•||Maze runner •||• Imagines & Preferences ||•

Huddled close - Gally

“It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Gally holds you close, his grip firm, all but refusing to let you out of his sight. He races through the grass, a few other Gladers following behind the two of you, Gally’s grip tight on your wrist. It isn’t painful, just firm, and truthfully, you barely even notice with how fast your heart is racing and how quick your feet are moving beneath you.

Gally seems to have a clear destination in mind. The other Gladers didn’t think he was all that smart given that he was a builder, more muscle then brain, but you knew he was tactical and analytical and he put thought into every action he took when the choice mattered. It was why you trusted him wholeheartedly and why you knew that he would find you the safest place he possibly could.

You don’t question him; simply follow blindly behind him, leading him pull you every which direction until you settle before the box that still hadn’t gone down since Teresa’s appearance. Once at a halt, Gally glances back at you, meeting your eyes for the briefest of seconds, before glancing behind you as the few other Gladers surround the both of you.

They jump into the box without hesitation, but you wait for Gally’s lead. As his hand falls on your lower back, gently but hastily guiding you forwards, you heed to his instructions without fault, jumping into the box and almost instantly turning back to him, antsy for him to follow in after you. Gally does, however, he grabs the gates of the box first, pulling them down with the help of another boy until you’re all completely caged in.

The moment you are, Gally turns to you, taking you in his arms and pulling the both of you into a corner. He covers your body with his own, using himself as a shield as he signals everyone to stay silent, the sound of loud, banging footsteps growing closer and closer.

You stifle the whimper that threatens to leave your lips, pressing your hand firmly against them as the Griever barrels over the top of the gate. The Griever doesn’t stop, doesn’t pause, it completely misses everyone inside of the box as he runs by, managing to shake it just a bit, but not enough to alert it of your presence. Everyone stays eerily still for moments longer, fearing that it’ll come back, that there’s no way it could’ve not seen you, or that another one will come along.

But nothing. You don’t hear nearing footsteps. You can hear the distant screams of them from afar, or your friends running around, trying to find safety.

You pull back at that, enough that you can glance up at Gally and meet his eyes. With a shaky hand, you grip onto the front of his shirt, the both of you still closely huddled together, his hands around your waist, as you frown up at him. “Gally,” you whisper, voice barely audible. None of the others really hear you, and Gally only does because of how close the two of you actually are. “What’re we going to do?”

Gally hesitates, glancing up and peering through the gate before turning back to you. With a sigh, he shakes his head. “I don’t know,” he says simply, his grip tightening on you slightly in response. “But it’ll be okay, I promise. I’ll keep you safe.”

“What if they–”

“Shh! Shh!”

If it hadn’t been for Gally, you wouldn’t have heard the approaching Griever, too lost in your own panic. If it hadn’t been for the hand he’d pressed against your lips, effectively silencing you, you could’ve gotten everyone killed.

Your eyes fall shut, feeling your heart pound madly against your chest as the box shakes once against in response to the rapid weight of a Griever. However, this time, it stops, just halts right on top of all of you. You feel your muscles tighten, pressing your head into the crook of Gally’s neck as you pray for it to leave, but mentally prepare yourself for what you think is the inevitable,

Seconds feel like minutes and it feels like eternity waiting for the Griever to just do something. You’re petrified still, so much so that you couldn’t even move if you wanted to. You’re terrified that you’re going to die, that this is it and that despite all that you’ve endured these past two years to survive the maze and maybe, just maybe get out, this is it.

But then, it leaves. Just scurries off.

A collective round of gasps of relief echo around and finally Gally pulls his hands back from your mouth, pulling your eyes on him. He uses his now free hand to brush back some of your hair and tuck it behind your ear, leaning his forehead against your own.

“I’ll keep you safe.”