Identity V x Reader

Norton x Reader

Something was off. Something FELT off. He couldn't pin point it though. But he knew the source.

It was you.

You alone, managed the man to lose sight of his desired prize. The thing which he longed the most for since his young childhood years. The thing he fought for the most, the thing he...killed for. The desire to get out of the poor life style he held, exchanging it for one full of chances and potential, it crumbled away whenever he spotted a glimpse of your smile.

The melodic laughter which left your lips, stopped him dead in his tracks each time. If you are in need of a helping hand, he'd throw all of his plans for the day as secretly as possible and offer his aid without raising suspicion.

Seeing you interact with other survivors more often than with him, made him tense.

How could one single person, disrupt his ideals, his life so heavily ?

Breaking his head day in and day out, he couldn't come to a conclusion. It was frustrating. Norton was a very educated man with an amazing intellect. Yet he couldn't find any solution to his dilemma which was sitting some feet away from him in the garden, feeding the recently added fish in the pond.

In fact. It was added thanks to you and your strong will to clean up the once messy and withered yard which was held enclosed by the big metallic borders around it. Norton was helping you, heaving up the heavy tree trunks along with Bane and Robbie who you managed to talk into your rather big project. After afternoons of sweating, splints in arms and your sweet and sincere apologies to any type of bruise he'd get from the cleaning up mission, the work has been done. Almost shining in light at the grande opening. Even after his flustered yet cocky speech, the slight change of color on his face was not because of him sitting in the center of attention but by the person next to him, who gave his body a quick squeeze of gratitude for the pain he endured through the process.

Recalling the memory just brought back the slight tint of pink on his cheeks. Before he knew it, you were waving a hand in front of his face, trying to get his attention to you. Eyes shifting over to look into yours he remembered why he came outside in the first place.

„If you keep on feeding them like this, they'll end up becoming new juggle balls for Mike."

The prospector had a small smirk on his lips which let a chuckle escape at your facial expression.

„They just look so hungry and lonely !" a pout making it's way onto your face „I'm just trying to be a good parent for my little goldlings~"

Huffing with pride and happiness, you once again gazed at your adoptive children swimming around.

„Alright moma goldfish, I'm just here to tell you that dinner is served."

He turned his back to you and was about to make his way again inside of the dinning hall when you suddenly ran up to him and jumped on his back. Thank goodness his reflexes were still working as he managed to regain his balance once again after your impact on him.

„You could at least wait for me, popa goldfish !"

You huffed and let go of his shoulders, rushing past him inside once your nose was hit with the aroma of today's cooking, leaving a mess of a man behind.

Once Norton regained his senses, he made his way to his regular seat, accidentally knocking over a chair on his way and hitting his knee against the table. Maybe not all senses were back but that didn't stop him from falling into his regular deep thought process which you triggered inside of him once again.

Thorough dinner, he kept stealing glances of you while chatting with his usual buddies. Trying his best to ignore this squirming feeling inside of his chest and stomache. But whenever he heard a tiny bit of your voice, his whole attention shifted to the source, ending up in half hearted conversations between him and his team mates.

Honestly, it was getting frustrating and tiring to him. After dinner, he decided to call it a day and went into the shared workshop in one of the basements of the mansion. There were various rooms for some of the survivors and hunters, depending on their handicraft. Norton was usually in the laboratory along with Luchino where they'd examine and study their discoveries.

Plopping down on the usual chair, he turned on the lamp on the desk and put his helmet off. His latest treasure was a rose quartz which you stumbled upon in the mines of the Golden Cave. He remembered how you insisted of taking his place for the match, masking off your true reasoning behind the excuse of 'a training session, since the map is very rare to get'. He was aware that you knew what happened to him. In fact, it was no secret to the whole manor. Yet he was slightly grateful that no one mentioned it to him or asked about it. What didn't amuse him was not that you clearly lied to his face but knowing that you would go into that labyrinth of dread and hell. Norton declined your offer, trying his best to sound as calm and kind as possible, yet you still managed to sneak into the lobby before he had the chance to.

As a result you came back with the beautiful light pinkish quartz and a lot of scratches and blue spots all over your knees and arms. The smile you gifted him though, along with the stone, relaxed some of the tension which built up inside of him and instead of scolding, you received a flustered thank you and some bandages in exchange.

Sighing, Norton leaned his head back on the stool. Even if you weren't around him physically, it still felt like you were. Haunting his mind and heart.

Just as he was rephrasing the words inside his head, combining it with the stone of unconditional love, it finally clicked to him.

Almost instantly he launched himself off from the chair. Your present in one hand, his magnet in the other. It could wait until tomorrow but he didn't want to wait another sleepless night. He was tired of waiting and being patient with what he wanted. He was tired of forcing up a facette of an understanding hardworking fool. It was his ambition which brought him here and his ambition which finally made him realise his feelings for the first person, he managed to fully trust with his emotions and mood swings.

And when he spotted you in the garden, at the same pond you both dug up some weeks ago, he became sweaty and nervous. Yet his dark grey eyes were focused on only you and without noticing, he flung that magnet over to you, switching his own pole. Catching you in his arms and burying his face into your shoulder.

How long has it been since he felt some type of emotional impact inside of him ? When was the last time, he felt warmth swirling up inside of his tummy ? Since his first days in the manor, it was always you who brought up those confusing yet somewhat relaxing feelings inside of him.

Taking in your sweet chuckle and voice with his ears, Norton heard a muffled 'finally' from you as you wrapped your own arms around his upper body. Giving it a loving squeeze.

And indeed. He finally discovered that his problem for the past time, was the solution which danced around his nose this whole time. It has always been you.

And you were far more beautiful than any piece of gold or gem he could ever receive.