The Maze Runner Imagines

Gally [23]

 When Alby's decision was finally made and Y/N was told to take a month off from being a runner, Gally was the first to speak up and offer her a place amongst the builders.

After a heart-shaking encounter with a griever in the maze and the resulting injuries, Y/N was told she needed time to heal. But she wasn't willing to sit around staring at the map, slowly losing her mind. So, Alby had brought the keepers together to decide where Y/N would fit best for the short time being.

He had never looked to her when he spoke in the council hall, but he did his very best to persuade Alby to have her join the builders. Y/N had never seen Gally work so hard to convince his leader of something. He argued she would be an asset to the builders for her drawing skills and he assured that being a runner, she'd be plenty strong enough to manage whatever was thrown at her.

And since then, Y/N had gotten to know Gally a little more each day.

Since she arrived in the Glade and had been quickly absorbed into the world of the runners, she had never spent much time with Gally. Their conversations had always been brief and in passing, but always good. Other than that though, they didn't see much of each other. She always had the strange, passing sense that they both kept an eye on each other but would never admit it. 

Gally had slowly, over the past month, revealed himself to be something Y/N had never expected. To him, there was a kind of gentle and attentive demeanour the showed itself in small, nearly invisible ways. What the others saw was the rough, cold, callous exterior. But Y/N had learned to watch carefully for the moments when his facade slipped. And for all the time she had kept an eye on him when he thought no one was watching, she had begun to find her heart fumbling.

Gally could find himself easily lost in explanations of the new building plans he had which he would ask Y/N to draw out. His hands would motion in the air wildly and his eyes would brighten right up knowing someone was willing to listen to him. Then, he'd apologize for talking for so long but Y/N never minded.

Then there were the mornings when Y/N would watch him read out the days jobs to the builders over breakfast, still tired but nevertheless dedicated and organized. And while standing there, leaning with one hand on the table listening to any questions his builders had with his full attention. He towered over all of the other boys but not in an intimidating, discomforting kind of way. It was more welcoming and friendly.

And of course, then there was his contagious smile which broke free at the oddest of times. But Y/N loved those moments above all because it was obvious that he found some much deserved peace, even if for just a brief moment in time.

She also saw the sadness in him. How he spent many late nights working alone. How he skipped meals just to avoid sitting down with the others. How he never really had conversations about anything other than the operations of the Glade.

No conversations with anyone about anything other than the Glade except with Y/N. It had taken a couple of weeks to get there, but she and Gally finally talked together freely as they worked.

More often than not, Y/N spent the days with Gally. Whether it was drawing or helping with the fine details of building Gally didn't trust the others with, her days work always seemed to centre around where he was. Since that day in the council hall when he'd been the first to offer to take her on as a builder, Y/N was beginning to wonder if there had been something more to it all along.

The two of them were knelt over some thin logs, arranged carefully, as Gally showed her how to wind rope around the joints to secure them. His voice was soft and carried on the warm breeze so naturally it almost felt wrong. As they knelt close together, he never looked up to meet her eyes, focused on his work. But he was tense. Bothered by something, seemingly, more than normal.

"Think things will be alright with one less pair of hands tomorrow?" Y/N asked quietly as they worked. Today was her last day on rest. Tomorrow, she'd be back out in the maze, just hoping she'd make it back for the evening.

Gally's hands seemed to slip on the knot he was tying. He quickly recovered and shrugged. "I think so. What about you, are you ready to go back into the maze?"

Y/N wasn't entirely sure. Sure, she liked running the maze and the reason she did it was just as important. But she would also be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed being a builder, spending her days working and knowing she was safe. Spending her days in the company of someone else instead of having to listen to the droning of her own feet against concrete.

"I guess." She admit halfheartedly.

Gally let out a little huff of defeat. "I was hoping I'd convinced you this was a better job than running."

Y/N stopped what she was doing and let her eyes fall on Gally's face. He was still looking down at his hands as he worked away but his cheeks were redder than normal. She knew better than to ever tease him about such a thing. He was human and it would only cause him to shut down.

"You'd let me stay a builder?" Y/N asked. She was a little dumbfounded but was also curious as to what Gally would say.

The builder cleared his throat and swiped the sweat off of his brow. He glanced at her nervously then away again. "You're the most reasonable shank to work with, so yes."

Y/N knew he was deflecting ever so slightly, but she also knew he was telling the truth. "When was the last time someone switched jobs and Alby allowed it?"

Gally's head shot up, wide eyed. His mouth moved as if to speak but he faltered once or twice before any words came. "You mean—" he realized he'd been looking her in the eyes for what felt like too long. "You mean you'd actually stay?"

"Well, it has been nice." Y/N said. "I didn't realize how isolating being a runner was. Working with you...I don't know. All of this has made me realize how much I miss out on when I'm gone all day."

Gally's stomach dropped and it left an uncomfortable ache in his abdomen. It was one of anxiety and yet excitement fighting for attention. He chewed at the inside of his cheeks as he debated what to do. Eventually, he gave in to what he knew he really wanted. If he had managed that day in the council hall to speak up and suggest Y/N become a builder, then he could do what he was hoping to now.

With unsteady hands, Gally reached up and pushed the girls hair behind her ear. He tried to smile, though he wasn't sure how that really came across on his face with the nervousness hijacking his systems. He couldn't hide behind his walls forever. Now, more than ever, he didn't want to hide behind them. The others in the Glade might never see him in the way he wanted them to. And that was alright as long as Y/N saw him as good. As it seemed, she did. No person who saw him as a monster would have stayed working with him each day for this long.

He gathered all the confidence he didn't truly believe he had. With it, he leaned forwards and found her lips with his own. The shock under his skin reminded him to pull away and when he did, Y/N was staring at him. Not frightened in anyway, but undoubtably shocked. 

"You--"

His smile was too difficult to hold back so he tried to hide it by turning away. 

"I don't know the last time Alby let someone switch jobs," Gally mustered the nerve to speak up. "But if you want to, I'll do everything I can to help convince him. Even if it's just every second day you get to work with us. Once a week, even."

Y/N was still speechless. She regret now, ever so slightly, having waited so long to have gotten to know Gally better. If it hadn't been for that day in the maze, it was highly unlikely she'd be sitting here now with him beneath the trees, the sun making all the freckles on his face more alluring than all the stars in the sky. 

"And if that doesn't work, well," he shrugged. "Please don't disappear."

"I won't," Y/N said quietly. "I promise I won't. I don't want to."

Gally felt like someone finally saw him. He felt like he could finally lay his head down to rest tonight and know that he wasn't alone. He wasn't sure how that day in the council hall he'd ever found the bravery to suggest she help as a builder, but he was very glad now that he did.