Chapter Text
Your uterus has yet to stop its assault. You had woken up earlier to the feeling of blood between your legs and quickly changed before you could ruin your sheets. You even managed to take some painkillers before you attempted to go back to sleep. However, as you look at the time and see that a solid hour has passed with no relief you realize that they are not going to help this time.
Biting back the nausea you attempt to get up to grab your heating pad. However, you don't make it far as your abdomen squeezes in response to the pain. You curl in on yourself attempting to alleviate it to no avail. You whine before it drops to a dull ache.
Taking a breath you get up slower this time and are given just enough leeway to grab your heating pad and place it over your entire abdomen. It slowly provides a small amount of relief. How wonderful.
You curl in on yourself as you curse your uterus because you hated having an organ that punished you for not being pregnant. You hated the fact that there was no way to get it to stop. You hated that there is no one here to comfort you. You burry your face in your pillow as you resist the urge to scream in both pain and frustration.
However, one thought in particular makes you feel more ill than the pain does.
What in the name of the Void were you going to do when it was time to train in a few hours?
Galacta Knight was not the type to just let you sleep in, so if you didn’t show up he would come and find you. And when he does all he is going to see is you lazing around in bed while not even noticing the fact that you’re bleeding from a sensitive area. Besides, even if he did notice he likely wouldn't even care enough to hear your explanation on why you are bleeding. He would just chalk it up to you being weak and gross because you’re human.
After all, it was hard to not see his distaste for your human biology even though he tried to hide it. Like how you always noticed how his body stiffened and wings twitched at the sight of your bruises when you took a hit during training or how agitated he would get when your teeth wouldn’t stop chattering from the cold leading him to have to use fire magic to warm you up. He had scolded you for not wearing warmer clothing and using him as some kind of living heater on those days. That memory always made you feel so helpless and small, though a small part of you felt oddly touched by his actions nonetheless. You shook your head at the thought because you knew the only reason why he tried to help was to prevent the healing mages from scolding him about not helping you.
You felt tears prick at your eyes at the thought of something you couldn't control making you seem so useless in the eyes of a knight you wanted to impress. The person that you always tried to cheer up with sweets and fruits. The one that you always gave your all too. The one that you fell for even when you knew he would never feel the same.
You pulled the covers over your head trying to hide from your own heart break to no avail. Instead you are only left with the cruel memory of the last mission that had left you scarred from the other soldiers' venomous words that reminded you that you are only a weak human that would never be enough for the guard or Galacta Knight.
That is why you decided that the best thing you could do was to distance yourself from him. And, every time you felt your heart break a little more as you passed him in the halls without returning his greeting and only left something sweet for him in the garden were you met him every week you reminded yourself of their words.
However, now it seemed to only bring pain as the blankets felt like they were too heavy and the pain from your cramps became too much. Making your body lock up, preventing you from moving. Only allowing you to lay with your despair and loneliness as you wished for someone to make it all stop.
Galacta Knight paced around the training room. The silence was making him anxious and he absolutely hated the feeling. It was 20 minutes past your usual meeting time and you still hadn't shown up and that wasn’t like you at all. You always made it to training even if you were injured or exhausted. Furthermore, you hadn't been greeting him in the hall or visiting him in the gardens recently.
Why?
Perhaps something had happened, but what?
What would make you not want to see him anymore?
The knights head only filled with more questions as he searched through his memories one after the other trying to find any clues as to why you had suddenly not wanted to see him. The only thing he could think of was that it had something to do with that mission you had gone on with some of the other soldiers. The same ones that didn’t like the fact that you both had a strong bond considering how they glared at you in dining hall.
Galacta Knight also knew that it had something to do with you being an outsider because despite the fact that outsiders, like you, who had earned their place in the ranks and followed the rules, were treated like they were lesser than them. That is why he tried to keep you away from those soldiers, but the mission required you to go with them because you didn’t rely on magic. Which meant that he couldn’t protect you from their cruelty. The thought of not being able to help you made his magic boil within him because he knew what that kind of cruelty did to you. It made you push yourself into doing something reckless.
That kind of recklessness led him to finding you passed out in the rain in the middle of the night. He nearly had a fit when he had found you that rainy night. He had scolded your unconscious body as he carried you to the medical bay. Allowing himself in that moment to let some of his emotions break through his walls because he knew you couldn’t hear any of it, like how he cared about you too much to see you bruised after you both sparred, because he knew that they were made by his own hands. Along with the fact that he always looked forward to getting a sweet treat, as you had put it, from you on hard days. Not because they tasted good but because it meant that you had thought about him. He almost wished you were awake then but he felt his heart squeeze. Reminding him that you had never shown any interest in him, so he shouldn’t yearn for more than the strawberry cakes you brought.
The knight felt the fire in him dim slightly at the mention of the food that was tied to better memories. Such as the time you first challenged him to duel despite knowing how big of a power gap there was between the both of you. How he had paused during that fight admiring your graceful movements as you parried and dodged his attacks. That day had lead him to ask if you both could spar one clear and sunny day just so he could see the light in your eyes again. The same light that his heart urged him to protect, and the same one that pushed him to go and look for you at the 30 minute mark.
By the time he had reached your room he had decided that if you were forced to stay away he wouldn't scold you for not going since that may only worsen things. Instead he would have you meet him for meals and would come and find you after patrol so you were not left alone. This method would keep you safe from the others and not because he wanted to keep you close at all times. Perish the thought!
He nodded to himself before knocking on the door and waited for your scratchy voice to answer. However, nothing but silence came to greet him instead. He waited before trying again only to be met with the same response. He huffed before opening the door slowly giving you plenty of time to react to his presence, but still nothing. Then he heard it, muffled sobbing.
The feathered knight opened the door fully and analyzed the room trying to find the source of distress removing his lance from his back as he did so. However, the only thing he found was that the source of the noise was coming from the massive pile of blankets on the bed. He approached the bed cautious and listened closely trying to sense if you were in pain or not. If you were then he needed to get you to the medical bay, so you could be properly cared for. If you weren't then he would have to find out who made you so upset and deal with them.
After a moment he heard you wince in pain causing him to move quickly. Uncovering you he saw your face buried in the pillow as you sobbed with your arms curled tightly around your abdomen. If you were openly sobbing then the pain was bad, and you needed to be treated immediately. You whined as he started to pick you up. However, before he got far he heard your whine turn into a cry of pain.
Stars what had happened to you?
He laid you down and looked for the injury. Because, based on that reaction alone he needed to treat you now with the little healing knowledge he knew before he called a healing mage.
He pulled your arms away from your body and removed the heating pad from your abdomen. He saw no wound under your shirt, just tight muscles and red skin. Stars, it must have been an internal injury which meant he wouldn’t have the power to heal this. Thus he needed to call for help now. However, before he could try you pulled on his arm weakly and asked what he was doing. “Where are you injured Y/N, and don't lie to me because you're clearly in distress.”
He hears you hiss before trying and failing to swat his hand away and mumble out that you’re not hurt. He scoffs at that and says in an annoyed tone, “You just hissed in pain, so let's try this again, where are you injured?”
You groan before explaining to him that you’re just dealing with your menstrual cycle which happens every month. Galacta Knight scoffed in response to that because in the last six months of knowing you he had never heard you speak of this cycle before. Thus, this must just be a terrible attempt at lying. However, before he can call you out you continue explaining that you thought it would get you removed from the guard because of days like these.
That, that, sounded like something you would do. Galacta Knight sighs before asking, “What exactly is happening then?”
He listens intently as you go on to explain the very unsettling body function that leaves him with more questions than answers. Like why in the name of Void was this the way your body let you know that it wasn't going to reproduce?
By the end of it you had curled up back up and were crying softly. He feels his anger return at the fact that he couldn't strike down the problem. However, he honestly now felt more stressed at this moment because of the fact that he doesn't know how to help you. Thus, he does the only thing he can think of, “I am going to stay by your side while you recover your strength.”
You turn to him looking shocked at his words. He feels his wings puff up a bit at your reaction before he blurts out, “Don't look so surprised! The faster you recover the faster you will be able to return to training.”
He cringes at his own words knowing that it would likely only make you feel like a burden. However, his words had gotten your crying to cease, so perhaps you knew he wasn't trying to be so cruel. Picking up your heating pad helps you get comfortable in bed as he asks softer this time, “Now tell me how to help you with the blood loss.”
You can't believe this is happening. Not only did Galacta Knight not care about your gross physiology, but he was actually trying to help you get through this despite the fact that you had been ignoring him for the last couple of weeks. You would have claimed that this is some kind of dream, but as you feel the searing pain in your lower abdomen you are reminded that this is in fact reality. Thus you simply tell him that the only thing either of you can do for now is wait it out, but you would appreciate him distracting you by talking.
“I see. Then I can go over the training methods we will be trying out after you recover then.”
You smile slightly at his choice in topic. He always jumped at the opportunity to go over fighting techniques when you asked him about it. However, your joy didn't remain as a deep and unforgiving pain twisted your uterus into knots making you groan. Galacta Knight paused and turned his full attention towards you again.
You tried to tell him to continue but the cramp made you choke on your words as you buried your face into your pillow again. You took a few deep breaths before you felt a hand on your shoulder. Galacta Knight was attempting to comfort you as he looked you over. You could have sworn you saw worry in those rose pink eyes as you turned to look at him. However, before you could try and decipher what that meant you felt your stomach tighten. You immediately got up and stumbled forward trying to head for the trash can that was at the foot of your bed towards your desk. Galacta Knight stuck by your side as you swayed and asked, “What is it? What’s wrong?”
You leaned against your nightstand and mumbled out that you felt sick. The knight quickly moved, and you covered your mouth trying desperately to keep the contents of your stomach from spilling out. However, the moment he reached you, trash can in hand, you doubled over and vomited into the bin.
You could feel his hand move your hair out of your face as you gagged and tightened your grip on the edge of the trash can. After a couple of minutes of dry heaving painfully over the bin you finally lay back into your bed exhausted from having to empty your gut. Galacta Knight simply stands next hand no longer on your shoulder before saying quietly, “I’ll grab a servant to clean up this mess.” He looks you in the eye this time and asks, “Before I depart, do you need me to carry you to the communal bathroom, so that you may clean up?”
You shake your head, it would take you a minute to make it there, but you would still make it. He hums before nodding and swiftly leaving the room. Standing up, you grab your toiletry bag and make your way to the bathroom whimpering slightly as you do so. Keeping a hand on your abdomen as you continued down the hall. You winced quietly as you went, biting your lip if it became too much in an attempt to not catch anyone's attention.
Thankfully your method worked. You reach a bathroom sink with little issue and begin to clean up. Luck for you none of your comrades come into the bathroom as you do. However, your luck ends there as you feel a headache coming on. It was either from dehydration from the whole getting sick or your next symptom of your menstrual cramps is a migraine. You groan internally knowing that either way the incoming pain is going to make falling asleep close to impossible now.
Once you make it back to your room you notice that Galacta Knight is reading in a chair that he moved next to the bed. His shield and lance are propped up by the side of the chair in arms reach. Classic Galactic Knight, always prepared for the worst. As you flop on top of the bed he turns his attention towards you. After a moment he asks what you’re exactly doing and the only thing you can think to mumble out is that you just want to sleep.
After a moment you hear his sabatons click against the stone floors as he moves towards the door and right as you think he is going to leave you hear the lights switch off. The knight returns back to his chair and attempts to get comfortable again. Following suit you move to get under the sheets as you feel your headache dull slightly due to the lack of light. However, right before your about to try and sleep you feel the heating pad suddenly switch off.
No.
No, there was no way things could get any worse!
Despite your internal desperation please, as you move to check on the remote you see that things did in fact get worse because your heating pad just died on you. After fussing a bit you quickly realize that it isn't going to turn back on. You feel dread claw at your throat and you close your eyes trying to calm down, but it's too much as your thoughts fill with anxiety. Because the pain is going to be so horrid, and you are going to have to take it for the next couple of hours. The tears start to slip and you cry softly as you curl in on yourself further. Your breathing becomes shallow and quick as you weep.
However, just as you are about to bury yourself under the covers for more comfort you hear Galacta Knight call out to you, “Why are you crying again? Did something happen?”
You shake your head, but Galacta Knight doesn't let you off easy and asks what the tears are from. You yield and explain that your heating pad just died on you. You almost feel silly admitting your issue to the same knight that had faced more unbearable pain than this. It makes you want to hide away from those rose pink colored eyes. However, the knight doesn’t let you get far as he turns your face towards him wiping tears as he does so. You lean into the touch despite yourself and as your tears begin to slow and he asks softly, “May I attempt to alleviate your discomfort?”
You nod, in too much pain to reject his offer. He pulls away in response and you watch as he takes off his shoulder padding, mask and sabatons before moving to get on the bed. Your pained mind doesn’t have the energy to question why him joining you in bed will help alleviate the pain. Thus, you don’t even try to stop him. After a bit of maneuvering he gets under the covers and settles on spooning you from behind with his gloved hands covering your abdomen entirely. They are warm and the cloth is surprisingly soft. However, it isn't enough to fight back the ruthless pain. Thus you remain stiff and shift in an attempt to distract yourself. After an awkward moment passes Galacta Knight asks, “Would you like for me to warm up further?”
You mumble out your consent and let out a sigh as you feel his body heat increase finally giving you some much needed relief. As you lay there enjoying the warmth you feel your headache lessen with time and your exhaustion returns slowly. You close your eyes and feel his face nuzzle into your back.
You let yourself melt into him further and briefly wonder if he minds holding you like this. If not you may ask if he could do this for you again. Only if it goes this bad again that is. You didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable after all. However, before you gain the confidence in your sleep deprived state you feel sleep pull you under despite the persistent dull pain in the front of your skull.
When you wake up the first thing you are aware of is that you are not alone in bed. The second thing you notice is that you’re being held by someone. The third thing you notice is that you’re not being covered by a fluffy blanket, but instead a familiar wing.
The moment you realize why those feathers look familiar you go still. It was the Galacta Knights and you couldn't afford to wake him up, which also meant that you needed to somehow slip out of his hold and make it out of his room undetected.
Void, how did you end up in Galacta Knight's bed?
As you try and recall the night before you look around the room further trying to see if there is anything that could help jog your memory. As you do you realize that this isn't his room, but actually your's. So the real question was, why was Galacta Knight in your bed? What could have possibly happened yesterday?
Then you feel a cramp hit you and it all comes back. The calm words and comfort that came from the puffball who now lies besides you. But why? Why did Galacta Knight care about you enough to guard and even comfort you?
You hadn't thought to ask yesterday due to your pain but now all you can do is wonder. Because it made no sense. He wasn’t even this kind to old acquaintances or even new troops that looked up to him. Well, when things were tense on the field he was kind to them, but not like this.
So why?
Before you could think on it any further you feel Galacta Knight move behind you. Panic seizes you for a moment before you feel him nuzzle into you and you realize that he was actually purring.
Wait, since when could Galacta Knight purr?
Before you could consider that any further you hear him stop as he goes still likely realizing that he is not lying in a bed alone. You don't move hoping that if you simply stay still he won't notice you’re awake. It seems to work as the knight slowly gets out of bed trying his best not to disturb you as he does so. Despite understanding that he likely didn't intend on staying in such an intimate position for so long it still hurt to feel him leave you.
Now with him gone the lack of warmth begins to set in and you feel your body ache from the returning period pain. In an attempt to distract yourself you listen to Galacta Knight’s movements.
You hear him put on his sabatons, shoulder pads, and his mask. With each piece of armor you resist the urge to reach out for him. To drag him back towards you so that you can enjoy your little slice of heaven a little longer, but then the illusion is shattered as you hear the door close and darkness return.
You don’t move for a while making sure that the knight wouldn’t return and to keep you from going after him. After you feel as if it has been long enough you try and get up. Only to feel the stabbing pain return as you move, preventing you from sitting up. However, you push forward because you need to get up. You needed to get up and eat even if you didn’t want to so you could recover now that the worst was over.
Thus you get up slowly and take a few deep breaths using your own breathing as a way to work through the pain until it settles some. Once it was manageable you moved to turn on the light and looked at the clock, it was past lunch time, all you can do is sigh before you get dressed for the market.
You had managed to get out of the castle without much of a fuss surprisingly enough. However, finding a stall with some moderately healthy beef was proving to be difficult. After a while you went over to one of the vendors you commonly went to on your days off and asked if they knew any good beef based foods around the area. Luckily they knew where some good meat skewers were and had happily given you directions. As you walked down the busy streets you wondered what Galacta Knight was up to.
“Y/N!”
Speak of the knight and he shall appear. Just as you turn around to face the feathered knight you feel him lift you up by your armpits. You squirm and protest in an attempt to get him to put you down. However, the stubborn knight, as usual, doesn't listen to you and flies higher into the air instead.
It is too dangerous to try and jump down yourself at this height so you try to plead with him. Though it seems that the moment you started to struggle against Galacta Knight’s grip that he decided to simply tune you out. Refusing to even acknowledge you as you wince in pain due to your new position.
Thus you try to distract yourself from the uncomfortable position you find yourself in by looking around. You are above most of the buildings now that you are not in the main court, but there are still some rather tall trees that Galacta Knight has to fly around. You wonder what the river looks like at this height.
As you both continue to pass over each building you can see clothes being set out to dry on top of some lines on the roofs creating splotches of bright colors across the dull concrete. There are even some people actively adding to the stone canvas as they set out to do what you consider to be a boring task.
Then you both go over the massive stone wall that separates the main castle from the rest of the capital. Although, the looming structure somehow seems minuscule considering how easy it was to fly over it. Along with the massive tree that towers above every other structure on the planet. Even the castle that sits at its base and is built into the right side of the trunk.
Once you both pass the wall the world around you changes. The buildings become taller, the large tree takes over the sky and some guards wave at Galacta Knight as he passes by. You feel your face heat up a little more each time someone acknowledges you both as you dangle in the knight’s grip. Until eventually you break and ask exasperated why he thought picking you up out of nowhere was okay.
Galacta Knight for the first time since he picked you up from the market speaks, “You are in no condition to fight so pry tell why did you run off alone?”
You gape at him as you feel your body heat up in response to his words before you exclaim that you are not defenseless like this and that if you were you wouldn’t have been able to leave the castle grounds.
Galacta Knight glares down at you before returning his attention back to flying before responding, “I have seen how blood loss makes you unable to react or think quickly, which means you are in no condition to walk that far let alone go without someone.”
The only thing you can think to do is to cry out that you are not in fact dying.
“I know that!” Galata Knight yells back now clearly agitated.
You flinch at his tone and the knight sucks in a breath in response.
You don’t have the courage to try and argue again. Instead you simply let him bring you back to the soldiers quarters. However, instead he moves to land on a nearby roof. He gently lowers you down on the solid ground before landing on the edge of the roof, his back turned towards you.
After a moment of sitting in silence he whispers out, “The first thing I thought when you didn’t come to today’s training was that it may have to do with why you haven’t been meeting me in the gardens. And I knew that the new change in behavior had something to do with the mission you had to partake in so I must ask, what happened?”
You blink at his words. However, before you can even try to answer Galacta Knight continues, “Do not deny it! I know that it has to do with them considering their history with outsiders, so tell me what did they do?”
Void, did Galacta Knight think that you were being threatened into silence?
Galacta Knight turns towards you, his head tilting as he asks, “Then what happened? What would push you to think that you can’t speak with me? Can’t confide in me? When I have always done the same with you.”
His words make you curl in on yourself as you realize that you said all of that out loud.
You close your eyes as you feel them turn glassy from the unshed tears and your throat tightens as your sadness claws at your lungs. Thus, you can only manage to choke out that you couldn’t understand what he saw in you.
“What?” You can hear the shock in his voice as you hear him turn towards you fully.
However, the new attention isn’t enough to stop you, as you feel your emotions spill out of you further as you say in a broken tone that the mission showed that you clearly weren’t enough. That every member of that group had made it clear to the higher-ups that you couldn’t even pull your own weight like you were supposed to, and that it hurt to know that you were likely only dragging him down as well. You feel your heart burn as you ache to tell him that you wanted him to try and hold you together regardless, but those words never came.
Galacta Knight tries to interrupt but you cut him off as you tell him that the best thing he could do was let you go, let you leave, let you fall apart.
As you finish you look up to see the knight so close to you now. Looking at you as if you are a scared animal. That kind of pity makes your heart fill with pain as you yell out for him to not look at you like that before you simply slump to the ground drained and yet still filled with sorrow. The only thing you can think to say in response to his drooping wings is that you aren't worth protecting.
Galacta Knight freezes at your words before he moves towards your now trembling form, and after a moment of hesitation he takes your face in his hands whipping your tears away as you continue to sob. After a moment he says, “You are not a burden to me.”
You feel your anger drain out of you at those words making you cry harder, and as Galacta brushes your tears away he says, “I see how much you push yourself during training, how you don’t stop until your body breaks from the pressure and even then you still get up. In those moments I know that you would risk your life for me and others. In those moments I see your valor and I see someone worth standing by.”
Your tears started to slow as you continued to listen, “However, with time I also saw something else, gentleness. The kind that doesn’t come from naivety but from kindness, a gift that allows you to care for others in ways I cannot. I swore to shield that part of you because it is rare, so when I found you in enough pain to drain you of your light I felt ill. Because in that moment I thought that I had failed to protect the one thing that is so..”
You don’t speak and instead watch as the Aeon Hero steps away from you. However, even as he hides behind his wings seeming embarrassed he is still in arms reach. Then those beautiful white wings open up slightly as he says softly, “precious to me.”
Those words made your tears finally stop and your heart tighten all in the same moment. You try to speak, but no words come as you simply stare without seeing the knight in front of you as you try to understand what he means.
However, Galacta doesn’t let you as he continues on again, “Please if you get anything from my words let it be this, be kind to yourself just like you are with me, with them, with others, my star. You are more than worth protecting so please let me take care of you.”
You slump forward into his embrace pressing your forehead to his as you close your eyes and let yourself be held together by someone else's hands. Galacta opens his wings and covers you with them as if he is trying to shield you from your own stress and pain with them. With the new feeling you finally let yourself truly rest.