is that cool with you? - zuckles x reader

chapter eight - hold me closer (tiny dancer)

.. 4 days before christmas ..

"Hand me that final ornament, will you?"

An ornament flies across the room, a blur of blue following behind it. Snatching it out of the air, Y/N pins it to a branch and grins at the finished tree. White lights glow silver against the green branches - black, orange, blue, and white ornaments glimmer in the lights.

"Who's putting the star on the tree?" Matt asks.

"I will!" Y/N yells, picking the silver star up off the couch.

"As if you could reach the top of the tree on your own," Swagger snarks. "Get someone to help you."

"Mason!"

Mason pauses, turning towards Y/N. "You called?"

"Help me put the star on the tree."

He nods, kneeling down next to the couch. Y/N hops onto the cushions and swings a leg over Mason's shoulder. He holds her in place while she grabs his hand, wiggling onto his shoulders. He slowly moves from his lowered stance, keeping a comfortably tight grip on her calves. Walking over to the tree, he grins as Y/N holds his head for support, the star landing perfectly crooked on the top of the tree.

"I'd say this tree is beautifully scuffed, eh boys?"

The group laughs, and Ryan gathers them around the tree for a new group picture. Y/N clings to Mason's shoulders, and a large grin splits both of their faces as the camera focuses on the crew.

"Okay kids, in three... two... one..."

"Happy Christmas!"

.. 3 days before christmas ..

"Okay, Y/N, I'm sorry, but these need to be edited and posted by tonight. I hate to dump even more on you, but we really need these videos out."

"Swagger, it's okay. I can handle this."

"Are you sure? I don't want to stress you out."

"Trust me, Swags," Y/N explains, her eyes still locked on the screen in front of her. "When I signed up for this, I knew what I was in for."

"Okay," Swagger reassures. "I just... I care about you, alright? You're like a sister to me. I don't want this to hurt you in the long run."

Y/N smiles at Swagger, prompting him to send her a quick thumbs up and back out of the room. Y/N's face drops once the door closes, and she sets her head in her hands. Rubbing her tired eyes, she puts her headphones on and goes back to work.

Mason comes in a few hours later with a couple sandwiches and a cup of green tea. Setting the plates and the cup on the desk, he drags over a spare stool and lands next to Y/N.

"You feeling alright?"

Y/N nods, her eyes like sandpaper. "Just... trying to get through all the stuff Swagger sent me. I just have one last thing to do to this edit and then I'm finally free. God, I feel like I'm going to boil over."

Mason gently grasps Y/N's chin, turning her face towards his. "Swagger said you were okay with all this work. Are you sure you're doing okay?"

Y/N takes her face from Mason's hand, polishing the last edit and sending the video out. Rubbing her eyes once again, she scarfs down the sandwich and chugs the tea.

"What time is it?"

"It's 22:30. I'm proud of you. You managed to work through all this change really well."

"What can I say," Y/N laughs weakly. "I'm flexible."

Mason looks worried for a second but quickly evens out his expression. "Well, your work's done. Maybe you should head to bed? I can take care of everything else."

"Sounds good to me," Y/N yawns, cracking her back. "See you in the AM."

Mason collects the plates and cup and leaves the room, hovering by the doorway until Y/N collapses into bed.

Y/N suddenly darts up in bed, her mind racing and her chest heaving. A neon red 3:07 flashes from her alarm clock, the angry color picking away at her brain. Crashing out of her bed, she tears out of her door and runs outside, skidding to a stop in the gardens. The cool air bites at her skin, the beads of sweat freezing in place. She sucks in air, her lungs feeling like they refuse to work. Stumbling back into the house, she hesitates for the slightest moment in front of Mason's door before opening it and crawling into his bed.

"What the - Y/N?"

"Mason, please, don't say anything," She pants, unshed tears shining in her eyes. "Just hold me. Please."

He sits up, scooping her up with the grace of a dove. Placing her in his lap, he holds her head to his chest, his other hand tight on her waist.

"Shh, hey, just breathe with me, okay? Feel my chest, go with the rhythm. You'll be alright love. I'm right here. I always will be. Just breathe with me. That's all you have to do."

Y/N sniffles, hugging her arms close to her chest. Burrowing into Mason's neck, she takes solace in that same earthly sweet scent that drew her in once before - a smell she had grown to love.

"I'll always be here for you. Don't you ever forget that. I'll always be right here."

Y/N opens her eyes, her vision blurred and face sticky with tears. She pulls her head from Mason's neck, sweeping her hair out of her face.

"Do you want to stay the night?"

She nods, and Mason releases her to get changed.

Whenever she'd change before bed, he'd respectfully turn his back and focus on something else - he's a gentleman, you know. But tonight, a wave of curiosity overtakes him, and he has to try and catch even a glimpse of what he's been missing. His heart sits in his throat as he turns around - and her bare back lays out on full display. His chest burns as her shoulder blades and biceps work, her sports bra parting from her skin. The way the sparse lights gave her skin a tan glow, and how her skin seemed to float on her muscle and bone like a dandelion puff in the wind - the blooming colors of her infamous galactic tattoo sleeve seemed to explode off of her - and he has to use every bit of his strength to turn away from her.