Grisham × really, really tired gn Reader ☕️💤
fluff, one shot, very tired reader, lap naps, forehead kisses, griselle disgusted at romance, this is not meant to be jacinthe bashing its just the plot
Summary: After finally escaping the clutches of Jacinthe, you stumble your overly exhausted self to Nouveau Café for a pick-me-up. Your weary body has other plans. An unexpected someone is there for you when you wake up, however.
tagging people >:3 @littlesugarbug @hakuaclovers @flagmuncher @probably-definitely-a-bard
———
You'd been practically dragged to this ridiculous fancy-rich-people party, and when you'd had to leave urgently to deal with more rogue mega pokemon, you'd been stalked, coerced, and quite literally kidnapped until you had finally agreed to go back. Normally after dealing with a wave of rogue megas, you'd go back to your hotel room to pass out for however long, letting your battle weary body finally rest. Not this time, however, as you had been dragged back to the stupid fancy party by the host's maid-dress-clad right-hand-lady before you could even get in the door. You couldn't even blame her for doing so, however, not after hearing how'd she gotten her position in the first place.
When you finally got back over there, and despite you practically begging; Jacinthe, the tournament's host, insisted that her "perfect" tournament must start now, and there was absolutely no time for something like a nap first.
You had managed to get through the tournament thus far, including Zygarde's impromptu additional battle. You were already thinking about stopping at that Café Nouveau place you liked (the one with the pretty waitress) before going back to the hotel to collapse. You weren't sure if it was just your fatigue talking, but you were beginning to forget when the last time you slept was. Was it one day...? Two? More than that? You truly had no idea anymore. However long it had been, you were going to need the caffeine afterwards. But before you could get your drink (and your nap...), you had one more match. Jacinthe herself, actually. And she was your next promotion match, so there was absolutely no way you were getting out of this.
But just because you were tired—utterly exhausted, really— didn't mean that you were just going to give in and let her win so easily. You were going to win, you were going to get your payback for everything she had put you through, and you would get your rank B. Then you could FINALLY get some sleep.
Before your battle, Urbain tried to give a final enthusiastic pep-talk, but all of his words just sort of melted together in one mass of vague encouragement in your head. As you stepped up to the battlefield, you were approached by Corbeau, and from what you remember of the stern-yet-worried expression on his face, and the way he reached out for your shoulder—almost as if he was steadying you from falling right over—you knew you really weren't doing well by then... But, stubborn as ever, you'd insisted you'd be just fine, and with that he reluctantly let you continue up to the battlefield with one last assurance of his own.
Your battle was by no means an easy victory, only made harder by your fatigue; but you and your loyal pokemon had just barely managed to pull it off, you had won. You could finally leave this stupid fancy party, change out of your ridiculous fancy outfit, and get back to the hotel. You were beginning to think you'd need that coffee just to have energy to even get back, and that was if you could even make it over to the café...
—
You could barely manage even staggering by the time you reached the café's truck. You collapsed onto one of the benches as soon as you'd gotten close enough to one. You were still wearing the ridiculous fancy outfit you'd been somehow convinced into wearing. And your eyes could barely stay open as you struggled to keep your head from nodding straight onto the table.
"So, hypothetically, how much espresso do you think you could you put into one drink? And can I order that?" you'd asked wearily to the waitress when she had come over to where you were barely managing to stay concious. She gave you a suspicious glare as she looked over your tired form, arms crossed as if she were judging you, and she definitely was.
"You look like you need to sleep, not to fill yourself up on caffeine," she commented in a rather harsh tone.
"I... I will," you protested weakly, "I just... I need it to get back... to my hotel..." you explained, your words slurring together a bit. You had to physically hold up your own head at this point, as it began to feel like weighed a million pounds on its own.
"Mhm. Sure, definitely..." the waitress added sarcastically. "I'll get you one of those Ember Roasts that you like, but then you'd better go and get some rest. I'll have Charizard drag you back if I have to. Deal?"
"Yes, please..." you agreed quietly.
"Good, now try not to pass out while you wait, okay?" she teased you lightly.
After a solid minute of processing, you were surprised to realize that she had remembered your order, without you even saying anything.
"Wait... you... you remember me? You remember what I get?" you asked her curiously as she turned to walk away.
"I remember how much of a tired wreck you always are when you show up, it makes it easier," the waitress replied smugly as she briefly turned back to you.
Okay. Just a few minutes and you'd have your drink. Just a few more minutes... Though maybe you could close your eyes just for a second... It wasn't like you'd fall asleep or anything... Despite your best efforts not to, you slowly slid back against the bench, your head eventually hitting the wooden seat with a soft thunk.
_
When Griselle had returned with your promised coffee, she threw her head back into a groaning sigh, seeing you soundly asleep on the café bench, still in your ridiculous gaudy suit. She had been joking when she told you not to pass out earlier; And she almost wished she hadn't said that at all... She set down your drink on the table anyways and then just kinda stared at you a bit. You were awfully still in your sleep. Almost concerningly so.
"Hey, Gris, come here for a second," Griselle called over to café's baristo, sounding somewhere between annoyed and concerned. She curiously poked a couple times at your soundly asleep body; you were not, in fact, dead, but it sure looked like it.
"Oh, they've fallen asleep, have they?" Grisham stated innocently, looking over you, "My, they look so tired..." he stated with sympathetic concern.
"They look dead," Griselle added flatly, hesitantly poking you one more time. The pair struggled to see if your chest was still rising and falling through the ruffles of your outfit, and concern flooded into their expressions as they looked at each other.
"Perhaps I'll just... confirm that they really are sleeping..." Grisham suggested awkwardly, sincerely hoping you had not just died on the café's premises. He approached you, and carefully reached down for your neck, checking you for a pulse.
Thankfully, you were warm and you definitely still had a pulse. You seemed to be fine; just VERY tired. Grisham sat down next to you on the bench where you lie, inspecting you closer.
"I think now is a good time for a break, don't you, Griselle?" he asked her with a smile. She wasn't gonna argue with a break. Grisham carefully lifted your head up onto his leg, letting you rest your tired head in his lap; figuring it'd be a bit more comfortable than the bench. You let out a soft moan and stirred a tiny bit, but didn't actually wake up. He began to idly stroke your hair, in a gentle petting motion. Griselle gave him an odd look when she noticed.
"What do you think you're doing? Stop doing that, it's weird," she chided at her coworker's strangely affectionate gesture. "They don't even know your name yet and now you're going to let them sleep in your lap?"
"They're tired, they clearly need the rest. I've just made them a bit more comfortable," Grisham defended calmly. "Though I suppose we've yet to introduce ourselves properly before now, haven't we?"
"And you say like that like you haven't been doing it on purpose..." Griselle added.
As much as he probably shouldn't have, and as much he wouldn't admit to it no matter how much Griselle would tease him about it; Grisham could at least admit to himself that he had taken a liking to you in particular...
Like Griselle would, he'd notice when you'd show up to the café, always looking so exhausted. Sometimes you'd show up with those friends of yours, and sometimes you'd just come by yourself (and maybe a pokemon). But either way, your tired face would remain unchanged. He would wonder about it sometimes: Did you just always look like that? Did you have insomnia like he did? What job did you even work to get yourself this tired all the time?
Once or twice he'd thought of just asking you himself—politely, of course—but never did, not wanting to pry into your personal life too much. Maybe he would when you woke up, if he found the courage to. He wasn't insecure– he was just... aware of himself. And everything that would make people off-put from him...
At least you looked peaceful as you napped, despite your otherwise fancy and frazzled appearance. He was rather curious about that too, though he could guess it had something to do with how Lebanne had showed up your gathering at the café a few days ago. It seemed like Griselle was thinking the same thing.
"What do you think they even were doing in that ridiculous get-up?" Griselle pondered aloud, looking down at you as you slept.
"I believe they may have gone and gotten themselves entangled in that SBC group..." Grisham replied sympathetically.
"Ugh, I'm not surprised it'd be them. They're so pushy..." Griselle scoffed, "And I was wondering what Lebanne had been here for... But it looks like they got another one." Griselle didn't personally know Jacinthe, but she was old friends with Lebanne. She was also pretty sure that she and Grisham would have been hassled by them all the time as well had they not kept their identities mostly secretive.
"The poor thing..." Grisham added solemnly.
"Well, they're not in a maid outfit yet, and they did come here by themselves... Maybe they're not totally lost..." Griselle suggested hopefully. Her words seemed to spark something inside of Grisham, sparked a feeling. A fullness in his grew in his chest as he looked down at you, still so peaceful in your sleep, and a small smile grew across his face. He knew then that you were something he wanted to protect.
——
Despite him saying they would just be taking break, it was an hour later, and Grisham hadn't moved from where he had sat with you, even with Griselle heckling him about it. He just didn't want leave you or wake you up yet...
Suddenly you stirred a bit with a groan, and he looked back down to you as your eyes began to flicker open. The first sensation you felt as you awoke was how your head felt like it was on something soft and warm, or at least, more than you'd expect from the wooden bench you laid on. When your eyes blinked open you were immediately surprised to see your eyes lock with someone else's. Eyes narrow, piercing, and auburn in color looked down at you, and you felt your heart skip a beat or two as you suddenly filled with panic.
You tried to sit up, but you found you couldn't. You were still exhausted and feeling sore, and thought that might've been why, but you found you actually couldn't sit up due to a hand placed over your chest, gently urging you to lay back down. You realized you had been laying in someone's lap. Sweet Arceus, you had done it now. In your exhaustion you had gone and fallen asleep on someone for who knows how long...
Shame grew inside of you as you quickly began to stutter a still-half-asleep apology, "Did... did I fall asleep on you?! I'm so, so, so sorry–! I-I promise I didn't mean to!"
You further realized from the way the man's expression briefly shifted to a pleasant eyes-closed smile who's lap you had fallen asleep in. You had somehow fallen asleep on the café's baristo, the man who normally stood behind the counter of the truck.
"Please calm down, alright?" he soothed, "You've nothing to be sorry for," he calmly assured you, looking at you with a sympathetic expression. Looking back into his eyes, you realized you had actually never even seen them before now... Your brain was still clouded, but you would absolutely remember if you had seen eyes like his before...
"B-but I fell asleep on you... A-and you're working..." You sputtered in response.
"I've taken a break, it's no problem," he said nonchalantly. Great. You had managed to fall asleep on him on his break. That was arguably worse, you thought.
"Still... I doubt you wanted a stranger falling asleep onto you while you're trying to relax... I'm sorry..." you apologized to him again, cringing, still full of embarassment.
"And I told you you've nothing to apologize for," he repeated to you. "You've not caused me any trouble at all, alright?" He was insistent on reassuring you, reaching down to cradle the side of your face in an oddly affectionate gesture. You let out an embarrassing squeak at it.
"You looked so awfully exhausted, I only wanted to let you rest a bit more comfortably," he explained to you sympathetically. The dots were beginning to connect in your mind, but they still didn't make very much sense to you.
"You... let me sleep on you?" you guessed, still sounding quite confused. He nodded at you with a warm smile. "F-for how long?" you asked. He was about to answer you, but you heard a woman's voice interject first.
"Oh, you're finally up? You were out for like, an hour..." she informed you, you looked up and saw it was the pretty waitress. Now you were only more embarrassed.
"I knew this was a bad idea. I told you it was weird, Gris, but you wouldn't listen," she chided her colleague. You wondered if what she called him was his name. You realized you didn't actually know it. You didn't know either of their names, despite how many times you had come there.
"I thought I told you not to pass out when I left, didn't I?" she teased you with faux-annoyance. "You were so still when I got back that I thought you died." You got flustered when heard that. As if you weren't embarrassed enough...
"Griselle, leave them alone, please? They're already stressed enough," the man turned and reprimanded her. 'Griselle' must've been her name. She let out an angry huff and gave him a final dirty look before sulking off.
"'Gris'?" you repeated back to him, "Is that your name?" you questioned, looking up at him confused.
"Grisham," he corrected you gently and with a warm expression. "That's my name, yes." He gave you a little nod of confirmation.
"Do you always wait until someone's fallen asleep on you to tell them your name?" you asked, your tone playful. Grisham laughed a bit in response.
"I think I'd have to say no to that," he replied, "You are... a special case," he added, a bit awkwardly.
"I'm special? Because you didn't tell me for so long?" you guessed, though you weren't bitter about it.
"You are special," he paused. Special to him, and especially cute, he'd wanted to say, but didn't. "But not for that reason," Grisham said instead. "I had meant to tell you sooner, my apologies for that."
"Oh," you responded simply, "Are you shy?" your tone was genuine and not teasing, but it felt that way to him as he fought to keep a reddish blush from coming to his cheeks.
Shy for you? Definitely. He wanted to say. "No... not... usually," Grisham strained out his response like it hurt to say the words, and he technically wasn't even lying.
"Oh, and uhh, thanks for umm... doing this for me, Grisham..." You thanked him quietly, trying not to get flustered yourself, still mildly embarassed about the whole thing.
You were still laying in his lap after all this time. And seeing you look up at him like you did, and hearing the way his name came so beautifully off of your lips, Grisham almost couldn't take it. He had to subtly bite the inside of his to maintain his composure. Why did you have to be so cute? Why couldn't he just come out and say something about it?
"You're very welcome. But please do get some more rest soon, okay?" His tone remained as even as it had been, but by now a deep red flush had covered Grisham's cheeks.
"I... will," you promised, blushing just as much him now. Neither of you could look at each other anymore. "You probably need to get back to work, don't you..." you asked solemnly, secretly not wanting your moment with him to end.
"I believe I do," Grisham confirmed, seemingly just as melancholic about it as you were. He helped you carefully sit back up, and then got up from the bench himself. You wanted to protest at loss of his comfortable warmth cradling you, but you resisted.
But just as he turned to walk back up to the truck, he suddenly went still. He made a decision in that moment: He wasn't going to wait any longer.
"Do you"—Grisham struggled to push out the words that felt caught in his throat—"have any plans for dinner tonight? Would you perhaps care to join me after I've finished here?" You let out a surprised squeak at his proposition as heat flooded your face.
"I... would like that..." you confessed to him quietly. "I promise I won't fall asleep on you... again," you said with awkward laughter.
"And I promise I won't mind if you do," Grisham added fondly as he started back towards the truck again. You got up and suddenly wrapped your arms around him from behind into a hug, startling him just a tiny bit.
"I'll see you later."
Grisham freed one of his arms from where yours pinned them to his side to brush a strand of hair from your face, and turned his head back to where you clung to him, "Come back at 8, alright?"
In one ultimate act of affection, he leaned in just a bit more to you, and gave you a kiss on the forehead.
"UGH, will you stop being GROSS and get back to WORKING already?!" Griselle complained loudly at the sight.
You released him from your tight embrace, and began to walk away when you heard hin call to you, hanging off the truck's door.
"Why don't you stay for a drink? You never had yours earlier," he offered looking rather smug, doing it if only just to spite his repulsed co-worker a little more.
"That sounds great," you agreed with a smug look of your own, returning right back to your table.
———
yay!!! yippee!!! what did you think :DDD i hope you liked it :3