How Did You Get Here? - [RED!Engineer x F!Reader]

Chapter 5

I'll never forget that look on Dell's face, the look of pure spite and ferocity. It only lasted a second, a blink and I'd have missed it, but it lingered in my minds eye. As quickly as it came it left, possible because he realized she wasn't sober. He took a deep breath and started walking over. "Ah think ya need to calm down there, sounds like ya've had a lot to drink." He remained composed and even attempted to sound pleasant – it was then I realized that this was the fake Southern hospitality I was once worried about.

"How can I calm down when I'm trying to ask [F/N] [L/N] to finally be my girlfriend?!" The words escaped her lips like fire in the woods and as such my heart felt as if it were burning.

In the moment, I'm not sure if it was just my mind going in slow motion, or simply that he was that fast, but it seemed as though within a second the fictional mercenary from Teufort stood in front of the flustered, purple-haired university student. The only way I can possibly describe what happened next was as such:

Dell grabbed her by her shoulders and got her off the bed, forcing her onto her feet. She stood towering over him, yet his face showed no concern for it. He stared up at her, only for him to yank her down to his eye-level using the collar of her black pleather jacket. His eyes bore into hers like knives as he spoke in a near whisper. "Listen here, Ah'll be nice since she wants to be friends with ya, but you best listen to me now." She opened her mouth only to be cut off by gloved finger pressed against her chest, pointed perfectly straight against her with clear intent. "[F/N] is a single woman, she has the right to be with anyone she wants." His words were clear, sharp, there was a hint of consideration and kindness in them somewhere, but that was only for me to hear – I assumed. "While you may think you're better than me, maybe, just maybe, she wants someone like me." For a moment, his eyes softened, taking that time to glance over at my now frozen form. "Maybe she wants me."

Then, with a grunt, he let go of Jocelynn's collar, causing the woman to veer back and stand upright. She didn't say a word, she didn't even turn to look at me. Within seconds she grabbed her laptop and whipped out her cell phone. Storming out of the room she muttered into the phone "Hello, taxi service? I need a ride." The now sober sounding voice echoed through the halls, then a pause.

Click.

Bang.

With a rough slam at the front door, she was gone.

Dell stood there, his head hung, and shoulders hunched. I wasn't sure what to do with myself as I managed to get up from my position on the bed. I was now sitting on it, legs hanging over the edge. Was that his confession? His confession of how he felt for me. Yet it wasn't romantic, it wasn't adorable, it was arguably frigid and rough. If Jocelynn had gotten physical, I could only assume he would not have been as composed as he was.

I felt hurt. Hurt that Jocelynn had feelings for me that I was completely unaware of. Hurt that she could only confess to me after liquid courage. Hurt that I may lose any chance of being friends with her because of this – while I couldn't excuse the aggression in her behaviour, or how she spoke so poorly of Dell, she was intoxicated. People have strong feelings when they are. Clearly, I wasn't the only hurt person in the room though, I could tell by Dell's lack of communication or actions that he was just as distraught as I was. Should I have walked over to him in that moment?

His head finally shot up, turning to face me completely. I returned the look, noticing his eyes first and foremost – they almost looked foggy, like the steam from the kettle that once distracted me. His hands were balled into tight fists, to the point where I could see the gunslinger stretching the fingers of the rubber glove to the point of nearly shredding them. Minutes passed until the blue sky in his eyes cleared, he took in a deep breath and his hands resumed their usual flat position against his sides. Slowly, cautiously, like a human coming up to a stray dog, he made his way towards me.

I chose to remain on the bed, watching closely as he hesitantly made his way to me. He towered over me, reaching his left hand up to my face. With the most delicate movements he could muster in the moment, he placed his hand on my cheek. The swift motion of his thumb rubbing my drenched cheek made me realize that I had been crying. "Ah'm so sorry [F/N], I just –"

"Was there a reason for what you said?" I whispered, slicing through his words.

He looked confused at first, his lip trembling as his eyes scanned mine. I continued, "When you said, "maybe she wants me", did you say that because you were hopeful?"

There was a pregnant pause, time to consider a carefully planned out response. Instead of letting him develop it further, I spoke again. "Because I do want you, I – " I bite my bottom lip, the last two words wanted to escape my throat but I didn't know if this was the time to confess. Shockingly for me, he was the one to confess first.

"I love ya, [F/N]."

My lip felt like a marshmallow against my teeth as they dug deeper into the [Lip/Colour] flesh, but the shock on my face must have been obvious to him. For the first time I saw it, the face of pure love and admiration from Dell Conagher.

It was at that moment I couldn't control it anymore. Despite how I was feeling, despite the events prior, I could not deny how warm I felt. There was an undeniable happiness deep within my core that was ignited in that very moment.

It was then that I kissed Dell for the first time.

I will never forget that kiss. At first it started out soft, shy, as if there was a thin vail of hesitation. I was leaning up while he leaned down only slightly. After a moment, he reached to wrap his arms around my waist and hefted me up. Our bodies were pressed together with a great need, as if two magnets were finally pressed together after being locked away for so long. The moment of bliss lingered until we parted for air. My eyes were glossy with the tears that had once been shed, while his held a sense of urgency, need, as if he truly had been denied.

With that same level of gentleness from before, Dell moved his left hand from my waist to the back of my head, his fingers gliding through my hair.

"Lay with me, please?" I whispered into the crock of his neck.

"Of course."

[----]

[A/N]: Please don't hate on Jocelynn, I promise you she's a good bean who is just a wee bit of a mess, but she's good! ALSO COULD YOU TELL I SO BADLY WANTED TO WRITE YANDERE!ENGIE?? I had to stop myself since I'm trying to keep him closer to canon. ;_;