#cory ellison x reader

[the-west-meadow]

Calm Your Racing Heart

Cory Ellison x Original Female Character

word count: 1k

She was already there waiting for him when he arrived to his office. She stood up at soon as she saw him. There she was, his second in command, looking at him as though she feared for his sanity. He smiled as he shut the door behind him. 

“Hi,” he said, an easy smile on his face, as he began to pull down the blinds. His assistant, Kyle, seated at his desk right outside, glanced up curiously as he did so. Kyle's face was quickly obscured behind the blinds. 

“Cory,” she said, “What’s going on?”

“I just met with the board,” he said, moving on to the next set of windows. “The deal is set to go through.”

“And?”

He shut the last blind then turned to her, his smiling falling. 

“They’re going to fire me.”

She quickly stepped over to him, her gaze landing on his hand.

“Jesus, Cory, you’re bleeding.”

He glanced down at his hand as if he had forgotten it was there. His knuckles were red and inflamed, dried blood staining the back of his hand. 

“I punched a wall.”

She gave him an inscrutable glance then took a handkerchief and bottled water from his desk, wet the cloth and began to dab gently at the dried blood on his hand.

“You punched a wall?”

“Guess I lost control.”

“I’ve never seen you do that.”

Cory shrugged. “It happens once in a while.”

“I could never do what you do,” she murmured. “I’d go insane.”

“Luckily I’m already insane. That’s why I can do this job.”

He cracked a smile. She set aside the handkerchief and looked at him. He always felt weak when she looked at him like that.

“Is this really happening?” she said, voice faint. 

“If the deal goes through. Yeah. It’s going to be Stella.”

“So you’re leaving.”

Something in him cracked. He nodded, unable to speak. He couldn’t read her expression. She looked as though she wanted to say something, and it was taking everything she had to hold it in.

Instead she guided him to the sofa by the wall of windows overlooking the city. He had grown accustomed to this view. Now he would have to let it go. When he looked back at her, he realized he would have to do the same with her and his heart clenched.

She sat down beside him.

“You always land on your feet, Cory. I’ve never seen someone as capable of surviving as you.”

He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think there’s any surviving this. This is the big one.”

When he did glance up at the windows, he saw that it was starting to rain. The silent drops splattered the tall windows. He had often thought about how, up here in his office, set apart from the rest of the world, he was among the first to see the rain. How would it feel to be back on the ground with the rest, feeling the rain at the same time as everyone else?

He looked back at her and saw that she, too, was gazing out the window. 

“You have to fight it,” she said in a strained voice. 

“I don’t know if I have it in me anymore,” he said wearily. 

Then she turned and looked at him and he was shocked to see the shine of tears in her eyes.

“I don’t want to be here if you’re not around,” she said. 

His first instinct was to reach for her, to comfort her. What was this? Before he could do anything, she stood up and walked to the window, furtively wiping her eyes. 

“Hey…” he said, quickly standing and going to her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “This is probably the worst possible time for something like this.”

“Like what?” Cory said warily, his heart racing. After all they had been through together, he had never seen her like this. She seemed off balance, fragile, as if the wrong word would knock her down.

Suddenly she took his injured hand in hers. She brought the hand to her lips and brushed them across his bruised knuckles. A shudder went through his entire body as he melted into the touch. 

“God dammit, Cory,” she whispered. “There’s no one else like you.”

His body had gone weak. He watched her lips trace his hand as she continued to speak in low tones. 

“You’re the only thing that makes this job worthwhile. How can I come to work every day knowing I won’t see your crazy smile?”

“I thought my constant optimism drove you crazy,” he said, finally finding his voice.

“That’s not optimism,” she said. “It’s mania. And I’m addicted to it. You’re completely intoxicating, Cory. I don’t know how you don’t realize that.”

“Well,” he said with a soft smile, “No one ever told me.”

She gazed down at his hand, still held loosely in hers. 

“You’re shaking.”

He laughed. “You should feel my heart.”

He took her hand and held it against his chest, where his heart was pounding beneath his pristine white dress shirt.

“Jesus, Cory. You’re going to have a heart attack.”

“I’m okay,” he said, smiling. “You’re the only thing that calms me down.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

He glanced out the window, feeling his lip tremble, unable to look at her. He was still squeezing her hand, the skin of his knuckles throbbing. 

“I mean it,” he said. “You make this place feel like home. But that’s all going to fall apart now.”

He glanced at her, eyes tracing her profile as she gazed out at the rain-drenched city. There were tears streaming down her cheek.

“Hey now,” he said, his voice wavering. “You’re not the one getting fired.”

He started to reach for her when there was a knock at the door. 

“Yeah?” Cory called.

Kyle stuck his head in. 

“Paul Marks just got here. The board is getting ready to vote.”

“Thank you, Kyle.”

Cory adjusted his tie, glancing down at his hand, where the blood had been wiped away. Kyle eyed him worriedly. 

“Do you need a minute?” Kyle asked. 

Cory looked over at her one last time. Her face was somber and she gave a small nod. He started to step away, then he turned back and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. He felt her burrow her wet face into his shoulder.

“Is it too late?” he whispered. “Does it all fall apart once I leave here?”

“You’ll still have a home in me,” she mumbled into his neck.

His breathing deepened as his heart began to return to an even pace. He stepped back, smiling down at her and brushing her tears away with his thumb. 

Then he turned to face Kyle, a serene smile on his face. 

“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m calm now.”