairs…”
Dan sent you a look, hand on his hip. He clearly didn’t believe you and rightfully so. He had dozens of fights under his belt and he knew what the injuries typically looked like. Those were definitely bruises created by fists, not stairs. It worried him because he had grown attached to you, but he knew how stubborn you were.
You had always been the type to keep things to yourself, to want to handle things on your own. He and the rest of Sannoh had been trying to help you with your mom for years, but you always refused. Murayama was the only one you had let in.
“Are you okay to work?”
Before you could answer, the bell above the door chimed, an older woman stepping inside. You smiled politely at her and she froze, wide eyes staring at your face. She quickly apologized before backing out of the store.
“Shit,” you muttered, frowning at the male. “Maybe I should work in the back today… I don’t want to scare your other customers.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he smiled, gently patting your shoulder. “Can you finish stocking the fridge?”
“Sure, boss.” You offered him a grateful bow before heading over to the fridge, beginning to fill it with various drinks. You were nearly finished when you heard the bell above the door chime.
“Dan-san!” Oshiage and Shiba rushed inside, grins on their faces.
Dan looked up from the magazine he was reading, quirking a brow at the two girls. You approached the front curiously, carrying the empty box with you.
“Did you hear?” Oshiage slammed a flyer down onto the counter. “Daruma Ikka is hosting a huge festival during the last week of October!”
Dan scratched his cheek, frowning at the paper. “Having all five Sword gangs there is just asking for trouble.”
“You’re not gonna go, then?” wondered Shiba. “Even though they’re giving away money?”
“What?” You and Dan chorused in surprise.
“Yeah, there’s a -” Shiba stopped dead when she turned to look at you, an angry expression coming to her face. “Oi, did that Oya brat do that to you?”
Oshiage frowned, worry in her eyes. “Murayama would never do something like that… right?”
“Don’t worry,” you were able to offer them a genuine smile because their concern touched your heart. You had never really gotten along with Ichigo Milk, mostly because Junko hated you so, by default, the others didn’t like you, either.
Then there was the issue of Oshiage’s crush on Murayama. She had been super hurt when she learned how close the two of you were and Shiba had confronted you about it. You hadn’t even been aware of her crush, something they didn’t believe at first.
You’re not actually sure when things started to change but, over time, the three of you learned to tolerate and, on some small level, care about each other. Perhaps it was because of Dan and his store that brought the three of you together.
Shiba scoffed, hand on her hip. “You come here beat to hell and tell us not to worry? I oughta-” She raised her fist threateningly and you held up the box like a shield.
“I fell down the stairs,” you told them with a frown. “I was super tired because I didn’t get much sleep. I’m perfectly fine, though! I’m a fast healer, ya know?”
She didn’t look convinced.
You cleared your throat, approaching the counter. “Is Daruma really giving away money? That’s surprising.”
“You have to win it,” explained Oshiage as she leaned her arms on the counter. “It’s a pumpkin carving contest! The winner wins $5,000.”
Your eyes widened, the breath leaving your lungs. They had already taken about two hundred bucks from you, so that prize would cover the debt in full while still leaving you enough to pay part of your rent.
Dan noticed how you reacted to this information though he chose not to point it out. Money had always been an issue for you and he could only imagine it was worse with your mother gone.
“So… you just carve a pumpkin?” You questioned, eyes on the flyer.
Oshiage nodded. “The Daruma babies are gonna be the judges.”
“Oh… it, uh, it sounds fun.” You tried not to sound too excited as you headed into the back of the store to drop off the box. You knew you couldn’t pass up this opportunity, but… you had never carved a pumpkin before. It couldn’t be that hard, right?
Your phone vibrated in your pocket, a single message coming in from Murayama. It was an angry, frowning face to let you know that he was displeased at your decision not to wake him.
You chuckled, sending him an apology before getting back to work.
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“Why is this so hard?!” you groaned, stabbing the knife into the fruit with a scowl. You had gone through three pumpkins already and you had either butchered them or had been unable to pierce the surface. You had also cut yourself a few times, but they weren’t too deep.
You knew this wasn’t going to work, not if you wanted to win this contest.
Grabbing your coat, you headed out. The cool autumn wind was blowing softly, wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. It did wonders to help your nerves since you never knew when the debt collectors would jump you again. So far, it had been a week and they hadn’t shown up again.
At first, Murayama had stuck by your side without fail and you appreciated his dedication and concern. You felt smothered, though, unable to do anything without him breathing down your neck. It sounded childish, but you didn’t want him to know about the contest. Perhaps you didn’t want him to get his hopes up because that would make it harder to swallow if you failed.
Either way, his presence was overwhelming and you needed a break. You expected more pushback when you told him you needed space, but he just agreed without a fuss. He had assigned Seki to watch over you from a distance, but the large male wasn’t exactly good at stealth. He was easy to lose and to distract.
You glanced at your phone to check the time before picking up your pace. The bookstore closed in a little less than an hour. It would take about fifteen minutes to get there, though, so you should have plenty of time to find the book you needed. Assuming said book even existed in the first place.
The bookstore was small and, currently, there were only a couple of people inside, browsing the selection. You scratched your cheek as you slowly headed down the aisles, scanning the signs listed above the shelves. Where would a how-to book on pumpkin carving even be? Education, perhaps?
You didn’t see it so you moved on, rounding the corner to check the next aisle only to run right into someone. “I’m so sorry!” You lifted your head, meeting Dan’s surprised eyes. “Boss? What are you doing here?”
Your eyes flickered to the cheap romance novel in his hands and he quickly hid it behind his back, cheeks darkening as he cleared his throat.
“Just browsing. You?”
You hesitated a moment, wondering if you should tell him. Well, it’s not like you have to tell him everything. “The truth is… that pumpkin carving contest sounds really fun and I want to enter, but… I’ve never actually carved one before. I was hoping I could find a book on it.”
He knew you were holding back on him, but he felt it wasn’t his place to pry for more information. “The Halloween section is in the back. It’ll probably be there.”
“Oh, I didn’t know there was one,” you chuckled, following the male toward the display.
There were loads of spooky titles on display, along with recipe books and Halloween history books. Both of you searched, but there wasn’t a single book about pumpkins or jack-o-lanterns.
You frowned. “Could they be somewhere else?”
Dan glanced at his watch. “The store closes soon. It’ll be quicker to just ask the owner.”
“Good point.” You followed him to the front of the store.
The owner was a kind, elderly man named Nakamoto who smiled at the two of you when you approached. “Ready to check out?”
“Actually,” started Dan. “Do you have any books about pumpkin carving?”
“I’m sorry,” His smile fell a bit as he looked between the two of you. “I just sold the last one about thirty minutes ago.”
Your spirits fell at this information. “Oh, I see. Thank you very much.” You bowed before quickly turning and heading for the door.
“Oi!” Dan called out your name, starting to follow you until he remembered the book in his hands. With a groan, he placed it on the counter, offering a promise to the man. “I’ll be back for this tomorrow, please don’t sell it!”
The man chuckled as he watched Dan run from the store, chasing after you.
You weren’t sure how to feel, honestly. The contest had given you hope, but now it felt as if that hope had been shattered.
“Wait up!” Dan grabbed your shoulder, a scowl on his lips. “If you want, I can help you.”
“Really? Are you good at it?” You looked at him pleadingly, making him chuckle.
“When I was a kid, I won the pumpkin carving contest at my school four years in a row.”
Your eyes widened, hands grasping the front of his hoodie. “Please teach me, boss!”
He smiled warmly, ruffling the top of your head. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be a pro.”
“Thank you so much!”
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“Is he still sulking?” questioned Nakazono, glancing at Oya’s leader before looking at his two friends. They were sitting at a makeshift table low to the ground, playing a game of cards.
Murayama was lying on the couch, staring blankly up at the tall ceiling of the gym. It’s the same place he had been since you told him you wanted space. As far as the Sanchu trio knew, the male hadn’t slept or eaten since falling on that couch two days ago.
“What do you think?” scoffed Nakabayashi as he tossed down one of his cards on the table. “You’d think he got dumped or something.”
Nakazono shrugged, sitting down at the table. “Did you hear about the party Daruma is throwing?”
Nakakuki hummed as he drew a card, observing his hand. “It’s a Halloween festival, right? They invited all of Sword, didn’t they?”
“Yeah, it’s supposed to be the biggest party Sword has ever seen.”
Nakabayashi wrinkled his nose at the card his friend had discarded because it was one number off from the one he needed. “It’s probably gonna be a chaotic mess.”
“Fighting has been banned. The Daruma babies will be surveilling to make sure no one causes any trouble.”
Nakakuki grinned as he picked up the discarded card before laying out a 2, 3, 4 and 5 of diamonds, a set of aces, and a set of 8s before discarding the last card he had. “I win.”
“Damn it, again?” scowled the male, tossing his cards onto the table. “Why are you so good at this?”
He snickered, holding out his hand. “Pay up, brother.”
Reluctantly, Nakabayashi pulled out his wallet, slapping a ten-dollar bill against his friend’s palm.
“Speaking of money,” Nakazono pulled the flyer from his pocket, setting it on the table. “They’re hosting a pumpkin carving contest, too. The winner gets five grand!”
“Five grand?” Nakakuki’s eyes widened. “That’s cra-“
The flyer was snatched off the table, making the three males jump in surprise. Murayama held it with both hands, tired eyes staring at the information printed there. He immediately thought of you and how you could use that money.
His gaze snapped to the three part-timers and they were surprised by the fire that lingered in his eyes. “We’re entering that contest and we’re going to win!”
The trio exchanged a look, not understanding why he was suddenly so fired up. Furuya watched the younger male return to the sofa, seeming a bit more at ease than he had been a moment before. Though he had no idea why, he did know it had something to do with you. It was important to Murayama and that was enough for him.
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You took a deep breath, pacing back and forth as you waited for the contest to begin. With Dan’s guidance, you felt much more confident than you had a few days ago, but you were still nervous. If this didn’t work out, you had no idea what you were gonna do.
Though you hadn’t seen them, you could feel those thugs lingering just out of sight, watching you closely. Violence had been banned at the festival and they seemed to know that crossing Daruma was not wise. Still, their gaze was making you more nervous and you feared their presence would cause you to slip up.
On the opposite side of the festival, obscured by the sea of people, was Murayama and the other part-timers. The Sanchu trio and Seki were making the most of the festival, playing games and trying all the various snacks that were being offered.
Murayama couldn’t stop pacing, one arm folded over his chest while his free hand was resting against his chin. He was nervous because he knew how important this was. If he won this, he could single-handedly solve your money problems. He would be your hero, someone you knew you could depend on.
Most importantly, you’d be safe.
A hand rested on your shoulder and you jumped, heart leaping in your chest. You were afraid it was one of the goons.
“You’re gonna do fine.”
You released the breath you were holding at the sound of Dan’s voice. “I hope so.”
“You had a great teacher,” he grinned, giving your shoulder a squeeze.
Despite your nerves, you laughed at the comment. “You’re right. If I win -“
“Ah, ah,” he wagged his finger. “When you win.”
“When I win,” you corrected. “I’ll have to thank him with some lunch.”
The music dulled as a voice came over the loudspeaker. “The pumpkin carving contest is about to begin! Head to your assigned stations and get ready.”
Dan sent you an encouraging nod which you returned before heading toward the carving station. Because of the prize money, dozens of people had signed up for it and they had been forced to put everyone into groups to make it easier.
The contest was held in a large open field. At the back was a stage decorated with paper pumpkins and cute little ghosts. In front of the stage sat six super long tables, each table having cardboard dividers to create individual sections for each pumpkin. A piece of orange paper with a number had been taped to each section to indicate who was supposed to be where.
There was quite a bit of distance between each table and, since you were placed into group A while Murayama was placed in group F, neither of you realized that you were both occupying the same space with the same goal in mind. The two of you were so close, yet so far away.
The field had been cut off with caution tape to keep the crowd out of the way while the contestants worked.
Kato appeared on the stage, holding a bright red microphone. His eyes scanned the tables. “You have twenty minutes to carve your pumpkin. Incomplete designs will be docked points, so don’t get too ambitious! Your time begins… now!”
You took a deep breath, picking up the knife. You had given it a lot of thought and you had chosen a design that held a lot of meaning to you. That was the first lesson Dan had taught you. Anyone can carve a pumpkin, but people can feel the emotion put into that carving. The stronger the emotion, the bigger the impression on whoever sees it.
You tried not to focus on the timer above the stage as you carved the design into the fruit. Every time you made a mistake, you felt more frustrated with yourself but you kept with it, trying to make the mistakes blend in with the overall design. You just barely managed to get it finished before the timer buzzed.
“Drop the knives!” snapped Kato, glaring at the few people who kept trying to carve. “Step away from your stations and position yourselves on the other side of the caution tape so the judges can put in work.”
You bit your lip, sending the pumpkin one last look before heading for the caution tape to the right side of the field where Dan was waiting. He smiled encouragingly at you, offering you your favorite beverage for comfort.
You took it with a weary smile, thanking him. Part of you wanted to stay and wait for them to finish but, as you scanned the sheer amount of pumpkins, you knew doing so would kill you. It was better to do something else to pass the time.
As much as you appreciated Dan’s support, you excused yourself because you wanted some time to yourself. Your mind was torn between worrying about the contest and thinking about Murayama. You really wished he was here with you.
You found your way to the edge of the festival, far away from the crowds of people. You fell onto the grassy hill with a sigh, tugging your phone from your pocket. Should you call him? You worried he would hear the sounds of the sounds of the festival and get suspicious so you chose to text him instead.
< Hey, Shiki. Are you busy?
His reply was almost instantaneous.
> For you? Never 🙂 What’s up?
A smile tugged at your lips.
< I… wanted to apologize for pushing you away 
I’m just dealing with a lot right now.
> I know. You don’t have to apologize ♡
You were starting to realize just how lucky you were to have Murayama in your life. He had always been your biggest support system, always by your side through thick and thin. When you needed space, he respected that- even if he did assign someone to keep an eye on you – and when you needed comfort, he dropped everything to be with you.
Most people saw him as nothing more than the delinquent leader of Oya Koukou, but he was so much more than that to you. He was the stars in your sky, the rain that helped you grow, the food that kept you fed.
Murayama Yoshiki was your world.
< Do you wanna come over tonight? We can watch Halloween movies.
You nearly told him that you had something you wanted to talk to him about, but you didn’t want him to worry so you kept that to yourself. Whether you won or lost this contest, you intended to tell him about it.
> I’ll bring the snacks ♡
The speaker buzzed before Kato’s voice overpowered the excited chatter of the festival. “The winner has been chosen! All participants must report to the field with their number card. No number card, no prize money!”
You stood up, pulling the orange and black card from your pocket. It held your name, the Daruma logo, your station letter and pumpkin number. The closer you got to the field, the more nervous you felt. This was it, the moment of truth.
You hung at the back of the crowd, peering at the stage where Kato and the Daruma babies stood. Three pumpkins sat on the table, turned around so no one could see the designs on them.
“In third place, taking home a ten-dollar credit for any food item at the Daruma festival…” Kato took the card offered by Agyo. “Misato, pumpkin #51.”
Misato was a teenage boy with a black bowl cut and large, round glasses. The crowd cheered for him as he rushed up to the stage to claim his ten bucks. He was allowed to turn his pumpkin around to show the design to the crowd before they let him place a bronze ribbon sticker on it.
The design he had carved was a family of pumpkinmen beneath a full moon.
“In second place, taking home $100 and a plushie of your choice…” Kato took the card Futa offered him, his eyes scanning the crowd with a smirk to build tension. “Murayama, pumpkin #86!”
Your eyes widened when you heard his name, gaze snapping to the male as he made his way onto the stage. He was scowling, clearly unhappy about the result. His scowl deepened when Kato smacked his shoulder, saying something you couldn’t hear.
He smacked the silver sticker onto his pumpkin harder than he needed to before turning it around, showing off a cute kitten wearing a witch’s hat. You thought it was the cutest thing in the world and you felt sad that it didn’t win.
“Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…”
A tense silence settled over the crowd but you had already stopped paying attention, too focused on Murayama as he stepped away from the stage toward the other part-timers. You started to make your way over to him, pushing your way through the crowd.
Between trying to reach him and having already accepted that you weren’t going to win, you failed to hear Kato saying your name and pumpkin number. Dan saw you in the crowd and rushed over, grabbing your shoulder.
“What are you doing, idiot?” He hissed, pushing you toward the front of the crowd. “You won!”
“Eh?” Your heart raced within your chest, wide eyes staring at the stage. Kato was looking at you expectantly and you quickly rushed over, offering the four men an apology.
Ungyo smiled warmly at you as he handed you the gold sticker. You slowly turned the pumpkin around, placing the sticker above the design before stepping aside so the crowd could see it.
Murayama was already shocked to see you at the festival. Even more so to see you win the contest. When he saw the design, though, he felt his body flood with so much warmth and love that he felt as if he were being suffocated.
The design on the pumpkin was a dragonfly resting atop a lotus flower, the exact same design engraved on the bracelet you had given him for his birthday several years ago. It was a set of only two in the world. Honestly, you weren’t even sure he still had his or would even remember it, but it was an important memory for you.
That was the day you realized you loved Murayama wholeheartedly.
Murayama had, of course, kept the bracelet. It was one of his most prized possessions because it was the first gift you had given him.
Kato handed you an envelope with the cash in it and you bowed to him, thanking him and the Daruma babies. Honestly, it was taking everything within you not to cry and, as soon as you exited the stage, you took off toward the edge of the festival.
Murayama rushed after you, calling out your name but you didn’t stop until you were far away from everyone else. His hand found your shoulder, lips parting to say your name once more.
You threw yourself at him, arms tight around his waist as you sobbed into his chest. He swallowed hard, holding you tightly as he tried to control his own emotions.
You felt so happy that you had won and could clear your debt, but you also felt guilty for taking the money away from Murayama. Your fingers curled around the back of his tank top, arms hidden under the blue jacket he wore. “I’m sorry you lost…”
“I’m not. You won, that’s all that matters.” He meant this, of course, but he also felt a bit annoyed by it. He wanted to be the one to solve your problems, to prove that he could look after you and support you. He needed you to know that.
“Huh?” you frowned up at him, eyes glassy from your tears. “Don’t you need the money?”
He scoffed in disbelief. “I’m supposed to be the dumb one in this relationship, not you.”
You blinked dumbly. “You were… trying to win that money for me?”
“Of course I was,” he mumbled, a pout on his lips. “I want to take care of you and I’ll do anything for you.”
Your cheeks dusted with pink, heart filling with warmth. Words failed you at that moment so, instead, you leaned up and pressed your lips against his. He didn’t hesitate to return it, hand finding the back of your neck. His head tilted to the side, deepening the kiss.
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