August Writing Challenge Day 25: Gerheade/Rou
AN: I've got it in my head that there's a few nights between Rou 'joining Stigma' and the 'betrayal'. Hence, this takes place on one of those nights.
“So... do fairies sleep?” Rou asked, whispering in her ear. Gerheade nodded.
“Some for a surprisingly long time. My brother can be quite lazy.” Rou chuckled.
“The fairy king is lazy?”
“Some days he is. Some days he doesn't get out of bed until the sun is high in the sky.” She grinned. Gloxinia wasn't around to hear her revealing that particular secret (that everyone knew).
“Eh... I can understand a lie in every now and then. Feels nice, especially if you don't have to get up for anything.” Rou remarked. Gerheade knew humans were more concerned with time than fairies were. Then again, humans had considerably less time in the world than fairies did.
“Haven't had one in quite some time. We've had to be awake to get moving. And we've had to have someone on watch, every hour of the night.” Gerheade shivered. She guessed that meant Rou hadn't slept much or well in a considerable time.
“You're safe here. Let me show you where you can sleep.” She started to fly upwards and then remembered something. Rou looked up at her in confusion.
“I can't fly princess. And I'm not in the mood for climbing trees today.” She pondered that for a moment. A vine slid down from the tree.
“Then let me take you up there.” The vine waved back and forward a little. He looked nervously at it.
“You're not going to drop me, are you? I'm a little scared of heights.” His cheeks were a little pink.
“Not on purpose. If I get startled I might, so try and remain as calm as you can.” He sighed, but made his way over to the vine. She coiled it around his chest, squeezing a little.
“That's not too tight, is it?” Rou chuckled again.
“Some of my comrades hug harder than that. Let's see this bed.” The vine started lifting and he closed his eyes. Gerheade followed the vine up the tree, it going still when it reached a platform on the top. It was covered in soft moss which was comfortable to lie on. She landed on the tree top, the vine placing him down gently beside her.
“Is this a bird nest?” He asked and she giggled.
“You can open your eyes now.” He did so, seeing a lot of green under him. He rolled over, Gerheade grinning at him.
“Why did you think you were in a bird's nest Rou?”
“Because the moss feels like bird feathers. It's so soft...” She giggled, sitting beside him. He sat up, jaw dropping at the view.
“You can see for miles up here... it's beautiful.” She wasn't to know that he wasn't looking at the forest laid out in front of him, but at her.
“You've been dulled to the wonder haven't you? Because you've saw it every day.” She thought about that for a moment, realising he was sort of right.
“I have saw this view quite frequently, but I do find sights in this forest which do make me look in wonder from time to time.”
“You going to tell me about them, princess?” He asked, looking honestly intrigued.
“When the Matangoes release their spores and the fading sunlight catches them it looks like the air is tinted gold. When the blossoms bloom on the Great Tree, every year they are slightly different; the fruit tastes slightly different too, sometimes sweet, sometimes tart.”
“And... after a spring shower... the sunlight catches the dew on the leaves up here and everything glows, rainbow sparkles everywhere.” Rou did marvel at that one.
“I wouldn't mind seeing a beautiful sight like that with you... it sounds perfect.” Gerheade's cheeks heated. The way he was looking at her made her feel rather warm. Of course, that particular look morphed into a jaw-breaking yawn. She grinned.
“Are you tired?” She asked, knowing grin on her face.
“Y-Yeah. Is it really... alright for me to sleep up here?” He asked, starting to lower back down.
“Unless you're really fidgety when you sleep I can't see a...” She squeaked, Rou had grabbed her.
“Join me.” He told her, a grin on his face. Gerheade knew her brother probably wouldn't approve, but moved to lie beside him.
“You're pretty cute, you know that?” He yawned after saying it, but she didn't doubt his words.
“And you're... um... kind of handsome.”
“Aw shucks, thanks princess.” She giggled, he was being too cute right now. His arms slid around her, and she shuddered. This was... what lovers did. She also found she didn't care; it felt nice being held like this. She settled beside him, his eyes slipping shut.
“Hope you have nice dreams, alright?” He whispered, eyes just open.
“I hope you have nice dreams too, Rou.” She whispered back, letting her eyes fall shut. She didn't see the slightly hard look on his face when she said that. Nor did she feel the light stroke to her wings before he dozed off.
AN: Gerheade wouldn't know Rou doesn't often have nice dreams. He petted her wings to remind him of how different they are. Come morning, they are still intertwined, Gerheade now clinging to him as well as him clinging to her. That makes him smile.
