💌 Declarations of love 💌
What if the characters are too shy to tell you they love you and decide to write you letters?
🐻Kratos🐻
The fire of the campfire, like a living creature, danced in time with the night rustles, casting bizarre shadows on the faces of the trees. Kratos held a letter in his hand and had read it several times already. “Brother, you wrote this letter, so why are you re-reading it?” Mimir asked with a mocking tone. “Mimir,” the man’s voice expressed a warning. “I’m silent, I’m silent,” Mimir replied with a sneer. Snow crunched in the silence, Kratos tensed and looked towards the forest, but seeing the figure of his son, he relaxed. Atreus was carrying their future dinner. The former Spartan folded the letter and put it in his bag, but did not notice how the letter fell into the snow while he was preparing the prey for cooking. Atreus noticed a piece of paper lying in the snow. “What is this?” the boy asked in surprise and, picking up the letter, unfolded it. “Hmm,” as usual, the God grumbled and looked at his son. “Give this to me,” he said in a stern voice, seeing the letter in Atreus’ hands. “TRAITOR, HOW COULD YOU, I HATE YOU!” the boy shouted and ran into the forest. “ATREUS, COME BACK!” Kratos shouted after his son. “Brother, give him time to come to his senses,” Mimir said, afraid to anger Kratos even more. “It’s dangerous in the forest, we need to find him and talk to him,” standing up, Kratos headed in the direction where the boy had run. “A reasonable idea,” Mimir replied.
Atreus ran, anger clouding his eyes, only one thought racing through his mind. His father had betrayed him, betrayed his mother, just taken and betrayed. How could he do such a thing, how could he love someone else?
Y\N was a wonderful friend. She always helped and supported. They met while returning home after an adventure. Not noticing the pit, Atreus fell into it and injured his leg. While Kratos was getting Atreus out, a girl approached them. “Are you okay?” she asked with concern. “Who are you?” the man said suspiciously, clutching his axe and hiding his son behind him. “My name is Y\N, and your son fell into my trap, I just want to help,” Y\N replied, frightened by such a reaction. “I’m Atreus, this is my father Kratos, and also Mimir,” the boy pointed to the head hanging from the man’s belt. “Very nice to meet you. Let me examine your son’s leg,” Y\N replied. “We don’t need help,” Kratos said, putting his axe behind his back, realizing that the person wouldn’t harm them. “We’re leaving,” he said in a rougher voice. “Brother, the boy can’t walk, he’s injured his leg badly,” Mimir’s voice came. Atreus looked at his father, clutching his leg. Tears were visible in his eyes, but he tried to hold them back. “Fine, you can help, but if you harm him, I’ll kill you without hesitation,” Kratos looked at Y\N, but his gaze showed displeasure. “Okay, I’ll be quick,” the girl quickly crouched next to Atreus and began examining his leg. Taking ointment from her bag, she began applying it to Atreus’ leg. “Now you should feel better, but the pain may persist for a week, here, take the ointment,” Y\N handed the ointment to Kratos. Kratos silently took the ointment, nodding in gratitude to the new acquaintance, and walked towards home. “My father is always so silent and wary. He doesn’t like strangers,” Atreus replied. “BOY,” a voice was heard in the distance. “I have to go. Nice to meet you,” the boy said goodbye to T/I and limped after his father.
Atreus stopped and hit the nearest tree with all his might. While he was trying to calm down, he didn’t notice the draugr approaching him. Turning around too late, the draugr had already raised his sword above his head, preparing to strike the boy. Atreus wanted to grab his knife, but an arrow flew into Atreus’ neck and the draugr fell to the ground. Turning around, Atreus saw T/I. “Are you okay? What’s wrong with your arm, it needs to be treated urgently,” T/I took out ointment and bandages and began to treat the boy’s arm. “I’ll kill your father,” Y\N said, tying the bandage on the boy’s arm. “Why?” Atreus asked in surprise. “How could he leave a child alone in the forest at night?” the girl replied, putting the ointment back in her bag. “I ran away,” the boy replied guiltily. “What happened between you and your father?” Before she could finish, footsteps were heard in the forest. Y\N took the bow and aimed it in the direction of the sounds. Kratos came out of the forest. “So what happened between you?” Y\N asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Kratos and Atreus looked silently at Y\N. “A small family quarrel,” Mimir’s voice was heard. “We need to go. Follow me,” Kratos ordered, looking at his son, not paying attention to Y\N.
As soon as they disappeared behind the trees, Kratos stopped at an old oak tree. He turned to Atreus, and an unusual vulnerability for him was visible in his eyes. “Don’t you trust me, son?” Kratos said quietly, not looking at Atreus. “How can I trust you, father?” Atreus’ voice trembled. “You say you love her, but Mom…” Kratos slowly turned to his son, his gaze was firm, but pain was visible in the depths of his eyes. “Brother, love doesn’t always come when we expect it. But that doesn’t mean your father betrayed your mother. Her memory is always with him, just like yours,” Mimir replied, trying to calm the boy down. “How can you say that? He… he just wants to replace her!” Kratos took a step forward, his voice became softer. “No, son. Your mother will always remain in my heart. But life goes on, and I can’t live in eternal mourning. I have to learn to love again to become better for you.”
Several days later, Atreus stood in front of the door. His hands were shaking slightly as he knocked. The door opened, and Y\N appeared in front of him. “Hi,” he said quietly. “I… I brought you something.” He held out a folded sheet of parchment. The girl took it with bewilderment. “It’s from my father,” Atreus continued. “He wrote this for you. ”She unfolded the letter, and her eyes filled with tears as she began to read.
Y\N, I’m not used to writing letters. My hands were made to destroy, not to create. Twice I lost those who were dearer to me than life. Twice the world around me collapsed, turning to ashes. And each time I thought my heart had died with them. My first wife… Her laughter rang like a bell. She taught me to believe in miracles. And the second… She was like a flame — bright, hot, indomitable. They gave me children — my precious children. I destroyed one unknowingly, but the other… He is my salvation, my hope, my living fragment of the past. I was afraid to love someone again. But when I saw you, I realized my fear had come true. I know you think I’m cold and cruel. Maybe it’s true. The world I live in has taught me to be that way. Every day I looked death in the eyes, and it changes a person. Makes him harder than stone, more ruthless than ice. I’ve killed many. I’ve taken lives from others. But you see in me not only a ruthless killer, but also a man tormented by the pain of loss. You know, I often think about how things could have been different. Maybe I was too hard on those I loved? Maybe I should have told them about my feelings more often? But now I have you, and I don’t want to make the same mistakes. My son looks at you with admiration. He feels the same as I do — you’re special. I don’t promise you a quiet life — my path is too dangerous for that. But I swear to protect you until my last breath. Let me prove that even from ashes one can be reborn. Let me show you that my heart still knows how to love — deeply, sincerely, without reservation.
Atreus watched her, and for the first time in a long while, there was no anger in his heart. He realized that love was not betrayal, but a new chapter in life that his father had found to move forward.