#mid.

following his gaze leads to where you stand and through the wild strobe and disco lights, isagi spots your figure and someone else beside you- someone he doesn’t know. putting two and two together (his specialty), isagi works out whatever is wrong with rin rather quickly.

“when will you say something about your feelings for y/n?” he asks. 

rin pretends not to hear him because he wishes he didn’t.

“you’re a fucking idiot, rin, you know that?” 

“what.”

isagi hides his smile of amusement, biting the inside of his cheek. “i said it. are you seriously going to stand here and be miserable over someone talking to y/n when you’ve had so many chances?”

“what are you talking about, dumbass.”

“sure. call me the dumbass, at least i don’t pretend like i don’t care about someone i like.”

rin finally breaks his gaze from you, whipping his head to look at isagi with an offended glare. “huh?”

“you heard me. what are you scared of?” 

the younger out of the two pauses, staring emotionlessly at isagi before scoffing, taking a quick sip from the bottle in his hand and wiping the corner of his lips. “you wouldn’t get it.”

“get what? y/n is into you too, you have made out before on several occasions, so what are you so scared of?” 

rin is silent once again as his thoughts diverge to you- to everything about you that rin has committed to memory and his heart stutters at the mere intervention. even now, in the most pathetic party he’s ever attended, he can’t help but want you.

in fact, here he wants you even more, but isagi doesn’t need to know that.

“leave me alone, fuckhead.”

isagi frowns, knowing that this conversation was not going to go anywhere. if rin is immovable when sober, then it’ll be impossible to change his mind drunk.

“fine,” he huffs. “don’t cry to me about it when y/n finds someone else when that could have been you.”

his words hit a nerve and rin almost drops the bottle in his hands. the dark-haired awakens with a sudden urgency that was previously dormant, suddenly overcome with fear and dread at the idea that isagi has planted within his head.

stupid isagi. fuck that piece of shit. rin hopes he trips and twists his ankle so-

“rin?”

you’re looking at him, and fuck, suddenly he’s away from the corner and standing right in front of you and he doesn’t know what to do. the random looks at him with a repulsive look, clearly unhappy with the sudden intervention, however, there’s no time to think about them when you’re right in front of him, looking at him so concerned and curious.

you’re so gorgeous, it’s unfair. 

“what’s the matter?” you ask. rin hears you over the reverberating bass, it’s easy to when all he’s thinking about is you.

“got a problem?” the stranger parrots, puffing out their chest like some peacock. rin thinks they look stupid.

glancing back at you, he simply mutters a ‘need you’ that you don’t even hear, before grabbing your wrist and pulling you out of your seat. apart from a few sputters of surprise, there’s no complaint or resistance as he expertly navigates through the halls as if it were his property.

weaving past dozens of partygoers, your mind races in synchronisation with the wild beating of your heart; the only thing grounding you to reality was the firmness of rin’s grip.

when he, somehow, finds an empty hallway that’s secluded from where the majority of people are, he turns around to give you a frazzled look that is swimming with determination. 

then, his hands grab your face to pull you in. 

all of a sudden, his lips are on yours and all you know is him, him, him. rin is moving like he’s done this before- because he has. he has traced the expanse of your body and lips several times before in scenarios just like this, kissing you breathless with dizzying passion and unparalleled desire. he tastes like grape soju and your greatest mistake. 

it’s easy to melt into him, especially when he’s slotting himself against you so perfectly with one hand holding the back of your head and the other on your hip as he carefully leads you backwards. your back hits the cold wall, shielded by his hands, and the hiss of surprise you let out is inhaled by him.

recovering quickly, your arms snake up to wrap around his neck, eliminating any space between the two of you to mould yourselves into one- even if it was just for the night. 

rin parts, heavy pants fanning on your skin as he proceeds to trail kisses along your jawline. he presses his lips so tenderly against your vulnerable skin, a stark contrast to the burning fervour of his previous kiss. 

you wonder when you will stop falling victim to his siren call. 

this was the first time he’s ‘spoken’ to you since you walked in to the party, having ignored your smile and wave of greeting from across the room despite very clearly meeting your eyes. the soccer player in your arms even had the gall to turn around and walk away as if you were some nobody, retreating into the kitchen. his indifference stings and yet, whenever he pulls a stunt like this, you welcome it every time.

when will you finally be able to push him away?

noticing the way you’ve stilled in his grasp, rin pauses and takes his head out of your neck, looking up at you.

“what’s the matter?” he breathes, voice quiet and raspy. 

you push at his shoulder lightly and he loosens his hold, just a little. “we shouldn’t do this,” you murmur, avoiding his teal eyes. 

he flinches like your words burned him. no- you shouldn’t give yourself too much credit, you could never have that much impact on itoshi rin, not like the one he’s had on you.

readjusting yourself, you try to gently coax yourself out of his hold.

“what do you mean?” he questions.

you can’t breathe under the pressure that rin naturally exudes, coupled with the uncontrollable and uncomfortable racing of your heart, it’s almost impossible to breathe. “i mean,” you continue, “that i can’t do this. not with you, not tonight.” 

the dark-haired blinks once, twice, thrice, suddenly filled with a bout of sadness looking at your dejected stance. “y/n?”

“i can’t do this,” you echo, slowly, but surely, distancing yourself away from rin; from the man who has claimed your heart almost a year ago, from the man who has made you feel magical and unreal and disheartened and defeated, all at the same time.

“i like you too much for this to just continue on every time,” you ramble, running a hand down your face. “i can’t be used like this anymore. you know how i feel about you, rin, i know you do, and yet you do this every time.” your voice cracks. “so i’d appreciate it if you just left me alone.”

somehow, rin finds his arms empty and you’re now walking away, back turned to him and hunched, as if protecting your heart from further destruction at his hands. seeing you so uncharacteristically fragile and unlike the you he knows is a punch to the stomach, and the idea of breaking you makes him feel even worse. 

“wait- y/n, please,” he calls, catching up with a few, effortless strides. the soccer player reaches for your shoulder only to have you brush him off. “where are you going?”

you don’t answer.

“what do you mean ‘this’, what do i do every time?”

you turn around to face him. “you go from caring about me to ignoring me to then pulling stunts like this- i’m sick of it, itoshi!” your tone is accusatory and angry. rin gulps. “then you make me question whether or not you like me too, sometimes it feels like you do, then other times it feels like i’m the least important person to you in the world- what is up with that? i’ve had enough!”

the soccer player opens his mouth, hesitating, before shutting it again, unclenching his jaw and fists.

“i do like you,” the dark-haired murmurs after a moment of collecting his thoughts. he feels awkward; so out of place with confronting his emotions and problems like this. “i don’t want anyone but you.” 

rin’s voice wavers towards the end of his sentence. with the harsh house lights illuminating all of him, he feels even more exposed under your gaze. 

you cross your arms. “sure doesn’t feel like it.” 

he’s silent and it’s devastating how impassive he is, especially in the aftermath of your little outburst.

“whatever,” you huff. “i’m going home.”

“wait- don’t go,” rin pleads, voice echoing around the halls and he cringes at the deafening silence that follows. “i’m sorry. i’ve been… selfish.”

your eyes widen slightly. rin? apologising? acknowledging his faults? 

he recalls seeing you with the stranger and all the fury he felt during that moment. what right did he have to simply grab you and pull you with him? what right did he have to drag you away like you were his? “i shouldn’t- i shouldn’t have- i’m sorry, i had no right to do what i did, you’re not mine, but i want you- i really do and-”

“-then why aren’t you acting on it? you know how i feel yet nothing happens- why won’t you say yes to me?”

tentatively and hesitantly, rin takes a few steps towards you, opening his arms. you fall right into him, seeking solace in the warmth of his embrace and the scent of his cologne. 

you sigh. “i’m tired, rin.”

“i know, i’m sorry,” he rubs circles on your back. tests his luck by pressing a chaste kiss to your head. “another chance. don’t give up on me yet. please.” he whispers the last word as if it were a delicate promise- as if one wrong move could break you.

“i won’t.” you take your head out of his chest, looking at him with glossy eyes. “but this is definitely the last chance.”

“okay.”

“can you kiss me. please?” 

a small smile dances along rin’s expression and he nods before slowly leaning down, giving you enough time to push him away if you so pleased, but you don’t. instead, you let him press his lips against yours once more.

this time, it’s more gentle and slow. he tastes like love and hope with a dash of grape soju.