dirty thoughts and sweet feelings - larry johnson x female reader

chapter 14 - reignited yearning (✰)

Word count: 4668

Your P.O.V:

Me and Larry are far from what we were before we took our break. But the fact that he showed he still cared, was the reassurance I've needed all that time. When he came to get me after what happened with Dylan, he helped me get up and get to his van. He took a look at my rib to see if it was broken, and provided me with a blanket for driving back to the apartments, and a piece of tissue to hold at my bleeding nose.

The car ride was silent. Nothing other than the roaring of the van engine, the rain and the air conditioning buzzing and trying its best to circulate warm air.

As I caressed my arms to help myself warm up, I noticed the blanket Larry wrapped around me was the one that we slept under that night I slept with him after the Purple Incubus. I noticed its frills on the end and it's familiar basil green colour, and the memories it had. This made me look over to Larry. His eyes focused on the road. He really didn't look like himself, and that caused my heart to plummet and shatter. Larry's the only person I've ever cared about, and for him to look like that, because of me, broke my heart. He looked less groomed, and extremely tired.

"Stop staring."

"O-Oh, I'm sorry." I croaked out with my sore voice, too sore from crying as I averted my eyes.

Then it was back to silence.

"Thank you for picking me up, Larry. I don't know what I would've done without you."

He took a glance at me, then back to the road. 

"You shouldn't have given him a second chance."

I looked away out of the window, feeling as if I could cry again. Disappointment was the thing I could never deal with from other people when it was aimed at me.

"I'm sorry." I hung my head low level with my shoulders and nervously played with my hands.

"Stop apologising." He said firmly.

"...I'm sorry." I whispered, not looking up at him in hopes he'd not get mad. But I heard him softly chuckle under his breath. I looked at him from the corner of my eye, and he was smiling. I felt warm again. He usually laughs when I can't stop apologising, because it's a helpless habit of mine that I have, and I don't realise I do it. He finds it amusing, which I find more of a relief.

"It's fine, Y/N. But can you tell me what happened? Why the fuck that prick kicked and punched you?" He said, his voice raising a little in anger.

"We went out together today. Turns out his intentions still were to hook up. When I punched him he punched me right back and kicked me when I fell to the ground."

"God..." Larry exhaled heavily. "Why did you go out with him in the first place, Y/N?" He sighed in irritation at me, like he was aware I knew better, but I let it go to waste.

"I was..." My voice broke, emotion building up in the back of my throat. "...Lonely. I felt like I didn't have anybody. Now I know it was a stupid decision. I'm sorry."

He didn't respond to me for at least a minute. Or maybe longer.

"It's fine. Just...Be careful next time." He said almost inaudibly.

I noticed the apartments behind the trees, and from then to the parking lot, it was silent.  No other words exchanged. With every second of quietness, the more it hurt. Me and Larry could talk for hours, and we did often what felt like years ago. Pulling all-nighters to just socialise. And now it's only silence between us.

Larry got parked up at the far end of the parking lot and pulled his key out of the ignition. As I reached into my back pocket for my apartment key, my pocket was empty. I felt around in the other pocket, but nothing other than my phone.