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niragisimp · 2 years ago

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The Pain Before (Niragi X Reader) Part 11

Part Ten, Series Masterlist, Part 12

Niragi's door slammed behind him as he entered his room, his mind still clouded with anger. 'What the hell was Chishiya there for?' he thought, his stomach turning in disgust. 'He should just know when to die,' he looked at his gun for a moment before shaking his head. 'Aguni would kill me if I just shot another executive out of nowhere.' His frustration getting the best of him, he took the nearest object his hands could find and threw it into the mirror. The sight of the glass shattering didn't do much, but it did give him a moment's peace. He could break whatever, or whoever, he wanted, given the right time.

He turned when his door opened, Aguni standing firm in the doorway. "Niragi. C'mon, we have a job to do." He smiled, muffling a laugh as he knew exactly what that meant. He might not be able to kill Chishiya, but he could kill someone and for now, that was enough. Niragi followed Aguni out of the room and through the building, his trigger finger already twitching as it rested on the side of his rifle propped on his shoulder.

The people cleared the way as he walked, something he never got tired of seeing. They both exited through the fire exit on the side of the building, its alarm gone with most battery devices. The noise from the pool grew quieter as they hastened their pace, Niragi practically running with anticipation. His eyes lit up as he saw them; traitors. Their hands were tied behind their backs, speckles of blood wet on the cement. Some already had swollen lips, some resting their bloodied faces on the ground, their bodies unsteady. Niragi's excitement might've gotten the best of him as he hadn't even noticed Aguni standing back, watching him carefully as he began to beat a traitor with the stock of his rifle.

The moon had taken its place in the sky by the time Niragi returned to his room. His shirt was bloody and his arms ached from beating men so mercilessly. He sighed heavily as he unbuttoned his shirt, throwing it on the bed. He turned his attention to the bathroom, a new mirror had already taken the last's place above the sink. Niragi turned the water on overhead, unbuckling his belt and undressing. He steps in as the mirror starts to fog, the hot water washing over him as he runs his hands through his hair. He pulls out his hair tie as his body relaxes, the heat soothing his aches.

His mind began to wander against his will, the memories of the morning still lingering in his mind. He recalls the way the light hit your eyes when you opened them in the morning, the way you clutched his shirt to your chest as he kissed you. He closed his eyes when the thoughts persisted, 'She'll be the death of me,' he thought. He stood under the water unmoving until it went cold, lost in a battle with himself until he came to his resolve. 'If it's ever her or me...'

Niragi turned off the water, shaking his black hair of water. He pushed it back, grabbing the nearest towel to dry himself quickly. The sooner he delivered his resolve, the better he would be. He dressed in fresh clothes and grabbed his rifle, heading out into the hallway. Words kept repeating in his mind, words that made his heart hurt, but nonetheless, he kept repeating them. 'She is nothing to me. She can't be.'

You ran into your room, how you made it there without falling on your face you still weren't sure. Your back slammed the door closed behind you, your body giving in and hitting the floor. You slumped against the door, hugging your knees to your chest as you bawled. 'How could Chishiya do that to me? We... We were friends, weren't we?' The tears came harder the more you thought, your wails echoing through your room.

Your mind told you to lift your head at the sudden sound, but your body didn't want to listen. It wasn't until you felt a pair of arms wrap around you tightly that you realized what, or who, it was; Niragi. You could see his gun on the floor behind him by your bed, but your senses were more focused on the smell of his hair, still damp. You couldn't help the tears that overflowed harder, practically crashing your body into his.

You buried your face in his chest, his silk shirt taking on the tears as his hand caressed your back slowly. You could hear a sound come from him, a soothing one at that. The arms around you tightened, his hand stroking your hair. You could feel him placing soft kisses on the top of your head in between your cries of pain.

The both of you sat in front of the door, Niragi's arms around you as your puffy eyes grew tired. Niragi pulled away from you, unwrapping your arms from him gently. He lifted your tired face so you'd look at him, watching you carefully. His other hand goes to your cheek, wiping away the last remnant of tears softly. Niragi gasped as you grabbed his hand, nuzzling the side of your face in it, holding your own hand over his.

You could see the surprise on his face, but the feeling had such a calm to it. You told yourself it was the warmth, but you were starting to think it was him, instead. His onyx eyes darted back and forth between yours as you looked at each other before he spoke, "... Who did this to you?" You bit the inside of your lip, wanting to look away from him. His grip became firm on your chin, even lowering his head so you'd be forced to look at him, "... Was it Chishiya?" You could feel your face betray you as his eyes grew with anger, his jaw clenching.

He lets go of you and stands up abruptly, his body tensing. You watch him shocked, unsure of what was going on until you saw him pick up his rifle. You felt your heart start to quicken with panic as he started for the door without another word. He stopped as he felt your hand grab his, pulling it towards you. Without turning to look at you, "What're you doing, (Y/N)?" he said without even giving you a moment's glance. You sat in silence for a moment, just relishing his hand in your own before you felt it tense up, you spoke. "... Why do you always leave?"

You kept your eyes on the floor as you spoke, not wanting him to see you so vulnerable. You felt his hand leave yours, your body aching for that particular warmth again almost immediately. Your body suddenly felt so cold, shivers traveling down your back. You held your breath as you saw him crouch down on the ground in front of you, his hand pulling your face up to meet his, your nose just barely brushing up on his. He held you like that for a moment before speaking, "Why're you looking at me like that?"

You wanted words to come out, but they just wouldn't obey you. You pulled away from his hand, your body nearly falling backward into the wall behind you before Niragi's arm clutched you to him. Your brain yelled at you to push away as it stared at the rifle just inches away, but your heart relished in the closeness.

Niragi leaned down into your ear carefully, you could hear the metal piercing on his tongue gently clasp against his teeth for a brief moment as he licked his lips before whispering, "Anyone else that hurts you," you gasped as his fingers dug into your waist, "... deserves to die." You felt your back hit the wall as he let go of you, standing again and swinging the door open. You rushed towards him, your mind racing, "Niragi!"

He propped his rifle up onto his shoulder as his mind gathered itself. He only stopped when he heard you run after him, your footing sloppy. "Niragi, stop!" He clenched his jaw and swung around as you grabbed his shirt, trying to pull him back to no avail. He tried to hold the anger in his voice back as he spoke, "What part do you not understand, (Y/N)?" Niragi could tell he failed by how you looked at him after. You looked so scared, of him, of all people. He said he would protect you, but at this rate what exactly was he protecting you from?

His face grew soft as tears slowly started pouring out from your eyes unwillingly. Your eyes were already so tired, red from exhaustion. He couldn't help but hesitate going forward, his mind still screaming from not following through on his resolve to be rid of you. This was why he had made his resolve; seeing you in pain made him sympathetic, angry, and even hurt, one could say. Watching you be happy made him jealous, and frustrated when it wasn't being purely directed at him. All things that would easily get someone killed in the Borderlands.

"P-please... Please don't kill him..." The look of defeat on your face said it all for him; killing Chishiya would hurt you. But why? He was nothing more than a snake in the grass, always planning on who to bite next. 'Killing him would surely be best in the long run,' he thought. 'It might hurt her now, but she'll be better later. She'll understand. I'll make her understand.'

He nearly laughed as his thoughts made more and more sense. "And why not?" Niragi watched as your eyes spilled over again, your brain turning any wheel it could to think of a reason that might appeal to him. He only gave you a moment before turning his back, brushing off the hand that held him back. "You'll thank me later."

"If you kill him... I don't even want to see or hear from you ever again." He stopped in his tracks, whipping his head around to look at you. He scanned you for any signs of a bluff; he didn't find a single one. You stood sloppily, body staggering, but your eyes told the truth. He could feel something drop in the pit of his stomach as his mind was wiped of any thought. His hand tightened on his rifle in the empty hallway, devoid of people.

He approached you quickly, grabbing your arm to hold you steady. His fingers gripped you tight enough to bruise as he stared into you, anger in his eyes. "You don't need him, I--" His throat trapped his words from being released, his thoughts screaming. 'I'm stronger, smarter. I can protect you. I'm more powerful. I'm better.'

Your words were low, almost a whisper, "He's my friend..."

"I'm better! That snake would let you die if he had the chance! Hell, he might even kill you himself!" You jumped back as Niragi yelled, but his grip kept you in place. You swallowed every fear and survival instinct you had since coming to this place. Every instinct that told you not to speak back, not to taunt a man holding a literal rifle just inches from you with the safety almost always off.

"... Th-then prove it."

Niragi stared at you almost dumbfounded, your words sparking confusion throughout his body. "What?"

"Prove it to me." You mustered up all your courage as you tried to speak firmly, "Don't kill him. If you're better than him," you took a quick breath hoping, no, praying, that this wouldn't get you shot. "Then please do me that favor... F-for me..."

You did your best to hold yourself steady, biting your tongue to stop your lips from shaking. You could feel your knees start to buckle under the weight of Niragi's gaze. "... And if he hurts you again?" He spat out his words, the disgust clear in his tone. "T-then... Then I won't question you again."

The thought was a tempting one as he contemplated. Some part of him wanted to rejoice; you would never question him again, and you'd do it willingly, at that. Another part of him grew upset, and he couldn't quite put his finger on the reason. His piercing traced his teeth as he thought about it for a moment, ignoring the voice in the back of his mind.

His lips turned upwards into a smirk as he replied, "Deal."

You felt your entire body relax at a moment's notice, your legs finally giving in to the floor. Niragi stood for a second shocked before swinging his rifle strap across his chest, pushing his gun behind him. He grabbed your arm and waist, hoisting you up carefully. He pressed your body against his trying to get a look into your eyes. They both rested closed, swollen from a day of tears. He couldn't help the feeling of unease as he wrapped your arm around his neck, placing his hands on your back and under your legs. His knees lifted you up carefully as he held your body tightly to his.

Niragi kicked the door partially to crack it, the weight of his body opening it for him. He kicked the door again, and once he heard the satisfying click behind him, he became more relaxed. He carefully laid you on the bed, grabbing the nearest pillow and resting it under your head. Niragi threw his bloodied shirt from earlier down to the floor, kicking it under his bed. He went to his closet as he heard you stir in his mattress, grabbing his favorite shirt and bringing it to you.

You felt his hand shake your shoulder gently, ushering you to open your eyes. You could tell your eyelids were still puffy and sore when you complied, a soft groan escaping your lips. Your mental state had seen much better days, even in the Borderlands. With the help of Niragi, you were sat up, slumped over in the bed. You couldn't help but feel out of place; your eyes wandering an unfamiliar room. You felt your arms being moved without your strength, a soft fabric covering you.

Niragi sighed, gaining your attention. Your eyes caught his as he stared at you, his hand reaching up to brush a strand of your hair back, his fingers lingering behind your ear.

"I hope you know how big that favor is."

Your breath hitched for a moment at the tone in his voice; it was so soft, so mesmerizing, and yet, it felt like a threat at the same time. Without words, you simply nodded in response. You felt your throat go dry, suddenly remembering what happened the last time you were in this room those many nights ago.

You were so lost in thought that you didn't feel yourself being pulled back into the bed. You stole a quick glance to your side, eyeing Niragi on your right. You hid your face in the dark as the realization hit you; the warmth from his chest was from a lack of a shirt. The deep breaths you took to steady your heart weren't much help as Niragi wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling your back into his chest.

The first thing you noticed was the heat from his body; it was soothing in its own way. It melted through the silk shirt you were wearing, right to your skin. You could feel his face nuzzled into your neck, and you could've sworn your heart was about to beat out of your chest.

Niragi smiled proudly; he could hear your heart beating rapidly. He decided to push himself just a bit further, placing his hand along your thigh. He'd let go of his anger for just tonight so he could lay next to you peacefully. Even if it wasn't how he wanted, he did still get to prove that he was better than Chishiya. It didn't go the way he wanted, no. But while the snake was in his room alone, Niragi had you pressed up against him in his bed.

He closed his eyes as he made a new resolve, one that defied his character in every way. It made his instincts scream, but he could retrain them, given time. He would get you to feel the same way for him as he does for you, one way or another. It surprised him; how quickly his mind could be changed when you were around him. He was so confident in himself just an hour ago, ready to kick you to the curb. But every time you came around, all those thoughts disappeared.

Niragi listened carefully as your breath deepened, your heart finally steadying. He lay there for a moment, carefully planning his next objective. To kill Chishiya would take time, especially if you kept associating with him. He would slip up eventually, making his true intentions known. A snake doesn't hide in the grass for long.

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