Uhhhhhhh yeah. First Tumblr specific writing thing! He has taken root in my brain where he continues to fester. Doesn’t help that my boyfriend is a Randy Variant smh I’m in a hell of my own making (Don’t save me I love it here)
🍿💚🍿💚
💚Ugh that man is a cuddling king I feel it in my BONES
💚PDA king too
💚He will not fuck you but he does not need to and honestly you don’t want him to. Plenty fulfilling from the fluffy side of things.
💚You’ll be standing with the others and he’ll wrap his arms around you from behind and rest his chin on your shoulder.
💚Pouty king. 🥺 <- literally him wdym.
💚NON! SEXUAL! NECK! KISSES! He loves to just hug you from behind in the kitchen and press a kiss to where your neck and shoulder meet.
💚Also will kiss your hand. Back of the hand in greeting? Amazing, love to see it, but the palm of your hand? Like you cup his face and he tilts his head and kisses the palm and looks up at you with those big blue eyes of his and omg bed now if he’d let me omg.
💚For a horror nerd he sure does know how to romance ‘em.
💚Ladies(said genderneutrally) man and he don’t even know it. Got bitches, bros, and enby hoes (affectionate) wanting him.
💚Only you get him though.
💚A gentleman too, holds doors, pulls out your chair, holds your purse, walks on the outside of the road, the whole nine yards.
💚dedicates his films to you too. Every. Single. One.
💚You have a cat together, in lieu of a child. It just suits your life better to be the uncle and (uncle/aunt/secret third thing) to your friend’s kids/Chad and Mindy.
💚Life is easy with Randy. You’re both whipped for eachother, congrats!
💚You make cocoa when it’s cold regardless of the fact that you live in California. It works out really well when you two head to Ohio For college.
💚your bed is never empty, even when Randy isn’t spending the night, he has won you so many stuffed animals, and left so many pillows and blankets from movie nights past that you’re never lacking in comfort.
💚to be honest though it’s very rare that Randy DOESN’T spend the night.
💚cuddle king, sleeps as if he’s protecting you from an attacker coming through the window.
💚constantly leaving you little notes and shit.
💚would cast you as the lead in every movie he writes, and keeping true to his word, the geek gets the girl every time.
💚makes your story a movie and is shocked when it makes billions, you’re not, you knew the two of you had an Oscar worthy love story.
🍿💚🍿💚
Hope you enjoyed and lmk what you wanna see, if you want to see anything else, ig?
feelin' like an absolute fool about it -> cool about it [1]
in which: a son of jupiter can't remember the life he lost to time and circumstance. or the daughter of mercury he lost, too.
pairing: jason grace x daughter of mercury!roman!reader
warnings: angst, angst, and angst. oh and cursing.
word count: 3.3k
a/n: this is a four part fic and im so obsessed with this idea. Jason Grace the man that you are. oh and this follows a nonlinear plot so be warned. lmk if you want to be added to a taglist or wtv!
[one] two three four
"If I have to sit through one more meeting with you making kiss me eyes at the praetor, I'm going to run myself through with my own lance."
"Good morning to you, too, Dakota." You grunted, half amused, half still pissy from the horror show that had been your previous night. "I slept like shit, thanks for asking."
"You're welcome," He didn't miss a beat, pouring more kool-aid than was probably healthy into his cup to drink with breakfast. "Now, man up."
"Real inspiring."
Dakota leveled you with a flat look, and you fought the urge to roll your own eyes. But you knew he would twist the action into your admitting defeat in your impromptu staring contest.
And you were nothing if not a sore loser.
"Admit you want to date the praetor." Dakota demanded, trying to push the conversation along.
On instinct, your gaze darted throughout the dining pavilion, looking for a certain head of blond hair that had yet to make an appearance that morning. And it was then that you knew Dakota meant business, because he didn’t call you out for looking away first.
"Reyna's pretty. Not my type, though." You deflected, stabbing a fork into your breakfast with what was probably more force than necessary. Dakota's eyes widened at the action, briefly, before narrowing at you in suspicion.
"Moving past that comment," He waved his hand in front of him, as if to physically move the conversation along. "Does your current attitude have anything to do with last night's freak thunderstorm?"
Maybe, you would have said, if your mouth didn't suddenly taste so bitter. Still, you winced, and you knew that was enough of an answer for him.
"Oh, come on!" Dakota groaned, pausing only to sip greedily on his kool-aid. You looked on in near amusement, cheek propped up on your fist, waiting for his dramatics to pass. "I finally get my speech all prepared to get you to confess your unending love to Praetor Grace, and you two get in an argument the night before?"
"Pity," You replied dryly, hoping the way you exaggeratedly poked out your bottom lip and knitted your brows together masked the ache in your chest.
"Centurion," Dakota whined, and you wondered how you had gotten so lucky to be promoted to lead the Fifth Cohort alongside him. "What happened?"
Your eyes flashed, shooting him a glare that made him snap his mouth shut.
"Oh-kay." He whistled, sipping his kool-aid some more. Seriously, you needed to figure out how to trick the poor guy into drinking water. "My point still stands. One argument does not change the fact that you guys are in love with each other."
You scoffed, shoveling pancakes in your mouth to avoid answering, head ducked.
Dakota slammed his open palms down on the top of the table so forcefully, almost every head in the pavilion snapped towards him.
"So you admit it!" He accused, grinning wickedly and showing off the red-stained mustache his drink of choice left. You grimaced, swallowing your breakfast to avoid choking. "You do love him!"
"Keep your voice down or I will shove Octavian's entire teddy bear collection down your—"
"Okay!" Dakota interrupted, grinning proudly, as if he hadn't just been threatened. "No need for violence. I was right."
"So is a broken clock twice a day. You're not special." You rolled your eyes, settling stiffly back into your seat. Risking another glance around the mess hall, you still found no sight of the world's most irritating, kind-hearted, moron of a praetor.
Also known as Jason Grace, your best friend.
And as Dakota had just so eloquently uncovered, the guy you've been in love with for years without ever uttering a word about it to him.
"Put me out of my misery, please, and just go talk to the guy, will you?" He begged, like he truly was the one suffering. You glared at him again, but you knew it wasn't fair.
Dakota hadn't been there last night, when you had tried telling Jason how you felt. But the boy was as emotionally oblivious as he was pretty, which was saying a lot.
"Wait," Dakota wiped at his mouth, but the kool-aid stains remained behind. "Did you already—?"
"Centurions," Harper from the Second Cohort appeared at your side, slightly out of breath and eyes wide. You had only ever really spoken to her during Senate meetings, but you were friendly enough.
So you were more than a little confused when she looked at you and took a step back, like she was afraid.
"Everything alright, Harper?" You asked, turning slightly in your seat, mind already running through a million different scenarios of horrible things that could have happened and dragged such a reaction out of Harper.
You had seen the girl take on four sons of Mars before. She wasn't exactly afraid of much.
"He's gone," The words tumbled past her lips before she winced, taking a second step away from you. Face twisted in confusion, you tried to make sense of the vague explanation. "Jason, I mean. He's just—"
Gone.
You were out of your seat before she could finish talking, breakfast long forgotten. The few bites you had managed to swallow felt like lead in the pit of your stomach, weighing you down and making you feel like you were barely moving, even as you raced so fast through camp that even the Lares barely had time to get out of your way.
There was no way Harper was right. Jason couldn't just be—be gone. He was everything a Roman aspired to be; strong, resilient, dedicated.
And maybe you had gotten into an argument, but Broken Clock Dakota was right for the second time that day. One argument didn't mean you stopped loving him.
You have never been so thankful that your father was the god of travelers as your feet pounded on the dirt roads. Sprinting towards the bunk houses, you utilized every ounce of Mercury-blessed speed. Jason had to be there. Or maybe he had snuck off to New Rome to buy you apology flowers, like he had the one time he missed your birthday—you had forgive him easily, as he had been off on a quest he nearly died during.
Heart in your throat, you skidded to a halt outside the small, private bedrooms given to the praetors. You had always teased Jason that his looked like a prison cell, considering his only decorations were books on war strategies used throughout centuries.
But then he had taped up that one gods-awful photo of you and him, both squinting against the sun shining in your faces, and it hadn't seemed so desolate.
"Jason!" You shouted with relief, voice choked up, because the door to his room was open. He never kept his door open, unless you were inside, because he claimed it stopped the other campers from making assumptions about what the two of you were getting up to in his bedroom, alone.
And then you would ask him to explain what he meant by that, trying to hide your grin for as long as you could while he stammered over his words with a blush.
"Jase, they're saying—" You pushed open the door to his room further, voice almost shuddering, and stopped cold when you saw the room's only occupant.
Because it wasn't your blond haired love leaning over the small desk in the corner of the room.
"He didn't show up to our praetor meeting this morning." Reyna's voice was flat, giving you only the facts. You were glad, because if she had spoken with pity, you were certain you would have thrown up.
Jason would be nice about it, but you didn't want to vomit on his carpet.
"That's not like him," You stated dumbly, fingertips vibrating with anxious nerves. Reyna shook her head, and it was then that you realized she had been sifting through the stacks of papers on his desk.
It felt like an intrusion of his privacy, even if it was a necessary precaution. There might have been clues to his whereabouts in those papers. Instead, you were certain they were only his to-do lists, scribbled in his neat handwriting you so adored.
And when she spoke next, you wish you could have plugged your ears and ignored her.
"Centurion, Jason Grace is missing."
Six months, one week, four days, nine hours.
And thirty-six minutes.
Jason had been gone for six months, one week, four days, nine hours, and thirty-six minutes.
In total, you had slept probably a total of nineteen consecutive hours. Octavian had tried calling for your removal from role of Centurion five times. Reyna had offered you the open position of Praetor twice, behind closed doors.
"It's not available," You had snapped. Fear and exhaustion had turned you bitter. "Jason's coming back."
Six months, one week, four days, nine hours, and thirty-seven minutes.
"You know," Dakota's voice was slightly slurred, already gone on the kool-aid on such a bright summer afternoon. He had found you on the steps of the forum, searching through dozens of letters from retired legionnaires all claiming to not have heard any word about Jason but would keep scouting, and suggested you join him for a walk. "I bet he's out there, fighting for his life to get back here to you."
You shot a glare at Dakota, but kept your mouth shut. Lately, he was the only one of your old friends that could stomach being around you. No one else wanted to subject themselves to your attitude. You were glad to have a friend, even if you didn't act like it.
But you wished Dakota wouldn't talk about Jason fighting for his life.
"Brenda said I could take another eagle out searching today," Your voice had a rasp to it. Rarely used, but never rested. For the first three weeks following Jason's disappearance, you spent each night crying in your bunk, murmuring desperate pleas that your golden boy be returned to you.
And maybe he had never truly been your Jason, but it had felt pretty close.
Finally, Reyna had slipped a key into your palm, disguised as a handshake. The silver key, the one that unlocked Jason's empty praetor room, currently sat on a chain around your neck.
You slept there, now.
No one mentioned your nightly disappearance. You figured everyone was just thankful they didn't have to hear your crying anymore.
"Are you sure you should be flying?" Dakota looked you over with unease, the Little Tiber coming into view on the horizon. You were certain you looked a mess, but what did it matter? You only cared about what Jason thought of you, and Jason never cared about what you wore.
Still, the dark bags of exhaustion under your eyes probably were cause for concern.
"Says you," You countered dismissively, waving a hand towards the flask of kool-aid attached to his belt.
"That's not what I mean," He huffed, defensive. "When's the last time you slept—"
The shouting from the Little Tiber interrupted your conversation. You squinted in the direction of the sound, both surprised and startled to find two massive fists of water raised in the air, a gorgon in each.
At the bank was Hazel Levesque, submerged up to his knees was Frank Zhang, and... controlling the water-fists was a boy you had never seen before.
Without warning Dakota, you took off in a sprint towards the edge of the Little Tiber. You reached the bank just as Frank shot two incredibly well placed arrows at each of the gorgons, turning them to dust and swallowing them downstream.
"Centurion!" Hazel gasped, spotting you approach. Dakota was slowly closing in, muttering curses about children of Mercury and their swiftness. "We found him by the front gates. He was carrying, well, a goddess, so we figured we should let him in."
By the time Hazel finished rambling, both the new boy and Frank had made it ashore. Frank, with his probatio tablet swinging around his neck avoided meeting your eye.
Most people did, lately.
But the newcomer met your stare head on, confidently, if not a little confused. Pursing your lips, something about him set off alarms in your mind.
"What's your name?" You asked, still frowning. You hated being so angry all the time. You missed smiling. You missed your reason for smiling, too, but you had other things to worry about, somehow.
Like the son of Neptune who showed up on your front door.
The boy shifted on his feet, a bronze sword clenched in his tired hands. He looked far worse than you had realized at first, and his voice was exhausted when he answered you.
"Percy Jackson."
"Jason Grace!"
"Careful," He grinned, pointing his sword lazily at you. Your laughter echoed throughout the room, setting the world around the two you singing. "People might think your form is getting sloppy."
"Then they'll think you're a shitty coach," You teased, twirling your own sword as you danced throughout the room, always light on your feet. Jason chuckled, and if you could have bottled up the sound to keep forever, you would have in a heartbeat.
Your favorite moments were when it was just you and Jason, in the training center alone. With curfew fast approaching, everyone else was taking advantage of the two short, sweet free hours before lights out.
"Water break," Jason ordered, flipping his sword gracefully back into the golden coin he always kept in his pocket. You obliged him, slipping wordlessly over to your water bottle on the edge of the mat. "I was serious, earlier. You're dropping your elbows."
"And you're more stiff than a flagpole," You countered, raising a pointed brow at him. Jason gave you a look that screamed 'I don't think so', which was practically an invitation for you to mess with him. "Seriously, Jase, you gotta loosen up."
"I'm loose." He argued, and you let out another loud laugh, the kind that had your head tipping back with the force of your joy. Crossing the room to stand before him, you lifted your chin so that you had a chance at meeting his eye.
I'm loose, he claimed. The thought made you snort, again, as you took in his rigid posture, how even just standing, his arms were crossed over his broad chest.
"Jase," You crooned innocently, settling your left hand on his shoulder, fingers smoothing over the muscle. His reaction was instant, to your excitement. Flush coating his cheeks, his eyes tracking the movement of your hand against him.
Just as you had hoped.
"Baby," You taunted, and he actually choked, burning a bright red as you stepped closer to him, smirk on your lips. "If you're going to talk shit about my elbows, you better get ready to fight back."
Grinning wickedly, you held up the magical golden coin you had lifted from Jason's pocket while he was distracted.
"Give me that," He huffed, eyes rolling and catching your wrist before you could get away. Your laughter fell from you in echoing shrieks, trying to escape Jason as he tried to snatch the coin back.
You stuck out your arm in the opposite direction, trying to hold out as long as you could against him. How rare it was you ever were able to outsmart the great Jason Grace.
He simply pulled you closer, his longer arms stretching out over your body to try and get his coin back. Knees knocking together, your laughters mixed in the air.
By the time his fingers finally wrapped around the golden coin, you could barely breathe. Smiles spread wide over both your faces, you grinned up at him, cheeks albeit a bit flushed.
His arm was wrapped around your middle, holding you flush against his front. And even as he stuffed his coin back into his pocket, he kept his arm wrapped around you tightly.
You weren't going to complain, either, your own hands settling on the tops of his shoulders, toying with the collar of his purple camp shirt.
Gods, you were so in love with him, you felt it in your bones. How was it fair that the powers that be put him in your life, just out of arms reach? And how could Venus despise you so much that she would give you Jason Grace, let him hold you and smile at you, and not have him fall in love with you, too?
He was blinding, golden sunlight, and you just needed to be caught in his rays, however briefly.
"Why do you train so much?" You weren't exactly sure where the question came from, but you were certain it was an important one as you studied the emotions swirling in his sky blue eyes. Confusion, mostly, but also a hint of something so similar to admiration it made your skin feel flushed.
"We're soldiers." He reasoned, ever the level-headed Roman. And you loved him for it, really, but you loved him more than the Roman traits.
"Do we have to be, all the time?" You hated how desperate your voice sounded, and you hated Jason for making you ask.
"What else is there for us?" His counter argument was like he hit the panic button in your mind. And maybe if you had more time to think about how to best react, you would have slowed down and talked him through a life beyond the military prowess he had been practically conditioned to think was the only life for him.
But you didn't have time, and you could barely think, so all you did was pull away from his hold.
"Forget it." You mumbled, not entirely sure if you intended for him to hear. It wasn't his fault, you distantly reasoned, he didn't know any better. Raised by wolves then sent to Camp Jupiter? He had no chance at seeing any sort of life beyond battlefield glory.
But you weren't the daughter of reason. Your father was the god of thieves, and your emotions stole the moment from your fingertips.
"Hold on," Jason urged, taking a step towards you as you backed away, mumbling some excuse about needing more water. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Never, Jase." You nodded solemnly, your frown never once leaving your lips as you twisted back around to face him. "And maybe that's the problem."
I want you to break regulation and kiss the daylights out of me, you wanted to scream.
"I don't understand." He shook his head, open palms splayed up towards the sky, like he was pleading with you or the gods to explain to him.
You laughed once more, but this time, it echoed coldly in the empty training room. Gone was the sunshine smiled you wore, as if it had fallen behind the horizon as the real sun set over your head.
Bitterness twisted your heart, firing unfamiliar cruelty through your gaze, pinned on Jason. He almost flinched at the look on your face.
I don't understand, he had claimed. He didn't understand just how much you ached for him, praetor or not. Roman or mortal, you wanted him.
But he was a soldier, first. And maybe he was a soldier, only.
"Maybe that's the problem."
He called your name, but you were already out the door, letting the metal slam shut behind you.
You weren't enough of a fool to pretend to not see the lightning strike the roof of the training center, ruining the perfectly clear skies from only moments before. The only proof of Jason's frustration he would let the world see, you knew.
The only proof that maybe he ached the same way as you.
That night, you didn't sleep. Your poor bunkmates, listening to you twist and turn and try and get comfortable when it felt like knives were piercing your insides. Acid burned your tongue, cursing the appendage for ever trying to broach the subject about being more than soldiers to the other with Jason.
The next morning, you walked into breakfast, determined to avoid talking to Jason for at least a few hours.
I want to be loved like a best loved childhood toy. I want to be the first one you reach for, the only one you’ll have and no other substitute will do. I want to be the last thing you see snuggled up in your arms before sleep takes you, and the one you wake up to in the morning sun. I want to be taken on the little adventures of everyday life, hand clutched in yours and listening to you ramble on for hours. I want tea parties and special outings, just us two in a world of our own making. I want to fight dragons with you and be rescued from dangerously tall towers by you. After our adventures, I want you to care for me in all the best ways you know how, wipe away the traces of our journeys and tuck me under your arm like nothing, not even adulthood, can separate us.
I want to be loved like a best loved childhood toy because I want to be changed by your love. Well worn with one button eye loose, unworried because I know you’ll make it better. Indents around my middle from the shape of your arms cradling me. Velveteen nose rubbed down from all the kisses you place on it. Made soft by your love, protected and cherished until your love manifests physically. Crisp seams and stiff limbs held loosely in your embrace, the sureness of your love letting me be as soft as I want to be. I want to look back at the end of my life, only the faint edges of my younger self recognizable in me now, and have the evidence of how your love has changed me in every nook and cranny of my body.
Huddled in the library during a storm, wet to the bone, I carefully take off my knight's armor, hands lingering slightly too long. It clanks to the floor loudly, making me jump.
When I recover my wits, I let down her hair, brushing my fingers through its long, soft embrace. Her ears are red. Sighing, I lay my head against her back, tracing the scars circling her exposed arms as she shivers, maybe from the cold or maybe to my touch. Either way, royalty must serve their subjects' needs, shouldn't they?
I wrap my arms around her tight, burying my face into the crook of her neck, breath surely tickling her as she exhales. Nothing is said, but a thousand meanings are understood and accepted.
Synopsis: Being a hybrid could be hard, but being the property of a less than caring owner, and a rare snow leopard on top of that, complicated your life even more. Fate has an odd way of changing things as you unceremoniously fall into the lives of seven wealthy businessmen.
ao3 link
~~~
Your lungs burned as you sprinted, the cool night air doing nothing for you as you quickly dodged a tree. Two sets of running feet could be heard behind you and they were closing in fast. You were weak, sore, and exhausted, which is why these damned dog hybrids were about to catch you. Normally a hybrid of your caliber could outrun these domestic breeds in an instant. You growled in frustration as you pushed yourself to keep moving.
You were a snow leopard which happened to be a rare form of hybrid. An agile feline, that was known to be the perfect predator, was about to be caught by “man’s best friend.” Animal instinct directed you into the city ahead, you slowed as you approached the crowds of people, pulling your hood over your white spotted ears, and tucking your matching tail away. The slowed pace is a welcome relief to your straining chest as you walked deeper into the throngs of humans and hybrids.
The pursuing dog hybrids stopped in their tracks, confused and irritated at your sudden disappearance.
“I hate cats, they’re too fucking sneaky.” Pointed ears twitched, his voice dripping with irritation.
“Use your nose, idiot, she’s got a distinct scent.” His partner retaliated. The pair followed your scent trail at a slower pace.
“Boss is gonna be pissed.”
~~~
Finally, a sanctuary came into your line of sight, a bar sign glowing from a few feet away. The Jin and Tonic, lit sign reflected off your frown, as you quickly checked your surroundings. You were quick to pass between the crowd and enter into the building. Not a single person paid you any mind as you weaved through the throngs of drunken people. Luckily for you the place was in full swing, men were slinging back drinks while girls hung onto their arms chattering away about nonsense. Your sensitive nose scrunched as the mix of scents assaulted you. The air in the bar was thick with alcohol and emotions, an idea suddenly generated in your head like a light bulb.
Just as you began to formulate your small plan, the two dog hybrids pursuing you burst through the door. You were well aware that you scent led them here.
Nearby, one man was busy mixing drops of moonshine into a glass, obviously he was trying to forget something as it was an extremely potent alcohol. You knew that smell better from a mile away, parties you’d been forced to attend in the past gave you a knowledge of various brews. You watched and waited, and the moment he set down the heavy bottle, your hand napped it and tossed it towards the floor. Oops. Crash!
The man’s face wrinkled in anger, yet you didn’t hear him yelling before you made way to a different busy corner of the facility. The dog hybrids were groaning in unison, the intoxicating smell overwhelmed their sensitive noses. A few words were exchanged before they decided they had enough and headed out of the building.
You couldn’t help the sigh of relief that left you.
It dawned on you that you were in the clear, for once, you could breath. If only it were that easy, as you now were beginning to panic from the intense sounds and smells. They came crashing down on you in a wave. This was too much, this was a mistake, thoughts of being caught filled your head. Your master would not be kind when he found you. Dread began taking hold of your thoughts.
You mindlessly bumped between shoulders of other patrons, the world started to close in around you as the music’s beat began to match your pounding headache.
“Hey! Miss!” Interrupted the beat, a hand finding its way onto your shoulder and turning you around. The taste of freedom felt like it was washed out of your mouth in that instant.
You tried to yank your shoulder away, only for his hand to push down your hood by accident in the mess. His full lips opened in surprise, you could see the thoughts in his head processing all in once. Quickly as it happened, the hood was back on your head and his arm around your shoulder.
“Back off!” You hissed at the strange man, feebly trying to pull away.
Kim Seokjin, being the ever attentive bar owner, overheard the commotion and came to investigate. The last thing he needed was another bar fight. He had caught the sight of two dog hybrids in uniform fleeing and a mess of broken glass and alcohol on the ground. His dark eyes landed on your hooded form, and instantly knew you were the culprit of the disturbance.
When your hood fell his mouth dropped in shock at your haggard appearance. The first thing that caught his attention were the fluffy ears atop your head. They were mostly white and rounded, and he recognized them instantly. His prominent brows nearly disappeared into his hairline as his eyes settled on the deep bruise that marred your cheek.
Jin uttered your name. “...What are you doing here? What happened to you?”
His words were blurred as if you were underwater, the bar and everyone melded together and your body felt like lead, your knees giving out.
The taller man nearly lost his balance as you suddenly fell into his chest, your adrenaline rush fading fast, eyelids heavy.
“Seriously?! You cause a scene and then faint?” Was the last thing you heard as arms embraced your falling form.
Hi could your write something involving Race saving the reader somehow? Thanks!
i gotchu boo. i am HERE for angst.
Your Hero
race x reader (canon)
a/n: i had so much trouble writing this for some reason and i kind of hate it but it’s fine, i hope you all enjoy it. Even my angst turns into fluff and I can’t believe it. sorry it took forever also! i had a lot of school work and then got sick.
warnings: some blood mentions
word count: 1k
edited?: yes | no | kinda
It was nothing really, you were just a little hungry was all. It had been bitterly cold for days and by no means was that working any wonders when it came to selling. The lack of customers meant that money was particularly tight and money being tight meant stepping back to one small meal a day. You would be fine. It was just for a week or so. That would’ve been fine, if you had a normal eating routine every other week of the year.
Race knew you weren’t fine. Hunger was an affliction he had seen far too many times before. He could spot it on his girl’s face from a mile away: the dull eyes, wobbly legs, head obviously spinning. He questioned you before you went selling for the day.
“You don’t look so good, doll. You ok to sell?”
“Yeah,‘m fine,” it came out a little quieter than you wanted. You couldn’t be kept from selling. A day of not selling meant even less money for the food you so desperately needed.
“You sure?”
“I said I’m fine,” you snapped now, more defensive than you wanted. He raised his hands in defense.
“Alright then.”
He shouldn’t have given in so easily.
You were fine for the selling day, just a little unsteady on your feet, mind running a bit slow, making it hard to make up good headlines to sell. That was all it was until you reached your last couple of papers. You felt the edges of your vision going dark and started as fast as you could for the lodge. You couldn’t let it happen here. The streets were no place for a young, homeless girl to be left unconscious. But you didn’t make it there. At about halfway you stumbled, the dark edges of your vision took over and the world went black.
Race was a beyond energetic being, but in intense situations he tried to stay calm, nonchalant. He was the easygoing, “don’t sweat it” one. He didn’t panic. But now? That demeanor was out the window. They had sent Mush and Jojo out to look for you an hour ago with no luck thus far and Race was getting antsy. He walked in circles, stood up and sat down, took his cigar in and out of his mouth, never getting comfortable. It happened all at once. He slammed both hands against the chair he sat on, spat “That’s it” and stomped out the door. The others tried to call after him but to no avail.
It was a mere two or three minutes of walking before he came across a defeated Mush and Jojo.
“Sorry, Racer. We looked all around her spot. Couldn’t-” Mush started immediately, running a hand across the back of his neck. But Race pushed past them, talking as he sped forward. “She ain’t been selling in her normal spot. She’d be this way.”
“Do you want us to-” Jojo began, but Race didn’t give him the chance, he sprinted down the street, calling your name. No response.
He didn’t have to worry much longer, it was only a few minutes more before he found you crumpled on the ground of an alley, bleeding from where your head had hit the ground. He cursed, hurrying to kneel beside you. He repeated your name, softer now, brushing hair away from your face and the injury, trying to wake you up. Nothing. He cursed again, gently picking you up, being especially careful of the intimidating gash on the side of your head. He was no doctor, but he didn’t like the look of it one bit.
“C’mon, (Y/N), stay with me,” was his mantra as he sped back to the Lodge.
He couldn’t be consoled, couldn’t be torn away from where you laid limp on your bunk, a thick bandage wrapped around your head. It was the early hours of the morning but he refused to sleep, even when his tired eyes threatened to close. He had to be there when you woke up. He needed to be there to give you the food they scrounged up for you and to tell you how sorry he was for letting you go. He felt responsible. He knew you shouldn’t have been out selling in your state, but he let you go out anyway.
He swore he felt you stir and his heart stopped.
“What happened?” he heard your voice now, weak but clear. He sighed in relief, leaning in to leave a long kiss on your forehead before responding.
“You ain’t been taking care of yourself, doll. You passed out after sellin’ and hit your head.” You reached up to touch the bandage. “Scared me to death.”
“’m sorry,” you didn’t meet his eye, “That’s why I didn’t say nothing. Didn’t want you worrying. Guess it didn’t work huh?”
“Don’t keep stuff like that from me. I would’ve helped you and wouldn’t ‘a thought less of you for it neither. We’ve all been there, but I’m here for ya, alright? I’d never let you go hungry, we’ll figure something out.”
“Alright,” you agreed with a small smile, just noticing the food that was on the table beside you. You licked your lips.
“Hungry?” You gave him a side-eye.
“Yeah, stupid question, sorry.” You laughed and moved to sit up while he grabbed the plate, helping you finally get some much needed food in your stomach. Of course, that was not before making you give him a kiss before he’d hand over the bread. You rolled your eyes but humored him anyway, leaving a lingering kiss on his lips.
“My hero,” you sighed as you bit into the bread he handed over. He raised an eyebrow.
“That’s what it took for me to be your hero? Not finding you, not carrying you home? Bread?”
You just laughed, placing a content kiss to his cheek before taking another bite, the two of you watching as the world slowly woke up around you.
