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It wasn’t hard for him to tell when he was being followed.
The girl following him did a rather sloppy job at concealing it anyway. Perhaps she wasn’t even trying to hide it in the first place.
Ever since they had returned to the hotel they had rented for the night, Blade had felt the nagging sensation that he was being watched gnaw at his mind. It didn’t take long to deduce who the culprit was. No matter how quiet she tried to tip-toe across the ground, Blade could still hear the loud patter of her feet, stalking him around the room. No matter where he went, she was always trailing behind him, just a few feet away.
Silver Wolf was following him around like a lost duckling.
Of course, whenever he turned back towards her, she huffed, acting unbothered. If he asked her if everything was okay, she’d shoot back a quick “I’m fine, worry about yourself.”
It seemed like she was doing enough of that for the both of them.
Even now, as he cleaned off the dishes they had used for dinner, he could feel her eyes trained on him from where she sat on the couch, tapping away at her console. He left it alone, letting her continue to watch, but it slowly began to concern him. He put the last dish away, before flicking off the light switch, the room falling into darkness, save for the amber glow of the lamp next to Silver Wolf. It was late in the evening, they had to get up in a few hours. Blade left the kitchen, approaching Silver Wolf, which prompted her to immediately avert her gaze back to her game, acting like nothing was wrong.
“Don’t stay up too late. It’s bad for you.” He advised her, ruffling her hair.
“Tch, says you.” She waved his hand away, fixing it back up.
“Don’t make me enable your anti addiction lock. Bed.” He walked away towards the bathroom, hearing Silver Wolf scramble to shut off her game behind him.
But he could still feel her eyes on him.
He had to remember to confront her about this in the morning. Silver Wolf was a carefree girl, but she truly did worry for others. Sometimes, too much for her own good.
And something must have been bothering her greatly if she was this worried.
Blade wasn’t a heavy sleeper. He often jumped awake at the slightest of sounds. Whether it be an object clattering to the floor, or someone talking a bit too loudly.
Or someone’s breathing as they watched him sleep.
There it was again. That alarming sensation, the one that screamed at him to open his eyes, for something was watching him. He knew they were there, and he couldn’t go back to sleep until he made sure they were gone. Blade slowed his breathing, furrowing his brows. He opened his eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the darkness.
Before him, at the foot of his bed, stood a small girl, looming over him. He blinked, recognizing the girl as Silver Wolf. She didn’t say a word, she didn’t even move. She just stood there. Silently, her face completely blank.
Blade stared back at her for a few seconds. He wasn’t sure if she knew he was awake. Neither party made a move, they simply looked at each other.
Blade would’ve let her be, she often had a habit of roaming around at night anyway, had he not heard a tiny noise through the silence of the room. He frowned, listening carefully.
He heard it again. A small sob from the girl in front of him.
It seemed almost unnatural, hearing such a sound leave someone as confident and uncaring as Silver Wolf. Blade cleared his throat, sitting up.
“Silver Wolf? Is everything alright?” He asked.
She didn’t answer him. She only stared, unmoving. He didn’t press for an answer, he already figured what might’ve been happening.
Because he had only seen Silver Wolf in this state once before.
It was a dark night, they had just returned from a mission, and Silver Wolf had experienced a terrible nightmare. The kind that left her shaking, unable to speak. She was relatively new to the Stellaron Hunters, still an adolescent, yet she had already become wary of everyone she met.
Blade had found her pacing about the home, scratching at her arms until they were red, almost bleeding. When he confronted her, she didn’t snap back with some snarky remark. She only looked at him with wide eyes, as if she wasn’t completely aware of her surroundings.
Blade wasn’t experienced with handling teenagers. But he had dealt with companions who regularly experienced nightmares, frequently having some of his own as well.
So he offered to let her sleep by his side.
She went out like a light, resting on the other side of his bed, curled up in warm blankets. She was gone by the morning, and neither of them spoke of it. They didn’t need to. Silver Wolf let him know of her gratitude not through words, but through tiny trinkets she had collected, leaving them in his room. Blade let her know she was always welcome back by keeping his door slightly pushed open at night.
She never came back, and her sleeping quality seemed to improve as the weeks went by.
So for her to be standing over him like this once again, something must’ve frightened her horribly.
And he could only imagine one event that could’ve had such a drastic effect on her.
Blade sighed, scooting over without a word. He pulled back the covers, patting the space next to him on the bed. Silver Wolf shuffled towards him, crawling onto the mattress. She dropped down, letting Blade drape the covers over her body.
“Go to sleep, Silver Wolf.” He lightly patted her shoulder, giving her space on the bed.
Suddenly, her hand shot out, stopping him in his tracks. Silver Wolf held onto his arm, unsure of whether she was even allowed to move closer, or at least stop him from drifting away.
Blade didn’t move from her. He placed his hand on hers, noticing how it would slightly tremble.
“Silver Wolf.” He tried.
“This is about today, isn’t it?”
Silver Wolf sniffled.
“How do you think I felt?” She gritted out. Blade’s eyes widened, hearing how fragile her voice sounded.
“What?”
“I watched you jump into THEIR jaws, Bladie.” She whispered. “Do I have to spell it out for you? I was scared!”
She buried her face into the pillow, embarrassed with herself. “..I was really, really fucking scared.”
Blade nodded. “I know you were.”
Silver Wolf lightly smacked him with her hand. Blade let her, knowing she needed to get some hidden rage out of her system.
“Stelle was scared too. She always tries to be dumb, and make jokes about it, but I could tell.”
She hit him again.
“You.. are never, ever, doing stupid shit like that again. You got it? I don’t care if it’s for the mission. Never.” Silver Wolf angrily looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes.
Blade opened his mouth to gently protest, but Silver Wolf slapped him once more for even thinking of it.
“No. No arguing. Never.”
Blade closed it. He instead moved to cup her cheek, brushing away a stray tear with his thumb.
“..Come here, Wolf.” He murmured. Silver Wolf didn’t hesitate this time. She immediately pounced into his embrace, sighing in contentment when she felt his arms wrap around her. The tension slowly left her body as Blade rubbed tiny circles into her back.
“You’ve always given great hugs. We keep trying to tell you.” She muttered, a small giggle in her voice.
“Is that so?”
“Mhm.”
The two laid there in silence. Silver Wolf’s breathing slowly stabilized, comforted in Blade’s hold. She placed a hand over his chest, running her fingers down the bandages that littered his skin, before lifting her head onto him. She nestled her head into the crook of his neck, listening for his heartbeat with her ear. It was there, it was beating, loud and clear.
“What if you had really died back there?” She asked. “Who’s gonna play games with me?”
“I thought I was terrible at video games.”
“That’s not the point!” Silver Wolf whined. “I still like playing them with you.”
“You like crushing me.” Blade clarified.
“I wouldn’t have anyone to crush so terribly then!” She huffed. “…Or hold my stuff. Or buy me cool things, or help me fix my hair, remind me to go eat…” Silver Wolf trailed off.
“Do you get what I’m saying here?”
“I do.” Blade nodded.
“I’d be pretty sad if you died.”
“I know.”
Blade searched for the tie holding her hair together, carefully removing it, letting her hair free from the ponytail she always kept it in. He gave it back to Silver Wolf, letting her take it, and wrap it on her wrist.
“…So don’t leave me, okay? Just not right now.”
“I won’t.” He promised.
“Good.”
Blade began to card his fingers softly through gray hair, undoing tangles and knots as he went. He tenderly scratched her scalp, like one would do with a puppy. She leaned into the touch, a smile appearing on her lips.
Blade cursed at himself for the happiness that bloomed in his chest at the sight of her smile.
“Are you okay now?”
“..Mm. Sort of.” She nodded.
“Feel better to go back to sleep?”
She stilled, before tightening her grip on him.
“I’m not gonna leave.” She insisted.
“I wouldn’t have made you.”
Silver Wolf snuggled his body, his body that was much warmer than she had remembered, practically on top of him.
“And also..” She looked up at him, a pout on her face. “Not a single word of this to Kafka. Or Firefly. Or anyone outside this room.”
Blade smirked, stifling a snicker at her.
“I’m serious, asshole. You’re gonna really wish you died back there if you tell anyone.”
“Understood.”
She sank back down, yawning.
“Go to bed. You need your rest.”
“…Kay.. Gotta wake up early anyway..” She pulled the blankets further over them, nearly melting from the comforting warmth she was enveloped in.
In the quiet of the room, Blade heard her call his name one last time.
He looked down, to see her gray eyes staring up at him. He tilted his head, waiting for her to speak.
Blade already knew what she was going to say.
“I love you, Bladie.”
But she didn’t say that. She only muttered a small “Thank you.” before beginning to drift off into slumber. Maybe she didn’t say it out of pride.
Or maybe because she knew that he already knew it.
He knew it, alright. And he hope she knew that he felt the same, forever and always.
Blade leaned down, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“Goodnight, Wolf.”
He stroked her back, let her nuzzle into his chest, and didn’t comment on the tears that slowly dampened his shirt. He was just relieved to know that they were no longer tears of terror, or of pain.
They were tears of relief. The tears that came after nearly losing something dear to you, and holding onto it tighter than ever, for fear of loss.
Silver Wolf didn’t have to hold on too tight, not anymore. He wasn’t intending on leaving. Not for a long while.