#garcello x female reader

[let-love-run-red]

Something About Him

ART BELONGS TO INSERTBIRBY ON TWITTER

Female Reader Insert

This is what came of the anon ask about an enemies to lovers arc for Garcello loves, it's barely enemies because I just can't fathom Garcello disliking anyone enough to be full "enemies" lmao

AO3 Link

"3 in the fucking morning." You muttered as you pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a jacket before sliding your slippers on and walking out the front door, knocking on the door next to yours. Your neighbors apartment. The inconsiderate asshole who played metal music at 3 in the morning despite the fact that some people actually had to work.

There was no answer when you knocked. You pounded your fist against the door a few times and waited. There was still no answer. You huffed. You stormed back into your apartment and then out on the small balcony that adjoined his, only separated by a thin iron railing. He was leaning against the rail of the balcony with a cigarette in his hand and the door to his apartment open behind him.

"Hey!" You snapped. He barely tilted his head as an indication he heard you, lifting the cigarette to his mouth to take a breath of it. He was huge, with broad shoulders and a wide chest and thighs built like tree trunks. You shook your head, your anger getting the best of you

"What's your problem?" You asked. He took a deep breath before turning to look at you and blowing smoke from his mouth.

"Some people actually have to work in the morning." You gestured towards his open apartment door and he snorted before taking another drag from the cigarette.

"Sorry. I'll turn it down, and move it to a different wall." He said, turning to look back out at the city. You had expected more of a fight from him. No, you wanted a fight. You were up at 3 am and angry.

"No, turn it off." You demanded. He paused with the cigarette half way to his open mouth and turned his whole body to face you.

"Now I get to ask what your problem is." He said. You rolled your eyes and tapped your foot against the rug you had on your balcony.

"My problem is you're playing music at 3 in the morning. when people are trying to sleep." You huffed. He rolled his eyes.

"Listen I offered to turn it down, or move it. I get people are trying to sleep." He took another drag from the cigarette and spoke, smoke coming from his mouth as he did.

"But this is how I sleep." He snapped, stubbing the cigarette out in the ash tray on the table next to him before walking back into his apartment and shutting the door, pulling the curtains shut around it before his light went off. You huffed and walked back into your apartment and to your bedroom that apparently butted up against his. The music was quieter now, and it sounded like it moved away from the wall.

"Ass." You growled at the wall before rolling over and pulling the blanket up over your head.

You hated him. Your balcony always smelled like cigarettes because he smoked like a chimney, you could always hear the faint music at night through the paper thin walls, and who had the audacity to cough so damn loud?

Ok maybe the last part was unreasonable, but something about him just angered you. Well, not him. Just the music part. Why did he even need to play music so late? Why was he always out smoking late at night and why did he never have a shirt on?

You laid on your back in your bed with your pillow over your head. It was midnight and he started the music earlier than normal. You threw the pillow off your head and stormed onto your balcony in your shirt, forgetting to put your sweatpants on before you threw the door open.

"Again?" You snapped. He groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Togliersi dai coglioni." He muttered under his breath. What language even was that? You walked to the railing between the two balconies and planted your hands on it angrily.

"Why do you do this every night?" You snapped. He stepped away from you, staring out over the city and shrugging, taking another puff from his cigarette.

"Why do you make it a point to come yell at me every night?" She asked. You felt heat rising in your cheeks and leaned back with folded arms. He turned to look at you, looking down at your bare thighs and smirked.

"And you talk about me not wearing a shirt." He mumbled to himself with a sly smile as he lifted his cigarette to his mouth. Your face went hot and you stuttered.

"Yeah, I hear it. The walls are kinda thin here." He said. You walked back into your apartment and slamming the door. How could you win against someone who just didn't seem to care?

***

"Come on," You muttered as you turned the key in your old Honda Civic. You'd had the car for years and it never had an issue. Well until how it had never had an issue. The engine wouldn't even try to chug to life. It just clicked over and over. You rested your head forward on the steering wheel and sighed.

There was a sudden knock on your window and you jumped. You turned to see your neighbor. The annoying one, standing outside of your car. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a tight white T-shirt with an orange hi-visibility vest slung over his shoulder and a motorcycle helmet under his arm wearing a pair of fingerless gloves. He was surprisingly handsome during the day, you realized. He lifted his hand and placed his cigarette between his lips, shoving his hand in the pocket of his jeans as he looked at the hood of your car. You tentatively opened the door and stepped out.

"Car trouble?" He asked around the cigarette in his mouth with a tilted head. You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms.

"Obviously." You snapped. He shook his head, his teal hair bouncing around his ears.

"Hey don't bite, I just wanted to help." He said, holding his hand up with his palm towards you. You looked down at the ground and he scuffed the toe of his brown work boot against the ground.

"The engine won't even turn over." You muttered to the ground. He nodded his head and dropped his cigarette on the ground, crushing it under his boot and laying his vest on the top of your car, setting the helmet on top of it and pulling his gloves off.

"Pop the hood and try turning the key." He said, wiping his palms on his jeans before pulling out his phone and calling someone. You climbed in the car and pulled the lever to pop the hood on your car. He lifted the hood, holding it up and examining the engine as you turned the key. There was a faint clicking noise and you sighed. He walked around the side of the car and leaned against the side of it.

"Your starters bad, it's pretty common." He said matter-of-factly. You paused.

"Alright, what do I do?" You asked him. He sucked his teeth and worked his jaw as he thought for a moment.

"Well you can't jump it because it isn't the battery, so you'd have to have it towed to a shop." He said. You sighed, that sounded expensive. "And parts and labor for it is gonna be at around, uh, 600 dollars?" He posed it as a question rather than a statement. Why did this have to happen now?

"600 dollars?" You asked. He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. You rested your head on the steering wheel and let out a groan.

"Or," He started, "I make a few calls and find you a new starter motor and install it." He suggested with a shrug. You lifted your head and looked at him with narrowed eyes. He brushed his hair back behind his ears, staring off into space waiting for your response.

"Why?" You asked. That was your real question. Why had he even stopped to help, why was he willing to miss work to fix your car, why was he willing to put in the labor and time when you'd been an ass to him? He shrugged again and scratched at the stubble on his cheek.

"Labor costs are the most expensive. I can get that motor for about 150 or so." He said. You turned so you were sitting sideways in your car so your feet were resting on the ground next to him.

"Alright, if you're willing to." You said. He nodded and stood straight, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes.

"I need to see if someone can get me a ride to work," You muttered, pulling out your own phone and scrolling through your contacts to see if there was someone you could call. He sighed and reached up, grabbing the helmet from on top of your car and offering it to you. You looked at him and hesitated.

"Do you want a ride to work?" He asked. You tilted your head. First he was going to fix your car, now he was offering you a ride to work?

"Ok what are you going to get out of all of this?" You asked, gesturing to the helmet and the hood of your car. He huffed, blowing smoke out of his mouth.

"I'm just trying to be nice." He said as his shoulder slumped and he shoved his free hand in the pocket of his jeans. "I'm not just the ass who plays music late at night, y'know."

You slowly took the helmet from him and climbed out of your car, grabbing your purse and closing the door behind you. You locked the door and turned to face him. He grabbed his vest from the top of your car and walked towards the black motorcycle parked a few spots away.

"Wait this is yours?" You asked. It was nice, nicer than you had expected to see from him. He turned to you and nodded. He fussed with it for a moment and lifted the seat, stuffing his vest in the small storage compartment. He reached for your bag and you hesitated before handing it to him. He carefully arranged it in the compartment so the seat would lower.

He closed the seat and reached into his pocket, fishing out his keys before swinging his leg over to straddle the bike. He sat back on the seat, putting the keys in the ignition before turning to you and nodding towards the back half of the seat. You stepped forward, trying to figure out the best way to get on. He took the helmet from you and you shuffled your feet.

"Alright put your hand on my shoulder to keep your balance," He said. You narrowed your eyes at him. "It's the easiest way to get on I promise." He chuckled. You relented and rested your hand on his shoulder. He was warm to the touch and he stayed as still as possible as you leaned against him to swing your leg over the back of the bike. You settled onto the seat, pulling your feet up and setting them on the footrests at the back.

He reached back and handed you the helmet. You slipped it on over your head and squinted to see through the tinted visor. It surprisingly didn't smell of smoke. Well, not as strongly as you expected at least. It smelled clean, like shampoo. It was nice. He shook his hair out and turned the key to start the motor and you felt it rumble to life under you. You jumped and gripped his shoulders and he chuckled.

"So where am I going?" He asked. You told him the address and he kicked the kickstand up, walking the bike backwards out of the parking spot before twisting his wrist. The bike rumbled and he lifted his feet from the ground. You jumped and squeezed his shoulders again. He stopped the bike before pulling out of the parking lot, setting one foot on the ground and turning to you.

"I promise you're going to want a better grip than that." He said, nodding his head towards where your hands rested on his broad shoulders. You shook your head and he shrugged as if to say 'suit yourself' before he turned back to the road, lifting his foot again and pulling out into the busy traffic. You were fine on the smaller roads, until he pulled onto the freeway.

The bike accelerated faster than you'd expected it to, and the way he wove through traffic made your stomach flutter. You had a death grip on his shoulders until he had to swerve into another lane to avoid a truck that cut into his lane. You jumped and wrapped your arms around his waist, gripping his belt tightly and squeezing your eyes shut as you rested the helmet against his back. You felt his chuckle reverberate through his chest and scowled.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" He asked when he stopped the bike in front of your work. You pulled the helmet off and handed it to him as you climbed off the bike. Your legs had turned to jelly during the ride and you had to grab his shoulder again to keep from falling. He put the kickstand down and swung his leg back over the bike to lift the seat and hand you your purse. You fished your keys out, pulling your car key off the ring and handing it to him.

"I didn't die." You said flatly. He rolled his eyes and lowered the seat. He pulled a carpenters pencil out of his pocket and then his wallet from his back pocket, pulling out an old receipt and scribbling something on the back of it. He handed it to you before tucking the pencil back in his pocket.

"Alright, if you can't get a ride home call me and I'll come get you." He said. You accepted the paper and glanced at the name and number. Garcello, that was his name. His handwriting was surprisingly neat, even if he pressed a bit hard into the paper. You nodded and he put the helmet on over his head, climbing back onto the bike and pulling back out into traffic.

***

You were laughing as your friend pulled into the parking lot for the apartment complex. You glanced to the corner where you'd parked to see Garcello leaning into the engine bay. She pulled around to park near your car, glancing at Garcello as he stood straight and wiped his hands on the towel looped around his belt. he had taken his shirt off, as usual, but it was hot out and you didn't blame him.

"Who is that hunk of man?" Your friend asked, leaning over to look out your window to get a better look at him. You shoved her shoulder playfully and scowled.

"That's the neighbor who keeps playing music at 3 in the morning." You said. She raised her eyebrows as Garcello twisted and stretched. You noticed the tattoo on his chest for the first time. You rolled your eyes at her.

"The one you always yell at?" She asked. You nodded as you picked up your purse off the floor.

"And now he's fixing your car for you?" She said. You nodded again and she whistled.

"Imagine what he'd do if you were actually nice to him." She said. You dropped your purse in your lap and looked at her exasperatedly. You thanked her for the ride and opened the door, climbing out of the car. Garcello turned to look at you and smiled around the cigarette in his mouth.

You finally got a good opportunity to look at him, to really look at him without the harsh shadows of night on his face. He was handsome, with a 5 o'clock shadow that defined his jawline. His teal hair framed his face and complimented his honey gold eyes nicely. He had broad shoulders and a wide chest. He had a bit of a dad bod, but it looked good on him. His jeans were tight on him and you worried the seam would burst when he leaned against your car and pulled his knee up to take some of the weight off that leg.

"Hey, I got the starter fixed." He said, nodding his head towards the car. You glanced into the engine bay. You knew very little about cars other than checking the oil levels and refilling the wiper fluid. Garcello turned and rested his hands on the edge of the car, pointing to everything in the bay as he spoke.

"I checked and it starts, I did an oil change on it because it wasn't looking too hot." He said, pointing to the dip stick.

"I also replaced the air filter because it was overdue. I also checked the belts and the alternator and everything because usually when one thing breaks all the rest goes out too." He said, standing straight again. You blinked in surprise.

"I, thanks." You said, turning to look at him. He pulled your car key from his pocket and handed it to you. You wound the key back onto your key ring. Garcello grabbed his shirt from where it was draped over the hood and slung it over his shoulder. You glanced down at the tattoo on his chest and furrowed your brows. He noticed and took his cigarette from his mouth.

"You are my sunshine in Italian." He said, tapping the tattoo. You nodded.

"Are you Italian?" You asked. He didn't have an accent, but Garcello was a very Italian name now that you thought about it.

"By blood but I wasn't born there." He said as he lowered the hood of your car. He dropped it the last few inches and you heard the latch click shut. He pulled his T-shirt back on and you reached into your purse to pull out the water bottle you'd gotten for him.

"Here." You said. He took it and nodded his head in thanks, unscrewing the cap and chugging the bottle. Some of it dripped down his chin and onto his shirt as he chugged it. He dumped the last little bit onto his hand and pushed his hair back from his face. You felt heat rising in your cheeks again, there was just somehting about him.

"So what do I owe you?" You asked, pulling out your phone so you could either venmo him or make a note to get cash tomorrow for him. He shook his head as he screwed the cap back onto the empty water bottle and grabbed the tool bag that was sitting on the ground next to his feet.

"Nothing, you're good." He said, walking back towards the apartment complex. You followed him as he walked into the lobby and towards the stairs.

"I have to owe you something." You said. "You said that the replacement would cost like 600 dollars at a shop and you did that and more." You said, trying to reason with him. He just shrugged and continued walking up the stairs to the fifth floor.

"Like I said you're good." He took the cigarette from his mouth and blew out the smoke.

"At least let me pay you for the parts, you missed work to fix my car Garcello." You said. He paused and smirked before continuing the trek up the steps.

"Listen, you don't owe me anything. Consider it an apology for the music." He shrugged his shoulders as he pushed open the door to the fifth floor. He held it open for you and you walked past him into the hall.

"Then I need to apologize for being an ass about the music." You said. He let the door shut and took a breath through his nose, blowing out through his mouth.

"Ok tell you what," He took a drag from his cigarette, "how about I make you dinner tomorrow and I'll consider that an apology."

"How is you making me dinner me apologizing?" You asked as the two of you stopped in front of your apartment doors. He dug his keys out of his pocket and shrugged.

"I just want to spend time with you, if you're alright with that." He said, suddenly seeming shy as his cheeks glowed a light pink under the few grease smudges on his face. You felt heat rising in your own cheeks and prayed he wouldn't notice how you shifted your weight.

"I, sure." You said. He grinned around the cigarette and you jumped in. "But, let's go out, and I'm paying for it." He shrugged and chuckled.

"If you insist." He opened the door to his apartment and paused before walking inside.

"I'm gonna take a shower, but, text me and we'll figure it out ok?" He suggested. You nodded and smiled, unlocking your own door walking inside. You immediately pulled your phone from your bag along with the receipt he'd written his number on.

"Hey Garcello, it's (y/n)."

[let-love-run-red]

I am also taking requests from this fluff alphabet! Please specify whether you want the fluff or NSFW letter because I'm doing both currently 😊

Fluff Alphabet Template

I’m just gonna leave this here for whoever wants to use it 

This is a reader-insert edition, but edit it if you like :)

~~~~~~~~

A = Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?)

B = Body (what is their favorite part of your body?)

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

D = Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?)

E = Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?)

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?)

J = Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?)

K = Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?)

L = Love (how do they show you they love you?)

M = Memory (favorite memory together?)

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?)

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?)

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?)

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

R = Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?)

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

U = Upset (how do they act when you’re upset?)

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?)

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?)

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?)

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?)

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?)

[let-love-run-red]

Do you have any headcanons for Garcello?💙

Oh dear anon do I ever! (A reminder these are just my own headcanons. I occasionally sprinkle them into my stories as well though!)

- Garcello's mother was a first generation immigrant from Italy! She taught him how to cook and it's something he loves to do.

- Also, if he's startled, hurt, or angry (Which is rare because he's very patient) he goes off in Italian.

- He has the lyrics to the first line of "You are my Sunshine" tattooed on his chest in Italian because his mother used to sing it to him when he was little.

- He never knew who his father was, and he has no other relatives. So when his mom died when he was 13 he went into foster care where he met Annie!

- His mom died of an overdose and for about a year before she died nobody had touched him so he is very touch starved. - He's actually in therapy to work through his neglect because he didn't go during his teen years

- He started smoking the same type of cigarettes as his mom did when he was 16 because it reminded him of her.

- Garcello loves little kids and wants to be a dad so badly

These are just a few of my own headcanons! But if anybody wants to see the others I’m happy to share them 😊

[let-love-run-red]

Garcello Masterlist: Let-Love-Run-Red

AO3 Link

⚠️ - Content Warning | 💭 - Headcanons | 💙 - male reader | 🖤 - gender Neutral reader | 🥤 - Garcello & Annie

****

Fluff Alphabet

NSFW Alphabet

Garcello Headcanons 💭

Garcello Headcanons cont. 💭

Quarantining with Garcello  💭🖤

Garcello with a bilingual s/o 💭🖤

Reader w/ a heavy smoking addiction too 💭🖤

Garcello w/ a shy S/O  💭🖤

Watching Luca with Garcello 💭🖤

Garcello w/ an emotional S/O 💭🖤

Garcello w/ a forgetful S/O 💭🖤

Garcello w/ a touchstarved S/O 💭🖤 

Garcello w/ his pregnant S/O 💭

Dad Garcello  with his daughter 💭

Garcello with a son 💭

Garcello w/ a ghost child 💭

Annie teaching Garcello to howl  💭🥤

Annie finding Garcello after he’s faded 🥤

Annie 🥤

Read it to me 🥤

Protection  ⚠️🥤

Broken but Healing ⚠️🥤

Nervous about you meeting Annie 💙🥤

Touch Me ⚠️

Love Me  ⚠️ (Written as a continuation of Touch Me)

Cara Mia  ⚠️

Siren Song 🖤

White Wedding

Werewolf 

Naga!Garcello

Take It Slow

Wanna Join?

Runaway

Baby It’s cold Outside

Breakfast

Golden Father

Ghost

Three Hearts

Instinct

Shotgun Kiss

Something About Him

Human

A Woman's Love

Series

The Light Within Masterlist

[let-love-run-red]

Hihi! Didn't see any sign of requests being closed (for Garcello) but if they are feel free to ignore this! Could I maybe get some bestfriend head cannons and his friend (reader) also has a heavy smoking addiction? Please and thank you! Reader can have any pronouns btw! Have a good day hun <33

Requests aren't closed love, so no worries!

**

- You asked him for a cigarette when you saw him leaning against the fence smoking. You had a pack in your pocket, but he didn't know that.

- He wordlessly offered you one and you lit it yourself. The two of you smoked in silence for a bit, until he pointed out the outline of the cigarette pack in your front pocket.

-After that you both decided to keep in touch, and became fast friends.

- The two of you just like to hang out and smoke, sometimes on a park bench outside, sometimes in one of your apartments, sometimes you just walk around the city and talk while smoking.

- Garcello often says you should slow down on your smoking habit because it isn't good for you and you have to remind him that he' should slow down too.

- sometimes you talk about what your relationship would be like if either of you smoked, because it had become such a huge part of your time spent together, and you figure you probably wouldn't have even met

- You went a few days without seeing him once, which was strange because you usually talked every day and tried to see each other regularly.

- you were getting worried and walked around the city, checking all of his usual haunts looking for him and still couldn't find him anywhere.

- you ended up going back to your apartment after trying to call him again, only to see him sitting on your couch.

- Well, sort of him

- He was green and hazy like smoke, and he smelled more strongly of cigarettes than ever.

- The first thing you did was run to hug him, and he laughed and hugged you back.

- So, as it turned out, he was dead. And now a ghost because he lost a rap battle with someone in an alley a few day ago? And now he's tied to you because you were the thing that kept him alive in life

- Having your ghost best friend as your roommate is cool, but he does try to convince you to stop smoking even more now because that's what did him in.

- But you tell him he isn't allowed to talk because he is constantly smoking ghost cigarettes

[let-love-run-red]

Golden Father

ART BELONGS TO DELICATE-WOLF16 ON DEVIANTART

Female reader insert

AO3 Link

It was one of the rare mornings you got to wake up naturally, without an alarm clock ringing or your boyfriend waking up first. You opened your eyes with a yawn. Garcello was asleep with his back to you and the covers pushed down to his waist. His hair was messy and splayed across the pillow. You listened to his snores and smiled. There was nobody you would rather wake up next to.

The door to your room swung open and you heard a set of scampering feet run into the room giggling. You sat up quickly, holding out your hand and leaning over in a futile attempt to keep the young boy from jumping onto the bed. He landed on Garcello's side and Garcello let out a muffled groan.

"Adrien." You said firmly. He smiled and laid down in front of his father and tucked his head under Garcello's chin. Garcello looped his arm around the small boy and pulled him closer to his chest while he cleared his throat.

"He's alright." Garcello said. His voice was gruff from sleep. He rolled over, pulling his son with him and dropping him on the bed between the two of you.

Six years ago your son had been born at 1 in the morning on a Tuesday. You hadn't been due for another 10 weeks so when you woke Garcello up to tell him your water broke he was panicked. He had chewed through a straw on the way to the hospital. He had stopped smoking around you when you told him you were pregnant and stopped smoking when Adrien was a baby, but once he weas old enough he picked it up again. Adrien had been in the hospital in the NICU until his original due date. Garcello was understandably protective of his son.

"How many times have we said don't jump on dad?" You said. Adrien smiled and giggled and Garcello scooped him against his chest. He growled playfully and pretended to bite Adrien's cheeks while he laughed, pushing against his arms.

"Dad!" Adrien said as Garcello squeezed him. Garcello let out a deep laugh and let him go. Adrien, stayed pressed against Garcello's chest. Adrien had always been preferred his father, and Garcello adored it. He loved it when Adrien would climb into his lap in the evenings to watch a movie and fall asleep on his chest. He had always wanted to be a dad.

Adrien curled up against Garcello's chest, tucking his head under Garcello's chin and holding a fist full of Garcello's white T-shirt. Garcello rested his hand on Adrien's back, rubbing it gently. He reached up and smoothed down Adrien's dark hair, the same color as Garcello's natural hair. Adrien snuggled closer against his father and Garcello smiled.

"Mommy what are we doing today?" Adrien asked, peering at you over Garcello's forearm. You sat up slightly and held yourself up with your elbow, looking to Garcello. He was holding Adrien contentedly with his eyes shut as he slowly fell back asleep.

"Oh I don't think we'll do much." You said. Adrien huffed.

"It's not a special day or anything." You said with a sly smile. Garcello raised an eyebrow and cracked one eye open as Adrien stirred against his chest with a small whine.

"Momma," Adrien said, holding Garcello's arm.

"What baby?" You said, still smiling.

"Mom it is a special day!" He said, laying across you. You let out a small huff.

"Oh? What day is it? Saturday?" You asked, looking at him.

"It is Saturday but it's my birthday!" Adrien exclaimed. You smiled down at him.

"No you had one last year." You said. "You turned five, Dad took you to the pool." You said. You remembered that day vividly. Garcello had walked in the door an hour after the pool closed with his son sleeping in his arms, the pool bag slung over his shoulder, both towels around his neck and the worst sunburn he'd ever gotten. But he was smiling the entire time he put his son to bed and told you all about the fun they had at the pool while you slathered him in aloe.

"I get a birthday every year mom." Adrien piped up.

"No that doesn't seem fair." Garcello said. Adrien twisted his head to look up at Garcello and reached up to tug on a lock of Garcello's teal hair.

"It is fair dad." He said. Garcello kissed his sons forehead and Adrien smiled softly.

"Hm, I'm not sure," You said as you ruffled Adrien's hair. "What do you want to do today bud?" You asked.

"Waffles!" Adrien cried, sitting up quickly and headbutting Garcello in the nose. Garcello rolled backwards, bringing his hand to his face with a groan. Adrien turned around and pressed his palms flat on Garcello's chest.

"I'm sorry dad!" He said, trying to pull Garcello's hand away from his face. Garcello set his opposite hand on Adrien's head and chuckled.

"I know bud you're alright." He said. Adrien laid his head on Garcello's chest and you chuckled.

"Should we make some waffles then boys?" You asked. They both nodded and you stood up, grabbing one of Garcello's T-shirts from the dresser to put on over your tank top. Adrien rolled off the bed and landed on the ground with a thump. Garcello swung his legs over the side to stand and stretch.

"Come on buddy." He said, reaching down to Adrien's level. Adrien took Garcello's hand and Garcello lifted him off the floor to set him on his feet.

***

You opened the door and Garcello walked through it holding Adrien in his arms. He had fallen asleep in the car on the way home from the amusement park and wouldn't wake up long enough to walk into the house. You tried to wake him up, you knew it hurt Garcello's back to carry him, but he had insisted.

"Babe it's alright, I got him." He said when you reached to take Adrien from him. He carried him to his room and set Adrien in his bed. He grabbed his pajamas, waking him gently and helping him get ready for bed before tucking him in. You followed behind Garcello, kissing Adrien on his forehead before closing his door and walking to your bedroom.

Garcello was sitting on the bed in just his boxers, one hand on his chest while he stretched his shoulder. He pulled his shoulders back to stretch his chest and grimaced before letting out a cough. He still smoked sometimes, but he limited it to outside when his son wasn't around.

"Are you alright?" You asked He sighed and nodded, standing up to hug you. He had developed a bit of a dad bod since the Adrien was born. He didn't have as much time to work out and as he cut back on smoking his appetite returned. He hated, it, he always said he needed to get back in shape, but you loved it. You loved him no matter what he looked like, no matter what shape he was in. You rubbed his back and pressed a kiss to his bare chest.

"You're a good dad." You said. He huffed and you looked up at him.

"You are Garcello. Adrien adores you." You said. His dad wasn't in the picture, he had never had a father figure and always panicked that he would have no idea how to raise his son. But he had excelled from day one. Watching him walk around the park today with Adrien sitting high on his shoulders had done something to you.

"Maybe we should have another one?" You suggested, kissing Garcello's shoulder. He chuckled and looked down at you. He wouldn't ever refuse the process that it took to have a baby, but he could barely keep up with Adrien when he was born. His chest got tight if he played too rough, or chased him too long.

"We could, or." He rested his hands on your hips and the two of you slowly swayed with each other.

"We could get married?" He suggested. You tilted your head and stopped swaying. He swallowed heavily.

"Garcello," You paused, "are you, proposing?" He cleared his throat, walking over to his night stand and opening the drawer. He pulled out a small velvet box and played with it in his hands as he walked towards you. He got down on one knee and held the box in front of it, opening it to reveal the most beautiful ring you had ever seen.

"Marry me?" He asked simply. You smiled, resting your hand on his cheek.

"Of course, you have to ask?" You said, tears welling in your eyes as Garcello took the ring from the box and sliding it onto your finger. It fit perfectly. You loved the feel of it on your finger, you loved what it meant.

"I have something for you too." You said, rushing to your own night stand and pulling out a small wooden box. You opened it and showed it to Garcello to reveal a silver tungsten band with a thin teal line down the center and the words "Garcello my beloved" engraved on the inside. He took it with a wide smile and examined it.

"Is this an engagement ring?" He asked with a lopsided grin. You felt the heat rising in your cheeks and nodded.

"It is, I just didn't know when to bring it up." You said. Garcello slipped the ring onto his finger and held his hand out to admire it.

"I love it." He said before turning to you and taking your hands in his.

"And I love you." He kissed you deeply. "And, we could have another one. I've always loved the thought of having a daughter."

[let-love-run-red]

Ghost

ART BELONGS TO ALIZERA62 ON DEVIANTART

Female reader insert

AO3 link

The house was a mess. You knew it hadn't been inhabited in awhile, but you hadn't expected to need a tobacco cleanup before you even started. The woman you had hired did a good job but even she couldn't get it all out of the paint. The floorboards would need to be replaced, the walls would likely have to be sanded and repainted, and you had no doubt the carpet had to go too.

You turned the sander off, removing your respirator and sliding your headphones off your head to take a break. You walked into the kitchen area, opening the fridge. You shuddered as a cold chill ran down your spine and you looked around. Your mother would say someone just walked over your grave, but you weren't the superstitious type. You chalked it up to standing in front of the fridge after working up a sweat.

You pulled the sandwich out of the fridge and shut it, thankful the new owners had agreed to turn the power on. You sat down on an unopened five gallon bucket of paint and dug into your lunch. You looked around the house. You had pulled down the blinds and curtains to let the light into the small space. It was nice, homey. You wondered how it ended up abandoned.

You continued to work on the walls for the next few weeks until the house was repainted. Hopefully that would erase the lingering smell of cigarettes. The previous owner was obviously a heavy smoker. Maybe that's the reason it was abandoned, they finally had one too many.

You were going to start work on the floorboards today. There was no way you could just refinish them, years of neglect and tobacco had worked it's way into the wood. You had measured the rooms that needed it and ordered the replacements, now just came the process of tearing it out. But, the house seemed angry.

You smelled cigarettes more often now. But you figured it was because of the floorboards. You heard thuds from somewhere within the house, but you figured it was just the wind messing with the attic vents. You got cold chills often but chalked that up to the newly fixed air conditioner that hadn't been calibrated yet.

You finally had enough when a violent chill ripped through you one day as you were trying to rip up one particularly stubborn floorboard. You hooked the claw of your hammer under it and pulled upwards, splintering the wood. This board had been held in with twice as many nails, that were twice as large as normal flooring nails.

"Alright listen house ghost if you're upset then come deal with me yourself. But stop giving me problems!" You shouted to nothing, feeling silly. But shouting at this "house ghost" was a decent outlet for your frustrations at this remodel. You turned to pull the rest of the floorboard up, spotting something tucked within the floor joints. You reached for it, feeling your shirt sleeve snag on one of the nails as you pulled it out. You examined the hole in your sleeve before turning your attention to the item in your hand.

"Put it back." You heard a deep voice growl. You jumped, gripping the small box tighter as you looked up. There, sitting on one of the piles of ripped up floorboards was a tall man with a mysterious green glow around him. He was holding a lit cigarette in his hands. You sat back as your chest heaved.

"How the hell did you get in here?" You snapped. You had locked all the doors and the windows while you worked. There was no way he could get into the house without you knowing, the new owners hadn't even picked up their keys yet.

"No, how did you get here?" He asked, taking a breath from the cigarette. When he blew out the smoke was green and glowed with a strange light.

"This is my house, what are you doing here?" He asked. You held your hammer as a weapon as you sat back up on your knees.

"Your house? No, this house was just purchased. I know the owners and you're not one of them." You said. The man snorted, taking another puff from the cigarette. You took a moment to examine him. He wore jeans with a white t-shirt and a black jacket. He had a heavy pair of brown work boots on and a brown hat atop his teal hair that cast a shadow over his eyes. He would be handsome, if he wasn't scaring you right now.

"Bullshit." He said.

"Who are you?" You asked. If he was here to hurt you he would have done it already.

"I already told you, I'm the owner." He said.

"No you aren't. Who are you really?" You snapped. You were starting to get tired of him.

"I'm the ghost that had until now tolerated you sanding down my walls and ripping up my floor. But I need you to put that pack of cigarettes back, or we're going to have a problem." He finally said, standing up from the pile of floorboards. His feet made no sound as he walked towards you over the floor joists. He grabbed your wrist and shook your hand to loosen your grip on the small box, that you now realized was an old pack of Marlboro cigarettes. When his hand touched yours you felt a familiar chill shoot down your spine.

You dropped the cigarettes back between the floor joists and he stood over the pack protectively.

"I, ghost?" You asked. He took the cigarette from his mouth and blew more smoke as he nodded.

"Yes, the house ghost that you've been yelling at for the past week. My name is Garcello." He dropped the cigarette in his hand and it faded away before it connected with the ground. You looked up at him and he tilted his head.

"How, what?" You asked.

"I died, and apparently my spirit is tied to that pack of cigarettes. So it needs to stay here." He said, pointing to the pack of cigarettes between his feet.

"So you can stay here?" You asked. He snapped his fingers and another cigarette appeared between his fingers that he gestured to you with before speaking.

"Now she's getting it." He said, taking a drag from the cigarette.

"Why do you want to stay here?" You asked, looking around. It was a nice house but it was small and in a state of disarray.

"It's safe." He said, looking around. You tilted your head.

"Listen I did a lot of shit while I was alive, and for a few minutes before I came back I was in hell. Literal hell. I have no desire to go back." He said, taking another drag from the cigarette.

"Actual hell?"

"Yes, real hell, with satan and the fire and all that." He said. He pulled his hat off and ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly. It fluffed out for a moment before he pulled the hat back onto his head.

"So those cigarettes need to stay here because if anything happens to them I'm gone for good." He said. You looked at the cigarettes between his feet, then back to him.

"They can't stay here." You said. He let out a low growl and his hair flared out around his head. The glow around him grew a little brighter and the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end.

"Says you? Who even are you?" He hissed.

"I'm the one the owners hired to remodel the house. I can't just leave a pack of cigarettes, that has a ghost tied to it, in the floorboards. I'm pretty sure that violates some contract I had them sign." You explained.

"What are you going to do about it?" He took a step towards you, and although you knew he was trying to intimidate you, there was a hesitancy to it. As though he didn't really want to hurt you.

"Well I'm not going to burn it or anything, if that's what you mean." You said, reaching for the cigarettes. You picked them up and examined them. The pack was worn and faded and there were a few cigarettes missing from the inside. Garcello seemed distressed as you turned the box over.

"Please be careful." He said, holding out his hand.

"You're really nervous for a ghost." You said. He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You would be too if the eternal damnation of your soul was being prevented by a pack of cigarettes." He said. You snorted, that was definitely true. You set the cigarettes on the counter next to you and he looked between you and the pack.

"You're just going to leave them out?" He asked. You knelt back down, hooking your hammer under the floorboards again and ripping the next one up.

"I mean for now. If you're so stressed then move them."  You said, tearing up another floorboard.

"I can't." He said, standing next to the pack. You looked up to him in confusion. He could obviously touch things, he had grabbed your wrist and been knocking things over.

"Why not?" You asked. He took the cigarette from between his lips and touching the corner of the pack with the tip of his finger. There was a sizzling screaming sound that came from his, skin and the pack of cigarettes. He pulled his hand away to reveal a black spot on the corner of the pack.

"If I try it burns it. I'm not sure why." He said, replacing the cigarette between his lips. You stood from the floor, walking past him and examining the pack.

"Can you just like, put it in a box and bury it in the back yard or something?" He asked, watching as you picked up the pack again.

"It would take a long time to make a box that's watertight so this wouldn't fall apart." You said, setting it back on the counter top. Garcello rested his elbows on the counter and rested his chin in his hands.

"How did it even get under the floor boards if you can't touch it?" You asked.

"I was with people when it happened. They put it under the floor and nailed it back down. For awhile they came to visit but, I guess they got busy." He said. You looked to him to see him working the cigarette around his mouth.

"What if I take this with me when I leave. Will you like combust or something?" You asked, pointing to the cigarettes. He tilted his head.

"No, I'll just go with you." He said. You nodded.

"Well you can't stay here, and I'm not just going to let you burn in hell." You said. He took the cigarette from his mouth and narrowed his eyes at you.

"You're going to take a ghost home." He said. "Like i'm a kitten you found on the street." He finished.

"Well it sounds bad when you put it that way, think of it as a roommate situation." You said. Garcello raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"Could be nice. It's been awhile since I've spent time with people." He said.

"Well you can come home with me or, I can drop you somewhere else." You said. Garcello shook his head.

"I don't have anywhere else to be dropped." He said with a chuckle. You picked up the pack of cigarettes, walking around the counter to slide them in the empty pocket of your lunch bag.

"That settles it then. I guess you're coming home with me." You said. Garcello looked at you and cracked a small smile.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

"Well hell doesn't sound fun. And maybe I feel kind of bad that you've been stuck her alone for so long." You said, kneeling back on the floor and working to pry up the next floorboard. Garcello knelt next to you silently before placing the cigarette back in his mouth, gripping the floorboard with one hand and ripping it up. You looked at him in surprise and he grinned.

"Lesson one of having a ghost roommate, we're pretty strong." He said with a laugh, pulling the next floorboard up as well. You let out a laugh as he pulled another board out.

"Maybe you should come with me to every job I do." You said with a smile while the two of you worked together to pull up the remaining floorboards.

"Yeah maybe I should." He said, reaching down and gripping one of the leftover nails, pulling it out bare handed.

"It would be nice to see so many things." He looked up at you with a smile.

"So I guess you're just going to live in my lunch bag then?" You asked. He wrinkled his nose.

"I don't live wherever the pack is, I just am tied within a certain distance of it." He said.

"So is it a set distance or you can't like leave the building?" You asked, sitting back on your feet.

"It's kind of a distance. Like I can get halfway out the backyard, and out to the road out front, but I can't cross the street or anything." He said. You nodded.

"So are you tied to a distance from the pack as a whole, or if I took one of the cigarettes could you follow that one specifically?" You asked. Garcello approached you with a handful of bent and broken nails and held out his hand to you. You pointed to the paint can of nails next to the pile of floorboards and he dropped the nails in the can.

"I don't know. I never tried." He said with a shrug.

"I guess we have a lot of experimenting to do then." You said. He paused to look up at you before pulling up another floorboard.

"You're serious about taking me with you?" He asked. You furrowed your brows.

"Yes? What else would I do?" You asked with confusion in your voice.

"Drop it in the first garbage can or puddle you see." He said simply, pulling up a second floorboard.

"I wouldn't do that." You said. You saw Garcello's hair float around his head a bit more as the green glow intensified briefly.

"Why not?"

"I like you. You're nicer than most of the living people I know." You said. The halo around him intensified further and his hair flared around him like a lions mane. You watched as his cheeks blushed a bright pink and you smiled.

"Sorry, it's been awhile since someone said they liked me." He said.

"Can I try something?" You asked. He turned to you and nodded before taking the cigarette from between his lips. You leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. His lips were soft and warm. You pulled back and had to squint to see him through the green light. His hair was standing on end and his eyes were glowing green. He pressed his hands to his face to hide his blush and you had to hold back a giggle as his hat started to float off his head.

"Fuck I didn't know that happened." He said. You let out a laugh.

"It looks like we both have a lot to learn about ghosts."

[let-love-run-red]

So, this is kinda embarrassing of me to ask, but I’m asking anyways- So m-my cramps are bad—like blackout-collapse-tearfully-cry-out-in-agony bad, a-and Garcello is a major comfort character for me, so how would Garcello react to walking into a room and just seeing s/o on the ground in pain or blacked-out because of bad cramps?

Oh darling I'm sorry! Cramps are the absolute worst, I hope this can help at least a little

***

- When he first sees you on the ground he panics a little, he's worried for you.

- Once he realizes that you're not hurt, well, not fatally, he calms down.

- He helps you up and to bed and lays down to cuddle you for a bit, he hopes it can help.

- It does for awhile, just being there wrapped around him, the angle helps the cramps for a little while, but eventually it wears off.

- He tries rubbing your stomach for just a moment to see if that helps, and it does just a little bit

- When that still doesn't make it better he brings you a whole care pack

- I'm talking heat pad, chamomile tea, ibuprofen, anything google said could possibly help period cramps.

- He stays with you for the rest of the day, just holding you and letting you cry on his shoulder when the pain gets to be too much. He rubs your back, comforts you and does his best to take care of you.

[let-love-run-red]

Shotgun Kiss

ART BELONGS TO INSERTBIRBY ON TWITTER

Female Reader Insert

AO3 Link

You were enamored with the man you saw across the crowded pool. It was a graduation party from college so there were hundreds of people there but you swore you'd never seen him around campus.

He was dancing with one of the younger girls, you thought her name was Annie. He was holding a red solo cup with a big toothy grin on his face as his hair bounced in time with his movements. He just looked so, happy. He brought his other hand to his mouth and blew out a breath of smoke that glowed green in the black lights strewn around the backyard.

You felt like you had to talk to him. So you fought your way across the yard and paused nearby, listening to him laughing with Annie. From here you could see the chipped black polish on his nails. You froze before your body could move forward until Annie spotted you and she broke into a grin.

"(y/n)! Come here!" She said, reaching forward and pulling you towards her. The man was all smiles as he watched you and Annie. Annie gestured to him and you saw the matching bead bracelets they wore.

"This is my older brother, Garcello!" She shouted to be heard over the music. You reached out a hand for him to shake and he placed his cigarette in his mouth before shaking your hand.

"Pleasure," He said. His voice was deep and smooth. You smiled up at him and you finally found the courage to speak up.

"I don't think I've seen you around before." Garcello chuckled and took the cigarette from his mouth, blowing the smoke straight up.

"Nah, I'm not a student. This is my house and Cam's my roommate." He laughed. You nodded with a smile. His demeanor was contagious and you couldn't help but match his playful energy. Garcello finished off his drink and took Annie's cup to head towards the table of drinks.

"He seems nice." You said as he walked away. Annie laughed.

"He's awesome. He's got some bad habits but who doesn't." She said with a laugh. You tilted your head and she toyed with the beaded bracelet on her wrist.

"Bad habits?" You asked. You'd barely met Garcello but so far you couldn't imagine anything being wrong with him. He seemed perfect, he seemed sweet and cheerful and just, perfect.

"Oh nothing bad, he chains smokes, drinks a little much for my taste, stuff like that." She said. She caught your look and held her hands out.

"Nothing about like, him, just like, health stuff." She said. You nodded as Garcello pushed his way back towards the two of you with his cigarette in his hand and a smile on his face. He gave Annie a fist bump and turned to drop the cigarette butt in one of the garbage cans they had around. He looked back to the pool with a smirk. He pulled his black jacket off and handed it to you.

"Garcello, no," Annie said with a small smile, holding her hands up and backing away slowly. Garcello rushed forwards, wrapping his arms around Annie's waist and lifting her over his shoulder with a hearty laugh.

"Come on An it's a pool party!" He said, walking towards the pool as Annie tried to get out of his grip.

"Garcello!" She cried as Garcello turned to fall backwards into the pool, letting go of Annie as she rolled to land on her back. The two surfaced and Garcello flipped his hair out of his face with a smile. Annie sat up out of the water and pushed her hair back with a laugh. She pushed Garcello and he paddled backwards a little before standing in the water. You sat on the edge of the pool and stuck your feet in the water, setting Garcello's jacket on the pavement next to you. Annie walked to the edge to stand near you and Garcello leaned against the wall on your other side.

"Hey can you hand me a cigarette?" He asked, gesturing to his jacket. You picked it up, digging around in the pockets to find the pack of cigarettes and his black zippo lighter. You pulled a cigarette out and handed it to him. He put the cigarette in his mouth and reached for the lighter. You flipped it open and lit it, holding the flame up to the end of the cigarette. He raised an eyebrow at you as he inhaled and the cigarette lit. He blew the smoke out and gave you a small smirk.

You felt heat rising in your cheeks and turned away from him to close the lighter. He slid a little closer to you and you swung your legs in the water. He turned so he was facing you more. You heard a voice call to Annie from across the pool and she turned to look with a smile.

"Hey that's one of my friends, I'll be right back." She said to Garcello. He nodded, taking another drag from his cigarette as Annie left to talk to her friend. You looked down at him, admiring his profile. His strong nose, the 5 O'clock shadow, the way his hair cast a shadow over his eyes, he was handsome.

"You can take a picture if you want, it'll last longer anyway." He said with a sly smirk before lifting his cigarette to his mouth again. You lowered your head and kicked some water at him half heartedly. He chuckled and pushed your foot away, letting his hand rest on your ankle for a moment before looking up at you, still with that same smirk on his face.

Something about him was addictive. You didn't know if it was his personality or his newfound flirty attitude but you couldn't leave, even though you left your friends in their little group and should probably get back to them. Instead you decided to slide fully into the pool to stand next to him. His smirk turned to a smile as he took another breath from the cigarette.

"So you don't seem very into the whole party scene." Garcello said, looking out over the crowded pool, not really looking at anything in specific. You shrugged and cleared your throat.

"Not really, but my friends were all coming and it's better than staying home." You said. Garcello turned to face you completely, leaning slightly forward and tilting his head. You looked towards him and caught his gaze. He raised an eyebrow and you looked away quickly.

"Peer pressure then?" He teased, bumping your shoulder softly. You felt like your skin was on fire where he touched you. You nodded and he let out a laugh. You looked up at him with a small scowl and he looked back to you.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to tease you." He gave a genuine apology. You smiled.

"I know, I wasn't bothered." You said, looking down at the water and shifting your weight. "It kind of was peer pressure." You looked back to him. The two of you held eye contact for a moment and his lips parted slightly. You glanced down at them before shaking your head and turning away.

His lips looked so soft, so kissable. You wanted to just wrap your arms around his shoulders and pull him down and kiss him. You didn't know if it was the alcohol in your system or if he was just that addictive but you really wanted to feel his lips against your own and his tongue in your mouth.

"You ever smoked?" He asked. You turned to look at him to see him blowing smoke from his mouth. You shrugged and turned to face him, looking up. He was handsome from any angle.

"I've never tried it, I'm not against it though." You said. He looked down at you and offered you his cigarette.

"Wanna try?" He asked. You hesitated for a moment.

"This is gonna sound stupid, does it like, burn?" You asked. He chuckled and brought the cigarette to his mouth again. He blew the smoke out in a ring shape and turned to look at you again.

"It can, but, do you trust me?" He asked. You furrowed your brows. You had just met him half an hour ago, but you did trust him. He just seemed so calming and trustworthy. You finally nodded slowly and Garcello smiled.

"Ok. Close your eyes," He said. You paused before closing your eyes. You felt the heat radiating off him as he stepped closer to you. You jumped when he whispered softly in your ear. "just remember, inhale." He said.

You were confused and were about to open your mouth to ask when you felt his hand on the side of your face followed by his lips against your own. You froze for a minute, almost forgetting what he said. You shook yourself out of your trance and inhaled, feeling a slight burn down your throat and in your lungs. He pulled away and you opened your eyes to see a few wisps of smoke escape from his mouth. You exhaled and jumped when you watched smoke come from your own mouth.

"Not bad, hm?" He asked, lifting the cigarette to his lips again. You shook your head, still slightly shocked. He stubbed the cigarette out on the pavement next to the pool, reaching for his jacket and pulling out a small tin box, flipping it open and dropping the cigarette butt in it before closing it and putting it back in the jacket pocket.

"Do you do that with every girl you meet at parties?" You asked. He shook his head with a small smile.

"No, not really." He said. You tilted your head.

"Do it again." You said, stepping towards him. He looked down at you with surprise evident on his features.

"You, want to shotgun again?" He asked. You shook your head and looked down at his lips before meeting his eyes again.

"Kiss me." You said, matter-of-factly. He rested his hand on the side of your face again and leaned forward. You closet your eyes and tangled your fingers in his hair, pulling him towards you. You felt electricity shoot through your nerves when his lips met yours again.

He was soft and gentle, he moved slowly, and while you loved the feeling of it it drove you insane. You tugged on his hair and bit his bottom lip. He chuckled and you felt it rumble against your chest. You found his free hand and moved it so he was holding your hip and he hummed.

"Hey, play nice." He whispered against your lips. You let out a soft whine. He moved his hand that was on your cheek down to your other hip. You lifted your other arm to wrap around his shoulder to pull yourself closer and he smiled against your mouth.

He suddenly turned you so you were pinned between the wall and his broad form. You let out a soft whimper as he kissed you again, squeezing your hips in his hands and pressing himself closer against you. You fisted your hand in his hair and let the other wander over his chest and shoulders. He lifted you so you were sitting on the edge of the pool and you looped your legs around his waist, leaning down to keep your lips connected.

You finally had to pull away to breathe, but you kept your hands in his hair and your forehead pressed against his as you both breathed heavily. He pulled you closer against him and you smiled breathlessly.

"Hey, do you want to go upstairs?" He asked, leaning in to kiss your neck and shoulders. You giggled and ran your fingers through his hair as he wrapped his arms around you to hold you close to him.

"Yeah, let's go." You said, pulling away and standing up. He climbed out of the pool and picked up his jacket from the ground, handing it to you, and sweeping you off your feet to carry you into the house.

[let-love-run-red]

Love me

ART BELONGS TO VINCE_TOASTY ON TWITTER

CONTENT WARNING: This fic references and discusses: suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, self harm, and overdose. PLEASE be advised and read responsibly

Female reader insert

Written as a part two to Touch Me

AO3 Link

Garcello had a bit of a, messed up idea of love. He didn't want to love, his mother had loved him and because of her he had been depressed for five years and tried to kill himself four times in those five years. He didn't want to push anybody to the edge like that, he didn't want to be like her.

So when he felt his feelings for you grow he pulled away. He didn't know how to love without hurting people. He'd pulled away from everyone he'd loved for five years, starting with his mom when he took the rest of her oxy. He found her in the bathroom the next morning. He pulled away from his first foster parents, found a kitchen knife and locked himself in the bathroom until they broke down the door, but they couldn't take him anymore. They had given him everything and he pulled away, because he didn't want to hurt them.

He did it again with Annie. After he met her and she climbed into his lap to ask him to brush her hair, all trust and love and wanting nothing more than to know him, he couldn't bear to put her through that pain. But oh he wanted to. He wanted to let her sleep on his chest while they watched a family movie, he wanted to comfort her at night when she had nightmares and crawled into his bed with her sweet face and tiny hands that gripped his shirt so tightly, but he couldn't bear to hurt her the way his mother hurt him. He wouldn't be a good brother. He had to get out the only way he knew how.

So he looped his belt around the ceiling fan and prayed it would hold his weight. It did, it worked, until the dad had broken his door in and grabbed him around the waist to hold him up until they got the belt off his neck. The state decided he needed more help than that family could provide, so they moved him here. The first night he was so heartbroken from leaving her that he dug through the medicine cabinet after everyone had gone to sleep and taken every painkiller he could find. It wasn't oxy but it was close enough.

He still woken up in the morning, then ran to the bathroom to throw up. His new foster parents had been none the wiser. They thought he just had the flu, they didn't even take him to the hospital.

So yeah, love wasn't in the cards for him after what his mother did in the name of "loving" him.

And when he felt himself falling for you that night after he reached for the blades again, only to find your note instead, he was terrified. You had done more for him in six months than five years of therapists and medications had done for him. So when he felt that flutter in his chest every time you walked into the room he pulled away again. He sat in his bed with his knees against his chest and stared at the bed sheets in front of him.

"He's just quiet again, honestly Suzanne I don't know what to do with him." He heard Abigail say on the phone outside his door. Any other day he would have taken a blade to his wrist but he didn't have any more of those. He would call you, but you were the reason he felt this way. It was nothing you had done, nothing at all, but it was the way you made his heart flutter and the way he couldn't help but smile when you walked into the room.

He was just so afraid that he would turn out just like his mother. He already had a nicotine addiction, he had been forced to break his oxy habit, he was one step away from heroin like her. He already hurt himself the way she had hurt herself, he refused to follow her in love too.

So he had pulled away from you. He stopped calling, stopped texting, stopped talking to you in the halls even going as far as getting to the bus earlier to get home. He had told Abigail not to let you in, to say he was busy, anything. He couldn't hurt you the way he had been hurt.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and wiped his cheeks before looking at the number. It was you. Again. Along with ten unread texts and two other calls. He tossed his phone at his feet and pressed his face back against his knees before hearing your voice, somehow. he glanced down at his phone to see that somehow he had answered the call.

"Garcello? Garcello are you there?" You asked in a sweet voice. His heart leapt at the sound of your voice and how it sounded when you said his name. Everything in him told him to just hang up, to ignore it, but his heart told him to jump at the phone, anything to hear you say his name again.

"Hi." He said quietly, holding the phone up to his ear. He heard your sigh of relief and his chest ached.

"I was so worried about you!" You said. He squeezed his eyes shut and felt tears rolling down his cheeks again. He let out a huff.

"I didn't know what happened, if you were ok, why haven't you been talking to me?" You asked. He let a sob escape from his chest and quickly bit down on his knuckles to keep quiet. It was late, he had to be quiet.

"Oh Garcello, what's going on?" You asked, your voice as sweet and gentle as ever.  

"Please, just talk to me." He whispered softly. He heard your breath over the phone and worried, just for a moment, that you were going to hang up on him.

"Ok, I'll talk. I've missed you, I miss talking with you." You said. He took another deep breath as he listened. He thought he heard the sound of your window opening.

"I've been worried. I asked you to call me but you never did. I thought maybe you had, anyway. nevermind." You said. He heard he distinct sound of your car door shutting and the engine starting.

"Is there any way I can help?" You asked. He sniffed and cleared his throat.

"Please just keep talking to me." He said softly. He heard your engine shut off over the phone as you spoke. He sat back, not really listening to the words you were saying, only your voice. He reached for the pack of cigarettes on his nightstand and lighting one. He opened his window and took a deep inhale from the cigarette, holding it in his lungs. He immediately felt better with the familiar sting and opened his window to blow the smoke out. He heard your laugh.

"Thanks Garcello." You said, waving the smoke away from your face. He let his mouth fall open as he dropped his phone, nearly dropping the cigarette on the bed. Instead he flicked it out the window onto the roof, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you through the window and against his chest, falling back on his bed. You giggled and pushed yourself up off his chest to look down at him.

"I missed you too." You said, brushing his hair back out of his eyes. He took a deep shaky breath and bit his lip harshly.

"I love you," He said quietly. "I love you and I'm scared." He finished. You tilted your head and looked down at him, lowering yourself to lay on his chest again. He wrapped his arms tightly around you and squeezed.

"I don't know how to love people. Every time I do I just pull away because my mom loved me and she hurt me. And I'm scared, you won't love me back." He whispered. You rested your forehead against his shoulder and he huffed. His skin felt like it was burning where he touched you.

"I love you and I don't want to because I don't want to hurt you." He said. You brushed his hair away from his face and waited until he opened his eyes to look at you.

"You don't have to worry Garcello." You said softly, pressing your forehead against his.

"I love you too Garcello." You whispered against his lips. He let out a soft whine and squeezed you tightly. His heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest if he kept looking at you, but he couldn't get enough of you at the same time. It was like he was drowning in you but you were the air he needed to breathe.

"Can I," He paused. He still wasn't the greatest at asking for affection, it was hard to after five years. "can I have a kiss?" He asked you, squeezing his eyes shut. He was so prepared for you to say no that he barely processed it when you pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Luckily his heart took over for him as he started to kiss you back. It was soft and slow and comforting, everything he needed at this moment.

When you finally pulled away, and you had to because he had forgotten to breathe, he felt his heart soar. You sat up from his chest and rolled off to the side, kicking your legs over the bed and pulling off your shoes.

"What are you doing?" He asked. You looked back at him over your shoulder as you pulled your jacket off as well.

"I was going to stay the night, if it's alright with you." You said, turning to face him and folding your legs against you. He nodded so fast he worried he would break his own neck and reached for you to pull you back against his chest.

"Yes, please." He said. "Stay with me." He whispered into your hair as you wrapped your arms around him, holding him close to you.

"Please love me."

[let-love-run-red]

Heyo it's Panic Anon! damnnnn garcello beat the crap out of the dude! Awesome story! hmm.. how about an au where garcello is a vampire lord and is seeking someone to marry, and the s/o is one of the sacrificial lambs from the village, so then he gets to know her and actually loves her? Idk lol

Hey panic! I'm so sorry this took me so long to get to lol, but I hope this is what you were hoping for!

***

You sat in the corner of the room, watching him warily as he sat. He hadn't moved in hours, he was just sitting, curled in the plush armchair with a book in his hand and his usually perfectly styled hair framing his face.

You were offered to him as a, sacrificial lamb, of sorts. He lived in the manor on the hill that was guarded by high iron fences and large bushes. Everybody knew who he was, what he was, and once a month somebody from the village was offered to him to keep him up in the house, rather than hunting in the village.

But it had been a week and he hadn't touched you.

"Are you going to stare at me all day?" He finally spoke. You jumped in surprise and looked to him.

"Are you going to kill me? Or just make me wait and suffer." You snapped in return. He raised his eyebrows and turned his attention back to his book, scratching at the stubble on his chin. You tilted your head and he sighed, replacing the leather bookmark between the pages and shutting the book before standing and crossing the room, stopping in front of the chair you sat in.

"I don't kill people." He said, pushing his hair back with one hand. You didn't believe him. If he didn't kill people, what happened to the people who were sent through the gates to appease him?

"The people from the village, they send me sacrifices. I don't want them, but, they have nowhere else to go." He started.

"They send the people who they feel won't be missed, won't be valued. I just let them go and point them to the back gate with some food." He explained, turning his back to you and walking back to the chair. He sat down and crossed an ankle over his knee.

"Then, why keep me?" You asked, standing from the stool you were sitting on. You adjusted your skirts and he shrugged.

"You seemed different." He said, picking up his book again and turning the cover so you could see. Cymbeline, a title you'd never heard.

"How much of Shakespeare do you know?" He asked. You shook your head. You had read some of his plays, the ones you could get your hands on from the small book shop in town. He patted the chair next to his own, offering for you to sit beside him.

"Cymbeline is a favorite of mine. The only thing I don't like is the ending." He said, offering you the book. You picked it up and slowly read the cover. You could read, knew how to read, but it was difficult. And when you opened the cover the words were confusing and you furrowed your brows as you grew more and more frustrated. You turned to look at him, Garcello, and watched him yawn. You nearly forgot he wasn't human but the large pearlescent fangs he had were a harsh reminder.

You slammed the book cover closed and set it on the table between the armchairs, sliding it back to him and fiddling with your fingers. You didn't want to tell him you couldn't read it, didn't understand the words. He was trying to reach out to you.

"It's alright, I found it difficult to read at first." He took the book and flipped the cover open again, pointing to the inscription on the first page. It was signed "To my dear friend and inspiration, Garcello. -William Shakespeare"

"He never was good at brevity." Garcello explained, "Even when I'd read draft after draft and tell him to simplify his words, he enjoyed being the one who knew what his new words meant." Garcello finished with a small chuckle.

"If you'd like I can read it to you." He offered, pushing his hair back again and looking to you. You were wary of him. He was a powerful creature, one who survived on drinking the blood of other creatures. But there was a gentleness to him, in the way he spoke to you, the way he never pushed you for anything.

"Alright." You said quietly, pulling your feet up into the chair and adjusting your skirts so you were comfortable. Garcello opened the book, flipping to the first page and clearing his throat before he began.

[let-love-run-red]

Fluff Alphabet- Garcello

Will be updated as letters are requested

A = Admiration (what do they absolutely adore about you?)

B = Body (what is their favorite part of your body?)

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

- Garcello likes to be able to see your face, so cuddling with you laying on his chest, or with his head on yours, is fairly common. But sometimes when he's asleep he'll pull you against his chest and spoon you just because he wants to be close to you.

D = Dates (what does their ideal date with you look like?)

E = Emotions (how do they express emotion around you?)

- Garcello isn't the best at expressing his emotions when you first get together, because he repressed them a lot as a teenager. But as he went to therapy more he learned how to express his emotions and does his best to clearly explain what he's feeling to you.

F = Family (do they want one? If they do, when?)

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

I = Injury (how would they act if you got hurt?)

J = Jokes (do they like to joke around with or prank you? how?)

- Garcello is giggly as all hell. He loves to joke and laugh with you. He's the king of dad jokes despite not having kids of his own yet. He sometimes plays small pranks, just things like putting things on shelves you can't reach so he can get them for you and hold them ransom for a quick kiss.

K = Kisses (how do they like to kiss you?)

- All the time. He loves kisses all the time. And not just kisses on your lips, but he loves to kiss your cheeks and forehead and nose and chin, pretty much everywhere on you. Just little kisses to say "I love you" or "I missed you" or "That was cute"

L = Love (how do they show you they love you?)

- Garcello's tells you he loves you. His love languages are words of affirmation, physical touch, and quality time, so that's how he shows love the most. He didn't get a lot of any of those in the foster homes he grew up in so he likes to tell you he loves you and shows you through little touches and spending time with you.

M = Memory (favorite memory together?)

N = Nightmare (what is their worst fear?)

O = Oddity (what is one quirk they have?)

P = Pet Names (what do they like to call you?)

Q = Quality Time (how do they like to spend time with you?)

R = Rhythm (what song reminds you of them?)

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

U = Upset (how do they act when you’re upset?)

V = Vaunt (what are they proud of? Do they like to show you off?)

W = Warrior (how do they feel about you fighting? Would they fight for you, beside you, etc?)

- Garcello knows that in a fight you can hold your own, probably, he hopes. He doesn't want to make you feel like he thinks you can't defend yourself, but he worries about you getting hurt. He would 100% fight beside you and defend you, and he would also fight for you if he had to. Usually he's a lover, not a fighter, but when it comes to you he's willing to break a few rules.

X = X-Ray (how well are they able to read you?)

Y = Yes (how would they propose to you?)

Z = Zen (what makes them feel calm?)

[let-love-run-red]

heyo it's Panic! Your story was amazing! I need to think of another one hm... how about where annie has an abusive boyfriend and garcello and s/o catch him beating her up or something, and garcello just loses it? Either an abusive boyfriend or getting bullied at school, whatever is comfortable with you!

Hey panic! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you like this one as well, it gave me an opportunity to write a side of Garcello that I feel he has but I don't get to show in fics very often, it was a lot of fun!

***

He was half asleep on the couch when it happened.

He had this feeling that Annie's boyfriend was bad news. It wasn't anything he did, nothing he said, but whenever Garcello was around the man the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He had to stop himself from standing between Annie and Paul, stop himself from acting as a physical barrier.

Someone pounded on the door, startling him awake. He instinctively put a hand on your shoulder to hold you close against him, to protect you. He exchanged a confused glance with you. It was starting to get late, who would be knocking on the door at this time? You pulled away and he stood from the couch, approaching the front door to the apartment and looking through the peek hole.

It was Annie, with her head down he could only see the top of her head but he knew.

He immediately opened the door and Annie threw herself against his chest, sobbing into his shirt. Garcello shut the door and wrapped Annie in a hug. A tight one that squeezed her against him, one like he always used to give her when she would come to him at night after a nightmare.

She took fistfuls of his shirt and dug her nails into his back, burying her face in his chest and pushing him back as if she wanted to be as far away from the door as possible. He turned so he was between her and the door and locked eyes with you. You stood from your spot on the couch, approaching the two slowly. Garcello felt the hair on his arms prickle and he had to stop himself from pulling Annie away from you. It's you, not a threat, he told himself. You weren't going to hurt her.

"Annie, sweetheart, what happened?" You asked. You didn't reach for her, something he appreciated. Annie took a breath, hiccupped, and turned her head to look at you. Her face was red from crying.

And when Garcello saw the two black eyes and dried blood around her nose he saw red. He pushed Annie off of him, gently, and towards you. You steadied Annie as she stumbled and he stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him before you or Annie could say anything to stop him.

***

The ride over didn't clear his mind. It didn't need to be cleared. He knew exactly what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was going to do, and he knew the repercussions of what he was going to do.

That didn't stop him from nearly breaking down the door with his fist when he got to Paul's apartment. As soon as the door opened a crack Garcello shoved his way inside with a snarl on his face. He backed Paul into the apartment and slammed the door behind him.

"Where do you get the fucking nerve to hit her?" He growled, squaring his shoulders and puffing his chest out. His blood was boiling and he clenched and unclenched his fists. He wanted to hit him, he wanted to break his nose and see how it felt for him, wanted to break his ribs and knock his head against the wall for hurting his sister.

"Hey whoa you can't just break in here and threaten me." Paul said, holding his hands up in front of him. Garcello snarled again. He wanted to kill him. How dare he hurt Annie, then act like he'd done nothing wrong.

"I haven't threatened you. And you opened the door." Garcello huffed angrily. Paul inclined his head as if to say "true" and stood to his full height. It was like a deer compared to a bison, but Paul's ego was too big for his own good.

"Listen it's none of your business." Paul started, taking a step towards Garcello, trying to invade his personal space and back him down. But Garcello didn't care. The more Paul pushed, the more deserving he was of the beating he was going to get anyway.

"Oh it's definitely my business. She's my sister." Garcello snapped. He was aching to just hit him. His brain was screaming at him to hurt him, hit him, kill him, anything to protect his family. Annie was like a sister to him but the instincts that surged inside him were those of a parent protecting his child.

"No, it's not. Get out of my apartment before I make you." Paul said. He paused for a second as if considering his options, and pushed a palm against Garcello's chest. That was the trigger he needed.

Garcello pushed Paul back against the wall with a hand gripping his shoulder. He balled his other hand into a fist and swung, connecting with Paul's face and hearing a satisfying crack before blood ran from Paul's nose. He blocked a poorly timed punch, lifting his knee to connect with Paul's crotch, then lifting it again to hit him in the face when Paul doubled over. Garcello backed away with his chest heaving, watching as Paul clutched his nose and swore.

"If you ever come near my sister again I'll cut your dick off and shove it down your throat." Garcello hissed, taking another step back. Paul let out a groan and garcello opened the door to the apartment and stepped out, pulling the door shut behind him. His chest was heaving, he could hear his blood rushing through his ears.

He pulled out a cigarette and his lighter, taking a puff from the cigarette and letting the smoke sit in his lungs for a moment.

"Son of a bitch." He muttered under his breath.

***

When he got back to his own apartment his knuckles had already turned red with the beginning of bruises. He examined his hand as he sat on his motorcycle in the parking lot of the apartment complex. He flexed his hand, feeling the familiar ache. He hadn't been in a fight, hadn't hit someone, in years.

The last time he did was high school, when someone called him a freak. It was a bad day, it's what got him separated from Annie in the first place. And he swore after that he would never fight again.  But he was doing this for her. For Annie, to protect her.

He walked up to the apartment, opening the door slowly. He didn't know where Annie was but he didn't want to startle her. Most of the lights were off, casting dark shadows through the small space. The tv was on but the volume was so low he couldn't hear it, it was something with National Geographic, one of Annie's favorites.

You were sitting on the couch with a pillow in your lap. Annie was lying across the couch, her head on the pillow and a blanket thrown over her while you ran your fingers softly through her hair. She was ok, she was with you, you would keep her safe when he couldn't.

"Is she alright?" He asked softly as he approached the couch. You looked up at him, then back down to Annie. She was asleep still. He could tell by the way her brows were knitted together and she mumbled. She always was a restless sleeper, always afraid something would get her.

"She's shaken up. I took her to urgent care, they said it's a minor break." You explained. He nodded, reaching down and smoothing his hand over Annie's hair. She stirred slightly and sat up, looking up at Garcello. He felt his chest ache when he saw the bruising under her eyes. Annie immediately stood from the couch, taking the blanket with her, and hugged Garcello again.

He wrapped his arms around her, lowering his head to press a kiss to the top of her hair. Annie nuzzled her face against Garcello's chest and he rubbed her shoulder gently. He looked to you, and caught you staring at his bruised knuckles. You lifted your gaze to meet his own and he pleaded with his eyes. Not tonight, tomorrow. Tomorrow you could yell at him all you wanted, but tonight he did what needed to be done for her.

[let-love-run-red]

Wedding fic or wedding hcs? 🥰

Of course love 😊😊

***

He was nervous. So nervous he felt like he was going to pass out. He wanted more than anything to have a smoke right now, just to feel the smoke burning his lungs as he inhaled, feel the calming effects, but since his operation he'd stopped smoking. He used patches now but it didn't provide quite the same comfort.

He paced back and forth in the room he was supposed to get changed in. He hadn't changed into his tux yet, it hung in a bag on the back of the closet. He wasn't nervous to marry you, well, not the idea of it at least. He loved you, he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with you. He was nervous though that something would go wrong.

What if he messed up his vows, what if he dropped the ring, what if somebody stood up and said "I object" When the officiant asked? All of those thoughts ran through his mind as he paced the room and chewed on the sucker stick in his mouth. He jumped in surprise when the door opened and Chris, his best man, stepped into the room.

"Hey G, what's up?" Chris asked when he saw Garcello wasn't dressed yet.

"I don't know Chris I don't know if I can do it." Garcello rushed out as he ran his fingers through his hair. Chris tilted his head and tugged at his own tie.

"You've got cold feet?" Chris asked, the confusion evident in his voice. Garcello shook his head so hard he gave himself a headache before taking the sucker stick from his mouth.

"No! God no, I love her, I would never back out." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "But Chris what if something goes wrong? She spent so much time planning this, we spent so much time, what if I mess it up?" He asked, sinking into one of the chairs in the room. Chris nodded and sat across from him, staring Garcello down until Garcello looked up to meet his gaze.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Chris asked, shrugging his shoulders. Garcello let out a huff.

"A plane crashes into the venue." He said with a deadpan voice. Chris rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, tufted tail swishing back and forth behind him.

"Realistically, man. What's really bothering you?" Chris pressed. Garcello thought for a moment, staring down at the ground. You, you were bothering him.

"What if she doesn't want me anymore?" He asked softly, staring at the patterned carpet under his feet. Chris nodded his head slowly, reaching over and setting his hand on Garcello's shoulder.

"Let me put it this way for you," Chris started, "she stuck with you through your operation. She dated you for years, she showed you the types of wedding rings she wanted, and said yes when you proposed." Chris said.

"And, she spent the time to plan this. She walked through venues with you, looked at flowers, picked out color schemes, all with you." Chris leaned back in his chair again and turned his head, grabbing one of his horns to pull it further and crack his neck.

"Wedding planning is one of the most stressful things and she stuck around. She wants you man. I don't think she'll ever stop wanting you." Chris explained as he shook his hair out. Garcello nodded. It made sense, logically, but his emotions were still running wild. He really wanted a cigarette.

"Come on man, lets get dressed. I've got something to show you."

***

Chris had told Garcello to stay put. He'd walked him to a chair in the center of an empty room, sat him down, and told him to stay. Like a dog. Which Garcello wasn't too fond of.

He didn't understand why he had to sit here, but it was helping his anxiety a little bit. He didn't really react when the wedding photographer walked into the room, this was after all the room where the reception would be held, she was probably trying to make sure the lighting would be alright for the photos after the ceremony. He heard a door shut behind him, and a pair of shoes clicking on the floor.

He didn't really turn to look until he caught a bit of white in his peripheral vision. Who the hell would wear white to a wedding that wasn't their own? He turned to look and his mouth dropped open.

It was you, you were there in your wedding dress, standing in front of him. You were beautiful, like an angel. The light shone around you and bounced off your dress like a halo. Your hair and makeup were done to perfection, the dress fit you perfectly, everything about it was perfect.

Everything about you was perfect.

But that was nothing new.

It took him a moment to stand, it was as if he couldn't move. Nothing was more important to him than seeing you. Than appreciating your beauty, your smile, your little laugh when you saw his face, that's all that mattered to him. The most important thing in the world was standing right in front of him and he didn't dare take his eyes off you.

"I, you, wow." He whispered softly. His cheeks were starting to ache from smiling but he just couldn't stop. You looked down with a small smile, holding out your hand to him. He rushed to take it, to hold your hand in his own, to feel you and make sure you were real. His brain felt fuzzy and his heart pounded in his chest, all he could think about was how much he loved you.

"I know I should have said something, but I wanted it to be a surprise." You said as you pulled him to his feet. He rushed to pull you against his chest for a hug, to hold you, to remind himself that you were there, you were his, this dress was for him, the tux he wore was for you, this whole thing, was for the two of you. He pulled away and cupped your face in his hand before leaning down to kiss you, the click of the photographers camera fading to background noise as he let himself revel in just, you.

[let-love-run-red]

Take it Slow

*ARTWORK BELONGS TO NOTSCRIBBLOUS*

AN: Garcello x Female reader insert

AO3 Link

It was a busy night, busy busy busy. It was game night and everyone had decided to come to the only sports grill in town. Well, it was more of a bar that advertised itself as a grill. The kitchen and waitstaff were always stretched thin, but the owners had no problem hiring a second bartender for the busiest time of year.

You hadn't officially met him, but you'd taken drinks from him to the tables and watched him during your five minute break. He was tall, with teal dyed hair, and was fairly lean. He had a handful of bar tricks that entertained the guests and made them more forgiving about their food being late, or cold.

"Hey Annie!" You caught your coworker as she was going on break and you were coming off of yours.

"Yeah?" She asked, water bottle in hand as she headed for the door.

"Have you met the new bartender?" You asked, pointing him out as he flipped one of the liquor bottles above his head before catching it, sending that section of the bar into a cheer.

"I mean not officially? I think his name's Garcello. He seems nice enough, but he smokes like a chimney." She said, wrinkling her nose. You tilted your head.

"Thanks Annie, enjoy your break." You said with a smile. She smiled back before heading out the door to take her break in her car. You looked back to the man, Garcello, and he met your gaze with a soft smile and a small wave. You returned the gesture before hearing the bell ding in the kitchen.

"And theres a riblet platter for you and a basket of wings and thighs for you." You said with a smile to the two men sitting at the bar. They were a few drinks in already, watching the game on the big TV mounted over the bar, but you hoped they would still tip well despite the liquor in their systems.

"Is there anything else I can get for you two?" You asked, folding your hands in front of you with another smile.

"Yeah, I'd like a basket of your thighs." The one closest to you said, reaching for you. You stepped back with a nervous chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I-" He cut you off.

"Hey, don't walk away from me baby come on." He said. You tried to move back again, only to run into an empty table as he stood from the chair.

You turned, trying to find the quickest way back to the kitchen as he approached you before someone placed a large hand on the man's shoulder, pulling him away and spinning the man to face them.

"Hey, back up." It was Garcello, the new bartender. He'd come back in from his break and pulled the man away from you like your personal knight in shining armor.

"I'm a paying customer, I have a right to be here." The man said, slurring his words slightly. You breathed a sigh of relief, feeling comforted when the smell of tobacco filled your nose wafting from Garcello's clothes.

"Yeah but you don't have a right to harass work staff." Garcello said. You took the opportunity to scurry back to the kitchen, waiting in the doorway to see how it would end. But the time you looked back Garcello had already pushed the man out the door and was walking back towards the bar.

You couldn't lie, you were thankful he had been there. You could fend for yourself but it was hard to think on your feet when something like that was happening.

You made a milkshake, just a plain vanilla one, and brought it out to the bar. You waited off to the side until he got a moment of peace to call him over. He looked to you with a smile.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked. His voice was gruff and there was a slight rasp to it. As he got closer you could smell the tobacco wafting off his shirt and likely from his hair. You actually found it slightly comforting. You offered him the milkshake with a small smile.

"Yeah, I just wanted to say thanks." You said. He accepted the glass, taking a sip through the straw you brought and smiling at you.

"It's good, thank you." He said. He was called over to the other side of the bar by a customer, and he took the glass with a smile in your direction before setting it on the back counter of the bar near the register before walking towards the customer.

Since that day you and Garcello had grown closer. You'd swapped numbers, mostly for work reasons, he would text you if he was going to be late and vice versa. Sometimes you would send each other videos of pictures you found funny. You saved all of them, in case you needed a laugh later.

He was sweet. Despite his rough exterior and gruff voice he had a heart of gold. He walked you to your car in the evenings, sent you pictures of his dog when you were sad, told you jokes that made you laugh so hard you were in tears. He was a good friend.

It was one of those nights where he walked you out to your car. His hands were shoved in the pocket of his jacket and he'd shoved his brown hat over his hair to cast a shadow over his face. The second he'd walked out the door he lit a cigarette and took a long inhale of the smoke. Annie was right, he did smoke like a chimney, something that worried you slightly. You cared about him, you had no doubt he knew how bad they were but everyone had their vices.

you bumped into his shoulder with a giggle after he told you another joke, and he looked to you with a smile. You leaned against him, taking comfort in the smell of smoke and the warmth he gave off. You stopped when you reached your car, looking up at him as he leaned against the rear door of your car.

"Hey, you have something on your face." He said, gesturing to his own cheek with his thumb. You wiped your cheek with the back of your hand, looking to him to see if you got it. He chuckled, reaching with his free hand.

"No, it's right," he rested his hand on the side of your jaw, using his thumb to brush against your lips gently. "here." He let his hand linger on your face as you looked up at him. He had taken his cigarette out of his mouth and was holding it between the fingers on his free hand.

Without thinking you reached up, burying your hand in the hair on the back of his head and pulling him down. You pressed your lips against his own, finally giving in to the urge you had been suppressing for weeks. He pulled away slightly, looking down at you curiously.

"Fuck." He said, dropping his cigarette on the ground and taking your face in his hands, kissing you again, hard. You leaned into his chest, fisting your hand in his hair and tugging on it lightly. He pulled you closer against him, one hand on your cheek, the other on the small of your back as he held you close. You felt breathless as you kissed him, feeling his lips against your own, his tongue against your teeth.

When you finally broke apart you were both breathing heavily. You pulled away, almost regretting what happened. If this ruined your friendship you didn't know what you would do. He took a step back, shoving his hand into his pocket and pulling out the pack of cigarettes with shaking hands. He took one out and lit it, taking another step away from you.

"I, I have to go." He said, lighting it and turning away, walking towards where his motorcycle was parked in the corner of the lot. You kicked yourself mentally for what just happened. Garcello was your closest friend, and you shouldn't have let your romantic feelings for him get in the way of that.

***

The next day was your day off. You knew Garcello still had to work, he rarely got any days off, but he was always on the evening shift. So you took the chance to text him in the morning.

Hey, can we talk? You asked. You watched as he read the message, and the three dots popped up to show he was typing, before disappearing. You were worried he wouldn't respond, until your phone dinged with a facetime call from him. You took a deep breath before answering the call. Garcello was sitting on the couch in his apartment, cigarette in hand, without a shirt on. You guessed he had just woken up.

"Hey." He rasped out, turning his face to cough into his elbow. You felt your heart squeeze. You were worried about him.

"Hey." You said softly. He took the cigarette between his teeth and used his now free hand to brush his hair back.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked before blowing smoke from his mouth.

"Um, last night." You said, shifting the way you were sitting on the bed. He coughed again, a little louder this time.

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't make things weird, and I hope you didn't feel uncomfortable or anything." You said, watching as he took another puff from the cigarette.

"No, no (y/n) you didn't make me uncomfortable at all." He said. He took the cigarette from his mouth as it burned down to nothing, reaching for the table and placing another between his teeth, lighting it before taking it between his fingers and blowing more smoke.

"Then, why did you leave like that?" You asked. Garcello shifted and cleared his throat, taking another breath from the cigarette.

"I just, I don't know. What was supposed to happen? You come home with me? I go with you? We just leave?" He said, sucking harshly on the cigarette. The tip burned an angry red and you sighed.

"I don't know." You admitted.

"But why did you leave without talking to me?" You pressed. He let out a sigh.

"I kind of, like you a lot. And last night I just, I didn't want to move too fast with you." He said. He reached for the pack of cigarettes again, shaking it and huffing. It was probably empty.

"Too fast?" You pushed.

"If we had kept going, I probably would've invited you over, and I didn't want to do that. Not yet, I mean not if you don't want it, and I didn't want to be weird about it and, just, oh fuck." He said, putting his head down and rubbing the bridge of his nose. You smiled and let out a laugh. He looked up at you through the screen in confusion.

"Garcello," You said softly. He smiled.

"I love when you say my name, y'know." He said. You smiled.

"Well, Garcello, I would probably have gone home with you if you asked." You said. His smile got a little bigger.

"But if you want to take it slow then we can." You said.

"Yeah, I think that would be good." He said as he took the burned cigarette out of his mouth.

"How about I take you to dinner sometime?" He asked. You smiled again and Garcello mimicked your grin.

"Dinner would be nice."

[let-love-run-red]

Pregnancy headcanons?

Of course love! We all know Garcello is a big softie who would just love to be a dad so He'd be pretty excited throughout the pregnancy!

- When you first tell Garcello you're pregnant he's ecstatic

- He's always wanted to be a father and now that he finally gets to .

- he's going to do everything he can to make sure both you and the baby are healthy.

- He stops smoking altogether, using nicotine patches for the addiction and suckers to replace the physical feeling of having one in his mouth.

- He goes to every doctors appointment, reads every parenting book he can get his hands on and attends every parenting class with you because he wants to learn as much as he can.

- When your bump starts showing he spends a good chunk out of the day just talking to your baby, whispering to them in Italian and telling them how much he loves them

- He talks to both you and the baby about his day and everything he did.

- When you have morning sickness he's there next to you holding your hair back if you need or rubbing your back. He brings you water to sip and insists you stay hydrated.

- Any cravings you have he does his best to cater to. even if it's peanut butter and sauerkraut that he has to drive to three different stores to find at 1 in the morning

- He does have to gently encourage you not to eat dirt that your pregnant brain is telling you to eat for some reason.

- Every month he asks you to stand in front of the mirror with him so he can take a progress photo because he loves to see the progression of the baby bump and how big your baby is getting.

- He never complains when you lay on his chest even though you know you must be heavier and it's harder for him to breathe.

- Sometimes if you're particularly tired he'll stand behind you and support the weight from your belly to give your back a break. It's much appreciated.

- Overall Garcello is incredibly helpful and supportive throughout your pregnancy