Work Text:
He stayed,
Because he wanted to.
He was here,
When she fell asleep without eating.
When she shook while walking.
When she panted on battlefields.
He worried,
When he heard her voice break on those mountains.
When he saw the light in her golden eyes dim.
When he felt her withdraw into herself.
He went mad,
Every time he thought about that night.
Every time he imagined her suffering.
Every time he couldn’t be with her.
He tried.
Tried to see her every day,
On every break
On every lunch
On every moment he knew she was alone.
Tried to be as strong as her.
But damn it
He saw her that night.
Saw how broken she was,
Saw how the strong and fierce traveler mask fell off.
He knew how she was.
Knew she faked her smile,
Knew she lied when she told him she was all right.
So how could he stay calm
When he was the one who kept that night secret,
Who never spoke about it, never referred to it.
When he was the one who offered her his arms,
Who offered her a shelter, offered her protection.
When he was the one who shadowed her suffering.
And he understood her restraint on her feelings,
But fuck it
She was like his sister
And seeing her hurt
Because another man decided he could touch her body,
Decided he could ruin her feelings.
As if nothing.
As if she was nothing but a... a piece of food.
Made him lose his mind.
Made him want to punch that man to death,
Rip his members apart,
Make him pay for what she had to endure.
Because he had no right to harm her.
But he could do nothing.
Because she didn’t want him to do anything,
Didn’t want anyone to act more.
Yet he wanted to help
So much more.
Because she needed it.
Because helping her made him feel alive.
Helping her made him feel important.
And he needed it.
Because he wanted to matter to her.
Because she was the only person who managed to bring back clarity in his life,
When the world he saw was nothing but gloomy.
And whenever she smiled, whenever she beat him, whenever she laughed, whenever she was here,
He started to feel things again.
So, when she would reject his help,
When she would go and hide herself,
When she would flee his glances,
He listened to her silence,
Made it feel light.
But he would joke around, every time she felt like it.
And he never complained,
Never forced her hand.
But he would hold it, every time she asked him to.
But his heart would grow heavy,
Whenever she wouldn't let him in.
And even though it hurt,
Even though it would take time,
He stayed.
Because she mattered.
He stayed,
Because he needed it.