ajax pertropulous (TMBLR)

the incident

@baby-bearie
requested by anon: omg 🙊 ajax x reader where he accidentally stones her and he gets self conscious and avoids reader but it ends with fluff???

pairing: ajax petropolus x fem!reader (referred to as girl/girlfriend)

warnings: swearing, implications of smut, but obvi not actual smut, mentions of a cut/blood

genre: angst with fluff (nobody is shocked), 1.1k words

tags: @sunflowermotel @maraseavey @tinylatina01 @obx-direction-sos @stfukie @voguesir @morgansmoreid @yunhosleftpinky @adoreyou976

The “incident” is not to be invoked. Not by word, not by glance, not by touch.

It seems that is what Ajax decided a week ago after the “incident” occurred. Not a word, not a glance, not a touch has been thrown your way since his beanie slipped off his head when you were sleeping in his dorm, and he woke up next to a statue.

It almost feels as if he never noticed you turned back into flesh. As if everytime he sees you, all he sees is that statue, and not the girl he fell asleep next to that night. As if he can’t talk to a statue.

You try to catch him on several occasions. Leaving class, out in the quad, walking in the hallways. He makes eye contact with you, makes a face like a deer in headlights and immediately turns the other way.

But deer can be trapped. And you have a plan. All it takes is a well-placed fencing saber and a well-timed hiss.

You drop the saber in mock surprise, gripping your hand to cover the palm. You force your face to crumple up as if in pain and take some shaky breaths to deliver the final blow. And then you freeze and wait for the inevitable.

Here it comes. The drop of a book bag and the running footsteps.

“You’re hurt? What happened? Let m’see, let m’see.” Ajax rushes out. He avoids your eyes but pulls at your hands, trying to glimpse at your palm.

“Come with me. Let me clean it. C’mon.” He turns and stalks off towards the botany room nearby. You follow him into it, turning and clicking the lock shut behind you. The deer falls for the bait every time.

Ajax turns on a faucet and, with his back to you, mutters, “C’mere, you should rinse it off.”

“Jax,” You start.

“Just rinse it off, Y/n.”

“Jax.” Your voice is stronger this time and for the first time in a whole week, Ajax turns and deliberately looks at you.

You grin sheepishly and uncurl your hands, revealing a clean, very much intact palm. Ajax frowns. “What? I thought you cut yourself.”

“No. Perfectly fine, Jax.” You shrug, slowly creeping closer to him.

“You’re alright?”

You breathe out. “Not entirely.”

He stands up straighter. “What’s wrong?”

“You.”

He slumps back down, covering his face in his hands. “Y/n, don’t do that. I thought you were hurt. I have to go, we have class.” He tries to move around you, but you catch him.

“Doors locked. I have the key. You’re not going anywhere.” You push him back towards the counter and he leans into it. “Talk.”

He huffs and stares at the ground. He says nothing.

“It was not your fault,” You start when he remains silent. “It was temporary. I am fine, Ajax.” He looks up at the use of his full name. Your glare is intense.

“It sort of was my fault though. It wouldn’t have happened if you were dating a guy who didn’t, you know, have reptiles on his head.”

“I love the reptiles on your head! You know that! I don’t want to date someone who’s not you, Ajax.” You shake your head.

“But you should. It’s safer. And it’s not fair that you’re in danger every time I want to see you.” He folds his hands over his torso, putting a barrier between you.

“I’ve never felt like I was in danger around you.” “Okay, then you have no fight or flight and should get that checked out.” “Stop it.”

“Why have you been ignoring me?” You throw it in his face. The reason you are having this conversation in the first place.

“I woke up in the infirmary, Ajax. I was scared. I didn’t know what happened. Fucking Xavier came when I woke up. I asked for you. He told me you didn’t want to see me.”

“I was busy.” He shrugs. “Bullshit,” You call. “That is bullshit. Why didn’t you come and see me?”

“I had just fucking stoned you, Y/n. I thought you wouldn’t want to see me!” “No! I tried to talk to you so many times this week, and you shut me out every time! Why?” Your voice raises.

“Because I was scared, too!” He snaps. “Is that what you want to hear? I was terrified. I wake up in the morning and my girlfriend is basically a fucking statue next to me and it’s my fault. It’s my fault that I can’t sleep next to my own girlfriend because I can’t control my own snakes. And you were stone, Y/n. You might’ve been scared in the infirmary but I woke up next to you. You didn’t see it. It was the worst moment of my life, and I won’t put you through it again. It’s not fair. It’s not safe. I won’t do it.”

His breath is heavy, chest rising and falling.

“No. You’re wrong. You can’t just decide it’s not safe for me. I understand, you were scared. It was a horrible experience. But it was temporary, Ajax. I am perfectly fine now. And I understand that it might happen again, but I am ready to accept that. It’s my consequence. Not yours.”

You manage to get within a few feet of him, and he stares at your arm instead of your face. He tentatively reaches out for your shoulder. And when his hand finds warm skin and not frigid stone like that morning, he collapses into you. Arms wrapping around your torso, head rested on your shoulder, practically whimpering into your shirt.

“I was so scared.” He whispers. “I thought you would hate me. I thought I hurt you.”

“I’d never hate you. I know you wouldn’t hurt a fly. It’s okay. We’re okay.” You run a hand over his back and he nods into your shoulder. “You’re okay,” He repeats.

He lifts his head off your shoulder but keeps his arms around your back loosely. “You don’t make a half-bad statue, by the way.” He tucks a piece of hair behind your ear and gives you a quick kiss. 

You grin. “Yeah?”

He nods. “You’re a work of art, pretty girl,” He runs a piece of your hair between his fingers.

“Why are you being so nice?” You narrow your eyes at him.

He smiles. “Well, I haven’t seen you in a week, and we’re here now. In a room. Door is locked. You look really beautiful. And I’ve missed you.”

You push your palms onto his chest, pushing yourself off of him. “Absolutely not, perv. We have class.”

“Oh, so now we have class?” “You know, you were so much more tolerable when you were not talking to me.