Compass - Banana Fish x Reader

CHAPTER FIVE: Listen

I awoke with a start as Ash came barging into the room, gun in his hand, and raced over to grab me by the arm. I didn't dare struggle against him, and shut my eyes as tight as I could.
"They're here. I need you to listen very closely...When you next go to the Golzine estate...you need to look in the third draw down on the left of his desk...Third draw down...to the left...got it?" His grip was painful, and I forced myself to nod so he wouldn't break my wrist.

I don't want to...He's not guilty of whatever it is you think he's done..!

"Keep it to yourself, and when you're ready...you fucking find us again." Without another word, he tore away and sprinted from the room, leaving the door wide open. Gunshots followed, and I raced to hide behind the sofa for cover. Arthur was right outside, and everything was over. He'd get me out and I could pretend it never happened.

"OI! CHECK THE BACK ROOMS! IF SHE AIN'T HERE ARTHUR'LL FUCKIN' FREAK!" I heard men shouting, but the fire never ceased. Charging footsteps echoed down the halls, and I cried out as a bullet sped overhead and went straight through the plaster of the wall behind me.
"I..it's me! P..please don't shoot..!" I threw my hands in the air, and the men lowered their guns.

"Shit...Good, you're alive. Come on, we're leaving." He marched over and grabbed me by the arm, dragging me off out into the now eerily silent bar. Bodies laid strewn across the floor and over tables, and I threw a hand over my mouth to push back the bile that wanted to erupt. It was sickening, and this was all because of me. Because, for some reason, Ash wanted me involved in whatever insane scheme he was cooking up in his deranged little mind. He was nowhere to be seen, and neither were Shorter or Skip, and that made me feel even worse.

"Hurry it up! Boss wants you out of here now!"

Yeah...out...I need to get out...

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Hours passed before the chaos ended. I was taken to another dark, dreary bar, and I sat alone in a booth before, finally, Arthur walked in. Jumping to my feet, I ran over to him and threw myself into his arms, sobbing into his chest.
"I..I'm so g..glad you're okay..!" I basically yelled into his horribly filthy shirt, and he curled his arms around me protectively.
"If that cunt touched you, I'll-"
"No! N..no...he didn't...n..none of them did..." I didn't know why I was suddenly jumping to their defence, but I couldn't stop myself. "F..Freddy, I wanna go home..."

Arthur kept hold of me as he turned to his men.
"I'm taking (Y/N) home. Send a message to Papa Dino saying the Lynx is caged..." He ordered before I was swept up into his arms like a frightened baby koala and began to walk me out. "I'm sorry I wasn't there..."
"It wasn't y..your fault..." I replied almost silently. My head was spinning with words and faces, and I was getting one heck of a migraine.

Banana Fish...Papa...Third down to the left...

Before I knew it, we were at my apartment, and I was already changed and being laid down in my bed. I always loved how Arthur took care of me when I was ill or upset. He would always stroke my hair and let me curl into his side, which made me feel safer. Not once did he ever try to advance on me when I was at a low point, which I appreciated greatly. We had never actually had sex, and it was more often than not that he tried to push for more than just my mouth, but not when I was down.

"Freddy...what happened to A...Lynx..?" I rolled over as he knelt down beside me.
"Prison. Caged like the feral little animal he is, so don't worry anymore. He'll get what's coming to him." Arthur sighed with a small smile that threatened to grow.

Prison? He's too pretty for prison...he'll get...

"I'm staying tonight, so I'm gonna have a shower to get all this shit off me. I have men everywhere, so just try to get some sleep, Pup..." I shoved that thought to the back of my head as Arthur pressed a soft kiss to my forehead and stood up. Nodding, I squished myself into the pillow and pulled the covers over my chin.

"Thanks, Freddy...for looking after me..." I gave him the biggest smile I could muster, which wasn't much, and he returned it.
"I've told you, I'll do anything to keep you safe...I won't let anything like that happen again, you can guarantee that." He brushed his scarred hand through his golden hair as he walked out of the room, and my smile faded into a flat line.

Banana Fish...

It truly sounded like some low-budget kids show to me, but the way those two mismatched words came out of Ash's mouth made me feel heavy, like there was something hiding behind it. I hated the fact that I contemplated doing what he had asked of me, because there was no way he would be right.

Papa wasn't a bad man, and there was no way that I'd find anything incriminating in his desk drawer. I hoped. It gnawed at my mind for the longest time, and I had to pretend to be asleep once Arthur returned so I wouldn't be asked any questions.

He slipped in behind me, coiling his arms tight around my waist and dragging me back into the homeliness of his chest. Pinpointing the moment we had become so close would be impossible, but at some point, Arthur and I just connected. Ever since I first met him at a function hosted by Papa. He had been hired as part of the security, and after we had been introduced he just kind of stuck.

It had been kind of unnerving at first, having such a rough man tailing me and trying to get close, but after a while I just seemed to get used to it. Sure, he may have a short temper and an intimidating presence, but he was just my big, soft Freddy underneath it all. That's why I knew, if Arthur despised Ash so much, he must be a terrible person.

Pressing a lingering kiss to my bare shoulder, Arthur nuzzled his face into my loose (H/C) hair and breathed in a long, soothing sigh. His fingers traced featherlight circles against my hips, and I shifted just a touch closer to him, careful not to expose the fact that I was, indeed, awake.

"I should've killed that bastard a long time ago...before he could get to you..." He whispered almost silently, and it caused my skin to prickle with goosebumps. Bad blood ran thick and hot between those two, and I was certain there was more to it than the fact Ash had ruined his trigger fingers. I didn't want to know, but at the same time, I needed to.

I was so full of questions at this point that I was sure I would burst. The urge to sleep was clawing at me; trying to drag me deep down into the darkness, and I tried to allow it to do so. I needed a clear head and a functional body so I could figure out what to do.

Third Down...to the left...Third...down...to the left...

Third...Down...Left...

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***I gave up near the end oof - I just travelled like 9 hours to my mum's place for Christmas so I'm like, dead.***