Hopelessly Devoted ~ Garroth x F!Reader

Ch. 6: Unpleasant Socialization

The knight cleared his throat, then gestured towards you with a nod of his armored head. "Are my duties beginning now?"

Lord Aphmau clasped her hands together. "Yes, yes. As long as it's okay with ____." She turned to you. "Would that be suitable, ____?"

"Um, sure. Yeah," you replied instantaneously, forgetting to question what exactly the guard's 'duties' pertained to.

"Perfect!" Lord Aphmau beamed. "Garroth will be by your side from here on out. This way, you'll have ready assistance in case of an emer—," she stumbled on her words, "—ging situation."

***

Outside, you rested on top of the lord's well-maintained hilltop, wandering over to the playground and plopping down onto a miniature red swing. Garroth followed, treading heavy boot prints into the sand.

"So," you started, swinging lightly. "Do you have to follow me now?"

Garroth's jaw tightened around the corner under his ear. "It's how I'll ensure your safety."

You used the force from your swing to propel yourself off of the seat. "It was only one accident. I can keep things under control from here on out."

"If that's the case, I'll keep watch until you've been cleared," the guard ascertained. "Would you like me to escort you home?"

Great. That wasn't getting rid of him. At least he knew one thing about you, though. Solitude sounded wonderful. "I'd like that."

He made his way out of the playpen, sand granules falling out of the crevices of his armored boot.

You followed closely behind, apprehensive of your next move. No sentence anyone could think up would penetrate this cloud of awkward discomfort. "You know," you began, "you don't have to do this. You could just up and leave. I won't tell."

He stopped in his tracks and turned backwards to face you. "I won't be doing that. If anything were to happen, it would be my responsibility."

"I don't really do much. There has to be a more important job you'd rather be doing right now."

His helmet tilted to the side and back as he weighed your words. "Regardless, this is the job I was assigned—it isn't something I can abandon."

You blinked back. No guard you'd met in any of your previous villages was even semi-competent. "You're . . . really dedicated to your work, aren't you?"

"It's a duty I must heed," he responded all serious-like, yet still managed to not convey a single new idea. Words came out but nothing was said, you feel?

"That's respectable," you said, not sure how to answer in a situation where it felt you were conversing with an iron door.

***

Garroth's steps halted in front of the plain exterior of your townhouse. When he didn't turn around and start walking back, that's when it set in. He really did intend to be around you 24/7.

You relaxed your shoulders and pulled the door open, but blocked the path with your body in case he intended to let himself in. "Do you have to come in, too?"

He allowed for more space between the two of you, backing away from the door. "I won't enter without your consent, but I do recommend letting me monitor you."

"I didn't mean to trade my soul for a helicopter-parent . . . Could I maybe get some alone time? I promise I'll alert you if I feel like something's wrong."

He grumbled, then sat in contemplative silence for a second. "I'll stake the perimeter in the meantime."

And by stake the perimeter, he meant stand post in front of your door for a half an hour, occasionally circling the premises. You knew because his silhouette virtually never vanished from your window, except to momentarily appear in front of curtains around the back.