Love languages
Pairing: FW characters x reader
Genre: fluff
Words: 4205
Note: I couldn't decide who to write the @empyreanevents romance week for, so I decided to try something new and write for every one of my current characters (therefore the unoriginal title lol). Let me know what you think.
Masterlist
Xaden Riorson – physical touch
Guiding cadets as a wingleader was hard and draining, and you had yet to find a way to cope with all the responsibility. It was quite honoring having their lives entrusted in your hands, but also terrifying. The days were long and the thoughts and planning of next training sessions didn’t leave even after the door of your bedroom shut closed. It was even more draining for Xaden, his own wing being under close watch of the leadership.
It was only a few months till your own graduation, when the responsibility would let you go and you’d end up on the bottom of the commander food chain again, but you’ll have to manage till then. You’re already bathed and changed when his familiar heavy steps thump through the door. The boots hit the floor and his flight jacket, smelling of wind and dragon breath, falls over yours across the chair.
You turn to him, tired but enamored smile spreading across your face. His hands wrap around your middle and lift you to your tiptoes. He buries his face in the floral scent of your shampoo, leaving small kisses in the crook of your neck. You can feel the strain of the day radiating off him in waves of stress.
“Long day?” You whisper.
“The longest,” Xaden murmurs into your shoulder and lightly caresses your shoulder blades.
He gets to bed in as little layers as he can, content with letting the blankets and your closeness provide all the warmth. He cuddles to your back, pulling you impossible closer with his iron grip into him. You caress the bicep under your head, drawing idle patterns on his forearm. Sleep was a privilege to those in position of power at Basgiath, but with each other it came as naturally as breathing.
He braids your hair in the morning without having to ask the way he saw you do it countless times. Gives you three kisses before opening the door and holding your hand all the way to breakfast. Stands right behind your chair in battle brief, lightly massaging your shoulders when he decides not to pay too much attention.
When you have a close call with your dragon in flight lessons that afternoon, he has heard by the time you make it to your room slightly limping. He’s already there and on you in an instant, peeling your protective layers off to inspect every inch of your skin himself. Satisfied with no evidence of other injuries, he picks you up and carries you to the bed even though it’s only a few steps away.
He inspects your ankle like it has personally offended him and when you cry out in pain when he bends it, reaches out for a balm he stole from the infirmary with a brooding expression. He knows it wasn’t your fault, it was an accident, but the knowledge makes you no less hurt and he wished there was someone to blame it on. Later that day, when you insist on joining the leadership meeting anyway, he almost fights you on carrying you there and holds your pinkie under the table the whole time.
Because Xaden Riorson always needed to touch you, to make sure you’re really there. That you’re safe, and not just some cruel trick picture of his exhausted mind. He never got words of love in his life, and didn’t know how to give or receive them. Maybe he was no poet, but his touches always showed you how deeply he loved you.
Garrick Tavis – acts of service
Garrick has learned early on to care about himself first and everybody else next. Xaden was right behind him on the list as his best friend and leader, as well as someone he considered his oldest brother in crime. He paraded himself as someone confident and self-centered, not giving much damn about anybody else.
That changed when he met you, a sunshine personified. How did someone like you end up in the rider’s quadrant was absolutely beyond him, but that only intrigued him more. He was sure the cruelty of this place would soon dim your shine, but on the contrary to his conviction it was like every hardship you encountered only made you shine more.
Very soon did he realize his mistake when he saw you sparring on the mat in your first round of challenges. Maybe you gave the impression of a delicate flower swayed in the summer breeze, but your fighting was precise and lethal. You knew what you were doing, how to use every weapon or position to your advantage. Now, a couple months later and proudly calling himself your boyfriend, you still didn’t stop to amaze him.
“There you go, sunshine,” he extends a handful of your daggers to you for the next match.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” you wink at him and he almost melts in the sunlight.
You win, again, and jump into his arms in celebration. The dinner call comes soon after that, the whole squad making enthusiastic stroll to the mess hall. You’re blabbing on about some pretty sword you saw on your last trip to town and he tried to listen, but his mind keeps running to how beautiful you are and how you still have so much energy after sweating on the mat for three hours.
The conversation around your usual table flows without a hitch, but he concentrates on how you only carry your tray in one hand and stare the fork down in a silent match. He switches his plate with yours in no time, cutting your food up into delicate cubes. You watch him dumbfounded, it shouldn’t surprise you how perceptive he is after all these months but it still does anyway. He returns your plate cut up so all you need to do is stab the pieces with your fork.
“Thank you,” you say quietly. “My wrist is just a little sore from the last challenge.”
“Don’t even mention it,” Garrick blusters.
He helps you take your shirt off that night and makes sure not to squish your hand when cuddling. In the morning he brushes your hair and puts it in a neat ponytail after the fifth try, then follows you around the day to take your notes for you. You tell him to go to his own duties at least a dozen times, but he never budges.
When you return to bed that night absolutely exhausted, he massages your back with calming oils and unlaces your shoes, putting them neatly by the side of the bed. Then he cuddles up with you wrapped up in blankets and dreams, calmly combing your hair with his fingers.
Garrick Tavis always considered himself a charmer, but the longer he talked to people he cared about, the harder it was to let the words of affection out. He found it so much easier to show them through his actions, and you always knew that every little service he did for you, he did with the utmost love and adoration for you in mind.
Bodhi Durran – gifts
Since a young age, Bodhi was taught that gifts have a lot of meaning. A gift can carry a thousand words, his mom used to say, and she was never wrong. He loved to receive birthday presents and guess what people thought about when they were purchasing them for him, and he loved to browse shops and antiques for hours with the receiving person in mind.
Now at Basgiath, there wasn’t a lot of occasions for gift giving. But he always found an opportunity to give one to you, the most ethereally beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on. You had collected a respectable number of heart-shaped rocks from him before you decided to accept his first date invitation, now a year later they still all resided on your windowsill.
Over the time he gifted you a beautiful pen when you had learned how to magically fill them, a pair of protection gloves when you had discovered your signet, a first edition of fairytale book for your birthday and a bunch of field flowers every now and then just because. Bodhi was a serious gift giver and it seemed that at any time he could find or make up an excuse to gift you something, however small it was.
You held those gifts close to your heart no matter how many you got, because you knew in a place like this, every day was a risk of losing him and only having these things to hang onto. Most were neatly stacked in a box under your bed and occasionally taken out for you to marvel over. He gave you so many special things, it made finding the perfect gift for his birthday that much harder.
“It’s nothing special,” you warned him that evening in his room.
“Whatever it is I’ll love it,” Bodhi promised.
He unwrapped the carefully placed blue paper and opened the box, curiously looking inside. The pair of clearly a little perished and probably older than him daggers carried some tyrrish symbols, runes he recognized as protection, strength and accuracy spells. Some of them were being used even now in Tyrrendor, but in a noticeably modernized version.
“Wow, where did you get that?” Bodhi exhales stunned.
“A little antique store in town… do you like them?” You hesitate. “They were discounted, I guess nobody really wanted them cause of…”
There was no need to finish, a lot of people considered objects with tyrrish symbols cursed or dangerous nowadays. You originally wanted to get him some shiny new ones, or a great new sword perfectly balanced, but really with what money here? And you had a guess he will more appreciate something personal that comes from his home, something that made you think of him when you saw it.
“They’re perfect,” he swears, already holding them close.
Cleaning them off was his personal free time project for the next week, and when he took them out to use in sparring, he proudly showed you first. It came with gifting you a whole set of different fabric cloths to clean your own, something he knew you often slacked at. He knew you’ll probably stash them away and when he pesters you about not using them, you’ll complain they’re too precious to dirty them with blood and filth.
Bodhi Durran loved to show his love, and whatever feelings he couldn’t put in exact wording, he always found a way to show them through his gifts. He was open about how much he appreciated you and wanted to care for you with the things he gave you, to benefit you or just to pick up your mood. You’d never complain, because you knew all his gifts came with the most precious love for you.
Dain Aetos – words of affirmation
Dain was always a rule follower. Even since before he entered the rider’s quadrant he lived by the army codex and made sure never to step out of line. Which is probably the reason you got on his nerves since day one. The moment you stepped off the parapet, you ignored every rule put in place. If he instructed his squad not to do something, it was certainty you’ll find yourself in the exact situation.
Over the first few weeks he spent more time pestering you than in lectures or even training. After a little while though, he had to admit you were growing on him. He spent his whole life in the confinements of rules he had to follow, you were a bold whirlwind of fresh air and very little care for your own life apparently.
Slowly, his reproaches started coming accompanied by encouragements. If he saw you struggling in challenges, he boosted your confidence with the memory of you climbing the walls and roofs of the castle in search of the moonlight. Before presentation day he reminded you that you don’t have to be afraid of the dragons, because you fight monsters from nightmares before breakfast. For threshing, he encouraged your self-confidence reminding you about all the weapons you currently carried you won in challenges.
And when you landed on the flight field with your dragon, he couldn’t be prouder. You were still a trouble, but you became his trouble. And he wouldn’t have it any other way than for you to be solely his problem. You challenged him in ways no one has ever tried to, not only his leadership and skill, but also his self-respect and morals.
But no confidence could cover the insecurities seeping though the tough exterior when you couldn’t get a hold of fight maneuver of figure out how to provoke your signet to finally show up. With passing months everybody else was discovering their talents every day and you still only enviously watched as signetless.
“Hey, it’s gonna happen, you just have to let it run its course,” Dain reiterated for the hundredth time.
“Pfft, easy for you to say, wingleader,” you snort annoyed.
“I know it’s frustrating, but you won’t hurry it up by having an attitude,” he says calmly. “You are amazing, your dragon is amazing, so your signet is also going to be amazing, and amazing things take time. And patience.”
It was a miracle you always found his words more soothing than annoying and hadn’t thrown him out the window yet. But somehow, when Dain said all these sweet caring things, they always become true. He was no future teller, but he was confident in your abilities. Even now, when you were on the brink of doubts, he proved to be right after all, when your signet manifested just a few days later.
“See, I knew you could do it!” He laughed and twirled you in his arms. “You are so talented and smart. Absolutely exceptional.”
Every time doubts clouded your mind, Dain somehow knew exactly what to say to make you feel better, and when you were seething with anger and annoyance, he could calm you down and soothe you with just a few kind words. Maybe you really were made for each other with the effect his words had on you the second he spoke them.
Dain Aetos had learned how to make his girl feel special and appreciated and knew exactly what to say to drive away any doubts she had about herself. From every word you always felt the love he carried for you.
Imogen Cardulo – acts of service
There was no place for sweetness and kindness in a place like the rider’s quadrant. It was famous for taking away everything fragile and nice. So Imogen adapted. She became hard as a for and unreadable like forgotten languages. She promised herself to never be weak and vulnerable again. Never to fall in love or leave any space for being betrayed. It was pure self-preservation.
Therefore, after she started dating you, she was unfamiliar with words of love or spending time together. Most things people deemed romantic seemed useless and boring to her. So she opted to offer to spend time doing beneficial activities. You were ecstatic the first time she invited you to train with her, even though it added another hour in the gym to her already very long day.
You spent half the evenings studying together for classes and exams and when you were falling a little behind, she explained every matter you didn’t understand and never judged you for needing to take a different approach to problems or strategies. She also monitored your eating habits and brought you a sandwich every time you forgot to include lunch or dinner in your busy schedule.
She slowly renewed your whole wardrobe and before you noticed, all your flight jackets and training shirts were replaced with Imogen’s much more fitting and effective versions. The morning after you complained about the laces of your boots always coming loose, you found them next to the dresser fastened to perfection.
Even now, being stuck in the gym for what felt like the thousandth hour repeating drills and techniques, she handed you your water bottle before you could even register the need to replace the fluids lost by sweating on the mat. When you’re finally allowed to leave, she takes the jacket off your shoulders the moment you unzip it and hangs it by your door, noting to the way you flinch when straining your shoulder.
“Here, let me help you with that a little bit,” and before you can protest she’s massaging your aching muscles.
“You don’t have to take so much care of me,” you quarrel weakly.
“Nonsense, you’re my girlfriend,” Imogen states leaving no space for argument with her tone.
You could never complain about her treatment, because even though she showed an unruly cruel side to everyone else, she always carried you like a princess. She hated the archives but always spent however long necessary to help you find a book you were looking for. The smell of disinfectant that filled the infirmary made her sick, but the moment she heard about you getting hurt she was there, screaming at whoever came near enough to make you a priority.
Imogen Cardulo may have been a tough rock molded by steel and brutality she went through in her life, but even the sight of you made her heart beat faster and her cheeks warm up. And even though she didn’t know how to lazily spend time together, didn’t see the benefit in useless items as gifts or didn’t know how to say all the things she felt aloud, you always felt the unconditional love in her actions.
Violet Sorrengail – quality time
Violet could imagine a lot of things, but not how exhausting it’s going to be trying to survive in the rider’s quadrant. Of course she didn’t expect a walk through a rose garden, but she also didn’t expect that fearing for her life would literally consume every waking moment, and even her sleep. She’d love to say she got used to it over the year, but the truth was she didn’t. Only in her second year did she start adjusting and making friends outside of her squad.
You were one of those friends, turned close confidant turned lover turned girlfriend. A year ago she could only dream about having enough time in the day to start dating someone, so now she tried to spend every free time doing something nice with you. Walks to the town on weekends, picking flowers on chill afternoons, watching stars in the dead of night when sleep refused to claim either of you.
Daydreaming was your favorite pastime, but you also studied together for battle brief exams which always turned into conversations about life after an hour of textbooks reading. Violet loved to spend time with you, even if it was something simple like braiding each other’s hair or stitching holes in your uniforms. You’ve learned multiple braiding techniques with her beautiful silver locks and she always found new ways to incorporate flowers into yours.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” Violet chirps much too excitedly for the early hour of the morning at breakfast.
“Hopefully sleeping in..?” You answer uncertainly.
“There’s a play in town for the weekend, maybe we could go?” She tries to act all nonchalant about her offer, but you see the excitement in the spark of her eye.
“Sure, it’s gonna be nice,” you shrug your shoulders and she jumps around your neck almost choking you on the piece of egg you’ve been eating.
“Great! Pick you up at five,” Violet almost skips away in happiness.
It was almost unnatural for someone to be this excited and loving at Basgiath, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. You went to dinner after the play and strolled back to the quadrant watching the stars swimming above you. Hands locked together chatting about dragons and dreams, there was no better way to spend your time than with Violet.
It could have been the most mundane things, picking duties together to make washing dishes or delivering books to the scribe quadrant a tad bit more bearable. Between the two of you the moments always felt special. And when Violet got knocked out during a challenge, you were the first one sitting by her side in the infirmary, refusing to leave until she was released and crouching next to her in the small bed talking nonsense to take her mind off things.
One day you went swimming with her squad, another one you sat in the grass reading your own books and leaning on each other in the shade. Even in silence the time spent with her was better than anything else. And when you cuddled in bed betting on who will fall asleep first, you felt like you could spend the rest of your life right there.
Quality time was always something Violet Sorrengail found herself in the lack of, and when she started dating you, she wanted to spend all the free time with you, making it as special as could be. Be it hours of undisturbed fun or only a few minutes before your hectic days started, you always found yourself enamored with all the quality time she came up with just to show you her love.
Mira Sorrengail – words of affirmation
The life at an active outpost guarding the borders was always crazy. Mira often found herself swept under the current of constant threats and duties, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. The adrenaline and risks thrilled her. Many people thought she was just carreer driven and desperate to appease her mother and fulfill the leadership’s unattainable expectations, and maybe they’d be right a little.
But she also signed up for every mission and extra patrol simply because she liked to keep herself active. So when you joined her outpost fresh out of Basgiath and didn’t show similar enthusiasm, she looked down her nose at you a little. Most cadets were excited to get into the real battle as soon as they graduated, but you seemed to linger in the back rows and judge everything around you before making any efforts.
That’s why it surprised her to see you in the gym after hours, when most of the outpost was already asleep, training a maneuver over and over with not much progress. The room felt warmed up by your stress and your frustrated grunts prompted you aren’t having much success. She offered to help, it was always nicer to have a sparring partner than just try to practice fighting alone.
You studied her with watchful gaze before nodding, apprehensive to the hero who wanted to stand against you. You warned her you weren’t any good, but you surely had to have some skills to make it through the rider’s quadrant alive. You just needed a bit of practice, not many people were actually battle-ready right after college anyway.
“Just try to put your stance lower for the move,” she instructed and watched you implement her tips with pleasure. “See? You’re already doing much better.”
“I doubt that, but thank you,” it must have been the first smile she has ever seen from you.
On the way to grab some midnight snack after training she made you tell her about how you don’t really feel like you belong, how you feel like you just had a shit-ton of luck making it through school and now are completely lost. How you think your dragon could do much better than you and how he must regret picking you at times.
“Hey, dragons know much more about us than we do ourselves,” Mira reminds you. “They see our potential, our core, our abilities. So if he picked you, it was for a very good reason, trust me. He didn’t choose you lightly.”
Since then, she made it her personal mission to brighten your days just a little and chase every dark thought about yourself away. She reminded you of all your skills when you were feeling low, listed your qualities when you were getting your ass kicked in training and used every affectionate word in the dictionary to tell you how amazing and great you are.
She was the one to ask you out on a date, and you said yes with your cheeks and ears painted red. And with every sentence of worship and affection from her, you slowly started to believe you really are the beautiful, smart and kind girl she sees in you. When you laid together, limbs entwined and minds running with possibilities, she whispered every loving affirmation in your ear like a prayer.
Mira Sorrengail lived a busy life, but she always found the time to let her love for you be loudly and proudly known. Let everybody see how amazing and beautiful you are in her eyes, but mostly you personally. She loved to see you blush and fidget when she laid out everything sweet and ethereal about you. But you knew she never used her words lightly and would never say things she didn’t believe to be the truth, so all her affections were filled with her infinite love for you.