I Got You (A Garroth Ro'Meave X Reader)

Chapter 17: The Shrine

A/N: Allegedly, Aphmau said at Vid con that her RPs are coming back so I felt it fit to start updating in anticipation. )

Another day, another moment of peace in the aquarium which you called a job but considered a second home. A couple things were on your mind but the first and foremost was why Andronicus and Raphael seemed to be like best friends now. You leave the turtles alone for a few days and they form a whole secret alliance. Maybe Garroth was right, maybe they really were Ninja turtles. You chuckled at the thought. Speaking of, that was just about the second thing on your mind. Garroth. He seemed to be there quite a bit lately (that is, in your mind), but today, he was a topic in your brain mainly because of his fight with Travis yesterday. Why did he throw the plate at him?

You smiled, feeling serene until your boss approached.

"(Y/N). I'm so glad you're settling in so nicely. I almost couldn't tell you're a new employee." She smiled a rather pinched smile. It seemed just a little forced. No, it was forced.

You nodded back with a small but polite smile.

"I'm very happy with that you've been doing with all the animals, and how you were able to handle the dolphin display the other day was quite impeccable considering that is not your field of study, however, there have been some, er...Complaints."

At first, you went through a list in your head of what you could've possibly done wrong. You were a very meticulous person, and on top of that, a rule follower, so its not that you couldn't be imperfect, only that, if you made a mistake, you would've caught it and criticized yourself. Perhaps it was the time you forgot to replace the algae on the side of the Turtle's habitat? But in the back of your mind, you knew what this was really about and you already dreaded the discussion with every fiber of your being.

"A few of your of your coworkers and even a few of the regular managers have been complaining about you not being very communicative. You do not really make huge efforts to work in a team or with others unless necessary and take on all of your work by yourself without talking much to everyone else."

Now your smile was gone.

"My job here is to take care of the animals...When I need to work with other people, I do?"

She gave you a stern look, no longer trying to play nice either.

"Mrs. (L/N), you cannot walk around this place and not talk to your coworkers at all besides grouped work and given tasks. There has to be some form of communication between you and them at other times of the day."

"I'm here to help the animals, what does this have to do with my social life?"

She let out laugh, nearly losing her breath.

"Oh (Y/N)..," She wiped some tears from her eyes, still chuckling a bit.

"Have you never had friends? It matters that you socialize with others and converse witht hem because it helps create a healthy environment." She pointed out.

You bit back the urge to cry out that you did indeed have friends. That you understood what she was saying and that you were trying but it was difficult for you to interact with people outside of a given professional manner at first. But you didn't bother to try because no matter what you said, you knew she'd continue belittling you and making you feel outside of your comfort zone. How could she even begin to understand? If she did, she was not making a good show of it.

So all you said was; "I understand. My apologies."

Your boss gave a curt nod of approval and strolled off, humming the tune to the song 'Oh Happy Day" although it was anything but. And you were left alone with peace and quiet, the lovely turtles, and your thoughts.

=∆=

"What???" The news you were hearing was quite shocking, but then again, you wouldn't put it past Kawaii-Chan to do everything Aphmau had described.

Said woman rolled her eyes and turned over to face you. You shifted uncomfortably in your position atop her bed, pausing grooming Celestia, which is what you'd been doing while she was talking.

"What?" You asked, but there was a hint of a laugh in your question. You couldn't stay uncomfortable for long with your new friend.

She smiled.

"I meannnn, the shrine downstairs was about Aaron and I but...I wonder if Kawaii-Chan is keeping one of you and Garroth too?" She said with a teasing smile. Her expression was coy and sly all at the same time.

Aphmau was teasing about her statement simply because she'd seen you interact with Garroth the most in a happy manner but she truly wondered if something was brewing between the two of you. She didn't want to assume because she understood how annoying it was to have a close friend of the opposite gender and have everyone assume the wrong thing even though they weren't together. However, she also knew how it was to have a friend of the opposite gender who she wasn't with, like everyone assumed, but she did like, so people were partially right.

"What? Aren't the shrines relationships shrines. Garroth and I are friends." You countered.

"So are Aaron and I." She points out.

"Well.." you mumbled, unsure of what to say next.

"You got me there but still.."

"What? Gar Gar not your type?" She teased with a smile as you ventured further and further towards the impending doom that was the basement.

"Oh come on! Its just...," You tried to figure out how best to phrase your next words without seeming like you were confirming anything.

"I'm not looking for anything right now, or, for awhile really. I cant." You finally said, and Aphmau gave you a small look of understanding. She realized you must've had your reasons. Even though she had yet to piece everything about you together, she knew she'd figure it out soon enough and when she did, she'd do her best to help you, because that was her thing. That was always her thing. She was a helper to her friends, she had to be.

As you both stepped downstairs into the basement completely, you felt a chill go down your spine. Something about how you didn't know what could happen next made your skin crawl. You just had this feeling you were about to get jump scared.

She flicked the switch.

"Kawaii-Chan, you better have- Oh my Irene...."

You literally had no words. Your throat was dry and cloggy.

There before you was an entire area covered in photos of Dante and Nicole. You should've known. You literally didn't even know what to say as said couple came downstairs with Kawaii-chan and Katelyn and they all started shouting at each other because something caught your eye. Something in the corner not far from the shrine. It was small and almost unnoticeable at first glance, but you had seen it.

Framed by silver and a few heart decorations was a picture of you and Garroth the night of New Year's Eve. The night you'd sat with him under the stars and he'd confessed his innermost thoughts to you. Unbeknownst to you, it was the night the entire course of reality had changed too. The night everything had changed. Nothing would every be the same, all though it was not noticeable now, of course.