Chapter Text
“Come in.” A tired voice responded to the gentle knocking.
A teenager timidly found her way in, taking extra-care in closing the door without a sound. Nevertheless, the moment his expression softened at her view, she practically jumped into the bed with him.
His limbs grew rigid as she lied next to him, careful not hinder her blond locks with either of their bodies.
Neither uttered a word for the first minutes, as she waited for him to adjust to her presence.
It was unexpected. It was weird. It was relieving in the sense that there was comfort in knowing someone out there would always care.
She felt him tense as her fingers caressed his fresh bandages.
“What happened ?” She murmured, careful not to harm the tender flesh of his wrists.
He heaved a sigh, knowing what she was asking.
"Nothing much, actually. The usual. Already felt like a disappointment to my father, a stranger in my own body, the butt of the joke, really. And then I heard you say that I didn’t have a soulmate to your friends — which was not something I did not tell you not to do, but I thought you were mocking me for what I told you in confidence — confidence as in opening up to you, not expecting it at all to be a secret.” His digits stopped before he picked at his cuticles, which made her simper. “And after, they- They threw Toothless on the road. I knew he had trouble getting up because of his tail. I did the first thing I thought was logical. Not my brightest moment, I’ll admit.”
He repositioned himself with a scoff, gaze drifting to the chair where the black cat slept soundly, paws chasing after dream-preys.
She stared at him a moment, both irritated and endeared by his selfless character. She did not have the heart to berate him, but she would in the future, she promised herself.
His green orbs found her, and with the slightest tilt of his head, she shifted to rest anew on his chest. Before she did, he pushed a strand of hair away, which made her heart flutter in delight.
She never had any reason to prior to that, but she could not help but remark his thoughtfulness, attention to details, and immeasurable care. She regretted not knowing earlier. She regretted not knowing him earlier.
His next inhale was a shudder.
“So when I woke up, I felt more like a burden than anything. And everything came back to me, and I decided not to be a bother anymore. Because that’s what I am ! I’m never where I should be. Anyways, that’s when—” He interrupted himself, noticing her tearful eyes. “What’s wrong ?”
She did not know. They had no soulmate link anymore and yet she swore she could feel his pain through his words. Her heart felt shredded with each disdain and evident neglect of his own person.
She sat up, her fist landing heavily on his crane.
“That’s for scaring me.”
She hiccupped through another hit.
“That’s for trying to leave me on my own like in your stories.”
He caught her wrist, preventing the third one.
“We didn’t know each other. So why would you have cared ?” His voice faded. “Why do you care now ?”
- I don’t know. I just do !” She admitted, calming down at his touch, his very real and warm touch. “I care. And I want to get to know you better once you’re out.”
He searched her face, green irises tracing her features. His mouth contorted in a thin line as he crashed back on his pillow, looking dejected.
"I’ll probably do something stupid.” The boy grumbled, clearly doubtful of his abilities if his cute pout was anything to go by.
She cocked her profile to the side, barely keeping herself from smiling.
“You already did.”
His head snapped to her. He gawked at her, as if she had hung the moon and stars for him. Trailing a finger down his palm, she reveled in his unconcealed adoration for her, more apparent by the day. How his lips parted in surprise, how he tensed with concern, how he beamed when she actively listened and inquired more about his passions…
He averted his eyes.
“Should I do something crazy to be forgiven ?”
She bit her lip at the hint of a smile in his tone, at his new found confidence she was able to help him build, and yet that was his own. She loved him, as incongruous as it sounded, but perhaps it was the strength of soulmate bonds.
"Better be crazy amazing.” She soughed, her thumb lingering over his crackled knuckles.
He gulped.
"Totally in my chords.”
Probabilities were already being calculated, gears already working, brain already planning.
And she did not know why, she could not explain it, but she leaned in. A breath away from his skin, her whispered : “Sure is.”, followed by a chaste peck on the corner of his mouth, felt like the most natural thing in the world. As much as her body cuddled to his side.
“I might not believe you just yet.” He confessed, after a moment.
- I know.” She revealed, burying her face in his torso. “Let’s just go at your pace, alright ?”
- Alright.” He exhaled, squeezing her hand back for the first time.