ONESHOTS ⊳ gavin reed x reader

[Mark my words]

Not a request.

In which everyone gets a mark on their 18th birthday that reveals the first thing their soulmate will tell them after they become of age. Gavin's birthday is just around the corner, and you, as his best friend, plan on celebrating this special day with him.

Only 20 minutes ago, you had received a text from your best friend stating that you should come over to his place. So that's where you were: in Gavin Reed's backyard, searching for him, however ending up disappointingly fruitless. He wasn't anywhere in the house, or at least that's what his mother had claimed. And the garden was just as empty.

"Gavin?" You raised your voice, stepping over the mowed lawn and looking around. Your best friend was, however, nowhere to be seen: not beside the barbecue, not sitting at the small table in the middle of the small garden, nor on the rocking chair in the far right corner.

He wasn't planning on running away on his 18th birthday, was he?

"Gavin?" You asked again, louder this time. The old treehouse in the far left corner of his backyard suddenly emitted an old, wooden creak, which caused you to approach it. You hadn't seen the poor thing in years, and not because you hadn't been at Gavin's often (because let's be honest here, you had), but because after the two of you had turned 14, you opted for spending time with him in his room rather than in the cramped space of his old treehouse. "Gav? Is that you up there?"

"Nope, it's Santa Claus." Came the prompt, playfully sarcastic answer from above, which caused you to squint and look upwards.

You heard his energetic steps stride over to the entrance of the small house. Gavin sat down at the edge, letting his legs dangle off the wooden planks. He gave you one of his typical, cheeky smirks.

"Very funny." You responded in the same tone, then raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What're you doing?"

"Come and see for yourself." He motioned for you to approach him, which was easier said than done.

You rolled your eyes and started climbing up the string ladder, making your way up to him.

Once you were on the last step, Gavin was kind enough to offer you his hand for support, pulling you into the cramped space. The wood below you emitted a painful, high-pitched creak at the sudden addition of weight.

Once you were inside, you couldn't believe your eyes: your best friend had changed the interior drastically. The old, clumsily built wooden floor was nowhere to be seen as he had covered it with what you recognized as one of his old carpets, he had scattered pillows all across the room, and set up a coffee table in the middle of it. The setup was simplistic, yet had a certain charm and coziness to it.

"Well?" Gavin interrupted your thoughts, his voice sounding strangely hopeful yet uncertain.

"Holy shit." Was the best thing you could manage. "You did this?"

"Well, uh, mom helped out a little, but yeah." He explained, playing with the hair on the back of his nape. "I thought it'd be nice to...I don't know, to set that childhood mood? For the sake of nostalgia I guess."

"This is honestly one of the most thoughtful and wonderful things you've done."

"Wow, thanks." He answered dryly.

"Don't be like that, birthday boy, I was joking." You punched his shoulder lightly, then trotted over to one of the pillows, sitting down on it.

Gavin stayed silent, standing in the middle of the room, cluelessly staring at you before joining you.

"Excited?" You asked with a soft, understanding smile.

"You can bet your ass I am." He answered energetically, however his tone faltered a few seconds of muteness later. "I mean...all this soulmate shit is just... I don't know."