joyride - [gris x fem!reader insert]
song; full moon by brandy
synopsis; your insomnia gets the best of you, so you ask Gris to help you fall asleep.
author's note; please enjoy!
warning(s); none, just fluff.
You couldn't focus. Most of all, you couldn't sleep.
In fact, sitting in the car next to Gris was making your insomnia worse.
Your eyes couldn't tear themselves away from how he maneuvered the jeep. He had one hand on the wheel with a loose grip and the other resting on the center console, lightly tapping his fingers that occasionally brushed against your arm —a contradiction to how he normally drove on missions during the day. He was lightly humming to a nonexistent song you couldn't hear; the stereo devoid of Enjin's usual selection of Too Lily's music. Every so often Gris would shift his eyes from side to side and turn to glance at you—
"Sleep yet?"
"Nope," your head turned just in time before you could lock eyes with him. You looked out the window, your cheeks growing warm. It had been the third time in the past ten minutes that he had caught you staring at him.
"Are you comfortable? Am I driving too fast?"
"No, you're good. I'm just," you paused to yawn, "not tired."
Gris shifted, his arm nudging yours gently. "Give it some time, you're already yawning."
You took his words with a grain of salt. Yawning didn't mean you were tired, it was just a way of your body tricking you into thinking you were going to sleep. You had learned only a couple of weeks ago that your sleep had taken a hiatus. You blamed it on the missions but Eisha convinced you that it was more than just that. She was convinced that your body simply couldn't rest properly because of some sort of stressor.
But you hadn't experienced a recent traumatizing event - minus the numerous times Enjin got behind the wheel. You weren't stressed about anything in particular...unless you counted last week when you had to hold Rudo back from fighting Dear Santa over a tray of sweets. There just wasn't a single trigger you could think of that could contribute to the horrendous eyebags that managed to find a permanent home under your eyelids.
Fortunately, this conclusion prompted you to throw back the sheets and tip toe down the hall to Gris' room. You told him the predicament you were in and he took it upon himself to offer you a joyride in the jeep, in hopes of lulling you to a good night's rest.
With a dramatic sigh, you pressed the side of your face against the seatbelt, eyes looking out the window at the passing scenery of trash.
" I don't think this is working. I'm sorry to have bothered you—"
"You're not bothering me," he said, almost instantly. "So stop saying that. I'm glad to help. You need your sleep."
"And you need yours," you pointed out, turning your head to look over at him. He was wearing a smile that was riddled with amusement. "Your always helping everybody else."
Gris let his hand on the top of the wheel fall to the side. The jeep smoothly ducked around an incoming pot hole. "That's what supporters do, Y/N."
Without hesitation, his free hand found yours, the one resting on your lap comfortably. His hand was free of his gloves. You could feel his scarred palm gathering your rough knuckles into a soft bunch. You felt comfortable, safe. Dare you even say, supported.
An impromptu yawn interrupted your shared gaze and you briefly broke your hand away from his to cover it in embarrassment. Gris chuckled and put his free hand back on the wheel.
You looked away, butterflies creating a swarm in your stomach. "Sorry."
"Don't be," he said, eyes straight ahead now, a satisfied glint in his features. "You're looking sleepy already. Think it might be working?"
You leaned back, tucking your legs towards your chest and leaning against the seat sideways. Your eyes rested lazily on the side of Gris' face.
"Don't get too excited," You said, voice filled with playfulness. You reached over and lightly punched his arm, nearly cracking your knuckles against his dense bicep in the process. You groaned and tucked your hand into your oversized sleeve, your elbow now perched on the center console.
Gris rumbled with laughter. "But you've yawned like twice already."
"Yawning's a facade. I yawn all the time, doesn't mean I'm going to fall asleep," you said with a sleepy smile. "I don't know if this is working."
"Are you doubting my driving abilities, Y/N?"
You lifted a brow, sitting up a little straighter at his accusation. "Not at all. I'm just saying you might have met your match." There was no one else you could think of who could help you except Gris. After all, you felt the closest to him out of all the Cleaners. "Everyone says your driving puts them to sleep...maybe it just doesn't work on me."
You stifled another yawn, earning a grin from your driver.
Gris smirked. "You sure about that?"
With a playful roll of your eyes, you pulled your knees to your chest and pressed the side of your face against the seat cushion. You narrowed your eyes at Gris before your blinks grew a little slower.
"I'm sure," you mumbled. "See? I'm not even...tired."
You shuffled and crossed your arms, briefly letting your eyes close for a few seconds. Each time you opened your eyes, your view of Gris' face grew narrower and blurrier.
"Yeah," You heard Gris say during your final blinks, "I believe you, Y/N."
-
With careful precision, Gris closed the door of the jeep with his hip. He shuffled quietly towards the Cleaner's entrance. With a silent wave from Semui and a nod in return, he passed the front desk and headed for the back hallways. With each step he took, he made sure not to bolster much noise from the creaking floorboards.
He inched passed his locked bedroom and took a sharp left until he came to a familiar door that had been left cracked open, a sliver of darkness begging to be set free. With the toe of his boot he pushed open the door and maneuvered through the darkness, using the dimly lit hallway as his guide.
Your covers had been left wrinkled, tossed aside as if you had been boxing with sleep until you couldn't take it anymore. With a shake of his head, Gris lowered you onto the mattress. You mumbled something incoherent as he unlaced your shoes and set them on the floor.
Carefully, he reached over to pull the blankets back over, tucking the fabric securely around you as if creating a secure island. As he moved to straighten his posture, he swept his thumb over the prominence of your cheek.
You smiled in your sleep, shifting a bit. Not wanting to disturb your sleep, Gris vanished into the dimly lit hall, stifling a smile and a yawn of his own as he headed back to his room.











