Growl || Reed900 ✔️

23

"Mom! What- no!" I say rushing forward to take the book from her but she quickly reflexes her arm back and hits me in the back of the head instead.

"Calm your horses, they're just photos of you when you were little. It's not the end of the world," she said with a sassy tone.

I sigh, knowing there was no use in fighting it. Moms were moms. Conan seemed to enjoy the part when I got hit because he was chuckling behind his hand. I just glared with a slight blush of embarrassment.

"Ethan and I are going out," I say, and Ethan's ears perk up with surprise.

"We are?" He questions, looking towards me.

"Gavin, you're in no condition to drive-" Conan interrupts before I can respond to my brother.

"Conan, we'll be fine. I can drive. I'm not that hurt-"

"What do you mean 'hurt'? Did you get hurt at work?" My mom cuts off everyone's voices and I quiet down, standing stiffly.

"He punched-" Conan started before I cut him off in panic.

"I punched a wall because I got upset," I say, gritting my teeth in hopes she would leave it alone.

"Why did you get upset?" She questions, stepping towards me. I raised my hands to show her the bandages that neither of them had seen until now.

"You know how stressed I get, Ma," I whisper so only she can hear me. "Please, I'll tell you later. I don't want Ethan to hear."

"Okay, baby," she whispers back, gently touching the white wraps as if she held healing magic in her motherly palms. "Please, try not to do that when you get stressed or upset. You're going to give yourself scars or you could damage other veins in your hands, okay?"

I nod, "okay. I'll drive us to wherever E wants. We'll be fine, I promise. It's just my hands. I'm hurt no where else. I can drive."

"Fine. Be careful. Is Conan staying here with me?"

"Can he? I really want some alone time with E," I bite my lip, nervous to leave him here with her. I know how talkative she can get.

"Of course. I have a lot of things he can help me with," she giggles, glancing towards him.

I chuckle, looking fully towards him. Oh, he's in for some real shit today. He looks back at me, a slight smile on his face once he realizes I'm... happy. Happier than he's ever seen me. It's nice not being an asshole for a change.

"You have fun with him, mom. Please don't break him, Fowler will kill me. And I kinda like this one."

"Oh, you do?" She says, shocked; my words were unexpected.

"As my work partner, he's good at his job and keeps good company," I quickly replace my words, a faint blush on my ears.

"Right," she says, having a knowing look on her face.

"Mom, we're partners. Nothing more."

"Whatever you say. I just want you to be happy," she waves me off, going into the kitchen to get more coffee since it was still morning.

My heart jumps to my throat as a hand lands on my shoulder, "Gavin," Conan says, "are you sure you can drive? You're extremely tired and-"

"Conan," I say calmly, gazing into his bright eyes, "I'm fine, I can drive. Don't worry. Just keep my mom company and I'll text you when we're on our way back."

He hesitates before nodding, "y-yeah, of course. My apologies."

I give him a weird look. He's acting strange. "Co, are you okay?" I grasp his jacket lightly, making sure we were alone in the room.

He nods his head furiously, "yeah, yeah, I am. Why?"

"You're acting off. Are you sure you're fine? You didn't hit your head of anything?" I question, eyeing him up and down.

"I'm fine, Gav. Go with your brother now. I'm sure you want to spend time with him," he smiles reassuringly, taking my hands off of his jacket and holding them for a split second before letting them go.

•How was this?•