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gothushi · 2 days

Text

pressure

pairing: rob x photographer!reader

warnings: mild decsription of injuries, hurt/comfort

note: here u go!! next chapter will be All Porn🩷

word count: 6.8k

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | this is part 4!

———————♡

It’s so cold, heavy, as your limbs flail uselessly.

The rushing current drags your body, feet knocking into the bottom of the river as you finally surface above water, gasping and coughing hard. Your heart is pounding in your throat, you feel like you might get sick or faint, maybe both, hands pawing out to feeling around for anything to grab onto. You twist, turn, this way and that, trying to find Rob.

His head is bobbing above water just ahead, gasping, and your eyes catch sight of.. red. He’s struggling to keep himself afloat, blood staining the back of his shirt that gets carried downstream, washing away the scents of your bodies. A distant roar is heard but that’s not the concern for now, not as Rob yells out and his eyes lock with yours.

Out of pure strength do you manage to push yourself forward and latch onto his hand that reaches out, holding on so tight you think your nails break skin. The water carries you further down the river for another moment, to a more shallow part until you can wash up onto the side of the rocky shore.

The weight of your soaked backpack weighs you down, Rob on his front gasping for air as you cough, crawling and dragging him up, letting the bag hit the ground with a thud. Absolutely exhausted, your limbs tremble, soaked to the bone and shivering.

His hand tightens on yours, he’d rather lose the hand than let go. The current washed over his legs, carrying your scents away downstream. Wheezing a panting breath, cold adrenaline runs through your veins. Another cough, rough on your throat, and then your eyes focus on Rob.

His shoulder is torn up, bleeding from lined gashes that ripped his shirt, “Rob-” His eyes are lidded, temple stained red with blood, wounds on his shoulder blade at least a foot in length.

For a moment he doesn’t respond, but as your hand shakes his, his eyes flutter open and he takes in a shuddering breath, grimacing. His other arm twists under his head, trying to reach back and touch his shoulder but you stop him. His eyes are unfocused, vision hazy as he looks up at you, “Y/N..?” His voice is hoarse, breathing quick.

You’re not even thinking right, on autopilot as you let go of his hand and start digging in your soaked pack. C’mon, where is it? It was at the bottom, it has to be- here! Shaking hands grab the white box, a first aid kit you always thought might be a bit silly but has essentials in it to help. The blood keeps flowing as you snap the lid open, finding the contents dry, gauze pads sticking to your wet hands. His hand reaches out, saying your name again, disoriented and in pain.

“Hang on-” You press the gauze pad down onto his shoulder blade, drawing a throaty groan of pain from him, your body slowly steeling your nerves in favor for pure survival panic. You press hard, needing to try and stop the bleeding, hoping it isn’t too deep. Blood keeps dripping as you add more gauze pads, almost immediately having gone through all of them, keeping them pressed down as one hand fumbles with the bandage wrap.

He says your name again, “Y/N.. Y/N look at me,,”

“You’re- you’re bleeding! What?! What is it!” You snap, panting with panic, unraveling the thin bandage wrap and letting it roll around on the rocks.

“I’m fine,” he manages, rapsy, his hand trying to grab at you, “Y/N it’s okay..” He struggles to focus his vision, his breathing heavy as he continues to watch with lidded eyes as you panic, “Just keep.. pressure on it.” The blood drips down his skin, temple bleeding down his cheek.

It’s now that you realize hot tears are wetting your cheeks, blending with the water dripping off your skin, “Okay, okay,” Your voice is wavering, barely choking out the words. He must’ve hit his head when you fell. What if he passes out? God. What are you gonna do?A hand gathers the wrap and loops it under him, doing a messy job of wrapping and wrapping around his shoulder and neck, trying to keep the gauze in place.

His eyes start to flutter, like he’s struggling to stay awake. His hand finds your knee, trying to grab on as dizziness swarms his skull. Words come out slurred, “I’m gonna pass out,” he mumbles, eyes closing again, “just.. keep pressure.”

“No- no Rob please.” This is your breaking point, panicked and scared, “Don’t, please stay awake, where do I go? Wh-” You’re panting, crying, “What direction do we go? The car?” You tie off the wrap the best you can, fishing out one of your tank tops to dab at his bleeding temple, trembling hand cradling his head.

His breathing seems to be more shallow, his grasp at your knee wavering. His lips part to speak but he falters, brows raising as he coughs. His eyes close again and his strength begins to fade, “Car is.. down. Down.. down stream.”

No no no no, “No please- Rob! No I need you to-” You whimper, shaking your head quickly, petting over him, blood smearing on his skin from your fingers.

His head weighs down on your hand as he loses consciousness.

“No! Rob no- I,” You can’t do this by yourself, please. The sun has set by now, the jungle turning dark with minimal moonlight shining through the clouds and trees. Sniffling, you press onto the wound in his temple. He’s fainted, and you’re left in the middle of the jungle, at night, no shelter in sight.

The sounds of the night echo out, the calls of wild animals and the rush of the water grow louder now without the thudding in your ears, or without the roar of the dinosaur. Sniffling, you will yourself to not break down fully. You barely feel anything, not the various wounds your body carries, the sprain in your wrist, nor the chill from being soaked from the water.

Leaving his vest and your pack is an easy choice, camera bag staying all because it was too much work to undo the strap tangled around your arm. Shifting over to kneel fully beside him, you lift his arm up, dragging his front onto your back. Sheer adrenaline powers your body to lift him on shaking legs, arms over your shoulders. His feet may drag on the ground but.. he’s up. You’re carrying him.

Hunched forward to keep the pressure even so you don’t drop him, it all weighs on you as you walk forward, following the stream of water. Your heart pounds up in your ears, eyes straining to see in the dark, hands keeping a firm grip on his forearms. His weight makes you stagger, nearly falling a few times, but you press on.

—

What feels like five minutes, has really been an hour and a half. You don’t know how you do it. Your legs ache and tremble with every step, carrying his deadweight along. You must black out or something, become possessed with some other force. At one point you stumble away from the stream, continuing forward when you find dirt road. Panting with tears welling in your eyes, blurring your vision, you see the outline of a jeep maybe 100 feet away.

Whimpering in pure relief, rushing towards it with a limp in your step, you let go of one of his arms to open the passenger door. Getting him into the car is much less of a struggle than the last hour has been, situating him with the seatbelt on. You shut the door and have to brace yourself against the hood, walking around the car to clamber into the drivers seat, key still in the ignition. Sticky blood covers your clothes in various spots, wounds that you barely feel starting to peek through, surface over the adrenaline.

—

When Rob next wakes, he’s in a bed. As his eyes blink open, he sees he’s in a… hospital room. Dark, a sliver of light coming from what must be the hallway. He’s in a white gown, IV in his arm, multiple bandages on his body. He can feel a deep ache in his muscles, smaller scrapes that are clean littering his arms and hands. His head is bandaged, thick gauze covering his shoulder blade, a cut stitched together on his forearm.

As if on cue, the door squeaks further open and a nurse walks in with a few items in her hands. She glances up and is surprised yet pleased as she speaks, “You’re awake!”

He stares at her as she walks in, “Where am I?” is the immediate question, voice hoarse.

“Casimiro Ulloa Hospital.” She answers softly, walking to his IV pole to change the bag on it.

“How long have I been out?”

“You’ve been here for six hours. It’s early in the morning now. I’m Layla, your nurse.” She takes down the empty saline bag and hangs another, administering some other medicine within it as well, the cool liquid felt in his veins.

But… how did he get here? The last thing he remembers is the dinosaur.. grabbing you.. falling..

“Six hours?” He groans softly, watching her movements. “How did I end up here?”

Layla fixes a bandage coming loose on his arm, “A gentleman named Mark brought you and your friend here, you were both in pretty bad shape.”

Mark, from the research lab? “Where’s my friend?” Blue eyes study her, flashes of memory slowly coming back.

“Your friend,” she starts, “is a very lucky lady. She was worse than you. She was asleep last a nurse checked on her.”

“That’s…” he trails off, staring as she writes down the time on the whiteboard on the wall, for his latest pain medicine dose, 8:23AM. “Worse than me? Is she okay?”

“Exhaustion, several contusions, a few other injuries like yourself but nothing fatal.” She shakes her head as she turns back to him, smiling.

Rob gives a sigh of relief, nodding a little, “So.. how badly am I hurt?”

“Well,” she steps back over, grabbing the clipboard at the end of his bed, “a few contusions and scrapes, nothing serious. Your left shoulder blade was cut up in the animal attack, and you hit your head, a minor concussion. We did some scans and everything is okay, you just need rest now.” She speaks softly and explains in simple terms. He’s just so confused as to how he got back, what happened?

“We’re giving you our best care, and the gentleman who brought you both in requested I call when either of you woke up, so I’ll be doing that. I have some other patients to check on so I’ll be back in a few hours, try to get some more sleep.” She smiles at him and then leaves, pulling the door halfway shut.

His eyes follow until she’s gone, and takes a moment to understand it all. It’s fuzzy, but he remembers you both hiking as the sun set, trying to get back to the car. He remembers the growling of the dinosaur, the way it stalked you two down. He remembers how… how tightly you held onto his hand.. before it all became blurry. Pain, coldness, the water.

He knows he should stay put, but his worry overpowers logic. Slightly disoriented from the fresh pain medication, he pushes himself on weak limbs to sit up. Socked feet find the tile floor, taking his time to get up and out of bed. The IV tube dangles as his hand grabs the pole, dragging it with him as he ventures out into the hallway. The pain is numbed due to the medication, fuzzy in his muscles that he knows he’ll be feeling later. Pulling the pole along, he shuffles along the brown tile, into the hallway. A nurse station isn’t too far, and a dark haired girl gets up and walks over to him, “You should still be in bed.”

He’s stubborn though, and he hears himself grumble, “Where’s my friend? Is she awake?”

The nurse in pink scrubs seems to hesitate, before sighing through her nose and moving back to the counter, “What’s her name?”

“Y/N.” He says simply, mildly impatient. “Y/N L/N.”

She glances at some charts before walking back over to him, “C’mon, I’ll help you.” She holds his arm gently, helping him walk down the hallway a few doors down.

Knocking lightly, she leads him into the dim room, “She must still be asleep.” The nurse informs softly, rounding the corner and.. oh.

You’re laid in the hospital bed, sleeping, leg propped with a pillow under your right knee. A thin cast is on your left wrist, bandages covering small scrapes, purpled bruises on different parts of your body. Rob’s eyes widen, taking in the sight. He’s.. relieved but still so worried, coming a bit closer, “Is she..? Is she alright?”

The nurse steps over and takes a look at your chart, reading over it quickly. “She had extensive injuries but she’s been treated and will recover. A sprained wrist, she tore a tendon in her knee, she was exhausted just like you. But she will be okay. Looks like they ran a few tests and everything came back good.”

He gives a sigh, “Nothing life threatening..” He confirms softly.

“No,” she shakes her head, setting the chart back down, “contusions, scrapes, just surface wounds same as you. We don’t know the full story obviously but.. all the nurses on this floor know you two were in the jungle. I heard some talking about how she carried you back to your car, we don’t know exactly how you both got your injuries though.” It clicks in his brain that it must’ve been from falling.

She sees how worried he seems, and crosses her arms. “I’ll make you a deal. They serve breakfast in fourty-five minutes, if you’re back in your room before then I won’t tell your nurse you got out of bed, okay?”

He glances at her, surveying her expression before nodding, trying to give a smile, “Yeah.. Thank you.” She leaves with that, leaving him alone to walk to the other side of your bed and tug a chair closer, sitting down.

He tries so hard to remember more. Remember anything that happened after you fell, but nothing comes to mind. You’re so still, motionless besides your chest rising and falling with each breath. He just stares, his hand slipping into yours as he looks over the bandages and bruises. In the quiet sense of solitude, Rob struggles with an odd feeling of guilt.

It feels like forever passes, but it’s only been ten minutes before you stir, brows furrowing before your eyes flutter and blink open. It catches his attention immediately, sitting up a little more to lean forward, thumb rubbing over your own. Your eyes look at the ceiling, seeming to orient yourself, looking towards the light that comes from the hallway before you feel warmth on your hand, turning your head.

There he is.

He swallows, adjusting in the chair, “Hey…”

“Rob.” You breathe out, wincing when you try to move. As a reflex your eyes shut and your head pushes into the pillow some.

“Easy..” He fusses softly, hand sliding over yours in a comforting manner. He wants to hug you, to take away your pain, make this all better somehow. But he can’t.

You exhale slowly, looking back at him, down at your connected hands, “You’re okay..” You mumble out, eyes flitting over his body.

He nods, managing a small smile, a chuckle escaping him to cover up the pure worry he feels, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit beat up.”

Your eyes linger on the edge of the bandage that covers his shoulder blade and you swallow, looking to the bandage on his head. You aren’t sure what to say, nor can you really think straight right now, so exhausted.

Rob can tell, can see it in your face, brows furrowed a little. He lets go of your hand to reach up, brushing some hair from your forehead, “I’m glad you’re okay..” He whispers, voice soft.

That seems to be the tipping point, because tears well up and your throat tightens, lip wobbling and voice wavering, “You too.”

You start to cry before he can comprehend it, his hand cradling your cheek and delivering a soothing warmth to the otherwise chilly flesh. “Hey..” his thumb swipes at a few salty tears, “I’m okay.. I’m more worried about you.” He murmurs, and the words carry truth in them.

Trying not to cry too hard, you lean into his hand, keeping your eyes on his face, “‘m fine.. I was- I was worried about you..”

“Shh..” The guilt and concern is palpable, “I’m okay.. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Sniffling, you hiccup on a sob, “I was-.. so scared… we fell and you- you hit your head.. I cari-carried you t’the car..” All the panic, fear, adrenaline, it’s all washed away now that we’re safe, flooding your emotions.

“You carried me?” he asks quietly, a bit surprised. Sure the nurse told him what others heard, but he wasn’t fully sure. But hearing it from you.. and on that injured knee? “Sweetheart..”

You must see the way his eyes flit to your leg for a moment, your hand curling onto his forearm, “I didn’.. didn’ feel it.” You shake your head a little, breaking down into more whimpers, “I didn’t feel anything, I was so scared.” Pure adrenaline powered you to.. to save him.

“Sh sh shh.. It’s okay. You did such a good job..” He whispers softly, in pure awe of the strength you displayed, thumb rubbing over your cheekbone.

He sits and soothes you for about five minutes, before the tears finally slow down to sniffles, and he dries your face off with some of the tissues on the small bedside table.

“‘m tired..��

“I know..” he whispers back, tucking hair behind your ear. The physical exhaustion, the emotional weight of it all, it’s taken a toll on both of you. He feels guilty, like he should’ve done better, been better, but he doesn’t feel like apologizing is right, “Y’did so good.. you got us both out of there.. I’m so proud of you.”

If you had any more tears left, they’d be flowing again. But it’s all gone for now, too tired, eyes lidded as they look at him. He smiles softly, reassuring, “Go back to sleep, they’re gonna make me go back to my room but I’ll come back, okay?”

“Okay..” There’s no room for argument, you’ll need to sleep for two days to regain the strength you used up.

—

The next couple hours prove to be a bit boring, stuck in his own room with nothing but the TV to keep him company. His nurse agreed to only let him visit you later on in the day, because you both need plenty of rest, and he really had no choice but to obey. However, a knock on his door catches his attention as Mark walks in, a bag in his hand.

“Thank God you two are okay.” He sighs, coming over to Rob’s bedside.

“Mark? What happened?” The nurse said he’s the one who brought you both to the hospital, so he figures he can get more answers.

“How much do you remember?” Mark pulls up a chair, taking a seat next to the hospital bed.

“Well.. I think just up until we fell.. did she tell you about that?”

“Yeah she..” Mark hesitates, “She told me everything. I’m so glad you guys are okay.” He reiterates his point, “Y/N said you two fell and she had to carry you back to the car, she said Carlos left you guys?”

“Yeah that first night he-.. he took off when we heard something in the forest.” Now we know what that something was..

“He came back and said there was an attack.. said it was a pack of big cats. He said you guys were dead.”

“He what?”

“Yeah I-.. don’t worry he’ll suffer the repercussions of that decision. I promise.” Mark assures softly, clasping his hands together, “She said it was a dinosaur. Is it really true?”

Rob hesitates, because honestly it probably hasn’t settled in for him. But he nods, “Yeah.. really.”

“God.. it’s a miracle you two got out.. she drove all the way back and came to the lab, it’s even more of a miracle she didn’t faint behind the wheel…” He glances towards the door and then back at Rob, “We have a search team out right now, we’re keeping radio contact for updates. Don’t worry, if the others are still out there, we’ll find them.”

That eases Rob’s worry somewhat, especially because he knows he can’t help. It’s difficult to wrap his head around the entire thing, but that’ll take time. “You’ll let me know the moment they find anything..?”

Mark nods, “Of course. Oh- I brought your personal items, and Marissa went and bought some clothes for you guys. They’ll discharge you tomorrow.” He lifts the bag he previously sat down on the floor and starts pulling a few things out. Rob’s cell phone, wallet, keys, the personal items they leave behind when setting out on an expedition. He sets those on the table along with a t-shirt and a pair of thin sweats and some slides.

“She didn’t have to-”

“Oh don’t. You almost died. Some cheap clothes was the least we could do.” Mark mutters, brushing off Rob’s worry.

“Well… thank you. And thank you for bringing us here. Are you gonna check on her?”

He nods in reply, “Yeah, I got her stuff too.” He stands up, reaching to put a hand on Rob’s uninjured shoulder, “I’ll call you with any updates, okay? Just get some rest.”

“Yeah..” He manages a smile in response, nodding, “thank you Mark.”

—

The day is spent resting, and he sneaks off to see you for a bit longer, even though you’re asleep, before he gets caught by his nurse and scolded. The next morning however, he’s just finished getting dressed after a nurse gave him his discharge papers and was told a cab was waiting down at the lobby for him. Must be courtesy of Mark. Peeking into your room proves no luck because it’s already empty, and he finds you down in the lobby stood with some crutches.

“Hey..” The air between you two is tense, but not in a bad way. Now that you’re not in immediate danger there’s… other things left to confront. Like the obvious feelings for each other, the kiss.. but now doesn’t seem like the correct time.

Your eyes meet his, dressed in similar clothes to him, managing a small smile, “Hi..”

“Y’ready to get outta here? Do you have somewhere to go?” Rob’s hand finds your back, being mindful to not outstretch his injured arm too much.

Nodding, you respond softly, watching the people and workers go by, “Yeah.. the company rents a hotel for me.. you?”

“I rent, yeah, near the edge of the city.” That means it’s a bit farther than you, and in the opposite direction. So much for your small hope of sharing a taxi. You notice a white car pull up and gesture slightly.

“I think that’s me..” You glance up at him, color in your cheeks due to the warmth felt from the doors opening and closing as people come and go. “I’ll um..” Call him? See him later? You’re about to part ways and you don’t really know when or where you’ll see each other again. You don’t even-

“I’ll call you.” He smiles softly, rubbing your back. He can tell you seem relieved with his answer, a sheepish smile spreading on your face.

“Okay.. yeah, sounds good.” Adjusting on your crutches, you hesitate before reaching out and tugging him down to kiss his cheek, “Bye Rob.” And then he watches as you step outside and get into the cab.

—

Processing everything is.. hard. You spend a lot of time just laying in bed in your hotel room, hours having spent bathing to try and wash away the anxiety and fear you feel. Well into the night it hits a little, and you sob for quite a while. So worried for the others, grieving Lisa, even spending time looking through all the pictures you took, camera connected to your laptop. The television keeps you company through the night because you swear you can still hear that snarly growling.

—

The next night around 7:00PM, you rouse from your sleep due to your phone ringing. Blindly reaching for it, light of the TV flashing over the otherwise dark room. Almost missing the call, you find the answer button and slide the phone to your ear, groggily speaking, “Hello?”

The sound of your voice immediately makes Rob’s mind and body rush with emotions, his heart skipping a beat. A little smile grows on his face, speaking softly, “Hey.. it’s me.”

He hears some shuffling over the phone, as if you’re sitting up in bed, “Mm- hey. Sorry- I just woke up.” Clearing your throat, you rub a hand over your face.

His heartbeat increases a little with each second he hears your voice, and he can’t help but smile. You sound sleepy, which he finds absolutely adorable, “That’s fine. I was just, uh..” He tries to think of what to say, he didn’t plan this far ahead, stumbling over his words a little.

Keeping the phone to your ear, you yawn, sitting upright and massaging the muscle of your thigh, sore and aching. You feel more bashful now, in this somewhat normal setting, almost like a middle schooler with her first crush.

“So, you got some sleep?” He finds his words finally, a slight chuckle leaving his lips.

“Mmm.. yeah.” You answer, and Rob can hear some more shuffling and light footsteps as you walk around your hotel room. Seeming to hesitate, you ask, “Did you?”

“I.. didn’t. Not much anyway. My mind was too busy.” He feels himself falter a little, though he quickly recovers, “I’m just.. Thinking about a few things.”

“I get it.” You mutter. Your own mind has been a mess, between all that happened, a fucking dinosaur, worrying for the others, to how you feel about him, it’s all a scramble that won’t quiet down.

Rob wishes he could take it all away, could help ease your mind. He feels like the only thing he wants right now in this moment is to hold you, to not let go. He exhales before speaking again, a little softer, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m.. I’m okay.” You answer after a moment, “Just.. still a bit tired. The medicine they gave me makes me kinda groggy, but.. honestly it’s helping me sleep.” You aren’t sleeping very peacefully at all but.. honestly without the medication you might not be sleeping at all.

You sound exhausted, and he feels so bad. “I’m glad they’re helping you at least,” he says, “I’m, uh..” He starts to speak again before he hesitates, taking a breath, “Are you.. free tomorrow?”

Flushing a bit at his question, you lean against the kitchen counter, looking at the pattern of the granite, “Tomorrow? Um- yeah, yeah I wasn’t.. planning on doing much. Why?”

He perks up a little at the admission, a little flicker of hope in him. “Would you like to, uh..” He hesitates, tone becoming softer, “Would you like to have dinner?”

Your heart skips a beat. It feels funny hearing Rob like this, usually so stern and forward, being so.. bashful now. You swallow and nod even though he can’t see you, “I’d.. yeah I’d like that..”

“I can pick you up around seven.” He suggests softly, his heart still beating wildly in his chest.

“Okay..” You smile a little yourself, “Um.. I can text you the hotel I’m at..”

“I’d appreciate that.” He’s smiling himself, sat in his living room grinning like an idiot, “I’ll.. see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah- see you tomorrow.” Swallowing down your nerves, “Bye.”

—

Tomorrow night rolls around soon enough. You make sure you’re down in the lobby of your hotel, resting on your crutches as you watch the traffic out the front window. Just a few minutes before seven you see another car pull up, and he steps out dressed in a plain white shirt and some cargos, taking a look around the courtyard. He pulls out his phone, probably to call you.

Walking out of the front doors, he spots you, lowering his phone from his ear. You’re dressed in a fitted tank top, a little flowy skirt and a thin flannel overtop with some sandals. He thinks you look absolutely darling. “Hi.” You smile a little, nervous.

His eyes scan over you, a little smile growing on his lips. It’s refreshing to see you in normal daytime clothes after the expedition, especially since you look so cute to him. He approaches closer, reaching an arm out to hold onto your upper arm gently, “You look..”

Glancing down at your outfit, you flush a bit, partially due to the humidity, grimacing up at him, “I didn’t really.. bring any fancy clothes. It was the best I could do.” A little brown purse hangs from your shoulder, dainty necklace on your collarbones and a ring on your finger, and if he stares hard enough there might be a hint of makeup on your eyes.

You look incredible to him, stunning. His eyes flit back up to yours as he shakes his head, “You look pretty.”

The compliment makes you flush deeper, smiling a little as a breeze blows by.

You end up getting helped into his car, figuring it’d be easier to just pick up some take out and take it back to his apartment rather than try to deal with a crowded restaurant. Settling on a Thai place near his apartment, he takes care of going in to order and pick up the food, fussing over not wanting you to be walking as much on your knee. He aids your walking with a hand on your back, heading into the nice apartment building he lives in which has you staring in awe. The elevator ride is quiet, but not in an uncomfortable tense way, just.. content.

You admire the inside of his apartment, walls painted olive and white, dark flooring turned to carpet for the other rooms, a balcony that lets sunshine cover the living room. A small hallway to the right gives way for the bathroom and laundry system, kitchen to the left, and a door that must be his bedroom past the hallway. You can hear the traffic below in the busy street, balcony door open to let in the breeze and warm air.

Photos and different art pieces line the walls, a larger piece above the TV, a bookshelf beside the door to his room. Very.. homey. It isn’t what you would have expected for Rob, not that you’ve imagined it or anything. Anyway, you clear your throat and stand aside, watching him at the kitchen counter taking out the food containers.

You both spend some time on his couch eating, making small talk, turning on a movie to watch afterwards. Injured leg propped up on the couch, you’re leant against him slightly, not meaning to, but your eyes are starting to slip shut, head tilting towards him. He says nothing though, arm stretched out along the back of the couch, stealing glances at you here and there.

He can see you’re tired, exhausted even, and doesn’t mind letting you wander off to dreamland for a little bit. His eyes scan over some of your injuries, the bruises and scrapes making his heart ache even though he looks the same. You can barely keep your eyes open, trying to pay attention to the movie that plays. But you’re losing the fight, so he slips his arm around you, tucking you into him

Should he get some ice for your bruises? Your knee? Should he let you lay down in his bed? He has no clue what to do, opting for letting you rest on him as he doesn’t move a single muscle, continuing to watch the movie as it plays.

Maybe ten minutes later, he sneaks another glance, using a couple fingers to pull hair from your face, when he notices you seem.. uncomfortable? Brows furrowed, tucking into him a little as you shift. Concern grows as he watches, petting over your head lightly, “Y/N..?”

Only a moment later, you jolt awake. You jerk as if something scared you, a quiet inhale sounding from you as you bring your good hand up to rub over your face, moving to sit up a little as you look up at him, “Shit- did I fall asleep? I’m sorry.”

Rob smiles softly, trying to put you at ease, “Don’t worry, I don’t mind,” he shifts, sitting up a little more, arm resting around you, “do you want some ice for your knee?”

“It’s okay, it’s just sore. As long as I don’t put weight on it, it isn’t bad.” You decline the offer, but feel a bit sheepish nonetheless. Your heart is racing, you haven’t slept well since getting back.

He can’t help but notice the way you’re breathing, slightly heavier than before. He reaches out with a hand to your forehead, “Are you okay? You don’t have a fever or anything, do you?”

The sudden question makes you huff a laugh, shaking your head, “I’m fine.” You seem to brush off the concern, shifting to sit up some more so you aren’t slouched on the comfy couch.

Rob frowns though, moving his hand away, “Are you sure? You look exhausted..” He feels a small pang of worry in his chest. He wants so badly to help, to do something for you but he doesn’t know what.

“Well don’t you know how to compliment a girl.” Joking softly to ease the tension, your eyes turn back to the TV where a scene flashes over the room. Yet again, you don’t directly address his concern.

He manages a laugh as well, trying to calm himself down. He notices how you avoid actually answering his question properly, and moves his hand from around you to reach and brush your hair back, “I’m just worried about you,” he says softly, “you look so tired.”

You bring your good hand up to rub under your eye, sighing with a laugh, “Ugh I get it.. My concealer didn’t do a very good job covering up my eye bags.” You don’t want to face the reality that you’re not fine, trying to sweep the worry under the rug.

“That’s not what I’m talking about and I think you know that,” his tone goes softer, more serious, “you haven’t been sleeping well have you?”

“I’m.. I’m alright.”

“I don’t believe you for a second.”

“‘m not a very good liar am I?” You muse softly, glancing up at him.

“No, not at all.” It’s more lighthearted now as he chuckles, brushing your hair back again. He doesn’t want to berate you for lying, his finger lightly grazing over your cheek, “Just be honest with me.. please.”

Your face flushes a bit at his touch, swallowing. You don’t want to admit it, but you’ve been caught and have to now. There’s no use in lying. “I-.. I just haven’t been sleeping well. I guess like- I can’t relax..” Sometimes all you can hear is the growling of that dinosaur, even in the comforts of your hotel room.

“You’ve been through a lot..” He soothes softly, gazing at you with empathy in his eyes, “I can’t expect you to just snap back like nothing happened.”

“I guess..” You mumble, agreeing softly. It isn’t even all over yet, not for the others anyway, as you have to wait to hear word from the search team, if anyone else will be found alive.. and it’ll take a long time to heal from this. At least for you, you aren’t even sure how Rob is handling this.

He’s frowning softly, hand twisting to cradle your cheek, “D’you wanna talk about it?”

“I-.. it’s fine. I guess I just need to get some more sleep or something..” He was there too, so you don’t want to seem dramatic about it all.

“Y/N.. it’s not fine.” He sighs softly, “You’ve been through a lot.”

“Well-.. It’s not easy to admit you’re terrified a dinosaur’s gonna pop up when you’re in a hotel room, is it? It sounds silly.” You admit, looking down at your lap, “I haven’t-.. anytime I try to sleep I hear it.. like it’s still looking for us..”

His heart aches as you confess this, nodding a little. It makes perfect sense, and he understands that. “I’m sure you can hear it, just like I do.” His hand moves from your face, curling around yours, leaning into your space a little, “You’re not overreacting.”

His own admission makes you look up at him now, a bit sheepish. You know it’s reasonable but.. “I can’t even sleep without the TV on because it’s just.. so quiet. Even then I’m tossing and turning..”

He sighs and nods his head, taking it all in. Rob’s aware of how you feel, understands the trauma completely, and hates that you feel like this and he can’t help. Or maybe he can. “What about being with me.. would that make you feel safer? Not alone?”

You falter a little, staring up at him. “I- you’ve just had almost a week in the jungle.. I doubt you want to be around anyone else right now..” You try to use that as an excuse, even though he literally invited you over for dinner.

His heart squeezes again, hearing how you try to deny him. He is tired.. but that’s not a good enough reason for him to not want to be around you. He smiles softly and gives your hand a squeeze, pulling it up to his lips so he can give your knuckles a kiss. “I want to be around you,” he whispers, “I don’t care how tired I am, I’d rather spend time with you.”

Your eyes stare at him, a bit confused but affectionate, cheeks flushing a bit as he kisses your hand. Pressing your lips together, you aren’t sure what to say to that. He smiles back, just adoring the way you look currently. He takes a breath and speaks again, “How about this.. you can spend the night here with me. You can take my bed.”

You shake your head quickly, “I couldn’t kick you outta your own bed.. no.”

“Alright, then we both share the bed.” The solution comes naturally, no fuss about it. “We don’t have to be close if you don’t want to, but.. the fact that you’d be there would help a lot.”

That catches your attention, “It’d.. it’d help you?” Yes, all he needs to do to convince you is say it’d help him as well, make him feel better, and you’ll agree.

Rob nods again, gaze soft. He seems to be able to know this would help him, that having you around in his personal space would make him feel more at ease. Glancing off to the side to consider it, lips pressed together, you nod, looking back at him, “Fine..” You agree softly, “I’ll stay.”

—

So, you two finish the movie, and around nine you both head into his room to get ready for bed. He changes in the bathroom, crawling into bed as he watches you remove your jewelry and flannel. It feels intimate, sharing a space together. His bedroom window is open, letting in a cool breeze and the nighttime traffic sound below.

Climbing into his bed under the covers in just your tank top and skirt, you lay on his bed, trying to get comfortable. There’s a space between you both, but his head is facing you, admiring your features. The dimmed light of a little colored lamp on his bookshelf manages to reach the bed, casting a dull color changing glow over the room. Some light comes from the window, other buildings nearby still awake. But you stare up at the ceiling, feeling.. tense. Not uncomfortable.. but just.. you’re in Rob’s bed.. with him.

He averts his gaze to the ceiling as well, unable to sleep just yet. The thought that’s going through his mind repeatedly is just that.. you’re in his bed with him. He’s feeling so many things in this moment; happiness that you stayed, but also nerves about being so close to you. He shifts slightly, trying to distract himself.

Here you’re both.. safe. Not running for your lives, hiding away in a cave.. just two people who most definitely have some sort of feelings for each other helping to try and ease the trauma you both have.

Eventually though, you succumb to the tiredness, drifting off to sleep.

———————♡

#neil newbon #neil newbon x reader #extinction rob #rob extinction #extinction rob x reader #rob mini series

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