You found a heart piece!!!
big enough for you to smooth away any bad dreams surrounding the rancher
༓☾ The Chest Is: OPEN! ☽༓
``You very quietly shut the chest, not wanting to disturb your sleeping comrades. But it seems no matter how quiet you are, someone deep in the camp stirs...but not for any good reason. Maybe you should keep an eye on him``
Relationships: LU! Twilight x gn!reader (Romantic)
Warnings: Nightmares. Twilight pins reader after being startled awake but nothing serious.
Word Count: 900+
It was especially cold tonight, howling winds that sent shivers down everyone’s spines. It was your turn for watch, keeping an eye on not only your surroundings but also making sure the kindled fire doesnt set anything else aflame. The old man had been skeptical about keeping it going for that very reason but considering the dropping temperatures, the warmth was necessary, so it was just another thing to watch.
Not that you minded, Night watch was one of the few moments of alone time you could get on the road. You couldnt do much but it was the thought that counted.
A sudden rustle brings you out of your thoughts, hand hovering over your weapon as you strain to look through the dark. It wasnt until your gaze fell onto the rancher that you felt yourself relax. He shifted roughly in his sleep, fire light emphasizing the deep frown on his lips, throwing off his blanket in the process. The action makes you think. You knew the hero wasnt one to get hot easily, and he’d surely catch a cold if he spelt without anything– his pelt had been graciously given to the sailor, who had been shivering up a storm.
Quietly, you walked over with the intent on fixing the item back ontop of him until a whimper made you pause.
“...Rancher?” You softly called. You got no response, only able to watch as the boy’s face continues to twist in his sleep. Slowly you kneel by his side, head tilting as you watch him for a moment.
You’d think you were being a creep if you werent so distracted by the soft tear streaks running down his face. Instead you were sat debating if you should wake him or not. Nightmares were certainly not uncommon among the heroes -or yourself- but usually someone would be woken by their dreams but…here you were, watching someone very dear to you suffer in his head and you seemingly couldnt do a thing but watch. It was a horrible feeling but you refuse to linger on it.
When another whimper leaves the boy, you cant stop yourself. Softly shaking his shoulder, you whisper the rancher’s name, trying to gingerly wake him
A sudden sharp gasp startles you, a hand wraps around your wrist and you quickly have to get accustomed to the cold grass against your chest as you’re pinned to the ground with a body atop of yours. You instinctively try to push up only to have the hand around your wrist tighten naturally. You panic.
“Rancher! Rancher– Link! Its me, its just me!” You quickly whisper, feeling your heart beating against your chest. “I'm sorry, Its me! Please!”
Its deafly quiet until you hear him swallow, the weight is slower to get off you as Twilight sits back on his bedroll. You can hear him breathing heavily as you follow, shakily sitting up and shifting to face him. The rancher had his legs spread around before him, a hand on his thigh while the other hastily wipes at his face, but the fire light catches a few tears brimming in his eyes. He refused to meet your eyes.
“What were ya doin?” He swallows, voice rough.
You have to take a moment to collect yourself, trying to remember what were you doing, before grabbing his blanket and holding it out to him “You uh…It fell off. I wanted to make sure you were..that you like wouldnt get a cold. And then I kinda noticed you were maybe having a nightmare a-and I wanted to..stop…that.”
The boy blinks rapidly, either struggling to get his groggy brain to catch up or to get rid of the lingering tears, and gently takes the blanket from you.
“Im sorry,” You blurted out. “I didnt mean to scare you, I just- you were crying and I hate to see you cry and I just like…Im sorry.”
Twilight finally meets your eyes, red rimmed and raw, and just…stares until his jumps down to your form. Its almost erratic- like how he searches you after a tough battle- taking in as much as he could in the shortest time before quickly moving back up to your eyes. You barely had time to register it all before hes reaching out with a shaky hand to cup your cheek.
He tries to say something, throat bobbing as he searches for the words, but you dont need him too.
Shifting closer, your thigh touching his, you take his blanket and gently wrap it around his shoulders. “Its okay. Whatever it was, its not real anymore. Its just me and you, Link. I'm okay, you’re okay- the boys are okay, Time is okay. You did good, baby. You did great.”
His face twists again, unsure and scared.
“I know,” You hum, cupping his cheek in return before bringing your forehead to his. “Im not going anywhere and neither are the boys. You can rest. We have you. I have you.”
With a shaky sigh you feel him gently nod against you, pressing his nose against yours for a moment before slowly dragging you down with him onto the bed roll. The action alone brings a giggle out of you, you had a while before your shift ended but youre sure you can complete it from right here. Strong arms wrap around you, shuffling the blanket over you as well before nestling his face into your chest- Besides, its not like you could really leave anyways.
