Chapter 11: Time to Talk...

(y/n)

I'm gonna make mistakes...

The song played on the radio in the kitchen as Garroth and I silently ate the dinner he prepared. I was extremely quiet, looking down at my plate for most of the time.

He cleared his throat after a few minutes, "We talked for maybe three hours once... that's all we talked other than you yell at me to do stuff." He said softly, "We've lived here for a week now... We should at least attempt to talk to one another."

I looked at him from the top of my eyes, not very interested in talking to him before nodding. I might as well get to know him since... I'm stuck with him.

The world's up in your face.

"So, what's your favorite music? Since, we're listening to music right now." I said, looking at him.

He chuckled softly, "Basically everything. My favorite is upbeat pop I guess." He smiled.

I thought for a minute. That's literally... not guy like... everyone loves rock... maybe he is gay... then again... he likes everything...

"I like things like... well... whatever my mood is..." I said softly, looking at him.

He smiled, "Well, if we listened to music now, what would it be?" He asked with a gentle smile.

I looked down for a moment, "Well, any type of song that's like... full of curiosity or, interest in something." I looked at him.

He chuckled, "Those songs are fairly interesting aren't they." He winked at me, failing at making a pun.

It hit me with such a force that I had to laugh. It was funny. Stupid, but funny. I smiled softly.

I want you as you are, not as you want to be.

We both continued to talk, my mood improving, everything feeling like a new light, a new day... a new life.

By the time I looked at the clock to see the time, it was almost time for bed: 11 o'clock. My mind suddenly went to a bad idea, the connection with the person I had been talking to growing. My gut ached, knowing it was a bad idea, but it seemed like a good idea in my mind. Garroth looked at me, expressing his confusion.

I giggled, "So... you wanna do anything?" I asked, lightly leaning on the table.

He raised a brow, "What type of things would that include...?"

"I dunno. Talk, sleep, watch a movie, do things before sleeping..." The last suggestion, I lightly smirked.

He frowned, "No... not getting mixed up in that." He said, standing up.

"No? Why not?" I frowned, standing up as well.

"Getting down and dirty... isn't a good thing to do at this moment. It's both morally wrong, and will end badly for the both of us." He said, grabbing the dishes and putting them in the sink.

I whined, "Dude... seriously!? It would be fun anyway! We'd deal with it later, not now."

He turned around, leaning on the counter, "Fun now means we'd have to work our butts off later for something, or someone that we both aren't mature enough to deal with correctly."

"And?" I raised a brow.

He sighed, "I'm not reckless. I'm going to wait like I told myself I would."

I groaned, "You're such a party wrecker. What the hell."

"Now you wait a minute. I know that if this happens, then you're going to hate me for agreeing, and you're going to make a poor decision, as well as I will." He said.

I growled at him, cornering him, "Stop being such a whiny bitch."

"Then stop being what everyone calls you, (y/n) (l/n)." He said.

"Oh yeah? What do they call me?" I smirked.

"A slut."

The smirk faded, my body going back, "Oh..."

When Love broke through, you found me in the darkness, wanderin' through the desert.

He sighed, "Look... I care about you enough that, I want to protect you as much as I can... Even if it means you hate me."

I looked away before walking off without another word.

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"Garroth...?"

His room was dark before his bed creaked, "(y/n)? What is it?"

I bit my lip, my body shaking from moments before, "Can I stay with you...?" My voice was shaky, I felt like I was acting like a child.

There was the awkward silence that followed before he said, "Yeah."

I quietly walked over. I was holding onto a Chica stuffed toy. He turned his phone on to see me, him sitting on the side of his bed. The bed creaked once again as I sat down beside him, looking down.

He gently turned his head, softly and hesitantly, I could feel, he put his arm around me, "What happened?" He asked.

"I don't feel safe..." I quietly said.

He tilted his head, "How so?"

My eyes started tearing up as I took in the shakiest breath and said, "Someone is touching me, but- but..."

He softly hugged me, gently shushing me, "You don't have to say anything more if you don't want to..." He whispered.

I quietly started crying, the feeling still there. I knew some of the touch was from Garroth, but the rest, from nothing. It touched me in places that I never wanted to be touched in.

He started to softly hum, lightly pulling me onto his lap, my body turned to the side, him rocking back and forward.

It was a little bit before I finally began to calm down. He gently turned perpendicular to how he had just been. He gently set me down beside him. He kept his arm around me and I just kept my hand gripped to his bicep.

Regrets of insulting him mentally and being rude to him in general flooded my head. I felt horrible about it, seeing he was willing to step out of his comfort zone to help me...

He smiled gently, "You want to sleep here tonight then...?" He asked softly.

My head softly looked up, my eyes meeting his gaze in the dark, "Is that okay with you...?"

He nodded softly, "Yes. It is."

I bit my lip before he laid back. I laid back after a minute. He kept his arm under me, as if ready to hold me when I needed him.

I turned onto my side, cuddling into his side, my head finding its way onto his chest. I never understood why guys slept shirtless but... it was comforting in a way... He gently brought his arm into a bent position, around me.

What I didn't expect was him to gently tilt his head down, kissing the top of my head.

"I'm right here for you, (y/n). I'll do everything to keep it that way."