#SPNxRPF

[wildefiction]

Focus

PAIRING: Rob x Reader x Chris

CHAPTER: 12/?

WORD COUNT: 2,176

CHAPTER WARNINGS: Cute fluff, Stressed Reader, Gossip, Frustration

A/N: Here's chapter 12 to the collaboration @natasha-cole and I are writing - enjoy!

With a reassuring pat on your shoulder, Kim smiled before pulling open the door to the ladies’ room. Bri, ever the optimist, wrapped an arm around your shoulders and walked out with you. Bidding you good-night and good luck, the two of them sauntered back over to the decidedly smaller group of people they’d been sitting with earlier.

Wandering back over to the couch with the conversation you’d just had with the girls still fresh in your mind, you began to gather your things, fully intent on heading back to your room.

Rob’s tired smile greeted you from where he still sat on the couch. Lifting himself from the cushions, he raised his arms, stretching while trying to stifle a yawn.

Realizing your own exhaustion, you glanced at the phone in your hand to see how late it was. The screen read three-forty-five. How you’d managed to stay awake this long, you weren’t sure. Though it may have had something to do with the company you’d kept and the conversations you’d had in the several hours that had passed since you’d followed Kim up from the green room.

“I don’t know how you guys do this every weekend.” Smiling at the man in front of you when he reached for your hand, the question in your eyes was undeniable as his warm fingers laced themselves through yours.

“You get used to it, or rather, some of us do. We see each other a lot, but Saturday nights – everyone is so hyped up after the concert that we couldn’t sleep right away if we tried.”

Nodding your understanding as the two of you made your way to the door, you let his answer sink in. He must have mistook your silence for discomfort however, and as his thumb smoothed over your knuckles, you were brought back to the present.

“You okay?” Concern mingled with the fatigue on his face, and you smiled. The idea that someone could read you well enough to tell the difference between your being tired and upset was a new idea for you. For a moment, you considered just talking to him right then. The halls were quiet as he walked you back towards your room, but the thought was brief. You knew you’d rather be completely present for the conversation you’d be having with both him and Chris. Squeezing his hand, you nodded.

“Just tired. I don’t think I’ve been up this late in ten years.” “I’m actually debating whether it’s even worth it to sleep at this point.”

Rubbing your free hand across your face, the small movement seemed to bring with it the full weight of your exhaustion.

“Trust me, you’re going to want to sleep as much as you can. Don’t wanna show up for work in the morning and not be at the top of your game. It’s J2 day after all.”

Nudging your shoulder as the two of you approached your door, Rob stopped short, pulling you around and into a sweet hug. The steady beating in his chest threatening to make you fall asleep standing right where you were. Pressing his lips to your forehead, he smiled sleepily.

“Get some sleep, [Y/F/N] – I’ll see you tomorrow. Or…rather, later today.”

Nodding to yourself, but finding it difficult to move away from his embrace, you finally sighed and unlocked your door. With a final glance, Rob said goodbye and turned to walk back down the hallway.

Having zero energy to change into different clothes, you fell face-first into the mediocre hotel bed, asleep before you could even think about anything that had transpired tonight.

****

A frenzied knocking at the door pulled you from a deep sleep. Squinting against the early morning sun streaming through the window, you hoped the noise had been part of your dream. Closing your eyes to try and recapture it proved futile as the insistent interruption sounded again.

If only you'd given whoever stood on the other side of that door a spare key, you wouldn't have to get out of bed.

Wishful thinking on your part.

The next round of knocking came with the muffled sound of your name. Not wanting to disturb the people who were likely trying to sleep in on the final day of their weekend, you begrudgingly extracted yourself from the nest of blankets and crossed the room to the door. Pulling it open amidst yet another flurry of knocking, you were surprised to see Kim and Briana standing on the other side.

Craning their heads to look over your shoulder, Briana brushed past you into the room while Kim started immediately with rapid fire questions.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" "How ya feeling?"

"We brought coffee, and not that gross hotel sludge they so generously offer for free, but the real stuff. The good stuff." 

"You like coffee right?"

Nodding with a barely disguised grumble of affirmation, you could only smile as the women both grimaced good-naturedly.

"Yikes, rough night?"

"...you're uh, you're not hiding anyone under the bed or in the closet are you?"

The last teasing remark was the first thing Briana had said to you, and honestly, the first thing that even remotely registered as a question needing answered.

Standing to one side so Kim could squeeze past, you turned, still wrapped in the duvet as the door clicked shut behind you.

"Definitely not."

Sipping at the bold flavors of the latte Kim had given you, the surprised glance shared between the other two women went unnoticed.

"Well, uh, have you talked to them yet?" 

Glancing at Briana, her gaze was still on Kim even though she had spoken to you.

Turning your attention to the other woman, your eyes narrowed upon noticing the poorly concealed consternation Kim wore on her face.

"No….why?” Setting the coffee on the bedside table, attention now fully on the girls, you crossed your arms under your chest, alternating your attention between them, hoping one of them was about to start talking.

"Uh, well, funny you should ask...but uh...we..erm.."

Briana was stalling, shooting furtive glances to her friend, silently asking for help.

"We can't find Chris. We thought maybe…"

Waffling her hands in the air, her very pointed expression made it clear why they were at your room at nine am. 

Choking on a sip of the coffee you'd picked back up, you took a moment to wipe the back of a hand across your chin.

"And..what, you thought he'd be here?!"

Scrunching up her face, Kim shrugged before nodding vigorously.

"I'm not sure whether to be offended or flattered." A snort of laughter followed the statement, but you weren't really upset.

"I mean, I guess I can understand why you guys would think to come here but I haven't seen Chris since last night."

"Rob walked me back to my room and then I crashed. As you can see, I didn't even change."

Skirting the bed to pick up your phone from the dresser, you flicked open the screen. There were no messages or missed calls.

"I'll shoot him a text and--"

"We've all done that. Went to his room too." Briana said the words softly, as if she wasn't sure how you'd take the news.

"Yeah, but maybe Chris will answer [Y/F/N]. Couldn't hurt anyways." Kim pointed out.

"I mean...it is still really early. Hell, I've only slept five hours myself. Are you guys sure he's not just passed out in his room?"

Typing out a quick good morning text, asking Chris if he wanted to meet for lunch, you set the phone back down on the dresser.

"Chris is always the first one up. Dude is awake before the birds, regardless of how late he stayed out the night before." Kim went on to explain that nobody had heard from him since he'd left the party last night.

"I'm sure he's fine. Really...he's a big boy, he can take care of himself." 

"The convention doesn't start for another few hours, right? I bet he'll be back before the first set of photo ops. He's probably just getting breakfast or something."

****

Following the girls downstairs after you'd taken the time to shower and brush your teeth - which went a remarkably long way towards feeling like a functioning human again - the vendors room caught your eye.

"I'll catch up later guys, I'm gonna check this out."

Ducking into the adjacent hallway, several tables were spread across the space. Arranged amongst the typical t-shirt vendors, artists sold everything from paintings to jewelry to custom figurines. 

Selecting a tote bag and several CD's from the Louden Swain merchandise table, you were paying for your selections when a familiar voice caught your attention.

"Yeah, that's her."

"I don't know, but he's been really different this weekend. It's like he doesn't even see us now that she's around."

The conversation was all hushed tones and urgent whispers, and it was clear that whoever the woman was talking to was trying, unsuccessfully, to keep her voice down.

You weren't typically one to eavesdrop on others discussions but it was pretty clear you were part of it. Plus, they were talking about Chris. Maybe they knew where he was.

Before you had a chance to ask them, the two women walked away, leaving you to wonder what they were talking about.

"Don't pay them any mind, unfortunately, gossip spreads like wildfire around here and since you're the new girl, you're the hot topic of the weekend."

Sitting diagonally from where you stood, a girl smiled at you from behind her booth. Approaching her table, you took note of the stylized art of the guests, lined up next to a large, incredibly detailed portrait of Rob.

"Wow, this is really amazing."

Bending over to study the color palette she'd chosen to use, you'd intended to take her observation with a grain of salt. She, however didn't appear to be finished.

"You seem cool enough though. You're pretty talented with that camera of yours. Chris talks about you often."

There was no hint of jealousy or mockery in her words, and her neutral expression seemed friendly enough.

"You guys are friends?" "Have you seen him today?"

The woman shrugged nonchalantly.

"I suppose? He and I have been at the same conventions for several years, and we take great delight in annoying each other - but aside from that?"

Bending over her notebook, she went back to working on her drawing. 

Taking note of the fact that she hadn't really answered either of your questions, you were just about to look through her portfolio when your phone rang.

"Hey, did you guys find him?" "Oh...really? And what time does it start? Damnit. Ok, I'll be there in a sec."

Dropping the device back into your pocket, you said a hurried goodbye and made a beeline for the door.

It was nearing eleven o'clock, when a line of people would be waiting for their photo ops with Jensen. Hurrying to the room, when you arrived and the space was silent, concern really started to set in.

Chris had never missed a Creation event since he'd started. Well over a hundred events and he'd always shown up. You could only hope today wouldn't change that. 

Approximately fifty people were already milling about outside of the quiet space, volunteers trying to herd them back into the auditorium.

"Guys, please return to the theater - we'll be calling Jensen's photo ops in groups of fifty to a hundred at a time."

"Chris hasn't even set up for the day please go back to your seats."

You made a mental note to thank the volunteers at some point today, they really were the backbone of these conventions.

Slipping through the door, you were quick to flip the light switches. The silence and the dark were too much together when you'd only ever seen the room brightly lit and loud.

Figuring the least you could do was start setting up, you made the rounds, checking that lights were connected, the printers were turned on and the marks on the floor didn't need refreshing. Chris's equipment wasn't in the room, but then you hadn't really expected him to leave it overnight. 

Checking your phone once more, it was still devoid of any notifications. Navigating to your own playlists, you hit start and docked it in the cradle sitting on the table. It wasn't his music, but it made the wait infinitely less awkward.

When the door opened, you glanced up, heart beating wildly in your chest. Hoping…

"Hey, uh, we've got the first fifty people lined up out here. Should I let the handlers know to bring Jensen in?"

Chris's assistant searched your face for answers. Problem was, you had no idea how to do this alone. Right now, it looked as if your choice was being made for you however, as you couldn't realistically ask them to wait any longer than they already had.

'Uh..ye-yeah.. go ahead. Let's see what happens."

TAGS: @natasha-cole @wings-of-a-raven @jamielea81