RF Wally Darling x Reader || "Inside the Factory"

~ Ch. 30: Lonely and Needy ~

[Wally's POV]

I've never been good at love. I'm honestly the worst at it. I don't think I've ever really been given a chance to love. I was raised by my father, a sad excuse of a man who had never shown me care. I think I loved Julie once, but I constantly forgot that. What we had was ruined when we lost Ophelia. I still care about Julie. We're parents, whether our child is gone or not, and for that, she'll always mean something to me.

But I think if I could ever feel love for someone, this would be what it looks like. I find myself thinking of [name] constantly. They haven't left my side in years, so naturally, I can't function without them. My mind is so dependent on them. 

'When will [name] be back to help me with this?' 'I can do it better when [name] gets here' 'I can't do this without consulting with [name]' 'I need them' 'I need them' 'I need them'

And now they're dying. And it's all my fault. I don't think [name] needs me even half as much as I need them. In the beginning, all they had from me was life. In hindsight, especially to them, that's a lot. But I need them for more than my life. I need them for my eternity.

When I sleep, it's them I dream about. When I wake up, I wake up for them. It has taken too long for me to realize that. That I don't deserve them. And I realize that far too late. I realized I had loved them earlier than I had thought. But what had kept me in their chokehold and made me see that was that festival dance. My coat on their body. Their hands are on mine. Their touch, their smell, and every little thing about them is ethereal and crafted in absolute perfection.

But that's not how they'll see me. That's not how they'll ever see me, especially after this. I'll be lucky if they even remember me, but they'll be lucky if they don't. But something they never got the chance to know to remember was that I've been just as trapped as them. It's time for both of us to be free.

[The night of your escape]

I sat at my desk, the warm glow of the lamp shining on my keyboard. I typed away, trying not to collapse from exhaustion. "Coffee." I groaned to myself like a zombie.

 I stood up from my desk and took off the coat that I had practically needed to wrestle into, throwing it onto the chair in front of my desk. I grazed my hand against the backboard of the leather, feeling warmth on it. Their warmth. I thought of [name] in their bed, peacefully asleep with their hair tied up.

Maybe they wore their hair down to bed. Perhaps they wore layers to bed for comfort slept in nothing but underwear, or just wore their day clothes to bed. But I was well aware of what they were doing. Ever since I had seen the tape I had known. I was honestly shocked they hadn't tried earlier.

I'm a terrible person to be around. Even I know that.

I walked out of the office, looking up and down the hallway to see if anyone was there. Just half-dead corpses for night staff. I walked down to the elevator and went down to the residence hall. The metal door slid open, creaking softly. I stepped out onto the squared carpet and went down to their room. I thought it would be easy. I thought they'd have decorated it or something, at least put their name on it or something. Not all of their act was a lie, right?

But no. Room 101 was lifeless, just like every other door. There was some light graffiti carved on the worn door. Unrelated slurs and lewd drawings. I grasped the handle, turning it and expecting it to be locked. I got my key ready, but the door just creaked open. They had left it open. 

The lamp was on and the bed was made. But what had caught my attention was the walls. My heart had stopped when I looked around. I was surrounded by my tally marks. Some worn, some freshly cut in. On the nightstand was a knife, rusted with drywall and plaster.

There were so many marks. So many days, so many years. I had done this. I had ruined their life. I had no idea why I could still live with myself knowing that I had driven them away. I love them. Oh god, I love them. And now they're gone.

I ran as quickly as I could to my phone, calling security as my hand shook. "We...we have a runoff." I barely managed to say as my heart fell into my ankles. I never thought I'd have to say that about them. [name] had been with me for so long.

Immediately, all the alarms went off and made their blaring sound over and over again. I clenched my fist and pushed whoever was in my way until I was outside of the front of the factory. Then I heard a drop, something falling onto the grass.

'[name]' Was the only thing my head could fathom thinking of right now.

So I quietly walked up to them, their back facing me. "Hello, [name]."

I need you, [name]. I need you.

 ©️ L1TTLE_R0TTEN