Stay

Stay

[Five Nights at Freddy's] Vanessa Shelly x Female Reader

Summary: When you threaten to leave after the relationship gets rocky, Vanessa begs you to stay.

Word Count: 2.79k Content Warnings: An argument, fear of abandonment Category: Heavy Angst + Slight Fluff || Oneshot / Preference

[A/N]: None of my stories are fully proofread, so apologies for any typos or weird pacing. I'll be answering requests very soon!

Enjoy!

From across the room, you were able to hear the sound of the TV remote slamming down against the coffee table resting a few feet in front of the sofa. When you turned to find the source of the noise, already grimacing, you were met with Vanessa glaring back at you, her eyes narrowed as she stood. A quick breath forced through your lips as you mentally readied yourself for yet another argument you knew you couldn’t prevent. Slowly, Vanessa seemed to skulk forward, though she quickened her pace briefly until she stood before you.

Her arm flew forward to allow her finger to plunge against your chest in accusation, her other hand balled up tightly into a fist at her side to stifle her trembling. All you could do was stare up at her with your lips pressed tightly shut. By then, you knew you weren’t going to win the fight. Ever since her father had shown up again and began to make her night shifts hell, her temper had only shortened further with each hour spent in his presence. Deep down, you knew she didn’t mean to take it out on you. She knew none of it was your fault. Still, it didn’t seem to cause her fury to falter.

She had only gotten home from another shift a few moments prior, and upon spotting you curled up on the couch, she joined you and clicked on the TV, unaware of the way your eyes drooped with fatigue and how you tugged the blanket tightly against yourself when she sat down. You shuffled further against the armrest and groaned at the sudden noise now blaring throughout the room, combined with the brightness of the screen that seemed to burn past your eyelids, disturbing the sleep you so desperately craved.

Confused at your discomfort, Vanessa scooted toward you and softly placed her hand against your leg. With a gentle squeeze to gain your attention, she asked if you were alright. When greeted with grumbles as a response, she could already feel her irritation beginning to bubble up beneath her skin, though she did her best to bite it back.

After a few moments of her prodding for a proper answer, you finally sat up and threw the blanket down on the floor as you stood. You glanced down at her, hardly giving her any attention before shifting around the coffee table to head through the kitchen and into the bedroom. Just as your steps had crossed the threshold, you had heard the remote clatter against the wooden surface you had swerved around, then only turned for a moment before she was in front of you.

She continued to seethe and scowl at you as you simply stayed still and silent. Trying to get a rise out of you, the palm of her hand lightly pushed you back, daring you to snap back at her. Even as she continued to bark insults at you, you managed to steady your mind enough to keep a calm tone. She didn’t mean to start the fight, you knew that, but it didn’t make it any less painful. It would end the same way as always, you were sure. Once she got it out of her system, she would apologize profusely while begging for your forgiveness, only to end up tugging you to the couch or bed to huddle up together and fall asleep.

A silent way to make amends just long enough to forget about it all.

Though you never really forgot. Each screaming match managed to seep into your brain more and more, and each one only brought you closer to tears every time she raised her voice. While she was at work, you were often left sobbing to yourself in bed, recalling the way she’d stare at you and throw accusations at your face. You were never entirely sure if you were in the right or wrong, but you knew it wasn’t right either way.

You didn’t deserve it. No matter how difficult times were for her, you didn’t deserve the constant verbal and emotional torment. When she would leave for her shift, anyone would find you sitting with your nose buried into your laptop once you finished crying. You had started trying to find a couples counselor who would hopefully help bring things together again. Once you found one, you started to think of ways to bring it up to Vanessa, worried she would only start another screaming match again.

As your gaze bored up at her, eyes glazed over with the tears you refused to let fall, it was evident she was only growing more furious when she got no reaction out of you. It seemed she hadn’t even registered the way you shook, or the way your breaths had begun to stutter, or how your fingers had curled into your shirt to clutch at the fabric.

She only continued her barrage of obscene terms directed solely toward you.

You parted your lips once her rant of how you were only bringing her more grief had begun to fizzle out, ready to try and deescalate what had been inevitable the moment she walked through the front door and tossed down her coat. Before the words could leave you, she growled out a few curses before pushing you backward once more.

“God, I wish I had never even met you,” she snarled from merely an inch away from your face.

It only took a second for her features to contort with horror. It was as if she had only just realized how cruel her words had been, finally taking notice of your pained expression as the tears finally sprung free. Your bottom lip shivered as you bit back the sobs. Your head hung heavy in defeat, salty tears trickling down your face and dripping onto the floorboards beneath you while your sorrow grew.

A soft murmur of your name brought you back to your senses after several agonizingly quiet minutes passed. You couldn’t meet her eye, even as she cupped your face and tilted your head upward. With a sniffle, you lifted your hand up far enough to brush hers away, and slowly, you stumbled backward into the kitchen. Resting there by the pantry against the wall, you slipped your keys from their hook and pocketed them.

Upon seeing you striding urgently toward the front door, Vanessa rushed by your side and took hold of your arm. In an attempt to steady her shaky hands, her nails dug into your skin. As gently as she could, she tugged you back toward her, a silent plea to stop.

“Please, don’t go,” she whimpered, a broken cry erupting from her throat. “Please, I don’t want you to leave. I’m so sorry – I’ll do anything you want to make it up to you, I promise. I just can’t lose you. Not like this.” Only for a brief second, you forced yourself to look up from the floor and glare at her. You were able to see the tears streaming down her face, brows pinched tightly together while she squinted, desperately trying to adjust to her blurry vision.

“Stay,” she whispered much softer.

Unable to form the right words, you simply stared at her until you managed to wriggle free from her grasp. Wordlessly, you flipped the locks bolted into the door and tugged it open. It took everything in you not to slam it on your way out.

It flew open again as you unlocked your car and pulled it open to slip inside. Vanessa raced down the steps of the porch to your side, her hand clasping the side of the door to prevent you from shutting it on her. Yet again, pleas poured from her lips, promises of making things right rolling off her tongue in despair. You stayed silent, then motioned for her to move. Once she did, you clutched the handle of the door, then yanked it shut.

When you lowered your eyes to shove the keys into ignition and flick the engine to life, part of you couldn’t help but wonder how things would be if you hadn’t met her the way she claimed she wanted. Your foot released the brake, and the car began to ease backward out of the driveway. Against your will, your eyes tore away from the wheel up at her. She stood there in the now empty plot of the concrete you had drifted away from, arms crossed to let her hands clench her sleeves between her fingers, gaze still trained on you as she watched you pull away.

Your heart throbbed at the sight, and you could feel the tears welling up again.

You backed into the street and drove away.

Vanessa wobbled in place as she watched the shape of your car disappear in the distance, unable to make out anything clearly as her tears continued to distort her view of the world. She waited, praying you’d turn the car around and hear her out. None of this was what she had wanted. She hadn’t meant to pick another fight, things had just been hectic. Still, there was no reason for her to make her stress your problem, she knew, yet she caused everything anyway.

An hour must’ve passed by the time she realized you wouldn’t be returning anytime soon. Shaky legs carried her back up the steps and into the house. Trudging, she managed to land on the couch before she could fully collapse. Her hands dug into the cushions as she pushed herself into the corner you had been in just before she decided to strike up another war of words.

With the little strength she still had, her arm dropped from the cushions to grab your blanket from the floor and lifted it to wrap around herself. Cool leather met her temple as she leaned against the back of the sofa and shuffled to cover her face with the soft fabric of your blanket, the ability to pick up the smell of your favorite shampoo and perfume on it bringing a very small sense of comfort. Drowsiness began to wash over her senses, nearly stopping her from looking over at the remote she had slammed onto the table, noticing how the force alone had broken the back open.

At the sight of it, her mind wandered back to the fear in your eyes when she had stormed over to you right after. Her lips pulled themselves into a grimace at the thought. To no avail, she wiped at her eyes to dry them, only for them to grow wet again. She should’ve stopped herself. You had been so tired, and all you wanted to do was rest on the couch while you waited for her to get home. All day, she had looked forward to making it home and asking about your day, excited to know you’d ask her right away how her own had been.

However, it seemed she just had to ruin the only time of bliss she would have in between shifts. You were pure comfort to her, and she adored every little thing about you. Her favorite time of the day was when she got to come home to you and spend the rest of the day or night relaxing by your side.

As she sat there on that couch, she couldn’t bite back the whimpers that escaped her when the realization began to dawn on her that she might never get to feel that spark of joy again.

She wouldn’t have you there to greet her at the door and help her strip away her uniform and slip into something more comfortable.

You wouldn’t be there in the kitchen making one of your favorite desserts, or standing there for her to sneak up behind and hug you against her front as she peppered your skin with kisses and asked about your day.

There would be no more late-night cuddle-sessions in bed with you excitedly chattering away about the latest show you had convinced her to watch with you, nor would there be any more mornings where she got to wake up to the sight of you still by her side.

More realizations of what she would lose rushed through her mind and blocked out every other problem she had. She wept and buried her face further into the blanket draped around her shoulders.

At length, she could feel her head pounding and her eyes drooping heavily with exhaustion. All too soon, she found she was too tired to cry, and she let her eyes flutter shut. She wasn’t sure when it happened, but ultimately, she dozed off.

The sound of keys clattering outside followed by the lock on the door clicking woke her up. Her head lifted from her arms, allowing her to blearily look around to regain her bearings. The doorknob rattled, bringing her attention to it and helping her understand the noise. Quickly, she tossed the blanket aside and stood from her spot on the sofa, eyes trained expectantly on the entrance while her heart hammered painfully against her ribs.

Wave after wave of relief crashed over her once she made out your frame in the doorway, meeting your eye as you stepped in and shut the door silently behind you. Afraid of startling you or stepping out of bounds, Vanessa remained planted in her spot. When you stepped closer to her and sat down on the opposite end of the couch, she followed suit and sat back where she had slept shortly before. You kept your eyes on the floorboards, and she mirrored you. Her mind screamed at her to say something – anything at all – but no words formed on her tongue.

As her eyes tore away from the teardrops she left on the wood ground, her heart leapt in her chest when she noticed you staring back at her.

When her name sprung from your lips so softly, she couldn’t stop herself from whimpering with another choked cry. She cleared her throat immediately after and nodded to prove you had her attention. She feared she’d only start sobbing if she tried to speak at that moment.

“Look,” you started quietly. “I don’t want to leave you, okay? But I also don’t want to have to live with the constant fear that you and I are going to keep fighting every single day about the smallest things. I know you’re going through a lot right now, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me so badly. I’m trying so hard to be here for you, Vanessa, but you’ve been making it so hard lately. It feels like you don’t love me anymore. All we do is fight.”

Her heart throbbed and shattered at the mention of you no longer feeling you were valued by her. It was so far from the truth. She admired and adored you so deeply, and she could never find any reason to genuinely hate you. You were everything to her, and it broke her heart to hear you confess your worry that she had fallen out of love with you. She could never fall out of love with you.

Cautiously, she watched you for any sign of discomfort as she slid close enough to cup your hand into hers. “I promise I’ll do anything to show you how much I care. I love you so much, I really do. No matter what it takes, I’ll make things right. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

Your eyes flickered across her face in search of a lie, though a sigh slipped out when you found none, a curt nod of the head as your response. “All I can think of to do right now is to try counseling.” Already, you could see the hesitation building up in her. “We don’t have to go into detail about what happened with your dad, but I need you to start working things out with me. Otherwise, I can’t picture myself doing this anymore.”

A long pause greeted the end of your words.

“You promise we don’t have to talk too much about him?”

A nod.

“I promise.”

Reassuringly, her warm hands squeezed yours and she shuffled closer to tug you into her arms. “I’ll do it. I want this to work out – I love you – I can’t lose you. If you’re sure counseling would be a good first step, then I’ll do it. We’ll work through this together, okay?” She leaned back to look at you and gauge your reaction. Her tensed shoulders drooped from the solace sent her way upon seeing your lips finally perk up into a small smile. Her own curved into a mirrored grin when you nodded.

“Okay.”

Guardian Angel

[BATIM/BATDR] Allison Angel x Female Reader

Summary: When she grows anxious after defeating Alice to keep you safe, Allison vows to protect you from every threat in the studio.

Word Count: 3.43k Content Warnings: Slight language, mentions of injury, bullet wounds, death, anxiety, and paranoia Category: Soft Angst + Fluff || Preference / Oneshot

[A/N]: Thanks for 210+ followers. :) Note: "[Y/N]" is used in most of my stories, just as a small warning in case that throws you off. I'm switching to have my stories in second-person POV, but all characters will still refer to the reader as "[Y/N]".

Enjoy!

“Darling, I’m not sure about this,” Allison murmured as she stopped you from opening the door. “I know you think you can get through to her, but she’s too far gone. I’ve tried for years now to talk to her. I don’t want her to hurt you.” You smiled softly at her concern. Turning to face her, you took hold of her right hand and clasped it between both of your own. Her expression softened at the warmth of your hands and the sight of your grin.

“Allison, I promise everything will be okay. She’s surprisingly never hurt me before, so I’m sure this time won’t be any different.” She seemed uneasy again. “I know she’s been…"peaceful" with you in the past, but she’s incredibly unpredictable. She could turn on you in the blink of an eye.”

A quiet sigh slipped through your lips and you nodded. “I know. Listen,” you squeezed her hand as you spoke. “I promise that if anything happens, I’ll get away from her as fast as I can, and I’ll hide away until I can get back, or at least until you or Tom can find me, okay?”

Something in her eyes seemed to show that she didn’t trust your words. She knew she could trust you, and that you likely could get away if you needed to, as you promised, but that didn’t take away her growing fear of losing you to the very woman she tried to help her entire life down in the studio they had shared. Still, she could only nod and ask you to be careful. She watched with slight panic when you slipped through the door and disappeared down the halls. She prayed she’d see you again. Alive.

“Alice, I’m not trying to start an argument. I’m just saying it might be good to find a more humane way to carry out your experiments. I’m not saying you have to stop doing them,” you explained, trying to keep your voice steady to avoid upsetting Alice even further. Your tone, no matter how calm it was,  still seemed to agitate her. She all but growled at you, finally turning to you and shoving you backward. You flailed your arms in an attempt to steady yourself. She stepped closer soon after and shoved an accusatory finger in your face. “Who do you think you are, telling me what to do and ordering me around?” You stared at her, confused. “Alice,” you started, hands now held up in surrender. “I’m not ordering you to do anything. All I’m saying is–” The Angel shoved you again.

“You will not speak to me and try to control me. Especially not while we’re in my territory.” Her arm swooped up, motioning toward the arena she had made her own in case of an attack. Quickly after, her attention turned back to you, the non-tattered part of her lips stretching further into a scowl. Once more, you offered up a sign of peace, trying your best to calm the situation.

When Alice got as irritated as she seemed to be in that moment, it tended to be best to either do as she said or find common ground. You had no idea how you managed to get her to spare you for this long, but you certainly didn’t want to ruin it and lose your life. You had promised Allison that you’d come home, and you didn’t intend to break that promise.

“Alice, I promise I’m not trying to upset you here. We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to, I just wanted to give my opinion on what you’re doing. I see now that was a mistake.” At first, it felt like those words were the correct ones to use in the moment. Her body language seemed to prove you wrong, however. Shoulders tensed and jaw clenched, she raised her hand. Before you had any time to react, the backs of her knuckles came down hard against your cheek, sending you spiraling down.

When you gathered your bearings again, you found that she was now standing over you. Her leg lifted and just as swiftly dropped down. Her heel jabbed you roughly in the stomach and dug itself in, causing you to wail and clutch at her calf. Pathetically, you tried to push her leg away. “You have no right to speak to me that way. Had I wanted someone’s opinion on what I’m doing, I certainly would not have asked someone as incompetent as yourself. You will obey me in my domain, and I am ordering you to keep your mouth shut!”

As best as you could, you let out a weak cough, then begged her to stop. “Please, Alice,” you managed to choke out. “I'm sorry. I just wanted to–” “No!” In a mere second, you were staring down the barrel of her tommy gun. “I’m not sure why I was ever merciful toward you. You’re with that…that copycat, Allison! I should’ve known right away that you were only going to be a thorn in my side.” She stepped closer with a wicked grin, bringing her gun only an inch from the center of your forehead. “Final curtain, honey. Now you won’t burden me ever again.”

Her finger slipped from the side of the guard, hooking around the rugged trigger. She cackled as she studied the fear in your eyes, almost as if she found some sort of sick, twisted delight at the sight. “Bye-bye, baby,” she mocked. Your eyes pinched themselves shut, tingling limbs frozen in shock and terror as you silently readied yourself for the loud crack of your demise. The barrel finally planted itself against your clammy skin.

A loud cry rang out, and the gun finally fired.

One pop, then two.

You remained still on the ground, too afraid to open your eyes.

Still, you were breathing.

You could still hear the now deafening silence that surrounded you.

The sound of your heartbeat hammering against your ribs finally filled your ears.

At length, when you felt no pain where you had been preparing to, you finally let yourself peek at your surroundings. Alice was no longer in front of you, nor was the weapon. Almost instinctively, your hand came up to the center of your forehead, fingertips shakily grazing against the uninjured skin. Your hand dropped back down, allowing you to see that all you had collected was sweat. There was no blood that you could see.

“[Y/N]!” A familiar voice finally called out, snapping you out of your confused trance. When you looked up, Allison was there, concern riddled against her face and contorting her features. “Oh, thank the heavens you’re alive. I was so afraid I hadn’t gotten here in time. Are you alright? She didn’t hurt you too badly, did she?” Her free hand cupped your face. She tilted your head to the side, examining you and searching for any cuts or bruises. The same hand then dropped down to lift your shirt. She winced at the sight of your skin already bruising because of Alice’s heel. You could see she was holding something. You turned your head far enough to see what it was.

There, in her other hand, was the tommy gun that had nearly taken your life shortly before. You finally managed to glimpse around to see where Alice had gone, only to find her on the ground with inky blood pooling around her. There were two visible bullet holes from where you were seated. One in the center of her throat that caused her to gurgle as she gasped for breath, and the other through the lower part of her jaw. Her limbs seemed to twitch and convulse for a brief moment, then stilled. You shivered at the sight, stifling the bile creeping up your throat, then finally returned your attention to the woman in front of you to ignore the reality of the corpse by your side.

“Uh,” you stammered, struggling to form words. Blinking from the sensation of your eyes burning, you felt Allison’s thumb graze over your cheeks to wipe the trickling tears away. “Uh, no, I’m alright.” She sighed heavily in relief. After bringing you up to your feet, she helped to lead you out of the room, supporting your weight against her. Had the gun not still been in her hold, she would’ve picked you up and carried you home. “Where were… how did you get here in time? I thought you were still back at the safe house.”

An anxious look crossed her face. She laughed nervously and glanced up at one of the nearby platforms. “Well, don’t be upset with me, okay?" Wordlessly, you nodded, a sign for her to continue. "After you had told me you were going to speak with Alice, I got really worried, and I ended up following you. I was actually in here before either of you were. I was hiding up there,” she explained, pointing up at the place she had been perched up on before the fight broke out. “At first, I didn’t want to get involved. I trust you, and I know you’re able to get her to calm down most of the time, but when I saw her pull out her gun, I just… I panicked. I had to do something.

“I couldn’t just stand by and watch her kill you, and I couldn't stand the idea of something happening here, out of my control, while I was still home. I would never have been able to forgive myself.” She glanced down at the gun still in her hands. “I’m not sure why my first instinct was to fire at her. It felt like I didn’t have any control over my body. I realized I needed to protect you, and then I sort of,” she paused, trying to find the right word. “Blacked out, I guess.”

You listened intently, unsure of what to say in response. Finally, you glanced down at the ground, watching your feet shakily carry you forward to where Allison was leading you. “Well, either way, thank you. I thought I was a goner back there.” She chuckled weakly and nodded. “Of course. I’ll always find a way to protect you.”

The rest of the walk back to the safe house was silent. The reality of Alice’s death and the fading adrenaline brought both discomfort and exhaustion to the two of you. By the time you made it back, it felt like you were going to collapse any minute. Before that could happen, however, Allison helped you to your room and sat you down on your bed. She left the room, then quickly returned with the makeshift med-kit from the bathroom. “I’ve got some ointment that’ll help with the bruise she gave you. Could you lift your shirt up a bit for me?”

Confused, you obliged, watching as she sat next to you and slid the small jar from the container. How had she known about that?

You hardly remembered that she checked it in the arena. She had even admitted to you that she saw the whole thing happen. Your mind felt fuzzy from all that you had bared witness to.

She unscrewed the cap, scooped up a small amount with the pads of her fingers, then reached down to rub it against your already bruising skin from where Alice had stomped on you. A shiver ran down your spine at how cold it was. She murmured a small apology, though she continued to apply the rest of it.

Eventually, she leaned back and closed the jar. She popped it back into the plastic med-kit box, snapped it shut, then put it away on one of the shelves you kept a few books on near the bed. “That should help it heal a bit faster. I’m sorry I didn’t prevent it in the first place.” You dropped your shirt back down to cover yourself and turned to her.

“Allison, none of this was your fault. You were right. I really should’ve listened to you before I left. There was no reason for me to talk to her about her experiments. I mean, some part of me already knew that she wasn’t going to hear me out, but I still went anyway. I’m just lucky you were there. Otherwise, I’d probably be in Alice’s position: dead on the ground.”

Allison shook her head and grimaced. “Oh, god, I don’t even want to think about that.” You smiled and gently nudged her shoulder.``Well, now you don’t have to. I’m still here right now because of you.” Her lips perked up, mirroring your grin. She seemed to want to say something else, but once you let out a loud yawn, she decided against it. After double checking that you were free of any other injuries, she stood from her spot on the mattress and trailed over to the door. “Well, I’ll let you rest. Don’t be afraid to come get me if you need anything else, alright?”

You nodded up at her. Already, you were climbing underneath the covers and reaching to turn off the bedside lamp. “Thanks again, Allison,” you whispered just loud enough for her to hear before she left. “Of course, darling.” She then stepped out into the hall and shut the door silently behind her. Tom would be out much longer, she knew that, considering he was scrounging around for more scraps to add to their food supply. With how scarce it was, he’d likely be gone for a few days. There was no one else she could talk to about her growing fears. She sighed and went to her room.

Once she was alone, she plopped down onto her bed and let her head fall into her hands. “That was too close,” she mumbled. “I should’ve been there sooner. Acted sooner. I could’ve lost her.”

Her mind continued to race for over an hour, even long after she had shut off the overhead light and bundled herself under her blankets. She stared up at the ceiling once she realized she wouldn’t be getting any sleep anytime soon. The calloused tips of her fingers picked at the frayed fabric of the weighted blanket on top of her.

Although she repeatedly tried to remind herself that you were perfectly alright in the next room over and were going to recover from your minor injury, the reality that you had almost been ripped away from her because of someone she had tried to help for years set in and overwhelmed every thought that crossed her mind. Tears pricked her eyes and trickled down her temples, disappearing into her hairline.

She figured she had been lying there for hours by the time she decided she’d do something about her fears. Swiftly, her arms shoved the comforter away. With trembling legs, she trudged out of bed and left her room. She returned to stand in front of your door, which she opened slowly to ensure she didn’t wake you.

At first, she only sat near you on the bed, watching over you in case you woke up needing something. But she quickly realized that her eyes were growing heavy from fatigue. Somehow, just by seeing that you were still breathing and peacefully sleeping, her mind seemed to finally settle and let her relax. It helped ground her into the present rather than letting her dwell over the haunting image she still had about what would’ve happened if she hadn’t gotten to you in time.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes with her palms and glancing over at the clock you kept hung beside the door. It had been around four hours since she was last in there with you, yet it felt like it had been an eternity for her. As slowly and carefully as she could, she climbed over beside you, shuffling forward to join you under the covers. She rested on her side, greeted with the sight of your back still facing her.

Involuntarily, her hand slid up from its place on the pillow next to her head to place itself on the center of your back. There, she could feel your heart beating safely behind your ribs.

Similar to before, though under different circumstances, it felt like she had no control over her body. She shifted closer to you and pulled you against her, letting her head fall against your back to help her better feel and hear your heartbeat. Cold, strong arms wrapped themselves around you and tugged you even further against her form.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” she muttered more to herself than you. “I don’t know how I would’ve reacted if I hadn’t managed to stop her from hurting you again. I don’t think I could’ve kept going. And if Tom weren’t still here, I certainly would’ve given up. The two of you are all I have, and even though I’ve known Tom for so long, I can’t help but fear losing you more. I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and I honestly think I’ve fallen in love with you. Of course, I have no memory of who I was before I showed up here, so I can’t pull these feelings from anything I might’ve experienced, but it feels like the right term to me.

“I do love you, [Y/N]. I just wish I was able to say it to your face. You’re everything to me, and even though I know you’d still care for me and we’d still be close, I can’t help but fear the idea of you rejecting me or not feeling the same. There’s not much I can offer you down here in the studio, but I want to give you the best life I possibly can. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, regardless of how things turn out between us. I don’t ever want us to grow apart.

“I think that’s why I lost control when I saw how Alice was going to kill you so easily. I’ve never been so quick to kill someone. I like to believe that everyone down here deserves another chance to find themselves again, but I feel like Alice was a lost cause, and seeing her standing over you like that only confirmed it for me. No matter what I did for her, she always seemed to be angry at the world–at herself, too. I was terrified when I saw her point that damned gun at your head. When I can physically bring myself to, I want to throw it into the river of ink downstairs so I'll never have to see it again.

“I don’t think I could go every single day seeing the very thing that nearly stole you from me. I know Alice was the one controlling it, but it brings back too many bad memories and ideas. I just…”

She sucked in a breath, nuzzling her face against your back and sighing when she could pick up the scent of your shampoo and the fragrance you always liked to wear. The feeling of your warmth and soft shirt against her skin helped bring a stronger sense of comfort. Instantly, it calmed her. “I just want you to know that I’ll always do anything I can to keep you safe. Not just from Alice, even though we most likely won’t have to worry about her anymore, but from everything. Including the Ink Demon. If I have to lay down my life to make sure you can live out the entirety of yours, I’ll do it.”

Finally, after so long of struggling to do so, her eyes fluttered shut. A yawn slipped from her lips and she murmured something to herself for a moment. Just as she almost drifted all the way off, the feeling of you shuffling and squirming in her arms brought her back to half-consciousness. She glanced over at you, finding that you had rolled over and shimmied your way beneath the covers to press your head against her chest. She couldn’t help but beam down at you and hug you closer.

Drowsily, she leaned down enough to press a featherlike kiss to the top of your head. Her chin then dropped to rest where her lips had just been, eyes closing once more. Her grip on you stayed firm, even after she had fallen asleep. As long as she knew you were there, safe in her arms, she was confident that everything would be alright.

Outcasted Safeguard

[Shadows of Rose] Rosemary Winters x Female Reader

Summary: Rose is generally isolated outside of training, but because of this, it's hard for her to be reasonable about standing up for the one person she's grown attached to.

Word Count: 2.24k Content Warnings: Language (?), a small argument Category: Angst + Fluff || One-shot

[A/N]: None.

Enjoy!

“Why don’t you just fuck off?” “Rose, for god’s sake!” You watched with growing frustration as your friend scoffed at your girlfriend, Rose, before spinning on their heel. “Hey, wait,” you called out, trying desperately to get them to stop. “No, fuck this. We can talk when your freak of a girlfriend isn’t breathing down your neck,” they barked back, lifting their middle finger high in your direction before storming out through the small entrance of the library and into the parking lot.

Sorrow mixed with fury contorted your features, the lines across your skin creasing further upon noticing the way people around you murmured and glanced between you and Rose. Grumbling under your breath, you huffed and took off toward the other exit. Just as quickly, Rose followed behind, calling out your name in confusion. “Where are you going?” She questioned once you made it out onto the sidewalk.

“Anywhere but here. You really know how to cause a scene.” The words instantly seeped into her mind and nipped at her insecurity. “I wasn’t trying to cause a scene,” she replied, “I just didn’t like the way they were speaking to you. You don’t deserve that.”

All you were able to do was glare at her in that moment, unaware of how her heart throbbed under the weight of your piercing gaze. Upon making it to your car, you fought the urge to leave her behind and head home alone, watching through the corner of your eye as she timidly climbed into the passenger seat and swiped her palms against her jeans to try and dry the molded sweat forming on her palms.

Wordlessly, your keys found their way into ignition, then allowed you to start the engine to begin the painfully silent journey home.

You could see in your peripheral vision as she shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. Her fingers moved to fidget with the ring given to her by her father, and a pang of guilt found itself eating away at your conscience. She had done the same thing in the past. After a while, you had managed to ask her why she always touched her ring when she was under pressure, and she explained to you that she tries her hardest to speak to her father from the other side and ask for advice on how to carry on.

Knowing that, you were already feeling horrible for causing her to worry. Then, however, you remembered why you were so upset. Ever since you had grown close to Rose – and ultimately became her girlfriend – she had only become more and more protective. It was to the point where you couldn’t even have a civil conversation with anyone without her glaring daggers at them.

Most of the time, you weren’t even able to defend yourself. She insisted on doing it for you, though she never made sure you were okay with that, and that’s what annoyed you the most. You were more than capable of standing up for yourself. You had worked so hard to build your confidence and do so on your own, but she seemed to never pay any mind to it. In the past, you had quietly asked her to let you handle it, but she always managed to convince you to let her “defend you,” as she put it.

At first it was fine. She only did it with strangers when she could tell they were annoying you. As time went on, however, her aggression began to trickle into normal conversations with your friends. The subject didn’t even have to be something combative for her to step in and get defensive. The most trivial things could be deemed as threatening to her, and that always led to her pushing those friends away from you. You knew that wasn’t her intention, but it was aggravating nonetheless.

It felt like hours had passed by the time you pulled into the lot of your shared apartment with Rose, the entrances and exits guarded heavily by the same BSAA guards that had practically raised your girlfriend with the intention for her to be a bio-weapon. After the car was checked, you were allowed to park and head inside. Rose trailed after you up the stairs and watched as you wrestled the keys from your pocket to unlock the door leading into the apartment.

You stepped inside, held the door open for her, and shut and locked it once she slipped past you. Softly, she whispered your name, confused from your silence and trying to get you to say anything at all.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, her hand lifting to rest on your arm. When you shrugged her touch off, her frown deepened. Acting as though you hadn’t heard her, you dropped your bag down by the door and hardly managed to force yourself to put the keys away properly before trudging into the bedroom and sitting on your side of the bed. You made sure to face away from the door when you shifted to lie down on your side, though you could hear when she came in and stopped in the doorway.

Something had struck a chord with her, and you knew that whatever it was was because of you. Her feet carried her forward until she sat on her own part of the mattress. Barely a minute passed before you felt her hand once again squeezing your arm to gain your attention. “Was it something I said?” You scoffed and shuffled away from her touch.

Her voice broke when she spoke again, then shook after she cleared her throat. “Was it what they said to you? I told them to stop, but they didn’t want to–”

“Dammit, Rose, it wasn’t what they said, it was because of you!” You hollered, bolting upright and turning to look her in the eye. She flinched back at your sudden tone and instinctively slid her hand back up to toy with her ring. “Why did you do that?” You continued, standing up from your spot. “Do what?” The timidness had returned to her tone. She truly didn’t understand why you were so upset with her.

You huffed out a strained laugh and ran your hands down your face. “Seriously? God, okay, fine. Why did you get involved in something that had nothing to do with you? Why did you tell them to fuck off when all they had done was barely raise their voice? Why do you always do that? Why can’t you ever just let me deal with my problems on my own?”

It was her turn to stand. She stared at you, almost in a challenging manner. “You mean why do I always try to protect you? Hm, I don’t know, maybe because I have to! You weren’t doing anything about it. They were treating you like shit, and you don’t deserve that, so I was trying to fix it for you!” Again, you laughed. “Fix it? All you did was make it worse! They weren’t treating me like shit at all, and you would know that if you actually bothered to get the full story before deciding to try and step in.”

“I don’t care about whatever happened beforehand,” she retorted. “Clearly,” you grumbled. She rolled her eyes and continued. “I’m not just going to stand by and watch you get picked on!” The familiar feeling of your fingernails digging into your scalp returned as a burning sensation greeted your eyes. When you glanced back up at Rose again, she was blurry. “Oh my god, I wasn’t getting picked on! Why can’t you get that through your head? Do you not trust me? Do you really not think I’m capable of taking care of myself either way? Am I seriously that pathetic in your eyes?”

You cursed to yourself as the tears fell. “Dammit,” you blurted out, wiping furiously at your eyes and sniffling. Briefly, you looked up at Rose, and you paused. A realization had visibly dawned on her when she saw you cry, and she tensed at whatever thought was clouding her focus. Your head dropped down as you stared silently at the carpeted ground beneath your feet. Once more, her hand found itself planted on your shoulder. This time you didn’t shrug it off, and as she took notice of this, her arms instantly wrapped themselves around you to pull you close. “Don’t cry,” she mumbled, squeezing you reassuringly. “Please don’t cry. I’m sorry.”

A hiccup unwillingly slipped past your lips before you urgently tugged her further against you. “Of course I don’t think you’re pathetic,” she continued. “I know you can take care of yourself. I’ve never doubted that, and I never will. I promise I trust you.”

Just as you had done countless times before, you found yourself melting into her touch and crying onto her shoulder. The tips of her fingers grazed over the back of your neck soothingly, and ultimately you managed to even your breaths and will the tears to stop. She always knew how to calm you down, even if she had been the reason for your crying.

When she was sure you were okay, she leaned back and cupped your face in her hands. “Can you please talk to me? Tell me what’s upsetting you. I can’t help if I don’t understand how I’m hurting you.”

A weak nod was your only response at first. “I just,” you croaked out while she brushed another tear away with the pad of her thumb. “I feel so pitiful when you don’t let me stand up for myself. It’s like you don’t want me to do things on my own, and it’s so suffocating all of the time. I just wish you would let me deal with my own problems. I don’t always need someone to come swoop in and save me. I can take care of myself.

“I wish you would leave me alone sometimes.”

The thick silence returned between the two of you. Your mind had barely begun to settle when she let out a small “oh.”

You thought finally getting everything off your chest would make you feel better, but the growing tension only threw that same weight of guilt back onto your shoulders. She stepped away from you and pocketed her hands. Although her eyes were partially covered by her cap and were concentrated on a random pattern on the ground in front of her, you could still see the glossiness forming in them.

“So,” she started. “Is that it for us then? Do I need to leave for good? I-I can if you want me to.”

“No! No, god no,” you replied, pulling her back into an embrace and squeezing her as tightly against yourself as you could. “I don’t want you to leave. Please don’t leave me.”

A small turn of the head let you press a featherlike kiss to her cheek. “I just need you to let me handle my own issues alone sometimes, okay? I promise you I’ll ask you right away if I need help with anything. I just need to be able to be independent sometimes.”

Rose hummed, her fingers digging into the fabric of your shirt. “I know that,” she murmured. “But I just want to make sure you’re safe. I know you already know how to take care of yourself, but I just… I’ve never been anywhere near as close to others as I am to you, and I’m so scared of losing you. You’re all I have left.” She chuckled. “I guess I’m just worried you’re going to realize how much of a freak I am if someone who doesn’t like me starts to hate you too. And, I mean, let’s face it: none of your friends like me.

“Makes sense, to be fair. That’s why I’ve always been the outcast, you know? People don’t like me. I never really learned how relationships work because of it, so I’m really sorry if I haven’t been the girlfriend you deserve. I’ve only ever been around Chris and his team, and we’re always just picking fights with strangers who threaten us, so I guess that’s where I get it from.”

She stepped back to look you in the eye again. “I don’t know if it’s working, but I’m trying really hard to get this right. I just want to make you happy. I’m sorry that I can’t do that all the time. I’m glad you told me what was wrong.”

Swiftly, she wiped her tears from her skin before sucking in a deep breath and taking your hands into her own. “If it really would make you happy, then I’m willing to start taking a step back so you can handle your problems on your own.”  Relief, for the first time that evening, flooded through your senses at her words. A grin broke out onto your lips before you squeezed her hand. “Thank you,” you whispered. She nodded and mirrored your smile. In an instant, you were pulled into yet another hug.

“Of course.”

Her lips briefly met your shoulder in a chaste kiss before her chin landed to rest delicately against it. Nails traced random patterns against your skin, and you knew she was trying to distract her mind until she was able to calm her racing heart. After a moment, she snickered.

“Just make sure you let me know when I need to kick some ass for you, okay?”

Hurt What's Mine

[Shadow of the Tomb Raider] Lara Croft x Female Reader

Word Count: 8.05k

Proofread: No

Content Warnings: Language, mentions of blood, heavy descriptions of gore and death, hospitalization, brief mention of medication

Categories:

Angst Fluff Mix

One-Shot Preference Headcanon

[A/N]: Thank you for 170+ followers! I've got a couple of people who have requested things through my inbox, and I'm hoping I'll be able to answer them soon! I will be open to requests soon, but there are a few more characters I want to write for ahead of time so it's easier to get an idea of what fandoms I'm open to. If you sent in a request, thank you! Once I've posted for a bit longer, I'll upload the masterlist I've made as well as the rules for requesting, then I'll answer requests!

[A/N] #2: If you do have a request that you'd like me to write in the future, please let me know! I'll get to it eventually, things are just hectic right now. Thank you for reading!

Enjoy!

Amongst the loud snapping of twigs combined with the rustling of the leaves overhead, softened chatter could be heard throughout the entrance to the forest. The sky, which had been painted warm shades of red and orange mere moments before, had grown murky with hues of purple and black. Small stars illuminated the sky as it grew darker, bright pools of light poking through the inky atmosphere to aid the moon in flooding the landscape with a soft glow. In accompaniment with the darkness seemingly swallowing up the woodland area that Lara and [Y/N] wandered into, a harsh breeze rushed through the air.

As the two walked deeper into the forest, Lara made sure to reach over when coming across drywood and break it free from the ground, tucking it under her arm. After seeing her do this, [Y/N] mirrored her actions and began to gather wood as well. The two had decided they’d head into the nearby forest to gather kindling for the fire they planned to build back at camp. There, Jonah was waiting, sorting through his supply of herbs and a small flask of water he’d said he would use to stir up a broth of sorts that would help all three stay warm for the night. The only problem being there was no fuel for a fire nearby, so both women volunteered to scavenge for some together.

It had taken quite a while to make it to the woodland area safely, but the conversation they had struck up with each other managed to keep the journey bearable. Thankfully, Lara had remembered to snatch her makeshift machete before heading out. Using the sharpest part of the rusted blade, she sliced through the brush that obstructed their path, allowing them to meander forward with a partial trail behind them.

Soon enough, neither of them were able to carry more of the drywood they came across. With a huff, Lara spun on her heel and jutted her chin toward the path she had made. “We should head back. We can always come back later if we need to gather more.” [Y/N] nodded, trailing behind the brunette as she led the way. A few minutes passed in silence, both women focused on not tripping over the loose roots or pebbles that littered the dampened blades of grass. Ultimately, as they neared the halfway point of the path, [Y/N] decided to break the silence.

“God, I’m glad we haven’t had any run-ins with Trinity. Those guys are a huge pain in the ass,” she complained. At her words, the corners of Lara’s lips perked up into an amused smirk. “Yeah, they are. We still need to keep our guard up, though. There weren’t any traces of them following us here, but that’s been the case the last couple of times as well. They’ve got the wrong motives, but they’re clever, and they know how to handle stealth operations.”

A grimace painted [Y/N]’s features as she nodded in response. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.” Silence once again fell upon them, allowing their senses to return to the sound of their own footsteps beneath them as they staggered ahead. While they recalled the way they came from, they struck up another conversation with one another, trying to keep the mood light in the eeriness that made itself known between the towering trees. It seemed to work–both felt more at ease as they chatted away. Merely a moment seemed to pass, however, before a loud clamp echoed throughout the area, followed by a ticking and whirring noise nearby.

Before either had time to react and understand what had happened, Lara flew backward with a holler and collapsed onto the ground. She was yanked forward once she made contact with the soil. The whirring noise returned, louder this time, and she was soon dangling high in the air by her foot. She groaned, her ears ringing and vision blurry from the way her head had bashed against the floor. Her eyes were pinched tightly shut, though her hand instinctively reached for her belt to find her gun.

Squinting and blinking her eyes rapidly, Lara managed to clear her view. All at once, she could make out what had happened. Just a few feet away, [Y/N]’s leg had been caught in a similar trap, but she wasn’t conscious enough to try and escape. Lara’s arm whipped forward to take aim, watching with a newfound sense of terror as a horde of shielded soldiers, clad in black, swarmed forward to the two. Even as she struggled to steady the hand that she gripped the gun harshly with, Lara began to fire warning shots, striking several of the soldiers and watching them plummet to the ground in waves.

A few that hadn’t been shot dashed toward [Y/N] and took hold of her limp arms. They hollered at each other to get her down, using her as some sort of human shield to avoid being killed as well. Upon seeing them grab the unconscious girl, the blood pumping from adrenaline underneath Lara’s skin lit aflame with fury and a desire to defend. Her aim became far more accurate, more fatalities becoming visible as she fired away at them, a wolf’s snarl lacing her words as she bellowed at them to leave her alone.

She knew she just needed to get enough of them down so she could break free from the pulley that tightened the rope around her ankle to a painful degree. If she could do that, she could protect [Y/N] and help her flee. A false spark of hope flushed through her veins as she noticed she had cleared most of the squad, the lie of it evident as her clip ran empty and more men emerged from the distance. She cursed at herself, her hands unsteadily flying back up to her belt to find another magazine and reload. As she struggled with fiddling her pack open to search, she failed to register the sound of thundering footsteps nearing her from behind.

Finally, she pulled a clip free with a small huff of relief. She let her empty mag drop to the ground, flicked upward with the new one to reload, then cocked the hammer back before taking aim. A single bullet fired from the barrel, and everything went black.

Everything seemed to come back at once–every sense flowing forward and overwhelming Lara’s mind. A muffled groan slipped past her lips as she managed to lift her head. Entirely unaware of her bearings, her eyes flitted around in confusion, unable to see with her eyes wide open. She jerked her arms forward, hoping to grab hold of whatever fabric covered her face, only to feel cold steel dig harshly into the skin on her wrists. She hissed in pain, wriggling for a moment as she tried to understand what had happened.

Her focus returned to what she could feel. She had been chained to something, though it was hard to make out exactly what it was. Against her back, she could feel jagged wood scratching at her scarred skin each time she moved. Her arms encircled whatever it was she was pinned up on. Piecing things together, she figured she had been cuffed to a wooden beam somewhere. That didn’t explain where she was, though. Aside from the village she and the others had passed through once they arrived, there were no structures of any kind as far as she could tell. Had one of the villagers turned and taken her hostage?

She could feel the frigid grated steel beneath her, which confirmed she had to be somewhere else. The ground in the homes of the village had been purely dirt and tattered cloth.

Then where the hell was she?

What had happened before she blacked out?

“Oh, look who’s up from her nap,” a booming voice called out, pulling Lara from her thoughts. Her head shot up, a quick yelp of pain greeting her as her head throbbed from the sudden motion. “Who the hell are you? Where am I? Where’s [Y/N]?” She couldn’t recall what she had been through beforehand, though some part of her told her she needed to defend herself regardless. A deep chuckle rumbled nearby before the owner of the previous voice stepped closer. Lara braced herself for a hit, fighting back a flinch when gloved fingers gripped the top of what had been obstructing her view and tugged upward.

She squinted with a hiss as the overhead lights flashed their way into her eyes, effectively blinding her for a moment. As her vision cleared and adjusted, she jerked her head to the side to face whoever had granted her the ability to see again. A moment hardly passed before her face contorted with anger: her brows furrowed tightly together, practically knitting themselves as one, her jaw clenching as her teeth ground painfully against each other.

“Who the fuck are you?” She snapped. Quickly, her outrage completely replaced the feeling of distress, only worsening when her gaze flickered down to see Trinity’s emblem stitched into the man’s tactical vest. He laughed, tossing the woven bag that had been tied around her head to the side. “You don’t need to know who I am, but I certainly know who you are.” He grinned, then reached behind Lara to pick something up from behind the pillar. Briefly after, he leaned back again, dangling her tactical belt tauntingly in front of her, still fully equipped with all of her weapons.

Her eyes widened a fraction at the sight, instinctively flying down to find and confirm that she had indeed been stripped of her only means of defense in this position. Immediately, she knew she needed to free herself. With the methods she had been taught after tussling with offenders before, she knew she could easily wrestle this man to the ground and overpower him. With her arms restrained, however, she could only fight back at an infuriatingly close range.

He seemed to notice the stress that had returned to Lara’s mind, letting out another cackle at her misfortune. He stood, twisting his torso far enough to hurl the belt over the railing. As he made his way over to squat in front of her again, she took this opportunity to look around. She had been right: she was chained to a wooden support beam, and she was seated against steel. Through the holes in the grated plates, she could see she was far up off the ground, at least three or four stories high.

Looking up, she could see layers of other platforms above, towering to an ungodly height. Dropping her gaze back down, the platform she was on curved around a circular building just behind her, and ahead of her, a long metal bridge stretched out to connect to an identical structure. As her eyes focused in on a figure across the platform, her blood ran cold, wishing she hadn’t recognized what was happening.

Everything that had happened before she ended up here came flooding back. The forest, the traps, the soldiers, everything. Now separated, [Y/N] was similarly cuffed to a pillar. Her binds seemed tighter, red lines already formed on her wrists as though she had been struggling against them for a while. For the first time since making it to the town, Lara felt genuine fear. Had they already hurt [Y/N]? Had they forced her to give away where Jonah was?

“[Y/N]!”

“Ah, so you noticed,” the man voiced, bringing her attention back to him. Shakily, she lifted her head, She screamed at herself, willing her voice into intimidation. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.” Internally, she cursed at the way her voice wavered and cracked.

The man grinned devilishly, shaking his head. “You don’t get it, do you? The moment you brought her here, you forced her to be a part of this. Like it or not, she has everything to do with this.” He leaned forward, blocking her view of [Y/N] and forcing her to look him in the eye. “It’s your fault.” Bringing his hand to his chin, he glanced up and mockingly pretended to think. “I suppose the saying, “like father like daughter,” is true after all. Wouldn’t you say so?”

At the mere mention of her father, a concoction of emotions bubbled beneath the surface of Lara’s skin. Even so, she forced her expression to remain stern. “Don’t you fucking talk about him.” Once again, she was met with a laugh.

A soldier that had been stationed nearby stepped closer to the two, concern laced in his tone. “Sir, shouldn’t we be careful? She’s taken out half of our men already, and most of it was entirely on her own.” The man in front of Lara rolled his eyes and stood, giving a small shrug. “Relax, I’m just having a bit of fun. There’s nothing she can do like this,” he gestured toward her. “With respect,” the soldier started, “she’s gotten out of tougher situations. Maybe we should–”

In an instant, the man, who Lara assumed was the captain at this point, whipped his gun from its holster on his hip and stood. He flicked his arm upward and pointed the barrel directly against the soldier’s forehead, prompting him to freeze. “I’ll fucking take care of it, you got it? All I’m gonna do is get her to tell me a few things, then we’ll blow both of their brains out, then be on our way. Stop me like that again, and the first round will go through your thick skull. Understand?”

Quickly, the soldier nodded and stepped back to his station. “Yes, sir.”

The captain then tucked his gun away. He turned and made a motion with his head to the group across the bridge. Lara glanced behind him to see what was happening, only to panic further as they crouched beside [Y/N], who flinched away at their touch. “Don’t touch her!” She screamed, thrashing violently against her restraints.

“Oh, don’t worry,” the captain teased, crouching down in front of her again to look her in the eye. “As long as you answer some questions, we won’t hurt her anymore.” Anymore. That word bounced through Lara’s head as she barely managed to notice that [Y/N]’s skin was littered with bruises and cuts. She swallowed hard, glaring at him. “What do you want? What questions?” He again acted as though he was deep in thought. “Well, for starters, you could tell me where the artifact you're looking for is.”

She scoffed. “So what? You can use it to wipe out humanity? Like you tried to do with the Divine Source?” The captain forced a smile. His hand lifted from his side and made a motion toward the group behind him. Lara watched, horrified, as one soldier used all his strength to kick [Y/N] in the stomach, another grabbing a fistful of her hair and slamming her head back against the pillar. She cried out in pain, desperately trying to free herself.

“Like I said, tell me what I want to know, and she won’t get hurt.”

Lara practically growled at him when she spoke. She ordered him to call the group back, threatening to make his death hell if he didn’t comply. “What do you think you can do? Can’t exactly kill me while you’re stuck here.” She scowled, her fingertips tapping at the chains in search of the padlock. Her arm shimmied a bit, allowing one of her hairpins to slip from the cuff of her sleeve and into her hand that she kept tucked away for situations exactly like this.

As she fiddled with trying to find the padlock, the captain continued to hound her with questions.

“Where’s your camp? I know you brought someone else here too.” She shuddered at the thought of Jonah being dragged into this as well. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where the hell I am, and you expect me to remember how to get back?” Another motion was made, prompting another harsh punishment to be given to [Y/N]. Lara shouted her name, begging her to hold on and promising she’ll get the two of them out.

The captain scoffed and crossed his arms. “Are you really not grasping what I’ve said? Answers for me means less pain for her.” Panicked, Lara thrashed again, her hands trembling as they continued their search. “I’m trying! But you aren’t giving me questions I can answer!” It was hard to mask her relief when her fingers finally found the padlock, though she instead focused on wriggling the bobby pin into the lock. “Well,” the captain huffed, standing again and slipping his gun from his belt. “I think I know something that might trigger your memory.”

At that, he turned and began walking toward [Y/N], wordlessly ordering the group of soldiers to back away. “No, don’t hurt her!” Lara was practically screaming at her hands to still, and with another brief moment, she finally managed to pick the lock, wrestling her arms free from the chains and stumbling as she stood. Without an ounce of hesitation, she lunged forward toward the captain, grabbing hold of him and trying to keep him away. He hollered in surprise, reaching back to claw at her and get a grasp. “Get off of me, you bitch!”

The team of soldiers that had been abusing [Y/N] only a mere moment before were now hurtling toward her. With a bit of a struggle, three of the soldiers managed to pry her off of him, throwing her back before forcefully pinning her against the pillar yet again. She fought against them, screaming for them to let her go. The captain ahead grumbled and stared her down for a moment, though he was quick to turn and walk toward [Y/N] again.

As Lara thrashed against the soldiers holding her down, the head of the team reached up toward a sheath against his hip, his gun having been smacked out of his hand and over the ledge from Lara’s outburst. Something felt as though it were burning in her mind, growing hotter and hotter as the captain closed the space between him and [Y/N]. She couldn’t let Trinity take another person she loved away from her. She wouldn’t allow it.

Hardly managing to remember her training, she turned and lunged her torso forward, using all of the momentum to headbut the soldier grasping her right arm in the face. He howled in pain, letting her go and falling backward. She then turned to the man holding her left shoulder. In the blink of an eye, she whipped her arm in a circular motion, gripping his wrist and forcing his arm to twist until he let go. Just as quickly, she shuffled forward and kicked the third soldier square in the chest, effectively knocking the wind out of his lungs.

Before she could stand, two more men sprinted forward and blocked her path, one of them managing to land a few rough kicks to her face and head. She hooked her arm beneath the back of his leg, jolting up to stand and flipping him backward. The second soldier struggled to free his rifle from the band on his back. By the time he managed to try and aim at her, her forearm flew sideways and struck his wrist, the impact catching him off guard and causing him to drop his weapon. Lara then leapt forward and gripped the straps of his tactical vest. She spun around to gain more force before driving him around again and launching him over the railing, not bothering to watch as he plummeted toward the ground countless meters below.

She turned, determined to get to the captain, but froze in place. Still so far away, he had freed [Y/N] of restraints, knowing she wouldn’t have been able to fight back. He pinned her against the platform, his knees planting themselves on either side of her hips as he drove his knife down into her stomach. Lara watched as [Y/N] tried to gasp for air, only to choke and let out a silent scream.

She felt everything grow heavy, ready to give into the temptation to drop to the ground. An inhumane level of fury coursed through her veins, and soon she found herself running forward at full speed, no longer in control of her body.

The neared the captain in only a few seconds, leaping from the ground and thrusting her arms forward. She tackled him off of [Y/N]’s writhing body and ripped the blade from his hand, dropping it and instead using her fists to beat any part of him she could see. Hit after hit, punch after punch, a new bruise formed on his skin, thinner sections splitting open into gashes. His blood seemed to all pool together beneath his head.

Lara let out a yell with each strike made against his skill. She lost count of the amount of times her knuckles made contact with the swollen form beneath her, not even noticing that her knuckles had begun to tear open and bleed from the sheer force alone. As his arms and legs fell limp against his sides, Lara’s punches came to a stop. Her bloodied hand reached over and grasped the handle of the knife, knuckles white from the tightness as she lifted the blade above her head.

Instantly, she plunged the knife down, listening with a sick joy as the thin metal ripped through layers of skin and organ, cracking through parts of his ribs. Mirroring what [Y/N] had done, the captain hopelessly tried to gasp for breath, instead wheezing and sputtering while his hands weakly scratched at her arms. Only for a moment, she kept the knife there. Before she could watch the life leave his eyes, she drew the blade out and immediately thrusted it down into his jugular with an equal force.

Her hands let go of the handle and dropped to land at her sides. She stared down, gleefully studying the way the captain clutched at his throat, a thick puddle of blood erupting from his mouth and trickling down his cheeks and jaw, disappearing into his hairline and accumulating with the crimson red under his trembling form. Glaring down at him with dull eyes, she lazily tugged the rifle from his back, forcing herself to stand and turn around.

She hadn’t heard the group of soldiers thundering up the stairs, but she had apparently sensed it. Effortlessly, she lifted the rifle and took aim, crouching down and firing away as the men made their way up one by one. By the time the team died out, she heard the gun click. Her gaze bored down at the rifle, realizing she had burned through the ammo. With a grunt of disapproval, she discarded the gun, then ripped another one away from a nearby lifeless body. She used that rifle to finish off the squad, blankly staring ahead after lowering the gun.

As her mind clouded over, taking in the scene before her, she tossed the gun to the side, straining to hear as it clattered against the steel platform. A bloodbath. That was the only way she could possibly describe it. Piles of bodies across such a small space, silver metal now stained red from blood and black from gunpowder. Lifeless eyes of the fallen seemed to watch her as she lifted her hands, taking in the way blood coated her skin. She wasn’t sure how much of it was hers and how much of it was the captain’s. She paid it no mind, instead rotating her hands to examine her knuckles. She had most definitely broken a few, if not all, of them,

Had she actually done all of this?

Nothing felt real.

The sudden sound of harsh coughing broke her out of her trance, forcing her attention toward the source. She scrambled over to [Y/N]’s side, holding her head up as she processed just how badly she had been hurt. Adding onto the gaping wound in her torso, countless bruises and cuts peppered every exposed inch of skin. The back of her head had been dripping blood from being hammered into the wooden beam. Lara gasped and frantically helped her prop her head up to prevent choking on her blood, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for something to help stop the bleeding. She grimaced when [Y/N] whimpered from the way she stretched over to grab a torn uniform.

Thinking on her feet, she slid to the wall of the base and leaned the wounded girl against it, apologizing tearfully each time she yelped in pain. After tearing the uniform into a thinner piece, she began stuffing part of the wound, earning more cries. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, finally using the rest of the cloth to ball it up. “This is going to hurt, but I need you to trust me.”

Before [Y/N] even opened her eyes, Lara forced her hand downward, applying an immense amount of both pressure and pain to the wound. At this, [Y/N] screamed in agony, her eyes beginning to roll back as her breaths quickened. Lara cupped her jaw and shifted forward. “[Y/N]? No, [Y/N], I need you to stay with me, okay? Keep your eyes open! Everything’s going to be okay, I promise. Stay with me,” she said, struggling to keep her voice steady.

“[Y/N], please, I can’t lose you. Not like this. Keep your eyes open–that’s all I need you to do!” Her words fell upon deaf ears, no matter how desperate they became. Before Lara could beg for her to listen again, [Y/N]’s head drooped down, her body now completely limp.

“[Y/N]?” Lara whimpered, shaking the unconscious girl’s head as a silent plea. When no response came from the motion, the Croft felt her tears beginning to spill, only being able to whisper “no” repeatedly. Her hand, the one that had been holding up the woman’s head, slid down to check for a pulse. She gasped softly when she found it, though realized she had to act quickly from how weak it was. “Shit,” she blurted, once again examining her surroundings. That bastard had thrown her radio over the railing with her weapons. There was no way she could contact Jonah without alerting any other potential Trinity bases of where they were. One look down at [Y/N], however, forced her to take that risk.

She stood and quickly rushed over to the nearby bodies, her calloused, bloodied hands desperately searching their equipment for a radio of sorts. She cursed with each failed search, though lit up only a fraction once she found one. Quickly, she ran to sit by [Y/N]’s side again, holding her up and pulling her close, keeping an eye on her as she sent out a message.

“Jonah? Jonah, are you there? Can you hear me? I need your help: [Y/N]’s bleeding out!”

She released the button, only earning static in response. Her eyes shot back to the woman beside her, her only shimmer of hope dimming immediately. Her finger clicked down again, lifting it closer to speak into it once more.

“Jonah, I need you here! Jonah, please, can you hear me?”

A choked sob erupted unwillingly from her throat. She felt like curling into herself and breaking right there. Now hunched over, she clutched the radio tightly against her chest, grasping a handful of her hair as she tried to come up with another plan. All she could bring herself to do for a moment was weep, terrified of losing the woman propped up by her side.

Her mind cleared for a brief second, and although she had no idea where they were, she knew they couldn’t stay there. More reinforcements were bound to show up sooner or later, and she was in no state to fight them all. She stood, peering out at the landscape in hopes of finding a landmark she had passed before. The lids of her eyes threatened to shut, heavy with fatigue from the loss of adrenaline and the salty tears that had fallen.

She staggered closer to the rail, gripping onto it tightly as a way to ground herself as she searched further. Her heart felt like it was going to sink down into the pit of her stomach upon spotting a village in the distance. She turned to [Y/N], unsure if either of them could even make it that far. There was a chance it wasn’t the village she had been in either, on top of the fact there could be more traps hidden in the forest.

That only stopped her briefly. She knew they needed to leave, and she knew it was better to head out with the chance of finding Jonah than staying there to die.

Willing every ounce of strength she had left, she plucked the rifle she had thrown to the side back up, slinging it over her shoulder before wobbling back to [Y/N]. She huffed, sucking in a deep breath to ready herself, then bent down to pick her up, one arm tucking itself underneath her knees, and the other wrapping around her torso.

She turned, stumbled forward toward the stairs, and wrestled with the urge to look down at the unconscious form in her arms.

Each step down felt like a mile, Lara’s calves straining and aching, feeling as though they would give in and snap like twigs. By the time she managed to make it to the ground, it took everything in her not to collapse. She just kept telling herself they’ll be there soon. That was all she could do to keep moving forward. If she didn’t make it, not only would [Y/N] die, but she would as well. The marks from the beating she had taken had begun to finally sink in, adding to the difficulty.

She swayed every few steps. Her body threatened to fall over anytime she leaned too far.

She had no way of knowing she was going in the right direction, only able to rely on her instinct. There was no path, no landmark, no sign of nearing the village, which is why it was such a surprise when she could hear hollering up ahead. She strained her ears, hardly managing to make out that the unidentified voice was calling her name.

“Jonah?” She whispered hoarsely.

“Lara! [Y/N]! Are you two out there?”

“Jonah,” she weeped, unable to raise her voice any further.

Her feet continued to stumble toward the sound of his voice. The closer she got, the stronger the small spark of adrenaline she somehow still had grew. Finally, realizing he was only a few feet away, Lara managed to pick up her pace, lightly jogging forward. “Jonah, we’re here,” she cried out weakly. She moved ahead, breaking through the entrance of the forest to reveal the small patch of land they had originally tried to set up camp at. There, Jonah turned around and instantly ran over.

“Lara, you’re alright! I heard gunfire, but I didn’t know where you were, and–”

“Jonah, we need to get back to the plane right now. [Y/N]’s losing too much blood, and I don’t know how much longer she’s going to last,” although her tone was weak, there was no doubt she was terrified. Jonah finally looked down to the woman in Lara’s arms, his body tensing at the sight of all she had been through.

“Shit, what did–okay, but what about what you came here for? We can’t come back! Trinity’s going to–” Jonah knew that even mentioning the artifact in that moment was a mistake, but his mind was racing, preventing him from thinking logically.

“Forget the artifact, Jonah!” Lara snapped, her raspy voice finally reaching the volume she’d wanted to have when calling for him. “I don’t give a shit about that right now! I just want [Y/N] to survive! I’m the reason she’s in this state to begin with–I don’t want to be the reason she dies!”

At her sudden tone, Jonah could only nod and motion for Lara to hand [Y/N] to him to carry her there. Reluctantly, Lara did so, only after realizing she wouldn’t be able to make it to the plane in time if she were the one taking her. Without a moment to lose, Jonah began rushing up the path toward where they had landed, shouting behind him for the Croft to follow.

The ringing returned the closer they got, her vision blurring and growing dark. Everything was spinning, and she had to force herself to keep track of Jonah. By the time they had all made it into the plane, Lara’s body finally gave out.

“You know, I don’t think I had ever scared my father that badly before,” Lara murmured, a gentle chuckle escaping as she smiled fondly at the memory. With a sigh, she felt the pad of her thumb caress the tattered skin on the back of [Y/N]’s hands. For just a single moment, the ticking of the clock hanging above the door synced up with the beeping of the monitor beside the bed. Just as quickly, they fell out of rhythm again, and Lara waited for them to repeat it. Every few minutes, for the past several weeks, both would beat together for just a brief second, only to fall apart again.

It was the only thing she could look forward to anymore. It kept her distracted so she didn’t have to process everything just yet–so she didn’t have to look up at the woman deep in a coma in the bed she sat by. Jonah would come in here and there, reminding her to eat something small or to bring her a spare blanket for the night. Nurses would step inside to take vitals and update Lara on what was happening. And even though [Y/N] was there, whenever everyone else would leave, Lara still felt alone.

She could talk to her, but it was more like talking at her. She had no idea if the woman could hear anything she said, nor did she know when she was going to wake up. It had been seven weeks since they made it back from the expedition. Lara’s injuries were treated fairly easily, but [Y/N] had fallen into a medical coma from blood loss and excessive blunt force trauma. Her chances of survival in the beginning were slim, but things started to steadily improve as the days passed by.

Those days, however, felt like years to Lara. The woman she could once talk to and joke around with, the woman she could once hold and be held by, the woman she could once gaze into the eyes of, now lay before her, unmoving and silent. She was alive, but to Lara she seemed dead. She had been so lively before, and now she couldn’t even open her eyes.

To fill the never-ending silence that weighed heavy upon her shoulders, Lara would talk aloud, pretending as though she was sharing her thoughts with [Y/N] like she had done before everything went awry. Recently, after running out of small-talk she had murmured like it was scripted, she had resorted to retelling memories she had of her father back as a child. Somehow, even as [Y/N] stayed unconscious, Lara felt comfortable sharing her favorite times spent with her late father. Anyone else would’ve been waved off and told she wasn’t comfortable, but [Y/N] had always been the one person she could come to to speak of him freely.

Even seemingly dead, [Y/N] was still the only one she trusted. It was funny, in a way.

She huffed out a sigh, lifting the woman’s hand to her lips and pressing a featherlike kiss to her knuckles. Once her lips left the clammy skin, she brought her head down to lean it against the back of her hand. Her eyes closed, brows furrowed as she bit back a sob.

“I wish I had never brought you with me. If I hadn’t, you would still be comfortable at home, watching TV and sleeping in. You wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t… You wouldn’t be hurt, or strapped to this machine, or fighting for your life. You wouldn’t be in a coma.” She sniffled, squeezing the hand still against her forehead. “This is all my fault. I’m so sorry, [Y/N]. I would take it all back if I could.”

Some part of her waited, half-expecting a response. She whimpered, clearing her throat to prevent herself from bursting into tears again. With a hard swallow, she lifted her head, gaze trailing up to [Y/N]’s face. She smiled. “I have no idea how, but you still look so beautiful. Even when you’re out like this.”

Her free hand lifted far enough to caress the girl’s cheek, then pinch the bridge of her own nose, internally groaning at how heavy her eyes felt. Once her hand planted itself back on her thigh, she glanced over at the heart monitor, watching each movement on the screen intently for a moment, allowing herself to gather her thoughts. Finally, she faced [Y/N] again. Her hand squeezed her leg, unsure of what to say.

“I love you. So, so much. I should’ve said it more before… all of this, but I’m saying it now. I do love you, [Y/N], more than anything in this world.”

She huffed out a pained laugh.

“I don’t know why I’m so mad at you. None of this is your fault. I’m the one who dragged you into the expedition, and I’m the one who ended up getting you captured. I wish I hadn’t begged you to come with me. You deserve to be at home, not in this bed. I should’ve protected you, and I didn’t, and for that, I’m so sorry. You deserve someone better: someone who wouldn’t have gotten you into this mess.

“The worst part is: I don’t even know if you can hear me. I’m not sure if you’ve heard anything I’ve said this entire time. I’m not sure why knowing that you might not hear me hurts so badly, but it does.” Tears once again pricked the corners of her eyes. “God, I wish I could hear your voice again. I miss you so much. I know you’re right in front of me, and I know you’re still breathing and alive, but I’ve never felt so alone. It doesn’t feel like you’re really here. It feels like you’re not you.”

The tears stinging her eyes now blurred her vision and poured down in thick masses. Her free arm raised, allowing her to use the sleeve of her jacket to wipe them away. Once they dried, she looked up at her again, hands trembling harshly.

“Please wake up. I’m begging you.”

Grumbling was all Lara could do in her unconscious state. Any small sound she could hear had her grumbling louder: pages flipping, pens scribbling, pills rattling, doors opening, monitors beeping. Everything that she could hear seemed to be working against her, screaming at her to wake back up. It was late at night when she finally let herself drop her head onto the edge of the hospital bed to rest. Hand still clutching onto [Y/N]’s, she managed to drift off for the first time in days.

The sounds grew incessant, however, stirring her partially awake. Each little noise irritated her further, and she had to fight the urge to muffle the scream bubbling up in her throat with the sheets cushioning her head. To add onto her growing frustration, something squeezed softly at her hand, forcing her back to her senses.

“For fuck’s sake,” she mumbled, lifted her head, then looked down at her hand. Her brows pinched tightly together, she sat there, processing what she had just felt. Again, her hand was squeezed.

Her brain, although severely sleep deprived, finally managed to register what had happened. Immediately, she looked up from her hand, her eyes landing on [Y/N], who finally opened her eyes for the first time in months. She gazed back at Lara the way the brunette had been craving the entire time. Upon seeing that she was now awake, tears instantly trickled out from Lara’s eyes, a shaky sob accompanying them.

“[Y/N]?” She whispered, unsure if she was actually awake.

“Hey, Lara,” came her raspy reply, a tired grin gracing her cracked lips.

Right away, Lara sprung up from her seat by the bed and leaned forward, capturing [Y/N] in a tight embrace. “Oh my god, I don’t–” She sniffled. Her leg lifted up, allowing her to sit beside the woman now practically cradling her in return. “You’re awake. You’re finally awake. I don’t believe it.”

She leaned back from the hug, cupping [Y/N]’s face in her hands and studying every little feature she could see. Sob after sob wracked through her body as she pressed a kiss to the wounded woman’s lips, only shifting back to pepper the rest of her face in similar kisses. “I thought I lost you,” she whispered after calming down enough to speak. Her voice trembled and broke more with each passing word, rambling about what she had feared.

“God, I love you so much.”

Again, she captured [Y/N]’s lips in her own, pure relief washing through her senses when she felt her kissing back. Weakly, the bandaged girl chuckled. “I love you too,” she rasped out.

Lara instantly leaned back into the embrace, clutching desperately at the hospital gown she rested against. She swayed side to side, shivering as [Y/N] soothingly rubbed up and down her back. She couldn’t begin to explain how she felt at that moment. All she could say was she was so relieved to know that the woman she held closest to her heart was alive and breathing.

“Can I ask you something?” A soft voice whispered. She leaned away again to look her in the eye. “Of course. Anything at all.”

“What happened after I was stabbed?”

Lara froze, now growing uncertain. “You don’t remember?” She sucked in a shaky breath when her only response was a shake of the head. Her gaze dropped down, unsure of where to start. She scratched the back of her neck anxiously, took another deep breath in an attempt to steel her nerves, then cleared her throat. “Well, I’m not really…”

She turned to glance behind her, ensuring no one else was in the room before she spoke again. There was no shame in what she had done–not for her–but she’d be torn away instantly if someone overheard. [Y/N] had just woken back up, and she wasn’t going to risk losing her all over again. Although, that still might be a possibility, depending on how she took the news.

She explained herself, sparing no detail of what she had committed in her blind rage. From wrestling with the soldiers to stabbing the captain of the team in both the chest and the throat, she confessed every little atrocity that had been brought about by her hands alone. As she spoke, she averted her eyes, too afraid of being gazed at with disgust. She focused on the pattern stitched into the bedsheets bundled up atop [Y/N]’s legs.

Finally, she managed to tear her eyes away from the sheets and look back into [Y/N]’s. She swallowed, surprised to see that familiar glint of admiration in her eyes. There was no sign of repulsion or discomfort at the heinous things she had admitted to. “You’re not mad?” Was all she could ask. [Y/N] snickered and shook her head.

“Are you kidding? Those asswipes beat the shit out of me, and one tried to kill me. I don’t exactly have sympathy for them after that.” Relieved, Lara sighed and grinned. It was a breath of fresh air to see her laugh again, even though it was rather weak.

She turned to sit next to [Y/N], who she then pulled into her side. With a quick peck to the top of the head, she closed her eyes and yawned. “Tired?” “Mmhm.” “Yeah, same.” Lara laughed, looking down at her in confusion. “You were in a coma for nearly three months. Why are you tired?” [Y/N] smirked and rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t willingly unconscious. Plus, my body just sucks,” she murmured, earning another chuckle.

“Well, I love your body,” Lara mumbled, tugging her closer. “Every bit of it.”

Waiting a moment, [Y/N] leaned against the brunette fully, her head dropping onto her shoulder as she closed her eyes. She grinned, listening to Lara yawn again before she shivered. “Move your legs for a second,” she whispered to the already half-asleep woman. “Hm?” “Move your legs.” “What? Why?” “So I can cover you up with the blankets.”

Lara seemed to take a moment to understand what she had said. Finally, though, she lifted her legs with a groan, letting [Y/N] slip the covers out from under her and essentially tuck her in beside her. Both sighed in relief: Lara from the warmth of the sheets and [Y/N] pressed against her, and [Y/N] from the feeling of Lara holding her close.

Lights had been turned off throughout the ward for a while, which both women were silently grateful for. As they shuffled to lie down more comfortably beneath the covers, everything seemed to settle down for the first time in months. Lara’s body finally relaxed, the lack of sleep from the past several weeks catching up to her at a rapid speed. She hummed softly as she turned onto her side, pulling [Y/N] into her chest.

“I’m never taking you on a trip like that again,” she slurred out. “At least, not until I know Trinity won’t be there.”

[Y/N] nodded as she listened, also partially asleep. She squirmed a bit, sliding closer while trying to mind her IV. As her head settled against Lara’s chest, she yawned. A moment passed before she spoke again.

“You do know the nurses are gonna come in any minute and realize I’m awake, right?” A groan sounded from Lara, prompting a snicker from [Y/N]. “I’m gonna crawl back into the bed again the second they leave. I just want you in my arms right now.”

“Well, either way, I want you to know that I could hear you for most of the time I was out. And I also want you to know that I plan on saying “I love you” as many times as you did before I woke up. I really do love you. I mean, you were right here the second I woke up, and I don’t know if you ever…” She thought for a moment, opening her eyes and looking up at Lara. “Did you ever leave the room?” Even as she fought to stay awake, Lara scratched her cheek nervously. “Only when I used the restroom. I was afraid I wouldn’t be here when you woke up.”

[Y/N] grinned. “Well, I’m glad you were here. I was worried you wouldn’t be here at all when I woke up. I figured you’d leave and head home, or maybe go back to the village we were at.” Gently yet reassuringly, Lara squeezed her closer. “I would never do that to you. You’re everything to me.”

“And you’re everything to me.”

Another yawn managed to escape the brunette’s lips. She pressed a small kiss to the top of [Y/N]’s head and sighed, already drifting off again. “I love you, so damn much. No one’s going to hurt what’s mine, never again.”

“I’m yours, huh?”

“Of course.”

A gentle smile graced [Y/N]’s features as she shuffled closer, pressing a kiss to Lara’s collarbone as her eyes fluttered shut.

“Of course I’m yours.”

Busy Confession

[Mean Girls 2004] Janis Ian x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.81k

Proofread: No

Content Warnings: Language, anxiety, and feelings of rejection

[A/N]: Story three for Janis--I'll be working on another character soon. I still have a couple of characters I want to write for, but then I'll upload the master list I'm currently making and start answering requests.

[A/N] #2: Sorry this one took longer than the others. I've been trying to post every Saturday, but I could not for the life of me figure out how to write this one. I haven't proofread this yet, so let me know if there are any mistakes.

Enjoy!

 “Oh come on, turn red already!” Janis hollered, her voice raising towards the end as her nails dug into the material of her steering wheel. Her hands had begun to cramp in the past few minutes, and she knew it was from her white knuckled grip that she had on the wheel during the entirety of her drive, but each time she tried to loosen said grip to help her tense, aching muscles relax, they’d return to their firm grasp at the mere thought of the text she had received.

Logistically speaking, Janis knew [Y/N] wasn’t trying to come across as flirty or teasing. In the emotional part of her mind, however, she wondered if it was actually the opposite–if the girl she had been crushing on for years was finally picking up on it and was now taunting her with semi-flirty responses. Usually, when her emotions would spiral out of control the way they were in the moment, she’d head to [Y/N]’s house to rant about it and ask for any kind of advice. Since that was who was causing what she was feeling, however, she knew she had to resort to her other best friend: Damian. Too jittery from her gay panic, Janis only managed to call him long enough to let him know she was headed over.

He had tried to say something to her before she hung up, but she was in too much of a rush to get in the car that she didn’t comprehend a word he said. She hopped into her car after barely remembering to snag her keys from the hook by the door, scolded herself when she struggled to get the key into the ignition, then sped off out of her driveway toward the direction of Damian’s house.

On the way there, she continued to glance anxiously over at her phone, which she had tossed over into the passenger seat. She feared that [Y/N] would notice her going silent and say something, but she herself couldn’t think of anything to say. With anyone else, she could blurt out a clever retort or crack some kind of joke. With this girl, however, she always seemed to find herself falling silent. The last thing she wanted to do was say something weird or make the situation worse and lose [Y/N]. She was aware that wasn’t how it would happen. After all, she had known [Y/N] far longer than she had known Damian, and even knew her before Regina George changed the course of her life back in middle school.

But that was exactly why she was suddenly so cautious over her words around her. She didn’t want to ruin all of those years together and lose the one person who genuinely seemed to love her for who she is. As far back as she could remember, [Y/N] was the one person she could always rely on without the constant worry of being talked about behind her back. She didn’t want to ruin that by assuming [Y/N] felt the same way about her that she did.

Eventually, after what felt like hours, Janis finally made it to Damian’s house. There, she practically fell out of her car with her phone tugged tightly against her chest. Quick footsteps beneath her was all she could hear as she more or less ran to the front door. Subconsciously, her arm raised far enough for the side of her fist to pound against the thick wood of the door now in front of her. Almost immediately after, it swung open, revealing Damian standing there with a conflicted look. Before he could say anything, however, Janis pushed her way past him and dashed into the kitchen. She froze in the doorway upon seeing Cady standing there as well, visibly confused at her desperation.

“Janis? What’s going on?” Speechless for a moment, Janis could only stare at her. At length, Damian stepped in and cleared his throat, moving to stand beside Cady. “Yeah,” he started, “I was trying to tell you that she’s here, but I guess you weren’t listening. Which, I mean, your face right now kinda confirms that for me.” Finally, the goth managed to blurt out a small, “oh,” before glancing at her feet to avoid eye contact with the redhead still glancing at her in puzzlement. “Am I interrupting something?”

A heavy sigh slipped past Damian’s lips as his hand shifted up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “No, but I think I’m not the only one here that’s “too gay to function.” Not sure if she even heard me at all before she hung up.” Finally, a look of understanding crossed Cady’s features. “Oh,” she mumbled as she once again turned to gaze at Janis. Although she was still averting her eyes from Cady’s focus, Janis managed to sneer up at Damian at his words.

Now worried she was in the way, Cady slipped past the two having a one-sided staredown and made her way over to the front door. “Well, I was just about to head out anyway.” Janis glanced up at this, looking slightly relieved. “But, uh…I’ll give you a call about our plan later on, Damian.” The exhausted teen, at the mention of his name, looked over at Cady as well and nodded. “Yeah, sounds good.”

With that, the redhead vanished through the door and began walking home. Only waiting a moment to make sure she was really gone, Janis quickly whipped her phone back up and powered it on, clicked over to her recent messages, and turned the phone for Damian to see. “Dude, I don’t know what to do. What the fuck do I even say after that? Do you think she knows how I feel about her? What if she does? I don’t want her to hate me for it. How would she react if she really did know? Would she–” Two hands landed heavily on her shoulders, halting her babbling and forcing her to look up and away from the screen.

“Janis, calm the hell down, holy shit.”

He huffed when she managed to settle a bit, then took the phone from her hand to read the screen properly. At the sight of the words [Y/N]’s had chosen, he chuckled and ran a hand down his face. “Good lord, I have no idea how you’re gonna survive if the two of you actually start dating.”

“That’s exactly why I came here, Damian: if I don’t ask her out soon, and if she starts talking like this all the time, I’m going to fucking die of embarrassment. Problem is, I have no idea how to ask her out without ruining everything. I need your help, man. Please.” Damian let out a laugh, crumbling whatever sense of confidence Janis may have had. “Oh my god, you and Cady are the bane of my existence today. How did I manage to not be busy the exact same day you both decided you needed relationship advice?” At his words, the goth tilted her head and hummed in confusion.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you over the phone: the reason Cady was here was because she was trying to figure out how to ask Aaron out on a date without Regina ripping her to shreds.” Janis’s brows shot up in surprise. “Oh, shit. Seriously? Is that what the phone call she mentioned was about?” Damian only nodded in reply, crossing his arms as he suppressed another groan. A moment passed where they only stood there in silence, and Damian was internally grateful his parents were at work as Janis had an existential crisis in the middle of their kitchen.

Finally, a smirk replaced his bothered grimace. “So, she wants to kiss you, huh? Wanna do that with her?” He teased, leaning down to nudge her shoulder and gain her attention again. Janis scoffed and shoved his arm away. Her head turned and lowered in an attempt to hide the growing shade of red on her face, though she wasn’t able to bite back the small grin that painted her lips. “You know damn well I do,” she murmured almost silently.

Damian snickered, cupping his ear and leaning toward her in a mocking manner. “What was that? Speak up–you know I’m selectively deaf.” Janis sighed, forcing herself to speak in a louder tone. “I said you know damn well I want to kiss her.” Upon finishing her statement, she stormed over to the kitchen table and planted herself in one of the chairs, crossing her arms on the tabletop and burying her face in them with a drawn out groan.

As she struggled to gather her thoughts, Damian moved to sit next to her, cackling softly to himself at seeing how uncharacteristically distressed his best friend was over a girl. “But it’s not just kissing you wanna do, is it?” He questioned after a moment. Janis shot up from her slouched position and gestured wildly with her hands. “Of course that’s not it! You know it isn’t! But I just…” She glanced down again, her fingers tangling themselves into her fringe and tugging harshly at the strands as she wordlessly went to war with herself, unsure of what to actually say.

“I just don’t wanna mess everything up,” she all but whispered in a broken confession, returning to her previous position of hiding her face in her arms.

The sound of a chair squeaking followed by something landing softly on the table and being slid her direction made her glance up again. Damian had slid her phone back over to her, though now it was face-down and powered off. “I know. I know you love her–pretty sure everyone does at this point. You’re terrible at hiding it.” Janis jabbed him in the arm again, making him chuckle. Upon seeing how distressed the goth was, he sighed, his voice taking on a much softer tone.

“But I do know that she’s one of those people too, even if that’s not what you wanna hear. Trust me, she feels the same. I’ve got quite the eye for these kinds of things.” Defeated, Janis sighed. She leaned back against the chair, dropping her head back to glare up at the ceiling. “Even if that were true, how the hell would I confess without sounding like some sort of loser? I don’t want her to think I’m a creep or something.”

Her friend hummed in thought at this, his eyes seemingly scanning everything and nothing in front of him at once. “Well, why don’t you make it count then? Make it special–your confession, I mean. Just add a whole bunch of stuff she likes. I mean, she loves going to the movies, eating out at restaurants, playing random sports and board games…there’s all kinds of stuff you could do.”

Janis remained silent for a while, prompting Damian to question if he said something wrong, or if she had even heard anything he said. Finally, right as he parted his lips to ask if she was alright, Janis slowly looked up with a growing smile, almost as if realizing something. “That’s a good idea,” she murmured. “Uh,” Damian started in reply, glancing around nervously as she pocketed her phone and began to stand. “Which one?”

“All of them.”

Over the span of another two and a half weeks, Damian managed to help Janis set up a plan where she could finally confess her feelings to [Y/N] and ask her out. The day had come that they agreed to put it into motion. Janis had never felt so nervous before. Not when she had a class presentation, not during any of the art contests she had participated in, and not even when she came back to school after leaving for the final half of her eighth grade year. She knew how to handle those levels of anxiety, but not this.

Never before had she confessed to someone–let alone someone she could actually picture a future with. In the past, when she found herself developing some sort of crush on another girl in her class, it was short lived. She never had to deal with the feeling long, which is why her feelings for [Y/N] became very evident after reflecting for a while.

In the days leading up to her confession, Janis more often than not found herself sketching [Y/N] on everything. She wasn’t able to focus during classes, so she’d pretend she was taking notes or working on an assignment to hide her inattention from the teacher. Even when [Y/N] wasn’t there for her to see, Janis was still doodling her from memory on anything and everything available to her.

Her sketchbook had been filled to the brim with illustrations of the girl before, but the closer she got to the end of the book, the more the pages seemed to be occupied by her face. No matter what she tried–playing video games, watching movies, going to work after school–she couldn’t get [Y/N] out of her head. More than usual, anyway. Tucked away in the corner of her  room, hidden by a thin white sheet, she kept a canvas propped up on her favorite easel. Underneath the cover lay a portrait of [Y/N] she had spent weeks on, always finding another flaw that had her repainting over the dried, flaking pigment.

In her mind, Janis could picture the girl so easily. She could recall every little marking, whether it be a scar or a freckle of some kind, it was so vivid. On her canvas and on paper, however, she just couldn’t seem to get it right. She wanted the illustrations and paintings she made of her to be perfect because that’s how she saw her.

That’s how she had always seen her.

It felt nice thinking about someone she loved so much, but it also worsened her anxiety for her upcoming plans.

She waited until school had been let out for a holiday toward the end of the second semester to carry them out. It would allow for her to set up an outdoor date that would hopefully take place past the beginning of her and Damian’s ideas, as well as give her time off from both school and work.

After making sure [Y/N] was ready for the day, Janis let her know she was headed in her direction to pick her up. The entire drive there, everything about her was shaky, including her breathing. By the time she arrived, her mind was numb and her limbs were tingling. She barely managed to type out a coherent message to let the girl know she was there. Her breathing only got worse once [Y/N] was in the car with her, sat so close to Janis, yet so far away somehow. When she greeted her, her voice cracked and shook, furthering her embarrassment. [Y/N] giggled at her, so she looked down. “God, fuck my voice,” she mumbled.

Again, [Y/N] chuckled, but planted her hand gently on the goth’s shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. “Hey, I don’t know why you’re getting so flustered about it. Do you not remember when we first met back in elementary school? You know. When I was crying?” Janis sat up a little straighter and smirked. “Because another kid ate one of your dino nuggets during snack time? Yeah, I remember that. Squeakiest voice I’ve ever heard, even to this day.” [Y/N] faked a gasp and a look of offense, bringing her free hand to her chest in an exaggerated manner. “How dare you say that when Karen Smith exists in the same town as us?”

Finally, Janis snickered at her, turning back to the wheel and shifting her gear into drive. “Fair point,” she replied. She leaned over a bit. “You’re definitely the runner up, though.” A scoff and a playful shove was what she was greeted with in reply, prompting her to finally let out a proper laugh. Her smile visibly faltered for just a moment at the feeling of [Y/N]’s hand sliding off of her shoulder a moment later and moving back to rest in her lap in the passenger seat.

“So, what all are we doing today?” At this, Janis’s anxiety spiked once again. “Well, I thought we could go see a movie and then go eat somewhere before I show you the surprise I have for you.”

[Y/N] leaned over a bit, drawing out a long “oooh” with a dorky grin. “What’s the surprise?” Janis laughed and gently pushed her back, even though she didn’t want to. “If I told you the surprise, then it wouldn’t be a surprise.” Again, the girl in the passenger seat faked a look of hurt, though it was quickly replaced with a smirk. “Okay, okay, fine. Fair enough.”

As Janis began leading the car in the direction of the nearest movie theater, [Y/N] slipped her phone out from her back pocket and began typing away and swiping through her apps. Unintentionally, Janis continued to glance over at her and her screen periodically, some unknown feeling bubbling up underneath her skin and causing her throat to fall dry. Her hand slipped to the side to turn the AC’s settings up higher, then drove upwards to run down her face as she sighed. Whatever it was that she was feeling was making her burn up.

[Y/N]’s attention was drawn to Janis’s motions, her head perking up and turning in her direction. “You good?” The goth only nodded, desperately trying to scrounge up some sort of excuse as to why she was suddenly far more flustered than she previously was mere moments ago. “Yeah, I just…I’m really hoping you’ll like the surprise when we get to it. I worked really hard on it.” A small pause. “Oh.” Another pause, one that had Janis fighting the urge to scratch or pick at something with her fidgety hands.

“I’m sure it’ll be amazing, Jan. You don’t need to worry about anything.”

With a bit of force, Janis managed to convince her lungs to work properly again. She sucked in a deep breath, trying to hide her struggle in the motion, and let it slip back out in the form of a heavy sigh. “Yeah, okay,” she replied softly. Thankfully, before things could grow even more awkward, Janis pulled into the parking lot of the movie theater. She switched the engine off and tucked her keys away in one of the pockets of her black, baggy cargo pants. “Well, I guess we should get inside if we wanna get through the long ass line for concessions,” she explained as she pushed her door open and slipped out of the car.

Without thinking too much about it, Janis sped over to the passenger side and tugged the door open for [Y/N], who glanced up at her with a confused stare. She quickly chuckled, however, and stepped out, moving over far enough for Janis to close the door again and lock the car. “Such a gentlewoman,” she teased, prompting the goth’s pale face to flush red again. She still laughed, even through her slight embarrassment, and rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re welcome.”

“Thanks,” came her reply, though it was accompanied by a small bump against her shoulder. She had turned to walk towards the entrance, but [Y/N] had almost immediately caught up with her and nudged her arm with her own. Janis grinned at her and double checked that her car was locked before they got too far. As she stuffed her hands into her front pockets, Janis found herself glancing around at the other people littering the street nearby.

She subconsciously let her teeth hook against her bottom lip as she spotted the couples walking in and out of the building, each one leaning against each other and sharing light conversation or cracking jokes. Her fingers bent upwards, allowing her to toy with her rings as she managed to tear her eyes away from a pair sharing a quick kiss and focus on the ground in front of her. For just a moment, her eyes glimpsed over at [Y/N], who was squinting to try and read the movie posters lined up on the wall still halfway across the parking lot.

Janis couldn’t bite back her small smirk at her focused expression, though she let her gaze drop back down to continue watching her feet leading her forward. Too caught up in her thoughts, Janis let out a startled gasp when she felt two arms wrap themselves around her left one. One hooked around her elbow, the other sliding down so a hand could rest on her forearm. She turned her head to face who had clutched onto her, her cheeks and ears bursting with color as [Y/N] stepped closer and beamed up at her. “A-Ah, you okay?” Was all she could manage to ask between stuttering breaths.

“Yeah, I just like your jackets. They’re cozy, even if I’m not the one wearing them. Like, this sleeve?” [Y/N] gently patted the section of Janis’s sleeve covering her bicep to clarify, making the other girl jump, “it’s soft. Not sure how. Looks really rough, but it’s not.” She giggled to herself for a second. “Kinda like you.”

A darker shade of crimson dusted Janis’s already reddened face. “What?” [Y/N] smirked at her reaction. “Well, I mean, a lot of people are scared of you–specifically the freshmen–but I’m pretty sure it’s just because of your style. You’re really good with comebacks too, and even when they’re mean, they’re still funny as fuck. I think people are just afraid to confront you because they know you’ll destroy them. But you’re actually the sweetest person I know. And you’re really cool. I don’t think you and I have ever really gotten into an actual argument, but I also think it’s because you make sure to listen to me and hear me out.

“Most of the time. Unless you’re trying to lecture me on my gaming skills.” Janis smiled at her last statement, though her heart hammered against her ribs for the small speech before. She thinks I’m sweet? And cool? Unintentionally, she tuned out the majority of what the conversation was about as they both headed inside, the wide, sheepish grin never leaving her lips.

They got their tickets checked, stepped into line, got their drinks and snacks, then headed to the room playing the movie they were there for. As they sat in their seats toward the back of the room, Janis finally felt her spiked nerves subsiding a bit, realizing they could both focus on the movie and avoid having to make awkward conversation.

She didn’t pay attention to most of the film. Although her anxiety had calmed, it was certainly still there. Each time she thought of what she had planned next, another wave of trembling shot through her body. Roughly halfway through, [Y/N] shivered, shifted in her seat, and grumbled something under her breath, gaining Janis’s attention. Sensing eyes now on her, [Y/N] made eye contact and sent a nervous smile in her direction. “Sorry, I just keep forgetting how cold this damned theater is.”

Janis hummed, and almost instantly, after putting her box of small chocolates down, she slid her jacket from her arms. She leaned over a bit, motioning for [Y/N] to lean forward. When she did, the goth dropped the jacket gently on her shoulders and pulled it around her a bit before moving to sit properly in her chair again. She fought the urge to glance back over at [Y/N], but from the corner of her eye, she could see the girl tug the jacket snug around her frame. She let out a gentle sigh at the warmth.

Janis cracked a smile without realizing. She picked her overpriced sweets back up and pulled another one from the box, popping it in her mouth before scooching over enough to take a sip from her soda. For the remainder of the movie, the two sat in silence, simply enjoying each other’s presence. When the film ended and the lights came on, they got up and wordlessly left the theater. Once they were in the car, Janis finally fully looked over at [Y/N], sucking in a breath at the sight of the jacket now fully on her.

Sometime during the ending, [Y/N] had ultimately slipped her arms into the sleeves to wear it properly. Janis beamed, feeling a strange sense of pride. “So,” [Y/N] chirped, snapping her out of her trance. “Which restaurant are we going to?”

Oh, right. Her plans.

Janis, to distract herself momentarily, turned her car on and began the journey to the restaurant she had made a reservation at prior to the movie. She checked the time before answering. “Ah, it’s that new Italian place down by the mall.” “Oh, cool! Have you heard if it’s good?” “Yeah, it’s got a lot of good reviews online. It was also honestly the only place I could find that the two of us haven’t both been to.” [Y/N] laughed gently. “Yeah, but who knew we’d end up being drawn to so many different places here?”

The time at the restaurant, much like the theater, was hard to pay attention to for Janis. Throughout the meal, even when she didn’t realize it, she could be caught practically staring at [Y/N] as they both ate their dishes. She managed to focus enough to answer any questions thrown her way and keep the conversation going, but had anyone asked what they talked about, she wouldn’t be able to answer.

By the time they had made it back to the car, [Y/N] was able to tell something was wrong. As soon as the car started and Janis pulled out onto the road to head toward her next plan, [Y/N] tapped her arm to get her attention. A hum slipped from the goth to show she had acknowledged the touch, though she kept her eyes on the road. “Are you alright? You’ve been really…quiet. Like, all day.”

Shit.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m still just really nervous about the whole surprise thing. Which…is where we’re going now.”

After she pulled up to an empty parking lot, Janis took a breath, practically freezing in her seat as [Y/N] slowly got out of the car. A moment or so later, at the sound of a knock on her window, the goth finally pulled her attention away from the steering wheel to find [Y/N] standing there, confused. Finally, she managed to pry herself out of the driver’s seat and close the door. She locked the car with trembling hands before wordlessly walking in a random direction. With a small squeak of surprise, [Y/N] jogged to catch up with her, immediately questioning where she was headed.

“Oh, right,” Janis muttered, glancing up at the now concerned girl for just a second. She turned around to face where she was walking again. “Sorry, I’m just…I’m leading you to where the surprise is, I just forgot to say that somehow.” “Oh.”

Too anxious, Janis couldn’t force herself to blurt anything out, too afraid of making small talk as they headed to where her source of anxiety was originating from. The entirety of the walk, [Y/N] trailed behind her and quickly told herself to just look around at the scenery. They had stopped at some kind of large park, though the part they were headed toward looked more like the entrance of the woods. The sight at the darker shade under the trees caused her nerves to spike, though she calmed down when Janis finally managed to mumble a really soft–almost inaudible–“we’re almost there.”

The closer they got to the wooded part of the field, the more concerned and puzzled [Y/N] grew. Finally, just as she was ready to ask if they were lost, or if Janis planned on killing her–which in her mind made sense, considering the goth had started acting weird in the past hour–Janis sighed and stepped to the side. She lifted and waved her arm, motioning toward a small setup partially in the shade. “We’re here.”

[Y/N] turned her focus to the setup, which made her gasp softly. It was a classic picnic scene: a red and white checkered blanket laid out neatly underneath a large oak tree, a small woven basket weighing one of the corners down, and a cooler for the drinks. However, a decently sized gift was wrapped up and was propped up against the bark. “Surprise,” Janis murmured, snapping [Y/N] out of her surprised trance.

“Oh, Janis,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful.” Janis seemed surprised at her words, a small smile finally painting her lips again. “Really? I figured you’d find it cliche or something.” [Y/N] chuckled and gently nudged the goth’s shoulder. “I mean, you know I love a good cliche. It’s not a bad thing.”

After sharing an awkward grin, the two of them headed over to the blanket and sat down. They picked a few snacks from the basket on the corner, as well as a drink from the cooler, then ate slowly as they did their best to strike up a normal conversation. This worked for a very short amount of time, but [Y/N] eventually gave in and finally asked what it was all for, to which Janis grew nervous all over again.

She tried to find a way to segway smoothly into her confession, but eventually realized there was no point in trying to appear confident. She had blown that long ago. With a heavy sigh of defeat, she stared down at her lap, fiddling with the tab of her soda can to pull her attention away from the set of eyes on her. “Okay, I can’t keep this up anymore,” she began.

“I brought you here because I–” She swallowed hard and shut her eyes. It was just a confession. How hard could it possibly be?

“I brought you here, and did everything else today, to tell you that I really like you. Like, I’m in love with you. A-And I wanted to bring you here to ask you to be my girlfriend.” A moment passed where the two just sat in silence, and although she didn’t want to, Janis finally managed to open her eyes again to glance up at [Y/N]. She worried she had been completely ignored, but she mainly feared she was about to be made fun of by the one girl she actually had serious feelings for.

Instead, she was greeted with the sight of [Y/N] blushing for the first time that evening, a small smile cracked across her lips. “Uh,” the goth stuttered. “It’s fine if you say no. When I told Damian about wanting to ask you out, he said I should make the whole thing special, so…here we are.” More silence, though Janis couldn’t tell that it was only there because [Y/N] couldn’t find the right words to express how she felt. After what felt like a whole hour to her, Janis finally sighed and put her drink down, readying herself to stand up. “This was a mistake, wasn’t it?”

As she began to lift herself off the blanket beneath her, a hand grasped her wrist, halting her movements and prompting her to sit down again. “No, I’m sorry, Jan! It wasn’t a mistake, I just…I never thought you’d actually ask.”

Janis could only gawk at her, mouth agape. “Huh?”

[Y/N] giggled at her reaction. “I would love to be your girlfriend, Janis.”

More laughter stemmed from Janis sitting there, purely dumbfounded as she visibly tried to process the words. Finally, a bright smile graced her lips, one wider than ever before. An excited glimmer shone in her eyes. “Wait, really? You would?” “Yeah, of course!”

Janis finally let out a laugh, then a sigh as she shifted to fall over and let her head land in [Y/N]’s lap. “Oh thank fucking god,” she blurted, causing the girl to chuckle and gaze down at her in slight bewilderment. “I’m so tired. I spent so much time planning this whole thing out. I wanted things to be perfect. I didn’t know you were going to say yes like it was the most obvious thing on earth.” They shared a laugh, the previously thick tension finally lifting.

“Yeah, no, I was always gonna say yes. But don’t worry, I really loved everything we did today. Uh, well, except when you were leading me to the woods and started acting weird. Thought I was about to be wiped from this planet.” Janis snickered again. “Nah, I wouldn’t do that to you.” She grinned softly up at her, shifting to lean against [Y/N]’s stomach. “But I am glad you liked everything today. That’s a relief.”

[Y/N] beamed wider and nodded. She drove her free hand upwards to let her fingers rake through the goth’s dark strands, causing her to let her eyes to flutter shut and lean into the touch. They stayed like that for a while, but [Y/N] eventually had a small reminder pop into her head. “Oh, what’s the box against the tree for by the way?”

Janis’s eyes shot open again, a deep crimson red dusting her cheeks. “Ah, well…” She hesitantly sat up and stood long enough to pick up the present and hand it to [Y/N]. She sat back down next to her and watched as she carefully peeled open the gift. Once it was mostly torn away, [Y/N] gasped gently at the sight of a canvas with a portrait of her, glazed over nicely with Janis’s signature down in the bottom left corner, right next to a small note.

To the one person who has always seen the best in me and has never treated me poorly. I hope this painting does you justice.

Silently waiting for a response, Janis kept glancing over between the portrait and [Y/N], trying to gauge her reaction. When she got nothing, the overly anxious girl cleared her throat. “Do you…like it?” Finally, [Y/N] turned to face her. “Are you kidding? I fucking love it,” was her reply. Janis huffed out a sigh of relief from the reassurance and smirked, leaning against the other girl’s shoulder and closing her eyes again. “Jesus Christ, another huge relief. I love you so much.”

Softly, [Y/N] nuzzled her head against Janis’s, slipping one hand from the partially unwrapped canvas to lift it and cup the girl’s cheek, her fingertips lightly grazing her raven hair.

“I love you too.”

I Adore You

[Five Nights at Freddy's] Vanessa Shelly x Female Reader

Summary: She loves everything you do, even if you aren't aware of it.

Word Count: 2.40k Content Warnings: Oblivious reader, brief mentions of anxiety Category: Heavy Fluff || One-shot

[A/N]: Not proofread. Requests are currently being worked on.

Enjoy!

It seemed as though people were chatting away and snickering at you each time you were with Vanessa. You couldn’t understand why. She was your best friend, and you were just hanging out together. What could be so funny about that? Out on walks at the park, a group of girls would lean over to whisper to each other when you and Vanessa passed. When shopping at the mall or the local grocery store, the customers nearby and the clerks seemed to gossip about the two of you with teasing grins on their faces. Even when you would just go out to eat somewhere, it seemed as though the people who noticed the two of you together were talking about you.

What was so interesting about two people hanging out? Why weren’t they gossipping about other people nearby instead? You couldn’t wrap your head around it no matter how long you thought about the constant glances and hushed words. At first, you had thought it was just a coincidence that you and Vanessa were singled out, but as it happened more and more, you started to wonder if it was something about you. There was no way they could be making fun of Vanessa. Even so, looking down at yourself each time and taking note of your appearance, you had no idea what was being discussed so quietly.

The one place, aside from home, where you could escape the chatter was the Diner that Mike worked at with the animatronics. There, with Mike and Abby to keep you company, you could relax and just spark up a normal conversation with Vanessa without worrying about judgemental glares focused directly on you.

However, it seemed that as of recently you had no escape anymore aside from home. Mike, and even Abby herself, were constantly smirking knowingly whenever you and Vanessa would sit down and speak about your days. You couldn’t figure out why, and it was really starting to get under your skin. Surely there was something that you weren’t seeing. That had to be it.

You had to figure it out. It was driving you insane.

As you sat at one of the dusty tables lining the floor of Fazbear’s Family Diner, your eyes trailed over the shapes etched into the party-themed fabric across the wooden top of the surface in front of you. Each small movement of your eyes symbolized a new thought being formed as you desperately wracked your brain to develop an understanding of the gossip.

When a hand came down to squeeze your shoulder and pull you out of your trance, you jumped and twirled in your seat to see who had disturbed you. “You doing okay?” Mike questioned quietly beside you.

Your mind seemed to falter in processing his words, and you only stared up at him for a moment because of it, prompting him to stare down at you in concern. Quickly, after catching a glimpse of Abby wandering nearby, you nodded. The last thing you wanted was to worry Abby as well. As Mike took a seat beside you, his worried expression shifted into a teasing smirk. “Thinking about Vanessa, huh?” For a reason you couldn’t pinpoint, your face flustered at his words.

“Yeah, kind of.”

“Kind of?”

“Well, I just…” You paused, gaze returning to the table as you struggled to form the right words. “People seem to keep laughing and gossipping about Vanessa and I whenever we hang out, and I’m starting to wonder if it’s because of me.”

“Are you serious? Of course it’s because of you.”

You scoffed, swatting his arm. “Mike!” He laughed at the motion and leaned back before you could smack him again. “What?” “Are you kidding? What do you mean “what?” You didn’t have to be that blunt about it!” He chuckled again and shook his head. “Sorry, but it’s true. It’s not because you did anything, it's more so because you aren’t doing anything.”

Brows furrowed and features contorted from confusion, you glared at him. “Huh? What do you mean I’m not doing anything? What the hell am I supposed to be doing? We’re just hanging out when that happens, it’s nothing special.” At your words, he rolled his eyes. “Maybe not to you, but it’s pretty clear that Vanessa feels the opposite.”

He was met with silence. You could only continue to peer over at him as you tried your hardest to grasp his words and what they meant. “God, you really are clueless. Holy shit. Do you seriously not see the way she looks at you or notice the way she talks to you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone that lovestruck before. Kinda thought you were just playing hard-to-get with her for a while, but I guess you really are just that dense.”

Again, your knuckles met his shoulder in offense. “What the hell, man? She doesn’t like me like that. Even if she did, that wouldn’t explain why people are being so weird around us.” “Yeah, it does, actually.” “Huh?” The pads of his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. “You genuinely haven’t noticed how she acts around you?”

When he managed to look back up at you, it was clear your attention wasn’t fully on him anymore. He followed your eyes and turned around. Vanessa had walked in through the front door and immediately took notice of you. She beamed ear to ear and waved, and Mike didn’t even have to look back over at you to know you were smiling just as widely. He could hear the rustle of your sleeve as you waved back.

Before the grinning officer could trail over to you, Abby ran up to her and bounced for a bit before taking her hand and pulling her over towards the stage. There, she had Vanessa sit down with her as she picked up her drawings and began to show them to her. Briefly, Vanessa lifted her head enough to shoot a nervous smile your way before devoting her focus on the artwork being displayed for her.

The corners of Mike’s lips perked up in a small simper. He turned back to you to find you staring at the two. Instantly, he knew your eyes were fixated more on Vanessa.

Playfully, he nudged your arm. You finally turned around to face him. You whispered as softly as you could manage when you spoke again. “How would the way she’s acting around me affect the reactions we get from other people?” “Because she bends over backwards just to make you smile. Haven’t you noticed the amount of gifts she’s given you? Even if you haven’t, surely you know how she looks at you.”

“Looks at me?”

“She’s staring at you all the time, and she’s always got this weird, like, dorky grin when she does. It’s not hard to tell that she likes you.”

“I already know she likes me, Mike.”

“But do you know that she loves you?”

Your skin burned at the question. Instinctively, your hands flew up to cover your face in embarrassment. “There’s no way she loves me like that, Mike. No way at all. Don’t lie to me like that.” He groaned and bumped your shoulder again. “C’mon, just acknowledge it already. It’s not like she’s being very subtle about it. Are you really that oblivious?” You stayed silent. “Just think back on the past couple of months, would you? Anything she’s done for you or with you.” As if your mind wasn’t already racing fast enough, his suggestion only accelerated your thoughts.

Shit, he was right.

All the small presents she would drop off for you or hand to you each time you spent time together, with her small smiles as she explained how she thought of you when she saw whatever it was she had gifted to you.

How each day she had off from work would be spent together, and she would assure you that you were the only person she wanted to be with on those days off.

Every time she’d invite you to a nearby cafe or just to go out on a walk together and talk about whatever came to mind.

The soft, comforting touches when she tried to get your attention, or the firm hugs when you needed it, or the gentle jokes passed between the two of you whenever you were alone watching movies and eating the snacks she had bought specifically for the occasion.

The look in her eyes resembling someone so smitten anytime she so much as glanced in your direction.

Had she really been that obvious about everything? Were you really that blind to the meaning of her actions and words? If Mike’s words were true, that meant that everyone you had worried about in the previous months were all aware of it too, and you were the only one who had no idea. You grimaced at the idea of possibly upsetting Vanessa with how ignorant you had been. What if she thought you didn’t feel the same way?

You glanced over at her from your spot at the table. She looked so beautiful as she smiled and chuckled at whatever joke Abby had made. How had you not noticed how incredibly she had treated you?

“Why don’t you go tell her how you feel?” Mike asked gently beside you. You turned to him, muscles tense from unease. “I don’t know. What if I waited too long? What if she doesn’t actually feel that way about me anymore?” A quick shake of his head seemed to help settle your nerves just enough to look over at Vanessa again. “No way she doesn’t feel as strongly about you as she always has. Just go talk to her, okay?”

You weren’t sure if you could do it, but you stood without thinking regardless. A glance in his direction combined with his nodding aided your ability to suck in a sharp breath in an attempt to steel your nerves. Eyes glued to the floor beneath you, you meandered forward shakily until you stood beside Vanessa and Abby. The two looked up at you curiously, and you caught the way Vanessa’s eyes immediately lit up at the sight of you.

“Hey, uh,” you started, clearing your throat at the sound of your voice breaking. “Can I ask you something?” The officer nodded and slowly stood. “Is everything okay?” You nodded and tucked your hands behind your back to pick at each other. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m just… I have to ask you about something, but I don’t want it to sound weird.”

“Go ahead. I promise I won’t get upset.”

“Do you like me? Like, romantically?”

The space between the two of you seemed to fall completely silent. Vanessa’s face seemed to fluster as badly as yours and she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Oh,” she whispered.

“Well, I–”

“I thought that was obvious,” Abby blurted, still seated on the ground.

Vanessa laughed when you covered your face and gently took your hands into her own. “Abby,” Mike called from across the room. “Come over here for a minute, okay?” The little girl stood from her spot on the floor and skipped over to her older brother without paying any mind to how sheepish she had made you. When a sigh slipped past your lips, Vanessa shrugged. “I really did think I was being obvious about it. Honestly, I thought I was coming on too strong. Apparently not.”

You slid your hands out from hers and hugged your arms tightly, eyes averting in embarrassment at her words. “I just,” you murmured briefly before sighing. “I didn’t know. I thought you were just being really nice to me for no reason.”

“I mean, kind of, but it was mainly because I was too nervous to just ask you out. I was hoping you would get the hint and it would make it easier. Guess I should’ve upped the ante, huh?” Just as you had done to Mike, you swatted Vanessa’s arm gently and huffed, to which she chuckled at.

You waited a moment before peeking up at her. “Do you really like me that way?” She nodded with a wide smile painted across her lips. “I do. I really do. I adore every single part of you, good and bad. In fact, could you wait here for just a moment? I’ve got something out in my car for you.” You could only nod, barely registering anything past the confirmation of her confession.

Her hand patted your arm softly before she jogged toward the entrance and out through the large glass door. Only a moment later, she returned to her previous spot in front of you, now carrying a large bouquet of roses. She let her arm extend outwards to you and she waited for you to take the gift from her. “I was actually planning on confessing to you tonight after we were all ready to head home, but you kinda beat me to it. I guess I should honestly be thanking you for making it easier on me,” she explained with a timid laugh.

As you took the bouquet from her hand, she scratched the back of her neck. “So,” she murmured. “Do you… feel the same way?” Using the flowers as a makeshift shield, you hid part of your face as you whispered out a soft “yes” in response. A sigh fell from her lips as her tensed body finally relaxed. “Oh, thank god.” She stepped forward and took hold of your free hand. A quick tug in her direction caused you to practically fall into her embrace, and she held you close, her hold on you strong and comforting.

“I love you so much,” she finally confessed. It took a moment for the words to fully process themselves into your brain, but you ultimately hummed and returned the hug, unable to bite back your smile. “I love you too.”

When she leaned back, she cupped your face in her hands and let the pads of her thumbs stroke soothingly over your skin. She leaned forward and pressed a swift peck against your nose and then your forehead. Briefly, her lips met yours before she pulled back again.

“I hope you know I’m going to spoil the hell out of you.”

She smiled gleefully when you eagerly tugged her back into the kiss.