→ Aemond Targaryen x Targaryen!OC [Eleany Targaryen]
✦ Sinopsis: Eleany desciende a lo profundo de lo prohibido para salvar a su hermano.
✦ Advertencias: Mención de desnudos y sexo / ¿Hurt? / Confort / Fluff / Relación familiar/platónica.
✦ Palabras: 1563
✦ Nota: ¡Comentarios, likes y reblogs son muy apreciados! ♡
El verano llega y las calles en Desembarco del Rey se tiñen de calurosa actividad, el alcohol fluyendo tanto como el sudor en los habitantes interesados en pasar un buen rato. Amigos, parejas y solitarios cruzan la ciudad omitiendo a la joven e inexperta figura que se escabulle entre la multitud. Las pupilas agitadas y piernas temblorosas delatan lo ajena que es a ese ritmo de vida, ruidos y olores abrumándola mientras intenta apegarse al objetivo inicial.
—Permi… —empezó a decir cuando llegó a un bloqueo alrededor de un escenario improvisado, aunque el bullicio impidió que su cohibida voz sonara.
—Muévete, mierda —gruñó un adolescente antes de empujarla.
Eleany cayó y se sorprendió por la fuerza con la que chocó el suelo, asustada mirándolo y notando que le veía desdeñoso antes de agresivamente abrir paso. Rápido acomodó el pañuelo que ocultaba las mechas platinadas y tomó postura, con precaución sorteando la gente y frenando cuando observó a quienes rastreaba entrar a una casa de placer.
El estómago dolió e inmediatamente dudó la continuidad del plan, ya que ignoraba el rango etario permitido, la seguridad existente o si el género femenino era bienvenido. Las incógnitas se mezclaban con la ansiedad y engendraron el pánico, en un segundo empezando a jadear como si hubiera corrido desde la Fortaleza Roja. Se abrazó por el helado escalofrío que la bañó y retrocedió un paso, pero el recuerdo de su hermano la detuvo de huir y cargar con la culpa de haberlo abandonado.
Inspiró profundo y se esforzó en mantener el control como tantas veces su madre le enseñó, a los minutos permitiéndose avanzar y espiar la puerta abierta de par en par. Con alivio apreció que la custodia consistía de un único guardia ubicado en una vieja silla de madera, el cual expresaba absoluto desinterés al permitir que los clientes ingresaran sin siquiera revisarlos.
Aquella actitud envió un rayo de esperanza y, en un golpe de adrenalina y falsa confianza, anduvo hasta el interior.
—¡Alto!
El grito le cerró la garganta y giró pensando que la monotonía fue un acto para engañar a ingenuos como ella, pero el adulto frenó cualquier acción cuando vio el color de sus ojos.
—¿Sucede algo? —preguntó, sinceramente confundiéndose cuando él regresó a la posición original.
—Nada. Continúe.
Asintió sin animarse a indagar la razón del cambió y descendió por los escalones, en el apuro trastabillando un par de veces.
Una vez allí, el ambiente que la recibió fue mucho peor de lo que su inocente mente hubiera llegado a imaginar. Cuerpos semidesnudos vagaban y se enredaban en actos de absoluto pecado, risas, conversaciones y gemidos mezclándose en una sinfonía que la alteraba hasta lo más profundo. Tragó y desvió los ojos sin saber dónde enfocar, ya que cada sector era ocupado por clientes y espectadores que perversamente sonreían si enlazaba miradas.
—¿Estás perdida? —inquirió una de las trabajadoras, al inclinarse logrando que ambos senos colgaran a centímetros del rostro.
Las mejillas infantiles imitaron el fuego y por reflejo negó, pero a su vez separó los labios dispuesta a obtener información.
La señora elevó ambas y dubitativa miró hacia un costado.
—Reside al fondo, trajo un visitante, por lo que hoy no debe ser fastidiado.
—No interrumpiré —prometió, en eso distrayéndose al ver como un adolescente bastante desaliñado se acercaba—. Hasta luego —despidió queriendo evitar cualquier contacto masculino.
—¡Niña…! —llamó con cierta urgencia, pero enseguida fue asaltada por las necesidades del chico.
Sin mirar atrás avanzó y cuidó de no pisar ninguna extremidad, con desagradable tensión omitiendo cuando alguien intentó agarrarla del tobillo. Colocó una mano en el estómago y suspiró pesado, a la fuerza obteniendo clarificación explícita a cada pregunta del tema que sus profesores a propósito evitaban.
—¿Cómo te gustan?
La inconfundible voz de Aegon la sacó del ensimismamiento y rápido volteó en dirección al sonido. Expectante se sumergió en aquel eterno laberinto de pieles y finalmente halló el tesoro que tanto anhelaba: Aemond.
De pie y con la cabeza gacha, el joven oía como el primogénito de la familia llamaba a distintas prostitutas para que eligiera a la que más le gustaba en un supuesto regalo de cumpleaños. Reía mientras bebía y era un claro contraste con el menor, quien se mantenía ausente en una postura que no señalaba alegría alguna.
Eleany inspiró desde un rincón en penumbras e intentó averiguar cómo sacarlo sin que Aegon sospechara, en eso recordando los aretes que escondía bajo el pañuelo. Eran de oro y poseían pequeñas esmeraldas, con seguridad deduciendo que alguien la ayudaría si los ofrecía.
—¡Tú! —llamó la mujer de antes limpiando el bálsamo rojo que se desparramaba fuera de los labios.
Saltó en el lugar y observó espantada ante la posible reprimenda, pero entonces comprendió que la fortuna le acompañaba.
—Hola —saludó ilusionada al encontrar su cómplice.
—No es local para pasear, vamos, te llevaré a… —empezó a decir amagando a tomarla de la mano, pero ella le esquivó.
—Tengo un trabajo para ti, te pagaré —soltó de sopetón y casi sin parpadear.
—¿Disculpa?
Manteniendo el misterio y haciendo un gesto, Eleany la guío atrás de unas cortinas desde donde tenían plena vista de los hermanos.
—Aegon está presionando a aquel chico a escoger a una de tus compañeras y yo solo quiero llevarlo a casa —explicó en volumen bajo—. Necesito que te acerques, hagas que te siga y lo conduzcas al pie de las escaleras principales.
—¿De qué manera? No sabe quien soy, desconfiará —dijo, en el proceso usando un dedo para mover la tela y atestiguar como el mayor pedía otra jarra de vino.
Realizando una pausa, Eleany miró el suelo y formuló un código que lo intrigara lo suficiente para aceptar.
—“Vhagar aguarda, sigue la corriente y te ayudaré a salir” —indicó, la mención del preciado dragón de seguro logrando el cometido—. Asegurate que Aegon no escuche.
La mujer frunció el ceño y lentamente cruzó los brazos, por primera vez luciendo seria e intimidante.
—¿Cómo piensas pagar?
—Oro y esmeralda. Te daré el par cuando lo traigas a mí —prometió, en el proceso enseñando uno de los pendientes.
—¿Es real? —cuestionó asombrada.
—Absolutamente —validó, los dedos cerrándose y ocultando la joyería—. ¿Aceptas?
Conectaron miradas y el resto del labial rojo se estiró en una gatuna sonrisa, provocando que Eleany imitara la mueca y entregara el aro.
—En unos minutos estaré en la entrada —anunció antes de guardar el elemento y salir hacia los Targaryen.
Desde el escondite la niña observó como se acercaba y adelantaba a las trabajadoras alineadas, en un andar sensual saludándolos e inclinándose al hombro del menor. Aegon rió y comentó algo que no llegó a identificar, pero no analizó más al enseguida regresar sobre sus pasos.
Se sentó en un escalón y, aunque tensa, en silencio admitió que estaba aliviada. Acarició sus piernas en un gesto inconsciente para calmarse y miró las interacciones alrededor, la vergüenza dejando paso a la intriga y animándola a aprender. La manera en que el sexo se expresaba difería en cada pareja o grupo, en algunos notándose que las mujeres no disfrutaban y fingían por dinero.
Diferenciar lo falso de lo real no era complicado, pero lo ficticio incluso servía de ejemplo del tema que su madre y las septas de la Fortaleza Roja preferían guardar bajo llave.
—¡Señorita!
Inmediatamente desvió la atención y vio a la femenina acercarse con Aemond, el cual dejó de fruncir el ceño y abrió su único ojo de par en par.
—¿Todo bien? —preguntó mientras se ponía de pie y sacudía el polvo.
—Perfecto, ningún inconveniente —confirmó feliz.
—Me alegro —sonrió en paz—. Escóndete y has como que están juntos, si más tarde Aegon pregunta... dile que terminaron y él se fue —ordenó gentil en el proceso de darle el pago restante.
—Entendido —respondió, sus ojos brillando ante el accesorio.
—No olvides cobrar tu turno —añadió, de reojo notando que el chico daba un paso hacia ella.
Alegre, la mujer aceptó cada detalle y en breves despedidas fue a ocultarse a seguir con el plan.
Eleany encogió los hombros y apretó los labios desviando la mirada.
—Los espié…
—Por supuesto —negó decepcionado.
—Sé que no te gusta, pero no pensé seguirlos hasta que hoy te oí decirle a Aegon que no querías venir —explicó con ligera angustia y pena—. Te veías tan abatido… No podía dejarte.
Aemond quedó pálido y tragó con dificultad, cualquier indignación esfumándose.
—Odias las multitudes y eres miedosa por naturaleza, ¿aún así…?
—Temblé todo el camino y sentí que vomitaría el corazón, pero seguí adelante por ti —confesó entre un leve sonrojo.
El pecho del Targaryen se encogió y, por alguna razón, tuvo ganas de llorar.
—Gracias.
—Siempre podrás contar conmigo —anunció, acto seguido extendiendo un brazo y ofreciendo la mano—. Vamos a casa.
Aemond apreció la luz y el cariño que transmitía comprendiendo que ella lo protegería incluso si debía pelear con sus propias limitaciones. Aquel momento, dentro de la casa de placer, no era más que una prueba a la promesa de cuidarlo, y así su alma fue completamente cautivada.
Con un leve temblor en el labio, entrelazó los dedos y la sostuvo con fuerza jurando que él también haría lo mejor para salvarla de todo mal.
Oh man this part nearly fucking killed any mental capacity i had over the last week (you should see the other guy) probably final part goobers
PART 1 HERE || PART 2 HERE ||
Kieran!Benjicot x f!Reader
Words: 5.2k
Warnings: Blood, Injury, Gore, graphic descriptions of injuries
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO @spider-stark @venomnyx @karlachs-soldier for putting up with my insane ramblings while i took 500000 points of psychic damage trying to write this part difhlrdh
Tags: @nixtape-foryou @roseheart5
***
A swing from behind is all it took to bring you down. Amongst the bleating chaos it was hard to keep one's mind in focus, you were at no fault for that. A yell rips from your throat, but not due to the pain - that came much later - merely from surprise. Body and mind barely register the gash as you plummet into the mud stamped ground, another fallen to join the field of death littered with decimated bodies at the hands of the Green’s Army.
The swordsman, clad in the treacherous sigil of the false King goads you, a reminder of why you even waged this futile plight in the first place. Despite being prone and the bog beneath you seeping into the wound on your back, you do not let up because how could you not go out without a fight.
Distant shouts confirm this, you were on your own, no one was nearby to help you now. Garrus. You think. Where was he? He was only here a moment ago. But you couldn’t think straight. How long had this senseless battle gone on for? Mere moments like the striking of lightning or hours, like a storm brewing? Thank the Gods there were no Dragons to meet, only their cowardly foot soldiers, yet you look into the sky one last moment. No Dragons — only gloomy overcast.
Chest heaving as the pain slowly begins to spread from the wound outward, sharp and hot like the sun had touched you itself.
It would be easier to keep your eyes closed, accept death like one would a beloved and it was difficult to remain awake. Especially hearing the distant call of your brother's voice, you cannot will yourself to go; not yet.
A shaky war cry wrenches from a deep place of emotion, the swordsman while above you to prepare his final blow did not expect such a wordless decree. You will not win. A swift and firm stomp into the knee, buckling it the wrong way knocks him off course with a yelp of surprise. Certain you heard his bones snap or was it the remnants of battle in the distance? Regardless, you rise up and with a dagger unyielding in a firm grip and swipe left, across the neck exposed above his leathers.
Blood soaks you, like a torrential downpour from one of his compromised arteries. His body falls like a tree in the woods, indiscriminate of what it falls on because his body topples right onto yours. The gurgling sounds of him choking on his own blood and clawing at you distract from his limp weight and pressure of being buried beneath bodies.
It’ll haunt you for life, you think, the dying breaths of a man you killed echoing like a deranged symphony.
The pain came in waves, some more intense than others as you lay beneath a corpse, unable to move it off your body. The way your shoulder screams at the slightest movement, there is no room for doubt that the cut is deep, perhaps it was even to the bone.
You stopped calling for help, only until your voice shriveled up. It must have been hours, certainly, the distant sounds of metal clashing had long since ceased, and the only shouting was a mixture of victory and loss. Or was that your brother's voice? Beckoning from beyond the veil? Were you dead? Did mother await you in the whims of the afterlife also?
“Gods be good.” A voice aghast, pulls you from a delirious haze. “Another one!”
It was difficult to open your eyes, despite the dreary grey skies it burned to look up, the boy kneeling over you was smiling with relief, a reassuring hand on your face.
Another voice, further along the field you assumed, drew nearer.
“Send word for more men lad, the wounded will need to be taken back and treated.” That deep punctuating voice, familiar and warm.
“Help me with him first - he's stuck,” the boy grabs the corpse's arm and starts to drag it, the movement only serving to push you deeper into a blanket of mud, sinking you further into the ground and causing you to grit and whine.
“Mordin, leave the boy with me — go.” The command was firm and sharp. Scattering footsteps sloshing in mud indicated his swift departure. Silence followed. Thinking you must have imagined the brief exchange had it not been for a sudden weightlessness. The body that obstructed your movements and inhibited breathing now was moved off you, and you took your first full breath in what felt like hours.
If you simply had not heard him before seeing him, you'd have hardly recognised Benji. Covered head to toe in blood, a stark impression of his notorious namesake witnessed in person. And while this was further proof of how dangerous he was capable of being — his eyes were somber looking down at you.
“Benji,” you wheezed gratefully, with all the strength you could muster to reach out to him, you could barely move an inch.
His eyes widen, recognition flashing across his face and he drops to his knees beside you. It was a safe assumption that he didn't realize it was you under all the gore and viscera. “You were supposed to be in the back lines, what the hells are you doing all the way out here?” He reprimands, eyes flitting over you to inspect your wounds.
“Ambush,” you pant softly, “from the west.” breathing was beginning to get increasingly difficult through the pain. It was deep. His face contorts halfway into panic and guilt, you barely get out an airy laugh, “at least I held onto my sword this time.”
Following his gaze down by your side, your fingers gripped the hilt of the sword with such vigor, it felt like your hand cramped into the position.
His head drops and a bittersweet laugh falls from his lips, “you jest in a time like this? Foolish girl.” Though he did not say the words, the twinkle in his eyes was enough to know that regardless of the outcome he was proud of you.
“It hurts,” you manage to whisper through shaky lips, the silence that followed was louder than the wind that swept across the battlefield. His eyes never leave yours, they search for something, for what, you aren’t sure of but he hardens his resolve and looks up briefly, bottom lip tightly trapped between his teeth.
With a gentle tug, he pulls the dagger from your fingers, they too felt rigid and locked into their grip. Repeating the same motion for your sword and looping them both into his belt. You watch him with care because if you aren’t distracted then the pain will rear its ugly head, which is something you wished to avoid. He unbuckles one of his bracers, yanking hard at the straps before holding it close to you, “bite down on this, I must move you to the others.”
You suck in a breath, eyes partially wide at the thought of being found out due to a measly back wound. Adrenaline or panic, it wasn’t certain but you found enough strength to hold onto his wrist with a vice-like grip, voice shaky through uneven breaths, “find Garrus, he can stitch me up.” With that, your hand relaxes and slips from his wrist, falling slack against your chest.
“Where else would I take you? You dolt,” he smiles, lightheartedly and shakes his brace at you again, a silent push to do as he says.
You relent without further question, trust these days was as valuable as it was rare but you trust Benji — for better or worse. He had kept your secret, trained you personally and now was saving your life. The list of debt you owe the man increased tenfold by the week it seemed. Getting upright was half the battle, though try as he might to conceal his troubled expression upon seeing the wound on your back, he did a poor job of it. It must have been bad.
The pain had soared to such a high intensity, you could hardly remember the journey from battlefield to the safety of your tent… no this wasn’t your tent. Consciousness fleeting as the trees move and the scenery changes; was that the river you could smell? Or was it the lingering scent of death that wafted through the air? Familiar colours of House Blackwood embroidered the interior of the canvas in your surroundings — were you in Benji’s tent?
It held a surprising amount of warmth than you expected, a welcoming embrace disguised as an affirmation that mortal peril was not as close when you were guided by the hands of allies. You awoke on your stomach, needling and sharp pain coursing through the already tender skin of the ugly laceration parted onto you.
“Be still, Little Clover… Just a few more,” Garrus murmurs, his fingers featherlight against the skin of your back. The pressure you felt, merely the piercing of needle and cord, stitching your broken body back together. While painful, the journey ahead for recovery was no doubt going to be longer and harder. Recalling the books and their bountiful knowledge you used to read in the safety of Stylguard, first person accounts of severe wounds rarely acknowledge that pain is often a good sign. You hadn’t lost feeling in either shoulders nor arms, though this was not something you celebrated until much later on in recovery.
“Put me out of my misery,” you grit, a groan expelling from your throat, eyes clamped shut and slightly watering.
His amused chuckles blend together with another, someone else was in the tent – you need not ask yourself who either, “I fear it would make me a dishonourable man to execute another while they are unarmed.” Miscreant, you think, yet smile at Benji’s jab until inevitably wincing as the cord threads through marred flesh. There is a beat of silence but an air of mirth, “you may yet still fight like shit but your aversion to pain is admirable as well as your ferocity. I cannot say the same for the others with less severe injuries.”
You forget yourself, the company around you, because it was easy when Benji was near and scoff lightly, “pain is no stranger for me. None of these men have felt the pain of having a monthly blood, and they would cower at the pain it brings.” Another pause, the amusement in the air ripped from the drop of your words – taboo to speak freely about such delicate and ‘disgusting’ things especially in the presence of men, you clear your throat, “apologies.” But you weren’t sorry and felt as though you shouldn’t have to be. You had heard far worse from the mouths of men during dinner.
Garrus had thankfully finished not soon after, urging you to rest before departing to retrieve food for the three of you. Though your hands and the rest of you reeked of mud and rust from the dried blood, you needed to be clean of today even if the internal wounds will never heal, you could still wash away the stench of a dead man. Rising slowly, you are nearly startled back onto the bed by Benji rushing to aid you.
“I thought you left,” You reprimand, brows scrunched in response to the discomfort and pain. The undershirt you wore back to front for modesty sake, threatened to slip down your shoulders and expose more than what decency desired. The lone tie that kept the fabric together enough to stop it from completely falling threatened to undo every movement you made.
“I thought you were told to rest,” he counters, lips pressed into a frown, eyes looking away. “This is also my tent,” his indignance would have prompted laughter if the situation was different. You weren’t a complete imbecile, understanding that coming to his tent was the best chance at keeping your secret.
You give him a withering look, “and how does one rest covered in entrails and dirt?” Easy for him to enforce Garrus’ words, he had already cleaned the dirt and blood off his face and hands. He pulls a face, conceding at your words and makes no further comment, though flushed in his cheeks. “Thank you,” in your eyes a glint of amusement twinkles, “no need to sulk Benji — it’s merely a bath, not another battle.”
His jaw sets while his hands rest on his hips, eyes narrowed slightly at your jeer, “that is not the point nor the principle — do you intend walking all the way to your tent to wash yourself then?” Now his finger is out, wagging alongside his words as if he was admonishing a child for a minor wrongdoing.
“And you care about principles, now?” Your brow quirks, you have half a mind to mirror his stance if it weren’t for the fact you had been quite literally sewn together not even ten minutes prior. So you don’t. But the thought was enough to elicit a smirk. “If it will cease your pedantic worrying, I will bathe here,” your eye twitches with the jolt of pain shooting up your arm from the lazy gesture across the tent.
His cheeks begin to redden, as do yours at such an improper suggestion, “What is a man without honour and principle?” He huffs slightly.
“Your flair for the dramatic is ill suited for a man of such vicious notoriety.” You hardly suppress a smile, tongue poking into your cheek. Silence follows, either he is grossly offended by your words or has recognised that you are just jesting. Nevertheless, you slowly cross the tent, each step an agonizing shock through the back and shoulders.
You feel his gaze follow you before sighing, a soft chortle slipping in at the end of his exhale, “if you were as well-skilled with a sword as you are with that sharp tongue of yours, I’d fear for our enemy.”
Slowly turning at his words you regard him with a deadpan expression only muddied with a knowing look of your eyes, “stop being bitter and get me some hot water to put in the tub.”
Benji has often looked at you with curiosity, amusement, pride and a varying array of affection but he has never once looked at you with the dumbfounded expression laden on his face like he has just now. Even in times like this, you often forget that situation aside, the two of you were highborn and at this instance you weren’t speaking to a Lord with a matter of reverence but rather speaking to him like a servant.
”Apologies,” you clear your throat, “Lord Blackwood stop being bitter and get me some hot water to put in the tub, please.”
You could almost hear him thinking, the dead air in the tent was more than palpable but the thickness of something else continued to weigh heavy, as it so often did when the two of you were alone.
“You tempt the Gods with that inane behaviour and crass mouth, you are in good tiding with fate for me to not take that tongue of yours,” an empty threat really, he’s told you that before but even if that hadn’t been the case it was clear he wasn’t being serious. Even his jab is futile the second he concedes and goes to the hearth without any more complaints.
“Tongue or not, I would still find a way to torment you all the same.” You laugh and then promptly wince, he thankfully had not seen.
The quiet moments filled with lighthearted ribs back and forth seemed to be a sliver of the heavens placed inbetween unyielding moments of hardship, pain and suffering. A light one might see at the end of a cavernous abyss. Small moments, often menial, were filled with such delight that it reminded you that this is what life was. Yet these intermissions sprinkled throughout a world wrought with its own dark and poisonous acts of undeniable misery also served to remind you of what you were robbed of. A nice life. A happy life.
“Clover.”
An uncharacteristically gentle prod beckons you from thoughts of what could’ve been in a different lifetime. You blink, grounding yourself in reality — Benji, he stands before you, head tilted to the side as it often did, part of the many idiosyncrasies that made him, him. A hand hovering in your space, as if he was conflicted about reaching all the way out or perhaps it was to steady you.
“I am well,” you reassure, offering a smile and slowly make your way to the tub. Though, you supposed it was less a tub and more a misshapen barrel but it served the same purpose. “I assure you I will fare better once I rid myself of this filth.” You grip the sides of the tub, disgusted by your own reflection sullied with blood, dirt and sweat.
The water was not nearly warm enough but you cared more for cleanliness than comfort in this instance. The eyes that looked back up through the rippling water were not the same as the ones that looked in the mirror at Stylguard while hacking at once lengthy locks. That seemed so distant, the memory already thinly covered in a milky haze.
A sigh slips through parted lips, now came the difficult part.
Undressing — that is. Notoriously difficult to do with impaired range of motion in both shoulders. Which is how you ended up in this current situation.
Through burning cheeks, feeling as if you were suffocating from how thick the air seemed to get — if it weren’t for waning patience you’d have an amused smile at the farce the two of you found yourself in. Headstrong and ever the eminent gentleman (despite your often teasing sleights), Benji stared forward, unyielding and pointed to juxtapose the position of his body. The only body part of his remotely positioned toward you was the arm he outstretched behind him, which can’t have been very comfortable and added to the absurdity of the situation.
His fingers quite skillfully disrobing you without the advantage of sight at least meant that the two of you would be rid of such embarrassment sooner rather than later. Though it was ever the difficult feat, you could only raise both arms so high before the tender flesh pulled against the cord that kept you together.
“Oh for goodness sake,” you sigh frustratedly, feeling his hand suddenly stop, fingers barely hovering over exposed skin. The irritation was running deep, seeping through your skin now like an unchecked itch begging to be scratched but it was all over your body, “you would not feel the need to engage in such foolish hoop jumping if I was one of your men, just turn around and do it properly.”
“I would never compromise a Lady’s honour, even by looking,” his answer was immediate.
You’d have strangled him if you were capable of doing so. On the contrary there was part of you, old you, who buckled at the knees at such a sweet admission from a handsome man.
“At this current juncture, this Lady is asking you to,” you huff exasperatedly, patience wearing thin the longer it takes to do such a menial task; not even when you were a babe did it take this long to fret over mere bathing. In an instant the atmosphere has shifted almost entirely, the lighthearted mood sucked out into a vacuum and in its place something else.
The two of you were running circles around each other, a common occurrence that had first reared its head mere days ago. Two fronts whirling like the crucial hours before a violent tempest ravages the skies during a storm, unwilling to acknowledge what brewed in the centre of it all.
He clears his throat, you hear the rustling of his leathers as he shifts his weight from leg to leg, “you have put me in an impossible position by asking this of me – are you certain?”
“I have trust in no one else,” you affirm, quietly.
“Very well,” his footsteps are slow, careful – as though he ought not to startle you. Fearsome as Benji was, he could never frighten you. There was an innate warmth to his presence, so comforting and homely that it was hard to believe that he was capable of such ruthless and vicious acts of violence.
His hands were equally gentle, sliding the undershirt off each shoulder with such delicate handling, it made you feel like an heirloom almost. Almost. The rough fabric grazes over the fresh wound, pulling you back into the whims of reality, a sharp hiss pushed through gritted teeth.
“Apologies,” he murmurs, breath faintly fanning the back of your neck and in tandem sending a jolt down your spine. Not pain. Hackles raised though not engaging your fight or flight, nor spurring on fear. The feeling that had been simmering as a third party in the background of each encounter of late, an unspoken presence sifted between two finally uncovers itself – desire.
Gods, was it not the time for this, you think.
You unlace the trousers as loose as possible, making it easier for him to slip them past your hips. Part of the fabric felt solid, dried mud turned clay with a mixture of blood made it quite the task to peel off your legs.
Behind, you feel him move away, the warmth that radiated from him gone in an instant. The clinking of his belt buckle made your ears prick, but instead of querying, you remained silent, fearful that your voice would not be so steady – you step into the tub. Gooseflesh instantly rippled across your skin from the fact the water was far from warm, though it mattered naught as the dirt and blood slowly disseminated throughout the water.
With both legs in you start to visibly relax, no longer feeling as though you wished to chisel your skin off. By the time Benji has returned by the tub side, your body is submerged. The sleeves of his undershirt are rolled up, no longer wearing his belts or swords, answering the silent question you had mere moments prior.
When you finally look at his face, his eyes are already on yours, golden flecks sprinkled throughout. As if he couldn’t be any more impossibly handsome. His gaze is unmoving, even as he slowly reaches into the water and pulls your arm up by your wrist, thumb and forefinger coiled around it firmly. But not painfully.
“I can wash my own hands,” you find your voice as he begins to knead softly into your hand with the soaked cloth. Blood no longer coating your hands, dirt rubbed from the space between your fingers.
“I do not doubt it,” the outer corners of his lips twitch upward, suggesting a smile. When he was not intently looking at your face, his eyes drifted upward or past you but never down. And despite the frustration it caused in the lead up to this, you were grateful to a certain degree but also incredibly heartwarmed by him keeping his word.
Despite the cold water lapping at your collar bones and encasing your body, every meticulous adjustment of his grip on you or every tentative touch made you heat up. A permanent flush warming your cheeks as he quietly scrubs your forearm, upper arm and carefully washes your shoulders.
Slowly but surely, with every pass of the cloth accompanied by a steady and tender hand, you felt cleaner not just visibly but also internally. The blood that once stained skin, stood as a mark from the gods, a forever blight that threatened your soul for damnation, now had been washed away.
“Does it get easier?” You whisper, staring off into the tent.
He stops, the cloth remaining pressed into the crook of your neck as he exhales in thought. You barely shift, turning almost imperceptibly as your eyes meet his and there’s a flicker of concern? Surprise? Undoubtedly in response to the haunted look all over your face, “killing people,” you clarify before returning to stare back into nothing.
There was a brief stillness in the air, disrupted only by him clearing his throat. As gentle as a breeze, his fingers caress and cup your chin, seemingly holding your head in place as he begins to softly scrub at the dried muck on your face, “no.” His voice was deep yet soft, unwavering as if he’s thought of this question before. “It never gets easier, you simply learn to live with it.”
Live with it.
A macabre way to look at it, you think, but it seems to be a healthier way to deal with such a gruesome act, even if it was honourable to die in battle. You wonder if the Usurper and his family of parasites felt this moral conundrum when they murdered your brother.
You are doubtful.
“How does one live with such blood on their hands?” You ask, perhaps he was the best suited to answer such question, many slain under his own hand but even of your own observation Benji hardly fit the parameters of a well-adjusted Lord in Westeros. No one called ‘Bloody Ben’ could ever be well-adjusted, but it was hard to discern if years of bloodshed fractured him or if it had been there since birth.
Your head is turned, ever so slightly by his guiding forefinger and thumb still perched under your chin, his eyes bore into you but shows no ire or annoyance, “I honour the fallen. At night before I fall asleep, each name is passed to the Gods and if their name dies with them then faces suffice.” He cleans a particularly stubborn patch of dried blood on your forehead.
It was surprisingly pious of him — Blackwoods never quite took to the Faith of the Seven, much like northerners they remained loyal to the old gods yet Benji had never expressed piety like this.
“Even the slain Brackens?” The guileless smile on your face was an attempt to move on from the grim conversation you accidentally started.
The cloth hovers over your upper lip as he drops his head ever so slightly and chuckles, “even Brackens need honour in death. Gods know they lack it in life.” He presses the cloth onto the dried blood over your lip.
Once he’s rubbed it away, as if moving of its own free will, your hand comes up to grip his wrist, albeit weakly. Gaze sticking to your own, exhaling through parted lips as you attempt to get the words unlodged from your throat.
“I must thank you,” You breathe out. For what, you weren’t sure but it was the only way to express gratitude for the endless list of things he has done for you. You would have to thank him for a lifetime alone for what he had done.
The hand beneath your jaw shifts, his thumb runs across your lower lip to your jaw, just the mere action feels like dragging the tip of a hot needle across your skin in the best way possible, “that is not necessary,” he murmurs.
Possessed or merely a complete lapse in sanity, you will never know, but his soft gaze compelled you — no, bewitched you to lean forward and press your lips to his. Searing hot, your body ignited with a warmth that was unfounded until now, as though the barely lukewarm bath was filled with steamy water.
It was short, chaste and quite unexpected for both parties.
You pull away, aware of how hot your cheeks felt, your grip on his wrist loosens. Actions finally sinking in both your own mind and his. Like silt that had been kicked up in the shallow divots of a creek, finally settling into clarity.
Cheeks beet red and an unreadable expression apparent, the hand caressing your face had dropped.
Perhaps you miscalculated. The hammering of your heart was so loud there was no way in hells he couldn’t hear it. It was as booming as rolling thunder in your ears.
The two of you stare at one another, a silent conversation, a silent question hanging in the air between the two of you. Your mouth opens first, the beginning syllables of an apology croaking out before they are abruptly cut off by his own lips. This had been less of a shock than the first, it felt more needy and messy.
His hands came up to hold your head, thumbs grazing softly over your cheeks. He held you firmly as if you were going to disappear in a puff of smoke and you felt as though you might do just that from how light you felt. His tender caress accelerated the beating of your heart and jumbled any important thought crossing your mind, the only thoughts barraging your mind were of him, his hands, his lips, his voice; Him.
You tangle your fingers in his hair, if you had any strength you would have pulled him toward you with a fierce urgency. It’s almost painful that you can’t. The air around you two is static, tempestuous and intense all at once, like two stormfronts finally converging before an explosive storm.
“I’m afraid I could only part with —“
The two of you rip apart at a speed that sends Benji careening backward, toppling onto the ground and you sloshing a large wave of water over the tubs edge. Oops.
“— the…duck stew…” Garrus’ words slowly die in his throat as he stands dumbfounded by the entrance of the tent, two measly plates of stew held in each hand and still steaming. Eyes looking to Benji and then back over to you several times, mouth open and eyebrows raised.
The pause seemed to have gone for a century. And neither you nor Benji would be the first to break it.
“I forgot the bread,” Garrus finally says, putting the plates down on the nearest surface and turning back out of the tent without another word or look.
You shyly looked over at Benji who remained firmly planted on the ground, his cheeks looked as red and hot as yours felt. The thundering of your heart steadily continued partly from the after effects of the kiss and being caught red-handed by the man who was essentially a father to you.
Benji is the first to break, a deep laugh shakes through him before audibly falling past his lips, this in turn makes you suppress a laugh by biting on your lip. Though, ultimately you are unsuccessful and join his symphony of laughs with your own. Not even the pain that pulsed from each laugh was enough to stop you.
The two of you may have plenty to answer for later, but perhaps that wasn’t so bad in the grand scheme of things. A more gruesome fate awaited outside the safety of this moment — of the camp — it would be unwise to not take pleasure in the small mundane moments.
For once it was a kind reminder that maybe, after the conflict ceases, there is room for you to enjoy the life you wished for.
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