#matthew fairchild x reader insert

[acciotwinz]

Having faith - Matthew Fairchild x reader

Request: Ok, so I binged Chain of Thorns in a day and I need more Matthew content!! Literally anything Matthew Fairchild would be great! // Maybe hurt!comfort or angst with comfort. I need that reassurance and comfort after the entirety of what my baby went through in CoT.

Thank you so much for your request! I hope I did it and Matthew justice.

As always, kudos, comments and reblogs are appreciated!

Matthew is sure he’s never run faster in his life.

One moment, he's relaxing in his flat in Whitby Mansions with Oscar, getting ready to go to bed and the next, he's rushing across London to get to the Institute as quickly as his legs can carry him.

Times seems to run slower than it should, making the trek feel never ending. His heart is beating so hard it feels ready to burst out of his chest. He can make out people shouting at him to be careful as he darts in front of hansom cabs, on and off the sidewalks. He's not even sure he's wearing shoes or a coat. The only thing that Matthew can really concentrate on, other than moving forwards, are those five words in the fire-message from Thomas.

"Matthew, Y/N's hurt. It's bad."

Thomas has never lied to him. He has sometimes sugarcoated or ignored things, but he's extremely truthful and if he's being that short, saying it's bad.. Matthew can't stop to think about that too deeply or he will never make it to the Institute. And he needs to make it there. Y/N needs him. Matthew doesn't remember how exactly he made it to the infirmary. He knows that James was there, keeping him from tripping over his own feet, while Lucy is trying to reassure him that she'll be fine after some rest. Thomas keeps apologizing as they wait outside the doors for Brother Zachariah to let them through.

"What happened?" He needs to swallow a few times and yet, his voice sounds as if he hasn't used it in days.

Thomas sighs, looking away for a moment. "It was sudden. It was supposed to be a boring patrol, like all the other ones have been since Belial died. There was nothing out of the ordinary."

Matthew closes his eyes for a moment, anger coursing through his veins, "Clearly there was or Y/N wouldn't have been hurt!"

"We were heading back to the Institute when a ourobas demon sprang from seemingly nowhere. It slashed Y/N's back and bit her shoulder. She hit her head on the way down while she was trying to get it off her. I got her back as quickly as I could but she'd lost a lot of blood and was struggling to stay conscious or make any sense. Will insisted she get looked over by Uncle Jem."

James claps his shoulder, squeezing it and letting his hand rest there, "She'll be fine, Math. Uncle Jem is with her, he'll make sure she's right as rain in no time."

Matthew can see that Thomas is blaming himself, knows that he should be consoling him and making sure he knows it's not his fault but he can't. Because what if Y/N lost too much blood? What if her head injury leaves her a shell of herself? There are so many horrible possibilities running through Matthew's mind. 

He wants a drink. Desperately.

Y/N's disappointment is the only thing that stops him from running to the kitchens in search of alcohol. Not that she would ever outwardly chastise him. She would simply smile sadly at him and help start his journey over again. He won't put her through that again, not when he's not sure what her condition actually is. He doesn't even realize that he's shaking until James shrugs his jacket off to put it around his shoulders.

"Are you okay, Tom?" Lucy's voice breaks through Matthew's mind fog and for the first time since arriving, he notices how tired and strung out Thomas looks. "I'm fine," the boy replies, "I just can't stop thinking about it. It's all my fault that Y/N's hurt. I should have been more careful."

James shakes his head, "No, it's no one's fault but that demon's."

Thomas just gives them a tight smile and Matthew lets himself slide to the floor, his head dropping to his hands. He can feel James' eyes on him but he ignores it. He leans against the wall, fidgeting with the ring James gifted him after their parabatai ceremony. 

Time passes slowly, the sun peaking over the horizon and creeping under the infirmary doors, illuminating the hallway with soft orange hues. One by one, his friends fall asleep. Lucy is leaning against James' shoulder, Thomas has his neck bent at a weird angle where his heads rests against the wall and James has his head nestled in the crook of Matthew's neck. But Matthew doesn't want to sleep till he sees Y/N. 

Bridget brings by a tray of tea and biscuits but leaves them for when the others wake up. The only thing Matthew wants, he can't have so he just sits impatiently. 

Finally, the doors open and Uncle Jem walks out. Matthew jumps up, nearly sending James flying to the ground but he doesn't care. "How is she?!"

She'll be fine. Brother Zachariah's soothing voice reassures him. She lost a lot of blood and it took me some time to get the demon poison out of her system but she will make a full recovery. "You're sure?" Matthew's eyes fill with tears and he feels like he can breathe again. 

I am certain, Matthew. She will need lots of rest and a few more iratzes but she will be fine.

"Can I see her?" 

The Silent Brother nods, Do try not to wake her. She needs as much rest as she can get.

Matthew doesn't bother with a reply or a thank you, he rushes into the room to be with Y/N. Seeing her there, laying in a bed, pale and motionless finally makes the tears fall. He's seen her sleep in the institute library's chairs, on the couch in their hideout at the Devil's Tavern and this is a far scream from those moments. Her face is usually relaxed in sleep, with her mouth hanging slightly open and her eyes moving behind her eyelids as she dreams. Now, she's utterly still, her face contorted in a grimace as if even while unconscious, the pain lingers and keeps her from resting. 

He takes a seat next to her bed, gingerly takes her hand in his his. He knows he should be keeping contact to the minimum, as it isn't proper for a gentleman such as himself but he needs this to keep what sanity he has left intact. At least she's warm to the touch and he can watch her chest rise and fall with each breath. Leaving a sweet, lingering kiss to her knuckles, he tucks their conjoined hands under his chin and finally lets sleep catch up with him. 

-----

Y/N blinks her eyes open, slightly disoriented and with a pounding headache. She looks around the room and it takes it longer than it normally would to recognize the Institute's infirmary.  

The sun is high in the sky, meaning that she's probably been here for hours. Her last memory is being with Thomas, making their way back to the Institute for their nightly debrief. They were laughing about something Alastair did and Thomas was taking great joy in recounting the fact.  Her back itches and when she moves her head, a momentary blinding pain radiates from her left temple to the base of her neck.

Y/N groans, trying to bring up a hand to rub at her temple but can't because something is holding it in place. She looks down and sees Matthew fast asleep, his hand clutching hers under his head that rests on the bed. Her heart swells at the sight, feeling loved and cared for. It's almost enough to ignore the pain and stiffness of her body.  Reaching out with her free hand, Y/N runs it delicately through Matthew's blond curls as she gently whispers his name.  Matthew wakes with a start, eyes immediately darting to Y/N and when he sees that she's awake, smiling that blinding smile, he grins as his eyes start watering again. "You're awake."

Y/N nods, but the pain the movement causes makes her groan again. Matthew is quick to react, drawing his stele out of his pocket and gently placing the tip to Y/N's skin to draw a healing rune. Y/N feels the pain melt away as he finishes the design and watches as he kisses the fresh rune.

"Better?"

"Much," she replies with a smile, squeezing his fingers that have once again interlocked with her own. Her vocie is scratchy and her throat is dry but she doesn't want Matthew to move away from her. "What happened?"

Matthew sighs, leaning forward in his seat as his green eyes dart across her body, as if he's making sure she's fully healed. "I'm not sure. I know Tom has explained it to me but I was a bit too preoccupied to really take any of what he was saying in."

"You were worried about little ol' me?" she grins, trying to get him to relax.

Matthew's eyes blaze with anger at her brazen attitude. "Of course I was!" he doesn't scream, which is somehow worse. "Thomas sent a fire-message, saying that you were hurt badly and I had to sit outside the infirmary for hours before Jem came out to give us any news. You could have died, Y/N!"

Y/N struggles as she sits up, freeing her hand from Matthew so she can cup his face. "But I didn't. The job we do is dangerous, you know that. I always worry when you're out patrolling but I know you will come back in one piece. I have faith in your ability, Math." 

Tears stream down his face, wetting her hands as he leans into her gentle touch. "And I have faith in yours. I just can't live with the idea of losing you."

Y/N brushes her lips against his, enjoying the hitch in his breathing. "I love you, Math. I will always do whatever I can to come back to you in one piece."

"I love you too." 

The two lovers stay in the infirmary for the rest of the day, resting and finally loosening up enough to laugh about the whole situation.

And if Matthew leaves the room when it's time for sleep with the intention of getting a ring to propose with, that's only for him to know until he drops down to one knee when Y/N has made a full recovery.