#powerwolf fluff

It took you a moment to find your voice, “well, at least you think it’s cute, I guess… you have a nasty habit of making me trip over my own words.” You let out a soft laugh of your own.

He lets out a low hum in response, “consider it payback.” He responds playfully, his eyes slowly tracing over your features, fearing he may never have the opportunity to study you so close again.

“For?”

“Taking over my every waking thought.” Your cheeks grow warm as a flustered giggle tumbles from your lips, the melodic sound was enough to make Falk’s heart race. You fell into a comfortable silence, the soft crackling from the radio filling the empty air between you as he pulled out onto the road. 

It was a dark, cloudy December afternoon, you could tell that the storm rolling in wasn't going to be a nice one. The soft music lazily rolled through the speakers as you raced along the never ending highway. Falk let’s out a soft sigh, his arm stretching across the back of the seat. You sat rigid, your fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the blanket that covered your lap. ‘Stop freaking out.’ you berated yourself internally. ‘We've been driving for almost two hours, he probably just wants to stretch.’ 

“You can relax, you know. I promise I won't bite.” He jokes with a chuckle. You clear your throat, attempting to force your posture to relax. He pauses for a moment, mulling over whether or not he wanted to ask a question that had been weighing on his mind for a while. “Why do I make you so nervous?” Your heart stopped. You didn’t want to look at him, feeling as if your eyes met his, he would know all your deepest secrets. There wasn’t anything you wanted more than to confess to him at that moment. You had so many questions you needed answered. There were so many nights you had fallen just shy of shattering every boundary you knew; how badly you wanted to feel Falk’s lips against yours, how you lingered on his every word, desperate for any way to keep the conversation going just so you wouldn’t have to say goodnight, you wanted to know if he felt the same.

“It’s nothing,” your voice was weak when it finally managed to tumble from your lips. “I’m just worried about us getting to the lodge before the weather gets bad, that’s all.” Falk’s lips press into a tight line. He knew you weren’t being honest with him, but he had decided to drop the matter for the time being. He didn't want to risk you shutting him out entirely. You forced your attention back on the road, your pulse thundering in your ears. It was then you had realized it had begun to snow. Thick white globs of precipitation fell from the sky heavy enough to obscure the highway in front of you. Falk tuts under his breath, “this weather is getting bad a lot quicker than I thought it would.” He manages to read the sign that sped past you on the highway. 

“We’re still over an hour away from the lodge.” Falk doesn’t miss the nervous tremor in your voice as you added your input. 

He offers you a gentle smile in response, hoping to find some way to ease your anxiety. “I know somewhere we can spend the night. It’s probably a good idea to get off the roads before it gets any worse.” 

The thought crossed your mind about how you hadn’t really eaten anything today, your nerves this morning making your appetite the furthest thing from your mind. “What about food?”

“I know for a fact that someone was there recently, I’m sure the cabinets are well stocked. But, I’ll find somewhere to stop off along the way, we can pick up any odds and ends we might need.” He reassures you. You tense as his arm falls across your shoulders. After a moment your body can’t help but instinctively melt into his warmth. You relax into his side, releasing a soft sigh as your shoulders finally relax. “I’ll take good care of you Mäuschen, I promise.” The thought of spending even more time alone with him made your heart race.

“I know you will.” You mutter in response. Falk gives your shoulder a soft squeeze, hoping you wouldn’t notice how fast his own heart was beating.

You leave the highway behind, traveling down winding roads completely surrounded by tall, dark trees on either side. Heading into the mountains, you should have expected that the only town to stop off along the way would be like this. The houses few and far between, miles of road stretching between each impossibly long driveway, concealing whatever dwelling that resided at the opposite end. You eventually pull into a gas station, the dull buzz of the lone sign in the darkness makes your stomach turn with anxiety. The parking lot was solid white, a thick layer of snow making the shop's dull red awning bow under its weight. Falk prattles off your favorite candy and drink combo from memory, catching you off guard. He can’t help but laugh at your bewildered expression. “What?” His question was laced with a chuckle, his playful expression drops to your lips before meeting your gaze once again.

“How did you remember that?” You ask softly. He shrugs, a lazy, full body movement that showed he would never reveal his secrets. “I’ll be right back, you stay here and keep warm.” He carefully takes hold of the blanket resting in your lap, pulling it up to wrap around your shoulders. His warm breath bounces off your skin, for a moment it felt like your heart had stopped. You don’t think you had ever been this close to him before, it was the first time you had noticed the way the corners of his eyes wrinkled when he smiled. You thought it was cute. Falk’s expression softens, a fond look settling across his features that makes your chest tighten. He sucks in a deep breath, snapping himself from whatever trance he had found himself in. He tightens his jacket around him before hurrying from the car and inside the store. You watched him through the wall of windows that lined the front, he tossed a smile over his shoulder as he shouted something in response to the clerk behind the counter. He returns shortly after, rushing back to the car with a few flimsy plastic bags slung over his arm.

“It’s not much, but it’ll do.” He smiles, leaning closer to you as he reaches to put the bags in the back seat.

“You are absolutely covered in snow.” You respond with a laugh. You reach out, brushing the fluffy powder from his head. You carefully push your fingers through his hair, combing the strands that had fallen into his face neatly back into place. Falk watches you curiously, he was happy to see you finally starting to let your guard down, even if it was just a little bit. You pause as your eyes meet his, a soft smile settling onto your features as he leans into your touch. You swallow thickly before you manage to find your voice again, “better get moving, we don’t want to get stuck on the side of the road somewhere.” You joke making him chuckle. You reluctantly separate from each other, Falk nervously drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he tries to keep his mind on driving. You rest your hand on the space in between the two of you, you notice Falk glance at your subtle movements out of the corner of his eye. You jump slightly as you feel his fingers bump against yours, your skin buzzed with electricity where your hands met.

“You’re freezing.” He remarks suddenly, his voice soft in the quiet space.

“I’ll be alright.” You respond quickly, neither of you making any effort to move away from the other.

“I’ll get a fire going once we get to the cabin.” His pinky links with yours, gently tugging your hand closer. You let your fingers slip in between his, your hand immediately getting enveloped in the warmth from his skin. You shift, shuffling closer to him. You hesitantly let your head fall to rest against his shoulder. He tenses slightly before relaxing into your touch, his thumb distractedly tracing through the valley of your knuckles.

“Whose cabin is this anyways? Is it really okay for us to spend the night?”

He chuckles in response, “considering it belongs to my family I think we’ll be okay.” Falk fills the rest of your car ride with stories of his trips here when he was younger. You hung on every word: fishing trips with his father, weekends hiking the mountains around the property, how every so often he would venture up on his own for some time alone with his thoughts. “I was planning on inviting you up here eventually, I guess mother nature decided today was as good of a day as any.”

You glance at him curiously. “You were going to invite me up here?” He nods in response. “Why?”

“Considering that every time I find myself here my thoughts always seem to wander back to you.” Your cheeks grow warm at his confession, he gives your hand a soft squeeze. “This place is very important to me… and it’s something I’ve always wanted to share with you.” He pauses for a moment, searching for something else to say. “Try to be up for the sunrise in the morning, I think you’ll see why this place is so special.” He adds on with a smile.

The gravel driveway crunched under the car's tires, the tall trees groaning in the strong gusts of wind. Falk pulls the blanket around you before helping you out of the car. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his side to help shield you from the cold. He ushers you inside first before following close behind you with your small haul of groceries. It’s dark inside the cabin, the small living room being only illuminated by the pale light of the moon that streamed in through the window. Falk curses as he trips over something in the darkness, fumbling along the wall until eventually stumbling across a light switch. The lamp in the opposite corner of the room filled the space with a dull orange glow, finally allowing you to see the details of the space around you. A well loved leather loveseat sat in front of a neatly kept fireplace, a heavy crocheted blanket draped across the back. A box of expensive looking cigars sat on one of the side tables, a small stack of books sat on the other next to a cup of crochet hooks and knitting needles. Family photos crowded the mantle, the small shiny frames overlapping one another to make space for all of them. Curiosity gets the better of you as you approach them to get a better look, rubbing your hands over your arms to try and dispel any remaining chill from the outside as you examine each photograph. Falk watches on with an amused smile, leaning against the doorframe as you slowly look between each one. Your hands dropped away from your shoulders, folding them neatly in front of you as if you were at a museum, the sight makes Falk chuckle under his breath. You couldn’t keep the smile off your face as you traced over his familiar features, the teenager smiling back at you from behind the glass a scrawny, awkward precursor to the fine man he eventually grew into. It was apparent that Falk’s family had been coming here his entire life; a barefoot laughing boy propped on his moms hip, the next one a few years older, proudly showing off the fish he and his father had caught at the lake, younger versions of all the High Clergy members sat around a bonfire with beers in their hands. “Quite the place you got here.” You remark, shooting a soft smile over your shoulder when you notice his staring.

“I should bring you up here during the summer,” your cheeks grow warm as you watch his eyes flicker over your form, “I can only imagine how beautiful you would look surrounded by all the fireflies.” He lets out a quiet chuckle, studying you for another moment before shaking himself from his thoughts. “I’m going to put this stuff away, I’ll get a fire going, and we can see what we can scrape together for dinner.” He chuckles.

“Sounds like a plan to me.” You respond with a smile.

Falk made quick work of getting a fire started, you watch the flames dance from your position cuddled up under a blanket on the loveseat. A mug of tea warms your hands, a radio crackles softly from the kitchen. You hear the shower turn off in the other room, Falk emerging a few minutes later in a pair of sweatpants cinched tightly around his waist and a baggy t shirt that was drowning him in its dark blue fabric, a faded logo you didn’t recognize neatly swirled across the front in white font. You nod in his direction, “little big on you, aren’t they?” You ask playfully, making him chuckle.

“My shoulders are a little too broad for one of my mother’s nightgowns.” He rebuttals causing you to let out a laugh of your own. He continues to make small talk as he makes his way into the kitchen, every so often his head poking back around the door frame to shoot you some flirtatious smile. He eventually brings you a steaming bowl of soup, carefully handing it to you before collapsing into the cushions beside you. The loveseat dips under his weight, causing your shoulder to knock against his. You were painfully aware of how his body pressed to yours, wishing you had the courage to reach over and take his hand again. “Chicken noodle, fresh from the can.” He jokes with a smile. You thank him softly, sipping at the hot, salty broth. You sat in a comfortable silence as you ate, both of you watching the fire contently. Every so often you noticed how Falk would glance at you out of the corner of his eye, moving as if he wanted to speak only to settle back into the familiar quiet, as if disturbing the peace would make everything fall apart around him. You help him clean up after dinner, taking care of the few dishes you had created in the process. A strong gust of wind rattles the windows, Falk notices you tense as the lights flicker slightly. He responds by simply turning up the radio, taking your hand, and sweeping you into his arms. He glides you across the floor, swaying you in time with the music that filled the room. You can’t stop the surprised giggle that slips past your lips, allowing him to lead you through clumsy spins. Falk trips over his own feet, offering you a bashful smile as you rest your hand on his chest to steady him.

“Easy there, Casanova.” You laugh.

“It’s been such a long time since I’ve danced with anybody,” he admits with a shaky breath, “forgive me if I’m a little rusty.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re the only person I’ve ever had the chance to dance with, so I don’t have much to compare it to in the first place.” Falk pauses, glancing down at you curiously.

“I see you at the parties at The Abbey all the time, surely–”

“No one’s ever asked me.” You respond bluntly, hoping he would drop the subject. That part was true, no one had ever asked you to dance. The part you were neglecting to tell him was how that was more than likely caused by the fact you had a tendency to tuck yourself away in some concealed corner, hoping tonight will finally be the night you share more than some fleeting, flirtatious glances with the man that managed to occupy your every thought.

The current song that was playing faded to silence, the soft popping of the old radio filling the dead air in between the station’s selections. “Well, that simply won’t do, now will it?” He straightens himself up, a mischievous glimmer in his eye. He smooths his hands down the front of his shirt. He offers you his hand, your heart racing at the sight of the charming, lopsided smile that you had been in love with since the beginning. He states your name softly, you had never heard it spoken more beautifully than in that moment. “Can I formally request a dance, Mein Herz?” Your fingers brush over his palm, his skin warm against yours  as his hand fully engulfs yours. The trumpet from a big band ensemble lets out a few lazy whines before the rest of the instruments join in, your heart pounds in time with the drums steady rhythm. Falk wraps an arm around your waist, easing your body against his. He moves you in time with the melody, a few quick steps across the floor that turn into a romantic sway, pulling you just the slightest bit closer. You couldn’t keep your eyes off him, the fear of tripping over your own feet long forgotten under Falk’s intense gaze. He wasn’t going to let you fall, not without being there to catch you. His fingers knead into the plush of your hip, his thumb languidly tracing through the valleys of your knuckles. He looks down at you with complete, unapologetic adoration. “You are so beautiful.” He states softly, his voice barely loud enough for you to hear over the radio.

“I'm nothing special.” You rebuttal in a similar tone.

“You are to me.” Your heart raced at his confession, butterflies erupting in your stomach at such simple words. You reluctantly part from one another, Falk’s hand lingering on your waist, wanting to keep you within arms reach for as long as he possibly could.

“That was nice,” you couldn’t seem to tear your eyes away from him, “thank you.”

He offers you a simple smile in response, but the sight was enough to make your breath catch in your throat. “Anytime,” he leans down to bring his face closer to yours, his warm breath bouncing off your lips, “you’re quite the dancer.” You let out a soft laugh in response, playfully pushing his shoulder. You cover your mouth, unable to suppress the yawn that escaped you. “We should probably get to bed, I want to get on the road as soon as we’re able to in the morning.” He carefully pushes a strand of hair out of your face.

“You’re probably right.” Your chest tightened slightly, you were having such a great night with him, you wish it didn’t have to end so soon.

Despite Falk’s protests, you would be sleeping on the couch. “You’re a lot taller than I am, you need the space.” When he finally realized you wouldn’t budge on your decision, he reluctantly began gathering whatever spare blankets he could find. 

“If you need anything at all, just come wake me up.” He informs you with a soft smile.

“Alright.” You whisper in response. He sways on his heels slightly, searching for anything else to say.

“Well, goodnight…” He pauses before letting your name tumble from his lips, savoring every syllable as if he would never hear something so sweet again.

“Goodnight, Falk.” He gives you a small nod before disappearing into the bedroom, the door shutting with a soft click behind him. You stared up at the ceiling, the light from the fireplace making shadows dance around the room. You nestled into your pillow, your eyes already beginning to grow heavy as warmth began to seep into the blankets. You inhaled deeply, catching the scent of the burning logs and something incredibly familiar. You ran your fingers along the edge of the blanket Falk had given you in the car, the smell of his cologne a comfort in an unfamiliar place. It didn’t take long for you to drift off.

When you awoke the room was pitch black, a few embers clung to life in the otherwise dark fireplace. You shiver as you sit up, it was a lot colder in here now that the fire was out. You jumped as a branch bangs against the window, anxiety slowly creeping its way into your chest as you struggled to get your bearings in the night. Your eyes landed on the bedroom door just down the hall. You didn’t want to wake him, but there was no way you would be getting back to sleep between your rapidly growing fear and how absurdly cold it had gotten. You let your feet drop to the floor, the hardwood like ice beneath you. You grab your blanket, wrapping it around your shoulders. You quietly pad up the hall, stopping in front of his door. You opened it just a crack, cringing as the hinges squeak. You could make out the faint outline of him in bed, the left side of the large mattress completely open for you to slide into. You bolt inside as you hear another loud thwack of a branch against the window. You shut the door behind you, tiptoing around the room in hopes you wouldn’t wake him. You carefully peel back the blankets before slipping in beside him. You lay on your side facing the wall, your body completely rigid as you listened for any signs that you had disturbed him. You let out a sigh when you hear him snoring softly next to you. Your body relaxed into the plush mattress, your achy back finally getting some relief as you settled in. It was much warmer here than it had been in the living room. You let out a squeak when a large hand comes to rest on your waist. Falk’s arm slides around you, grumbling something in his sleep as he pulls you closer. Your heart hammered against your ribs, your eyes wide as you feel Falk’s body press flush against yours. Your hand comes to rest on top of his, debating for a moment whether or not to try and sneak back to the living room. Getting out of the cold seemed like a good idea at the time, but you hadn’t accounted for what you were going to do when Falk woke up the next morning and found you sleeping beside him. You nearly jump out of your skin when you hear him sigh your name, his voice raspy and thick with sleep. His grip on you tightens, burying his face into the crook of your neck. He relaxes as he settles against you, his soft snores alerting you to the fact that he was still asleep. He was so warm, the feeling of the steady rise and fall of his chest lulling you into a state of ease. Your eyes quickly began to grow heavy, melting into the mattress, the weight of Falk’s arm blanketing over you as he continued to hold you close. You begin to drift off, hearing a soft ‘I love you’ tumble from Falk’s lips before sleep takes you.

You wake up the next morning to the first light of dawn creeping in from a window beside the bed. Now that it was day, you had the chance to take in the details of your surroundings. All of the furniture was the same warm-toned wood, more pictures like the ones that decorated the mantle covered the wall. A heavy, dark green comforter blanketed the bed, you could spend all day wrapped up in the warm, luxurious fabric. The closet was filled with thick winter jackets, snowshoes, backpacks, and other outdoor gear. Falk stirred behind you, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck with a soft groan. Your body goes rigid as you feel him stretch, he freezes mid motion when he realizes he’s not in bed alone. You don’t say anything, you don’t even breathe, unsure of how to breach the conversation of you being in his bed. “I guess that wasn't a dream I was holding you in my arms last night, was it?”  The sound of his raspy morning voice makes your heart race. “Lucky me.” You could hear the lazy smirk laced into his tone. 

“Well, good morning to you too.” You respond sleepily. Your chest tightens as he chuckles, the deep rumble vibrating through your back.

He pauses for a moment, his thumb languidly stroking over your hip. “Did I, um…” he mulls over his words, searching for the right way to ask you what was on his mind. “Did I say anything in my sleep?”

Your mind immediately races back to the hushed confession that tumbled from his lips. “You might have.” You respond hesitantly.

Falk chuckles, cursing under his breath. He fully thought he had dreamed the whole thing; the feeling of your body pressing against his, the subtle, sweet scent of your perfume, the whole moment was permanently burned into his memory. Those three simple words fell so easily from his lips, now he would have to follow through on his confession. “I meant it, you know.” You’re unable to stop the smile that slowly spreads across your lips. You roll over to face him, your heart racing at the stunningly chaotic scene before you. His hair stuck up every which way, the fading remnants of tired circles under his eyes slowly disappearing as he became more awake, the stubble on his face noticeably darker than it had been yesterday. His expression softens, nerves being replaced with adoration as he studies you. He reaches out, hesitating for a moment before his hand comes to rest on your cheek. “I want to wake up like this every morning with you and only you.” Your breath hitches in your throat, the seriousness of his tone unmistakeable. “You told me you don’t think you’re anything special, Mein Herz, that couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re all I can think about from the moment I wake up in the morning until I fall asleep at night. There’s nothing I want more than to make you all mine, but every time I try to get close you always just end up slipping through my fingers.”

“Falk, I…” You trail off. You wanted to be with him more than anything, but there was still part of you that feared all of the unknowns.

“There you go again, second guessing yourself.” He points out with a teasing smile. His thumb trails along your jaw, his golden brown eyes slowly tracing over your features before landing on your lips. He states your name softly, his warm breath bouncing off your skin. “I am absolutely crazy about you… I just need to know how I can prove that.” He swallows, his arm wrapping around your waist to pull you closer to him. His attention turns to the clock on your nightstand, seeing it was still incredibly early he shoots you an excited grin. “Come on.” He hurries you out of bed, helping you shrug into one of his jackets. You clumsily step into a pair  of way too big boots by the door. Falk opens the door, taking your hand as you step out onto the porch behind him.

“Wow.” Was the only thing you could manage to say. The sun burned gold as it clawed its way over the mountain peaks in the distance, the rays of early morning sun warm on your skin. You turn to Falk to find him already staring down at you. “It’s beautiful.”

“This is the closest thing I’ve been able to compare to your smile.” He whispers. Your eyes widen, heart racing at such a simple, genuine confession. “And it still doesn’t even begin to come close to how absolutely stunning I find you.” A warm hand slides over your cheek, you can’t help but lean into his touch. He says your name in that perfect way only he can say it, “I’m in love with you, I don’t want to spend any more time running away from that.” He carefully tilts your chin upwards, your eyes fluttering shut as his lips slot against yours. His fingers slide into your hair, his free arm wrapping around your waist to pull your body flush against his. You felt weightless, like your body was floating on a cloud. Electricity buzzed from the top of your head to the tips of your fingers. Your heart was beating so quickly there was no way he couldn’t hear it, your pulse blocking out any other sound around you. You separate from the kiss breathlessly, getting lost in his eyes the moment they meet.

“How would you feel about staying the rest of the weekend here, with me?” He asks hesitantly, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.

“You want to stay?” You can’t keep the excited smile off your face at the thought of being able to continue your peaceful existence in the woods for the next couple days.

“Only if that’s alright with you.” He gently cradles your face in his hand, languidly trailing his thumb over your cheek.

Your eyes flash down to his lips momentarily, making him chuckle. “Well, if you keep kissing me like that, I’m sure you won’t have any issue convincing me.” You squeal as he pulls you back to him, his lips crushing against yours in another mind numbing kiss. Excited to spend the rest of the weekend getting to hold you tightly in his arms.