Seventeen imagines

pisanthrophobia-Hansol Vernon Chwe(Vernon)

Credit to grassywoozi

Meeting Vernon was the best and worse thing that happened to you.

Before he came crashing into your life, you were content; fine. It was stable, calm, and collected; everything he wasn't. Sure, it was boring, but you never had to stress about dealing with the emotional load that was another human being. The idea of having someone's emotions riding on your back was a burden and you didn't want to bear it.

Vernon was an exception, you guessed.

It wasn't that you didn't hate the idea of being in a relationship, it was more of you fearing the idea of a being in one. Emotional baggage was a disaster waiting to happen; a landmine waiting in the vast fields for that one poor unfortunate soul to step on.

"Love will happen when it wants."

That's what he had told you the first time you opened up about your feelings. Pouring out your emotions was a rare occurrence, but it had happened with Vernon, several times in fact. There was something about his personality, the soft hums he emitted when you spoke, those attentive eyes. He was irresistible in the sense that you couldn't stop talking to him.

He had lured you in like prey in a trap, only instead of killing you, he comforted you.

"Tell me, why are you scared of love," he whispered.

"Nobody will ever love me."

Your reply to his question was as expected, illogical. There was definitely someone out there that did love you, just not to your knowledge. It could be your best friend, your parents, hell, it could even be Vernon; but you didn't know. Love was such a foreign idea to you, it was mind-boggling how people could just take their hearts and throw it willingly into someone else's control.

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[Pistanthrophobia] the phobia of getting hurt by someone in a romantic relationship.

Overcoming fear was the first step in welcoming new experiences. But what if you couldn't do it? What if you couldn't overcome the fear and instead, you let it take over your whole life. What if you let it seep into your brain, into every crevice and crack, polluting every thought.

"What if...what if my love isn't reciprocated?" you said, voice thin, your words threatening to break at any given time. Vernon hummed softly, his hands gently caressing your back. Softly, he leaned over, one of his hands reaching under your chin and lifting your head, causing your eyes to meet his worried ones.

"Love takes time," he paused, lips curving down into an elegant arch, "it's like-- a game of patience, you know?"

You nodded stiffly. Reaching up, you took his hand, intertwining your fingers with his. Vernon let out a small chuckle, a breath of air leaving his nostrils as he watched you play with his fingers.

"If it's a game...what happens if I lose?"

You felt his hand stiffen under your touch, the sudden change causing you to look up at him. In one swift motion, your hand was dropped, body lurching forward until you were comfortably pressed against Vernon's chest.

"You won't. Not with me, you won't lose, you won't. I want you. I want you..." his voice trailed off, the soft whispers reaching your ears. Clenching the soft fabric of his shirt, you pulled yourself closer to him, taking in a deep breath of his comforting smell.

Vernon was an exception, you figured.

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