Tacenda - The Golden Guard x Reader

12

Your eyes fluttered open, the warm embrace of the covers around you enticed you to snuggle more into the blankets. The bedsheets next to you were empty, but messy and unmade, signalling someone had recently gotten up.

You sat up, the covers moving from around you. You were still tired and just wanted to fall back asleep. "Good morning." You heard from a raspy voice and looked in the direction of the golden guard, who was adjusting his mask. "I only woke up a few moments before you." He added. You nodded with a yawn and stumbled out of bed.

There was no sound of rain anymore, you looked out the window of the room and saw that the sky was still gloomy. You heard the rustle of paper as the golden guard came to stand next to you, staring out the window. "There's no town that we will run into on our trail in the next day, or so, depending on how fast we walk." He held the map in front of him looking down at it. You peaked over his shoulder, slightly resting your chin on it as you felt him tense, but you ignored it. He pointed to Valentine to give you an idea of where you were and how long it would take to get to the next town.

You scanned the map, Looking upward seeing a large forest terrain drawn out on it, labelled "Cumberland Forest" You let your eyes scan down, past Valentine and the creek, toward Rhodes. You smiled at the vague memory of dancing with the golden guard. You then looked back down at the small town you had stolen the wild magic book that still resides in your satchel, below that is where your own home should be.

You realised that even with the few days you had known the golden guard he had grown on you, you didn't mind his company, and certainty did not miss the old awkward small talk you had to make on your walks, conversations flowed smoothly between you now. You enjoy the nights you spend together, talking about his duties and missions he has done around a camp fire, and you believe he likes your own stories as-well. You realised how much he had changed, he no longer wasn't as cold and hard exterior-ed as he used to be, you like to think his new attitude towards not only you but the people you met along the way, changed because of you, and you liked that thought. He wasn't doing the same things that he used to do, if you slowed down he wouldn't push you with his staff, or when you went to bed he would tie you to him or the bed, and you could get used to it.

You let yourself zone out into your thoughts consisting of the golden guard before they were abruptly interrupted. "You're smiling." You heard the golden guard state, as if he was speaking his thoughts. You looked up from the map, realising you could see the both of you in the window, your reflection. You quickly realised your chin still rested on his shoulder, your cheeks turned red as you pulled your head away. You turned your attention away from him, but saw in the reflection of the window how his eyes lingered on you for a moment.

"Let's get a move on, yeah?" He said quietly as if he didn't want to break the silence. You nodded, shaking stray strands of hair from your face. The golden guard pulled his cloak over his shoulders as you struggled to pick up the sleeping bags with the ropes tied around your wrists. He stared at you from the corner of his eyes, you completely oblivious to it, due to his mask. "Here," he offered, walking in-front of you, picking up the sleeping bags and swinging them over your shoulders.

He kept his hands on your shoulders for a moment, looking down at you as you looked anywhere but him, trying to compose yourself. You're usually such a free-spirited person, nothing embarrassing you or making you nervous, you faced everything as it came but he made you nervous, he was causing you to feel a way you'd never felt before, it felt like dread but better. You focused back when the weight of his hands on your shoulders was lost.

The door creaked open as the two you left, side by side in silence. Your mornings never usually started like this, awkwardly quiet, maybe this happened this morning because the words of last night, the things he whispered to you as you curled in on yourself from the sound of the storm, which you had barely heard from the midst of your sleep. Or maybe you just weren't ready to fully wake up yet, and hold a conversation.

You felt as your hands idly swung next to each other as you entered the receptionist room, with a tired looking receptionist resting her head on her hand, her eyes closed, asleep. The golden guard quietly placed the keys down on the desk, which is definitely not what he would've done days ago.

You quietly left the Inn, the golden guard slowly closing the door behind you. You smiled tiredly at him, eyes half lidded.

"That was sweet." You said, which you wouldn't of if you were more lively. The golden guard turned his head toward as you began walking. "What was?" He asked after a moment. "Not waking that poor girl up." You hummed back. He stared at you for a moment before mumbling something under his breath that you couldn't hear.

"What was that?" You asked, but there was no response from next to you as your pace began to slow down and eyes began to close. "You ok?" You heard him ask, he was a bit ahead of you, looking over his shoulder. "Yeah" you mumbled. "Are you still tired?" He asked walking back to you. You shook your head lazily, a poor excuse of a lie. "Yeah, mhm." He spoke as you felt him press a hand to your back, guiding you forward along the path.

The only sounds you heard were the tapping of your shoes along the path and drip of water off the leaves of wildlife.