Baldur x Reader

Forty-Seven

There was this bright light.

It was so bright, your eyes started to ache and water despite being closed. A headache pressed against the inside of your skull. For a moment, it felt like your brain was melting and pouring out of your ears.

Used air burned inside your lungs.

But as your mouth opened to take a breath, you choked on nothing. With an arching pain, your lungs pulled together, so tight, that it felt like they would tear apart any moment.

Helplessly, your hands rose into the air, trying to grasp for something that could provide support.

The world around felt like it was moving. It was wet, warm strangely different from water.

The brightness let red spots dance before your inner eyes.

Panicking, you wanted to tear your mouth open and scream. But your voice was sore, it scratched your throat and made it feel as dry as a desert.

Heat struck.

Was this how death felt like?

The temperature changed. All of a sudden it was icy cold. The next moment heat struck again.

But something was strange.

You couldn't feel your skin reacting to the world around. It felt calm, didn't burn.

"Wh-what is this?", you asked into the darkness.

What was this feeling that held your body wrapped tightly?

It wasn't pain, nor was it suffering. It was something you've never felt before.

All of a sudden, the feeling of fingers wrapping around yours stroked your skin. The touch made you flinch on surprise. But as the realisation hit you that those fingers felt familiar, you let out a shaky breath.

"Who..?", you asked and tried to recognise who was touching you.

The fingers seemed gentle yet hesitant at the same time.
Blinking, you managed to open your eyes a crack wide.

Light flooded the darkness and blinded you for a moment.

"Careful, little butterfly.", a gentle voice said.

A hand slid in the back of your head and helped you sit up straight.

The sound of moving water filled your ears.

"Baldur?", you asked, still blinded and rubbed your forehead to fight back a headache.

A chuckle filled the silence. It sounded awfully excited.

"You made it.", he slid into the pond to you, his hand rose to grab your cheek.

But he hesitated.

The world around you awoke all of a sudden.

The cave came to sight.

As you looked down, you could see the crystal clear water from the ponds hugging your bloody clothes. But you weren't injured, nor were any bruises in sight.

With a gasp, you raised your hand and examined it from all sides. The (S/C) skin was spotless. It had never been this way.

"What is this?", you asked and let the tip of your fingers wander over your arm. "I feel this but... it doesn't hurt?"

A soft smile appeared on his bearded face.

"It seems, Helheim has demanded a tribute for your return.", he stroked your cheek gently, only to beam with excitement the next moment. "I... I can feel you..."

Letting out a deep breath, he closed his eyes and let his forehead fall against yours.

Surprised, you started at him.

He looked at ease, happy even. Usually, he looked tense and always under some sort of pressure that crushed his will to live, slowly but surely.

Seeing him this way made you smile too.

"You seem changed...", you said and grabbed his face with both hands out of a habit. "I like to see it."

He flinched, his eyes opened.

Bright blue met shimmering (E/C).

Confused, your eyebrows knitted together. But as your eyes wandered over his face, you were quick to spot something on it, something that made your heart beat with excitement.

Not believing it, you let your thumbs rub over his skin.

And he reacted to it. His face moved, his cheeks twitched.

"No...", you gasped with a broad grin and held back laughter. "You can... no, you can't... that's not..."

But he grabbed your hands and covered them with his to give them a gentle squeeze.

"Seems like we're both normal now.", he chuckled. "Are you in pain?"

At loss for words, you couldn't do anything but shake your head.

"No... no, I'm fine...", you said and grabbed your own face to give it such a hard squeeze that it left a dark mark.

It hurt. But the skin didn't break nor did a burning sensation start to crawl through your flesh.

"What... is this how it feels... to feel normal?", you asked and looked at him again.

His hands kept caressing your face, then wandered up to your hair to twist a (H/C) strand between his slender fingers. A gasp of disbelief escaped him.

He smiled.

"I don't know...", Baldur laughed and had to huff. "I can feel... your hair... it's so soft. And your skin. It's warm. I- I can feel how you're breathing. I feel your breath."

A chuckle made your shoulders tremble.

"Do I smell bad?", you asked and rubbed some warm water onto your arms and neck. "I don't know when the last time I cleaned myself was."

A soft sound escaped you as he leaned forward and buried his face in the crotch of your neck to take a deep breath. The hair of his beard tickled. It felt different than before, soft instead of scratchy and less irritating.

As he raised his head again, his eyes shimmer in some kind of way.

"You smell like... you..?", he frowned, seemingly mesmerised by the feeling of your face. "I- I don't know what it is... but it reminds me of the place where we've first met. You smell like the blue of the mountains lake. And like the colours of the flowers..."

Smiling, you leaned forward. The tip of your nose brushed against his.

All of a sudden, he froze.

His eyes locked with yours.

Smiling sweetly, you grabbed his face with both hands and pulled him closer.

"You smell like winter, Baldur...", you mumbled, lips gently brushing over his. "Do you taste like it too?"

You closed your eyes and leaned into the gentle warmth of his.