Love/Hate (Lemon GarouxReader 🍋)

Hate With a Passion

The next week you're grilling Tsukiko about her date again, not because she hasn't told you already, but because you like to tease her and see her blush when she tells you all about Bad again, and the flowers, and the cafe and the kiss (when Zenko was out of sight, of course).
"But he wasn't really himself," Tsukiko sighs. "I mean, he was a gentleman as always, but he seemed like, bothered by something even though he was trying really hard not to show it."
"Yeah, something definitely happened," you say, remembering seeing Garou in close proximity to Bad when the two of you had gotten off the train, how annoyed he was when you questioned him about what had gone down. It doesn't sit well with you when you consider the last time Garou had been in close proximity to him.
"Men," Tsukiko clicks her tongue.
"Men," you echo her sentiment and shake your head as you watch Garou walk through the classroom door looking none too happy.
You give him a very haughty look as you move out of his desk.
"What?" He asks suspiciously. What'd he do this time?
"You're all the same," Tsukiko says, almost bored.
"The hell?" He looks back to you for some sort of clarification but you're already deep in conversation with your friend again.
Whatever. Women eh.
You find over the next couple of days that something has really gotten under Garou's skin. He just seems agitated. Well, more than usual anyway. You can't get him to focus on anything in the library afterschool and he seems to have nothing but smartass questions and comebacks.
"Ok, this isn't working," you say, packing up early on Tuesday afternoon, carefully sliding the books into your backpack. "Go home, take a cold shower, run some laps, I don't know, but right now you're useless. I don't know what's gotten into you but I can't deal with you like this. And I won't be here tomorrow either because it's Ryo's birthday. You better have sorted your shit out by Thursday though or else."
"Or else what?" He taunts. "You gonna punish me?"
"Of course," you say.
"You ain't giving me any incentive here," he gives you a cocky smile.
"Oh, one of those are you? A sucker for punishment?" You flick him on the forehead. "I'll keep that in mind. In that case, if you don't get your shit together, I'll be extremely nice."
"You're really not makin' a point here," he says.
"Ok," you pat him on the shoulder as condescendingly as you can. "I see we're only thinking with our lower brain today...you go get that out of your system."
"It'd be better if you helped," he looks at you innocently. "You always do it so good."
"Oh, you're a big boy, I believe in you," you say and leave him in the library.

The next day, he does seem to have left the smut alone but is more worked up than ever.
"Look," you say to him as the last bell goes and Mr. Yukimura dismisses you all for the afternoon. "Either tell me what's bothering you or cut this shit out. You can't concentrate on a damn thing, you wagged PE, don't think I didn't notice, you were late today, I mean more than usual, something's definitely got you riled up. I'm not going to pry or whatever, but you're a real pain in the ass right now. So fix it. Anyway. I have to go get Ryo. If you've got something to tell me, I won't be home until after nine."
He just frowns. Talking does nothing. And he especially doesn't want to get you involved in these thoughts.
"Ok," you conclude when it becomes obvious he's not going to reply. "I've got nothing else to say. You do whatever you want."
He watches you leave with Tsukiko before shoving everything into his own bag and sauntering out of the room.

That run-in with fucking Metal Bat, despite coming out the clear winner, it got to him. He hates to admit it, but it got to him. It's rousing all those dark, vicious instincts again. All that hate, dormant like sleeping dogs for the last while, is lifting its head again, feels like it's getting ready to rise from its slumber. The bloodlust is stirring, setting him on edge.
The way that asshole looked at him, as if he was looking at nothing more than trash.
Just the memory of it has Garou scowling, hands subconsciously clenching into fists. He should've just fucking finished him off right there. Right in his smug fucking face.
Why didn't he? Is he getting weak?
No...it's part of the plan... There's no point going after these bastards yet. He's thought this through. He knows what he's doing.
But does he?
Fuck! Fuck the plan!
He just wants to rip into them all right now with his bare hands. All these fucking 'heroes'. Teach them all a fucking lesson. Just one, permanent lesson. For once, let them feel the power of the underdog, the losing side. Once and for all.
He's almost home and a light summer rain begins to fall.
Maybe you got caught in it too.
He stands there between his building and the shade of the large, eternal trees across the road. The edge of this shitty town. The edge...As always... still on some sort of edge.
He stands there for a moment. The rain coming down a little heavier now, big lazy drops, soaking into the white of his shirt, but he doesn't notice. He looks up at the swirling grey blue sky, the rain running down his face, streaking his hair, trailing down his neck then into his shirt, down his chest, as close to his skin as your touch.
He stares into the sky as if an answer might appear. But the clouds just close in, big and somehow benevolent but completely oblivious to his insignificant presence down below.
Insignificant...
Always insignificant...