Something Amiss (Hoodie x Reader)

Thirty Three: Don't Fall

TW: suicidal thoughts

A/N: we'll be delving into darker territory once again as we get to the final third of the story,, please keep your arms and legs in the vehicle at all times

You let go of Brian's hand the second he opened the front door. You weren't entirely sure why you let him lead you all the way down the hall that way to begin with - your mind was somewhere else, you supposed. What puzzled you more, though, is why he didn't move away. You found yourself wondering over this trivial, ultimately juvenile matter while you waited for Brian to grab his gun out of the (permanently secured) metal lockbox by the door. You didn't look, mostly because you didn't want to know how many firearms he kept in the thing. You seriously hoped he wasn't a fanatic. There was also the fact that he felt the need to bring his weapon everywhere he went, which was a dire reminder of his circumstances. Far better to think about his hand in yours, and not his his hand loading a deadly weapon.

It didn't take him long, and soon he was escorting you down the hallway of his apartment complex. Which, you had to say, was the shittiest, oldest fucking lump of bricks you'd come across in a long while. You didn't know where Brian was going, but you followed along without feeling like a tiny snail for once, as he was being kind enough not to stalk right on ahead. His slowed gait didn't even feel condescending today.

You followed the man into a shitty concrete stairwell, but instead of going downwards, he started leading you up. You both climbed one, then two, and then three flights, footsteps echoing loudly off the walls. Then, finally, a set of heavy metal doors gave way to the roof.

You hadn't seen proper sunlight in days. It was brighter than you recalled, almost blinding you, even though the sky was cloudy. You had to put physical effort into not tearing up. Ow.

In the time it took you to gather your wits, Brian had slipped off to go lean against the railing, facing you. He had a look of mild amusement mixed with underlying concern at the stupid, scrunched up look on your face as you blinked vigorously. You dropped the dumb expression as soon as you made eye contact with him, staring him down. To your surprise, he let up with a tiny smile, turning his head back to look out over the rooftops.

Being out here felt awfully exposed. Though it was mid morning, the weather was beginning to cool as Summer approached it's end, leaving your skin freshly tingling in the slight breeze. More to the point, there was nothing above but endless sky, and nothing below but endless streets. Anyone could look up and see you, and you didn't like it one bit.

You didn't even care that you were being paranoid as fuck as you walked over to Brian, craving some semblance of safety. You'd had a rocky morning, and he had a gun - just in case this day decided to get any worse. There were masked faces in the corner of your eye everywhere you glanced, in every nook and cranny of all the railings and the concrete blocks up here. If an actual masked fuck made the climb, you'd let Brian kill them with no second thoughts. And, use him as a meat shield if push came to shove.

Brian watched you walk over to his side, though you didn't make eye contact with him. He was facing the rest of the roof, so you positioned your body so you were looking out over the city. You supposed it was out of timidness. Maybe because he had a gun in the pocket of his sweatpants (not the safest choice, though you wouldn't grill him on it today), maybe it was something else. Nonetheless, seeking comfort, you stood so close you could feel the heat radiating off of him even while he was out of sight. Your elbow grazed his as it dangled off the railing, and you couldn't bring yourself to move it.

You were most definitely overthinking every little thing, every touch had you on edge. But you didn't hate it. So when his hand moved to run through his hair, arm shifting away from yours, you felt a childish pang of disappointment. That was until he set his arm back down next to yours even closer than it was before, properly touching. God, how old were you??