Mondo Owada (14)

you're scared of Mondo. likeee, really scared. not the way you'd be scared of a bully who might shove you in the hallway or bark at you. you're scared of him down to the trembling in your fingers, to the knot in your stomach, to the urge to curl up into a ball and disappear. he's the leader of the Crazy Diamonds after all. loud, hot-headed, with fists he's not shy about using. you've seen him yell at people, and once you even saw him punch Makoto for...something. and you didn't need anything more to understand: stay far away from him.

but lately, he's been looking at you. you feel that gaze even without turning around. frowning, heavy, lingering. he looks at you like something about you won't let him rest. and when you glance up and accidentally meet his eyes, you freeze. every thought cuts off. all that's left is fear.

today you run into him in the hallway, alone. no one's around to walk past. Mondo blocks your path and crosses his arms. you can hear his breathing, slow and heavy.

"the fuck are you flinching at every goddamn time?"

his voice is rough, but there's no threat in it. more like... irritation.

"it's not like I'm gonna rip your head off."

he doesn't leave, just stands there, waiting for an answer. and you can't bring yourself to look up.