Enjin x reader (maybe some gendered language)
A/n: this is literally the first story i've written in years but i'm so feral for this man. I know its not brilliant but the brain worms got me! Constructive criticism is absolutely welcome as long as you keep it civil!
Heaving a sigh of frustration as you pat your pockets, searching for your garden trowel; Revitalizing nature on the ground is no easy effort, but thanks to your vital instrument, aforementioned trowel, you could at least ensure your own small slice grew healthier. Huffing as you stood, knees cracking as you rose from a kneeling position. Your trowel was not in the pockets of your overalls, or in any of the surrounding area of the garden. While this was frustrating, it was sadly to be expected with how quickly you’d made your exit earlier. You’d have to go back into the Cleaners HQ so you could continue the hunt for your missing jinki.
Dusting off your knees and walking towards the back entrance to the HQ, You thought back to the events that had led to you running out back. Corvus had kindly granted you free reign over the dirty wasteland that once lurked behind the building, and through careful efforts, had turned it into a personal sanctuary for any Cleaner who needed a moment to themselves. It also was conveniently a very good place to hide from Enjin, the current object of your ire. The obnoxiously loud man was charismatic to most, but you’d only ever found him to be irritating.
The man was too full of himself! Nothing worse than a handsome man who knows it, and uses it. He currently chose to use it by pestering you for a date. Despite having been with the cleaners for two years now, you had managed to avoid crossing paths for the most part. Now that he was aware of your existence, as well as your disdain, he had made it his personal mission to change your mind. Of course, his efforts were in vain, as for two years you’d observed the man and his antics. Far too many times you’d witnessed yet another heartbroken “needy” women in his wake, and you had little desire to become the next.
Nonetheless, you would have to return to the building in order to find your Jinki, and you’d just have to hope that fortune would be on your side and allow you to avoid him. Opening the back entrance to the building and walking into the kitchen you audibly groaned at your rotten luck.
“Hey, fancy seeing you here” Enjin smiled at you, a hint of playfulness in his eyes “I thought you’d be spending the rest of the day in your garden.”
A tight smile crosses your features as you formulate a reply that doesn’t end with you calling him an ass.
“Hm, well I would have, but I somehow managed to misplace my jinki. I probably dropped when I was fleeing an annoying ass who won’t leave me alone.” you finally snarked back at him. Internally kicking yourself for calling him an ass, you continued “ I don’t suppose you’ve seen it, have you?”
He grinned a smug smile before replying.
“Oooh I wonder who this ‘ass’ is. I can’t imagine such a nuisance being a cleaner” he teased “Even If I did happen to know where your instrument was, whats in it for me if I tell you?” crossing one leg over the other and placing his hands behind his head, his attitude led you to believe that he knew more than he was telling you.
Too anxious to find your instrument, and little patience for Enjin even on a good day, your patience snapped quickly.
“Damn it Enjin, this isn’t a joke! You of all people should know how shitty it is to mess with someones vital instrument! I can’t believe-” You fumed, arms gesticulating wildly to match your frustration “Actually no, I can believe! You are so immature-” tears welled in your eyes as you lost more of your composure, months of frustration at his teasing finally bubbling to the surface.
Jumping to his feet, he closed the distance between you two and placed a hand on your shoulder, cutting you off. His gaze met your watery eyes as you looked up at him and he visibly softened.
“Hey, deep breaths princess. I didn’t take it, but I will help you find it. I doubt anyone here would have nicked it, so you probably forgot it somewhere.” He comforted you, as he used the arm on your shoulder to steer the two of you out of the kitchen and deeper into the HQ. “I can tell you its not in the kitchen, so we should probably retrace your steps from today.” His steps slowed as he turned his eyes towards you once more, waiting for you to respond.
To say the least, you were stunned he was willing to help you, even after you had lashed out so harshly just moments before. Wiping the last of the frustration tears from your face, you sniffled a bit before speaking softly.
“ I was in the common room with Eishia earlier, and I spent some of the morning with Semiu at her desk, but I’ve been in and out of half of the rooms in the building today. I know I had it when I left my room though... ” You averted his gaze as you spoke, his eyes too genuinely concerned for you to meet them. “I’m sorry You don’t have to help me , especially after how I yelled at you.” you apologized, as you went to duck out of his grasp. Before you could, he readjusted his grip to swing one arm over your shoulders and guiding you in the direction of the common room.
“Its alright, I know I grind your gears and misplacing your jinki is stressful. You’ll just have to make it up to me once we find it.” He winked at you, causing an uncharacteristic blush to coat your cheeks, and you turn away from him again to hide it. As you two retraced your steps from kitchen to the common room, mindless chatter filled the silence, ducking in and out any room you’d stopped in on the way. Thankfully, the common room was not too far from the kitchen, which gave him less time to continue to tease you. As you approached the doors, they opened before you had an opportunity to touch them. Thankfully, the face that popped out was a friendly one.
“YO! Do my eyes deceive me? I never thought I’d see you and Enjin getting along!” August’s loud voice boomed down the hallway, and your groaned internally as he undoubtedly alerted more Cleaners to your uneasy alliance.
“Chill August, he’s just helping me find my jinki. I forgot where I set it down. Have you seen it?” You explained to him as you and Enjin made your way into the common room.
“You lost it again??!” August boomed, as he turned around to follow you in “DAMN girl, you need to let me make you a carrying case for it! This is like, the third time you’ve lost it!”
Enjin’s gaze turned to you, filled with mirth as he began to laugh, never removing his arm from its spot, resulting in him shaking you around.
“Three times?! Your jinki must be pissed as hell if you can’t keep a hold on it.” He joked “Y’know, Riyo has a carrying case for her scissors, maybe we should put your shovel on a necklace” He ran one hand through his hair as he laughed, an annoyingly attractive action.
“I know, I know. August, I’ll stop by your studio later once I find it. I’m so dumb” You whined, as you and Enjin finally split to search, although he removed his arm almost reluctantly “I seriously don’t know how I keep misplacing it!” You shuffled around the pillows on one of the couches to no avail, before kneeling down to look under the couches. Unbeknownst to you, you’d given both men a very nice view of your ass, as you shuffled around on the ground.
“You’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached! Eishia told me about the time you lost the keys to the bike you two took out” August teased as he pretended to search “To this day she always keeps a backup pair, even when I’m driving!” he finished, before ogling your backside shamelessly.
Enjin, perceptive as always, shot him a glare, before he proceeded to do the same.
“If I’d known how often you lost it princess, I don’t think I would have gone so easy on you in the kitchen.” Enjin started, another shameless smug smile gracing his features.
You turned your head back to tell him to hush, only to be stopped by shock. He has DIMPLES. His stupid charming smile was made 10 times better by those dimples, and suddenly you could understand all those “needy” women who practically lined up for him. Whatever you would have said back died in your throat at that realization, and you just shushed him with a finger before standing up.
“Well it looks like my jinki isn’t here, thanks for your help August! I’ll come by your studio later byeee” You shouted back at him as you grabbed Enjin’s hand and dragged him out of the common room. Once out of the room you yanked your hand back quickly, placing them over your face instead, covering your blush. Confusion colored his features, but before he could ask you spoke.
“I’m embarrassed that I lost my cool and cried earlier. Everyone here already thinks I’m a crybaby, and while they are right, I don’t want to give anyone another reason to feel bad for me. I’d appreciate you not telling anyone.” you confessed to him, still refusing to meet his piercing gaze.
Silence filled the empty hallway, as you waited for his reply.
“I get it. My lips are sealed, don’t worry.” He spoke after a few moments “But for the record, I don’t think you’re a crybaby. I think its nice that you care so much about things” He finished, as he gently moved your hands from your face and put a finger on your chin to guide your face to look at him. A flush bloomed on your face at the intimate gesture, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look away this time, his voice too genuine to rebuke.
Before the mood could become too heavy with the weight of the words you spoke, Enjin placed his arm around your shoulder once more as you continued your hunt, once more stopping in a handful of rooms you’d been in earlier.
“Hey, I never asked but what did you name your jinki anyway?” he asks, looking to fill the silence and bridge the gap between you two.
“Oh! I named her Frontera! Before you ask, no I don’t know why. The name just seemed to suit her” You gush about your instrument, as you two finish checking the room you’re in.
“Ha! I like it” he replies as you two continue to make idle chatter as you walk.
Finally, you two make your way to Semiu, your last hope for finding it. Unable to think of anything else to say, a comfortable silence settled, as Enjin hummed to himself. As the two of you approached the entry hall of the HQ, you turned to him finally and spoke.
“I really do appreciate you helping me today, you’ve made it a lot less stressful.” you admitted, before continuing “I guess I may have been a bit too harsh on you in the past.”
Enjin grinned again as you opened the doors into the room and spotted Semiu, waving at her.
“Yeah, why have you been so harsh, huh princess?” he questioned, but before you could answer Semiu’s voice rang out over the room.
“It’s because you’re a manwhore Enjin.” she stated, before turning to you “Also, honey you left your jinki here, Again”
Gasping, you ran up to her to grab your trowel and give her a hug.
“Semiu you lifesaver, thank you so much for keeping it for me.” You sighed, tears bubbling up in your eyes as you clutched your jinki to your chest and whispered apologies.
“Manwhore?! Since when have I been a manwhore! I resent that label!” Enjin spluttered, only just snapping out of his shock. “Since when does loving the ladies make me a manwhore?”
“Since ever? C’mon Enjin, not even you can deny that you are a ladies man. You bring back a different girl each night, of course (Y/N) is going to think that.” Semiu retorted, one hand still on your back.
“I mean I did think that at one point, but you really have changed my mind today Enjin. I am sorry I judged you so harshly, everyone enjoys sex and I have no right to pass judgment.” You interjected, before the two could begin a real argument. “Anyway, thank you again Semiu, I seriously owe you one.” you finished, stepping away from her desk and making your way towards the doors.
“You always owe me one, I’ll just add this to your tab” She teased, sticking her tongue out at you before waving the two of you out. Grabbing Enjin’s hand, you two leave the room and wander back towards the kitchen.
“So that’s why you hate me! I never knew my dating life drew so much of your attention” He teased, as he grasped your hand tightly, not letting you yank it back a second time.
“Its not like that!” You squeaked, blush threatening to rise once more “I just saw so many of the girls you left behind after your one night stands, and most of them were crushed once you stopped seeing them. I know you like to enjoy yourself, I just didn’t like how you left trail of hurt behind you. I feel bad for those girls.”
Enjin stopped there for a moment, halting your movement as well thanks to the intertwined hands. He hummed thoughtfully before responding.
“I can be a bit of a dog, I know. Those girls knew what I was looking for at the time, so I never considered how they might feel afterwards. I can’t stand needy women, but I also shouldn’t have been so callous about their feelings. You’re right.” He started, as he began walking again towards the kitchen with you. “I’ve never been that good at the mushy feeling stuff, but I am trying to be better now. “
His words left you stunned, not only that he considered them so deeply, but that he had already been working to be better shocked you to your core. Your brain, blank and unable to form a thought, failed you in the moment you replied.
“Oh! Oh. Huh!” was all you could say, still processing that the man you thought he was, was just your own prejudices projected onto him. Finally you continued “That’s...really admirable Enjin. Its good that you are trying to be better.”
His trademark grin covered his face once more as you both entered the kitchen, finishing your adventure.
“I mean I need to if I want a chance with you right?” He purred, releasing your hand and leaning down to met you at eye level.
You gulp, formulating your response. If you had woken up this morning and been told you actually would be considering kissing the man, past you would have turned them into compost for your garden. You couldn’t believe that after only a few hours together you could even be considering kissing him, much less the filthier options that began to worm their way into your brain.
“Oh my god, fuck! Fine!” You finally blurted out, stopping the spiraling in your brain. Before your nerves could change your mind, you threaded hands into his hair and pulled his face in close. Your heart pounded in your chest as you watched his pupils darken as you two stared at each other before your crashed your lips into his. His lips tasted faintly of cigarettes and were chapped and rough against yours. He quickly took control of the kiss, hands cradling your face as his tongue slipped inside your mouth and you moaned as he did. Both of you frantically press into the other as you kiss, seeking to be closer as his hands begin to roam, one on your ass and the other gripping at your waist, when you startle as the door to the kitchen opens. Enjin doesn’t move, but you pull away as Riyo, Rudo and Zanka walk in, arguing over something.
“hey Enjin! We’ve been looking everywhere for you man, c’mon tell Riyo that she can’t keep cutting our hair while we’re asleep!” Zanka starts, before noticing the position the two of you are in, you caged in Enjin’s arms and disheveled, Enjin glaring daggers at the trio for interrupting.
“NO WAY! Riyo, Rudo LOOK” Zanka shook the two from their argument to focus on the scene in front of them. You quickly dart from under Enjin’s arms and dash for the door to your garden.
“Anyway Enjin, thanks for your help! Have fun solving this problem” You tease, trying to compose yourself quickly “And hey, if they ever let you go, we can finish what we started later” You wink at him, before darting out the door. Behind you, you hear voices of his kids teasing him, and you make your way back to your sanctuary.
A/n: also yes the garden trowel/shovel is named after Lloyd from the Great Estate Developer. Although maybe i should have named it after the bountiful harvest MC?
