Various Array of One Shots ✔️

Saved >> August W. Booth (Pinocchio) X Reader

Title: Saved

Paring: August W. Booth (Pinocchio) X Reader

Warnings: sprained ankle and a little angst

Spoilers: yes. make sure you're up to date with the show to read on

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The curse had lifted - you, ______ ______, a not yet initiated fairy, had regained your memories of the Enchanted Forest and of your more than friendship with Geppeddo's son - yet you couldn't find your friend anywhere in the town.

"Has anyone - has anyone seen Pinocchio?" You called out to the masses of the remembering people of Storybrooke.

You ran to Ruby and Granny, or rather, Red and her grandmother, and asked the same question.

"No, _______, I haven't," Granny frowned, "but I'll ask around for you."

You found Dr Hopper and then found yourself in the hospital, where you saw the congregation around little Henry Mills' bed. You held back, watching the small pandemonium unfold between Regina - the Evil Queen - and Emma Swan. After the kerfuffle, you approached your mentor Blue, and questioned her.

"Blue," you caught her attention, "have - have you seen Pinocchio?"

The fairy smiled sadly, shaking her head. "No, I'm sorry, ________, I haven't." She frowned slightly, and added in a smaller voice, "and if you do, please, _______, consider not becoming an official fairy."

You frowned. "I'm not a good fairy?"

"No, it's not that," Blue laughed, "I believe I see a future with yourself and Geppeddo's son," she made clear, "I see happiness with the pair of you."

You thanked her, but as soon as you were going to leave, heard a little voice chirp, "Pinocchio? You're looking for August, right?"

You turned to the room and its inhabitants. "August? The travelling man? Is he -,"

Little Henry in the bed nodded hastily, ignoring his mom's pleas for him to stay still in the gurney. "Yeah, that's him. He's pretty cool. But last I saw him he wasn't up for any action." Henry beamed a bright smile as if he hadn't just been in a comatose state less than twenty minutes ago.

"Th-thank you," you stammered, "I'm glad to hear he made it over here," you nodded, and gesturing to the door, added, "I've got to go find him!"

At this, you fled the hospital room, passing a fleet of nurses and finding the car you owned, a little matte (f/c) Chevy tray back truck, you began driving around Storybrooke, looking for answers.

You drove by the cannery, the school, Regina Mills' house, the Main Street, the mines - nothing. And all the people when you asked about 'August' instead of Pinocchio frowned and said they hadn't seen him of late.

"I'll tell you if I see him," they all said, but then again, you couldn't blame them; they too were all looking for lost loved ones displaced by the curse.

A last resort - and unsure of why the idea had even come to you in the first place - you started your engine and drove out toward the town line, into the forest area. Why he'd be out here, you had no idea, but following your gut feeling, you persisted.

The shrubbery of the suburban area turned gradually into shrouds of forest, a mix of greens and browns and the smell of pine.

"Pinocchio!" You yelled from your window into the forest from your car's window. A flutter of wings of startled birds was the only response. "August?" You tried again.

Nothing.

Pulling to the side, you locked your car and delved into the trees, calling out to your old friend every so often. Unknown to you, the sun had begun to set, and with daylight fading fast, so was your hope and trust in that intuition you had.

"Aug-," you called out again, but was cut short as you slipped down an embankment and slid down quite painfully down into the bowls of the forest. You gasped in pain, unable to look anywhere other than your leg, which you knew wasn't supposed to look that twisted. "Oh no," you whispered. "Oh no, oh no, this is bad, this is so bad," you trembled. It was getting dark, you were alone in a forest in Maine, you still hadn't found August -

"_________? Is that - is that you?"

A shrill scream came from you before you realized who was there. In the dim light, you realized who it was; even from the restricted movements you remembered he had before Blue had granted Geppeddo's wish.

"Pinocchio?" You gasped through the wave of nausea your leg gave you; the adrenaline and shock must've worn out. "Yeah, it's _______. You grew up," you smiled.

"I go by August now," he shrugged. "And same goes for you, _______, you look different too...your leg looks awful, can I help at all?"

You nodded. "I - I think it's just a sprain. Or something. I don't suppose you have a place where I can rest it? Gosh, you got older Pino-August." You repeated, clenching your teeth though the pain.

"You came looking for me, ______," August thought aloud, stiffly scooping you from the heap on the ground into his wooden arms. "You're the first to do that."

You laughed, but it was more like a whimper. "Emma Swan broke the curse, and I - everyone - has remembered," you told him, groaning, "Aughr," you whimpered, closing your eyes, "your-your father will ask about you, August, he misses you."

August chuckled. "So do I."

You opened your eyes, frowning up at August. It was then you noticed he had brought you into a small room - a caravan trailer, and was in the process of laying you as softly as he could on the couch. "Why don't you go to him?"

He was silent. "I can't go to him like this, _______, it'll break his heart. I didn't do what I was supposed to, and that was to take care of Emma. It's justice. I'll stay here."

You could understand. It was like that time when you had stayed a month from Blue and all the other fairies as a child because you had accidentally enchanted a mechanical nightingale a foreign monarch had bought - and nearly caused his demise.

"I have an icepack, is that what you put on sprains?" August asked.

You nodded stiffly.  "Ye-yeah," you smiled kindly, and when he came back to lay the pack on your sore foot, you latched your hand into his wooden wrist. "August," you whispered.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I never got to say it," you breathed, watching him bend down to your height on the sofa to hear better.

August rolled his eyes. "You don't have to say it for it to be there, ________."

You lifted your hand to cup his face, staring into those eyes you still loved even though he wasn't the flesh and blood boy Blue had rewarded him to be, the boy you had fallen for.

"Well, I do," you smiled, laying your forehead on his, "because you need to hear it, August -,"

"Pinocchio," he added.

"I love you. And I love you even though you're a little stiff these days." You opened your eyes, and seeing him for the first time since you found him to be peaceful, moved toward him to kiss his cheek.

You couldn't sworn the wood looked like skin for a second.