Death and S/O with Selective Mutism
~Inspired by a previous ask with War (Link) -thanks to the person who asked! :) This is more like a quickie description but Death is my favourite H/M so meh xD
You've never been comfortable around authoritative figures. The fact that you were in the care of one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or more accurately, leader of said Apocalyptic Horsemen, unfortunately didn't improve matters for you.
Although Death has neither lost patience nor ever criticised your inability to verbally communicate with him, you've always been intimidated by the power and dominance he exuded over other races. Oblivious to him, this only served to escalate your progressive mutism and your anxiety sky rocketing. But over the course of time, you’ve slowly learned to relax in his presence.
He always spoke to you, rarely asking close ended questions in favour of open ended ones. Albeit mainly rhetorical, you were grateful that he was treating you as a fully functioning individual with the full capacity to understand. What struck you the most with this otherworldly being was his knack for witty, callous humour. But with you, he was always teasing, never mocking. He seemed to reserve the more ruthless rebukes for those that spited him.
In the beginning, you'd wait till his attention appeared averted before you'd discreetly hug Despair's muzzle. The spectral horse would snort softly and due to your small frame, you'd speculate that the horseman mightn't have caught sight of you. One day, you were travelling in the Forge Lands together when he had decided to summon Dust. You had guessed that he might've required his assistance in locating something until he murmured a soft command to the bird. The next thing you knew, you were cuddling a vulture sized crow in your arms while it cawed happily as you walked beside the rider. Little did you know that beneath the shadows of his bone mask, a tiny smile was playing on his lips.
When your emotions became overwhelming, silent tears would stream down your face whilst clutching both spectral mammal and bird. The reaper would pretend to overlook your distress at first, not out of malice, but for privacy's sake. Death is a very guarded being and would maintain the smallest shreds of his worry even from his closest kin that he would sometimes forget that you were not Nephilim, and most certainly not him.
Due to your silent demeanour, you'd often remind Death of his youngest brother which only amplified his fondness of you. Eventually, he began to let his own guard down, most noticeably when you were sitting together and he'd chat a lot less than usual. Sadly, this change in character only served to trouble you and you'd misunderstand it as a gradual lost of interest. In truth, the rider was starting to feel comfortable enough to shed some of his nonchalant and cynical façade to adopt a more pensive, sober demeanour. You'd observe a softer, gentler glow in his golden eyes and he'd sit with his hands clasped lightly together.
Your heart would pound painfully against your chest and you'd feel words churn like jelly in your stomach as you’d observe your guardian companion. Eventually, you'd come to realise that contrary to distancing himself from you, he was actually connecting to you in his own way.
One day, you mustered up the courage to walk over to him whilst he was gazing at nothing in particular. His eyes crinkled, signifying a smile as he acknowledged you as you approached. The silence stretched as you both just stared at each other until you knelt beside the horseman, feeling his gaze following you but making no move to halt you. After a while, you saw his shoulders slump, as though he was releasing a magnitude of tension in that moment. On the other hand, you sensed your anxiety slowly seeping out your system and for the first time in a long time, you were comfortable with your muteness with the horseman.
