God of War One-Shots (Before and During Fimblevetr)

First Kiss

(A/N: Title says it all. Takes places before the Cannibals and meeting Brok.)

At night, in the halfway point between the edge of the wildwood and the abandoned Jötnar settlement, lay two tents by a campfire. The embers were dimming in the cold, and in the bigger tent, Kratos and (Y/N) were heading to sleep. But neither were able to peacefully fall into the lullaby of dreams. Not that the dreams were of any comfort to the retired God of War.

"Do you ever think of going back? To Greece? I know I have no right to ask, but -" Y/N begins. But Kratos interrupts. "No. The damage I had done, it would never change how I had made the people suffer without any care for their lives. Nor did I want them to see the very man trying to repair what he had destroyed."

You sigh as you sat up straight. "You could've at least tried to visit. I know the distance is rather vast, but you never know how they would've responded to the warrior who stood against the arrogance and cruelty of their gods. I'm only telling you this as a suggestion."

Leaning up straight from the ground, he grumbles in thought. Turning away before looking back in curiosity. "How did you learn of my past?"

An awkward silence follows as you thought over how to explain the concept of a video game to a man of antiquity. "Well?" He urges. Without a moment to spare, you start. "I experienced it. With a magic mirror." Taking a breath, you continue. "They sometimes allow people to experience stories firsthand by inserting us into the footsteps of the individual. Then we... follow the motions and choices that the individual made to see their lives. And they're always in fragments. So, to know the entire story, we search for those fragments to complete the story."

"You... experienced my story... compressed into a scroll... and for what?" Kratos questions, trying to control himself as he slowly hyperventilates. "Does everyone in your world know me?"

"Not everyone. Just... those who are interested in looking for stories like yours." You wince as you see his eyes change from golden amber to molten gold border lining to red.

"My story was not to be shared with strangers, much less to be known at all!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who even made it in the first place! I promise."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"Are you gonna kill me if I said I was?" You stare intensely into his eyes to keep yourself from being intimidated with little success. A moment of silence and thought follows before Kratos answers. "No."

The two of you turn away from one another in thought of their conversation. Kratos feels violated by how the inhabitants of Y/N's world can find his story with ease. It didn't stir well in him about they could just... follow his path from before and see what he's done in his vengeance. How he was a monster of his enemies' making. You contemplate what to say next as you basin.

"The one thing that got me interested in your story is how you did everything to ensure you avenged your family. Why you fought against your own deities for the sake of them not ridding the bad memories of your past. I actually cried when Pandora sacrificed herself... to make you finally release the power of hope to finish your vengeance once and for all."

Pandora... That was a name he hadn't heard in a long time. It made him think of the girl created by the blacksmith god that brought out the remaining bits of his humanity. What would she think of him if she were here? Grunting in hesitancy, he responds with something he never thought he'd say to someone he just met hours ago. "I am sorry."

Perking your head back to him, shocked by his apology. You didn't know what to say, but you replied anyway. "Apology accepted." He turns to face you with relief in his eyes.

They were so close that they were within breathing distance. Staring into each other's eyes, they feel this... desire. This attracting desire leads them to close the distance and touch each other's lips. The kiss continues as it becomes intense little by little with each passing moment.

Then, in the small time that has transpired, the realization of what they're doing hits them and separate from each other. Blushing profusely from both ends, an awkward silence follows before one speaks up.

"Didn't expect that to happen." You said softly. Kratos stoically nods in agreement. "Yes. That kiss was..." Shaking the recent memory from his mind, he says, "we should rest."

"Yeah. Good night." You lie back down and face away from Kratos. The cold air doesn't help when you're falling asleep as you shiver. Then, a blanket covers you, forcing the warmth to return to your system. You twist your head to find Kratos hovering over you, making him avoid your eyes.

"Thank you." You close your eyes as you get yourself comfortable. The warmth of the blanket helps as you fall asleep. Outside your awareness, Kratos is feeling something he hadn't felt since Faye's death, but he has yet to realize them as he succumbs to sleep throughout the night.