Legendborn Oneshots

Bree x Sel-The Lucky One

A/N: Okay. I'm working on a longer one with actual plot, but that's taken a week already and my progress is AGONIZINGLY slow. I want to get something out (make sure I don't give up on these and also just need some fluff given that both of my WIPs are definitely not very happy. I'm also very rapidly losing my ability to write Sel dialogue that doesn't feel incredibly OOC, so... consider this a practice. Also I write all these notes before even beginning the story, so if they ever seem like the opposite of what ends up happening, I changed my mind and forgot to update the note.

Cariad.

...Strange to realize that a few months ago I had no idea what that meant-had never even heard the word-considering the way it's engraved in my mind now.

I don't know what to think. How to feel. Torn between so many emotions I can't even name them all-shame, joy, guilt, need, and not even a shred of regret. The way he'd looked at me, touched me... the way his gaze set my soul on fire. How am I supposed to just... keep moving forward, when every part of me is desperate to rewind and replay those few moments for eternity?

I am the Scion of Arthur. The Scion of Vera. Bloodcrafted. A warrior and a defender.

And here I am, fawning over a boy. Playing back every moment between us. Wondering if his mind is always on me the way mine is on him. Carving the memory of his words into my mind.

"You are the most wondrous creature I have ever encountered."

"I meant all of them. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

"...Like you're desperate to be back in my arms... I like that look on you."

I can't just sit here anymore, dreaming and hoping. Every moment I'm wasting pacing my room is a moment I could be doing something with.

...I don't plan on ending up at Sel's door. I was actually planning to avoid him. But there's no ignoring the whisper in my heart that says I won't really be able to relax until I get an answer to the question we left unspoken. A moment of hesitation, of wondering why on Earth this feels so important, before I push all my doubts away and knock.

It's maybe five seconds before the door opens. I can't decide how to read his expression... anger? Surprise? Confusion? All I know it's it's not exactly pleasant-which is just driven home when he speaks, voice pointedly disinterested and almost accusatory. "What exactly are you doing here?"

"...Wish I knew," I mutter. "Just... felt like I needed to talk to you." God, what am I doing here? I should have listened to my logic saying I won't get anywhere. Won't get any answers.

"Nicholas is not in danger. We still do not know where he is. Satisfied?" Now there's a blade, barely obscured in his words. Some implication that he's only 'useful' to me because of his connection to Nick. And I have no idea where it came from.

"Sel, please. Can you not be rude and sarcastic for five minutes?"

"No disrespect intended, my liege." The title stings-more so than it might otherwise, because I genuinely can't figure out what I've done wrong. "I simply know that you are far more concerned with him than with me and would like to inconvenience you as little as possible."

I raise an eyebrow. "Is this you being jealous? Because you can stop any time, it's not a good look on you."

"You have made it abundantly clear that-"

"Sel. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about."

"I do. And I know that no matter what you might whisper under the cover of stars, you will be blood walking tonight. As you do every night. Or did you think I couldn't tell?"

"That's not-I'm allowed to be worried for him!"

I can see him trying not to make this a fight, trying to make a point without it turning into a shouting match. "...Then allow me to rephrase. I am sure that you are here to discuss the events of last night. I know that you are in love with Nicholas. And as such, I cannot see what you could possibly need to say that I am not already aware of." 'Events,' he says, as if they were unimportant and nothing changed between us.

"I just-" I break off. What did I think I'd get out of coming here? "...Never mind, then. If you'd really rather just-maybe it was stupid to think I could...if you're just brushing me off like this. You know some people might think, I don't know, maybe let me explain myself?"

"There is nothing to explain, Briana."

...And all of a sudden I'm starting to understand why he's so dismissive and cold. Why he's acting like I hurt him so much. "...Sel, I don't know what you're assuming about me, but you-" I take a steadying breath. "I do love Nick. But that doesn't mean I was... playing with you, or lying, or whatever it is you think you've deduced."

"And when Nicholas returns, what then? How will he feel when he learns his girlfriend ran straight to his Kingsmage? A Kingsmage he already distrusts?"

"I don't care."

"You don't strike me as the reckless type."

"I don't care," I insist. "He left us. He could have come back, could have stopped running weeks ago. He didn't. I'm not letting what Nick might think in who-knows-how-long stop me from living my life and trying to get what I want." I don't know when I stopped worrying about how he'd react to my relationship with Sel, whatever it is. All I know is that right now, nothing could be further from my mind.

Something in his eyes has softened. A glimmer of humor and affection. "'What you want?' And what exactly would that be?"

And just like that, he's completely flipped this conversation. One question, nine words, and instantly my heart's racing the way it only does around him. What do I want?

"...You." As soon as it leaves my mouth I wish I could rewind time and say something-anything-else, but I can't deny the truth in my words, even when they nearly make me flinch to say aloud. I'll deal with everything else some other day. But the way Sel and I just... match? The way he always knows what I'm thinking, always thinks of me first? I can't leave that to be solved later.

He's silent. Waiting for me to fill the quiet with girl-in-love rambling. But I've learned more from him than he knows-one of those things being the power of silence. Not everything needs a monologue. I breath in his aether signature, warm and familiar like a bonfire in winter.

After a moment, he laughs quietly. "...Reckless girl."

I grin. "Oh, please, I'm the reckless one?"

"Shocking as it may seem, I do have limits... and confessing love to a part-demon would be far past them in your situation."

"I-You're twisting my words, Sel-"

"Oh, I know," he purrs, gaze lingering on my lips for half a moment before he pulls me close and meets me in a kiss. "But you weren't going to say it otherwise."

My mind is a storm of emotion and want. For what feels like the first time, I let myself feel all of it. Let myself realize how much I feel for him.

———
A/N: so that probably wasn't even comprehensible but oh well!

Quality definitely just went downhill as I kept going, maybe I should stop pushing myself to 1K words every time...