#elliott wright

[malehub20]

ELLIOTT WRIGHT

[whump-me-all-night-long]

The Scoop of a Lifetime - 2-17

Comfortember Day 17 - Flashbacks

Tagging @mnmlover2002 @cupcakes-and-pain @lave-e @appy-polly-loggies @lovely-little-whumpee @just-another-whumper let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: nightmares, flashbacks, PTSD, referenced trauma, referenced violence, imagined death, referenced attempted execution, let me know if I missed anything!

Masterlist // Previous

---

Devin curled into the warmth of the thick blankets layered over them, their mind racing as they were trapped in the deep thralls of sleep.

They were being forced down on their knees, the one person they thought might actually sympathize with them and help them holding a gun to their head. The way he stared at them so soullessly, considering pulling the trigger.

They were being ruthlessly hit and choked and hurt over and over, their ragged voice pleading with the monster that they weren’t going to escape, that he’d already broken them too well for them to try that. The way he grinned at them with the promise of more and more pain to come.

They were being dragged along, explosions and gunfire and screams and pain and blood and death surrounding them. The way he carried them, protected them, kept them trapped in the nightmare they were stuck in.

They were being shot at and shot right after coming face to face with death. The way he hadn’t hesitated and the way that he had.

They were being forced to their knees to beg, throwing their pride and dignity to the wind in the hopes of surviving. The way he watched them like they were his favorite TV show, grinning sickeningly.

They were being cut into and burned and hurt over and over, unable to escape from their twisted captor. The way he found excitement and entertainment in finding new ways to break them, test their limits, destroy those limits.

They were being dragged into a room, too terrified to struggle against the man holding them, a man that would soon become the closest thing they had to a friend. The way he first looked at them, as if they were a toy to break, a pet to play with.

-

Devin was back in that grassy field, back on their knees, every part of their body screaming in pain. Duncan stood above them, fidgeting with the gun, a myriad of emotions playing on his face.

They tried to plead with him, beg him, reason with him, but their voice came out nothing more than a hoarse whisper. He glanced at them, something in his face solidifying.

Raising the gun, he aimed it at their head. They blinked, and he pulled the trigger.

They were back in the field, this time with both Duncan and Wildre.

Duncan was holding the gun, looking between them and Wildre. “Please, sir,” he was saying in a low voice. “All I’m saying is that maybe you’re being a bit too hasty. Surely-”

Wildre whipped out his gun and shot Duncan square between the eyes. Devin opened their mouth to scream before he was turning the gun on them and pulling the trigger.

They were back in the field, but they weren’t kneeling this time. 

Instead, Duncan was kneeling in front of them. A low, too-familiar voice murmured in their ear, “Shoot him. Kill him, or I kill him.” They glanced behind them, and saw Wildre holding a gun to Elliott’s head. They felt the weight of the gun in their hand and shakily raised it in Duncan’s direction. 

“Please,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and his eyes desperate. “Please, Devin, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you, please don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry too, Duncan.” They squeezed their eyes shut and pulled the trigger.

They were back in the field, back on their knees, only this time it was the right shade of gray eyes staring at them.

“Elliott,” they murmured, staring up into his face, normally so soft and kind, now twisted into an expression of disgust and hate.

He sneered at them, handling the gun with ease. “Hello, Dev.” They winced back as he put the barrel under their chin, tilting their head up. “I can’t believe you did all these pathetic things. It disgusts me. I’ll be doing you a mercy.”

They couldn’t seem to look away, not even as he pressed the gun against their lips, forcing their mouth open and shoving the barrel in until they gagged. Even as they tasted the metallic tang of gunpowder and blood, they still stared up at him, silently pleading. Not you. Anyone but you.

Elliott scoffed, glancing over his shoulder at another gray-eyed figure. “You were right. They really are broken, huh?”

Wildre stepped forward with a smirk. “That they are.” Devin couldn’t help the tears escaping down their face as they kneeled like that.

Elliott gave them a dismissive glance, a plea dying on their lips, as he pulled the trigger.

Please, Elliott, I’m sorry, please, I love you, don’t do this, I’m so sorry, I’m broken, you deserve better, don’t do that, get away, please.

I love you.

I’m sorry.

Next

[whump-me-all-night-long]

The Scoop of a Lifetime - 2-8

Comfortember Day 8 - Lashing out

Tagging @mnmlover2002 @cupcakes-and-pain @lave-e @appy-polly-loggies @lovely-little-whump @just-another-whumper let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: accidental triggering, reference trauma, trauma response, lashing out, let me know if I missed anything!

Masterlist // Previous

---

The next few days found Devin holed up in their apartment, slowly beginning to sleep for longer periods. They were still plagued by the terrible nightmares, but at least they were getting sleep. They had also given in to Elliott’s tea, drinking a cup or two each night before bed, and they were reluctant to admit that it was helping, if just a bit.

Elliott dropped by once or twice a day, usually on his way to or from work at the Muse. Devin didn’t even know if they still had a job or not. Elliott promised that they did, that their not working was just a temporary situation while they were healing. They always wanted to how can i heal when i’m broken i’m already damaged beyond repair laugh when he said that.

Elliott stopped by early evening one day, his usual knock of one slow rap of knuckles before three quick ones ringing through the apartments. Devin slowly stood from where they’d been sitting on their couch, legs propped up and TV blaring some reruns of a mindless reality show.

The process of getting to the door was slow, courtesy of their crutches, but eventually Devin made it over to the door, unlocking the multiple locks and cracking open the door. Elliott grinned, holding up a brown sack. 

“I brought food!” he said in greeting, and Devin gave a little roll of their eyes, swinging the door open to let him in.

He strolled in, setting the bag down on the small dining table. He stripped off his coat, folding over the back of one of the chairs before beginning to move around their kitchen, gathering plates and utensils with a sense of familiarity. All the while, Devin stood back, leaning heavily on their crutches, a slightly exasperated smile on their face. They moved after a few seconds, sitting down in the chair opposite the one Elliott had his coat on, watching him as he unpacked the food, a practiced air in his every motion.

He sat down once he was done, gently nudging one plate towards Devin. Devin glanced down at the food. 

“What’d you get?” they asked, shifting in their chair a bit.

Elliott gave a shrug. “Just Chinese,” he replied, frowning slightly as he noted their discomfort. “Hey, you good?”

Devin gave a weak smile. “These chairs are just a bit more uncomfortable than I remember.” Much more uncomfortable, especially with the way their legs were positioned by, but they didn’t want to say that.

Elliott stood up suddenly, Devin barely containing their flinch. “Oh my god, I didn’t even think of that. I’m so sorry!” 

He walked off and they were left very confused for a moment, before he returned with one of the lap trays they kept tucked next to their couch. Loading the food up onto it, he grinned and gestured with a nod of his head. “Let’s eat in the other room, yeah?”

Devin gave a silent nod of gratitude and followed after him.

Once they were settled on the couch, Elliott turned the TV back on, flipping through the channels as Devin slowly chewed their food. 

Stopping on a tabloid news channel, Elliott picked his food up and they both watched some story about some new scandal that neither of them really cared to know. 

“Same story, different name, huh?” Devin remarked in a quiet, dry voice.

Elliott looked surprised for a moment before shooting a smile at them. “Yeah,” he said. “It always is. Plus the Muse covered this story, like, over a week ago. It’s old news, baby.” He gave a small laugh.

The two of them continued to commentate over the stories, the factual inaccuracies in them, how long ago the Muse had reported on them, if they were important enough for that, what they thought the outcome of the scandals would be. Devin was slightly surprised at how easily they fell into the old routine.

The main anchor thanked one of the reports before moving on to the next story. “Now,” she said with a mischievous grin. “One of Middleland’s most eligible bachelors may not be a bachelor any more. Recent photos of…” 

The anchor’s voice faded out as a photograph came on the screen and Devin caught a flash of they’re the right shade i saw them too much he forced me to look him in the eye too much gray eyes before their world was spinning away.

It felt like they suddenly couldn’t breathe, as if all the oxygen in the room had been sucked out. Their chopsticks fell into the food container as they struggled to remain calm. They focused enough to hear the end of what the anchor was saying-

“-has not yet been identified. So who is this mysterious redhead, and what is their connection to the famous Mr. Wildre? Only time will tell.” The anchor moved on to the next story, something about a child actor with a botched nose job, but Devin didn’t hear them.

They knew Elliott had said something, but all they could do was try not to pass out or start crying.

There was a hand on their shoulder that was shaking them, and Elliott’s slightly panicked voice saying, “Devin? Hey, Devin, can you hear me? Can you tell me what happened? What’s wrong, Dev?”

They jerked out of his grip at that. Whipping their head around to face him, they hissed, “Don’t call me that! We’re not friends! You- you’re just taking pity on me!” They saw the hurt flash across his face and felt a small twinge of guilt lance through them, but they pushed on. That’s right, get mad at me. Get mad at me and leave me. “You were always jealous of me, and- and now I’m not a threat to you anymore! So you sh-should just get out!” They screamed the last word, jabbing a finger in his face.

He sat there, looking quietly stunned, hurt shimmering in his eyes. “Oh, Devin-” He started before his voice cracked and he cleared his throat, looking away. They braced themself for his retort, waiting for him to yell back, to tell them to lose his number, to storm out, to not come back. They were not ready for him to gently put his arms around them. “Oh, Devin, I’m so sorry. What happened to you?”

Next

[whump-me-all-night-long]

The Scoop of a Lifetime - 2-2

Comfortember Day 2 - First Day/Night

Tagging @mnmlover2002, @cupcakes-and-pain, @lave-e, @appy-polly-loggies, @lovely-little-whump, @just-another-whumper, let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: broken/recovering whumpee, trauma response, referenced violence/injuries/trauma, let me know if I missed anything

Masterlist // Previous

---

Devin woke up to a knock on the door of their room. They’d fallen asleep late afternoon the day before and had woken every few hours when nurses came in to check on them. Each time they woke back up, their body seemed to hurt more.

By midmorning the next day, they felt like they’d been hit by a truck. So when the knock sounded, they let out a soundless groan and turned their head away. They heard the door creak open and footsteps pad against the hard floor.

There was a small sigh before a tentative voice said, “Devin? You awake?”

Their eyes flew open and they found themself staring at a familiar tilted face. Sitting up slightly, they ignored the pain it caused as they kept their gaze on the man sitting next to their bed.

Elliott Wright looked back at them, his stormy gray eyes narrowed in on them in concern. They felt it’s not him those aren’t his eyes their heart leap into their throat. They steadied their breath as they took in his appearance. His usual attire of a button up shirt, pullover sweater, and khakis was as spotless as ever, even his hair carefully tidied up. But the genuine worry in his normally cold eyes had Devin pausing.

Elliott was the nephew of the man who owned the Middleland Muse, the newspaper they worked at. At 26, he was a year younger than Devin, but he had worked there nearly as long as they had, which they had originally believed to be a clear sign of nepotism. However, within a few years of them working together, they’d both proven themselves to be the most skilled among a skilled team of writers. So Devin had been forced to admit that he was, unfortunately, quite the talented and hardworking journalist.

However, they had never gotten along. Elliott was always trying to outdo Devin, so they had to always be on guard around him. Sure, the two had begun to grow closer, but that was only out of necessity; with the increased amount of news spread online, the Muse had had to work twice as hard to stay afloat.

So the fact that he was here, in front of them, gave them pause. The question must have been evident in their eyes because he sighed, a weak smile on his face. “Hey, Dev. How are you feeling?”

They rolled their eyes at the dumb nickname, wanting nothing more than to snap back just dandy, elli but their throat only allowed a hoarse huff of air through. He must’ve read their expression, though, because his smile faltered and he leaned forward, hiding his face in his hands. They heard him exhale, slow and heavy before he began to speak.

“I.. I was so worried about you, Dev.” Whatever they had expected him to say, it wasn’t that. Their mouth fell open, slightly, as they stared at him. The man who, since day one, had been trying to show them up and outdo them and be better than them, had been worried? Devin pushed away the thoughts of the last few weeks before they’d been taken been hurt been broken gone to that party. 

Sure, they’d admit that they had become less reluctant to talk to Elliott, but it was only because he was a good writer, regardless of their personal feelings towards him, so they knew they could go to him with their problems and he could go to them with his. But for him to have actually been worried about them? To have gone out of his way to look for them? Devin called bull.

He glanced up at them, leaving the safety of his hands, and something in their expression made him wilt, curl in on himself. “I know you probably don’t believe me,” he said softly, staring back down at his clasped hands. “But when you didn’t show up for work that Monday- I mean, I figured you were just upset about the Thursday before, that’s why you didn’t text me at all. But then you didn’t show up to work. You never take sick days.” His voice cracked and he dragged a tired hand over his face before daring another look at them. Now that they got a good view of his face, they were taken aback. His eyes were lidded heavily and he had dark circles under them. His face seemed more drawn and pale than usual. The corner of his bottom lip was red and slightly swollen, they noted with a frown. When did he pick that bad habit up again? They wondered idly.

He began to reach out but thought better of it and drew back before they could touch. “When I reported you missing, the cops- they laughed at me. I mean, not literally, but you could tell, they thought I was making it all up, like I’d been ghosted or something. Obviously, I made it clear that we were just coworkers,” he added hastily as he saw the utter shock on Devin’s face. But that wasn’t what they’d been stuck on.

It had been those five little words when i reported you missing that had stunned them so much. They’d never in a million years thought that anyone would actually bother to go looking for them. In fact, it had been one of the things they’d remained grateful for when Wil- when he had been hurting them. They had told themself over and over at least nobody else will get hurt looking for you. But someone had been looking for them.

And that person was their sworn enemy.

And the closest thing they had to a friend. 

Devin’s mind was spinning. They couldn’t quite believe or comprehend what they were hearing, and too many thoughts and  emotions were clamoring for their attention. Their breathing picked up, and they saw Elliott lean forward. They flinched back, instinctively closing their eyes and bracing for the hit, but when several long seconds passed, they slowly opened their eyes.

Elliott had recoiled in his chair, holding his hands close to his body, horror evident on his face. They saw the unspoken question what happened to you in his eyes that were just a couple shades darker than his, but he slowly stood, keeping his hands where they could see them. “I- I think I’m going to go now. I hope you-”

He was cut off as Devin’s hand darted out and latched onto his sleeve. They stared down at their arm, nearly as surprised as he was. They slowly raised their gaze to meet his stare and mouthed slowly, “Stay?” They didn’t know why they did it, only that, as obnoxious and arrogant and utterly awful Elliott was, he was familiar. And Devin just didn’t want to be alone right now.

He hesitated before nodding and sitting back down in the chair, their arms outstretched between the pair, grounding Devin as they fell back into a fitful sleep.

Next

[whump-me-all-night-long]

The Scoop of a Lifetime - 2-13

Comfortember Day 13 - Baking

Tagging: @mnmlover2002 @cupcakes-and-pain @lave-e @appy-polly-loggies @lovely-little-whumpee @just-another-whumper let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: very vague reference to trauma, otherwise enjoy your fluff!

Masterlist // Previous

---

Devin groaned, throwing the sheet of paper down. They flopped down on the couch, pressing the palms of their hands to their eyes. The faint smell of smoke lingered throughout their entire apartment.

All they had wanted to do was bake a few muffins. That's it. Their therapist, Dr. Alden, had suggested they take up a new hobby or two, to decrease their stress. Instead, they felt like tearing their hair out. They'd now burned two batches, their trash can overflowing and their kitchen a mess.

They were contemplating giving up versus trying for a third time when they heard the faint scuffling sound of the lock undoing and the door opening. Lifting their head, they watched as Elliott walked in and took in the disaster.

Finally his eyes dragged over to them and they gave him a small shrug. He frowned slightly before walking over to them. Crouching, he took their hands in his and asked, “Everything okay?”

They shrugged again before shaking their head. “Not really.” They gestured to the piece of paper they had tossed down on the coffee table in front of them.

He picked it up and skimmed it with a grimace. “Baking?” he said with a twist of his lips.

They puffed out a breath. “Dr. Alden recommended it. Said I should try some new hobbies.”

He laughed slightly. “Devin, you've managed to burn microwaveable food. Why did you think this would be a good idea?”

They glanced away, blood creeping into their face. “I don't know,” they muttered. “I just wanted to try it.”

He considered them for a moment before standing and offering them a hand. “Alright then. Let's do this.”

They blinked at him in surprise before hesitantly taking his hand and getting up. Their ankles twinged slightly but they were able to ignore the pain in favor of following Elliott to the kitchen.

He was already pulling bowls of all different sizes down from their cabinets and they watched from the doorway as he gathered up the remainder of the ingredients.

He glanced at them, a soft smile curving his lips. “You gonna make me do all the work?”

They huffed slightly before moving to stand next to him. “Excuse me for being wary. I haven't exactly had luck with this so far.”

He laughed. “That's why I'm here.”

He walked them through the first couple steps, showing them how to measure the ingredients and mix them properly. They followed his directions shakily, biting their lip in concentration.

They were measuring the flour when a tremor went through Devin’s hand and they tilted the measuring cup- right onto Elliott’s shirt. They dropped the plastic cup with a clatter and backed up, the blood draining from their face.

“Crap,” they breathed. “I- I- I'm so sorry, Elliott. I didn't mean to. I'm so s-sorry.” They couldn't stop their voice from shaking anymore than they could stop their eyes from filling with tears.

Elliott only stepped a fraction closer, wrapping his hands around their shaking ones. “You don't need to apologize, Devin,” he said in a low, warm voice. “It was an accident. You're safe. I'm not mad.” After several weeks had passed since they got back, he'd become better at knowing what to say.

They gulped, looking at his eyes, searching as they always did for that shade of too light gray any signs of anger. When they found none, they relaxed slightly in his grip and he smiled at them, reaching out to touch them lightly on the nose with a flour-covered finger.

“See?” he said with a small laugh. “Now we're even.”

They nodded shakily but allowed Elliott to drag them back to their project.

Devin slid the tray into the oven with a deep breath, stepping back as Elliott set the timer. He grinned at them.

“We did it!” he exclaimed, holding out his hand out in the air.

Slowly, as if they were scared of doing the wrong thing, Devin high fived him. “We did,” they said softly.

He laced his fingers through theirs. “I'm proud of you, Devin. Really. You did- this was a big accomplishment. Doing something new like this.” He rubbed the back of his neck self consciously. “And thanks. For letting me help you. I, um, I had fun.”

They stared at him deeply, their lips parting slightly before they gave a small shake of their head. “Thank you. For helping me. I couldn't have done it without you.” They gave him a tiny smile, but his face lit up.

“Yeah! Of course, any time!” His grin threatened to crack their face in two as the pair moved to sit at the small table and wait for the muffins to be done.

Their conversation switched to that of lighter things, more inconsequential. The loud beep sent them both jumping, and Elliott leaped out of his chair, scrambling for the oven.

As Devin tried to calm their racing heart, a delicious aroma filled the room as Elliott brought the tray out and set it on the counter carefully.

“Now we just have to wait for them to cool off,” he said with an eager grin. They nodded and resumed their conversation.

A few minutes later, the muffins were cool enough to eat. Elliott carefully took two and handed one off to Devin. They took it gently in their hands, as if it would crumble at any moment, and slowly bit into it. The buttery, chocolate flavor burst in their mouth and they couldn't stop a small moan from slipping out.

Elliott, already almost done with his, looked up and grinned. “Good, huh?”

They nodded, a genuine smile spreading across their face. “Yeah, very good.”

Next

[whump-me-all-night-long]

The Scoop of a Lifetime - 2-11

Comfortember Day 11 - PTSD

Tagging @mnmlover2002 @cupcakes-and-pain @lave-e @appy-polly-loggies @lovely-little-whump @just-another-whumper let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: PTSD, accidental triggering, flashbacks, let me know if I missed anything!

Masterlist // Previous

---

When Devin woke up that next morning, they expected to wake to an empty bed in an empty apartment, Elliott having slipped off in the dead of night. Instead, they found him exactly where he was when they had fallen asleep, curled slightly around them, his arms circling them with a comforting weight, his body heat cocooning them. They moved their hand to rub their eyes, and Elliott immediately jerked awake. 

Blearily looking down at them, he murmured, “G’morning,” the words slurring together slightly as he smiled softly.

They searched his face for any sign of displeasure, regret, annoyance. When they found nothing, they yawned and replied, “Morning.” They rolled over, staying in his arms, as their mind began to wake up. They moaned softly. “It’s too early. I need coffee.”

They hadn’t even realized they said it aloud until Elliott’s chest was shaking slightly against their back in a laugh. “Me too.”

Their eyes shot open as they sat straight up. They glanced down at him, panicked. “Oh my god, you have work!” they exclaimed, glancing at the clock. It was less than twenty minutes before he would be expected to be at the Muse.

He shook his head, slowly sitting up as well. “I texted my uncle and took the morning off. Said it was personal stuff. I don’t have to be in till noon.”

Their heart returning to a normal rhythm, Devin slowly nodded. “Oh. Okay. Good. Then, coffee time.” 

A groan slipped out of them as they stood. Elliott was at their side in a heartbeat. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern coloring his words. They gave a wordless nod and he stepped back a bit.

They hobbled towards the kitchen, opting to leave their crutches by their bed. They had begun to move around more and more without them, slowly rebuilding their strength.

Their legs were shaky but served their purpose as Devin moved about the kitchen, turning the coffee machine on before opening the fridge door and peering at its sad contents. Frowning, they stood up, jumping slightly as they noticed Elliott leaning in the doorway.

He smiled at them, before heading towards the coffee machine. Pulling down two mugs from a nearby cabinet, he shut it off and poured steaming coffee into the cups.

He walked back towards them, holding out one of the mugs. They took it, surprised when he raised the other one to his lips and took a long sip.

“I thought you didn’t approve of coffee?” they asked, arching an eyebrow and they lifted their own mug.

He snorted. “I don’t. But I don’t think you’ve ever seen me in the morning before coffee.” He continued quickly drinking his cup. Black, they noticed with a start. Just like me.

They glanced away, blood coloring their cheeks as they took a long drink. Their stomach rumbled softly, and, when they looked back over, Elliott grinned. 

Setting his now-empty mug on the counter near the sink, he grabbed his coat from where he’d left it draped over one of the chairs last night. “I’ll be right back,” he said, heading for the door. “I’ll go pick up some food for us!”

Devin made an affirmative sound as they refilled their mug. The door clicked quietly as they headed towards the living room. Flipping through the channels, they found one with a mindless talk show playing, and slowly drained their second cup as they watched.

A bit later, they heard the door open and called softly, “I’m in here!”

The sound of shuffling footsteps and rustling plastic sounded as Elliott appeared in the doorway, lifting a bag. “I found food!” he said with a grin. 

Devin slowly made their way back into the kitchen, much more hungry than they realized. They had just reached the doorway of the kitchen when the smell hit them and their gaze fell on the food Elliott had already unpacked and laid on the table.

Breakfast. The aroma of pancakes and syrup and eggs and bacon and pain and screams and he’s hurting me please stop hurting me i’m sorry don’t hurt me surrounded them as they took a stumbling step back. 

Hearing them, Elliott looked up with a grin that quickly fell away as he took in the fear evident on their bloodless face. Their eyes met him and they flinched back, unable to look at the they’re gray his eyes are gray and he always watches me when he hurt me he makes me look at him too similar eyes.

He moved towards them and they let out a terrified squeak as they fell back. He caught them, wrapping constricting ensnaring locking he’s keeping me and stealing me away steady arms around them. His lips were moving but they couldn’t hear as their eyes fell shut and they tried keeping all the memories at bay.

Their breaths came harsh and uneven as their thoughts raced, going from it’s not him he’s not him to but he’s about to hurt me he always hurts me at breakfast to why can’t i just move on already to please i’m sorry please i’m sorry please

They were aware of some pathetic, whimpering sound coming from nearby, as if from a wounded animal. They slowly realized the sound was them.

They cracked open their eyes to find themself curled up tightly on their kitchen’s hard floor. Elliott’s arms were wrapped around them as he murmured quiet reassurances. Feeling them stiffen, he rubbed soothing circular motions into their back.

“Devin? Can you hear me? You’re safe, he’s not here, I promise.” His voice came low and soft and tender.

They looked up at him, forcing themself to meet his eyes, even as their body locked up and adrenaline rushed through them. “Yeah,” they croaked. “Yeah, I’m here.”

He let out a soft breath before shifting away from them. “Good. That’s good. Do you think you can stand?” he asked, unfolding himself and offering them a hand.

They swallowed hard before accepting it, leaning on him heavily as their legs refused to cooperate.

“I-” Their voice creaked and groaned like an old house. “I’m not very hungry anymore. Can- can I just go lay down for a bit?”

Elliott furrowed his brow at something before smiling at them gently. “Of course you can. Do you want me to help you?”

They nodded silently and that silence weighed heavily between them as the two walked towards the bedroom.

Next

[whump-me-all-night-long]

The Scoop of a Lifetime - 2-10

Comfortember Day 10 - Crying

Tagging @mnmlover2002 @cupcakes-and-pain @lave-e @appy-polly-loggies @lovely-little-whump @just-another-whumper let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: referenced trauma, nightmares, let me know if I missed anything!

Masterlist // Previous

---

The embrace undid them. Devin sobbed into Elliott’s shoulder, shaking and blubbering. Their eyes had long since passed being red and puffy, their throat felt dry and itchy, and they were overcome with exhaustion. All the while, they were thinking what have i done i’ve condemned him i’ve put him in danger what have i done

Elliott said nothing, only held them and rocked them and grounded them, keeping their memories from completely overwhelming them. When their breaths finally calmed, he asked in a low voice, “Devin? What can I do?” 

They knew he had more questions than that, many more, especially after the story they had just told him, and a wave of gratefulness swept over them. “Just,” they croaked. “Just hold me. Please.”

So he did. He held them as they shook, as their body began to shut down from the strength of their emotions, as their eyes drifted close, then as they jerked forward when the nightmares came. He sat on that couch next to them and held them, never saying anything that they didn’t want to hear. Never saying anything, really, except soft reassurances. You are safe. I’m here. You’re with me.

After the third or fourth time they had begun to drift off only to be greeted by nightmares, he murmured quietly, “Would you like to go to bed, now?”

They mutely nodded, unable to summon words to express their exhaustion or their gratitude. Elliott only gave them a soft smile before helping them stand. Their ankles protested, just as they almost always did nowadays, and Elliott bore most of their weight on the short walk to their bedroom.

Once inside, he helped them sit then lay down on their bed, bringing up the blankets to tuck tightly around them. He paused for a moment, before brushing away a few strands of their hair and beginning to walk away. One of Devin’s hands snaked out from underneath the heavy weight and hooked around his wrist. He paused, looking surprised. 

Crouching next to them, he said softly, “What’s wrong, Devin? Do you need something?”

They stared into his gray, gray eyes that no longer seemed quite so wrong and debated their next words. With a soft sigh, they whispered, “Stay? Please?” Their words were hesitant, as if they expected to be laughed off or rejected. Why did I ask him to stay with me? He’s just trying to do the right thing, and I’ve already asked more of him than I ever should’ve.

But Elliott only gave them an easy smile and said, “Of course.” He changed his position slightly, so he was sitting fully on the ground, but they tugged on his wrist again.

With a blush, they muttered, “Up here? With me?” Inside their mind, they were cursing themself, their shamelessness at making such a request. But their aching need to be held by someone that wasn’t him overpowered that.

He froze, studying them intently. “Are you sure?” he asked in his soft voice that always seemed ready to be shut down, rejected at every syllable.

Their eyes stung as they retracted their hand as if they’d been burned. “Never mind.” It came out barely more than a breath, but they couldn’t summon the courage to speak any louder. They felt embarrassed, ashamed, guilty. How could they ask something like that of him?

He shook his head. “No, Devin, I didn’t mean it like that.  I- I just don’t want to accidentally take advantage of you, or do something you’re uncomfortable with.”

Their lips parted slightly in surprise before they replied slowly, “I.. I need this. I want this. Please, I need someone.. not him.” Their eyes shone with sincerity and Elliott, once he was sure that they were sure, nodded.

He toed off his shoes and carefully laid down next to them, making sure to leave plenty of room and not jostle them too badly. They immediately turned over and, glancing up at his face, partly shrouded in shadow, leaned close to him.

He gently wrapped his arms around their small body, and their eyes began leaking tears again. This time, though, they were silent and mostly still, just allowing the tears to fall from their face and only Elliott’s shirt. They laid like that, their face tucked close to his warm body, his arms wrapped firmly, but gently around them. They didn’t feel trapped or cornered, only protected.

“I’m sorry,” they murmured into his chest.

Devin felt his head turn down towards them. “What for?” he asked.

A long pause before- “For telling you. I shouldn’t’ve. It was too dangerous. Now you- you’ll be in danger. I’m sorry.”

He remained silent for a while before slowly replying, “I’m glad you told me. Not only because it’s the truth and people deserve to know, but because you deserve to be able to tell it. And not feel burdened by this huge secret. Thank you,” he murmured, pressing a chaste kiss to the top of their head, “for trusting me enough to tell me.”

They mumbled something unintelligible at that, content to lay in silence, their head pressed deep enough into his chest to hear his slow, reassuring heartbeat. 

As they were on the verge of sleep, they softly said, “Thank you. For holding me.”

They were already slipping off towards their nightmares when they thought they heard him respond. “Of course. Anything for you, Dev.”

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[whump-me-all-night-long]

The Scoop of a Lifetime - 2-5

Comfortember Day 5 - Cuddling

Tagging @mnmlover2002, @cupcakes-and-pain, @lave-e, @appy-polly-loggies, @lovely-little-whump, @just-another-whumper, let me know if you want to be added/removed!

CW: referenced injuries, referenced trauma, let me know if there’s anything I missed!

Masterlist // Previous

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The car ride home was deathly silent, only the faint sounds of the radio breaking through the tension. Elliott couldn’t pull up to the apartment complex where Devin lived quick enough. He shut off the engine and sat back with a sigh for a second before getting out and coming around to help Devin out.

They slowly walked up to the front door, Elliott following close behind. As they entered the lobby, they frowned, looking towards the stairs.

Turning to him, they said, “I don’t think I can...” They trailed off, gesturing to the stairs with their head.

Elliott nodded. “Let’s just take the elevator then,” he said with a soft smile.

The ride up was nearly as uncomfortable as they were in the car, they tacky elevator music rubbing Devin the wrong way.

Devin felt surreal standing in front of their apartment door for the first time in so long. They reached to open the door before remembering. “I don’t have my…” sanity mind body life “...keys anymore. I, erm, lost them.” They blushed a furious scarlet, turning their head to hide it.

Elliott pulled his keys out, smiling a bit sheepishly. “I.. I, uh, still have a copy.. from, you know…” He trailed off, fumbling with putting the key into the lock. Devin bit their lip and stared ahead, pushing the memories out of their head.

Finally, he swung the door open and stepped back to let Devin in. They hobbled in, surprised by how surprised they were that everything looked so normal in their apartment. Exactly as they had left it. Everything from the pillows and blankets thrown haphazardly across their couch to the coffee mug in their sink, waiting to be washed. They slowly walked around, taking in every detail, every old newspaper, every silly knick knack, every potted plant right where they remembered. 

Frowning, they turned to Elliott. “How are my plants still alive?” they asked, a bit more accusingly than they had meant to.

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Well, you see, after you didn’t show up for work that Monday, I came by here because I was, you know, worried. I thought maybe you’d collapsed in here or something. I don’t really know what I was thinking, to be honest.” He shrugged, growing redder by the second. “After you didn’t answer all my knocks, I kind of.. let myself in?” His voice raised in pitch slightly and he hesitated, looking at Devin’s face before continuing. “Pretty quickly, I figured out you weren’t here. I was turning to leave, when I saw some of your plants looking kind of droopy. So I thought I’d just give them some water, help you out, you know. I mean, I know how much you care about them, and I-” His voice broke off and he looked away.

Devin thought over his words, their mind reeling. “You what?” they asked, struggling to keep their voice even. “You decided to break and enter into my apartment? For nearly a month?” They knew they were talking loudly and they knew Elliott was flinching back, looking slightly frightened, but they couldn’t really care less.

“I- I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I just- I couldn’t bear for you to come back to an apartment filled with dead plants.” He quickly stepped back towards the door. “I think I’m gonna go now. I- I’ll see you around, Dev.” He turned and all but fled their apartment, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

Devin sighed, quietly frustrated with themself. They didn’t know why they had reacted the way they did. Sure, it was annoying that Elliott had let himself into their apartment like that, but they had given him a key, hadn’t they? For emergencies only, they had told him, what felt like years ago. And they knew that he had just been trying to do something nice. I couldn’t bear for you to come back to an apartment filled with dead plants, he had said, as if he was confessing some shameful secret, not telling them that at least someone had been waiting for them, hadn’t just written them off.

They made their way over to their small bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, they leaned their crutches against the wall next to them. Sighing, they slipped their shoes off and pulled the bottle of painkillers out of their pocket. Gently arranging their legs on the bed, they swallowed a couple of the pills dry and laid down, turning the light out with a click of the remote.

They squeezed their eyes shut, trying to hold back all the memories that came flooding into their mind as soon as they were encased in darkness. They pulled one of the extra pillows they kept on their bed against their chest. They hugged it tightly and were surprised to find tears dripping down their face. Sniffling slightly, they buried their face in the pillow.

They fell asleep like that, cuddling a pillow that they wished could be another person.

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