drewvgue - Tumblr blog

drewvgue · 9 months ago

Text

Smile at Me

Link to Part 2 | Part 3 | Drama Masterlist

5-8 x gn! Reader, Enemies to lovers, Angst, Fluff

Summary - 5-8 reprimands his subordinate for finishing the job late, but uncovers hidden feelings in the process.

Warnings - Reader is slightly injured, nothing besides that.

A/N - Please, I just love him and his smile.

This series is completed. Thank you all for reading! Feedback is appreciated. ☺️

Word Count - 2.21k

“I worry because I just can’t imagine anything happening to you.”

It was the end of the work day for couriers, the hazy desert sun beginning to set just as everyone was pulling their trucks back into the Cheonmyeong Distribution Center. Everyone, except for you, that is.

Despite your efforts to finish all of the deliveries for your route on time, you couldn’t help the fact that a group of hunters set you back about thirty minutes. You didn’t even get to eat lunch, hunger gnawing at you as you finally delivered your last package to an upset customer.

Eventually, you made it back to CM and parked, feeling eyes on you as you climbed down from the driver’s seat and pushed the door shut. You fixed your gaze on the wheel well coated in dirt and adjusted the straps of your gear, prolonging the inevitability of being reprimanded once again.

You knew the moment you turned around, 5-8 would be on your case. You hadn’t seen him when you pulled in, but you knew he was there. He always was.

After several moments, you decided that you couldn’t keep pretending to be inspecting your truck and pivoted on a heel to make your leave. You nonchalantly took your hat off, patting your hair down without interacting with anyone around you.

People always lingered in the garage when their shifts were over. But for some reason, it was like there was an audience waiting specifically for you to arrive late and get yelled at today.

Having made it halfway up the stairs and to the locker room, you thought you might have been in the clear. Just a few more steps, and you’d be out of sight. Though, you weren’t lucky often, and certainly not on days like this one that had been lousy from the get go.

“2-6,” you heard your name called from behind you. It stopped you dead in your tracks, all hope of making a quiet escape lost. With an impatient tone, 5-8 added, “Come here.”

This wasn’t the first time you were late, not even the first time this month at that. And as with any time 5-8 spoke, everyone gave him their attention. It wasn’t long until their focus shifted to you, unmoving from your place with one leg positioned on the next step.

You took in their stares before your sight landed on where he and 7-3 stood. The look he gave you was a serious one, as always, making eye contact for a few seconds while you contemplated what to do next.

That same gaze never failed to intimidate you, but it also made your cheeks burn and heart race. Part of you wanted to stare him down and make him just as uncomfortable as he made you. But you ended up turning away, unable to process the mixed emotions he constantly stirred up.

You didn’t appreciate how 5-8 drew attention to your tardiness, or his lack of understanding for the rough day you had. Your busted eyebrow spoke for itself, dried blood caked on the side of your face since the incident with the hunters earlier. Not to mention your UV glasses had been broken during the fight, which unsurprisingly left you with a bit of a headache.

All to say, you were tired. You didn’t have the energy to engage, and you definitely weren’t about to have the whole fleet watch whatever was bound to unfold. So against your better judgment, you ignored 5-8 and trudged up the rest of the stairs.

A chorus of amused laughter and murmuring about your defiance echoed throughout the garage and followed you till you made it inside the secluded locker room.

Immediately, you pulled a duffel bag out of the storage locker, setting it on the bench to shed layers of your uniform and toss pieces of gear inside. One by one, your uneaten lunch became buried. Then, you headed over to one of the sinks, watching the water run red as you rubbed the side of your face.

The previously dull pain was now sharp as you cleaned the wounds, but the abrupt opening of the door down the hall somewhat distracted you from the sting. Heavy steps were closing in as you dabbed at the blood with a towel. Obviously, you knew who they belonged to before his presence was officially made known through the reflection of the mirror.

5-8 said nothing at first, only observing as you awkwardly tried to position a butterfly stitch on your brow without adhering too much of it near your eyelid. Once you settled on a placement, he finally decided to speak.

“You know Ms. Jeong orders oxygen every Friday and files a complaint if we’re even a minute late on delivery.” He was well aware, as she was a particularly stubborn customer on his previous route.

With a heavy sigh, you responded, “I can’t choose the day of the week the hunters decide they want to cause trouble. I apologized to her. Twice,” you added. Now that the consequences of ignoring him caught up to you, you found you were only able to look at 5-8 through the mirror. “I’ll start early tomorrow to make up for it.”

“Tomorrow’s your day off.”

“Then, I’ll come in anyway,” you huffed again, trying to maneuver around the large man so you could finish packing your things. You zipped the duffel and shrugged on your personal jacket, movements slowing gradually as you came to a realization.

“How did you know I was planning to take tomorrow off? Last time I came to you with a request, you told me to go to management because you ‘weren’t a schedule coordinator’.” You quoted him with your fingers, arms then dropping to your sides.

He didn’t answer to your expectant look right away, racking his brain for a plausible cover. After all, he didn’t want to admit that he regularly checked when you would be working for his own peace of mind.

“Well,” he began as he inserted his hands into his pockets. “I heard there’s a chance for tornadoes this weekend. We usually get an uptick in orders before bad weather. Wanted to check and make sure we had a reliable fleet scheduled for the next few days.”

“Must have been glad to not see my name on the roster then, huh?” You scoffed, throwing the duffel strap over your shoulder. “Fine. I’ll stay home-”

“No, I want you here,” 5-8 interjected almost too quickly.

Confused by the way he contradicted himself, you harshly responded with, “Which is it? A minute ago you were opposed to me coming in on my day off. Now, you’re saying you want me here. Pick one and let me go home.”

The thing about 5-8 was that anything he was dealt, he would give right back. And while he could understand you were tired, it didn’t excuse the attitude you continued to give him.

“You think you deserve a day off?” He asked, his tone just as severe as yours. He had intended to be firm and get some respect out of you, but ended up striking a nerve instead. A vague pain was visible in your expression, and he came to regret not thinking about his words carefully enough before he said them to you.

“Not really,” you replied, shame beginning to sink in. “But if you want a reliable fleet, that probably shouldn’t include me.”

“I never said you weren’t reliable,” he countered, sensing that the dialogue was becoming increasingly tense.

It always was that way between the two of you. Whether there were underlying emotions within that tension, he couldn’t be sure. He knew how he truly felt about you, but had no way of knowing if you were also masking your feelings with hostility. You just hadn’t been able to get along in the year since you had joined the team.

“You don’t have to say it.” You raised your voice slightly, starting to feel overcome with vehemence.

“Every day, I see disappointment when you look at me. I hear it in your voice. I know that I’m late sometimes and that I make mistakes. I know I’m not perfect or as strong as others, like 4-1. I don’t need you to tell me that I’m not reliable because trust me, I know.�� Your voice started off strong, but it gradually shrank as your eyes flitted to the floor.

5-8 felt his chest tighten at your self deprecation.

“When I see you smile at 4-1, I feel like I’m going to go crazy. I don’t know why it bothers me so much,” you paused, brows knitting together as you worked through reasoning in your head. “I used to think it was because I wanted to be like her. But I think deep down, I just wish you would smile at me like that.”

You wanted him to want you.

By your careful words and soft hesitation, he was starting to make out that your feelings went beyond a professional level. He was reading between the lines, but it seemed you weren’t comprehending the real meaning behind 5-8’s issue with you being late.

It was not so much about disappointing the customers as it was about him worrying for your safety.

Any time you were late, he couldn’t help but wonder if you were in a situation where you needed help. Much like today, he wouldn’t even take his weapons or gear out of his truck until you had returned. Radio in hand, awaiting your signal, he wanted to be sure you didn’t need him.

Though now that you were meekly standing in front of him, your words spiteless and vulnerable, he realized that you needed him in a much different way.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt this… competition with 4-1,” he said, tone softening a bit. “It’s just that I don’t worry about her like I worry about you.” In receiving his apology, he watched your face fall, noticing you had taken that the wrong way.

“It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable, or strong. You’ve always held your own. But I worry because I just can’t imagine anything happening to you,” he explained.

“What?” you asked breathlessly. It was a slight shock to hear that coming from him, or anyone for that matter. Having lived in the slums until somewhat recently, no one had ever concerned themselves with your existence, let alone your well-being.

5-8 stepped closer to you, a gentle hand reaching to cradle your bruised cheek. He searched your eyes for a reason not to say what he was thinking, expecting to find hurt and anger like before. But, all he found was longing and adoration staring back at him.

He was sure now that you felt something for him too.

“You’re the first person I think of when I wake up and the last person when I go to sleep. I think about you when I eat, wondering if you’ve eaten too. All I do is worry about you.” Your heart skipped a beat at his confession, nervously wringing your fingers together as he continued, “I know we get on each other’s nerves, but I hope you can understand that I’ve never looked down on you, not once.”

“You… I-I’m…” You didn’t know what to say, his proximity and warm touch making you blush.

For all of this time, you tried to suppress your desire by convincing yourself that 5-8’s legendary status was superficial in some way. You searched for reasons to dislike him so you wouldn’t have to give him the satisfaction. But you were finally facing the facts.

There was no denying his charm, no matter how annoying he was to you sometimes. He truly was the best of the best: a strong, natural born leader with a selfless soul. He was what everyone loved him for and everything that you loved.

As you came to terms with your feelings, 5-8 could tell that you were flustered. And for the first time, he smiled at you. At least, this was the first time that you actually witnessed it. It was a genuine smile full of care and comfort, instantly putting you at ease.

The corners of your mouth lifted too, eyes shining with relief as he pulled you into him more with his other hand on your waist. You looked up at him, no longer feeling intimidated by the way he towered over you. You felt safe.

With 5-8 holding you like this, it was wildly different than any interaction you had prior to now. But you didn’t want him to let go, not ever. Your excitement only grew as his face inched closer to yours, and your eyes fluttered closed in anticipation of what you thought was surely coming next.

“You didn’t really think I would kiss you at work?” he teased. His mouth was hovering just over yours, a sly grin playing on his lips as your eyes shot open in disbelief.

Embarrassed, you shuffled backward and mumbled, “Never mind. I still hate you.”

He chuckled, leaving a quick consolation peck on your head before saying, “Go eat something. I know you haven’t yet. Rest for a while and come to the gym later. I’ll wait for you.”

Next Chapter >

Thanks for reading! Do not repost.

262 notes · View notes