Keep The Bad Things Out
Randall Kirkland x Matthews reader
Summary: What happens when you're there to witness your fathers death? what happens when Julie's plan to save her father doesn't go quite the way she expects. What happens when Randall almost loses you?
Authors note: This was supposed to be alot shorter and its just for fun.
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You'd been missing in the forest for days, they'd found Jim's body in the barn but no you. Randall was going out of his mind as was your family, You were assumed dead so imagine everybody's surprise when you showed up days later.
Injured but alive.
It was weird having your mother fussing over you at your grown age, she'd practically collapsed against you, hugging you so tight you couldn't breathe sending shooting pain through your ribs but you ignored it. Julie and Ethan joined seconds later, the four of you just hugging.
Your ribs were cracked and you had a nasty head wound that needed stitches as well as other cuts and bruises, you must have looked terrible, not that you had the energy to care. Naturally everybody had questions, questions you couldn't really answer,
How did you survive? What happened out there?
The truth was you had no fucking clue, only that your fathers throat was torn out in front of you, somebody had to told you to run and it wasn't your dad.
You knew there was more but everything seemed blurry and jumbled. The more you tried to focus the more jumbled they became, Even the drawings you'd sketched didn't really seem to make much sense.
Flashes of yellow, a shadow of something or someone swirling in your mind until you felt dizzy and nauseous.
The main thing you remembered was the blood, there was so much of it. You hadn't been there when they'd found your father in the barn but you didn't need to see him, deep down you already knew.
You'd been near inconsolable when you were first brought in insisting something about a man in the forest.
Irate and alert, It took days for you to settle. Randall had helped, listening to your jumbled thoughts as you tried to process what happened. Marielle kept close by your side ready to restrain you if you couldn't be calmed but luckily you'd settled.
You'd asked to leave more than once, your mom wanted you back at the house but Kristi and Marielle refused to let you go, insistent they keep you in so they could monitor you, given the seriousness of your head injury.
Randall had been there since you were brought in silent but vigilant. He didn't prod he was just there, bringing you things you needed and making sure you ate enough.
You didn't speak after the first day sitting and sketching the horrors your mind kept unravelling piece by piece.
Not until the fourth day when you finally started to feel like a person again.
It's been 6 days since you were brought into the clinic Kristi officially told you that you were officially discharged so you could come and go as you pleased.
You'd laughed thanking her, Randall didn't seem as enthusiastic, marching past you both without a word Kristi had given you a strange look that you ignored mostly shrugging your shoulders at her in response. Giving him a little time before you went to find him you sat looking out the window for awhile thinking about what your life had come to.
Your mother couldn't deal with anything and Julie was crying out for attention, you felt so guilty being away from her but you'd make up to her soon. Ethan was quieter than you remember the poor kid had been through so much, you wish you could do more to protect them and you would no matter what it took.
Sometime later you come across Randall setting a bed up in the corner of his space, wondering what the hell he was doing.
Your face must have given away what you were thinking because he answered your unasked question so quick you wondered if he could read minds.
"Its for you." He catches your eyes searching briefly he must have found what he was looking for because his face relaxes, a look of understanding passes between you and you finally get what he's trying to say without saying.
He doesn't want you to leave.
Randall was a man of few words even before and you weren't in the mood to tease him about his newfound clinginess.... just yet.
You accept the space quietly and that's where you stay mostly occasionally alternating between nights with your family and here.
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The only sounds that fill the room are the scrape of your furious pencil against your sketch book and that obnoxious ticking clock.
You resist the urge to watch as Randall gets himself ready, keeping your eyes glued to your book.
Randall had been asked to go up to colony house, to help with something or other you couldn't remember.
You could see he didn't really want to leave eyeing you suspiciously, scrutinising for signs you weren't doing as well as you pretended to. It was a bad habit he picked up on when you first met quickly learning you weren't the type to be honest about how you were feeling.
"I'll be fine Randall Kristi and Marielle are right upstairs." You feel the weight of his gaze against the side of your face but you don't look at him, Keeping your eyes glued to your work.
He doesn't move.
"You gonna stand there all day or are you going to go be a helpful member of the community." You snipe playfully.
You risk a glance up catching the quick upturn of his lips "I won't be too long." It sounds like a promise.
"I'll be counting down the minutes." The sarcasm in your tone has him rolling his eyes, you hear the door creak, thud of his boots fading as he leaves.
But seriously you might do that, time moves so slow these past few days sometimes it feels like its stopped.
You sit sketching a man you thought you had seen in the forest until your hand cramps and pencil snaps with the force.
Marielle comes in sometime later to check on you but you catch her scanning the room as if looking for something.
"Where's-"
"Colony house." Finishing before she's fully asked.
"Surpised he agreed to go he's been pretty.. attentive." Something in the way she says the last word catches your attention, careful like an angler spinning a line.
"I don't think they left him much choice." She sits down on the end of your bed, and you take the time to really look at her, she looks like she hasn't been sleeping but you suppose nobody really sleeps here.
There's a beat of silence before Marielle breaks it
"How are you holding up?"
"Been better but I've definitely been worse so can't complain."
"That's good, you remember anything?" You shake your head wordlessly, it wasn't a total lie nothing you remembered really made sense.
Knowledge comes at a cost. The words make your skin prickle you remember hearing them but not who spoke them. The same words painted next to your father's corpse so you'd been told.
An awkward silence falls, your eyes fall to your lap trying to think of something to fill it.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked." You catch the guilt on her face as she stands to leave, shaking your head you move to stop her.
"No, its okay honestly I wish I had some answers. I just remember being so scared and feeling like I had to run." She stops at your words eyeing you thoughtfully.
You think she's going to press more but instead she changes the subject asking you about your life before catching you by surprise, you answer and ask the same in return. Soon your lost in conversation and time finally seems to be moving again.
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You'd gotten so lost in conversation, you almost forget how close it is to getting dark a pit starts to form in your stomach remembering Randall isn't back yet but you push it down, you doubt after what happened last time he'd be stupid enough to get caught outside twice.
"You knew him before right? Randall? What's his deal has he always been.."
"An asshole?" Marielle snorts shaking her head.
"Difficult." She offers.
You both chuckle.
"Kinda, I mean I know Randall can be.. challenging, he's confrontational, rude and constantly grumpy but that's just what he wants people to see. It's a defence, comes from how his dad raised him but underneath all that bullshit is someone selfless."
"He sounds pretty special." You can tell the way you've described him surprises Marielle but you're sure it would most people.
"He is but It's... hard being with somebody that devoted its easy to feel like you don't have anything to offer them. Like you don't deserve them."
A knowing look settles in her eyes
"I know that feeling." You feel she's about to say more but you don't get chance to find out.
"What feeling?" You both jump, heads snapping towards the door, Randall stands, hands resting on his belt watching.
"The feeling of irritation when someone eavedrops on a conversation not meant for their ears." You sass.
"That anyway to greet the person who helped nurse you back to health." He takes a few steps into the room, slinging his jacket on the end of his bed carelessly. His cheeks are pink and there's a slight sheen of sweat on his skin he looks warm.
What was he doing up at that house?
"Florence Nightingale herself would be weeping tears of pride if she could see you right now Randall." He snorts
Marielle heads for the door leaving you to your back and forth "I'll talk to you later." You give her a brief smile eyes flickering back to Randall.
"Long day?"
"Too long. They found a door at colony house, in the basement we were trying to get it open." Panic seeps into your bones he must have seen it because he rushes to comfort you.
"It didn't open, was completely jammed I doubt its opening any time soon."
"But it will open at some point." He doesn't have an answer for that, the both of you look at eachother wordlessly until you cant take the sound of that stupid clock anymore.
"I'm gonna change." You stand abruptly taking your sleep stuff to the bathroom, you take a long shower losing track of time scrubbing your skin under the shower until it stings and your brain stops spinning.
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The bedroom is almost entirely dark when you get back except for one light still shining above, Randalls already in bed looking at the ceiling with one arm tucked behind his head. You stand frozen by the edge of your own mattress shifting your weight from one foot to the other.
"Thought you'd gotten lost." You can understand his concern the sun had set and those things were out, nobody enjoyed solitude during the dark anymore.
"Lost track of time." You dont believe it and neither does he but he leaves you be for which you're grateful.
You stand awkwardly at the end of your bed hesitating, your mind wondering back to before this nightmare when you'd sleep next to him comfortable in his presence you needed that now but didn't feel you had the right to ask.
"Randall?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I sleep in your bed tonight?" Your voice sounds so small and you hate it. You brace yourself for him to say no, even though realistically he's never really told you no before. Instead he unfolds his arm from behind his head, gesturing wordlessly for you to join him.
You move embarrassingly fast, rushing to close the distance. You flick off the light plunging the room into near darkness and climb under the covers next to him. The sudden warmth of the blanket causes goosebumps to prickle against your skin, without a word you slide closer until your head is pressed against his chest savering the warmth of him.
Closing your eyes you can hear the steady, beat of his heart drumming against your ear. Calming your racing mind, his arms come up to wrap around your back the weight grounding. As they smooth up and down, tracing slow, soothing lines over your back, you sigh. He shifts slightly pulling you a fraction closer tucking his chin over your hair, you fall asleep like that feeling content for the first time in a long time.
