Summary: Anon Req: When you have time, and if you like the idea can you write garrick x riorson reader? Like xaden finds them together when they are in the middle of something and is kinda angsty but fluffy end
and if you’ll write again about garrick, can you write something fluffy?
Warnings: N/A
Word Count: 1443
Notes: DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR ONYX STORM.
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You know better than to lie to your brother, but you’re so damn nervous that you do it anyway.
“I’m going to ask you one more time.” Xaden’s tone is deathly dark. Even worse, he speaks evenly, like his temper isn’t about to blow its fuse and is conversing about plans for the war that seems to be nipping on everyone’s heels.
It’s how you found solace in Garrick. On rotation with him had led to something more, soft touches, gentle teases, him stroking tresses of hair from your face after long, hard flights. You can’t remember when knowing nudges and silly jokes turned into lingering caresses and wind-blown kisses, when the chaffing comments of Uisge became sighs of finally when you grew the courage to kiss him, but you don’t want it to stop.
Speaking of your nosy, green daggertail, the eavesdropper chooses this very moment to speak. I told you this would happen. You can hear his pleasure through the bond and you grit your teeth. You so do not need this right now. Chradh owes me two sheep.
Congratulations, you respond dryly. You try to swallow past the pebble wedged into your throat under the heavy gaze of your brother, but all of the moisture has escaped your windpipe. Why don’t you go do that now?
Uisge huffs, and if you were standing in front of him, the smell of sulfur would be tying your hair in knots and you’d be blinking dust from your eyes.
You almost smile at the thought at you feel your dragon retreat from your mind.
You refocus on the moment. The moment being your brother glaring at his best friend, the one who just had his fingers hooked around into the waistband of your leathers and his other hand wound in your hair, tilting your head into the perfect position for him to twist his tongue around yours in the way that makes your knees weak—
“What the fuck were you just doing to my sister.” His words are venomous, his normally gold eyes more onyx with anger. Shadows stir restlessly at his feet and your stomach coils. Surely, he wouldn’t sic them on Garrick?
You discreetly try to peer around his shoulders to catch a peek of Violet, but she’s nowhere to be found.
You’re screwed.
Garrick’s touch was innocent, despite how it looked. As much as you would have loved to drag him back to your room, you knew there wasn’t time, already late for Battle Brief.
It was your fault, for thinking you’d be shrouded in the darkened nook. But your brother loves darkness, is made of it, and of course, he caught you.
You part your lips to try and placate Xaden, but Garrick beats you to it. “That depends, what did you see?” He doesn’t sound scared, though he should be. You’ve never met anyone more terrifying than Xaden, and with the weight he’s been carrying on his shoulders lately, this will surely drag him over the edge.
You must give it to Garrick, he doesn’t falter. He stares just as hard, and you suppose it because he knows Xaden better than even you do sometimes. You want to reach out and intertwine your fingers, needing that reassurance, but you know it isn’t the time. You know he can handle himself.
Xaden’s nostrils flare in response, his anger thinly contained.
“Garrick,” he all but growls. “Tell me I didn’t just see you with your tongue down my sisters throat.”
You cringe. When he puts it that way, it sounds bad.
But you’ve seen the way he is with Violet, the aroused looks and secretive touches that aren’t so secretive. You’ve even seen him with his tongue down her throat, and if anything, you’re even now.
You’re pretty sure Xaden wouldn’t want to hear that, though.
His teeth grind and you wonder for a fleeting moment
“I don’t lie to you.”
Xaden scoffs. “You just omit the truth.” Your heart clenches at the thread of betrayal in his tone.
Garrick shakes his head in defense, his response harsh. “You’ve never asked, and I’ve never lied.”
Your brothers scrutinize your boyfriend for a long moment. So long that you shift anxiously. This is the first time you don’t have a clue what Xaden might be thinking. It’s not a place you want to be.
Finally, he asks, “You’re loyal to her?” His words are still edged with razors, but his shoulders have lost a little tightness.
Garrick nods once. “I love her.”
Your eyes grow wide in surprise. You haven’t said that to each other before. You’ve been sharing the same sentiment this whole time and you didn’t even know it?
You swing your gaze to him in surprise, only to realize that he’s been looking at you the entire time. His hazel eyes sparkle with amusement, most likely at the utter shock on your face. He’s trying to keep a straight face under the gaze of your brother, but the corner of his mouth betrays him, twitching just slightly.
“What? You didn’t know?” He teases, and there’s no longer anyone in this hall but you and him. Nothing else matters. No one else’s opinion matters. Not Xaden’s, not Uisge’s. It’s only you and Garrick.
You shake your head lightly, biting your lip to contain your smile. Garrick has that look on his face like he wants to reach out to you, swipe that lip from between your teeth with his thumb only to bite on it himself. You shift, trying to ignore the fire that lights in your belly at the smolder in his eyes.
Maybe you will be skipping Battle Brief after all.
A clearing of a throat rips your attention away from Garrick before you can confess that you’ve been in love with him for ages. You grew up with him, always had that girlhood crush on your older brother’s best friend. You didn’t even think he noticed you, though you’re sure it was hard not to when you trailed after them like one of Xaden’s shadows.
You feel like you’re flying right now. You don’t even need Uisge anymore.
Unlikely, your bitter dragon mutters.
You return your guilty gaze to Xaden. His face is contorted, like he’s torn between acceptance and decking his best friend across the face.
Your breath is stuck in your chest. You can’t breathe as you watch the emotion flicker behind his eyes. Betrayal, confusion, pride, hurt, and what you hope is acceptance.
His gaze dances between you and Garrick. You roll your shoulders back and tilt your chin, meeting his gaze head on. You don’t need Xaden’s permission to love Garrick, but it would be nice to have your brother’s support.
Xaden must read it in your gaze, how nothing will stop you from being with Garrick, not even him. It’s how he feels about Violet. His gaze softens just a touch, enough for you to release the air from your lungs in relief. He sends a shadow your way, skittering between your fingers just like when you were young and upset, a calming notion, a discreet embrace.
His gold eyes land on his best friend. Xaden clears his throat and nods back. “Then don’t let anyone stop you,” he says, and turns on his heel, disappearing down the hall.
You jaw almost drops in shock. You don’t know what you expected, to be honest. Silent treatment would be on par for your brother, but total acceptance without even a fist thrown or a sword lifted? That…is new.
“So…” you trail off, facing Garrick. Your cheeks heat when you notice his gaze pinned on you, that devilishly handsome smirk on his face. You can’t contain your smile. “You love me?”
Disgustingly so, Uisge grumbles, and you shoo your nosy dragon away.
Garrick’s grin is blinding. It causes your heart to race in your chest. He’s intoxicating. You love him.
“More than anything,” Garrick admits, hands winding around your waist to tug you close.
You plant your hands on his chest, sliding higher to wrap around his neck as you follow him back into the shadows of your not-so-hidden nook.
You roll onto the tips of your toes. The motion doesn’t quite put you at eye-level with him, but Garrick tilts his head down and your lips almost brush. You want him, need to taste him right now. But first…
Your gaze lifts from his mouth to meet his. Fire dances in his eyes, along with a cockiness you’d swat out of him if it were for any other reason.
Have had this thought for awhile now, and really figured Gaz could use some love on this blog. Such a beautiful man and character in the series. Generally I like the rugged and rough men (daddy issues anyone?) but Gaz is just so lovely to look at.
Nerves boiling and shot, hot and bothered. Home had called and your mother was ill. Normally, you would drive back home but with your mother being sick there was urgency to get there.
That left flying. How you hated flying. This isn't your first time (more like 6th), but it sure feels just like it. There was something about the take off and the landing that terrified you. Maybe it was the turbulence, maybe it was the feeling of your organs being pushed back into the seat past your spine.
The surreal feeling had not hit you yet that you were going to have to board soon. Instead, you tried to focus on the many shops in the airport, avoiding food or drink as much as your stomach requested it. You knew you would pay for it later if you gave in.
Impending doom was the best way to describe it. Building up like a volcano, ready to erupt. Each step by step, boarding the plane. Watching your feet, like the floor could give out at any moment. This a trap, it has to be a trap. You were doing this for your mother, you had to get home to your mother.
You were fighting a battle inside. Two voices yelling at little ol' you. Still you did your best to function, stepping through the plane door. Nodding to the flight attendant with a crooked smile, pushing through this.
Placing baggage in the up above cubby, you sat in your seat and looked down at the floor, thumbs twiddling together. You never noticed that the seat next to you was soon filled. You just needed to focus on yourself. The flight attendant's voice not loud enough to drown any of your worries out as she explained what to do if the plane crashed. Better yet, just ignore her all together.
"You alright there?" A gentle and smooth voice asked next to.
Looking up, you saw a beautiful specimen of a man next to you. Tall, skin so wonderfully bronzed with toned muscles. Eyes bright in contrast with a set of full lips.
Great, just great. Not only were you now on the plane having a full panic attack, you were now on the plane having a full panic attack next to a man that looked like a Greek God.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
"Just hate flying." Your voice quiet meek, barely there.
"I understand that," he said with a smile and a sarcastic chuckle.
"I don't generally fly alone, I normally have someone with me and I can hold on to them."
Without hesitation, he lifted his arm out to you offering his bicep.
"Can hold on to me." Warm, sweet and kind.
Carefully, you took it, both hands wrapped around his arm.
"Thank you," you tried to smile at him.
"It's alright love," the hand from the arm you were holding squeezing your knee.
About halfway down the runway you heard the engines kick on, a heavy sigh leaving you while he squeezed your knee tighter.
"Its ok," he said again. Squeezing your eyes you hunched forward slightly. He adjusted using his arm to push you back into the seat worried the turbulence would be uncomfortable for you.
"You know i fell out of a helicopter one time."
Who starts off a story like that you?
"What?" you asked wanting him to repeat himself not sure you had heard him right.
"Fell out of a helicopter, was dangling from in with a rope." 'His free hand animated in a motion like you would use... you know life if you fell out of a fucking helicopter.
"Like a skydiving accident or something?" you asked trying to understand why.
Unknown he couldn't fully tell you why he limited his answer to. "Yeah, you could say that. What I'm trying to tell you, if I can fall out of a helicopter and still be alive, I'm going to make sure you live through this flight... alright?"
It made you laugh slightly, smiling and and nod back to him.
"Ok... Thank you...?" you said in a way asking for his name.
"Kyle."
"Thank you, Kyle."
The entire conversation had distracted you long enough to get up into the air without realizing it until you looked out the window. The city underneath you and clouds beside you.
"Can you shut the shade for me? I don't like looking out the window."
You shut the window upon his request, understanding why he would ask such a thing. Where is the irony of two people afraid of flying sitting next to each other on a plane? Better yet, what are the odds of them helping each other?
