Can We Learn To Love? (Slender Man x reader) [UPDATED]

Take Action (Ch. 20)

Your POV

I flopped onto the bed, huffing, "I just wanna sleep and not get up for a while."

"Nothing new, then," Slender chuckled.

"Hey," I pouted.

Slender pulled his chair out, taking a seat. He turned, seemingly looking at my papers of homework and little knick-knacks on my table. With a hand, he shuffled the papers together, piling them together. I couldn't help my smile. 

'He sure is tidy.'

Content with his work, Slender turned to me, "How are you feeling?"

"Mentally? Tired. Physically? Alright. My ankle doesn't hurt as much as it did before. It's itchy though," I turned, laying on my back.

"I can remove the band for a while," he said, standing and moving towards me. I nodded as he slipped off the sock and unwrapped the band. I let out a satisfied hum, the cool air a comfort on my ankle. Looking at it, it had swelled and bruised a bit. No wonder it hurt.

Slender sat back at his chair, crossing his legs, "Better?"

I nodded, closing my eyes and taking in the relief. I stayed still for a bit, taking in the air. Cool. Crisp. A small shake from the window forced my eyes open, as panic surging through me. I sat up, looking towards the window.

"The wind picked up a bit," Slender explained, "Not much. Will you be alright?"

"Y-Yeah," I answered, a shaking smile on my face.

Slender stood up and moved to sit next to me, "You will be alright. As long as I am here, no one and nothing will harm you."

I gave him smile, "Promise?"

"I promise."

I muttered a thank you and leaned into his body. I love and hate that he makes me feels safe. I know what he's capable of. And yet, sitting here with him sends a flutter though me. I want this flutter to go away. It won't leave. I turned my head and took a deep, steadying breath.

Slender broke the silence, "Is something on your mind?"

"Just... Some thoughts I've been trying to understand."

"Any success?"

"Sort of."

A few moments silence passed. I began chatting about my friends, discussing how we met, their stories. Sharing the story of Jack's endless prank wars with us, the story where Eve practically became the mom of the group, DeeDee's dance shows. With each memory my smile grew. Those guys had always been a second family to me. They were there for every awkward phase, every silly crush, every terrible moment, every big and happy event.

"I wouldn't trade them for the world," I finished, a grin on my face, "But I'll never tell Jack! It'd go straight to his and God knows his ego is already huge!"

Slender chuckled. I looked up and found him looking down at me. Call me foolish, call me desperate... But I swear it's out of fondness. I let out a nervous 'what', raising a brow.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he answered. I stared back at him, smiling. Another strong gust of wind shook the window and I jumped, practically into Slender's arms, letting out a definitely very delicate 'fuck'. I grabbed his suit and buried my face into his chest. A third weaker gust shook the window and he wrapped his arms tightly around me, rubbing my back in an attempt to comfort me.

"You're alright, you're safe," Slender whispered, "I'm here. Nothing is going to harm you. You're safe."

"I'm sorry-"