Do Friends Have Secrets? (Mouth X Reader/OC)

Way Too Many Close Calls

Kori and the others continued down the tunnel, Kori replacing the batteries in her flashlight. Mikey stepped on a tile, the tile sinking into the ground. A pit opened up, Data falling in. Kori opened her pack, already knowing she wouldn't pull her rope out in time. Data used his pinchers of peril to set himself safely on the ground. Kori secured the rope around a sturdy rock and lowered herself down, the others following. 

"Wow Kori," Mouth said, falling into step with her as they walked on. "I didn't know you were so prepared. You have any other protection in there?" 

"Good one." Kori shone her flashlight around the walls. "It looks like this was naturally carved. Makes me a bit worried." 

"When could we have taken a wrong turn?" Mouth asked. "The cave's been pretty straightforward." 

"Yeah. You're right." 

"Bathroom break," Mikey said. "Girls over there, boys over here." 

Kori shouldered past Mouth to the girl's section. Stef and Andy giggled to themselves, gushing about Brand and Andy. 

"What about you, Kori?" Andy asked, a gossipy smile on her lips. "Mouth seems really into you." 

Kori wrinkled her nose. "He's not my type." 

"Kori has a point. He's really annoying," Stef said. 

"He's a good friend, but he's not boyfriend material." 

Andy shrugged. She gasped. "What if I kissed Brand?" 

Stef and Andy went back to gushing about Brand. Kori walked herself back to the main cave and waited for the others. 

"So what do you think boyfriend material is?" Mouth asked, sitting next to her. 

"You were spying on us?" 

"More like . . . protecting." 

"Cool motive, still creepy." Kori turned her flashlight on and peered down the cave. 

"Aw, you don't want to kiss like Andy and Brand?" 

"I really don't want to kiss either of them." 

"Well what about me?" 

Kori wrinkled her nose. "No thank you." 

Everyone met up again in the main tunnel and they continued walking, Mouth constantly pestering Kori about kissing. 

"But don't you think it'll be fun? Besides, don't you want to know why everyone calls me Mouth? Especially the ladies." He rolled his tongue, making a sort of purring noise. 

"They call you Mouth because you can't keep it shut," Kori said. "It gets you into trouble." 

"But there's another reason. It's because it can--" 

"Sh." Kori stopped. She turned. Down the tunnel, voices overlapped. "The Fratellis. Brand! Pick up the pace!" 

Brand nodded and moved quicker, the group coming to a river with a log in the middle. 

"Go go go," Kori whispered to herself, panic building. The Fratellis sounded right around the corner, and less than half of the people were across. Kori thrust her backpack into Mouth's arms. 

"Kori, what--" 

"Keep going." Kori began jogging the other way. "I'm going to try and slow them down!" 

"Kori!" 

She crouched at the corner, trying to steady her breathing. The Fratellis were getting closer. Her legs were shaky, fists clenched. Their voices were louder, only feet away. 

Kori whirled around the corner, punching the first nose she saw. She dove, and swept her leg to send the next person tumbling to the ground. The third got a kick to the chest and stumbled back, whirling her arms (Kori could see it was the mother, now that some of her nerves had worn off). She shoved the first Fratelli into the others, sending them falling like dominos, then she ran.

Mouth jumped off the end of the log and turned, Kori sprinting around the corner and almost leaping across the log. It reminded Mouth of a deer. Kori grabbed the back of his shirt and pushed him behind a rock as a bullet pinged off the walls, the gunshot rocketing through the cave. 

"Stay low and go," Kori said. 

Mouth nodded and obeyed, for once not opening his mouth. 

They caught up with the others at a bone organ, Andy's fingers shaking on the keys. She pressed one, stones coming loose and Brand throwing himself forward so as not to fall. The next key made a drawbridge begin to lower. The next and Kori began falling, the stones slipping out from under her. A hand grabbed her shirt, hauling her back up until she was nose to nose with Mouth. 

"Thanks," she breathed. 

"No problem." His breath fanned her face. He glanced at her lips. Kori backed away. 

Eventually, Andy brought the drawbridge down, and they ran across, the Fratellis shooting at them as they did.