Kratos x Reader

Twenty-Four

Not daring to move, you remained silent while your head was pressing against the muscles of Kratos chest.

His breath made it rise and sink gently. It almost felt like as if you were listening to the world breathing. His heartbeat hit against his rib cage, making it noticeable enough for you to feel it in the palm of your hand.

A slight blush had spread on your cheeks.

"Don't move.", Kratos suddenly said as you wanted to raise your head.

His arm wrapped closer around you.

"Why not?", you asked, whispering.

A deep hum escaped him. His eyes stared at a wall, not far from the two of you. There was no emotion on his face, just a cold, concentrated stare.

"I need to know if we are allies.", he said, not looking at you.

Angrily, you frowned.

"I told you already-!"

"Your words mean nothing to me. Show me that I can trust you instead."

A sigh left your lips.

"Fine. What will your price be?"

His grip eased around you.

"Whatever it is that you seek, I want to see it too.", he ripped his eyes off the wall and glared down to you, making it feel like a giant was staring. "If there is a secret that you don't know about I want to know it. Whatever we will find, you must tell me. Tyr must have had his reasons to keep the knowledge from you."

Bringing a little distance between you two of you, you leaned back and looked him in the eyes. Suddenly, you felt angry.

Why couldn't he accept that you were more friend than foe?

Did he never had someone he could trust?

A harsh comment was laying on your tongue.

It could have made him furious. But as you remembered that you needed his strength, you hit your lips and swallowed it. Even though the desire to tell him to shut up was still growing.

"As you wish, man of anger.", you freed yourself from him.

The loss of his body caused a strange coldness to grab you.
It crawled into your chest, almost like a parasite and nestled in it. It felt like there had been something taken from you. Almost like a piece of yourself.

For a long moment Kratos eyed you in silence. His lips were pressed together, his eyebrows knitted together as if he was looking at something he wasn't sure about.

It was strange to see him like this. You thought he was the type of man that always knew what he wanted and what to do.

As he tore his eyes from you, a shadow crawled over his face. It was weird.

The shadow wasn't evil. It was just different. Like a change on his face.

"Here.", finally, he broke his silence and pointed at a wall.

Curious, but also confused you followed his gesture with your eyes and pinned your gaze to the wall.

You frowned as you noticed that there was nothing to be seen. It was just a simple wall, no fancy decorations, no pictures nor ornaments.

Questioning, you looked at him again.

He frowned, displeased with your lack of attention to the smallest details. He nodded with his head, wanting you to take another look, closer this time.

But again, your eyes found nothing but a naked wall. At this moment it made you question if he was trying to make a fool out of you.

It felt as if he was testing your patience.

Maybe he was trying to test your abilities, or he wanted to see how far you would go to please him.

But as time took too long he sighed, halfway angry and halfway exhausted, pushed you aside and pressed his hand against the wall.

With a gesture, he told you to stand next to him and listen.

A little unsure, but still willing to listen, you stepped to his side and pressed your ear against the wall. For a long moment, silence greeted you.

The feeling that Kratos was trying to get on your nerves was already rising again, as suddenly, a small sound reached your ear. Surprised, your eyes widened and a small gasp escaped your lips.

"What- what is that?", you asked, looking at him.

Maybe it was just a shadow, that was playing games or an illusion, but you could have sworn that there was a movement in Kratos' face.

His lips twitched, but not in his usual grumpy manner. They moved upwards.

He was smiling. It was merely a short moment and the smile wasn't more than two raised corners of his mouth.

But he had been smiling.

"Can you hear it?", he asked.

The depth of his voice made your core shiver. Any other person would have feared this voice. But to you it was strangely pleasant.

"Is it wind? There must be a hidden corridor.", checking, you threw him a quick glance. "How do we open it? It seems like a steady wall."

He nodded, his face got softer.

"Step aside.", he ordered.

Not hesitating, he raised his axe as soon as you were out of the way. A sharp sound escaped him, something between a scream and a hiss.

The blade hit the wall with such force, it made the ground tremble. Pieces of the wall crumbled, cracks spread and sparks of blue filled the air.

But the wall did not break down.

Again, Kratos reached out, the muscles in his arms tensed. This time, the hit went straight through. It looked as smooth as butter, almost as if his strength was no match to solid walls of an ancient temple.

Dust twirled up, filling your lungs. It made you cough.

"Come.", Kratos stepped through the hole.

Confused, you looked at him, a little impressed nonetheless.

"Do you always chose violence?", you asked, an eyebrow raised.

He eyed you, but did not answer.

Instead, he turned away and began to walk deeper into the hidden corridor that was now to so hidden anymore.

A sigh escaped your lips as you shook your head.

"Gods, as soft as a stone.", you mumbled.