Charles Smith x Reader

Twenty-Nine

A soft breeze caressed his face as Charles managed to crack his eyes open. Light blinded him, made his eyes water. He flinched.

"You're awake?", the softness of a hand on his cheek made him blink.

"(Y/N)?", he asked.

Metal clicked as if a cup was placed on the nightstand next to him. Then a plate. The scent of homemade stew reached his nose. Not a second later his stomach began to burn with the lack of food he hadn't eaten.

"How are you feeling?", you asked and sat down next to the bed.

"Not sure.", he frowned and colours returned to his vision. "Better?"

You smiled, tired yet relived.

"I'm glad...", your eyes wandered out the window while fingers entwined and started to flip in a nervous manner. "Would you show me your wound?"

Curling his lips, he raised one arm so that you could have a look at his exposed side which was wrapped in a thick layer of bandages.

A few stains of red were still visible but at least the bleeding had calmed down once more.

"You saved me again.", he noted with a thin smile. "Starts to turn into a habit."

A soft snort made your nose crunch.

"I sure don't hope so.", you said with your eyebrows raised and a smug smirk. "But... if that keeps you here longer... who am I to object?"

Your gaze jumped to him. And for a brief second you believed to see him smile to himself. But there was also this kind of sad shimmer visible in the deep brown of his eyes.

"The tribe...", he cleared his throat and back was that stern look that he had most days.

"They are gone.", you noted drily and let out a deep breath to massage the bridge of your nose with two fingers. "I wanted to say my goodbyes but I was too late."

"Aponi gave me a gift for you."

"You mean this?", you raised one hand to show him the bracelet that dangled around your wrist. "It's a talisman, isn't it?"

Charles sat up straight in bed, one hand pressed to his stomach to avoid any sort of unnecessary pain. He was still sore but at least his limbs weren't shaking anymore and he didn't sweat either.

"It's a map. They use it to tell their own how to find a way back to them.", one of his hands reached up to run through the long strands of his black hair.

As he noticed that it was surprisingly smooth, he frowned and made sure that not a single strand was entangled.

"I brushed it.", you admitted. "Hope you don't mind."

He frowned, more confused than annoyed.

"No...", as his gaze fell onto you again there was a thin smile on his lips. "Thanks."

You shrugged.

"Thought you wouldn't want to cut it so keeping it tidy was... the best alternative."

Nodding, he looked around the room for a moment. Nothing seemed changed. Nothing except the general atmosphere.

Even though his eyes couldn't tell a difference, his senses did. He could feel how pressed you were.

"Why didn't you go with them?", he suddenly asked out of the blue and fetched the metal plate from the nightstand that was loaded with steaming hot food.

For a brief moment you waited to catch his reaction to your cooking before a smile crossed your face. A deep sigh made your chest go heavy. Your head fell down, dangling between your slurped shoulders.

"As an intruder?", you asked in a halfway sarcastic manner.

"A guest, she said."

"Yeah... Aponi is one of the more welcoming ones. I don't resent the tribe for their distaste to outsiders. If anything I'd do the same if I were in their shoes.", your eyes moved up again to peak at him through your brows. "And you? Didn't you want to go with them?"

Charles chugged down a few spoons. It was kind of a miracle that he didn't get heartburn from the heat. Or that he didn't choke at the speed he was eating.

Then, after he swallowed the last bite, he let his hands sink into his lap and stared at the bottom of the now almost empty plate.

"Honestly?", he asked, not looking at you.

"If you feel like telling me.", you closed your eyes and took a deep breath. "No pressure."

He let out a deep breath. Again, he threw a glance out the window. As if by chance, the bison walked by in this very moment. Calmly it shook its horns and let out a soft sound.

The bull seemed to be quite comfortable around your cows. You had tried to set him free but he had refused to walk out the gate.

Perhaps this was just another consequence of your decision. The wildlife had gotten used to the luxury of safety and a full stomach every day.

It seemed like you were now the proud owner of a bull. Kinda fun but also just another fuck up that you had caused in the chain of natural order.

From the corner of your eyes you peaked at Charles.

Malicious tongues would have said that you slowly started to develop a habit of saving the ones in need even though they did not ask for it.

All of a sudden you wondered if Charles would want to stay as well?

Yet again. You didn't even know if you wanted to stay yourself.

The short little trip to town had show you once more that you belonged to neither the natives nor the settlers. Both looked at you as if you were some kind of stranger, not a friend but also not relevant enough to call you the enemy.

You were just some random person. Unimportant. A nobody.

That in itself was a blessing and a curse.

"I dunno what I am looking for.", Charles suddenly said as the bull stuck its head through the open window to let the man let his snoot. "To be honest, I came here because I didn't feel like staying with the gang."

Your eyebrows rose.

"The gang...", you muttered. "Right, you mentioned something..."

"They are good people. As good as outlaws can be."

"I don't judge.", you shrugged.

"I can tell.", a thin smirk appeared on his lips. "But even though the gang is... friendly I feel like I'm looking for something. Something that they aren't. So I happened to come through here. And I would be lying if I said I didn't consider joining Aponi's tribe."

"But you would want to be a guest even less than I would want to.", you ended his thoughts.

"Kinda ignorant, no?", all of a sudden he looked like a lost puppy, as if he was unsure about his decision.

"No.", you smiled at him. "You're a native man. You want to be seen as one. Even by the native. That's okay. But... maybe not possible in a time like this."

He sighed.

"I know. That's why I'm still looking for... whatever I want."

"Then let's just look together?", you offered him a hand.

He shook it.

"Pleasure, (Y/N). Really."