Robert Manion x Reader One Shots

"Be Alright" (Part One)

(These two one-shots will be based on the song "Be Alright" by Dean Lewis. Enjoy!)

⚠️Warning! Major angst!⚠️

DO NOT- I REPEAT- DO NOT PUT IN THE COMMENT SECTIONS HOW ROBERT WOULD NEVER DO THIS. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT. THIS IS JUST A FANFICTION, PLEASE RESPECT THAT.

"Rob! I'm home!" (Y/n) called, shrugging off her coat. She threw it onto the coat rack, then hung her purse. "Rob?" She called again, more confusion in her tone.

Loud sniffs came from the kitchen. (Y/n) smile altered into a frown. She picked up the case of beer she had bought and speed-walked into the kitchen, a fraction of worry tugging at her heart.

"Robert?" She places the six-pack of Dos Equis on the counter then faced her miserable-looking boyfriend. "Hey... what's wrong?"

Robert lifted his gaze from the counter but avoided (Y/n)'s eyes in fear of crying again. When she reached for his hand, he jerked away and sunk into his seat.

(Y/n)'s frown deepened. "Robert, you can tell me." She took a seat on the other stool, something on the island catching her eye. "Oh... I see..." she reached for the box in front of them. "Is that why you won't talk to me?" Robert didn't reply. "I was having a bad day when I bought these. The nicotine patches weren't really... wait... I don't buy Marlboro..."

"I-I made a stupid mistake," Robert answered, his voice trembling. He looked at a glass plate that rested on the stove. Multiple butts of cigarettes were sitting visibly in a pile of ashes. "Those are Maria's cigarettes..." his voice broke as a tear streamed down his cheek. He didn't want it to go this way...

(Y/n)'s mouth parted. "Maria's... what are..." her face paled when the realization hit her. "O-Oh..." She bit her trembling lips and nodded. "O-Okay... b-but... help me u-understand... why? Are you not happy? I-Is that it?" Robert kept his mouth shut, as it too was trembling. "You c-could've told me."

"I didn't want to hurt you," he whispered, mostly to himself.

(Y/n) let out a shaky laugh and stood up. "W-Well, congratulations on t-that... you just did." She dried her tears and walked to the front door, putting her coat back on and shoving her wallet into one of the pockets along with her box of cigarettes.

After leaving the apartment, (Y/n) took her 6S out and called her closest friend. "J-Joey, can you come and pick me up? I can't b-be at home right now..." she paused and turned around. Robert was staring at her through the window. "Y-Yeah... just hurry, please."

"I'll be there in a few. I was gonna meet Lauren and Jeff at the local bar. You can come with me? Or do you want me to drop you off somewhere else?"

"The bar is f-fine.." (Y/n) replied quietly, staring at Robert. "T-That's fine..."

-

Joey pulled up a few minutes after their conversation ended. When he stepped out of his car, he was immediately engulfed in a hug.

"Hey..." he patted his friend's head in slight confusion. "Shh..." he eyed the window that she had been staring at. Robert looked away when Joey met his gaze. "C'mon (Y/n), you can tell me what happened on the way, okay?"

It didn't take long for her to explain everything. It was a quick interaction between the couple. (Y/n) hadn't even been home for 10 minutes.

"That son of a bitch!" Joey yelled, slamming his fist on the wheel. "And Maria too! Fuck!"

(Y/n) started to bite her nails, one of her many nervous habits. "Y-Yeah... y-yeah..." her mind continued to go back to Robert. "I-I don't even... oh, why didn't h-he just tell me, J-Joey?"

Joey pulled up to the curb and parked. "C'mon, let's get you inside." 'Oh, Lauren and Jeff are going to love this.'

-

"Hey! Joey, over here!" Lauren stood up from a table, waving her hands with a smile on her face.

Joey took his best friend's hand in his and squeezed it. "You know, you have to tell them about it, right? I mean, you can lie, but like me, they're here for you."

(Y/n) nodded and sniffed. "Y-Yeah..." she forced a small smile when they reached the table.

"Oh, hi (Y/n)!" Lauren smiled, her smile faltering a little. "I thought Robert would be with you..." (Y/n) flinched. "Where is he?"

Joey made a hand motion near his throat, asking her to stop. Lauren's mouth formed an 'o'. "Let's get some drinks first, hm?"

When the waiter came around, Lauren and Jeff ordered a Margarita, Joey ordered a Shirley Temple, and (Y/n) ordered a Corona. (I'm not sorry for that, you like beer in this, what can I say?)

"Excuse me." (Y/n) stopped the waiter, Billy, before he left. "Y-Your sign says you allow smoking?" (Some places do, and this one does for the sake of the story line)

Billy nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Just move to one of the back tables."

(Y/n) looked at Joey with pleading eyes after Billy left.

"C'mon guys, let's move to the back." The four stood and did just as he said, taking the last one available.

Lauren looked at (Y/n) in shock as she watched her friend pull out a pack. "I thought you quit?"

"Nicotine patches weren't doing anything..." (Y/n) whispered, the cigarette shaking between her fingers as she lifted it to her lips. "I-I was going to tell..." She trailed off and shakily exhaled away from her friends.

Jeff sighed. "Alright, what happened between you and Rob? Did you guys fight?"

(Y/n) placed her hand on her fist and moved the cigarette to her mouth again. "He cheated on me," she whispered. Lauren's mouth dropped. "Multiple times is what it sounded like..."

Billy came back with their drinks. "Anything to order?"

"Deep-fried pickles," Jeff told him quietly. He nodded and left again. "Damn him. Do you know who he did it with?"

(Y/n) frowned and tapped her cigarette against the ashtray on the table, watching the end of the cigarette light up as it let ashes fall. She side-glanced at Joey, silently asking him to continue. Her anxiety was rocketing, and tears were threatening to fall.

"Maria," Joey answered simply, taking a long drink of his Shirley Temple. (He hadn't wanted to have an alcoholic drink for the sake of his friend) "The bastard's been seeing Maria." He had trusted a close friend with his best friend, hoping it would work out better than the last one she was in... and this was the result...

Lauren choked on her drink and burst into coughs. "You're not serious, are you?" (Y/n) shook her head and downed half of her Corona. "Mother fucker. That mother fucker. Those-" she curled her free hand into a fist and slammed it onto the table. "Goddammit!"

(Y/n) had pulled her phone out while Lauren spewed a paragraph of curses. She was looking through her photos, the ones that she and Robert had taken together.

Jeff reached across the table and lowered it. "Hey, I know you love him, but it's over." She flinched at his words. "It doesn't matter, put your phone away. And it's never easy to walk away- trust me." He grasped her hand and smiled softly. "It's going to hurt for a while, but you have people here to help you. It'll be alright."

"Let's go get your things after we eat, (Y/n)," Lauren said, giving her friend the kindest smile she could muster. "I got a free room at mine with your name on it."