Welcome to Part 2 of my previous prompt about my first Reader! I hope you enjoy! I’m also naming this Left Adrift for easy finding. :)
You didn’t realize you were being watched when you would continue your training in the kehrite. There would be a pair of eyes following your every move. In silence they watched your human workout moves until they felt they had to intervene so they could give you proper training.
They caught you off guard as you turned to take a drink from your water container. The sight of them had you gasp in surprise, not expecting them to be standing there.
You had seen this Yautja before. They were huge, bigger than your former mate. Their size was intimidating and their sharp yellow eyes missed nothing. The yellow orbs sent a tingle of fear down your spine as you backed up a few paces.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.” Your voice came out in a squeak.
They grunted in acknowledgement, “Your form needs improving. I can help.”
You were surprised that the meanest looking Yautja was offering to help you. The assumption you had was that your former mate was the only one with a soft spot for humans. Perhaps you had been wrong…or maybe this was just their way of humiliating you when you were clearly at your weakest already.
And so you accepted their offer.
Day after day you trained with them. They were a tough teacher with a surprising gentleness you hadn’t expected.
Despite their bigger size, they were gentle and careful to not injure you. Their body was a well-honed machine and you hated to admit that they were a better fighter than your former mate. Thinking of them slowly turned to filling you with rage, rage that helped to push you further in your training. That betrayal had changed something in you.
You were driven to prove that you were worthy. Worthy enough for someone’s love. Worthy of being important enough. Worthy to keep living on this ship among the Yautja.
Your former life was long gone and so you had to make due with what you had.
The Yautja that had become your companion noticed how you would punish yourself to the limit, using the pent up rage and hurt as your weapon. They worried for your mental health. Before their eyes they watched as you became a shell of your former self, fueled by your trauma. It would take a few weeks before they would confront you.
You would take your daily mid-day meal in your new quarters, a small broom closet with just a bed. They followed you and barged their way in.
Your protesting was ignored as they cornered you against the wall, both of their big hands catching your wrists in your feeble attempt to fight them off and pin them beside both sides of your head. Their snarl silenced your angry words and rekindled that fear you had felt the first time you had met them on the kehrite.
Many nightmare scenarios ran through your head as they pressed their body against yours, making escape impossible.
“What the fuck are you doing? Let me go, you brute!” You growled, glaring up at them, their nearly eight feet of height forced you to crane your neck.
Quickly their snarling turned to purring, something that caught you off guard. The sound brought back the memories you had tried to bury. It was almost too much to bear. Hearing that sound made you think of…them…your former mate.
“Stop this.” They whispered, their voice softer than usual. Their long black locs fell around your face as they nuzzled you gently, the soft spikes on their face scratched against your skin.
“Doing this to yourself.”
Your companion sighed, their tusks clicking together in irritation.
“Pushing yourself so hard. You do not need to.” Their grip would loosen ever slightly.
You fought back the onslaught of emotions that you had tried to bury. These unwanted emotions fought to break free beneath the concerned stare of your companion. A small part of you noticed how warm they felt with their body flush against yours.
Why did it feel like you were betraying your former mate when they were the one to betray you in the first place? Why did it matter?
“Tell me. Tell me so I can fix it.”
Their words caught you off guard, your breath hitching in your throat as you met their eyes.
“I…” Tears brimmed in your eyes and they chittered, urging you on. “to prove myself.”
“What are you trying to prove?”
Of course, they already knew the answer but they wanted you to acknowledge it and say it.
“That I’m…that I’m enough. My…mate…they—”
“Pauk your former mate! You have nothing to prove!”
“I do! They left me! I wasn’t enough!” You sobbed, the tears finally falling free. “I tried to get them to stay, to know that I didn’t care if they were becoming weak! I didn’t care about old age as I will one day be old myself, but it was enough! It. Wasn’t. Enough! I. Wasn’t. Enough!”
That feeling you had felt that fateful day returned with a burning vengeance. It was like your heart was withering to nothing all over again. A wilting flower that was burning to ashes. The ashes would be all that was left.
You hated falling apart before your companion. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment and you tried to hide your face, but one of their big hands released your wrist to caress your wet cheek.
Their fingers were hot against your skin and their sharp black claws gentle. They purred as they swept the falling tears away, their eyes curiously observing them. To them this was totally alien but they understood what they meant.
You were hurting. Hurting badly.
“Listen to me, little sain’ja.” They released your other wrist to wrap their arms around you and rest the side of their face against the top of your head, their long black locs warm against your shoulders and back. “You are worth it to me. You have nothing to prove. You were betrayed, so you are rightfully hurt, confused, and angry.”
The Yautja sneakily walked backwards to sit on your bed and lean against the wall with you in their arms still. Their words only made you cry harder, your body fully leaning into them. Up this close, they had a pleasant scent.
How could this Yautja be so…kind…so understanding? You had expected them to perceive your breakdown as weak, but instead they held you close and comforted you. This giant being enveloped you in a scaly steel made of thick hide and bone.
For the first time in weeks you felt…content.
“What do…you mean?” You asked through hiccups, the sound making the Yautja chitter in amusement at your human noises.
They ran their claws through your hair gently, the sensation akin to a soothing massage.
“You are worthy to me. To me, you are perfect the way you are.” Their soothing purrs were actually working to calm you as they spoke, “Your former mate did not see you for the treasure that you are. As long as I am by your side, you will never be alone or betrayed.”
“I wish to court you and prove that indeed you are worthy. You have to do nothing except exist for me to want you.”
Your companion was offering you happiness. They wanted to be more. Both of you would be something new.
Still, you had been burned once before. You had started to feel warm and happy when you were around them, but you had ignored it. It had felt like a betrayal against your former mate.
They continued to speak, “Forget them. Let me make you happy.”
Finally you looked up at them, one of their hands coming up to wipe more tears from your cheeks. They were waiting for your permission, your consent to pursue you. With that, they could freely try to gain your favor. This Yautja wanted to prove their worth to you.
With a shaky laugh, your own hand wiping the snot free from your face, nodded. You smiled through the tears as they rubbed their forehead against yours — a Yautjan form of affection.
In a matter of seconds they had you held against their chest once again as they lied back on the bed and big spooned you. Their warmth and scent surrounded you in a cocoon of safety. All around you was them, your own body tiny compared to them.
They let out a huff of breath in your hair as they settled in. Their purrs continued.
“Slumber. Our training is done for the day. I will wake you at the last meal.” A large hand rested on your back and softly stroked up and down as if you were a cat.
As you lied there, in comfortable silence, you felt happy for the first time in a long time.
Part 1 you can be found here
