#blackreaderxsouthterano

[xaeethebaee]

The Light in his Dark World

Minors DNI! 18+ Folks ONLY!

Synopsis: You're relentlessly pursued by the infamous blood-thirsty gangster by the name of South Terano, and you cannot figure out why he's so smitten by you.

Black Reader x South Terano

A/n: A while back, I did reblog a post and the OP explained they want to see a story like this, and I volunteered. This is my first time writing for South. Actually, it is my first time writing a slow-burn fanfic so let me know how it was. @sukunasbabymama Sorry it took so long.

Word Count: 7,270

Warnings: Mentions of brutal violence

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Rokuhara. An infamous bar located deep in the slums of Rio De Janeiro. On the outside, it looks like the typical run-down shack adorned with rusted shutters and somewhat rotted wooden door frames. That is not the case upon closer inspection of the establishment. Almost every night, many people are drawn to its walls, and it is not because of the cheap beer and sexy bartenders. Once getting past those flimsy entrance doors, and down the derelict stairs that seemingly lead into a dark abyss, a whole new world has been opened up.

Over a hundred Rio De Janeiro residents gather around where the real fun is happening. A makeshift boxing ring lay as the centerpiece of the basement. Spotlights shine down on it, illuminating dried-up blood stains on the material and a pair of violent men trading harsh blows with one another. Rokuhara hosts one of Brazil's most intense underground fight clubs and this is where you begrudgingly call your place of employment.

There is not much opportunity to flourish in your poverty and crime-stricken city, and being from a financially struggling family, moving somewhere else was not a feasible option. You’re essentially making the best out of your unfortunate home life though you find that serving bottles of liquor to drunk men who enjoy watching other men beat each other to a pulp is a much better job than selling your body as a prostitute which is also a common practice here. Also, the tips you earn are a lot more than anyone could imagine which does allow you to live slightly more comfortably than many other people in your area and have savings for when you eventually decide to call somewhere else home.

Essentially, every night between 10 pm and 5 am, you witness brawls between different gangsters from hoods across Rio and even other parts of Brazil. Your primary purpose is to prepare and serve drinks to the rowdy guests during these optimal hours and tonight is no different. Men and women alike crowd around the ring, yelling obscenities, and betting hundreds - sometimes even thousands - of Brazilian reals on the fighters. It is not the kind of environment you enjoy being in and seeing these unsavory individuals take pleasure in this savagery causes you to lose more and more faith in humanity. Again, you press forward as there are not many options.

After placing the bottle of beer on your tray, you way through the thick crowd of patrons and towards a small flight of stairs. It’s a relatively quaint platform that’s only reserved for the VIP guests of the establishment. VIP guests often include unsavory business Mongols, gang leaders, cartel bosses, and in this particular case, a man with a spine-chilling reputation as being the most brutal fighter of Brazil’s underground world.

For the most part, the patrons and fighters are all faceless and that even includes the regulars for Rokuhara; however, this particular individual is different. You know him all too well. Because of his massive height, he easily dwarfs everyone he comes across which adds to his intimidating aura. Although reluctant, you put on a brave smile as you approached the scary man, who is sitting quietly as he observes an ongoing fight. You vaguely make out a smug smile on his face while he leans back in his leather chair with his long legs manspreading, obviously entertained by the violence before him.

You can hear your heartbeat pumping in your ears once you’ve arrived at his table. Nervously, you set the bottle of beer down next to him, attempting to avoid eye contact with him.

“Here’s your drink, sir.” You muster out.

Quickly, you turn your heel and begin to walk away, but you did not get to make it far when you feel your arm being grabbed, preventing you from leaving. Looking down, you notice a large hand wrapped around your arm, though it was not tight enough to cause you any pain.

“What did I say about the formality, sweetheart?”

His deep voice sent shivers down your spine as you slowly turn around to face him. What you see is the man’s piercing yellow round eyes and his grin that is now being directed at you. He has blonde hair that is being kept in a bun and despite wearing a white button-down shirt, his Brazilian tribal tattoo design sticks out from the rightmost side of his chest and runs up his neck. It is not surprising that many people shake in fear when they are in the presence of this man. Sighing, you gently try freeing your arm from his grip.

“I’m working right now.”

You mumble but the man nonetheless heard your soft voice. He can see the uncertainty in your eyes therefore he hesitantly lets go of you.

“I told you this before. You don’t have to be so scared around me.”

He says with a tone of voice that contradicts his outward appearance. You can hear the gentleness in his deep voice in addition to slight concern. You’re still not at much ease as you are fully aware of what this man is capable of.

It is not the first time you have come face-to-face with him. In fact, you see him almost all the time either in Rokuhara as one of the fighters or in the streets of Rio De Janeiro taking on gangs of hoodlums. Each and every single violent encounter with this man always lead to someone being fatally or mortally wounded by him. His strength and violent streak easily triumph over everyone he comes across, and he is even not above murder if it means he keeps his dominion over others.

Despite your many encounters with him over time, you somehow end up unscathed. On the contrary, you are often on the receiving end of the man’s rare instance of friendliness. You’re still unsure why you seem to get special treatment from him especially since you know that he knows you aren’t fond of people like him. You’re seemingly the perfect victim for him to play around with and destroy but in reality, the man treats you almost as if you’re a porcelain doll. You can’t even recall a time when the man has even said something mean to you.

“I am working, South.”

You repeat, this time uttering his name with a bold expression. Your assertiveness is felt by the man named South who just takes a sip from the beer bottle you brought him. After feeling refreshed from the sip, he just nods and then says with the same gentle tone:

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” You quickly follow up.

Once again, you try leaving him to his drink, but what he says next stops you in your track.

“So have you decided on going out with me?”

An audible sigh past your lips before you swallow some of your fear. You turn back around to look South back in the eye.

“You asked me that at least five times this week.” You point out.

“Yeah, I know.”

Although you were anxious, you still proceeded to reject him in the friendliest way.

“I told you before. I am not looking for a relationship right now.”

South goes quiet, momentarily thinking over your response as well as his future response. There is no doubt in your mind that he is going to say that he understands how you feel and then reiterate his eagerness to take you out on a date. This has been the norm for the last few encounters you two had, and just as you predicted, he states:

“I get it. You don’t wanna date a guy like me who kills people for fun. It’s just you’ve been the only light in my dark world, and I can’t miss out on losing that light. I wanna keep you safe and happy, sweetheart.”

Desperation laces his tone; however, you’re unfazed by it. It is no secret to either of you that you find this man absolutely terrifying. You actually witnessed him at his most violent, and he knew you were there.

The sight of him punching a man’s face until it became a bloody pile of mush still haunts your mind, and South had the nerve to rationalize it by stating the man had ill intentions for you. You can’t deny that it was clear you were about to be attacked by the creepy man and South did come to your rescue but that does not change the fact that you saw the blatant enjoyment on his face. South claims he wants to keep you happy, but murdering people in your presence is certainly not how he should go about it. You’re mildly annoyed by his insistence but it obviously does not overshadow the fear you harbor for him. South can see it in your face. He can see you shaking with anxiety before you realized it yourself.

“South, I-”

You start to speak but a sudden uproar of cheering cuts you off. You’re then reminded of the environment you are in, seeing the crowd of people screaming and yelling as the match has reached its conclusion. South momentarily gets distracted when the winner gets announced, which gives you the perfect opportunity to slip away. He immediately noticed your retreat but just decides to take another sip from his beer.

You return to the bar to take a deep breath. For a moment, you did not realize that a group of people was waiting to place their order with you. One older man just clears his throat to get your attention.

“Ma’am?”

He calls for you though it was unusually quiet. Looking up, you see the faces of the people and you resume your work.

“Oh! I’m so sorry everyone! I’ll be more than happy to assist.”

You put on a brave face before proceeding with your duties as a bartender. You tried your best to fulfill each order promptly, but with the state that you are in and the time crunch you are on, it was inevitable that you made mistake after mistake after mistake. Though you are quick to fix these mistakes, no one bothered to mention them to you. You’re fully aware of how irritable people can get when their orders aren’t correct or when service is slow, so you expected someone to call you out. It did not happen, however.

Rio De Janeiro is a massive city but when it comes to infamous people like South Terano, words about them travel fast amongst the communities. That means your encounters with him are no secret. People noticed how differently his demeanor has changed when he is around you. Even a blind man can see how soft he is when it comes to you, and after everyone heard about him killing a man just to protect you, an unspoken rule was established. No matter what, nobody is allowed to bring any harm to you whether it be physical or emotional.

You did not realize just how much influence South has over your life. You’re off-limits for any and everyone, despite not having a single violent bone in your body you’re just as feared, and you unknowingly have dominance. It’s the reason why you can work in such a violent environment without so much as a single threat being thrown at you. In the eyes of the residents of Rio, you are South’s girl therefore you are being treated as such.

It took several minutes but you’ve finally finished fulfilling everyone’s orders and even made a sizable tip in the process. You take a moment to catch your breath, leaning on the bar counter and reflecting on your interactions with South. You know how dangerous he is. He’s a ferocious man who takes every opportunity to fight and kill. Not to mention his short temper which causes him to lash out at anyone who provokes him, but somehow, you’re his soft spot. You’re someone who brought light to his dark world but how? Where did these feelings for you come from? You nearly strain yourself trying to figure out why South is so smitten by you.

“Ma’am? May I have another bottle of Guinness?”

The same quiet man from earlier asks you, although he was nervous. Sitting up and presenting him with a smile.

“Of course!”

You answer back, grabbing another bottle of the requested drink from the refrigerator. After handing it to the man, you suddenly make a realization.

“That was the drink South ordered when we first met.” You think to yourself with a sigh.

Even before you two officially met, South’s name has already been circling around. Even before seeing his face for the first time, you knew just how dangerous this man is and when you two met, you felt your veins run icy cold.

You explicitly remember being behind the bar, cleaning up the dirty wine glasses. This night was any typical night with the rowdy patrons yelling obscenities at the fighters before them. It is a sound that you were starting to get used to since starting your job as a bartender. Almost immediately, everything went silent, and the atmosphere changed entirely, and you’re initially confused.

That is until you peer up and immediately see a massive man making his way to the boxing ring. He has a wide grin on his face as if he is thoroughly entertained by the fear that is radiating throughout the room. No one bothered to say anything as this man takes off his shirt, revealing his toned upper body and tribal tattoo. He indeed needed no introduction.

He stands opposite another man who presents a cocky smile on his face. Everyone is silent, too terrified to utter a single thing. You’ve heard countless stories about the destruction and chaos this man has caused since he was a child. South Terano: a name that strikes fear in the hearts of many and you’re no different. You had every reason to be afraid of him.

Finally seeing him in person feels like your nightmare has come true even though you should’ve expected that he’d make an appearance eventually. You do work at an underground fight club after all and all South does is fight so it was inevitable that he’ll show up. Too stunned to steady your breathing and shaking hand, you failed to realize the glass you were holding is starting to slowly slip from your grip.

Nevertheless, you watch as the fighters begin stretching as they prepare for their upcoming match. South’s grin never falters as he cracks his neck and due to the silent room, you heard every bit of the popping sound. With bloodlust in his eyes, he heaves out a breathy chuckle before stating with an amused tone:

“This is gonna be fun. You’re gonna regret challenging m--”

He’s suddenly interrupted by the sound of glass shattering on the floor. All eyes are on you as you stand motionless and embarrassed. The man’s grin dropped a bit upon seeing you struggle to gather your words to formulate a sentence.

“Sorry!”

You quickly shout before hurrying to a nearby broom. With the room still silent, everyone - including South - can hear your frantic sweeping. As soon as you’re finished sweeping up the broken glass, you’ve used the dustpan to take it over to the trashcan. Quickly, you opened the lid of the trash can before discarding the glass into it. Throughout all of that, the room was still silent save for the sounds of you cleaning up the mess.

Looking back up, you’re still the center of attention. The onlookers have fearful expressions on their faces while South remains to have his grin, amused by what he just witnessed. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, you just give an awkward thumbs-up before announcing:

“I’m finished!”

After that, you back away into a corner in shame which allows the match to officially begin.

Both fighters get into position and in no time, the referee signals for the match to begin with the sound of his whistle. Hastily, South’s opponent rushes to him and despite the obviously massive height difference, the man nonetheless reaches high enough to punch South in the face. The hit; however, only felt like a light touch to the large man who just laughs.

“Try again weak shit!” He taunts with laughter.

The smaller opponent grunts and then takes the opportunity to punch South again, this time on his abs but that hit was proven futile as well. In shock, he looks up only to find South’s prominent grin peering back at him. The man realized his mistake too late once the bigger opponent leans forward.

“My turn.” He simply says.

Before he knew it, he feels a punch that is equal to the strength of Hercules. That punch shatters his facial bones, resulting in the man stumbling backward and falling onto the cold and bloody floor.

“That’s it? You just wasted my fucking time!”

He yells before stomping the unconscious man’s chest, no doubt breaking his ribs and damaging his internal organs. A horror-stricken gasp escapes your lips due to witnessing his brutal savagery. That gasp did not go unnoticed by South who looks directly at you with the same amused grin.

“Did that scare you, sweetheart?” He directs his taunting to you.

You can feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the terrifying fighter walks out of the ring and through the crowd of people. In no time, he’s at your bar, looking down at you as if you’re his prey.

“I asked you a question.” he reminds you.

Taking in a deep breath you respond sheepishly:

“Yes.”

“Don’t be scared. I won’t bite.”

South says as he reaches out to run his fingers through your hair. On impulse, you back away before his hand could make contact with you. You can hear audible gasps from the crowd when you rejected his advance. You can see the grin on his face drop ever so slightly, convincing you that it is your time to die.

The scary man just leans forward, resting his elbows on the counter as he checks out your body. He notices the way you nervously stand while also shaking like a scared puppy. Additionally, he notices your uniform perfectly accentuating your curves and the way your melanated skin glows from the basement lighting. Your e/c eyes look back at his yellow ones, nearly enchanting him.

“What’s your name?” He asks.

You think about his question for a few seconds, caught off guard by his sudden cordialness.

“Y/n.” You reluctantly answer.

“Cute.”

He simply says, showing a very subtle spark in his eye like he just realized something. The man just smiles more before requesting a drink.

“Guinness.”

Although you’re plagued with fear, you comply with his request. Immediately, you grab a bottle of the drink and hand it to him with a nervous smile.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” You muster out.

Everyone is still looking in complete shock at you two’s interaction.

Thinking back on that day, you even noticed that he was nice to you then. You think to yourself when did South actually start to have a crush on you, and you’re having a hard time understanding why. You live a very unremarkable life, you cannot think of many special skills you possess, and you don’t think you’re the prettiest girl in the world - let alone the city.

So what made him so infatuated with you? Are you the only girl he pursues? Why won’t he give up his pursuit? So many questions in so little time. You’re stressing yourself with all the overthinking, so you decided to take another deep breath, purging your mind so you can relax for once tonight.

That brief moment of relaxation did not last long, however. The noise from the crowd seizes almost instantaneously and the tension rises once again. At this point, you are already aware of who has decided to approach your bar without even looking up from your spot.

“Sweetheart?”

His voice pierces your eardrum like a spear. You can feel his presence getting stronger and his footsteps getting louder as he goes through the crowd of scared people. With the help of his long legs, he reached your bar in no time. The people that were already sitting there immediately scurried away as if they were roaches when the light has been turned on. Just like when you two first met, the onlookers watch - some in fear while others with intrigue - your upcoming interaction with South Terano.

The very large man leans on the countertop, resting his elbows as he watches you hurry to the refrigerator to grab yet another bottle of Guinness. Swiftly, you set the beer down in front of him without bothering to acknowledge his presence.

“Sweetheart?” He repeats while cracking open the bottle. “Look at me.”

He demands softly, but you remain stubborn, adamant that maybe if you ignore him long enough, he’ll leave you alone. South’s stubbornness, on the other hand, is more potent than yours. His unwavering pursuit for you will not stop even if you don’t speak to him for the rest of your life, and you are fully aware of this. He’s a patient man indeed as he just sits and waits for you to finally give him a response. Your tenacity soon starts to falter after several minutes of dead silence. South is still leaning on the countertop as he finishes the bottle of beer.

“The end of your shift is approaching isn’t it?”

He asks, prompting you to look at the nearby digital clock. It’s just a few minutes away from hitting 5 am, thus you take the time to start cleaning. You’ve made sure to clean your entire bar except for one particular spot. The man just lets out a chuckle once he sees that you finally noticed his empty beer bottle and your reluctance to approach him.

Finally, you decided now or never to reach for his bottle, but that was the moment South took his opportunity to make his move. In a move too fast to back away from, South grabbed your arm and pulled you slightly closer to him. You released a surprised gasp upon the sudden movement. Shocked and terrified, you freeze up as you look up to see South’s soft expression.

“Just one date. It’s all that I ask for.”

“No.”

You quickly answer; however, that isn’t enough to discourage the strong man. He just squeezes your arm slightly harder than usual, prompting you to feel more petrified. Through a shaking tone, you muster out:

“I-I-I told y-you. Not interested in a r-relationship.”

At that moment, you did not realize tears are starting to roll down your cheek. You’re scared of this man, of course, but you’re feeling a slew of conflicting emotions at the same time. In spite of knowing everything about this man, there is a part of you that is very intrigued by him. That feeling of intrigue is also accompanied by attraction as the man before you is very easy on the eyes. It’s those feelings in addition to your fear that got your mind in a swirl. Now that he’s much closer than you are comfortable with, you are only able to ask one simple question.

“Why do you want to be with me so badly?” You ask with a cracking voice.

Seeing your emotional state, South uses his free hand to gently caress your cheek while simultaneously wiping the flowing tears.

“I told you already. You’re my light. You were the only person who gave me comfort.”

Confused by his answer, you shake your head in denial.

“All I-I did was tell you I wasn’t….interested.”

“Is that all you think you did for me?”

He asks you with a facial expression that tells you that he is unconvinced. You search through every facet of your mind trying to figure out what South means but the only things that come up are all the times you rejected his advances.

“You seriously don’t remember, do you?” He asks.

“Remember what?”

The man lets go of your arm, breathing out a disappointed sigh. For the first time, you can visibly see his grin drop from his face. Leaning up, South puts his hands in his pockets before he starts walking towards the flight of stairs essentially leaving alone at the bar.

“I’ll be waiting outside for you when you’re finished. Don’t try to escape.”

He demands, sending shivers down your and everyone’s spines. You only got to see South when he’s enjoying his life but now this is a mood from him that is completely unfamiliar. The terror within you goes nuclear because of it. You can feel the pitiful eyes being directed at you as you finish closing your bar.

Once finished, you take off your apron and hung it up on a nearby hook. You take in a deep breath before releasing it slowly in an attempt to calm your firing nerves. Anxiously, you walk toward the stairs feeling every single eye of the people on you. Turning around, everyone just gives you a sad nod, convinced that this is their last time seeing you alive and well. Seeing their reactions gave you no comfort whatsoever; however, you nonetheless ascend up the flimsy wooden stairs and into the raggedy above-ground shack.

Almost immediately, you see the extremely tall man waiting just outside for you. Having no other choice, you press forward through the entrance and out into the humid world to face Brazil’s most dangerous man. It’s still relatively silent as you notice him slowly getting on the motorcycle that has been behind him.

“Get on.”

He says to you however you stand there confused as you’re trying to process the odd request. You can see the annoyance in his eyes while he breathes out a sigh. Quickly, he grabs your arm again but he is very careful not to hurt you. South guides you to the vehicle and has you sitting in front of him.

“W-Where are you taking me?” You ask softly.

“My place.” He simply responds with a rougher tone than usual.

That answer made you feel more fear in your bones therefore you try getting off the motorcycle. Immediately, you’re stopped when South cages you in with his large arms as he grabs the handles, engulfing you with his massive body. You did not have time to process what is going on or even register his body heat when the vehicle turns on. The motorcycle revs, scaring you into being completely still.

“Hold on to my hands and stay still.”

He commands and since he is so close to you, you can feel the vibrations in his chest and abdomen due to his deep voice. Nevertheless, you comply as you’re afraid to make him more pissed off and you do not want to fall off the vehicle.

South gently accelerates and the vehicle moves though, he is mindful of the speed he’s going in. Therefore, he goes at a leisurely pace as you two traverse through the littered and cracked streets of the slums. You’re as comfortable as you can get while having a firm hold on the man’s hands, noticing just how large he is compared to you.

Though it is still dark outside, you can still see your poverty-stricken community. Houses are ransacked - some are even destroyed, graffiti line the stone walls of the buildings, and trash litter the streets. With you only spending most of your time either at your apartment or at the bar, you forget just how rundown your community is. Seeing that makes you feel sad.

That’s just from the appearance. Crime plagues your city. It is so bad that Rio De Janeiro persistently shows up as one of the world’s most dangerous cities by many different news organizations. One of the biggest perpetrators of the violence that is rampant is the man who you’re currently riding through the city with. That same man who spent a considerable amount of time trying to get you to go on a date with him. Well, he finally got his wish as you’re both on your way to his place.

You’re nervous to see what his living situation is like. You can imagine a large compound that is surrounded by his followers, a foul stench of death lingering in the air, and piles of trash thrown about. To your surprise, you see the downtown district come into your view. Lights from the bustling city and its skyscrapers leave you in awe once you’re reminded that not all of Rio is the slums. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world that boasts terrific nightlife and is home to many stunning beaches. It’s too bad the city’s natural beauty and rich culture are overshadowed by violence.

South continues to drive the motorcycle towards the downtown area, leaving you more perplexed and nervous, knowing the downtown area is typically home to more wealthy individuals. You want to question the man about where exactly is his home located, but the words are stuck in your throat.

Besides the loud revving of the motorcycle, there is still an awkward silence between you two. No doubt, there is a slew of things South Terano wants to say right about now, and you’re no different. Instead of speaking, you continue to gawk at the sheer difference between the downtown area and the area you call home. Poverty isn’t around every corner and the streets are significantly clearer.

Soon enough, you start to feel the vehicle decelerate as you two arrive at a high-rise building at the epicenter of the city. South turns into an underground gated parking and after inputting a code into the security panel, the large metal gate opens up. Inside are numerous high-end vehicles lining the parking lot, and South goes to a designated spot next to a massive black SUV. The man parks his motorcycle in front of and perpendicular to the vehicle before turning off the engine.

“Follow me.”

He says, getting off while simultaneously grabbing your hand, interlocking fingers with it. The sudden and intimate move catches you off guard momentarily which is the reason why you did not utter a single word as you’re escorted to an elevator. South puts the same code into another security panel and before you know it, the doors closed and you can feel the elevator ascending up the building.

Again, silence as you two stand in the somewhat cramped space with the only thing preventing you from hearing your pounding heartbeat was the classical music playing from the speakers. Though, that did not stop you from vaguely noticing the much larger man subtly moving his head in the same rhythm as the piano melody.

Deciding not to think much of it, you are caught off guard when the elevator stops at one of the highest floors of the massive building. As soon as it stops, the metal doors open up to reveal a long hallway. Casually and while still holding your hand, South walks, and after he passes by a few doors, he stops at one with a prominent 906 on it. After putting in the same code one last time, a clicking sound was heard letting both of you know that the door has been unlocked.

Entering, you’re immediately greeted by the most beautiful and luxurious apartment that you could ever imagine. Expensive furniture is throughout while stunning paintings adorn the perfectly painted walls and there is a massive piano towards the corner of the living space. All of that is also complimented by a large window that gives a magnificent view of Rio De Janeiro. You’re so in awe with the place that you did not notice South letting go of your hand. He just watches with a soft smile on his face as you continue to admire the apartment.

“Like it?” He asks.

Slowly, you turn to him. Your fear has simmered down somewhat which means you finally have enough courage to speak full sentences to him.

“It’s beautiful. This is really your place?” You asked with curiosity.

South chuckles at the sparkle in your eyes.

“Yes. It is. Being a gangster has its perks.”

Hearing those words quickly made you think of the worst. You imagine the malevolent things this man could’ve done to get such a beautiful place. How many people did he have to step over and kill for him to live in such luxury?

“Sweetheart, I signed the lease just like any other person.”

Almost like he read your mind, South just chuckles after giving that brief explanation. It did not do much to settle your nerves enough especially after it finally dawns on you that you’re completely alone with South - the very man you’ve been horrified of for a long time. Unsure of what to do, you just stand in the middle of the living room while holding yourself.

“Sweetheart, I-”

He starts to speak but is quickly cut off by you.

“What are you gonna do to me?” You ask.

“Nothing.”

He says while approaching you. Not wanting to be too close to him, you just back away but you’re once again reminded of South’s long and quick arm. Gently, he grabs your shoulder before taking you over to the couch. Your mind goes haywire as you think of what he could be planning. If he chooses to have his way with you, you know that there is not anything you can do about that as he’ll easily overpower you. So instead of trying to fight a battle that you have already lost, you do not try altogether, figuring it’s better than being brutally killed.

Sitting you down, the man just smiles making a breath get caught in your throat. He’s still sensing your fear, so he just softly caresses your cheek again. For some odd reason, the action calmed you down slightly as you’re reminded of just how gentle he is with you. Just as quickly, he removed his hand and then he goes to grab the seat that is in front of his piano before placing it in front of you. That allows him to sit, letting him appear less threatening.

“I’m still really fucking pissed at you.” He suddenly says, completely catching you off guard.

“Why? What did I do?”

Your question comes out a bit shaky although it is clear that you are unknowingly becoming more comfortable in South’s presence.

“You still haven’t realized why I want you so bad, huh?”

He crosses his arms.

“I can’t imagine there’s anything about me that you’d like.”

“Really?”

His questioning is accompanied by a raised eyebrow and the same facial expression from earlier returns. You start to feel a cold sweat break out from the compromising position you are in and the fact that you’re still confused about what South is referring to.

“Think harder, sweetheart.”

He tells you and once again you try very hard to come up with a sufficient answer as to why he’s so smitten by you. Of course, there is no luck. Nothing. Absolutely nothing comes to mind. Feeling defeated, you shake your head, afraid of disappointing South again.

“I don’t know.” You muster out through your cracking voice.

“You’re the light to my dark world.”

He gives a slight hint but it still leaves you with more questions than potential answers.

“How when all I ever do is reject you because of how terrifying you are?”

South lets out another chuckle, confusing you even more. You’re wondering why hasn’t he lashed out after so many attempts to get you to answer his question.

“You have shit memory.”

His chuckle turns into a full-blown laugh, at this point. Seeing your confused expression as well as your attempts to find the answer has left him thoroughly entertained. You, on the other hand, are still feeling confused and now that he’s laughing in your face, you also start to feel irritated.

“Did you bring me all the way here just to pick on me?”

You ask him, and it was enough to simmer down his laughing fit just enough so he can provide an answer.

“No, sweetheart. I brought you here as part of our date.”

“This is a weird date, South.”

He lets out one final chuckle before returning to his serious expression. Doing that essentially caused the entire mood to change significantly. Grabbing your hand and rubbing his thumb over it, he asks you:

“You seriously don’t remember?”

“Remember what?”

The room falls silent and the only thing you hear is the man before you heaving out a sigh. Suddenly, he stands up while letting go of your hand. Your eyes follow his movement as he just walks away and towards the hallway of the apartment. You’re left completely alone, unsure if you should use the opportunity to leave or wait for South to come back.

You opted for the latter option, so you sat patiently as you twiddle your thumbs. You have no idea what to expect once he returns as there are so many possibilities. One final time, you try digging into your memory to at least find something that may be related to what South is talking about but once again, your mind draws a blank. Giving up, you just look over in the direction he went in, anticipating his return.

A few minutes later and you can hear his heavy footsteps getting louder meaning he’s coming back to you. What you did not expect was for him to be holding an object in his hand. Sitting back in the chair in front of you, he presents you with the object, which turns out to be a stuffed animal. A ping of familiarity sparks in your brain as you reach for it.

“It looks familiar, right?”

He asks, allowing you to hold it. You wasted no time examining the plushie, feeling slight nostalgia for your childhood. While doing so, you answer his question.

“Yea. I used to have one just like this when I was a kid. I named him Bubbles, and I remember Bubbles had my name stitched on the bottom of his foot…”

You pause once you look at the bottom of the stuffed animal’s foot. To your surprise, you see ‘Y/N’ threaded neatly.

“…just like that.”

It is silent momentarily as you try to process the fact that you are holding your childhood stuffed animal. Although you had many, Bubbles was your favorite as he brought you comfort.

“Where did you get him?” you ask South.

“You gave him to me a long time ago.”

Your body freezes up upon hearing his response. You gave Bubbles away many years ago and you remember that moment so vividly.

“I remember giving him away to a crying kid who just lost his mother.”

You follow up with your response as you think back to that day many years ago. You remember seeing a crying child who was upset about his bedridden mother dying. You remember offering Bubbles to him stating that the stuffed animal always helped you when you were upset. You remember the moment when that kid gave you a soft smile upon being comforted by you. You remember seeing that kid’s eyes, and despite being red and puffy from crying, you can see the yellow irises. Thinking about it now, those eyes look eerily familiar to the orbs of the man sitting in front of you now. Looking up, you see South staring back at you, and you finally notice those very same eyes.

“You remember now, sweetheart? Now you see what I mean when I say you are the light in my dark world?” he asks you.

For the first time since being in South’s presence, you smile.

“You were the only person who’s ever been kind to me. Not even the man who became my father figure brought me the level of comfort that you did. I couldn’t forget what you’ve done for me, and I’ve always wanted to properly thank you for it.”

“South, I-I am sorry for not remembering, but why did you keep him throughout all these years?”

You ask him as you’re confused about him holding onto a stuffed animal. You found that to be odd considering the kind of man he is. Nobody would expect a dangerous gangster who takes pleasure in fighting and killing would keep a teddy bear that was given to him by a stranger when he was a child. So again, why would he do it?

“So I’ll never forget you. Plus, I have plenty more in my bedroom. You were right, stuffed animals are comforting.”

He responds though you see red dusting his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Despite feeling embarrassed about his collection of plushies, South stares deep into your e/c eyes, finally getting lost in them. Everything goes silent once the tension between you two rises, and you’re unsure about how you should feel.

“South?”

You breathe out however, you barely had enough to process the man leaning forward. In no time, he presses his lips against yours and never in a million years did you ever think his lips would be so soft. The revelation and the sudden action made you forget about everything this man has done, and the kiss sent sparks throughout your entire body. Almost immediately, your hands found their way to his broad shoulders, touching him for the very first time.

Although you still fear him, you can’t help but admire him at the same time. In addition to being a very attractive man, you have to admit that he has also been the only person to show you kindness. Despite his murderous antics, you somehow feel safer with him than with any other person in the city as you know he would never hurt you. It took you this long to finally come to terms with that.

With the kiss getting deeper, you can feel your body heating up and South feels the same. Though it is difficult, he quickly separates from you, resisting the urge to ravage you on the couch. Instead, he opts for the slower approach, holding his hand out to you.

“Consider this as us making things official.” He chuckles.

You smile as well before setting Bubbles down on the couch. Without hesitation, you accept South’s hand standing up and quickly going onto his lap. Your face rests comfortably on his chest as his arms wrap around your much smaller body, engulfing you.

“Now that you’re finally mine, I want you to stay with me. I want to keep my light.” He says, rocking you back and forth slightly.

“I’m still scared of you.” You reply.

“I know but I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Sighing, you just hug him a little tighter, finally feeling content in his presence.

“There are a lot of things you need to work on if you want me to stay.”

Looking down, he smiles again feeling true happiness for the first time since meeting you. Although he’s a bit unsure if he’s able to comply with what he thinks you’re going to ask of him, South Terano will try his damndest to keep you happy no matter what. Having you in his arms made him realize his new resolve and that is the be the best man that he can be for you.

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Scene!

Again, this was my very first time working on a slow-burn story so I am really curious about what you thought of it.

As for any future projects, I do have another one that I am working on. It is a slow burn as well. Toman will share their wildest sex stories, so if you wanna be on the taglist for that, let me know.