Sheriff Marcus x Reader

Five

Leaning his head against his hand, Marcus cast a furtive glance over to you.

You had made yourself comfortable on the windowsill in his office, exactly in the same lazy way you had always liked to do as a child. Back then, Marcus had had a room with round windowsills.

As he had noticed how much you liked to sit up there and let your dreamy eyes wander over the roofs of the city, he had padded the place with blankets and pillows to make it more comfortable for you. It had been your favorite place, right after your secret hideout.

The day you disappeared he had torn everything apart in anger.

He still remembered the feeling that had choked his throat at that time.

Years later, when he had already moved out, his parents had restored the spot to its former state. Back then, they had still hoped you would return one day. By then, Marcus had long since given up hope.

But now you were back, sitting on his windowsill again, looking out the window with the same dreamy eyes as if you were seeing the rooftops of Piltover for the very first time.

The sight completely irritated him. Surprised, a shuddering breath escaped him, his eyes widened and the desire arose in him to push a pillow under your back.

But when your gaze turned to him, he quickly shook off the feeling and acted as if nothing had happened. For a moment you watched him as he stared intently at his papers.

A smile appeared on your lips.

His appearance might have changed, but it was still easy for you to see through him as if he were an open book.

"Like then, isn't it?", you asked softly, but you didn't expect an answer.

It was obvious that he was struggling with the situation. You didn't want to push him into anything. If he wanted to, he would come to you on his own. He had always done so.

"Brings back memories...", he said suddenly, looking at you out of the corner of his eye. "I'm surprised the window sill can hold your weight. You're not as small as you used to be, either."

Amused, you smirk.

"We've both changed... Even if we didn't mean to..."

He had to swallow hard.

"I thought this would never happen to us."

"What exactly?"

He dropped the pen and leaned back in his chair. Actually, he wanted to look at you, but his eyes refused. It was hard for him to look at your face, as familiar as his own and yet as unknown as a stranger's. His mind did not know what to do.

Should he yell at you and continue to be angry?

Or should he fall around your neck and treat you like he had done as a child?

The kiss of greeting was still stuck on his lips. At that moment he had been completely surprised by it, but now that he had time to think about it he remembered that you had always greeted each other like that.

He had given you a kiss on the cheek because he had been too shy. With time the greeting had changed and it had become a kiss on the lips.

Now that he thought about it, he realized how strangely close you two had been.

"I always thought we would never grow this far apart. The others always said that friends change. They come and go.", his eyes wandered over his desk, pretending to look for something so he wouldn't have to look at you. "But back then, I thought we'd go on living like we always had, close together, best friends. Just as we had planned."

At his words you had to smile.

"Not a day went by that I didn't think of you, Marcus. You are still my little grumpy. Even though you're taller than me now."

You laughed.

But he didn't laugh. Instead, his face twisted into a grimace of pain. He had to suppress another wave of anger.

"Please don't call me that.", he asked in a hoarse voice. "I am no longer the boy you left behind."

"I left because I had to. I never wanted to leave you."

"I don't care about that. Not anymore. Those days are long gone. Don't pretend that nothing happened. Stop looking at me the way you looked at him. He grew up. And he realised we're not friends anymore. You're not the child my parents took in.", his eyes locked with yours. "We are strangers."

His words felt like a knife to the chest. They hurt so much that you thought your heart was about to shatter. But despite the pain you could understand.

He was angered and frustrated. Deep down inside there was still this little boy who couldn't stop suffering because his best friend had left him. It was clearly visible in his eyes but he refused to say it. He did not want you to make an effort or get close to him again. He had buried the past and wanted it to die, once and for all.

Swallowing hard, you accepted it for this moment.

"I'm sorry.", you said and turned your eyes back to the stars. "Take your time. I will wait."

He pulled a face.

"And what if I don't want that? Some things just can't be fixed. You should accept that."

Marcus was surprised by his own voice as he said it. He sounded so bitter, so full of hate. Maybe he still was that little boy. Maybe the man he had become was trying to resist.

But all you could do was gift him a soft smile.

The familiar sight made his heart jump. The expression on his face softened and a hint of the old Marcus lit up inside his eyes.

"I'm afraid I still have to try.", you said, your eyes shimmering. "I gave a promise once, to your old self. I promised that we would never be mad at each other for long. I'll try to fix this. That's what I promised, grumpy."