𝙰𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚡𝚒𝚊 (𝙶𝙰𝚁𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙾 & 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚁)

•𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯•

quick (A/N) badplanninggobrrrrrr—

so, uh, i never specified age for this story, so i think this is kind of bad of me to specify it only now when age comes up but— oh well

so yeah, sorry if that upsets anyone anyhow—

The sun, in all its brightness, woke you by burning your eyelids, and you blinked awake, your neck hurting from sleeping on it wrong. You winced and tried to stretch it so it'd fix itself, but you supposed it would just take time.

You sat up and looked around, squinting as your eyes adjusted. You saw Garcello dressed and cleaned up, and he was wearing something different, something other than his white T-shirt and jacket. From what you could see, you guessed jeans and a plain navy blue T-shirt.

He was sucking on one of the lollipops you got with him the other day, and you could tell because you could see him fiddling with the wrapper.  His back was facing you, and out of spontaneity, you decided to spook him.

You tried to sit up quietly, but the sofa creaked, and he turned. Plus, your stomach growled embarrassingly. So much for your plan. He smiled at you as you lazily made your way to him, and he turned his body on the chair so he could face you.

"How'd you sleep, kid? You were really out. Slept like a log," he said, and he pulled the chair next to him out so you could sit, getting up to find something to eat.

"I made scrambled eggs earlier. I don't know if you want any, though."

You nodded, "I'll have some, thank you.  And, I guess I slept alright.  My neck hurts from sleeping on it funny, though."  He pulled a plate out from his cabinet and served some eggs for you. They actually looked pretty good, but maybe that was just your hunger talking. He quickly toasted some bread and placed it on the plate, sliding it over the counter to you. He got a fork from a drawer and handed it to you.

"What time is it?" You asked as you took a bite of the eggs, which actually were good.

"It's one forty-three."

Your eyes widened, "I slept in that late?"

"No worries, kid. It's Sunday, so I don't think you have school or anything. You needed your rest anyways." He looped around the counter so he could sit next to you. There was a beat of silence, and you could practically hear his question coming from a mile away.

"Do you wanna tell me what happened last night?" He asked softly, and you gulped down a bite of the eggs.

"Well, I guess it.. wasn't a lot, but basically, my parents told me they were.. following us yesterday." His face lit up in concern. "I'm not sure what they were going to do to me, so I.. ran. I didn't know where else to go, so I came here. I'm sorry.."

He had a sorrowful expression on his face and you looked down, light tears slipping down your face. You rubbed your eyes with your wrist and sniffled. You didn't really feel like crying in front of Garcello, but he didn't seem to mind. He simply offered a clean napkin for you to wipe your face with, so you accepted it.

He patted your back gently and rested his hand on your shoulder. "Hey, listen, kid. No matter what happens, I'll be here to help you, and I'll do whatever I can to keep your parents away from you.  However, we're gonna have to think of a long-term solution."

You looked up at him,  the damp napkin crumpled in your hands.

"What.. what do you mean?  Can't I just stay here?  I'll turn eighteen soon, but I can't stay in that house any longer.  I can't, please,"  you pleaded, and felt like it might've been a little pathetic, but Garcello only looked sad.