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Pairing: Werewolf Valko, Y/N

Genre: Angst, fluff

WC: 1k

Under the silvery glow of the moon hanging in the inky sky overhead, Y/N's slow tread made a soft series of thuds on the pavement as she strolled down the deserted outskirts of the dark forests near her home. Wolves howled in the far distance, erratic from the full moon. The air was crisp and it caressed her cheeks every now and then as a sudden gust blowed through the dark trees, and the woman came to a halt, tilting her face up to the billions of crystalline-like pinpricks shimmering around the moon, her eyes falling shut in silent bliss.

When Y/N opened them again, her gaze landed on one of the lonely benches a short distance away. A large figure shrouded in shadows sat upon it in a position that reeked of despair even from where she was standing, and she frowned, trying to make out more details in the dark. She could see a faint outline of two points above the figures head, and her eyebrows shot up her forehead in faint recognition.

Wondering if she should leave or venture further, Y/N's mind was made up when she heard a small sniffle. She was weak when it came to sadness, her first instinct always being to provide as much comfort as she could to the afflicted, whether she knew them or not. She couldn't just leave; the sounds became more frequent, and she signed inwardly, moving towards the small bench.

When she finally approached the figure, her eyes widened a little. She had seen this man a few times before in passing, had brief conversations with him that she hadn't thought much of. But now, seeing such a big man hunched over with his head in his hands and little dark splatters on the floor parallel to his face as his broad shoulders shook, Y/N's heart dropped.

Biting her lip, she reached into her pocket and found a slightly crumpled but clean tissue. She held it out slowly to the man, close to his face so he could see it.

The man's sniffling stopped. He looked up in confusion, his eyes glistening with unshed tears and glowing inhumanely like olive tourmaline as he studied Y/N's face.

She offered him a gentle smile. “Valko, right?”

His face broke into a wide grin, his eyes crinkling deeply at the corners. “You remembered?”

“Are you alright?” Was Y/N's response, still holding out the tissue.

He accepted the tissue from her, suddenly looking very embarrassed. He dubbed at his eyes with it and then loudly blew his nose, making Y/N's lips twitch with secret amusement. “Me? Of course.”

Tilting her head to the side, Y/N studied him for a moment before moving to sit beside him on the bench.

Valko turned his face to look at her in surprise. Almost as if he couldn't quite believe she had chosen to do so out of her own free will.

Y/N returned his gaze with one of curiosity, her eyes lingering on his fluffy ears. “Why aren't you out howling with the others?”

Letting out a puff of laughter under his breath, Valko looked out towards the forest. “They don't really like me,” he said in a matter of fact manner, his face strangely cheerful as he looked back at her.

Y/N blinked, confused. “Why not?”

Valko shrugged. “I'm different to them. Too big. Too … ugly, in my human form. I've tried to join the pack before, but … it didn't really end well.”

He faintly traced a large gash near his eyebrow as he said the latter words; he looked as though he was hiding his true emotions behind his contagious smile, and Y/N's eyes softened considerably with a sudden surge of sympathy for him.

So that's why he had been crying.

All alone, in the middle of the night on an old bench, instead of mingling in with the others.

“They did that to you?” Y/N couldn't help but ask, slowly reaching out to very lightly touch his wounded skin.

“Yeah,” Valko admitted. His breath hitched faintly her touch, and Y/N studied him carefully, noticing the dozen or so other injuries lining the side of his face, neck and forearm.

Her stomach twisted uncomfortably, her fingers sliding down to her lap again.

“You must be so lonely,” Y/N whispered, her own eyes prickling with tears.

Her voice made Valko turn towards her again, his smile faltering. His eyes shone brighter and he gave her a small nod, his fingers clapping together.

Wordlessly, Y/N shuffled closer to him on the small bench and carefully wrapped her arms around him. He was surprisingly warm to touch, his body firm and sturdy like steel but somehow incredibly soft at the same time. She felt him freeze under her arms as if he wasn't used to such affection, before he melted into her, letting her hold him close. A soft brush against her hip made her look down to see a tail curling around her with a mind of its own, and her heart skipped a beat, her arms tightening around him.

“I'll stay with you,” she whispered and reached up tentatively to slowly rub his pointed ears. They twitched under her hand, a full bodied shiver running through him. “If you want me to.”

Valko swallowed. He leaned his cheek against her shoulder, trying to curl up into her unfamiliar warmth like a little puppy seeking shelter from the cold. His words seemed to have deserted him, and instead he curled his arms around her waist in response, not wanting to let go.

Y/N smiled to herself, her heart fluttering. She kept a steady rhythm of petting his head and his ears, and for a while they stayed like that, soon sitting side by side with Valko's head resting on her shoulder as they watched the moon above them.