The Cabin (Falk Maria Schlegel x Fem! Reader) FLUFF
Hello! I have finally managed to return! It turns out working in a job that quite literally sucked the soul out of me every time I had to go in was making it pretty difficult to be creative, who would have thought! Anyways, I have a lot of stuff coming up (hopefully over this next week I'll be able to play a bit of catch up on things), but, until then, I figured why not return to what I know, right? So, we're just going to be getting into some good old fashioned fluffy scenarios with Falk! Lot's of cliché's, lots of my usual soft bullshit, you guys know the drill at this point lol. From here on out I'm going to try and get one update out a week! Thank you so much for reading and for being patient with updates, I appreciate it more than you could ever know. If you'd like to be added to my tag list or just wanna say hello, feel free to comment below!
WARNINGS: None, tooth rotting fluff
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You felt nauseous as you wandered the halls towards where you and Father Falk were set to meet. The impending ride had been weighing on your mind all week, making it impossible to focus during your lessons. By the time you had finished packing you were a nervous wreck. It’s not that Falk was unpleasant to be around, you found the exact opposite to be true if you were being honest. He had always been kind towards you, seeming to go out of his way to visit you if he happened to stumble across your lonely form in the library. The conversation that flowed between you was always effortless, Falk always searching for some way to make you smile. No, the reason you were so nervous was because spending this time alone with him would only cement the feelings you had been trying so hard to suppress. It was no secret that Falk was a handsome man, charming, sought out by many Siblings within the Congregation for a chance to have a singular night of his undivided attention. The thought alone was enough to make your stomach twist in jealousy. You knew falling for him would only lead to you getting hurt, so you had made the decision to keep your distance.
“There she is!” But he was becoming so incredibly difficult to resist. “I was worried you had stood me up.” He teases with a chuckle. Your eyes meet his, your breath catching in your throat at their beautiful golden hue, like honey.
“Sorry I’m late.” You apologize bashfully once you find your voice, cursing as one of the wheels of your suitcase catches on the uneven stone floor. “I’m paranoid about leaving something important behind, and my bag ended up being a lot heavier than I had planned.”
“It’s no problem at all, Schwester.” He smiles softly before motioning to your suitcase, “may I?” He doesn’t give you time to respond, knowing you were just going to protest his efforts to help. You don’t miss the smirk he shoots at you over his shoulder, laughing at your baffled expression. “Come on, we have a lot of ground to cover.” He throws your suitcase in his trunk with ease, lifting it as though it contained nothing more than a change of clothes. He opens your door for you, offering you his hand for support as you lower yourself inside. You run your hands over the worn leather seats, the warm reddish-brown material soft under your fingers. The inside of the car was cozy, the large bench seat stretching across the entirety of the cab left you plenty of room to stretch out during the long drive. You released a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, your nerves beginning to settle as the familiar scent of Falk’s cologne ensnared your senses. Even just the subtle smell brought up a storm of memories; nights spent alone in his office, more often than not finding yourselves drifting a little too close to one another, your evening filled with whispered voices and shared smiles that hinted at something a bit deeper than your easy-going friendship. He slid into the passenger seat with a groan, slotting his keys into the ignition, causing the car to rumble to life. The interior lit up with the dull yellow glow from the dashboard, soft music lazily drifting from the radio. He holds out a thick fleece blanket to you. “Here, the heat in this thing doesn’t always work the best.” You can’t help but smile at the sweet gesture. You quietly mumble your thanks as you accept it from him, he glances at you out of the corner of his eye. “And if that’s still not enough, you can always cuddle up with me to keep warm.” He adds with a teasing smirk. A shocked sound bubbles up from your throat, your eyes snapping to meet his, making him laugh. “Sorry.” He quickly apologizes. “You always look so cute when I manage to get you all flustered, sometimes I just can’t help myself.”
It took you a moment to find your voice, “well, at least you think it’s cute, I guess… you have a nasty habit of making me trip over my own words.” You let out a soft laugh of your own.
He lets out a low hum in response, “consider it payback.” He responds playfully, his eyes slowly tracing over your features, fearing he may never have the opportunity to study you so close again.
“For?”
“Taking over my every waking thought.” Your cheeks grow warm as a flustered giggle tumbles from your lips, the melodic sound was enough to make Falk’s heart race. You fell into a comfortable silence, the soft crackling from the radio filling the empty air between you as he pulled out onto the road.
It was a dark, cloudy December afternoon, you could tell that the storm rolling in wasn't going to be a nice one. The soft music lazily rolled through the speakers as you raced along the never ending highway. Falk let’s out a soft sigh, his arm stretching across the back of the seat. You sat rigid, your fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the blanket that covered your lap. ‘Stop freaking out.’ you berated yourself internally. ‘We've been driving for almost two hours, he probably just wants to stretch.’
“You can relax, you know. I promise I won't bite.” He jokes with a chuckle. You clear your throat, attempting to force your posture to relax. He pauses for a moment, mulling over whether or not he wanted to ask a question that had been weighing on his mind for a while. “Why do I make you so nervous?” Your heart stopped. You didn’t want to look at him, feeling as if your eyes met his, he would know all your deepest secrets. There wasn’t anything you wanted more than to confess to him at that moment. You had so many questions you needed answered. There were so many nights you had fallen just shy of shattering every boundary you knew; how badly you wanted to feel Falk’s lips against yours, how you lingered on his every word, desperate for any way to keep the conversation going just so you wouldn’t have to say goodnight, you wanted to know if he felt the same.
“It’s nothing,” your voice was weak when it finally managed to tumble from your lips. “I’m just worried about us getting to the lodge before the weather gets bad, that’s all.” Falk’s lips press into a tight line. He knew you weren’t being honest with him, but he had decided to drop the matter for the time being. He didn't want to risk you shutting him out entirely. You forced your attention back on the road, your pulse thundering in your ears. It was then you had realized it had begun to snow. Thick white globs of precipitation fell from the sky heavy enough to obscure the highway in front of you. Falk tuts under his breath, “this weather is getting bad a lot quicker than I thought it would.” He manages to read the sign that sped past you on the highway.
“We’re still over an hour away from the lodge.” Falk doesn’t miss the nervous tremor in your voice as you added your input.
He offers you a gentle smile in response, hoping to find some way to ease your anxiety. “I know somewhere we can spend the night. It’s probably a good idea to get off the roads before it gets any worse.”
The thought crossed your mind about how you hadn’t really eaten anything today, your nerves this morning making your appetite the furthest thing from your mind. “What about food?”
“I know for a fact that someone was there recently, I’m sure the cabinets are well stocked. But, I’ll find somewhere to stop off along the way, we can pick up any odds and ends we might need.” He reassures you. You tense as his arm falls across your shoulders. After a moment your body can’t help but instinctively melt into his warmth. You relax into his side, releasing a soft sigh as your shoulders finally relax. “I’ll take good care of you Mäuschen, I promise.” The thought of spending even more time alone with him made your heart race.
“I know you will.” You mutter in response. Falk gives your shoulder a soft squeeze, hoping you wouldn’t notice how fast his own heart was beating.
You leave the highway behind, traveling down winding roads completely surrounded by tall, dark trees on either side. Heading into the mountains, you should have expected that the only town to stop off along the way would be like this. The houses few and far between, miles of road stretching between each impossibly long driveway, concealing whatever dwelling that resided at the opposite end. You eventually pull into a gas station, the dull buzz of the lone sign in the darkness makes your stomach turn with anxiety. The parking lot was solid white, a thick layer of snow making the shop's dull red awning bow under its weight. Falk prattles off your favorite candy and drink combo from memory, catching you off guard. He can’t help but laugh at your bewildered expression. “What?” His question was laced with a chuckle, his playful expression drops to your lips before meeting your gaze once again.
“How did you remember that?” You ask softly. He shrugs, a lazy, full body movement that showed he would never reveal his secrets. “I’ll be right back, you stay here and keep warm.” He carefully takes hold of the blanket resting in your lap, pulling it up to wrap around your shoulders. His warm breath bounces off your skin, for a moment it felt like your heart had stopped. You don’t think you had ever been this close to him before, it was the first time you had noticed the way the corners of his eyes wrinkled when he smiled. You thought it was cute. Falk’s expression softens, a fond look settling across his features that makes your chest tighten. He sucks in a deep breath, snapping himself from whatever trance he had found himself in. He tightens his jacket around him before hurrying from the car and inside the store. You watched him through the wall of windows that lined the front, he tossed a smile over his shoulder as he shouted something in response to the clerk behind the counter. He returns shortly after, rushing back to the car with a few flimsy plastic bags slung over his arm.
“It’s not much, but it’ll do.” He smiles, leaning closer to you as he reaches to put the bags in the back seat.
“You are absolutely covered in snow.” You respond with a laugh. You reach out, brushing the fluffy powder from his head. You carefully push your fingers through his hair, combing the strands that had fallen into his face neatly back into place. Falk watches you curiously, he was happy to see you finally starting to let your guard down, even if it was just a little bit. You pause as your eyes meet his, a soft smile settling onto your features as he leans into your touch. You swallow thickly before you manage to find your voice again, “better get moving, we don’t want to get stuck on the side of the road somewhere.” You joke making him chuckle. You reluctantly separate from each other, Falk nervously drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he tries to keep his mind on driving. You rest your hand on the space in between the two of you, you notice Falk glance at your subtle movements out of the corner of his eye. You jump slightly as you feel his fingers bump against yours, your skin buzzed with electricity where your hands met.
“You’re freezing.” He remarks suddenly, his voice soft in the quiet space.
“I’ll be alright.” You respond quickly, neither of you making any effort to move away from the other.
“I’ll get a fire going once we get to the cabin.” His pinky links with yours, gently tugging your hand closer. You let your fingers slip in between his, your hand immediately getting enveloped in the warmth from his skin. You shift, shuffling closer to him. You hesitantly let your head fall to rest against his shoulder. He tenses slightly before relaxing into your touch, his thumb distractedly tracing through the valley of your knuckles.
“Whose cabin is this anyways? Is it really okay for us to spend the night?”
He chuckles in response, “considering it belongs to my family I think we’ll be okay.” Falk fills the rest of your car ride with stories of his trips here when he was younger. You hung on every word: fishing trips with his father, weekends hiking the mountains around the property, how every so often he would venture up on his own for some time alone with his thoughts. “I was planning on inviting you up here eventually, I guess mother nature decided today was as good of a day as any.”
You glance at him curiously. “You were going to invite me up here?” He nods in response. “Why?”
“Considering that every time I find myself here my thoughts always seem to wander back to you.” Your cheeks grow warm at his confession, he gives your hand a soft squeeze. “This place is very important to me… and it’s something I’ve always wanted to share with you.” He pauses for a moment, searching for something else to say. “Try to be up for the sunrise in the morning, I think you’ll see why this place is so special.” He adds on with a smile.
The gravel driveway crunched under the car's tires, the tall trees groaning in the strong gusts of wind. Falk pulls the blanket around you before helping you out of the car. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side to help shield you from the cold. He ushers you inside first before following close behind you with your small haul of groceries. It’s dark inside the cabin, the small living room being only illuminated by the pale light of the moon that streamed in through the window. Falk curses as he trips over something in the darkness, fumbling along the wall until eventually stumbling across a light switch. The lamp in the opposite corner of the room filled the space with a dull orange glow, finally allowing you to see the details of the space around you. A well loved leather loveseat sat in front of a neatly kept fireplace, a heavy crocheted blanket draped across the back. A box of expensive looking cigars sat on one of the side tables, a small stack of books sat on the other next to a cup of crochet hooks and knitting needles. Family photos crowded the mantle, the small shiny frames overlapping one another to make space for all of them. Curiosity gets the better of you as you approach them to get a better look, rubbing your hands over your arms to try and dispel any remaining chill from the outside as you examine each photograph. Falk watches on with an amused smile, leaning against the doorframe as you slowly look between each one. Your hands dropped away from your shoulders, folding them neatly in front of you as if you were at a museum, the sight makes Falk chuckle under his breath. You couldn’t keep the smile off your face as you traced over his familiar features, the teenager smiling back at you from behind the glass a scrawny, awkward precursor to the fine man he eventually grew into. It was apparent that Falk’s family had been coming here his entire life; a barefoot laughing boy propped on his moms hip, the next one a few years older, proudly showing off the fish he and his father had caught at the lake, younger versions of all the High Clergy members sat around a bonfire with beers in their hands. “Quite the place you got here.” You remark, shooting a soft smile over your shoulder when you notice his staring.
“I should bring you up here during the summer,” your cheeks grow warm as you watch his eyes flicker over your form, “I can only imagine how beautiful you would look surrounded by all the fireflies.” He lets out a quiet chuckle, studying you for another moment before shaking himself from his thoughts. “I’m going to put this stuff away, I’ll get a fire going, and we can see what we can scrape together for dinner.” He chuckles.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” You respond with a smile.
Falk made quick work of getting a fire started, you watch the flames dance from your position cuddled up under a blanket on the loveseat. A mug of tea warms your hands, a radio crackles softly from the kitchen. You hear the shower turn off in the other room, Falk emerging a few minutes later in a pair of sweatpants cinched tightly around his waist and a baggy t shirt that was drowning him in its dark blue fabric, a faded logo you didn’t recognize neatly swirled across the front in white font. You nod in his direction, “little big on you, aren’t they?” You ask playfully, making him chuckle.
“My shoulders are a little too broad for one of my mother’s nightgowns.” He rebuttals causing you to let out a laugh of your own. He continues to make small talk as he makes his way into the kitchen, every so often his head poking back around the door frame to shoot you some flirtatious smile. He eventually brings you a steaming bowl of soup, carefully handing it to you before collapsing into the cushions beside you. The loveseat dips under his weight, causing your shoulder to knock against his. You were painfully aware of how his body pressed to yours, wishing you had the courage to reach over and take his hand again. “Chicken noodle, fresh from the can.” He jokes with a smile. You thank him softly, sipping at the hot, salty broth. You sat in a comfortable silence as you ate, both of you watching the fire contently. Every so often you noticed how Falk would glance at you out of the corner of his eye, moving as if he wanted to speak only to settle back into the familiar quiet, as if disturbing the peace would make everything fall apart around him. You help him clean up after dinner, taking care of the few dishes you had created in the process. A strong gust of wind rattles the windows, Falk notices you tense as the lights flicker slightly. He responds by simply turning up the radio, taking your hand, and sweeping you into his arms. He glides you across the floor, swaying you in time with the music that filled the room. You can’t stop the surprised giggle that slips past your lips, allowing him to lead you through clumsy spins. Falk trips over his own feet, offering you a bashful smile as you rest your hand on his chest to steady him.
“Easy there, Casanova.” You laugh.
“It’s been such a long time since I’ve danced with anybody,” he admits with a shaky breath, “forgive me if I’m a little rusty.”
“If it makes you feel any better, you’re the only person I’ve ever had the chance to dance with, so I don’t have much to compare it to in the first place.” Falk pauses, glancing down at you curiously.
“I see you at the parties at The Abbey all the time, surely–”
“No one’s ever asked me.” You respond bluntly, hoping he would drop the subject. That part was true, no one had ever asked you to dance. The part you were neglecting to tell him was how that was more than likely caused by the fact you had a tendency to tuck yourself away in some concealed corner, hoping tonight will finally be the night you share more than some fleeting, flirtatious glances with the man that managed to occupy your every thought.
The current song that was playing faded to silence, the soft popping of the old radio filling the dead air in between the station’s selections. “Well, that simply won’t do, now will it?” He straightens himself up, a mischievous glimmer in his eye. He smooths his hands down the front of his shirt. He offers you his hand, your heart racing at the sight of the charming, lopsided smile that you had been in love with since the beginning. He states your name softly, you had never heard it spoken more beautifully than in that moment. “Can I formally request a dance, Mein Herz?” Your fingers brush over his palm, his skin warm against yours as his hand fully engulfs yours. The trumpet from a big band ensemble lets out a few lazy whines before the rest of the instruments join in, your heart pounds in time with the drums steady rhythm. Falk wraps an arm around your waist, easing your body against his. He moves you in time with the melody, a few quick steps across the floor that turn into a romantic sway, pulling you just the slightest bit closer. You couldn’t keep your eyes off him, the fear of tripping over your own feet long forgotten under Falk’s intense gaze. He wasn’t going to let you fall, not without being there to catch you. His fingers knead into the plush of your hip, his thumb languidly tracing through the valleys of your knuckles. He looks down at you with complete, unapologetic adoration. “You are so beautiful.” He states softly, his voice barely loud enough for you to hear over the radio.
“I'm nothing special.” You rebuttal in a similar tone.
“You are to me.” Your heart raced at his confession, butterflies erupting in your stomach at such simple words. You reluctantly part from one another, Falk’s hand lingering on your waist, wanting to keep you within arms reach for as long as he possibly could.
“That was nice,” you couldn’t seem to tear your eyes away from him, “thank you.”
He offers you a simple smile in response, but the sight was enough to make your breath catch in your throat. “Anytime,” he leans down to bring his face closer to yours, his warm breath bouncing off your lips, “you’re quite the dancer.” You let out a soft laugh in response, playfully pushing his shoulder. You cover your mouth, unable to suppress the yawn that escaped you. “We should probably get to bed, I want to get on the road as soon as we’re able to in the morning.” He carefully pushes a strand of hair out of your face.
“You’re probably right.” Your chest tightened slightly, you were having such a great night with him, you wish it didn’t have to end so soon.
Despite Falk’s protests, you would be sleeping on the couch. “You’re a lot taller than I am, you need the space.” When he finally realized you wouldn’t budge on your decision, he reluctantly began gathering whatever spare blankets he could find.
“If you need anything at all, just come wake me up.” He informs you with a soft smile.
“Alright.” You whisper in response. He sways on his heels slightly, searching for anything else to say.
“Well, goodnight…” He pauses before letting your name tumble from his lips, savoring every syllable as if he would never hear something so sweet again.
“Goodnight, Falk.” He gives you a small nod before disappearing into the bedroom, the door shutting with a soft click behind him. You stared up at the ceiling, the light from the fireplace making shadows dance around the room. You nestled into your pillow, your eyes already beginning to grow heavy as warmth began to seep into the blankets. You inhaled deeply, catching the scent of the burning logs and something incredibly familiar. You ran your fingers along the edge of the blanket Falk had given you in the car, the smell of his cologne a comfort in an unfamiliar place. It didn’t take long for you to drift off.
When you awoke the room was pitch black, a few embers clung to life in the otherwise dark fireplace. You shiver as you sit up, it was a lot colder in here now that the fire was out. You jumped as a branch bangs against the window, anxiety slowly creeping its way into your chest as you struggled to get your bearings in the night. Your eyes landed on the bedroom door just down the hall. You didn’t want to wake him, but there was no way you would be getting back to sleep between your rapidly growing fear and how absurdly cold it had gotten. You let your feet drop to the floor, the hardwood like ice beneath you. You grab your blanket, wrapping it around your shoulders. You quietly pad up the hall, stopping in front of his door. You opened it just a crack, cringing as the hinges squeak. You could make out the faint outline of him in bed, the left side of the large mattress completely open for you to slide into. You bolt inside as you hear another loud thwack of a branch against the window. You shut the door behind you, tiptoing around the room in hopes you wouldn’t wake him. You carefully peel back the blankets before slipping in beside him. You lay on your side facing the wall, your body completely rigid as you listened for any signs that you had disturbed him. You let out a sigh when you hear him snoring softly next to you. Your body relaxed into the plush mattress, your achy back finally getting some relief as you settled in. It was much warmer here than it had been in the living room. You let out a squeak when a large hand comes to rest on your waist. Falk’s arm slides around you, grumbling something in his sleep as he pulls you closer. Your heart hammered against your ribs, your eyes wide as you feel Falk’s body press flush against yours. Your hand comes to rest on top of his, debating for a moment whether or not to try and sneak back to the living room. Getting out of the cold seemed like a good idea at the time, but you hadn’t accounted for what you were going to do when Falk woke up the next morning and found you sleeping beside him. You nearly jump out of your skin when you hear him sigh your name, his voice raspy and thick with sleep. His grip on you tightens, burying his face into the crook of your neck. He relaxes as he settles against you, his soft snores alerting you to the fact that he was still asleep. He was so warm, the feeling of the steady rise and fall of his chest lulling you into a state of ease. Your eyes quickly began to grow heavy, melting into the mattress, the weight of Falk’s arm blanketing over you as he continued to hold you close. You begin to drift off, hearing a soft ‘I love you’ tumble from Falk’s lips before sleep takes you.
You wake up the next morning to the first light of dawn creeping in from a window beside the bed. Now that it was day, you had the chance to take in the details of your surroundings. All of the furniture was the same warm-toned wood, more pictures like the ones that decorated the mantle covered the wall. A heavy, dark green comforter blanketed the bed, you could spend all day wrapped up in the warm, luxurious fabric. The closet was filled with thick winter jackets, snowshoes, backpacks, and other outdoor gear. Falk stirred behind you, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck with a soft groan. Your body goes rigid as you feel him stretch, he freezes mid motion when he realizes he’s not in bed alone. You don’t say anything, you don’t even breathe, unsure of how to breach the conversation of you being in his bed. “I guess that wasn't a dream I was holding you in my arms last night, was it?” The sound of his raspy morning voice makes your heart race. “Lucky me.” You could hear the lazy smirk laced into his tone.
“Well, good morning to you too.” You respond sleepily. Your chest tightens as he chuckles, the deep rumble vibrating through your back.
He pauses for a moment, his thumb languidly stroking over your hip. “Did I, um…” he mulls over his words, searching for the right way to ask you what was on his mind. “Did I say anything in my sleep?”
Your mind immediately races back to the hushed confession that tumbled from his lips. “You might have.” You respond hesitantly.
Falk chuckles, cursing under his breath. He fully thought he had dreamed the whole thing; the feeling of your body pressing against his, the subtle, sweet scent of your perfume, the whole moment was permanently burned into his memory. Those three simple words fell so easily from his lips, now he would have to follow through on his confession. “I meant it, you know.” You’re unable to stop the smile that slowly spreads across your lips. You roll over to face him, your heart racing at the stunningly chaotic scene before you. His hair stuck up every which way, the fading remnants of tired circles under his eyes slowly disappearing as he became more awake, the stubble on his face noticeably darker than it had been yesterday. His expression softens, nerves being replaced with adoration as he studies you. He reaches out, hesitating for a moment before his hand comes to rest on your cheek. “I want to wake up like this every morning with you and only you.” Your breath hitches in your throat, the seriousness of his tone unmistakeable. “You told me you don’t think you’re anything special, Mein Herz, that couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re all I can think about from the moment I wake up in the morning until I fall asleep at night. There’s nothing I want more than to make you all mine, but every time I try to get close you always just end up slipping through my fingers.”
“Falk, I…” You trail off. You wanted to be with him more than anything, but there was still part of you that feared all of the unknowns.
“There you go again, second guessing yourself.” He points out with a teasing smile. His thumb trails along your jaw, his golden brown eyes slowly tracing over your features before landing on your lips. He states your name softly, his warm breath bouncing off your skin. “I am absolutely crazy about you… I just need to know how I can prove that.” He swallows, his arm wrapping around your waist to pull you closer to him. His attention turns to the clock on your nightstand, seeing it was still incredibly early he shoots you an excited grin. “Come on.” He hurries you out of bed, helping you shrug into one of his jackets. You clumsily step into a pair of way too big boots by the door. Falk opens the door, taking your hand as you step out onto the porch behind him.
“Wow.” Was the only thing you could manage to say. The sun burned gold as it clawed its way over the mountain peaks in the distance, the rays of early morning sun warm on your skin. You turn to Falk to find him already staring down at you. “It’s beautiful.”
“This is the closest thing I’ve been able to compare to your smile.” He whispers. Your eyes widen, heart racing at such a simple, genuine confession. “And it still doesn’t even begin to come close to how absolutely stunning I find you.” A warm hand slides over your cheek, you can’t help but lean into his touch. He says your name in that perfect way only he can say it, “I’m in love with you, I don’t want to spend any more time running away from that.” He carefully tilts your chin upwards, your eyes fluttering shut as his lips slot against yours. His fingers slide into your hair, his free arm wrapping around your waist to pull your body flush against his. You felt weightless, like your body was floating on a cloud. Electricity buzzed from the top of your head to the tips of your fingers. Your heart was beating so quickly there was no way he couldn’t hear it, your pulse blocking out any other sound around you. You separate from the kiss breathlessly, getting lost in his eyes the moment they meet.
“How would you feel about staying the rest of the weekend here, with me?” He asks hesitantly, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.
“You want to stay?” You can’t keep the excited smile off your face at the thought of being able to continue your peaceful existence in the woods for the next couple days.
“Only if that’s alright with you.” He gently cradles your face in his hand, languidly trailing his thumb over your cheek.
Your eyes flash down to his lips momentarily, making him chuckle. “Well, if you keep kissing me like that, I’m sure you won’t have any issue convincing me.” You squeal as he pulls you back to him, his lips crushing against yours in another mind numbing kiss. Excited to spend the rest of the weekend getting to hold you tightly in his arms.
Tag List: @ghoulazrael @spookyghostjelly @belnovacaine @obsessed-and-possessed @crexpy34
Kinktober Day 1: Size Kink (Roel x Fem! Reader SMUT)
Welcome to Day 1 of Kinktober! Hopefully I can keep up with this, I have a lot of fun things planned, enjoy!
WARNINGS: MINORS DNI, 18+, sexual content, size kink, unsafe sex, penetrative sex, fingering, praise kink, use of good girl, AFAB reader, she/her pronouns, multiple orgasms, thigh riding, nipple play, grinding, slightly Dom! Roel, slight restraint, skinny dipping, fluffy with a big chunk of smut, Roel is a giant, I think that's everything if I missed any let me know!
My Masterlist! ~ A03 Link!
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You propped your sunglasses up on your head, letting your head fall to the side to look at your friends. All of you sat by the lakeside in matching lounge chairs, gossiping about your collective crushes and partners. "No, I'm serious, I have to make space in his schedule for his hook ups four times a week." Sister Sarah rolls her eyes with an overly dramatic groan. You couldn’t help but laugh, you could only imagine how often Father Matthew tried to sneak doting Sibling’s into his office during work hours.
"Oh, don't lie Sarah," Rachel chimes in. "You're his weekly Tuesday appointment." She teases causing a chorus of squeals and giggles amongst your group.
"What can I say? The man knows how to turn a girl on." She replies with a casual shrug. She turns your attention to you. "What about you, (Y/N)?" She scoots up close to your shoulder. "How are things with Roel?" You stutter out an incoherent string of sounds. You struggle to stop yourself from blushing.
"Oh, there's nothing really that interesting." You try to quickly get them off the topic. "Em, how are you and Falk?"
"Oh no, don’t try to change the subject.” She points an accusatory finger at you. “Don’t think we haven’t seen you and Roel flirting with each other.” You can’t hide the flustered expression that rapidly took over your features.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” You hurriedly replied before clearing your throat. Before they could hand over the itemized list of your flirting attempts with Roel, your attention was drawn to the top of the nearby cliff face.
“Oh my god…”
“Is that-?”
“Matthew Greywolf, what in god’s name do you think you’re doing?" Sarah exclaims as scrambles off her seat. Everything happened so fast it took you a second to process what had happened. All of your attention had been caught by Matthew letting out a yell seconds before he launched himself off of the cliff, he landed on the water making a pretty sizable splash. You would be tempted to applaud if Sarah didn't look so irate. "Have you lost your damn mind?" She tells from the shoreline of the lake. You see his shoulders shake with a chuckle as he shakes his head. He turns his attention to where he had jumped from.
"What are you waiting for Roel?" He yells to his companion. Your eyes trail up the cliff to find a rather unamused Roel standing at the top, arms crossed over his chest. "Come on, show off for these lovely ladies!" Matthew calls, motioning to your group who were now intently watching the events play out. You see him muttering to himself, the thought alone of the string of expletives tumbling from his lips forcing you to stifle a giggle. With one final defeated sigh he pulls his shirt over his head, throwing it harshly on the ground. He kicks off his shoes and stands overlooking the water. "Oh, come on! You're not scared, are you?" He provokes.
"Oh, I'm not scared." Roel's deep voice booms through the otherwise quiet outdoors. "I'm just figuring out how I'm going to kick your ass when I get down there." You watched as he dove into the water with impeccable form. Matthew started swimming for the shoreline with everything he had, Roel surfacing behind him much closer than he had anticipated. As soon as Matthew hit the beach he ran in your direction, positioning himself strategically behind your row of chairs. Roel emerges from the water with a groan, wiping away a dropper of water that trailed down his sharp jawline. He approaches where your small group was sitting, joining Sarah in berating Matthew for doing something so dangerous. Roel pauses, smirking slightly as his eyes land on you. "Like something you see, Hase?" He teases you with a wink. You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you whole, realizing that you had been sitting there staring at his naked torso. "Sarah, it looks like you have him handled. If you'll excuse me ladies, I need to hike back up there to retrieve my shirt." He spares one last fleeting glance at you, a curious smile passing over his lips as he noticed you were struggling to keep your eyes off him. You jumped slightly as Rachel nudged you, looking at you as if you were crazy.
"Go with him." She whispers at you aggressively. "Did you see the way he was looking at you? Go spend some time alone with him." You looked between her and his retreating form nervously. You groaned, knowing how mad you would be at yourself later if you didn't listen to her.
"Roel!" You call his name, hurrying after him. He pauses, breaking out into a grin when he sees you jogging to catch up with him.
"And what do I owe the pleasure?" He slows his pace to make it easier for you to catch up with him.
"I, um, it's dangerous to go by yourself, what if you get hurt?" You tried to answer as casually as possible.
"Well I appreciate your concern, Hase." He replies softly. "But, just remember, your company is always welcomed.” He shoots you a playful wink. Roel was a perfect gentleman your entire hike; offering his hand to you during particularly steep sections of the trail, holding branches out of the way of the path so you could easily pass through. You paused at the edge of a small stream that Roel had already begun to cross with ease. He looks back over his shoulder at you. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, I'm just worried I might fall." You admit with a bashful chuckle. Roel turns around, maneuvering his way back over the rocks and to your side. He glances down at you and then to the stream. It stretched on as far as you could see in either direction, it would be too much of a hassle to go around it. Roel reached out for you, effortlessly scooping you up in his arms and cradling you to his chest. Your hands flew up to meet the warm skin of his bare chest in an attempt to steady yourself. "What," you looked between him and your position suspended above the forest floor. "What are you doing?"
"I'm carrying you across?" He seemed confused by your question.
"You can do that?" Roel chuckles at your skepticism.
"Why wouldn't I be able to? You weigh as much as a mouse, it's not like it's a difficult task." Now it was your turn to laugh.
Your arms wrapped around his neck, your eyes staying locked in his features as you continued your conversation. You had barely registered that he had started walking. "Did you hit your head when you jumped off that cliff? Roel, I'm not exactly on the skinny side." You retort.
"Meine blume," he starts in a serious yet gentle tone. "You are perfect, I don't want you to think otherwise." He carefully sets you down on the opposing side of the stream. You were positive you were blushing but you just couldn't seem to look away from him. "You are smart, funny, kind, not to mention absolutely stunning." You swallowed thickly, Roel's warm, amorous gaze making it hard for you to think.
"Well, I think you're very sweet, handsome… and I, um, I like your muscles." Roel booms with laughter at the end of your statement. He flexes his bicep with a cocky grin.
"Yeah? Well thank you, I grew them myself so…" His cocky expression quickly turns into a dorky smile at the sound of you giggling at his joke. "Come on, we should try to be back for dinner." He wraps an arm around your shoulder, pulling you into a tight side hug.
"We're not going to be able to hike all the way there and back before dinner, I hate to break it to you, big guy." You found yourself leaning into his side as you walked.
"Who said we're hiking down?" He responds with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Personally, I think it would be a lot faster if we jumped.'
"You can't be serious." You respond with a laugh, figuring there was no way that was his plan. But, if he was joking, why wasn't he laughing with you? Your eyes met his and you realized he was completely serious. "Roel, I could die!" You exclaim.
"You're not going to die." He playfully rolls his eyes at your concern. "I'll keep you safe Hase, I promise." You reluctantly agreed, but the moment you peered over the edge with your own eyes you couldn't do it.
"Wasn't the whole reason you left your shirt up here to begin with was so it wouldn't get wet?" You question.
"I'll just get a new one at the house." He sees the fear behind your eyes and immediately tries to reassure you. "It looks a lot scarier than it is."
"I don't know if I can do this." You clenched your hands into fists, attempting to hide the fact that you were physically shaking. Roel gently tilts your chin up with his finger, his bright blue eyes immediately locking you in a trance.
"Do you trust me?" He asks softly, a patient smile resting on his lips.
"Of course I do." You respond without a second of hesitation.
"I'll be right beside you the whole time, nothing's going to go wrong, you have my word." You studied him for a moment before releasing a sigh.
"Okay, fine. It'll be faster anyways." You glanced over the edge. "Can you," you pause, your cheeks burning in embarrassment over how much of a coward you were being. "Can you hold my hand?" Roel reaches out and envelops your hand in his massive paw.
"Remember, keep your legs straight and your arms right to your body." He stands by your side, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. You glance up at him, a soft smile gracing your lips as you study his profile. For a moment you forgot about how scared you were, it didn't matter. Roel was here by your side, holding your hand, making you feel safe. It was one of the things you loved most about him. Whenever you were afraid or upset he would be there with warm embraces and words of reassurance. His eyes meet yours, "I got you, Hase." And with that final statement you jumped. Despite the fact that you were plummeting rapidly towards the water's surface it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. Roel's hand was warm as it stayed wrapped tightly around yours. His T-shirt he had clutched in his other hands whipping in the wind, both of you screaming as loud as your lungs would allow. The shock of you fully plunging into the icy lake knocked all the air from your lungs. You felt Roel tugging your arm as he began to swim upward. You broke through the surface, gasping in unison. Roel laughed loudly, pulling you into his arms. "You did it!" Your eyes widen as he presses a kiss to your forehead. "Das hast du wunderbar gemacht, Liebling." (You did wonderfully, darling). Your attention was snatched by a chorus of loud cheers and applause from the beach. Your friends, who looked like they were in the process of cleaning up to go back to the house, wildly screaming your name. Roel chuckles at the sight as you two begin your swim back to the shoreline.
"Looks like you two had an awfully good time." Rachel says as she drapes her towel over your shoulders. "I don't think I've ever seen him smiling so much." You looked over at him, you couldn't deny the fact that he looked really happy.
"Oh so you'll yell at me for jumping off the cliff but it's fine if she does it." Matthew groans. You join the pair, resting your hand on Roel's arm.
"He made sure I was perfectly safe." You point out. "You hurled yourself off the ledge with reckless abandon." You chuckle. Roel messes up your hair. “Hey.” You complain through a laugh.
“Come on, let's get you dried off.” He slings an arm over your shoulders, his warmth spreading through you as he pulls you into his side.
“So, you and Roel, huh?” Mya teases you, waggling her eyebrows at you.
“What about me and Roel?” You ask, unable to keep the smile off your face.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice the two of you getting all nice and cozy on that walk back from the beach.” You dropped your face into your hands to hide your flustered expression. He had you laughing the entire time. You were struggling to keep yourself upright, both of you almost falling into one another. You complained about how long the walk was back to the house, only to let out a startled shriek when Roel scoops you up in his arms. “Can’t complain about the walk if you’re not walking, Hase.” He teased you with a wink.
“It’s nothing, we just had a really good day, that’s all.” Your focus returns to your makeup.
“Did you kiss him?” She asks excitedly.
“No.” You laugh and shake your head.
“Aw, boo.” She bellows. “If I were you I’d climb that man like a tree.” You burst out laughing at her statement.
“It’s not like that.” You try to convince her.
“Sure.” She playfully rolls her eyes. “(Y/N), he couldn’t keep his hands off you! He obviously likes you!” She exclaims.
“It’s very possible he might! But, I don’t want to rush things. Even with the relationship we have now, Roel makes me feel special.” You respond wistfully. “Everytime I’m with him… he makes me feel like, like I really mean something to him.” You sigh.
“Maybe you could sneak off for a little alone time with him at the party tonight.” She suggests. “I think those are feelings the two of you should discuss.”
“What? Do you want me to just walk up to him and admit that I’m in love with him?” You laugh.
“Yes, I think you need to tell him before you go insane.” She responds bluntly.
“We’ll see what happens.” You try to get her off the topic.
She hops up off the bed, you eye her curiously. “Well, I hope you have fun with him tonight. If you’ll excuse me I have an appointment with Attila.” She squeals. Your attention snaps to her.
“You what?” You ask excitedly.
“I’m curious, I’ve heard good things.” She shrugs nonchalantly. “Maybe he’ll even be better than Matthew.” She gives you a coy smile.
“Go have fun, just don’t be reckless.” You chuckle.
“Good luck with Roel, you look beautiful, love you.”
“Love you.” She hurries off, leaving you to finish getting ready alone. You found yourself sitting on the arm of the couch, laughing the night away with your friends. The small party swarmed around you, friends of the Ministry from around the area all joining up at the small lake house. You sipped your martini, the alcohol's warmth settling in your cheeks and at the tips of your ears.
“Uh oh,” Sarah starts, “Looks like someone has their eye on you.” You glance over your shoulder to see Roel standing at the bar. His relaxed lean only made the already giant of a man appear even taller, his eyes finding your small form through the crowd. You took your bottom lip between your teeth, returning to your conversation with a coy expression. “I think I’ll leave you two be.” She gets up with a wink, giving you a small wave as she passes by you to find someone else to mingle with. You smile at the feeling of a warm hand coming to rest on your shoulder.
“You look beautiful.” You shiver slightly at the sensation of Roel’s warm breath fanning over the shell of your ear.
“You don’t look half bad yourself.” Your eyes slowly trail down his body. His dress shirt stretched tightly over his toned chest, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his immaculate forearms. His dress pants clung to his muscular thighs, showing off his strong physique. You swallowed thickly before snapping your eyes up to meet his.
“I had a really nice time with you today.” He leans in closer to you, allowing you to hear him more clearly over the pounding music.
“Today was a lot of fun.” You respond with a smile. “We should do things like that more often.” He eyes you carefully as you finish off your drink.
“Come on sweetheart, next one’s on me.” He offers his hand with a smile.
“Such a gentleman.” You giggle, sliding your hand into his. After hitting the bar the two of you wandered outside. The two of you enjoyed the warm breeze as you looked out over the moon lit lake. You gently pushed yourself into his side as you sipped at your drink, he responded by wrapping his arm around your shoulders.
“Nice night tonight.” He remarks softly. “It would be a good night to go swimming.” He eyes you with a devious smirk.
“Swimming, hm?” He nods, you pretend to ponder the idea. “I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“Neither do I.” He straightens up.” You look to the party inside and then back to him. The invitation was almost too good to ignore. You took his hand, allowing him to guide you down to the shore line. Your feet sunk into the sand as you hit the beach, your shoes discarded by the stairs. You laugh as Roel sweeps you up in his arms, dancing you around in the night. He pauses, gazing down at you with a longing expression.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how much I want to kiss you right now.” He mumbles.
“Then kiss me.” You respond, your voice barely above a whisper. Before you even had the chance to process what was happening his lips were on yours. You slowly got to work undoing the buttons on his shirt. He bends down slightly to grab the hem of your dress, carefully working it up your body and over your head. He glances down, seeing you in your favorite set of lingerie. He groans, collapsing to his knees. You rest your arms over his shoulders, crushing your lips against his. You easily work off his shirt. Roel’s massive hands caress your waist and hips before sliding up your back to undo your bra. You nod when he glances up at you for permission. He places gentle kisses along the soft skin, his fingers expertly undoing the clasp. You gasp softly as the cool night air fully hits your chest, the delicate fabric falling to the ground. You mewled softly as his lips trailed up the side of your neck. He pulls his undershirt over his head, discarding it haphazardly. You ran your fingers through the soft ginger curls that covered his chest, feeling his muscles tense up at your gentle touch. He hooks his fingers into your panties, slowly pulling them over the curve of your ass and down your legs. You give him one more lingering kiss before you slowly start backing up towards the water. He hurries out of the rest of his clothes, trailing after you. You scream happily as the two of you stumble into the water, both of you floating farther and farther away from the shoreline. Roel guided your legs around his waist, holding you close as he pulled you in for another kiss. You reached the end of the dock, he pressed your back up against one of the slick wooden supports. His hands roam your sides, your head spinning as you fight against your need to breathe. You tighten your legs around him, holding him as close as possible. You whined at the feeling of his hands wrapping around your thighs. He was very easily able to hold you in place with one arm alone, using his free hand to explore every curve he could find. You run your hands over his broad shoulders, pressing yourself into him as much as you possibly could. He rested his forehead against yours, the silence broken up by the two of you panting softly. As the adrenaline wore off your anxiety took over.
“(Y/N), I-”
“I’m sorry Roel, I really should go.” You separated yourself from him, swimming back to the shore. You quickly shimmy back into your dress and grab the rest of your belongings before hurrying back up to the house. Luckily everyone was too absorbed in the party to notice you sneaking back to your room. You threw your shoes into the corner of the room and cursed. “What is wrong with you?” You exclaim to your empty bedroom. You peel out of your dress with a huff, tossing it aside with your shoes. You changed into something more comfortable, making absolutely no plans to leave your room for the rest of the trip. You traced your finger along your bottom lip, remembering the feeling of Roel’s lips on yours as you stared blankly up at the ceiling. Why did you have to run away? You were there experiencing everything you had ever dreamed of and you took off running. You jumped at the sound of a loud, thudding knock on your door. You wrapped your sweatshirt tightly around yourself, trying to conceal yourself with more than just your mostly see through tank top. “Roel?” You whisper at the sight of him standing on the other side of the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m sorry, I know it’s late, I just… I can’t get the thought of kissing you out of my head.” He states softly. “I’m sorry if I overstepped, I just-” He was cut off by you grabbing him by the collar, pulling his lips down to meet yours. You stumbled backwards, dragging him into your room. He kicks the door shut behind him, his lips never leaving yours as he cages you against the wall. You feel his warm fingers work their way under the hem of your shirt, gently tracing up the curve of your spine before pressing flush against your back. His other arm slid under your ass, effortlessly lifting you from the floor. He works a leg in between your own, you mewled as he set your full weight down onto him. He pulls back from you slightly, his lips just out of reach of your own. He traces a finger along your jawline, smiling at you softly. “Such a pretty little thing you are.” His warm breath fans over your face, your cheeks burning in embarrassment. He takes your wrist in one hand, pinning them above your head. “Start moving sweetheart.” You tentatively roll your hips, whimpering softly as Roel tenses his thigh beneath you. You shivered as his lips hovered over your neck, just barely grazing over the sensitive skin. You struggled against his hold, desperate to get your hands on him. He chuckled slightly at your pathetic attempts to get loose, almost cooing at the sight. “Poor Hase,” he mocks your pout, “what do you want, use your words."
"Roel… Please…" You pant. "Want to touch you." He takes the delicate skin of your throat between his teeth. He releases his hold on you, his hand dropping to the curve of your waist. You slid your hands over his tone chest, soft moans of satisfaction tumbling from your lips as you slowly rolled your hips over his tensed thigh. "Fuck." You breathe out a curse. Goosebumps rose on your skin, you grabbed on tightly to Roel's shoulders as your pace increased. He grabs your hips, setting the pace he wants you to go.
"Such pretty little sounds." He praises. You push your hips down on him harder, taking your lip between your teeth to try and muffler the lewd sounds that broke free from your throat. "You want to cum on my thigh sweetheart?" You nod, crying out as he begins to move you faster.
"Please… please let me cum for you… feels so good." You sob, your statements broken up by your heavy panting. He places hot, open mouth kisses to the exposed skin of your neck, pausing every so often to tell you how good of a job you were doing.
"So polite, asking for permission first." You feel his teeth graze over your skin as he smirks. He releases his grip on your hips. "Go on Hase, get yourself off." You dragged your soaked core fervently across his thigh, chasing your high that seemed just out of reach. The thin fabric of your sleep shorts provides a delicious friction to your throbbing clit. You whined his name, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes as you just couldn't seem to get the relief you needed. "Come on beautiful, I know you have it in you." His hands rested comfortably on your ass, he closely watched the way your body moved as you shuddered with pleasure on top of him. You cried out as your orgasm ripped through you, burying your face against his chest to try and muffle your loud voice. "Good girl." He coos, holding you close as you finish riding out your high, your hips gradually coming to a stop. He rests a hand on the side of your face, thumb languidly running over your skin. "How about we get out of these clothes." His fingers trailed just under the hem of your tank top, which had ridden up slightly from your frantic movements. You shivered at the sensation of his soft touch, leaning in to allow your lips to find his again. His hands roamed your torso, you whined as his fingers grazed over your sensitive nipples through the thin fabric. His lips dropped to the crook of your neck, you moaned as he kissed and sucked the exposed skin as he slid your sweatshirt off your shoulders. His massive paws cup your breasts.
"Want you." Your cheeks burn as you whine in desperation.
“You want me, hm?” He asks with a chuckle. He slowly pulls your shirt over your head, his calloused fingers running over your nipples. You keen into his touch, “so needy, Hase.” He teases. He pinches one of the sensitive buds between his fingers, his other hand dipping between your legs to tease at your entrance through your soaked panties. You whimper as you press into his fingers, desperate to have them inside you. He hums, removing his leg from beneath you. Your legs trembled as they struggled to hold your weight. “Let’s move this somewhere a little more comfortable.” He offers with a grin. He takes your hand, guiding you towards the bed. You giggle as he gently pushes you back onto the mattress. He removes your panties at an agonizingly slow pace. You squirm as he brushes his fingers over your aching clit, struggling to contain the soft moans spilling from your lips. Roel cages you beneath him, his much larger form acting as its own form of restraint as he slowly slipped his fingers into your folds. You gasp at the feeling of him stretching you open, your hand gripping tightly onto his arm. He kissed you hard to muffle your cries, his fingers rocking into you at a relentless pace.
“Roel,” his name cracked from your throat. “I can’t, I’m gunna-” you were cut off by a shrill moan breaking free from you.
“Cum for me Hase, you’re doing such a good job.” He praises you. His sweet words immediately tip you over the edge. You cried out his name as your cunt clenched hard around his fingers. More soft words of praise filled your hazy mind as his fingers pumped into you through your climax. He frees himself from the confines of his clothes, slowly crawling his way over your body until you are fully engulfed underneath him. He teases at your entrance, you stifle a groan at how thick the head of his cock was. You winced as he started to ease himself inside of you. He quietly hushes you, cradling your face in his hand as he carefully works himself inside you. “You’re taking me so well, sweetheart.” He groans.You let out a soft sob as he bottoms out inside you, the delicious pressure of him filling you so completely.
“Roel.” You cry softly, wrapping your arms around his neck.
“I have you, Hase.” Your eyes roll back as he starts to slowly roll his hips. Your velvety walls squeeze around him. “Fuck.” He hisses, he reaches down so his thumb can rub broad circles over your clit. Feeling him hit a spot so deep inside of you was threatening to break you, he had you babbling incoherent nonsense with every stroke. “You look so beautiful, Hase.” He whispers in your ear. “You feel so good.” He groans.
“Please.” You sob, barely able to form a single word. “Please let me cum.” He chuckles, picking up his pace rubbing your clit.
“Such a good girl, asking for permission.” He smiles down at you. “Cum for me, Hase. Let me see how good I’m making you feel.” You scream his name, your body going rigid as you come undone beneath him. He pushes your knees to your chest, pounding into you relentlessly as the edges of your vision go white with pleasure. “So good for me,” he grunts, “gunna cum in you.” You lock your legs around his hips, making sure he meant that last statement. Roel’s forearms fell on either side of your head, his lips capturing yours in a passionate kiss as he moaned into your mouth. His hips stutter slightly as he finishes, you gasp at the feeling of his hot load pooling inside of you. Roel’s mouth separates from yours with a sigh of relief as he buries his face into the crook of your neck. He collapses on top of you, crushing you under his massive frame, causing you to giggle. “You’re not going to try and run away this time, right?” He asks with a tired chuckle.
You shake your head, “no.” You place a soft kiss on his shoulder. “Do you… Do you maybe want to try going on an actual date.” You ask, staring straight up at the ceiling to try and hide your flustered expression.
“I’ll take you on a thousand dates if you want me to.” He sighs happily. “(Y/N), I’ve been in love with you for a long time, I just never knew how to tell you.”
“Really?” You ask softly, a dumb smile finding its way to your face.
“Yes.” He responds seriously. He leans in, placing a soft kiss to your lips.
“Do you want to stay?” He nods, helping you get cleaned up and helping you get under the covers before he joins you. He wraps you tightly in his arms, pulling you flush against his chest. “Roel?” He hums at the sound of you saying his name. “I love you too.” You feel the slight shaking in his chest as he chuckles.
“Goodnight, meine Häschen." He presses a kiss to your cheek.
“Goodnight.” You smile softly as you drift off in his arms.
Band of Sisters, Band of Thieves (Medieval! Powerwolf x Fem! Princess! Reader) - Part VI
(A/N): Hey everyone! Sorry I went MIA for a bit, writers block can be a real bitch sometimes 😭😭 hopefully updates will go back to being more frequent now that I've worked through my block, I hope you enjoy the new updates! This chapter I've decided to try and introduce nicknames for all the sisters, hopefully it'll make it easier to keep everyone straight. Let me know what you think!
WARNINGS: Mentions of death, brief descriptions of sword fighting, knife wounds, and bodily injury. Swearing. Princess and Attila have to fight off bandits.
Part V - Part VII (TBA)
My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!
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It was all supposed to be so simple. Your whole life had been mapped out for you, you simply had to follow the steps. You were set up to marry a man for his favorable politics, something you couldn't care less about despite the fact you would soon be in charge of those decisions yourself. You had done your duties to the letter, so why were you running through the woods to try and escape with your life? Attila grabbed your arm, pulling you in the direction of a small alcove under the roots of a nearby tree. He slips a large knife into your grasp, wrapping his hand around yours to silently command you to hold it tight. "They're going to find you." Your eyes grew wide, you pushed forward as you prepared to protest but Attila was quick to clamp his hand over your mouth. "When they do, I need you to yell out how many there are. Once you do that I want you to close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you to open them." He sees the bewildered expression on your face. "I don't want a young woman of your status seeing what I do to those men." You found your breathing beginning to steady as you remained locked under his confident gaze. Despite how quickly he had put together this plan, one thing was clear from the way he was speaking to you. He was going to get you out of here safely. "Nod if you understand."
You quickly responded, causing him to drop his hand from your mouth. His eyes scan over your face, giving you a firm nod before disappearing from your sight. You gripped the knife tightly in your hands, tucking yourself as far back into the tree roots as you could and prepared yourself. You could hear them approaching, branches snapping under their feet along with their hushed conversations. You had to focus, you had to have faith in Attila. You yelped as one of them jumped down in front of you, a smirk instantly spreading across his face at the sight of your trembling form. "Well, well, well. If it isn't one of that monarch bastard's prized daughters." He growls. "I'm sure we could get a pretty penny for your head." He grabs you, dragging you out of your hiding spot. You slash at him, managing to cut his eye. He cries out, pushing you away from him, causing you to fall on your ass. "I'll make you pay for that, you bitch!" You look up at the ledge above you, two other bodies loomed at the top.
"Three!" You yell as loud as you can, trying to scramble away from the group as you squeezed your eyes shut. The thugs paused briefly, confused by what they thought was a random outburst. You hear Attila's footsteps thunder through the brush, he roared as he emerged into the clearing. You curled into yourself on the ground, covering your head with your hands as the fighting rang to life in your ears. You heard a loud thwack as the blade of his broadsword chopped into one of the assailants. The thud of his opponent's lifeless body thudding to the forest floor. The two other men charged forward with a yell, metal clanged against metal as they battled in the small clearing. With one final swing you heard the two remaining assailants fall to the ground in tandem. Your breathing was heavy and uneven, you sat there clutching yourself as you struggled to remain calm. Just when you felt like you were going to burst into a full blown panic you were met with the warmth of Attila's jacket being laid over your shoulders. You clutched to the worn leather, letting your body relax into its shelter. You slowly lifted your gaze to Attila's concerned face.
"They must be heavy." He states firmly.
"What must be?" You rebuttal, confused as to what he could mean.
"The weight of your brass balls." You can't help but laugh at his crass statement. "You faced off against three thugs and barely flinched, color me impressed." He sets a gentle hand on your shoulder. "Princess, if it's alright with you, I'd like to try and get you home."
"That sounds wonderful. But, I regret to inform you that my legs won't let me stand at the moment." You tried to force out a laugh as you felt tears well up in your eyes as your adrenaline wore off. Your whole body shook, your legs too weak with fear to walk. Seeing your distressed state Attila did the only thing he could think of. He scooped you up in his arms, held you close to his chest, and began to make his way back the way you had come.
"Don't you worry 'bout a thing, Your Highness. I promised to keep you safe, I think I've done alright so far, hm?" He tries to joke around and lighten the mood. Despite how often you managed to get on his nerves he never wanted to see you so afraid. You looked so small and afraid. Your face buried against him as you sobbed against his chest, he held the jacket tightly around you. The best case scenario, the horses would be somewhere nearby the carriage, he could hold you easily enough and get you both back to the castle. Attila let out a sigh of relief as luck appeared to be on his side tonight. One of the castle's best horses grazed at the side of the road. He set you gently inside the carriage, allowing you to watch him as he got the horse saddled up before making his way back to you. "Think you can sit on his back on your own for a moment?" You nodded, allowing him to help you into the saddle where you sat unsteadily. He hiked himself up behind you, his arms resting comfortably on either side of you as he took the reins. You sped off down the trail, knowing you had a long ride of you.
"Attila," you say his name softly. He hums in response, alerting you that he was listening. "I'm sorry you got dragged into a mess like this because of me."
"Eh, my job would be a lot less exciting if you hadn't." He smiles playfully down at you. "Your Highness, you don't have to apologize. This is the type of work I expected to have." You struggled to suppress a yawn, leaning back into Attila's shoulder. "Rest as much as you can, we have a long journey ahead of us." You nodded, sparing a glance up at him. If you were this tired you could only imagine how exhausted he must be, yet he didn't waver for a moment. You were riding for almost a full day when you finally arrived back at the castle. Your horses galloping slowed as you reached the front gate, Attila carrying you inside.
"(Y/N)?" You hear your father's voice exclaim from the other end of a hallway. He rushed over to you and Attila.
"Your Majesty, the carriage was attacked by bandits-" you hear him start to explain as everything slowly faded away. When you awoke you groaned as you tried to move your heavy, aching limbs. The room was filled with golden sunlight, a vase full of vibrant wildflowers sat in the open window.
"Good morning." You turned to find your sister's physician, organizing his shelves of herbs.
"Mr. Hunt? What happened?" You struggled to sit up, your entire body was sore. You winced as you propped yourself up on your elbows. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Three days." He answers bluntly. "You fainted when you arrived back at the castle, you're down in my office so I can ensure that you were alright during your prolonged rest."
"And, Sir Attila? Is he alright?" You ask with a hint of nervousness in your voice. Mr. Hunt chuckles at your concern.
"He's just fine, Your Highness, no need to worry." He glances out the window. "I believe right now he's watching Sir Falk and your sister train?"
"My sister? Training?" You attempted to stand only to instantly collapse back into the cot. You remembered your younger sister jokingly saying she was going to learn how to wield a sword. "Mr. Hunt, would you be able to help me over to where she is?"
"Of course, Your Highness." Mr. Hunt takes your arm, helping you stand and slowly walk down the castle's endless hallways. You eventually came to the windows overlooking a clearing at the back of the castle grounds. You looked down to see your sister standing in a sword fighting stance, holding an incredibly long stick.
"Oi, Mimi!" Both of them jump, their eyes darting up to see you waving in the window. "What are you two doing?" You watch Falk suddenly step forward, catching your sister off guard, the force of his stick colliding with hers sending her tumbling onto the ground. Falk lets out a bellowing laugh, heading over to help her up, only for her to sweep his leg out from underneath him, causing him to fall to the ground at her side. You can't held but smile as you watch the two of them giggling the courtyard. Falk stumbled into a standing position, lugging your sister up after him.
"You stay right there! I have a bone to pick with you!" You laugh as you watch her hurry inside. She stomps down the hallway in your direction, Sir Falk jogging out behind her a few moments later. "Do you understand how worried you made us?" She crushes you in a hug, her voice cracking slightly as she holds back tears. You wrap your arms around her, holding her close.
"You can't get rid of your annoying older sister that easily." You joke. "Sir Falk." You greeted him with a knowing, inquisitive look. "I hear you're teaching my sister to fight? How has she been doing?"
He seemed to be a bit surprised that you weren't berating him for teaching her something so dangerous. "She's doing great even if she says otherwise." He nudges her slightly as she returns to his side, softly smiling down at her. "I'm glad you're alright, Your Highness." You nod your thanks to him.
"Where's everyone else?" You ask Mimi.
"Ducky is sitting with Roel in the garden, he got injured pretty badly on his last expedition. She's been keeping him company while he recovers. I'm sure the rest of them are scattered around the palace." She chuckles. "Attila was here a little while ago to… well he was about to come visit you." She smirks at you. Your eyes widened slightly, figuring now that you were returned safely to the castle walls Sir Attila would go back to wanting nothing to do with you.
"I, um, I think I'm going to go look for him. He'll probably be worried if he finds the bed empty." You chuckle nervously, Mr. Hunt assisting you once more. You watched as your sister and Sir Falk exchanged a glance.
"Sona?" You hum, looking back at her. "He seemed really worried about you." You struggled to keep the small smile off your face. Maybe the brute didn't hate you after all? Returning to the infirmary you found Sir Attila anxiously pacing in front of the door. You watched relief wash over him as he saw you up and walking.
"Your Highness." He takes a few hurried steps forward before he realizes how over excited he seemed. He slowed himself, gesturing delicately in your direction. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore, a bit tired, but overall not too bad." You manage a small laugh. "I can't thank you enough-"
"There's no need to thank me, I was simply doing what was expected of me." He states bluntly. You froze, a dull ache resonating in your chest as you realized this was really just work for him. "I was just checking to see whether or not you had woken up."
"Right, did you get a chance to speak with my father?" Your usual icy tone settled back into your words. Whatever friendliness he had displayed to you in the woods was long gone by now. He nods in response.
"I'm sure he'll want to hear things from your perspective." You nod.
"Of course." You force a tight smile onto your lips. "Well, I guess you can finally be dismissed." You thank Mr. Hunt before continuing through the halls the best you could on your own. You pushed open the door to your father's study, sitting there with his quill in hand as he steadily sorted through a stack of documents. The papers fluttered to his desk as he realized you were now standing in front of him.
"Thank heavens you're alright." He pulls you into a tight hug. "Attila told me everything, you don't have to discuss it if you don't want to." He pulls out one of the seats at his grand desk, motioning for you to sit before doing so on his own side. "I've already sent word to the Duke about what happened, you don't need to worry about a thing on that end."
"Father, is it really necessary to go through with this marriage with the Duke?" You ask him, propping your chin in the palm of your hand.
He sighs, "My darling girl, we've already discussed this. Your marriage to the Duke isn't for something trivial like an heir or wealth. Marrying him means we gain access to all of his lands resources-"
"Which raises the economy and brings forth the means for societal growth." You recite in a bored tone, unable to recount how many times you have had this conversation with your father.
"Exactly. I know you're not happy about it, but it's how things have to be done." He explains calmly.
"Father, I don't love him." You were being honest. Your usual mantra about the Duke immediately coming to mind 'a smart match, but so incredibly boring'. He was the furthest thing from what you wanted in a partner.
"You will learn to love him, sweetheart. Your mother and I weren't too fond of each other when we first got married either, if I'm being honest I don't think the woman could stand me." He chuckles. "But she became someone I knew I could rely on, she's my best friend."
"I don't want just a best friend, I want to be able to find my soul mate." Your voice soft and frail as you recounted the dreams of your future from when you were a child. "I want to marry someone that I can't stand to be away from for even a second, someone who challenges me to be the best version of myself, but is still gentle and kind enough to help me pick up the pieces if I fail."
"Trust me, my dear. I wish that was something I could give to you." He offers you a sad smile. "You going through with this marriage proves your resilience and your dedication to running this kingdom properly, and I'm so proud of you for doing so." You repressed a sigh, this conversation only cemented what you knew to be fact, you couldn't get through to him even if you tried. "Now, I'm sure you're still tired but you should go get properly dressed. I don't want my daughter walking around in front of the servants in a nightgown like some strumpet." You silently nodded as you dismissed yourself. You felt the strength in your legs slowly coming back. Your body still wrapped in a constant dull ache from your taste of battle. You headed back into your quarters, your handmaids immediately rushing to you.
"Good afternoon ladies, would one of you be kind enough to help me get dressed so I can go visit my sister's?" They all immediately got to work, pleasantly chatting with you and amongst themselves. You told them everything that had happened, the group of women hanging in your every word.
"I'm surprised he went out of his way to take such good care of you, that Attila can be such a brute." One of your handmaid's remarks as she works on the ties of your corset. There was a murmur of agreement amongst the group.
"Trust me, I was just as shocked as you were." You chuckle before letting out a soft sigh. "I don't know, part of me thinks I just imagined the whole thing. When I saw him earlier today he was just as cold and distant as ever."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Your Highness. Sir Attila has never been the most congenial of the Wolfborne Company. Besides, you went through a terrifying experience. It would only be natural to try and find some form of bond between you and your sole companion." You finish getting into your garments, all of them making sure everything was placed just the way you liked it. You dismiss all of them for the rest of the day, assuring them if you needed any assistance you would let them know.
You made your way down to the garden, spotting your sister propped up against a tree next to Roel. The two of them would occasionally point at the sky. "They must be cloud watching." You mutter under your breath. Ducky perks up when she notices you.
"Sona!" She yells, scrambling from the ground. You continue slowly in her direction, internally grimacing at how weak your body still felt. You pulled her into a tight hug. "I was so worried."
"I know, I'm sorry." You hold her tight. Ducky looked up to you as almost a mother figure. Where the Queen would be harsh and unforgiving you were understanding and gentle with your youngest sibling. You were someone she could look up to; strong, independent, not afraid to speak your mind despite the fact it could have repercussions.
"Your Highness, Attila told me everything, I'm glad both of you made it out unscathed." Roel's towering form throws the two of you into shadow.
"Roel, I'm glad to hear you're also alright. I heard you were hurt pretty badly." He shakes his head.
"It was just a scratch." At his remark Ducky winds up and punches him in the shoulder. "Hey, that wasn't nice." He says through his pretend hurt, rubbing his arm. She hissed softly as she shook out her hand.
"You almost died, stop trying to play it off." She argues. "He's lucky I found him and brought him to Mr. Hunt." He groans, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"She's never going to let me live this down." His annoyed expression quickly faded away to a smile. You chuckle at their antics. You were so happy to be home, to be able to see your sisters once more. Yet, you still couldn't shake the heavy feeling that had settled into your chest. You were becoming increasingly sure of one thing. Despite how much you had tried to convince yourself that you wanted nothing to do with Sir Attila, it was becoming impossible to ignore your hidden feelings for him. You almost laughed at the thought. Seeing Ducky and Roel act so friendly with each other, you wished you could have that type of relationship with Attila. However, you knew that was something that could never happen.
No matter your feelings you had a duty to uphold. Your life has already been perfectly mapped out for your success, you shouldn't stray from the course. Even if you did decide to indulge yourself in your little fantasy it's not as if Attila would ever possibly return your feelings, would he?
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Tag List! @ramblingoak @kissingghouls @belnovacaine @iamsarahsaysso @spookyghostjelly @mustluvecho @jennmakesitweird @angellayercake
Dances In The Moonlight (Falk Maria Schlegel x GN! Reader) - Part XII
WARNINGS: Very brief argument, shoving, swearing, threats, mostly fluff.
Part XI ~ Part XIII (TBA)
My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!
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The weeks felt like they passed you by in mere minutes, the next full moon rapidly approaching. You stood on a pedestal in front of multiple full length mirrors, one of the Abbey's talented seamstresses pinning the hem on your new ceremonial robe. "Oh, he's going to love it." She giggles along with you. "There, that's the last of the pins. I'll have it delivered to Father Falk's quarters once it's done." She smiled brightly at you, helping you shrug out of the cloak.
"I can't thank you enough Sister Maxine." You grab her hand cheerfully.
"Oh it's no trouble, I've never been chosen to work on a ceremonial robe, I should be thanking you for the opportunity." She returns your thanks bashfully.
"I know you're going to do a beautiful job, you're who I instantly wanted to work with when Falk brought this up." You were interrupted by a soft tap at the door.
"Sorry for the intrusion you two." Falk steps into the room with a smile, holding a bouquet of your favorite flowers. "Meine Maus, these are for you." Sister Maxine looked ready to swoon over his sweet actions, Falk's warm eyes remained locked on you as you inhaled his gifts sweet scent.
"What are these for?" You ask, cradling the bouquet to your chest. Falk offers you a crooked grin in response, you knew his response without him even having to say it.
"I was hoping you would accompany me to the ritual ball this evening." He wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him. You can't help but laugh as he smiles down at you. You had noticed something since the two of you had gotten together. He still acted as if he was courting you. Excitedly surprising you with small gifts of flowers or your favorite candy, asking you out on dates, even if it was something as simple as asking you to lunch, neither of you had lost the nervous butterflies of your child like crushes.
"I would love to." Your face lights up with a wide grin, Falk breathing out a chuckle.
"Sister Maxine, I trust their robe is coming along well?" He asks your seamstress.
"Yes Father, they looks absolutely radiant in it already. I can't wait to show you when it's finished." He kisses the top of your head, giving your waist a gentle squeeze.
"I'm excited to see your work, this one refused to let anyone besides you work on this." He teases you, causing you to roll your eyes and Maxine to laugh.
"(Y/N), if there's any more adjustments I think I'll need to make I'll send for you. You two go have fun at your ritual ball." She waves the two of you off. You lean into Falk's side as you walk, he seemed extremely giddy today.
As you grew closer to his quarters he took your hand in his, giving it a soft squeeze. "Don't be mad at me, but I bought you something." He chuckles as he watches your eyes narrow, he knew how much you hated it when he spent money on you. He gently tugged you through the door behind him. You let out a high pitched squeal as Falk pushed you up against the door, you giggled as his lips crashed into yours. "Close your eyes." He whispers. You do as he asks as he pulls off you. You hear him rustling something out of his closet, the zipper being undone on what he had retrieved. "Okay, open." You blinked a few times as your vision cleared. He stood before you holding up an ensemble you had fallen in love with when you had taken a trip into town.
"Oh, Falk, it's beautiful!" You press a kiss to his cheek, carefully taking the clothing from him to admire it. "Sweetheart you didn't need to go through all that trouble." His hands gently squeeze at your waist.
"You're my seelenbindung, nothing is too much trouble for you." He states softly, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "Go get ready, we'll leave in about an hour." It was a bit of an odd feeling slipping into a sort of domestic rhythm next to Falk. Him chuckling softly as he brushed his teeth, listening to you singing loudly in the shower. You stood next to him in the bathroom mirror, you doing your makeup while he shaved. You laughed loudly as the two of you danced in his bedroom as you got dressed. You sat on the edge of the bed, smiling down at the most handsome man you had ever met, who was currently helping you put on your shoes. He takes your hand, helping you stand. "Meine Maus ist so schön." He coos in his native tongue, gently squeezing your cheeks in his hand. You laugh, burying your face against him to try and hide your flustered expression. You sat beside him as he drove, both of you happy to be at each other's side. You turn your attention to him as he gives your hand a gentle squeeze. "Is everything alright, Schatz? You seem tense."
"Yeah, just nerves." You wanted to tell him but you didn't want to sour your whole evening together. The closer the next full moon got the more it weighed on your mind. He languidly ran his thumb across your knuckles.
"Maus," he states softly, "if you have worries you can talk about them, it might make you feel better." You dared a glance at his eyes, the expression he wore alone enough to tell you he knew what was making you so stressed.
You let out a shaky sigh. "I know… I know last time was because I didn't follow the rules. I shouldn't have been out of my room on ritual night. But, Falk, a wooden door isn't going to keep you out. If any of you decided that would wanted into a room… I've seen what you look like, I don't even want to imagine the strength you have when you're that beast."
"Schatz, I promise you, as long as you're not wandering the Abbey you will be safe." Despite the fact he knew you trusted him he could still sense your anxiety rolling off you in waves, a hesitant look in your eyes as you continued to think about just how impossible that sounded. "When we get back to the Abbey I would like to show you something, hopefully it'll help calm your nerves. I don't like seeing you so upset, meine Maus." He guides your knuckles to your lips. A small smile spreads across your lips as you gaze at him. You lean in, placing a quick kiss to his cheek. When you arrived at the party you tried your best to shake off the dark cloud that hung above your head, there was no use getting worked up over something that couldn't be helped, especially not now. Your chest swelled as you stepped from the quiet outside to the loud, raging energy of the party inside. You gave Falk's arm a gentle squeeze as you smiled up at him, you saw his gaze soften as he realized just how much confidence you had gained over the past month.
"Well look who decided to show up!" Roel booms, his arm slinging over your shoulder as he crushes you into a side, placing a sloppy kiss to your cheek that causes you to recoil with a laugh. He takes you firmly by both shoulders, dropping down onto one knee so he can look you in the eyes. "Is he treating you well?" You can't help but laugh at how seriously he asked you that as you nod in response. "Good, if he doesn't you let me know. We're family, if anyone treats you wrong they'll have to deal with me." Charles pats him on the shoulder, shooing him away from you. Roel drops his hold on your shoulders, resuming his position towering over you.
"Don't mind him," Charles chuckles, "he gets emotional when he's been drinking."
"It's no problem," you nod in Roel's direction, "we're family." You smiled as Falk pulled you in close to him, idly chatting with the group around you. It was strange to think about. From the outside looking in this should be the farthest place from somewhere you felt safe. You were quite literally surrounded by a group of monsters, creatures you thought were pure fantasy until now. Yet, despite all of that, when you looked around you couldn't think of a single place you'd rather be. Falk's warmth enveloping you seemed to shield the overstimulating buzz of the room, five pairs of sharp eyes all darted in your direction as someone bumped into you. You understood now why Falk kept reassuring you the first party you came to, it was a silent declaration from them all. If anything went wrong, keeping you safe was a top priority.
"Falk, I'm gonna take them to get a drink." Roel places a strong hand on your shoulder.
"Don't get separated, you know how easy it is to get lost." He warns his friend before giving you a kiss on the cheek. You stuck close to Roel's side, the two of you sharing some casual conversation as you pushed yourself through the crowded room. You bumped into his shoulder as he suddenly went rigid. He moved his arm in front of you.
"Roel-" You start in a concerned tone before he cuts you off. He looks down at you with a comforting smile.
"It's alright, just stay close, yeah?" He could see his vague reassurance wasn't enough of an answer. "There's eyes on us." He offered his arm, you held onto him tightly as you tried to stop your eyes from wandering. In one swift movement Roel effortlessly shuffled you to his other side just as a familiar face emerged from the crowd. "Klaus." Roel greets bluntly as he cautiously eyes the man.
"Roel." He returns the greeting with a sharp smile. His eyes flashed down to you, your gaze narrowed. "I believe we've met before as well, haven't we?" He runs his tongue over his teeth as he ponders the thought over. "My apologies, I don't believe I ever got your name." His voice came out in a purr, as if he was trying to lure you closer with his words.
"It's (Y/N)." You respond hesitantly. Klaus reaches his hand out to take yours, Roel pushes himself in between the two of you with a growl.
"Back up." He snarls. "She's with Falk, surely that was clear enough to get through your thick skull." Klaus straightened up, matching Roel's towering height.
"And you damn mutts should know that regardless of that fact I'm going to take what I want." Roel grabbed Klaus by the collar, slamming him against the bar. Falk was by your side in an instant, pushing through the crowd the instant he noticed the disruption.
"Roel, what's going on here." Falk snaps sternly. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, holding you close to ensure you would be out of harm's way.
Klaus shoved Roel off him, parting the crowd to head for the exit. He paused for a moment to look you up and down, a smirk spreading across his features. "You better keep a close eye on your partner Falk." Roel held a hand against Falk's chest to stop him from charging forward.
"He's not worth it." He says keeping his eyes trained on Klaus as he leaves. "I think it might be a good idea to get them back to the Abbey." Falk nods, taking your hand and trying his best to give you a reassuring smile.
"Come on, Schatz. Are you alright?" You nestle yourself close to his side.
"Yeah, I'm alright." You say through a forced smile, trying your best to hide your nerves from him. You couldn't deny how shaken you were. You rode back to the Abbey in silence, your eyes trailing the street lamps as they whizzed past your window.
"Maus," Falk suddenly speaks up, his voice soft. "You know I'd never let anything happen to you, right?"
You nod, reaching over to take his hand. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can, my love." He gives your hand a gentle squeeze.
"Is Klaus… dangerous?" You couldn't think of a way to phrase your question that didn't alert Falk to your worries.
"Klaus is a very powerful man within our community. Because of that he has a tendency to believe that he can do and take whatever he wants." Falk clears his throat, trying his best to keep the anger out of his voice. "But, no matter what he thinks that doesn't mean we're going to let him. You're safe at the Abbey, with me, with the rest of the huge clergy. I just… I need you to trust that I'll get this figured out."
You lean over, placing a soft kiss to his cheek. "I trust you."
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Tag List!: @ramblingoak @kissingghouls @spookyghostjelly @belnovacaine @iamsarahsaysso @mustluvecho
Band of Sisters, Band of Thieves (Medieval! Powerwolf x Fem! Princess! Reader) - Part V
WARNINGS: Brief mentions of stab wounds, injury, blood, mostly fluff
(A/N: AHHH ALL THE INTRODUCTION CHAPTERS ARE DONE!! Thank you so much for being here and reading my silly little story about my silly little knights, I have a lot of fun things planned for this story, thank you for reading!)
*Eendje - Duckling
Part IV - Part VI
My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link
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Your sister makes a startled sound when you all but crash into her as you round a corner in the neverending maze of hallways. The front of your skirt balled up in your hands as you continued jogging through the castle. "Ducky, where in God's name are you going in such a rush?"
"Sir Roel is supposed to return this morning!" You call over your shoulder through labored breaths. "He said he would bring me something home!" You continue excitedly before continuing to hurry down to the main gate. You sat on one of the stone benches just inside of the entryway, fanning yourself to try and stay cool in the rapidly increasing morning heat. Before you knew it the sun was high in the sky. "That's odd, Roel always returns before noon." You state out loud to yourself. You stood, smoothing your dress before calmly walking inside. You couldn't lie, the fact he had yet to return to the castle made you a bit anxious. Roel was nothing if not punctual.
"Princess, good afternoon." Matthew greets you with a nod.
"Matthew, was Roel's return delayed?" He pauses, giving you a confused look.
"No, we figured he was with you. Has he not come back yet?" You shook your head. Matthew sighs, pondering over what to do for a moment. He offers you a reassuring smile in an attempt to quell your anxieties. "I'm going to go get Falk and Charles, we'll ride out and look for him. I'm sure he just had to take a small detour." You nod, informing him to let you know immediately once they return. You spent your day wandering aimlessly around the castle, trying to find anything at all to help calm your mind. You found yourself wandering down to the garden, singing a Dutch nursery rhyme Roel had taught you as you carefully braided some flowers together to make a headpiece. You perked up slightly, the sound of armor clanking suddenly became noticeable. Your eyes darted in its direction only to see Roel barely able to stand as he limped his way into the garden.
His eyes landed on you, a weak smile finding its way to his lips. "Princess." His voice came out weak and raspy. He collapsed to his knees, the rest of his body crumpling to the ground immediately after.
"Roel!" You cry out, rushing to his side. You carefully move his head to your lap, his forehead drenched in sweat. You didn't have the faintest idea what to do, your main focus on trying not to panic. You sighed, setting a hand on his chest, your eyes widening slightly at the warm wetness that immediately spread over your palm. You raised your hand, deep crimson blood now coating your skin. He had been stabbed in the chest.
"Ducky!" Your eyes flash back to see your sisters rushing to your side.
"Help me get his armor off, we need to get him to the infirmary, he's hurt." Your voice cracked as you spoke, sobs threatening to tear free from your throat at any moment. You tugged at the straps of his leather chest plate, your sisters assisting you in removing whatever weight you could before one of them helped you hoist him up over your shoulders. The two of you struggled to lug him inside, somehow managing to get down to where your sister's physician resided within the castle. You kicked open the door causing the poor man to jump. "Mr. Hunt, please, it's Roel." Between the fact you were so out of breath and that you were still trying to hold your composure you had trouble getting your words out. He cleared off his desk, papers and trinkets alike scattering across the floor as you laid Roel down as gently as possible.
"I'll take good care of him, Your Highness, you have my word." Your sister took your hand, trying to guide you from the room, but you stood firm.
"I can't leave him." You could only muster a whisper. Mr. Hunt sighs, offering you a patient smile. He nods to the door, a signal you understood. He needed to work, you would only serve as a distraction. "Please… don't let my friend die." With one more tug from your sister you reluctantly exited the room. "You two go ahead, I'm going to wait."
"Ducky, you can't-"
"I'm not leaving him." You cut her off, your voice firm and unwavering. She pulls you into a tight hug.
"He's in very capable hands with Mr. Hunt, try not to worry too much." You waited for them to turn the corner before you let the first tears fall from your eyes. You leaned against the wall, feverishly wiping your tears away with the heels of your hands. You sat yourself on the floor outside of Mr. Hunt's office, refusing to leave until you knew he was going to be okay at the very least. You didn't know how many hours had passed, it felt like you were waiting for years when Mr. Hunt finally emerged from the room. You scrambled to your feet.
"How is he? Is he alright?" He nods.
"He's just fine, Your Highness, not to worry. At the moment he's more tired and sore than anything else." He reassures you, all the tension you were holding in your shoulders finally relaxing.
"Can I see him?" He nodded, moving aside so you could enter his room. Mr. Hunt shut the door behind you to give the both of you some privacy. The second your eyes landed on him you felt like you were going to start crying all over again. Despite the bandages that wrapped around his chest, by some miracle he appeared to be completely fine.
"Eendje*." His voice hoarse as he greets you, holding out his hand to signal it was okay for you to come closer. You had to fight the urge to throw yourself into his arms, not wanting to risk hurting him.
"Where have you been?" You whisper through gritted teeth as you try to hold back tears. "I had to wait forever for you to come." You sit down on the edge of his bed.
He chuckles, patting the top of your head. "That's what she said." He mumbles. Your laughter quickly turns into crying, relieved that he was still alive. "I'm sorry I worried you." His arm slides around your small, shaking form, pulling you to him. You bury your face against his shoulder, allowing you to shield yourself as you finally release all of the worry you had been holding onto. Roel quietly hushed you, crushing you in his embrace until you finally relaxed. You pulled back from him, wiping away your remaining tears.
"Roel Van Helden, so help me, if you ever scare me like that again I will personally kick your ass." He laughs at your serious tone.
"Would a gift make up for it?" He asks with a toothy grin.
"You actually brought me something?" You were honestly kind of shocked. He always jokes about bringing you home a present from one of his expeditions, but up until now he had never followed through. He nods to the table at his side, a small leather pouch catching your attention. You reach for it, giving him a perplexed smile. You carefully undid the cord that held it shut, dumping the contents into your palm. A thin gold chair with a tiny carved pendant. You couldn't suppress a giggle as you held it up in front of you. "It's a little duck!" You exclaim excitedly.
"A duck for my duckling, seems fitting." Both of your attention was drawn to the door as Roel's fellow mercenaries burst into the room.
"Look at what you did, you made the poor girl cry!" Charles barks at him.
"Do you have any idea how worried we were?" Falk pushes past Charles to get his turn yelling at Roel.
He chuckled, groaning slightly as he adjusted his sitting position. "To be fair, I didn't have much of a choice. Those assholes made me miss the Princess's Dutch lesson." He glances over at you, giving you a sly smile. Falk sighs, pushing his fingers through his hair.
"Well… rest up for now. We can get into the details of what happened later. Your Highness, if you'll excuse me." He dismisses himself with a bow, followed immediately after by the other two.
"Roel, would you be able to help me put this on?" You ask with a coy smile, holding up the necklace he had given you.
"Of course." You turn, trying your best to suppress the shiver that ran down your spine as you felt his fingers ghost over the nape of your neck. Your fingers flew up to the unfamiliar weight as it fell against your chest. Roel fumbled with the clasp for a moment, "there, that should do it." You turned to face him.
"What do you think?" You ask with a small smile.
"Beautiful, as always." You couldn't help but blush at his response. "(Y/N)?"
Band of Sisters, Band of Thieves (Medieval! Powerwolf x Fem! Princess! Reader) - Part IV
WARNINGS: Mentions of blood
Part III - Part V
My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!
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You forced the smile to stay on your lips as you walked side by side with your mother. She rattled on and on about how you and your sisters needed to maintain your royal duties. "I don't like how much you girls fraternize with those mercenaries, they're from a much lower class, if it wasn't for your father I would have had them all executed by now." You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. She was insufferable when she got into the topic of your fondness of the Wolfborne Company.
"I don't think class should matter. They've all been nothing but upstanding gentlemen towards us, not to mention how many times they've defended the kingdom." You kept your tone pleasant, a carefully calculated personality you always had to keep up in front of her. Before she had a chance to snap back at your statement you headed for your chambers. "Excuse me mother, I'm feeling a bit tired." The second you were turned away from her you let your composure crack, a scowl finding its way to your face. You rushed down the hall, not wanting to give her a chance to try and follow you. You let out a sigh of relief as you closed your door behind you. A startled squeak escaped you as a pair of warm lips crashed against yours. You found yourself caged between your lover's arms as he pressed you back against the cool wooden slab. "Matthew!" You slap him lightly on the chest, trying to steady yourself from the very welcomed head rush his kiss always gave you. "What if my mother had been with me."
"Relax beautiful, if you didn't see me when you walked in she definitely wouldn't have." He chuckles at your annoyed expression, playfully pinching your cheek. "I wanted to see you before I set off, is that such a terrible thing?" You couldn't keep up the façade of being angry with him any longer, your expression softening as gave your waist a gentle squeeze.
"You weren't supposed to be leaving on another expedition for at least a couple months." You tried your hardest to hide the disappointment in your voice. You knew Matthew being away for extended periods of time just happened to be the fate of falling in love with a mercenary, but you'd be lying if you said if it didn't hurt to watch him leave each time.
"Roel never came back." He states simply. He knew you would understand the severity of the situation from this information alone. You sigh, pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Just, please, be safe. My heart couldn't take it if something happened to you." He cradles you in his arms as if you were a delicate flower.
"I believe I made you a promise." You didn't have to look up at him to hear the smile in his voice. "Would you like to remind me of what it was?"
You pulled back, your eyes meeting his. "That you would always come home to me."
"Have I broken that promise?" He sways slightly, almost as if he was trying to dance you around without any music. You giggle at his actions.
"Not once." You rest your hand on the side of his face, happy to be able to have tranquil moments like this with him, regardless how few and far between they might be. "Do you ever think about us running away together?"
"My love, we've talked about this. If we ran away together every man in this kingdom would be sent to hunt me down." You had joked about it in the beginning. Your relationship with Matthew wasn't supposed to be anymore than a fling, a rebellious act against your parents strict rules. When the two of you had first started seeing each other you would soon wild tales of running off into the woods and never looking back. That all started to change when Matthew began to see a future with you.
"Life on the run isn't suitable for a princess." The two of you say in unison.
"I want to give you the sun, moon, and stars… I can't do that being a known fugitive." He chuckles. You stood in silence for a moment.
"Would it be alright if I saw you off?" He offers you his arm with a soft smile.
"It would be an honor, Your Highness." You peek your head outside of your room, carefully scanned up and down the hall to ensure no one would see the two of you leaving your quarters together. You gave Matthew's arm a gentle squeeze, releasing your grip on him as you step into the hall. You walk an acceptable distance apart from him down the hall, your gaze trained straight ahead. "You always look so stern when you're out in the open." He chuckles, copying your targeted, straight forward gaze.
"I don't want anyone to be suspicious, I'm not going to have you getting in trouble." You allowed yourself to glance over at him, a gentle smile resting on his lips.
"Always so careful." He teases. "Where's the fun in that?" You scoffed, rolling your eyes, causing him to chuckle once more. "I don't want you to worry too much while I'm gone, Roel probably just took a wrong turn somewhere and is behind."
"Just… don't be reckless." You sigh. You always worried whenever he left. Despite how talented you knew he was, mercenary work was dangerous. Constantly having to fight just to stay alive. You were grateful every time he managed to find his way back into your warm embrace, where you would never let any harm come to him if you could help it.
He casts a look over his shoulder to make sure no one had emerged behind you. "My darling girl, I can promise you I'll be as careful as possible." You breathe out a laugh, smiling down at your feet. "All I can think of when I'm away is coming home to you. Seeing your smile, your beautiful eyes, hearing your melodic voice. I miss you terribly the moment you are out of my sight."
"You flatter me, Sir Matthew." You click your tongue. "What has such a plain girl like me done to deserve the affection of you?"
"Oh, you're anything but plain, Your Highness." You catch him glancing at you out of the corner of your eye. "You are by far the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life." You giggle, a blush quickly spreading across your cheeks.
"Matthew?"
"Yes, my love?"
"I want to marry you someday."
"I feel the same." You both shared a small smile. The two of you engaged in some casual small talk as you made your way through the vacant halls. Eventually you found yourself standing in front of the castle gates, joining the rest of the Wolfborne Company. "I should only be a day or two at most." You reach out, taking his hand in yours.
"Come home quickly, I'll miss you too much." You knew he couldn't risk kissing you out here, one of the castle guards might see. But he knew. Matthew knew how much you longed to have his lips on yours, sharing in one more passionate embrace before he went on his way.
"We'll keep a good eye on him Princess, no need to worry." Charles offers you a kind smile. You look at the group.
"Gentlemen, good luck, and be safe. I'm sure you'll find Roel." They all offer you their thanks. You stood at the gates as they all rode off into the woods, your heart heavy as you watched Matthew disappear into the tree line. A sad smile found its way to your lips as you head back towards the castle. Your attention was caught by a figure darting behind the gate's archway. You were met with your older sister's embarrassed expression as she realized she had been caught. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" You tease her with a giggle. "You came to see Sir Falk off, didn't you?" She rolled her eyes.
"Of course not." She scoffs. "I just thought it was odd that he and Charles were out here waiting, I wanted to know what was going on." The two of you start walking back down the main path together. "So that's why Ducky seemed so upset." She remarks about your youngest sister.
"Roel's been teaching her Dutch." You tell her. "She's practically fluent at this point." Your sister pauses in her stride, a concerned expression finding its way across her face.
"We should go find her… something doesn't feel right." She explains, her voice incredibly serious. If there was one thing you knew about your sister, it was that she had an incredible sense of intuition, she just had a way of knowing when you or one of your siblings was in distress. The two of you hurried through the halls, eventually spotting her kneeling in the garden. You both rushed down the garden, freezing as she held up her shaking hand, stained with blood.
Band of Sisters, Band of Thieves (Medieval Powerwolf x Fem!Princess! Reader) - Part I
Summary: 5 daughters of the King find themselves falling for one of the members of a talented band of mercenaries. Their stories intertwine as they embark on a journey of self discovery and finding true love through every challenge they face.
WARNINGS: Mention of character death, slight descriptions of stabbing someone with a sword
Part II
My Masterlist! ~ AO3 Link!
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You sat with your hands folded neatly in your lap, posture as straight as you could possibly muster in the chair at your mother’s side. Your father chatted jovially with the leader of his most infamous band of mercenaries, The Wolfborne Company. You caught his gaze, a flirtatious smile passing over his lips as your eyes met his. "I'd be more than honored to escort the Princess to her meeting with the Duke. It's the least I could do after all the hospitality you've shown us, Your Grace." You aggressively stabbed into one of the vegetables that sat on your plate.
“(Y/N), what has gotten into you?” Your mother whispers harshly at your antics. You sucked in a deep breath as you struggled to regain your composure. He always managed to get under your skin, you loathed the fact he could get such a reaction out of you.
“Excuse me.” You loudly push your chair back from the table, hurrying out of the dining hall. You couldn’t keep the scowl off your face at the sound of him chuckling, undoubtedly at your disgusted appearance. It wasn’t that you had a particular disdain for the Wolfborne Company, it was just their commander. Attila Dorn was one of the most boorish, insolent brutes you had ever met. You huffed angrily, fussing with your skirts in an attempt to get them out of the way of your feet. "He is being absolutely ridiculous, I am the last person to need an escort." You spit out the word like it left a bitter taste in your mouth. You huff, collapsing onto the stone bench you had stumbled across in the garden.
"Sounds to me like it could be a pretty dangerous journey, Princess." Your scowl darkened at the sound of his voice. "Wouldn't want the King's eldest to get into trouble meeting a potential suitor, now would we?" You didn't even want to give him the satisfaction of glancing in his direction.
"I would be just fine going to visit the Duke on my own, thank you very much." You cross your arms over your chest. He chuckles, a sound that makes your blood boil. You reluctantly look up at him as he steps into your direct line of sight. "Surely one of your men has a greater sense of decency than you, I should be going with one of them at the very least." He breathes out a laugh, an unamused look on his face as he stares down at you.
"Just be ready to go by dawn, Your Majesty." It was impossible to ignore the mocking tone in his voice as he stated your title, giving you a pathetic bow before stomping off. Your eyes trailed after him as he left, only until your attention was caught by the sound of laughter deeper in the garden. You let out an amused sigh, playfully rolling your eyes as you recognized it was one of your sisters laughing. You stood, not wanting to interrupt whatever she could possibly be up to. Well, that was your intent at least. Before you had a chance to exit the gardens she stumbled into view, Matthew Greywolf of Attila's band of mercenaries in tow. The two had been seeing each other in secret for quite some time now. They both froze when they saw you, matching wide eyed stares adorned their features. You held a finger to your lips, letting her know you'd keep quiet about what you had seen. You turned and headed back towards the castle, you had a trip to prepare for. You sat in your chambers, struggling to make a selection on which gowns you would like to bring with you for your visit to the Duke.
"Is everything alright, Miss? You seem a bit down." One of your handmaid's asks, perching herself at your side.
"Yes Charlotte, I'm quite alright, they're both just so beautiful I don't know which one to pick." You feign a laugh to amuse her. She went back to assisting you in your choices, leaving you to sit and ponder. If you were being entirely honest, you felt a bit bored by the whole situation. The Duke should have been everything you could ever want; a man of status, someone who could easily take care of you, someone who would be there to assist you in taking over for your father once he had passed on. The Duke wasn't a terrible man by any means, either. He was kind, charming, and handsome. The perfect husband for the Princess. The only issue was the fact that your heart simply didn't belong to him. He was a smart match, you understood that better than anyone. It was your duty to uphold the values and expectations of a kingdom that would one day be yours. But you couldn't shake the memory of the wide eyed little girl sitting at your mother's vanity, her telling you stories of charming princes and adventures in far off lands. Stories about falling in love with a person made exactly for you. Marrying for love never seemed like a feasible option for you. You had been studying and training to become the head of the royal household for as long as you could remember, but you would be lying if you said it didn't hurt to let go of the dream you had as a little girl. Once your handmaids had finished loading up your trunk you dismissed them for the evening, wanting to turn in since you had to get an early start the next morning.
You groaned as one of your handmaids pushed open the curtains, the first light of day just beginning to break over the horizon. "Good morning Miss." She greets you with a smile. You return her greeting, stretching before dropping your feet to the cold wooden floor. She helped you dress, making sure every tie, clasp, and button was done up properly before you headed down to meet Sir Attila and your coachman.
"Good morning, Your Highness." Your coachman bows politely before offering you his hand to help you into the carriage. Attila was already seated inside. He offered you no greeting, just his usual bored expression.
"Sir Attila, good morning." You tried your best to sound cordial.
"I'm surprised, I thought you'd be throwing a tantrum in front of your father about me escorting you." He states with a smug grin. You roll your eyes, turning your attention out the window.
"A lady doesn't throw tantrums." You snip. "If my father believes you're the best man to get me to and from my visit with the Duke safely I have to trust his judgment." You fold your arms over your chest. The carriage lurched a bit as you set off, a tension hanging between the two of you as you sat in an uncomfortable silence. You watched the trees lazily roll by out the window, every so often getting caught up by the sight of birds dancing through the air.
"I apologize for addressing you so rudely, Princess." He mutters, never glancing in your direction. You had to stop the smile that attempted to creep across your lips.
"You're forgiven." You would be traveling for about three days. You were a bit shocked when the carriage stopped and Attila offered his hand to help you out. "Thank you." You say softly, your eyes locking with his as you carefully take the step down. You rested on a nearby rock as you watched him quickly set up camp. Being a mercenary definitely had its benefits in this situation, your tents were set up and a fire was going rather quickly. You kept to yourself, enjoying the stillness of the night air, the shrill chirps of crickets surrounding you. You jumped slightly at the feeling of someone nudging your shoulder.
"You should eat, we still have a lot of traveling ahead." He holds out a bowl of some type of porridge. "I know this is probably insufficient compared to your usual supper, but it'll keep your strength up." You take it from him, your fingers brushing over his gloved ones. He stood by your side for a moment, a silent presence you were grateful for. Ever since the process of finding a suitor had started you had felt more alone than ever. You had your four younger sisters, of course. But they could never understand the kind of pressure you were under. You heard Attila shift, signaling he was about to head back to the fire.
"Attila," he didn't respond, but the silence that followed told you he was listening. "Would you sit with me… just for a little while longer?"
"Of course, Your Highness." He sounded a bit shocked by your request. He sits with his back to yours, both of you quietly eating your meals. "I think it's really admirable how serious you are about being next in line for the throne."
You chuckle, "I'm sorry, did the great Commander Attila just give me a compliment?" You hear him return your laugh. You found yourself smiling, lazily stirring the porridge in your bowl. "Attila?" He grunts. "You can call me by my first name if you'd like." You mutter softly.
"I think it's best if we don't muddy the waters, Your Highness." You're cut off by the sound of your horses getting startled and running off. Attila sensing that something was wrong immediately went on guard. "Stay behind me." You stood, pressing yourself as close to him as possible. He was alerted by the sound of a snapping branch, "get down!" He grabs you, forcing you to duck down by shielding your body with his. An arrow whizzing by was heard overhead followed by the struggled gasp of your coachmen. Attila draws his broadsword, commanding you to sit behind the rock. "If you see anyone you scream. I will be here to protect you, I promise." Before your very eyes, gone was the bumbling brute you were used to seeing around the castle. Commander Dorn now stood before you, just as strong and focused as the stories you had heard of his triumphs on the battlefield. His eyes darted up before he rushed forward, the sound of metal clanging together not far behind you. Your hands shook, your tight corset only adding to your fear ridden anxious breathing, jumping at every potential darting shadow. Your eyes widened as you watched a man emerge from the brush, flail in hand and a malicious smirk on his face.
"Attila!" You cried out for him. Faster than you could comprehend he was in front of you, expertly deflecting the man's attack with a single blow. He grabbed the man by his chest plate, yanking him forward and sending his sword straight into his side. The man collapsed on the ground without a sound, Attila stood in the middle of the clearing breathing heavily. You both perked up at the sound of a much larger group closing in quickly.
He grabs your arm, hoisting you from the ground. "Run." He pulls you in the direction of the trees. You hurried to gather up your skirts, trying your hardest not to trip over the fabric or the roots jutting from the ground. Pure terror wracked through your body, the pure adrenaline the only thing keeping you moving. You were trying your best to listen, hoping you would have lost the group by now, but they were still trailing you through the forest. You almost collapsed as the realization crossed your mind, the sound was growing closer.
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Dances In The Moonlight (Falk Maria Schlegel x GN! Reader) - Part 1
(A/N: I'm trying something different again! I'm really nervous about posting this one, so I hope you all enjoy it. I'm probably going to be working on this pretty heavily until it's done so expect some hopefully quick updates!)
WARNINGS: None for this chapter, just introduction stuff, some slight pining/mutual flirting. Soft Falk hours.
Part II
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You slid into the confessional booth with a sigh, eyes meeting with the Clergy member through the cross hairs of the fence that separated you. A ghost of a smile played on his lips as he took a moment to study you. You were greeted with a thick German accent that had a tinge of curiosity behind it. "What can I help you with, my dear?" You swallowed thickly, you thought coming to talk about what was troubling you was supposed to help.
"Father… have you ever felt like no matter what you do, you just don't fit in?" You had been floating through your life with no real sense of purpose. You had spent so long trying to live up to everyone's expectations that you had truly lost yourself in the process. The man on the other side of the screen breathed out a laugh.
"I know a thing or two about not fitting in." He shifts in his seat as he ponders what to say next. "If it were me, I would do my best to cut ties with everyone and everything from the life that isn't suiting me… for a little while at least. It would probably give you a chance to find what exactly you want out of your life." Your brow furrowed slightly as you listened to his words. Before you had a chance to ask any questions he began to speak again. "Our Abbey welcome's all here without question, it might even be able to provide something you're missing." You'd be lying if you said it didn't appeal to you. A full change of pace, people, scenery, it sounded like a good idea.
"I…" you weren't sure how to respond. You sighed, anxiously cracking your knuckles.
"You don't need to make a decision right now." His soothing tone lulled you back into a state of comfort. "Maybe sit in the chapel for a while, think things over, yeah?" You nodded.
"Thank you, Father." He dismisses you with a polite nod. You sat in the front row of pews before the altar, listening to the shuffle of footsteps as various people entered and left the confession booth. Shapes in all colors of the rainbow shifted across the altar as the sun gradually began to set.
"Still thinking, are we?" The pew creaked as the Clergy member you spoke to earlier sat beside you. He folded his hands neatly in his lap. This was the first time you actually had the chance to see what he looked like. Slightly unkempt light brown hair and sharp features contrasted the softness his gaze held. Beautiful brown eyes that only greatened how easily you were drawn in by his presence. "What's making you so apprehensive about staying?"
"Who said I was thinking about staying?" You challenge, concentrating on the toe of your shoe kicking against the floor.
"You would have left by now if you weren't." The steady taps of your foot stopped in an instant. "I have a feeling you and I might not be as different as you think. It wasn't too long ago that I was in the same position you are now. Going through the motions day by day, not truly feeling like any of it mattered… does that sound about right?" You paused for a moment before nodding in response. He stands, motioning for you to follow him. "I'd like to show you something, come with me." He led you through a doorway to what appeared to be a maze of hallways. "Stay close, we wouldn't want you getting lost." He chuckles slightly at your amazed expression as you took in the sight before you. He walked slowly, allowing you time to get distracted by the different artwork that lined the walls until your focus eventually wandered back to your guide. "You're smiling." He points out with a grin of his own. You look down at your feet, letting out a slightly embarrassed laugh.
"I guess I am." You hadn't even realized it, but it was the first time you had genuinely smiled in a while. You looked back up at the man before you, kind gaze never wavering as he studied you. "Father, this place is incredible. I never realized how massive the Abbey was."
"These halls would be yours to explore if you decide to stay." You took a deep breath, this could be your one and only chance at a fresh start. Something you had always longed for was being gifted to you by a complete stranger. "You're looking to find a place where you belong, right?" He takes a small step forward, cradling one of your hands gently in his own. "My dear, I think that is something you would absolutely be able to find here. Let me help you keep that smile on your face." You took a deep breath, glancing around the candle lit halls as you thought about whether or not this was somewhere you could call your home. Starting your life over was terrifying, sure. But, the hands that held yours were so warm, the way he looked at you made you feel important. Standing here with him even just for this short amount of time had ignited something in you, a sense of want, for what exactly you couldn't place. The man's eyes glowed in the candle light, watching the smallest shifts in your expression as you ran through every possibility that came to mind.
"I'll stay." You respond abruptly. He smiles brightly, elated by your response. He, however, didn't move from his position. Almost as if he could feel that you had something else to say. You had entered this church on a whim and now you were agreeing to dedicate your days to it while you searched for who you really were. All of this because of the man that stood before you with the mischievous glint in his eye. "Father, I do have one more thing I'd like to ask you." He hums in response to your statement, giving you his full attention. "I don't believe I ever asked for your name." He chuckles softly. Thumb running slowly across the top of your hand before he reluctantly released it.
"You can call me Falk." He leans down slightly, almost as if he was ready to tell you a secret. "Also, I don't believe in using honorifics outside of mass, so just Falk is fine."
"Falk." You repeat the name back softly, liking the way it sounded as it tumbled from your lips. "Thank you."
"The pleasure is all mine." Falk insisted that he help you take care of your arrangements, he wanted your transition into the Abbey to be as seamless as possible. Before you knew it you were caught up in lessons, mass, and your daily chores around the Abbey. It felt right being here, but there was still the sense of want you had experienced that very first night. You gazed at the window as you picked at your breakfast, the dining hall nearly empty aside from you and a few people others. The smell of freshly brewed coffee caught your attention first, then the sound of footsteps casually approaching your table.
"Good morning, Falk." He effortlessly slides into the seat across from you. He sets his mug down with a sigh before pointing an accusatory finger at you.
"You weren't at my mass this morning." Your chin perched on the palm of your hand, playful smile on his lips letting you know he wasn't upset. "You never miss my mass."
"I overslept." His eyes narrow. You oversleeping wasn't the issue, it was why you overslept. He didn't need to say another word for you to confess. "I might have stayed too late in the library."
"You know it's important to rest-"
"I know." You groan, thinking of a way to try and defend yourself. "The Abbey just has such an amazing collection."
"Which will still be there when you wake up." He chuckles. He moves to reach out for your hand, he stops himself and decides to fold his hands in front of him. "You have all the time in the world to read those books, it's important you take care of yourself." He takes a long sip of his coffee, his gaze switching between you and the window. "I was concerned when I looked out there and you weren't in the front row."
"I'm surprised you noticed I wasn't there." You exchange a soft smile.
"Your smile is always the brightest in the room, of course I noticed." You couldn't hide the blush on your face. He was beaming with pride over the fact he managed to get you flustered. The two of you got to sit and talk for a while longer until he had to leave for a meeting. "I take it you'll be in the library again tonight?" You nod in response, causing Falk to chuckle. "If I don't see you, make sure you don't stay there all night."
"I won't, I promise." He bids you one last farewell before he heads off. You found yourself unable to wipe the smile off your face as you went about your duties for the rest of the day. As expected by the end of the day you had made your way to the library. Now sat comfortably in front of a roaring fire, bare feet tucked beside you under a blanket, and a pile of unread books at your side, you were all set to enjoy your evening. You were interrupted not too long after by the sound of the library door opening and thudding back close. You looked back over your shoulder, from your nights spent in here you knew no one was usually in here this late. You could hear footsteps approaching you, weaving their way in between shelves of books. Your body tensed, only catching flashes of a shadowed figure as they grew closer to you.
"Well you certainly look comfortable." Falk emerges from the darkness with a chuckle. You let out a sigh of relief, laughing slightly at your paranoia.
"You scared me." You giggle. He chuckles, approaching the couch you were seated on slowly.
"Would it be alright if I joined you?" You hurriedly collected the books, moving them aside to make a space for him.
"Please do." He sits with a groan, a result of the long day you were sure he had. "What brings you all the way down here?"
"I was curious about what you were reading that had you so interested." He narrows his eyes, struggling to read the spines of the books next to you before leaning in to get a closer look. Your breath hitched in your throat as you watched his face hover in front of yours. It took you a moment to realize he wasn't wearing his paint anymore, you noticed a few spots he had missed where the paint had settled into the wrinkles by his eyes. Your heart was pounding in your chest, it was a wonder he couldn't hear it. "You can read German?" You were forced to release a breath you hadn't noticed you had been holding. You were finding it hard to find any words at all to say with him sitting so close to you.
"Hardly." You chuckle, holding up the German to English dictionary that you kept plastered to your side. "That's part of the reason I'm here so late, it's a little difficult to get through a book when you have to translate it word for word." He glances between you and the stack of books.
"Maybe I could read some of it to you, give you a break." He offers with a smile.
"Oh, you don't have to, I'm sure you've had a long-" He cuts you off with a wave of his hand.
"Nonsense, I'd just be reading in my room anyways." You exchange a smile. "What would you like to read first?" He asks as he cuffs the sleeves of his shirt. You swallowed thickly, struggling to tear your eyes away as you watched his nimble fingers work their way around the fabric. You simply grabbed the first book in the pile and handed it off to him. His fingers brushed against yours as he grabbed the book, his hand soft and warm. Your mind instantly wandered back to that first night you arrived at the Abbey, your hands wrapped securely in his own as that same warmth spread through your whole body. Your eyes found his, golden in the light of the fire. He hesitantly reached out, brushing some stray hair from your face. You reflexively leaned into his touch, a blush slowly creeping across your cheeks. His eyes widened slightly as he realized what he was doing. "I'm sorry." He clears his throat, hurriedly opening up the book you had handed him. If there was one thing you were sure if it was that Falk had a wonderful voice for reading stories. His soft tone threatened to lull you to sleep. You found yourself drifting closer to him, reading the German on the page that he almost effortlessly translated for you. You leaned back into the couch, your eyelids heavy as the plush cushions wrapped your body in their warm embrace. You eventually drifted off listening to Falk read to you. The last thing you remember was someone gently cradling you as they laid you back on the couch, pulling the blanket up over your shoulders.
