𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙢𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩-𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨 || ʲ. ʰᵒˡˡᵃⁿᵈ

murmurs of the past, v

          Jacob Holland had only ever gotten in trouble once.
         
          Picture this; a ravishingly handsome nineteen year old Jacob Holland visits a new tavern in a new village the Inevitable docks at one cold night, laughing and drinking and having men and women alike staring at him in admiration. He's happy, he's a little tipsy,
         
          and he sees his current and only woman he's ever caught interest in leaving with a man who looked twice her age.
         
          . . .
         
          Yeah that good mood disappeared just as quickly as his parents did.
         
          Jacob. . .understood that age was a thing that was in play here. He's known you since you were both literal children, and have grown up together in a way where he sometimes forgot the difference altogether. But seeing you, a seventeen year old, leaving with a man who had more facial hair than you did years alive made something in him more than a little ticked off.
         
          And, seeing as he was a man of honor and had a strong sense of duty to protect not only himself but anybody on the Inevitable he serves with, he knew that he'd never forgive himself if he just let it happen.
         
          The village was relatively similar in terms of size to Three Bridges, the night life definitely a lot less active as even a little giggle from you he could hear no matter how much of a distance was in between. Yes, maybe it was the intoxication in his brain and admiration for you, but every little breath you took was enough to make him wonder if you knew he was following behind.
         
          It took you three walking maybe half the distance of the entire town when it happened. There was a cry, and a hushed grunt of effort before it sounded like the first voice was muffled against their will.
         
          Now that sent him into a frenzy.
         
          It wasn't long until the blond found himself rushing to the scene, completely momentarily forgetting of your situation as he finds the current robbery in place. A lanky man was on the ground wrestling another, cloth shoved over his mouth and an arm choked around his throat. The perpetrator paled deathly upon seeing the hunter approach, wasting no time in shouting a warning as he dives in to separate the two himself.
         
          Now, Jacob Holland was a relatively built man who could hold more than his own, so it was to nobody's surprise when he so easily all but throws the man to the ground to help the other one up. He scurries away, and he wastes no time jumping to catch him, but with his small street-urchin frame he managed to cut the blond and slip past before he could even comprehend half of what happened. His victim long forgotten and job abandoned.
         
          He hissed in pain as he found himself leaning on a wall, hand covered in blood when he pulled it away from the new cut on his side. The man he just rescued thanked him profusely and was on his knees kissing the very floor he walked on, not being able to tell him that it was unnecessary when he hears your worried gasp.
         
          You were alone when you rushed to him, words flying a mile a minute as you definitely didn't miss the red running deeply on his once pristine white top and calloused hand.
         
          Jacob Holland had only ever gotten in trouble once, he just never specified with who.
         
          Later that night the man found himself on his bed currently getting scolded, shirt off and newly bandaged as he awkwardly fiddled with his belt. The doctor Edward was off visiting some distant family, so he found himself getting fixed up by you. You didn't speak a word in the entire interaction, and if he wasn't so preoccupied panicking over the fact that you looked downright furious with him he probably would have been a lot more flustered with the fact of you so close and quite literally fixing him up.
         
          You, who was by the way, still angry, currently standing in front of him with your stance tense and arms crossed tightly across your chest.
         
          You had on that new coat that you bought some time ago, dressed to celebrate and have a fun night out but instead finding yourself in Jacob's bedroom glaring at him in some mixed version of annoyance and concern.
         
          "Talk."
         
          He gulped down a nervous ball in his throat, awkwardly looking away as his hand—still bandaged and hard to move—instinctively reached up to his nape. "The guy was in trouble. How could I not help?"
         
          "No, I meant why were you following me?" Somehow that made him more nervous than any beast he's ever had the displeasure of facing.
         
          His words choked as you had started to tap your boot impatiently on the floor now, while the rest of your body was stuck frozen angry still glaring at him. He had forgotten why he was out in the first place, the fact being that he only managed to witness that fight because he was trailing after you. It was by pure chance that that attack was happening right at that time, and he cursed whatever divinely intervention placed him in that spot to help. Not because he had helped, he'd never regret that, no, he meant cursing the absolutely delightful fucking timing.
         
          "Jacob."
         
          "He looked old, Y/N." He stammered as soon as you said his name, watching you raise a brow before he glances away once more just as quickly. "You're all dressed up drinking going out with some man who looks ten years older than me, and twelve than you. What— what else was I supposed to think?"
         
          . . .
         
          Your expression was unreadable, mainly and probably because of the fact that he refused to look at you. But it was, and it took until you sighed before he felt some fragments of the heavy tension in his shoulders release. "Look, I get it, I'm. . ." You sighed again, rubbing your temple in a way that was ironic to the both of you. "Gods, this is hard. Isn't this usually the other way around?"
         
          "Tell me about it." He softly laughs when you cracked a smile, before groaning as you turn to him and finally decide to stop crossing your arms. "Whatever, he's a friend, I promise." Jacob pinked when you reach over and ruffle his hair. "Aw, you do care about me!"
         
          "Yeah because Sarah would kill me if anything happened to you!" He ignores that accusation as he reaches up a hand and attempts to get his hair away from you, landing backwards on his bed when it proved too much for his balance. Your laughing only served to get louder with each tilt and throw of his head back. "Sure, keep telling yourself that!"
         
          You eventually stopped and fixed yourself up still chuckling, sighing with a smile as you nod at him. "Alright whatever, the night's still young and I'm not nearly as drunk as I hoped I would be. You wanna come?"
         
          He stares at you. "There's a hole on my side."
         
          "And?" You laughed at his incredulous look before turning with a wave and eventually bidding him goodbye, a cry of 'your loss!' before strutting to the door. He looks away out of embarrassment and respect before you pause, glancing at the hat he had hung by the side of his entrance that he was supposed to wear but eventually changed his mind on. He doesn't have time to even open his mouth when you already take it and leave with it on your head.
         
          "What— Y/N!"
         
          "Thanks a lot Holland I love you too!" Your cackling laughter was unheard in his flustered brain as you turned the corner, disappearing into the night and leaving him falling harder all the same.

notes ; its only the third week of school. 

why am i already fucking exhausted

anygay hey! this was supposed to come out a lot earlier, it just sort of ig slipped my mind. i had no idea where this chapter was going cause i already got all the plot i want to be set up, so any remaining murmurs of the past will prolly just be for mindless fluff. also thanks for all the support! all the reading lists, comments and votes are so fucking special to me you have no idea i love you all

...

im so tired LMAO i want an iced coffee 

anygay im like 99% sure i'm on some block. i wrote a poem today and finished and edited this chapter i suppose, but other than that a girl is in a SLUMP

i'll shut up now. hope you enjoyed! </3