𝖍𝖝𝖍 𝖔𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖍𝖔𝖙𝖘

Hold Your Own (Kite x reader)

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Author: SheerIridescence (on ao3)

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Once again, Kite had another research expedition to depart on that was dedicated to his personal hunter goals. Much like last time, it was on a chunk of land a fair distance away from home where he would be looking into the local fauna for preservation purposes. This trip would be a lengthy one, approximately a month long. Preparations were made just the same as the last time, with only one slight moderation this time around. Among the many things he would be bringing to ease the outdoor experience, you were the newest addition to the arsenal. He learned from last time that being away from you for too long made his job exceptionally difficult, so you would be joining him as his partner in crime and to keep his heart at ease. It was exciting for both of you, but there was only one concerning factor that pried at his mind as you made your way to the specified location, and that was: could you hold your own?

Yes you were a well trained hunter with incredible skill no doubt, but Kite had never seen you in combat before. You may have come out of the chimera ant extermination team in one piece, but he couldn't say for sure how skilled you truly were since nearly all circumstances in which you were together were docile, peaceful, and playful in nature. Not once did you have to fight for your life before his eyes, which was relieving, but also terrifying. The location you were headed to wasn't exactly the safest, hence why he was scouting out endangered creatures to protect from the inherently dangerous area. The one fear he had was being unable to protect you if he looked away for even a moment, but he knew he couldn't go a whole month without you. Not now, at least. So despite that fear, he decided to fill himself with trust instead. You were one tough cookie often relied on by the Hunter's Association directly as far as he was concerned, and you did decide to fall in love with a man like him after all.

Letting that trust carry him onward, both of you safely arrived at the location of interest in the late evening, unpacking your camping gear from the vehicle and continuing on by foot. With a bit of wandering you soon found an ideal spot to set up your tent, that place being a convenient little clearing among the tall trees of the forest. You wasted no time in setting up the basics while Kite went through a list of tech he brought, ensuring he wasn't missing anything vital. By the time he had confirmed that he had everything, you had completely set up the tent and sleeping bags, as well as started a fire. He had to blink a couple times, impressed that you had done so in such a short amount of time. Perhaps he truly had no place to be worried about you. Not with your skill and instinct.

"You did not just set that up in five minutes by yourself." Kite commented, pulling a laptop out and sitting down a bit away from the fire.

"You bet your ass I did~" You winked, moving back to the tent to make sure it was secure. "This ain't my first rodeo. I'll be as useful as I can be to make sure your expedition goes as smoothly as possible."

"I definitely made a good choice bringing you with me." He chuckled, looking softly at you. "At least I won't spend my nights missing you."

"Aww, you're too sweet." You smiled, coming up to him and planting a kiss on his forehead while grazing his cheek gently. "If I remember correctly, you said you were going on this one alone originally. That would've been really lonely."

"It would have been indeed." He nodded, relaxing into your touch.

Finally feeling comfortable alone in the wilderness, the both of you couldn't help but thrive under the dim light of the sunset, getting all kinds of preparation work done for the following morning. He could argue that this was the most productive start to a project yet. Knowing that you were nearby made everything so much easier, and you thought the same. Having started on a stew for the night, you cooked happily over the fire while Kite started on some documentation spreads, excited to try what you were cooking up when it was done. Things were completely at ease. At least... They were until a stream of bullets and thorns whizzed by your head. God forbid you let your guard down for more than a second.