Work Text:
A lover's touch. Soft, sweet and firm around a metallic grip. Metal that fit so perfectly into flesh it was made for.
A soft tide giggled in rhythm with the cadence of birds chatting among the trees. Leaves whistled and murmured a quiet melody to the creatures that inhabit the area. Just like the breeze that carried weightless feathers above lush canopies with such care and support kissed and caressed pale flesh.
Yet somehow the crude song of steel against wood fit so perfectly in nature's symphony. Cass stuck her tongue out in concentration with furrowed brows carving steel into bark. The summer heat beading droplets of sweat sent cascading down her temple. Rapunzel stood a few paces behind Cassandra peaking over her shoulder with anticipation. With lips curled into a smile she unknowingly found herself lost in chestnut colored eyes. The color shown so vibrantly underneath the sun's gentle gaze and even more so with attentiveness. A rare luminescence against a usually pale palette one that Rapunzel was often fond of. One she had happily settled with because all too often Cassandra would retaliate against the flowers Rapunzel would adorn her raven colored hair with or brightly hued articles of clothing to accompany her usual outfit. But Rapunzel respected it…most of the time. Her gaze followed up the warriors perfectly carved features to her feathery hair and fell upon the lilac colored flower she had gifted her with. Cassandra had hardly retaliated against that one. She picked it out herself actually. When Rapunzel had offered a flower tinged in honey gold Cassandra insisted that it didn't compliment her style and pointed at another. Instead of putting it in herself she ushered it in Rapunzel's palms and bowed her head. Rapunzel's cheek grew hot from the memory. To her, Cassandra was calloused but so gentle, charming yet snarky, bubbly and aloof with a frame contoured by sharp angles and broad edges yet beautiful skin and vibrant eyes concealed by contempt. She was beautifully polished armor, always protecting, always concealing. She was handsome. So handsome. No binary of gender could change that and in this moment, even with bare skin lightly slicked in sweat tracing the shape of toned muscle and linen draped around the delicate parts of her body, she was so handsome and so much more. She was her tenderhearted knight.
"Done!" Cassandra cooed, snapping Rapunzel out of her reverie as she fought to rid of the static that spread in her cheeks. Cassandra drew a few steps back, joining at Rapunzel's side to awe in her craftsmanship. Having been the one to approach this idea of Rapunzel's sheepishly Cassandra sure took pride in the results. It was cute. The shapes etched into the trunk were crude and jagged but simple and easy for someone who was more accustomed to the art of weaponry and not the kind with a pencil.
Plastered into the tree were the letters:
R + C
Below were rudimentary carvings of a sword and a bird each symbolizing the other. The lines were far from straight (which would be a difficult task on a tree anywho) but they were hers and that's all that mattered and Rapunzel adored it. Something so simple bore so much character, it was perfect. The Lagoon bore many precious memories and this was just another fragment of one.
"You sure people won't get this confused for…" Cassandra tentatively cleared her throat, her eyes and words trailing off elsewhere. Rapunzel had echoed the same motion before shrugging off the flush in her cheeks. "For what? And besides, who cares. This can be our little place… away from the kingdom, away from Eugene.." Rapunzel paused. Her lips pulled back into a tender smile peering at Cassandra from the side of her eye who had not taken her own off her masterpiece. Rural tinted eyes grew even more tender when settled on her knight's features. Admiring and painting them in her head her gaze darted everywhere analyzing every angle and how the sun beamed against her skin. She would stow this imagery away for later. Her eyes traveled up to the flower once more and absent mindedly her own hand had brushed against the blue hued flower Cassandra had placed in Rapunzel's hair, a smile growing softer. Her other hand gravitated in the distance between them.
Like A lover's touch. Soft, sweet and gentle. Rapunzel sent her knuckles cascading over calloused ones causing a soft ebb of static to rise against fingertips and Cassandra winced, stifling her breath. The touch sending warm blood flowing and all consuming emotion beckoning calloused fingers to curl around the others in a longing embrace. Though all they could manage was a sheepish twitch. Rapunzel brushed her knuckles against her once more tracing the shape of them in her head before she began to draw her hand back but stopped short and hooked her pinky around her knights.
"Just ours."
Cassandra stifled her breath at the touch. Her heart raced in sporadic rhythm of the contending thoughts in her head. No- no.. she didn't want to ponder on what this moment meant. She just wanted to allow herself to enjoy it. Though she was so used to her self-imposed devouring penance. With great mental strength that she had grown all too accustomed to doing she shoved the intruding thoughts into a deep, chaotic depth that festered in the back of her mind. She returned the tender smile. It was small and lacking to some but it was hers and it was genuine Rapunzel knew that more than anyone else. Sheepishly Cassandra curled her own pinky around her princesses.
"Just ours."
Just ours.
Just ours.
Ours.
" Ours. " Cassandra growled in the cold night air. A growl that alone would send predators scattering in the opposite direction.
She stepped forward, the usual sound of concrete soles were muffled by soft grains of sand.
Cassandra rested a solid palm against the chiseled wood. The touch alone sent her heart asunder as embers of vexation consumed her. A thundering storm drummed against her chest and the moonstone adorned upon her heart began to emit a soft azure glow.
How could this ever be ours?
We were meant for nothing.
Ragged breathing hastened growing increasingly difficult to stifle. She traced a single coal nail into the carvings.
Rapunzel. She thought bitterly.
Anxieties began carving a path to consumption.
The barefooted princess that happily outshined her. Who neglected Cassandra like everyone else. Who relegated her to something that could barely be considered a friend. Cassandra had loved her so because she was the only person who did not undermine her abilities who trusted her with her life...or so she thought. When did everything begin to unfold? What was the moment that seemingly thin string had been cut? When did it get so thin? Cassandra had sacrificed time and time again for Rapunzel and how was she repaid? With a lifelong detriment. She sacrificed a future that could've flourished for someone who couldn't even trust her.
She was angry at her. So angry .
There was a time Cassandra would give anything to make the princess happy.
But now Cassandra wanted to hurt her, let her know the pain of being deprived of something you'll never have.
………..
So why within these chaotic spiraling thoughts did she want to see her face so badly again. Right here, at the Lagoon where everything started. Why did it hurt to hurt Rapunzel?
Absent mindedly Cassandra had been tracing the carved R repeatedly. Fully consumed by her contempt and anguish she was paralyzed. The rhythmic motion froze. Sounds of nature dissipated and all she could hear was the loud ache of her heart. She bit her lip with furrowed brows.
She has everything she's ever wanted… So why did it feel so empty?
Ungrateful.
She thought about herself.
Were you even meant for anything ?
She was always destined to be tempted and teased by unfated solaced phantoms of which she could not have.
She gave up…-
Gave up Rapunzel for nothing.
Plop . Her head now pressed against cool bark, a single shed tear rolled down her cheek to the tip of her nose and fell, lost in a universe of sand grains. In a way she resonated with that lonely tear. She had reached the precipice of this quest. One that did not end under the soft gaze of the sun hand in hand but one that had beaten her far from the path of glory and love. A jagged path constructed of the decrepit remains of all she sacrificed. Looking above at the final culmination, all that's left was to plummet. Concede this restless body to the beckoning arms of despair and unforgiveness. To a pit that had been long awaiting her arrival along with every other restless soul who had nothing left to lose.
Something wet fell from her cheek again. Then another and another and before she knew it tears spilled unashamed from pale cheeks. Cassandra clasped her clawed fingers around the tree desperately grasping as her body convulsed violently. Too paralyzed by her anguish she hadn't even bothered to wipe away the tears instead she indulged in all the feelings that encapsulated her. Feelings that had been shunned away for such a long time. Weak sobs gasped for breath that she barely heard, her head beginning to throb against the bark. She couldn't breathe. Why couldn't she breathe? She was drowning in a sea of thoughts that ripped away her lungs effortlessly. Pathetic. All it took was a single tear. A violent ebb of emotions washed over with such intensity. Detrimental thoughts contented with one another clawing and fighting for a spot on the surface. She wasn't herself. Not anymore. She wasn't even sure who that was anymore. Amongst a luminous universe veiled by the grace of virtuous light she was a dying star. Dim and long deprived of warmth and merit. She was a silhouette who happened to take the form of a human but unveiled was a contorted disproportionate nightmare only constructed by cataclysmic dreams. Born from a desperate impertinent flame she was always meant to destroy.
Within the debilitation of her disquiet her taloned fingers dragged down the trees side. Her bones felt as though they had suddenly grown denser and she no longer bore the strength to prop her arms up. Her knees buckled beneath her and just like her place in this world she began to sink.
No.
No.
That was enough now.
Her desperate gasps for breaths gradually formed into intense ragged pants. Her shoulders tensed, stopping her fingers from falling any further. She squeezed her eyes shut furrowing her brows as those familiar embers of hate returned again. The cathartic moment was fleeting, and that's all she deserved. For the wicked didn't deserve tears. Her eyes shot open and propelled by her returning anger, she sent inky black talons across the tree, then again and again her lips parted open and what started as a quiet growl formed into a raspy desperate roar. Her form was consumed by the bright azure glow of the moon stone standing out amongst the night's deep colors.
she sent her hands slashing side to side until her arms could no longer fight against exhaustion. She drew a foot back to gaze at her craftsmanship. Remnants of the past were marred wildly by crude lacerations. Cassandra felt her lip quiver and retaliated against the cruel plea of emotion by pulling her lips into a fine line. As she closed her eyes Cassandra allowed a few final mourning tears to roll down her cheek then bashfully wiped away the rest.
She couldn't break now.
There was still work to be done.