Paulie x Reader Heartstrings

A Request

You dropped kicked the same guy as before into the ocean. "Will they ever learn." You huffed and crossed your arms over your chest. Looking around, you started to look for Paulie, but got stopped by Bart, one of the Galley-La workers.

"Howdy, (Y/N). Help me out, would ya dear?" You stepped up beside him and the two of you got to work sanding and shaving the newly-bought boards so that they were straight and ready to be used for shipbuilding.

Paulie climbed up onto a crate and stood with his hands in his pockets, surveying his men as they worked. Well, men and women. His eyes landed on you, working side by side with one of the older workers. You stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat from your brow and Paulie felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth when he saw you were wearing his jacket. There wasn't any cigars in the loops of course.

He jumped down and weaved through the crowd, jumping over tools and ducking under boards. When he eventually reached you, Bart was gone and was replaced by Peter, the much younger boy blushing and stuttering as he attempted to talk to you.

You looked exasperated, half ignoring the poor brunet. You reached out and ruffled his hair absentmindedly. "Don't worry about it, Pete, it's fine." You glanced up and saw Paulie over Peter's shoulder, and Paulie's heart warmed to see the happiness that bloomed in your eyes at the sight of him.

"Paulie!" You got up and ran to him, even though he wasn't that far away. He laughed as you barreled into him, wrapping your arms right around his torso and giving him a squeeze. "Hey!"

"Hey!" He hugged you back and stuck his tongue out at a disappointed looking Peter. "What's up, (N/N)?"

"How do ya know that there is anything up?"

"I can read minds."

"Ah, yes, of course, the all powerful Paulie."

He chuckled and ran a hand through your hair, keeping one arm tight around your waist. "So? Anything you need?"

"Yes, six million dollars and a dog."

"Sorry, dogs are too expensive, but the money will arrive Tuesday."

Laughing, you hid your face in his chest. "Stop it! You're making me forget what I wanted to say!"

"Ah, so there was something. My mind reading powers didn't fail me!"

"Apparently not. Anyway Paulie, I have a request."

"Mmhmm." He held your hand above your head, urging you to spin.

"Well, I had to dropkick that guy into the ocean again."

"Uh huh." He wrapped his arms around you, hugging you from behind.

"And, well, to be honest I'm sick of working with him. Him and those other three."

"And?" He swayed gently, almost slow dancing with you.

"And... Well, could you..."

"Could I?" He took hold of your hands.

"Would you fire them? I'm sick of their perverted looks and half-assed pickup lines. They're disgusting and shallow and I'm sick of looking at them every day."

Paulie stopped and turned you around, putting his hands on your shoulders. "(Y/N), they don't mean anything by it. It's just-"

"Words? It's just words, Paulie?" You crossed your arms and glared at him. "I suppose it is all just words until a girl ends up bleeding to death after getting raped."

You could see it in his eyes that he hadn't expected that. But you could also see that he knew it was true. "Alright." He said quietly. He pulled you close and buried his face in your hair. "Alright."

"WHAT?" Paulie stood his ground at the roar from the man who'd touched you before. His face was bruised and busted from Paulie's beating. Paulie crossed his arms.

"You heard me, Derek. Get out of my dock and don't come back. And take your friends with you." He nodded to the other three and their faces flushed red with rage.

"For what?!"

"Disrespect, mostly. I'm sick of the way you treat women and I want you gone. And don't even get me started on your sorry excuse for work. Everything you do has to be redone later, you're nothing but a nuisance."

Derek caught sight of you in the crowd that had formed around the four now-jobless men and his eyes darkened with hate. "It's because of her, isn't it? You're so busy trying to get 'er naked that you'll do anything!"

Paulie snarled. "Leave. Now. Before I drag you away by your hair."

The four stalked off, shoving people aside, spitting and grumbling.

"All right! Back to work! Get a move on!" Paulie shoo'd the people away and the crowd slowly dispersed. You walked up to Paulie and looped your arm through his.

"Hey." You reached up and gently ran a hand through his hair. "You alright?" You could see he was furious, jaw clenched, veins showing on his forehead, biting down so hard on his cigar that he actually bit off the tip.

Discarding the cigar, he sighed and laid one hand over yours. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"If you say so."

"... (Y/N)?"

"Hmm?"

"I won't ever do something just to get you in my bed."

You reached up to cup his cheek and turn his head toward you. "I know that Paulie. I know."

The tension left his shoulders and he hugged you, crushing you to his chest.

"Huh! Can't breathe... Paulie..."

"Hehe... Sorry."