“nobody’s seen you in days” for finlay ?
//angst angst angst angst!! sorry finlay, it was only a matter of time...
It was meant to be a short trip, just a quick jaunt down to the nearest village and back. They weren’t supposed to be gone longer than a day and yet nearly two weeks have passed since they left. You remember Finlay tucking their helmet under on of their arms and enfolding you with the others, promising to be back soon, “No longer than a day or two at most! Stay safe and if you need anything in the mean time, ask any one but Lesilfae for help!” They pressed a kiss to your cheek and off they went.
The first few days you were pacing, nearly wearing a rut into Galeon and Hollond’s floor as you counted the hours, the minutes, the second that began to pass. Yet they still never returned. Finally, after the first week, you gathered yourself to follow after them, promising to search for them at the nearest village. When you’d arrived, however, various folks mentioned that the knight had not only arrived but left nearly four nights ago. So where could they have gone? What could have happened to them? Disheartened and unable to get the local guards to aid you, you returned home, crashing at Galeon and Hollond’s house for fear of sinking into dispair at your own. They tried to sooth you, mentioning how sometimes that happens with traveling knights, sometimes they don’t turn up when you expect them too -- and you’d believe that if it wasn’t Finlay who was missing. Finlay who was always on time, always keeping their promises, and always there when you needed them.
It wasn’t until the end of the second week that they returned. Their armor, once nicely fitted and gleaming, was now dented and splashed red with blood -- not thier own they assured you. Their coiled flaming orange hair was tangled with leaves and sticks, and blood oozed from a deep scratch on their brow. You all but collapsed against them, ignoring the way the dried blood felt on your skin and how the fresh blood clung to you. “Where have you been?” You gasp into your neck, “Nobody’s seen you in days!”
Finlay holds you close, tucking you into their body and nearly crushing you against their breastplate. “I’m sorry... I’m so sorry... There was a group of creatures spotted nearby and it took me a while to find and dispatch them.” Their gauntled fingers tangle in your hair as they pull back, fingers tugging at the straps of their armor. They look stricken at the sadness, the worry, the anger on your face. “I promise, I fully intended to return to you as promised but--”
“Being a knight, a hero comes first. I know...” You say it so bitterly you can almost taste it on your tongue. Finlay flinches, drawing back to fiddel with their straps. You don’t mean to be upset with them but... but what if they hadn’t come back? What if next time is the last time you see them?
The large knight finally shucks off most of their arour before tangling you up in their four arms. “Next time... Next time I’ll bring a sending crystal. I promise... I promise.” They promise. They promise like they always do and despite everything, you believe them. They rarely ever break their promises. Finlay doesn’t let you escape their grasp until well into the night, eager to show you how happy they are to be home, how much more pleasant holding you is compared to fighting bandits and monsters. Maybe next time you’ll go with them.
So that next time will have a next time too...
