Alliance: [Cole X Reader]

Pained Decisions

"No Jay! You can't just leave the team! What kind of stupid idea is that?!" I yelled, my face hot as warm tears streamed down my face. "We've been with them for half a year. Doesn't that mean something to you? We're family, Jay!" I turned away and ran my hands through my hair, practically tugging it out of my scalp.

He sighed and placed his hands on the bathroom sink where he was packing up his stuff. "There isn't a team without Zane." His normally soft voice was rough and gravely. All of us were this way: beat up, broken.

"You can't leave them in such a hard time." I whispered in protest. With the sleeve of my oversized sweatshirt, I wiped my face dry.

"It's my choice. My choice. You can come if you want." He grumbled and slammed shut the door to the bathroom, leaving me alone in his room.

A gasp and I clenched my teeth together, before taking a deep breath in and out. I'm okay. It's okay.

As I turned to walk out the door to my room I slammed into something.

Or rather, someone.

Stumbling back, I found myself looking up at the broad-shouldered Cole.
I guess he saw our argument.

Great.

My cheeks flared a bright red as I dipped my head down. "Excuse me..." I muttered as I pushed past him.

He reached out to grab my arm, but I just pulled away. Not right now. No.

We ate dinner in silence. Kai was the first to leave. The last we heard from him, he was fighting. Lloyd had tried to get him to stay giving a big speech of how it was their "duty to the city" yada yada yada... He did the same thing when word got around that Jay was going to follow after him.

"Y/N will you be leaving with-" Lloyd began, but before he could finish, I slammed my plate down on the table and rushed out. I slumped up against the wall in the corridor, biting at my lip to hold back tears. Footsteps sounded behind me, so I pushed myself off the wall with the palms of my hands.

A yelp escaped my lips as a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. I was forced to Cole's chest, hand propped against him so I could push myself away if this got way too weird.

He wasn't expecting me to fall on him so I caught a glimpse of his blushing cheeks before he pulled me into a hug.

"Come with me, Y/N. If Jay doesn't want you to come with him, I'll take care of you."

I gasped and buried my face into his shoulder. A shake of my head, and a sigh from him. "I-i can't. I can't. He's my brother. No matter how stupid he is, I love him and I'd follow him to the end of the earth. I can't leave him." My lungs gasped for breath and my lip trembled as tears escaped. Dang it.

I felt him nod against the embrace and he dropped his arms from around me. "Thank you. I-I-really.. just.. thank you." I stammered before giving my friend a heart felt smile. He held onto my hand as I turned my back to him and he dropped it as I walked away.

If only I had turned around then. If only.

I spent the evening packing my things. The pictures were the absolute hardest to take down.

And the mural... I placed a hand over Zane's hand print and his signature. I shook my head and hit the wall with all my might. It was so stupid!
He didn't deserve to die. Zane was the sweetest and he deserved the world. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid stupid
Stupidstupidstupidstupid!
I looked up to his hand print and ground my teeth together. "I miss you, buddy. We're all so lost without you. We all miss you. I wish I could talk to you again."

A sigh and I grabbed my bags before plopping them down at my brothers door.

"You're my idiot brother-" I gave a half hearted laugh and shook my head-"and as stupid as you are, I'm still the bigger idiot because I'll follow you anywhere."

I was thrown back as he practically tackled me into a hug.

He started a television show. It was dumb-but it was so Jay. It actually was really fun to watch. In the meantime, we grew closer together as siblings.

And that was the last I heard from the other boys for a long time.