Gacha x Reader {Request Closed!}

Reed Pipe (Again)

An update was long overdue.

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I

t was yet another simple day at the orphanage. You and your mother, the caretaker of the orphanage, were playing alongside the kids and their favourite game.

As you stepped out of the game to take a walk around the grounds, you noticed a boy in a grey hood. When he saw you, he started to make a run for it.

"Hey! Wait!"

You grabbed the hood of his shirt, revealing the boy's scratched-up face. You gasped and immediately knelt down to your knees.

"My apologies, Your Majesty! I-"

His eyes widened as he shushed you and brought you to your feet.

"No, no, no! Don't say that! You see, I'm not supposed to be here."

He chuckled slightly, averting your eyes. "Actually, I've never really met anyone my age. So I thought I might as well see the world as it is."

You nodded slowly. "Alright, then. I'll let you stay."

That day, you had fun with Reed playing games along with the other orphans.

Not long after, the kingdom was beseiged by a neighbouring country and the royal family was said to have been either slain or sold off to the pleasure of the enemies.

But in trying times, you still had to make a living.

As the years passed, your fingers learnt to dance with the needles to craft fashion statements of the dynasty. Interwoven in the comfortable clothes that flowed like water were oriental designs accredited fashion designers claimed 'mixing the present with future'. Soon after, you were the choice tailor for noblewomen.

Of course, you never let go of your roots. You fashioned comfy clothes for the children of the streets and donated food and money to children and your mother (who still ran the orphanage) respectively.

One day, you were working late to spruce up the designs on a wedding dress for the to-be Queen when you heard the sound of leaves crinckling. Immediately alert, you reached for your scissors and got into a defensive stance. There was no point in calling out, this wasn't a stupid Home Alone horror movie and you weren't a stupid horror protagonist.

"(Y/N)..?"

A roughed-up redhead stumbled into the light of the lantern, revealing a scratched-up face of the once-was Crown Prince. You gasped and lowered the scissors, eyes glued to the blade in his hands. So this is what became of His Majesty.

"Reed, what happened to you?"

He put a finger to his lips, signalling for you to be quiet. The sound of men shouting and heavy footsteps became louder, almost as if they were outside your house, before becoming softer.

He sighed in relief. "It's a long story. But for now, I just need a place to rest. Just for a short while. Please?"

He pouted, causing you to sigh and give in. "Alright."

He collapsed on the floor, coughing out a bit of blood and exhaled. "That was close."

You stood rooted to the ground. "...Do you need medical assistance?"

"Oh, this? I'll be fine. I always keep a kit on me."

He shrugged the question off, wiping his mouth with what was supposed to be the sample cloth of the queen's clothing. It'd take days to get that bloodstain off, for crying out loud. The more time passed by, the less you were liking the 'new' Reed. You awkwardly continued with your work as Reed continued to tend to his wounds.

Just as you were finishing, Reed called you again. "Um, (Y/N)? Can you...help me?"

Turning around, you saw Reed lifting his shirt to expose a shallow cut on his torso. In the dim light of your bedside lamp, you could make out the faint outline of his head turned away slightly, averting his eyes.

You approached and knelt in front of him, fingers lightly touching his wound. He winced and tensed his body as pain shot through him. Taking the rag from the pail of water Reed had set up, you pressed lightly and started to clean the wound. As you worked on the wound, you realised how it brought back memories of him in the orphanage.

"It hurts!" Reed complained.

"Of course it does, you scraped your knee on the ground. But if we don't clean it, it'll be infected. No worries, it'll be over soon."

"O-okay, (Y/N).."

This time was just like the past, except... why was Reed making so many moaning sounds?

"Too rough, (Y/N)."

You snapped out of your reverie, glancing up to see Reed sitting very straight and with flushed cheeks.

"A-ah! Sorry, Reed."

After another long pause, punctuated by deafening silence, the wound was finally bandaged.

"Alright, Reed. I'm done." You said, refusing to look up.

"(Y/N), look up please."

You ignored him and continued to busy yourself with the spare bandages.

"(Y/N), look up."

You slowly moved your head to face Reed, whose eyes were now piercing. In that moment, the gravity of the situation truly hit you. You were sheltering the true heir of the kingdom whose head was worth a fortune. Helping him, even just for a night, could be considered treason. And surely he would understand that you were working in some way with the current king. Would he hate you for it?

Trembling as fear slowly spread through your body like poison, you realised that this was nothing like that childhood memory in the past. And in that moment, you wished you hadn't let him in.

"(Y/N), hey. Don't cry. I just wanted to say thank you." Reed said, hugging you while also being careful not to further worsen his injuries.

You wiped your tears away-when did they start to fall, anyway?- and looked at him. Seeing your puffy eyes, he pinched your cheek and replied, "You really never changed, did you? You're such a worryrat!"

As he cracked a grin, you still saw that boyish innocence which lasted from then till now.

"Your Majesty, really is a caring person.."

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It's been so long since I did this again! We're back in business! Wheeeee~~!