Heyo! Love your writing so much! Would you be able to take a request for Gurney? Was thinking like maybe the reader being Paul's older cousin and admitting their feelings to him after admiring him for years? Cheers <3
Gossip Like That
Gurney Halleck x Atreides!Reader
author's note: I'm literally over the moon at the fact you enjoy my writing!!!! like my heart grew 3 sizes like the grinch. This is pre-dune bc I want them to be happy 🤧
warnings: large age gap, not illegal tho, pretty much all fluff
wc: 1092
“He’s cute, isn’t he?” (Y/N) whispered to Paul as they sat next to each other in the imperial dining room, “Not exactly handsome, but distinguished…”
Paul turned to look at his older cousin, perplexed,
“The Earl’s son?” He inquired.
Oh right… they thought, the son.
(Y/N)’s eyes looked at Earl MacArthur’s son, Mikhail, who was sitting at the other end of the table with the Duke, Lady Jessica, and the War Master. Sure, he was handsome. But his eyes were dull and the only time he exhibited any sort of excitement was when he talked about inheriting his father’s rice empire. In other words, he was boring beyond belief. But he wasn’t the man who attracted their eyes. It was the man sitting diagonal to him. The War Master, Gurney Halleck.
His strong arms and calloused fingers made fire spread all over their skin. When he brushed his hand gently against their shoulder, when directing them into the proper stance for sparing, left goosebumps. Unknowingly, he was the subject of several stares from them. With them starting when (Y/N) came to Caladan to study interplanetary politics with their uncle, the Duke. (Y/N) thought they were safe to gaze at him a little longer, but sooner rather than later,
“Gurney!” Paul whisper-yelled, while accidentally slamming his fork down onto the table and making it clatter.
“Shut up!” They expressed that at the same time, the room went silent.
“Is everything alright?” the Duke asked with concern written on his face. Heat began to creep onto (Y/N) and Paul’s faces at the intrusion.
“Oh yes, everything-” (Y/N) announced before Paul cut in too quickly,
“It’s all fine here!”
“Alright,” Duke Leto replied, unconvinced, “continue.”
Just as fast as it started, everyone in the room began to fall into the rhythm they were in before. The room was filled with idle chatter and laughing once more. (Y/N) had their head down, looking at their plate, for the rest of the dinner only to bring it up while replying to a remark made by one of the guests at the table. And while it was down, they wouldn’t notice Gurney Halleck peeking over to ensure they were okay.
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It was just after dinner and Paul and (Y/N) were strolling blankly through the halls.
“I just don’t get what you see in him.” Paul began, “He’s not handsome or distinguished and contrary to popular belief, he’s not that great of a singer.”
“I thought you liked the man?” (Y/N) retorted.
“Yeah, as a teacher. Not as a suitor for you.” Paul stated like a lady of old that (Y/N) had studied years ago.
“But he’s just so-”
“(Y/N), he’s virtually bald.” Paul interrupted, “If you liked the person I said, I could condone that because he still has a full head of hair.”
“Oh please,” they scoffed, “we all know it’s thinning.”
“We all know whose hair is thinning?” Said that familiar gruff voice behind them, with a hint of a smile.
(Y/N) and Paul turned around to see Gurney Halleck standing with his feet shoulders width apart and hands behind his back. They were dumbfounded. They didn’t know how long he had been following them or how much he had heard. In some odd way, they had been caught.
Both of them lost their bearings and began to start mumbling out things that didn’t even make sense in this context.
“Oh look at the time!” Paul said while looking at his wrist that lacked a watch.
“I must be going!” He affirmed before all but running down the hall.
(Y/N) folded their lips together and started to pick at the skin around their thumb as Gurney began to walk closer to them; until he was arms length apart.
“I didn’t mean to intrude on your conversion, but it got interesting closer to the end.” He divulged. His lips were slightly quirked at the side of his mouth and his eyes had a newfound twinkle that wasn’t there before. Maybe it was the moonlight shining through a nearby open window, but (Y/N) thought that he was more beautiful than before.
“Mikhail,” they breathed out, “He’s the one whose hair is thinning…” They shifted their weight from heel to heel and picked their head up to look at him.
“That's who me and Paul were talking about.” They said quietly.
“And the other man?” He brought up teasingly. “Who’s he?”
“The man who is ‘bald’, an awful singer, and one of Paul’s teachers.” He toyed, “Who is he? Do I know him?”
“Gurney Halleck, how dare you assume I would partake in gossip like that!” (Y/N) fibbed to try and cover themself.
They turned around and began to walk away from the situation. But, the War Master only followed. He let them walk for a little bit before taking long strides to catch up to them. When he caught up, he grasped their wrist gently but firmly and spun them around to face him. (Y/N)’s hands fell onto his expansive shoulders. They could feel the old scars beneath the perfectly pressed uniform he wore for such an occasion. Their eyes were in a constant fight between looking at his lips and his eyes. His arm was wrapped around their waist and the other rested on the side of their arm.
“Come on, you can tell me.” He pleaded. His voice was lighter and his eyes were clear.
“Gurney Halleck.” they answered. “How dare you assume I partake in gossip like that.”
Their lips met in a frenzy. Gurney’s arm tightened around (Y/N)’s torso and pulled them in closer; his hand traveled from their arm to neck and his thumb made small circles. Their hands moved from his shoulders to his face as they continued to passionately kiss in the middle of the hall. They were chest to chest and oblivious to the world around them. It was like they became one person. It could have been minutes or hours before, breathlessly, they pulled apart, panting like dogs in the sun. The silence enveloped them like a shield protecting them from the blade of the world.
“Is it correct to assume that this man is in the room with us?” Gurney proposed to wind them up.
“No, that's incorrect. He’s the man in front of me.” (Y/N) came out with before kissing him again with even more passion.
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“So you and Gurney spoke last night”
“Shut up, Paul.”
