Friends With Time ⌛ (Tyler Galpin x Reader)

Day 26

Note: today, the song you wake up to is "I Just Wanna Shine" by Fitz and the Tantrums :) feel free to play it while you read!

Day 26:

You wake to the familiar ringing tones of the morning song, rushing out of bed to throw on workout clothes- a different matching set, but still pure white. You hurry out to the TV to present yourself, the Bubbles full of different colors popping onto the screen one by one.

Today the workout is a mixed martial arts starter with stretching towards the end, finishing with battle ropes. You throw yourself into it, pushing yourself. Your body pulses with power, energy, and you go farther than usual on the ropes, more reps on the fighting, and lower to the ground on the stretches.

"Y/N, you're on fire today," the instructor comments in the middle of a set, and a smile ghosts across your face. "Keep going!"

You raise your leg  to deliver another swift kick to the bag, grinning. When the instructor disappears, instead of just turning off the TV, you decide to take a risk.

Your adrenaline spikes, and with a shiver of anticipation, you press your finger down on the microphone button.

"Wait," you say, wiping the sweat off your forehead. "We're all in the same Bubble grouping, right? So technically, we're allowed to talk while on assignment, because we're on the same action team. Let's talk."

A few of the adults in the other Bubbles shoot you a surprised look. The light blue Bubble immediately disappears, but the others stay, watching you.

You sit back on your heels, a smile rising to your face. They're listening.

"I'm Y/N L/N," you say, waving and pulling your hair out of the low ponytail you wear to stop people from seeing the bite. "I'm in our team's white Bubble, and I'm guarding a Hyde. I like painting, and someday I want to do it professionally."

"I'm Deion Menzel," the man in the dark green Bubble says, holding out a hand. "Guarding a rebel werewolf."

They go around the circle: the pink Bubble girl is Aliyah, and the one in the dark blue is Mary. The boy in the orange is Jin, and the man in the yellow is Rob.

You can't stop but grin as they go around introducing themselves. Your mother may have isolated you, but she is wrong if she thinks you will just go along with what she says. You will guard your Bubble, you will do it well, and you will do it your way.

You all talk, and you sling your arm over your knee, laughing at Jin's joke about being on the ocean.

"Did they warn you all about EUOAT?" Mary asks, pulling a manual from behind her. "We're the color grouping closest to their shores, and-"

"I'm sure they did," Jin said, raising an eyebrow, "but who reads the manual? We all know what we're doing."

"Apparently not," Mary says, flipping through the manual. You reach over and grab yours- untouched, still on the bottom of the coffee table- and flip through it.

"EUOAT's been aggressive lately," Mary says, then turns to read from the manual. "See? 'Be wary of EUOAT ships and submarines. They may try to board you, in which case you must signal that you do not wish to be boarded with the red flag stored with your submersion suit. In case of emergency, a white flag signals that you do wish to be boarded.' Crazy."

"I used to work with EUOAT," Deion says, stretching. "They're not bad people. Just worried about USOAT getting too close to the border."

Aliyah shrugs. "And who wouldn't be? I'd be concerned if USOAT holding boats were near me, too. Like, the Siren I'm guarding right now? She could drown all of London in a day. And she'd do it, too."

"They're dangerous," Jin agrees.

"Are they all, though?" you say, eyes flicking to the submarine door where your monster lies.

"Um. Yes?" Aliyah says, a disbelieving laugh bubbling out of her chest. She presses her hand to her heart. "Sorry, Y/N. But what about your monster? Wouldn't he kill you if he got the chance?"

Your face flushes, and you shake your head. "Of course he would," you say, shifting in your seat.

It's true, you think, trying to banish thoughts of yesterday. That was under a truce, and that truce is over now. "But... don't you think there's something to be said for rehab?"

Deion looks over at you. "Rehab? I know EUOAT does something like that. How would we fix our monsters?"

All eyes turn to you, their pressure burning into your core.

"I... I don't know," you admit, staring down at the white carpet underneath you. "But there has to be something we can try, right?"

Jin shakes his head. "Y/N, these are dangerous Outcasts. You're a little young to be in the field, but-"

You don't really listen to the rest. There has to be a better way, and if there was, your father knew it.

And now you know: it's finally time to open your father's journal... and all of the secrets within.

***

"I heard about your stunt with the other Bubbles," your mother says, inclining her head to the rest of the board.

"It's legal," you say coolly, pulling out the instruction manual. "Those in my Bubble group are considered within my action team, which means I can talk to them."

Your mother sits back, a frown furrowing her face. "Is this true?"

"Yes," another board member says, nodding to you. "It doesn't typically happen, because those who choose a Bubble shift are technically solitary, but if-"

Your mother looks at you, gripping her teacup, but she can't say anything as the rest of the board backs you up. You flash her a smile. It feels good to do something your mother can't control.

You smile at her, then turn to the rest of the board. "Here's my report," you tell them, spreading out the pages of the instruction book. "The monster is functioning well, with no flare-ups in the last few days. I am attending my meetings and feeding him three times a day. All vitals on the Bubble craft are strong, and its mooring is still firmly in place."

"Well done, Y/N," one says, nodding to me with a smile after your mother says nothing. "Thank you for your report. You may go."

You end the call, then finish your briefing meeting with Afua. You haven't been telling him everything lately. You didn't tell him about the truce. You trust him more than you trust your mother, but she is still his superior.

You grab your father's book and pull on heavier clothes, jogging up the stairs to pull open the door to the raft. The sky is bright red tonight, sunset in powerful reds and oranges. You lift your chin, the sea breeze running salty fingers through your hair, carrying your spirit with it.

You set your chin, grinning and leaning over the railing. The waves are choppy beneath you. You hear the slap slap slap against the Bubble's hull, and you are filled with the incredible feeling that something is about to change.

As the clouds race overhead, behind you, you feel something brewing. Something powerful. And, although the cold chills you to your bone, and the light is dying in your silhouette, you crack open your father's book.