Baldur x Reader

Twenty-Nine

The night was colder than you had expected it to be possible. Wind chased across the lake and made waves rise so they would hit against the shore.

Cold drops rained into your face.

Shivering, you pulled your legs towards your chest and tried to sit closer to the bonfire without risking to burn yourself or dry out like a flower in the summer heat.

As you moved, Baldur threw a glance over his shoulder. He was sitting at the entrance of the cave, not bothered a single bit by the harsh weather nor the night. His eyes were glued to the tremble. Only when he noticed a change in you, he turned slightly to check what was going on.

Wrapped in silence, he watched you.

Your eyes met. The bright blue gaze that shone through the darkness kissed the (E/C) of yours.

"The dragon can warm you.", he said and wanted to call the creature to the cave.

"Don't. He'll burn me to ashes.", you said and glanced down to the fire.

The reflexion of the flame made your face look like a mask, unsure yet mesmerised by the smallest of things.

Those small things were the reason why Baldur enjoyed your company. It reminded him of how the world once had been, a long time ago, before his mother had ruined everything.

He turned away again, only to return his gaze the next moment as the sound of your shivering reached his ears. Without a word, he got up, walked over to you and loosened the cloth that was wrapped around his torso. He offered it to you.

Confused, you looked up, but hesitated.

You didn't want to take anymore from him. He was already taking you on this journey without actually demanding anything in return. He had even allowed for you to ask Mimir about your father.

But the main reason wasn't all this. You feared that your heart would fall for him if you got any closer. Accepting this small gesture of kindness would have made you weak. And you feared how it would be to get too close to a man that knew so little about fragile things.

You feared those feeling that slowly grew inside could kill you.

Swallowing hard, you turned your eyes back to the flames and shook your head.

He frowned. His expression turned into an unsatisfied one.

Again, he offered it to you, more persistent this time.

His smell stuck to it, you noticed, as a corner of the fabric stroked your cheek. Smelling it felt like a hug. A warm, soft, comforting hug.

But you refused to take it again.

A low growl escaped him.

"Don't test my patience.", he warned, surprisingly threatening.

Hearing his voice in such a way made you gasp in surprise.

"I don't want it.", you whispered while small clouds of white rose from your shivering lips.

"You're cold."

"How do you want to know?"

His grip on the cloth tightened. Below his feet, the ground started to crack.

Startled, you jumped to the side.

"Why are you mocking me?", he asked, visibly upset, and took a step towards you. "Why won't you let me be kind to you? Why won't you let me touch you anymore? Did you get tired of my company so quickly?"

Fear lit up inside your (E/C) eyes.

The way he talked made your heart beat faster and hairs in the back of your neck stand up straight. Goosebumps grew all over your limbs and made the delicate skin build up tension.

"No, I would never!", you tried to calm him and backed away until the cold cave wall pressed against your back. "I didn't want to be rude."

He froze.

"Rude?", he asked and grinned in such a maniac way that he seemed as evil as a man could be. "Oh, no, you're not rude at all. You're torturing me. You mock me."

He jumped forward and stopped, barley far enough away to keep enough between your faces. The warmth of his breath stroked your cheek.

Your eyes locked with his, widened in surprise and a bit of fear.

"I'm not trying to hurt you!", you defended yourself, your voice was shivering. "If I insulted you, I'm sorry."

"No.", he leaned forward, the tip of his nose brushing against yours. "No, I don't accept this apology. What are you whining? In the end, you will keep torturing me. Worse than my mother ever could."

"Why? What did I do?"

He frowned. His anger shrank. But he was still upset.

"Let me be kind to you.", he finally demanded.

But again, you shook your head.

"I don't need your kindness. It's useless anyways."

All of a sudden, his fist chased forward and crushed into the wall. It only missed your head by the width of a finger. The ground trembled and the wall cracked under the force.

Dust rained down on you two.

Frightened, you squeezed your eyes shut and turned away.
Silence filled the cave.

The flame of the fire twitched as if his emotions made it react.

A strange force glowed around his fist that was still stuck inside the wall.

Breathing heavily, he started at you with so many emotions that it seemed impossible he wasn't feeling one of it. His teeth were gritted together and he let out a low growl.

"Why do you torture me so, (Y/N)?!", Baldur asked, shivering. "I just want to help you. I want to make you feel good. But you keep torturing me. You touch me, even though you know I don't feel any of it. You are so close to me, make me go insane. I long for your touch. I long for the ability to feel you, to be able to care for you. Why won't you accept me?"

His words made a shiver crawl down your spine. But you weren't able to tell if it was a pleasant one or one that came from fear.

"Baldur...", you whispered, feeling something pull together inside your chest. "You hurt me."

A sharp breath escaped him.

Without another word he dropped the cloth to the ground next to you and retreated.

"I know."