when i get home, i’m gonna love you so well; please get me out, out of the depths of hell. — sleep talking, indigo de souza
flame reaver! phainon x royal! fem! reader
summary: a man with flames in his veins and a harsh glare set in his eyes continues to haunt your kingdom, blood staining his hands, terrorizing your citizens, and your parents. but what they don’t know is that he visits you as midnight strikes, those same hands caressing you, worshipping you. just how long until this unlawful relationship ends with one of you dead in the other’s arms?
— guys. BEAR with me. let me COOK!!!! I LOVE STAR CROSSED LOVERS inspired by a bot on janitor from the creator yunli but i tweaked some things. requests open:3
warnings: violence, just two people who’re yearning…., mentions of death and murder. no mention of y/n. mentions of reader being “young”, she is at least 24-26, dont make it weird!! slight suggestiveness in some paragraphs.. have not played the new main quest that recently came out with hyacine’s banner….. erm!! yeah!!
he approaches the ornate balcony, heavy metal sabatons brushing against the plush carpet, that faint stench of blood and ashes clinging to his black armor, hints of yellow and blue painted on his plackart— almost chipped off, at this point. the actions were familiar, done every night once midnight struck, the reaver finding himself in the young princess’s bed, silk wrapping around their soft body, juxtaposing his scar laden one. everything was often off— their clothes, the walls he put up, the duties that plagued her.
the only thing that remained a constant was his helmet. one of his last walls the princess can’t seem to tear down, even when all of her is laid down, bare for him. her parents fuss and worry for the consequences of his actions, but all she cares about is the way his lips press against her neck, his hands wandering all over her body, squeezing, worshipping. he was a man who merely destroyed— who did not deserve anything but a slow and cruel death.
so why in the world was this.. princess, this heiress to this large, wealthy kingdom, letting a man like him in her room, in her mind, heart, and body? maybe he was in love. he never thought anything of her. all he saw was kindness. a desperation to shed the responsibilities that hung over her shoulder, and him? he wanted to do things to prove a point— that even the princess was weak when it came to him. that her kingdom was the same as her.
but somewhere along the lines, his goal had blurred, lost in the midst of sighs of ecstasy, deep kisses and an accidental confession, a soft moan of “i love you” as he bottomed out and claimed her. the memories plagued him, even as he continued with his despicable actions.
shaking his head, murmuring in annoyance as he swung himself over the marble railing, his long cloak billowing in the wind. the jet black design of his armor, along with the golden filigree carved in intricate designs gleamed in the moonlight, as if the moon herself was watching upon the interaction, waiting for the day they would be forced to part ways, forevermore.
inside, candles were lit, the scent of lavender wrapping around him, inviting him inside where there, a familiar body was waiting, sat down with her legs carefully tucked underneath her, body wrapped in the finest of silks. his large hands immediately moved to clasp off his armor, all while the heiress waited, her eyes trailing after his movements carefully.
his presence swallowed the space in her vast, beautiful chambers, filled with paintings and trinkets from afar, but tonight was not the night to admire those. tonight, he was to admire her. the soft acknowledgement of the fact that yearning curled around the both of them like an invisible string was something they could not ignore, and it seemed like fate was the one who brought them together.
“you are quite the devoted lover,” he spoke, voice quiet but gruff, the rumble of his voice resonating through him as he finally tugged off the last of his armor. a soft chuckle escaped the princess as he approached, slipping into the bed with her, his hands wandering. her breath brushes against his cold helmet, and he knows. he feels the unspoken plea of what she wants. to see him, to know he’s capable of letting himself be just as vulnerable as she lets herself feel when she’s with him, but he deliberately ignores her.
when their ancient dance finishes, the princess has her head laid on his chest, her hand tracing his scars as he plays with her hair, a quiet sense of fulfillment shared between them. the night is quiet, and a mutual understanding of what he was capable of passed through them every night. he could kill them— snuff their light out like a candle. no knight could match his prowess, and she herself was not skilled enough to defend herself him, but still, she was still. she always was.
“do you ever wonder,” he mused, fingers brushing against her scalp, “if i’ll ever slit your throat before sunrise?”
she blinks slowly, and hums. “.. a valid question. sometimes.” her voice was quiet, tired, but blunt. “you know i’m just as qualified to do the same to you, yes?” and a snicker merely escaped the flame reaver, his eyes rolling underneath his helmet. although he could not push aside that.. feeling of knowing. of slight fear— of acceptance.
“of course you are, princess,” he whispered, lying back, body relaxing for the first time in a while. his hand reaches up and covers her own, not to push her away, but to press it down against his chest, as if to still the very beat of his cursed heart. as if.. to purify it. to purify him. then, another question followed the princess. “why are you doing this?” she whispers, the words hanging in the air. why was he destroying villages, taking lives?
the flame reaver looked up at the ceiling, a breath escaping him. “your kingdom is weak, as wealthy as you all are,” he murmurs, “i take what i want. the gods favor the bold, and i am the boldest. the strongest.” his grip tightens around her hand.
“but i fear you have slipped through the cracks of my.. facade. i have memorized you in every encounter we have. every time you are pained, when you are shocked, guilty.. terrified.” he reaches up to coax her up, to lean her face closer to his helmet clad head. “you tremble. and i know what you must do,” he whispers, his voice just as delicate as her, and he can’t help but want to protect her. now, and again, and everyday after that.
he sees the glimmer of knowing in her eyes, and his large hands reach up to push the metal covering his face up, acceptance coursing his veins as his lips are shown to the princess for the first time. she wastes no time in pressing her own against his, and for the first time in his god forsaken life, he relishes at the feeling of being weak. of being with her. of having himself bare for her eyes, her hands.
he loves her, and only now, he acknowledges it, as his hands grip the back of her head, tangling in her hair as tears stain her cheeks, her hands reaching underneath her pillow, a sharp crystal dagger digging into his skin, piercing right through his heart. but no pain shot through him. only warmth as red liquid seep from his wound, staining her hands, the sheets underneath him, her body wracked with sobs, and for a moment, he wishes this wasn’t the circumstances they were under. that maybe, in another life, he was a prince, and she was still a princess, and they were arranged to wed, to live a happy life.
but life does not go the way a man would want it to be. the flame reaver has learned that from a young age. he parts from her lips for a second, breaths slow, labored. “.. i love you too.”