𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 || yanderes x f. reader ||

𝐱. dumbfounded

dumbfounded - speechless with amazement (adjective)

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I looked down at my muddied shoes, an ache beginning to form in my feet as Gabriel and I made our way to the other side of town.

"Do you think we're almost there?" I asked tiredly as I looked back the way we came. I could no longer see the church or Henry's clinic, and I didn't recognise any of the buildings that surrounded us.

"I'm not sure," Gabriel said honestly, "It shouldn't be much longer... I think.."

I groaned, the blazing sun shining down on us harshly, causing me to pull my cloak further over my head. My eyes wandered the unfamiliar land in curiosity. I could hardly tell this was one town as it seemed so different to the streets and scenery I was familiar to; it was cleaner, with less rats scavenging for food on the streets and less children begging for coins; the shops were more fancier too, with much more variety; and the people were also different, dressed in cleaner clothes, with intricate detail and layers of fabric, usually paired with extravagant headwear, carrying themselves pridefully.

Basically, Gabriel and I stood out.

I tried to ignore the burning stares as we continued walking. It seemed each step we took, the more prestigious the town became. A soft gasp exited Gabriel's lips as his hand gently squeezed my arm, and I looked to where his eyes bore.

A giant building stood tall in between other various shops, with glass windows that displayed rows upon rows of books. A smile adjourned on my face at the sight. We slowly approached the entrance, heavy wooden doors looming before us, engraved with symbols and motifs. Gabriel gave me a reassuring smile and we walked in. The moment we stepped inside, a cool hush enveloped us, a stark contrast to the blazing heat outside.

The stares became more blatantly obvious as guards and librarians eyed us suspiciously. We walked up to a large desk that was stationed in the middle of the entrance. A fairly young man looked up from his sheets, looking us up and down through his glasses before speaking.

"You're not permitted to enter this library."

My face scrunched at his cold, emotionless tone and I gripped the golden coin that was hidden in my coat pocket harder. My companion eyed me expectantly and with a sigh, my hand left my pocket, resting on the desk with the coin hidden underneath.

The man looked up curiously and raised an eyebrow. In response, I lifted up a portion of my hand and once I saw his wide eyes, I quickly covered the coin again. The man looked around at the guards who simply stared ahead of themselves.

"Ok," the man spoke softly, "go ahead."

Gabriel thanked the man and I let him take the gold coin, which he eagerly snatched without a second to spare. He gave a nod to the guards and they stepped aside to let us pass.

As we stepped inside my mouth began to hang open. The interior of the library was covered with towering shelves that reached towards a soaring circular ceiling, painted with breath-taking murals.  It had multiple floors, seemingly never ending. The large and vast amount of windows let a warm and inviting light on the rows of neatly organized books. Each section seemed to represent a different era or field of study.

"Let's split up to cover more ground," Gabriel suggested, and I responded with a nod, going in to the right while my companion went to the left.

I walked down rows and rows of books, reading the different labels and picking anything up that could be of any help. I picked up a varied selection of books, ranging from philosophy, religious studies, science and nature, theology, and even common fairy-tales. After a while of scouting, I realised I couldn't physically hold anymore books and left the tightly packed rows and scanned the large amount of seating, which eventually landed on a priest drowning in books. I let out a soft laugh and made my way over. I carefully stumbled, my piles of books swaying and tilting with every step. A curse left my mouth when a couple of books made collision with the ground.

My eyes glanced over my environment, eventually making eye-contact with young man who was guiltily attempting to avoid me. I gave him a pleading look and after contemplation, he eventually placed his book down and slowly trotted over.

"Thank you," I said as he reached down and picked up my misplaced books. He kept them in his arms, his lips quivering before he spoke.

"Do - do you want me to carry them.. for you..?" He spoke slowly and softly, which made me smile. I nodded at his request and he followed behind me. We made our way over, and when I glanced my new companion I found his stare on the book he was holding. I peeped over, seeing it was a book about witchcraftery. My face went a slight shade of pink.
"He probably thinks I'm a weirdo."

My thoughts were cut short at the sound of his gentle voice. "Are you interested in... this?"

"Um, kinda.. I'm just experimenting," I mumbled, gripping the tower of books I was holding harder. A silence hung between the two of us as we continued to inch closer to Gabriel. When we finally made it I released a sigh of relief, dumping the books on the table with a loud bang. The white-haired man followed my actions more carefully and then stood still, his stance unwavering as his stare bore into the books, his gaze travelling through the variety. I gave Gabriel a look, which he returned.

I quickly whipped my head back to the man next to me the sound of his voice again.

"If you.." he hesitated, fidgeting with his fingers, "if you're ever curious about.. that kinda stuff," he pointed at the pile, "or need help.. you can always come to my shop. I'm always open really.. it's right around the corner, near Amber's cafe."

"Thank you.." I expressed with eyes wide, my voice soft while I watched him pull out a small card from him black cloak. My eyes scanned over the letter before I spoke, "Axl?"

"It's Gabe, Axl is my last name."

My mouth formed an O before forming into a smile, grateful. I waved him goodbye as he went to his corner of books before turning around, a new determined look on my face.

"Ok. Let's find me a way home."

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