Scanned (IQ x Male Reader)

Shields Up

-3rd person POV-

Y/N growled as he was awoken by a rather loud alarm.  Growling more, he tossed and turned on the pull-out couch, trying to drain out the classic rock music blaring in the room.  He finally lost it when a loud boom blared in the music, most likely symbols being played.  However, all Y/N could picture were explosions, which immediately brought him back to the remote beaches of Brazil, and the dreaded Operation: Blood Beach.  Shouting slightly, he threw his pillow at the noise, hearing a crash, this time, noting it as something falling off of a high place, and hitting the ground.  Y/N didn't care for the object, whatever it was.  Right now, he was having a flashback and a small panic attack from it, remembering what had happened on that fateful day.

"Mmmm what?"  IQ mumbled from the bed, slowly sitting up, rubbing her eyes, and stretching.  Looking around, she saw her phone and it's charging pad on the floor, and sighed.  "Again, really?  I need to secure this better"  she mumbled, hopping out of bed, picking both up and setting them back on her nightstand.  It was then she noticed the pillow next to the stand, and put together what must've happened.  "Y/N?  You throw a pillow at-"  she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him, fear in his eyes, and his face full of sweat.  She saw his rapid breaths, and immediately came over to him, kneeling down in front of him, and looking him in the eye.  "Y/N?"  she asked, sweetly.  "Are you alright?"

"Quite"  he replied, sternly.  "I'm gonna shower"  he grumbled, getting up, grabbing a towel and a change of clothes from his bag, and entered the bathroom.  IQ sighed and sat on her bed as she heard the water turn on.  Upon hearing his faint crying, she immediately felt bad for him.  Whatever he was going through, she made it her mission to make him as happy as possible, as she didn't like seeing any of her friends so upset and distraught.  She hoped she wouldn't be too pressing towards him, as she didn't want to ruin any ties she had made yesterday on the tour, where he seemed to hide his pain.  About five minutes later, Y/N exited the bathroom, in a new change of clothes, hair wet, and towel over his shoulder.

"Shower's open"  was all he said before returning to the pull out couch and layed down.

"You know you can talk to me, right?"  IQ asked, walking slowly over to him, making sure not to be too pressing. 

"I know"  came the simple reply.  IQ sighed.

"I'll be in the shower, then I'm heading right to the mess hall.  If you need me, I'll be there"  she spoke, a sad tone in her voice.  Y/N listened as the bathroom door closed and locked, and the shower start up.  Once he knew she was in the shower, he hugged his knees to his chest, and cried lightly.  He cried for his old family in the Doom Squad and the Spartans.  He got even more distraught as he thought about how he could've helped them all, how they could've been alive right now, had that dumbass Prime Minister given the OK to fire earlier.  A million thoughts raced through his mind, which gave him a nice headache.  He had tried to hide his pain with IQ yesterday, acting like he was this happy, clout-god of a person, but that wasn't him.  He was an unfortunate soul, the lone survivor of a brutal massacre, of which no one else, from either side, came out alive.  For all intents and purposes, he should be dead.  He didn't deserve to live when all of his squadmates, his family, didn't have that luxury anymore.  He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear a door open and close.  He then felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him from behind, and a bit of pressure on his upper back.  Lifting his head up a bit, he was able to see IQ giving him a loving embrace from behind, and resting her head on his back.

"Monika..."  Y/N tried to speak, but his throat was raw from his crying.  IQ lifted her head enough to lock eyes with him.

"Tell me, Y/N.  What's got you like this?"  she spoke softly, resetting her head on his back.

"Not now"  he spoke, resuming his outer shell.  "Still too fresh".  He heard IQ sigh, but still clung onto him.  He admitted, it was nice, knowing someone cared for him and his well being.  After a few minutes, he felt her remove her arms, and lift her head.  He turned to look at her, and found her starting back at him.  She wore a green POLIZEI hoodie, and a pair of black sweatpants.  He found that he liked her best when she had her sunglasses on her head, raised above her eyes.

"I'm heading down to the Mess Hall.  Come with?"  she asked, motioning him to follow.  Y/N sighed, slowly getting up from the couch, and following her out the door.