Paul Dano imagines

Distractions~ (jay/Angst, fluff)

Being a part of this team was amazing, saving animals with some of my closest friends was what kept me going. Although I know I am becoming distracted. Distracted by Jay, our team captain and overall head of the ALF. It's not very professional of me, but I can't stop my eyes from wandering over to him every second I get a chance. I've become a liability in the field and it's been eating me up inside because I know Jay doesn't like when our job isn't done properly or when we make mistakes. These things usually cause more harm than good. Like the Okja fiasco that happened when K knowingly chose to translate what Mija had spoken. I have been waiting for the day he notices and kicks me out, strips me of my ALF membership forever. I just never thought that day would be today. We were on another mission, still trying to take down the Mirando Corporation. While the others were out buying supplies, I was sitting at the small dining table in the Airbnb we were renting out. On a side note, this place was a lot nicer than the roach motels we usually stay at. Papers were scattered over the entire surface of the table, I was looking over the information we had gathered, sorting it into piles to then sort those piles into folders. It was tedious work but it was part of my job. "Hey, do you mind coming with me for a moment? I need to talk with you." I was startled out of my thoughts by the voice behind me. Almost jumping out of my chair I turned around to face Jay. "Yeah, sure." I agreed, following him through the house, up the stairs, and to the room he had been staying in. As we entered he closed the door silently, then turned to face me. He was quiet for a moment, sighing as he threaded his fingers through his long black hair. "I've been noticing for a while that you seem to not be putting in one hundred percent like you used to." Another sigh. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you what happens when we aren't on point all the time." I just nodded in response, afraid if I tried to speak, my voice would fail me. "Do you want to tell me what seems to have taken up so much more of a priority than this organization?" His tone wasn't harsh, but the underlying tone of his words was. Taking a deep breath, I tried to think of what to tell him without actually telling him that he was what had taken up my attention. "I-I'm sorry," I finally stuttered out. "I know it isn't much of an excuse but I've just been distracted. A lot on my mind." I offered a small lopsided smile. "Yes, I get that, but I want to know exactly what." He crossed his arms. I took a breath as the rolled-up sleeves of his white button-down traveled further up his arms. "It's nothing Jay, really." Nerves making my voice unsteady. "Now, I don't believe that. I thought we all agreed to no secrets except for our names?" He took a step towards me. "Jay, please. It's personal, I really don't want to disclose what it is." "I wish you would tell me," His eyes were soft. "You know that I can't keep you on this team if I can't know for sure that you will still be able to do your job with, or without these personal distractions." He took a few more stems until he was directly in front of me. "B," he said my code name softly. "Please, you can't kick me out. This is my life, this team is my life. I don't know what to do without this." My hands gestured out widely. "Then tell me what it is." He was becoming more insistent. "No, I can't" "Tell me" "No" "Fine. You leave me with no choice." The look on his face as he turned to walk back to the door almost killed me. The disappointment in the eyes of someone I loved. He left me standing in his room, dumbfounded and the fact I was going to lose the job I loved the most, the friends I truly considered family. All because I was distracted by him and I couldn't admit it to his face lest I ruin our work dynamic with my feelings. God, my mother was right. Never fall in love with a coworker. It just leads to heartbreak, no matter what route you take. Thinning my options over, I finally came to a decision. I would rather ruin what cordial work relationship Jay and I have than lose my entire family. Wiping away the tears that had welled up in my eyes after Jay had left, I ran after him. "Jay, wait," I called from the top of the stairs. He appeared at the bottom within five seconds. His eyes looked up at me, green and waiting. "You." "Me?" He asked, confused "Yes, you. You are what has been distracting me, or more specifically, my feelings for you." "I- uh. Excuse me?" He seemed to be confounded. "What feelings? "Well, Jay, it started so suddenly, the feelings of love that flooded my heart and my head every time you were near me. It's only gotten worse over the last few months. I can't stay focused because you are always around me and when you are, you consume my every waking thought. I've tried, trust me, I've tried to stop it. I know these feelings aren't professional and they have no business displayed so carelessly to you now, but I really don't want to lose the only family I have now because I happened to fall in love with you and didn't want to tell you. So I am willing to bear my heart and put my feelings on the chopping block. If this changes how you view me from now on, then so be it, but please don't kick me out, I'm begging you." And there it was. I poured my heart and soul out to him on those stairs, my voice was raw from pushing through the tears and the ball forming in my throat. He didn't say anything for a long time. He just stood on the bottom step, leaning with one hand on the banister. The house was so quiet I was afraid he would be able to hear the pounding of my heart loud and clear. The only movement he made in those hour-long minutes was to run his fingers through his hair again, something he did when he was thinking. "You, me?" I had never heard him so lost for words. He pointed a finger up at me and then turned it back on himself. "Yes. I love you." I confirmed his selectively worded question. Slowly he started to ascend the stairs. I watched wide-eyed as he stopped on the stair below me, we were now almost at eye level. "Can you uh, can you say that again?" "I love you?" No sooner had the words left my mouth than he had my head in his hands and was bringing me into him. A shocked gasp left my lips as they met his. They were softer than I had imagined, and so was his hair. My hands had wrapped around his neck, fingers curling into his hair. I could feel his thumbs caressing the sides of my face as he kept kissing me. I pulled away, only for Jay to follow me. "Jay, stop for a second, I need to catch my breath." "You don't know how happy I am to have heard you say that." He gave me a peck on each cheek. I just raised my eyebrows in question. "I will admit, I've had a thing for you since you joined the ALF, but only recently has it turned to something more." I smiled widely, hardly able to contain the excitement of my feelings being requited. "Does this mean I can-" "That you can stay? Yes, but, and this is a big but, you need to try and stay focused on missions from here on out. Just because I run this organization does not mean that I can give you special treatment." "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed, kissing his lips in gratitude. He hummed in contentment, moving his hands from my face to where they would clasp around my waist, pulling me forward into him. Maybe my mother was wrong after all and there is that one small road that leads to happiness.