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A Skip In The Heartbeat
It was cold and the sharp icy wind pecked at your exposed skin, such as: your hands, face, and thighs. Despite traveling through this weather in a carriage, the chill of the air still managed to crawl inside and nip at you. Nearly an hour ago it was not this freezing, but it seemed the further Filo pulled the carriage into the forest, the more chilling the air became.
"Perhaps a storm is brewing?" Said Raphtalia as she sat near the front of the carriage, close to Naofumi, who was holding Filo's reins.
"Looks like it," Naofumi, too, examined the sky's darker clouds. "Even with Filo's fast speed, we might not make it to the next village in time."
It were times like these that you wished you had suited up in a different set of clothes. Your outfit was a bit similar to that of Raphtalia's, only difference was yours had small amounts of armor decorating it and it was a different color scheme. Luckily, to help keep a little warm, a blanket was supplied to you, but it couldn't.
You took a look around at your comrades, noticing that they were hardly shivering. Were you coming down with something, as well?
"Alright, we're stopping here." Naofumi tugged back on the reins and Filo came to an immediate halt.
The eye of the storm was brewing off in the distance, clouds were slowly stirring together a little bit. From camp to the eye, you and your companions wouldn't get too caught up in, the worst you'd all probably experience is the intense winds and heavy rain.
Night began to fall and envelope the sky as Naofumi helped Raphtalia and Filo get comfortable in the carriage. While the Shield Hero was occupied with that, you used your thin blanket to help cover the supplies. Protecting food and vital necessities was more important than keeping warm, also, the materials are a major source of income when came to trading.
Then, just as expected, the storm released a heavy downpour of rain. The tree tops began to sway and lose their decorative green leafs and the dirt road moistened into troublesome mud. Mother nature seemed to be in quite a fit of rage tonight. As an adventurer, you've survived through a variety climates from across the country, but tonight you couldn't detect a sufficient amount of warmth to keep you from freezing.
Naofumi just finished tucking Raphtalia in with a blanket just beside Filo, the duo shared body heat and Filo shared her excessive amount of feathers. He grinned at the sight then stood upright, leaving them be to get a good night sleep. As he straightened himself, Naofumi picked up a lantern that he had previously lit. He held it up by it's hook, the warm light illuminating you and giving Naofumi an eyeful of you.
"You can sleep for tonight, I'll keep watch." The generous hero you've come to know, offered.
Shaking your head, "No," you declined. "I will do it, besides, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep in this loud weather."
Naofumi was silent for a moment, contemplating what to do in the situation.
"Guess we're both staying up then." He suddenly panned out.
The Shield Hero began to get comfortable himself, using his cape and the fur of it to his advantage, but he paused in his actions. Naofumi noticed you didn't have any source of warmth and that concerned him.
"Hey," he called out, watching you try to get comfortable on the wooden floorboard of the carriage. "Aren't you cold, like at all?"
You paused in your attempt to get cozied up, "Well, yes, I am."
"Why not sleep close to Filo then. Her feathers will keep you warm."
"About that... I would, but in case you haven't noticed since I've been journeying with you, my allergies go crazy when I'm too close to Filo's feathers."
"..."
Naofumi remained quiet, contemplating what he could do to provide you with warm. Not even a minute later, he stood up from where he sat and removed his green cape.
"Here," he tossed onto your body, letting you borrow his article of clothing for the night. "Make sure you give it back in the morning."
His kind gesture put you off guard and sent a warm sensation to your face. Perhaps it was the sudden warmth his cape provided or something else? As you fully wrapped yourself with the cape, it seemed to envelope you in heat. A content sigh slipped passed your lips as you felt the cold leave your body. Then, you glance up at your provider, seeing he was left with nothing but his clothes and armor to keep him warm.
"Would you like to share the cape, Naofumi-sama? I wouldn't want you to catch-"
"No," he spoke flatly before glancing in your direction. A small and genuine smile donned his lips, enhancing his already charming facial features. "I'm not exactly a cuddly and warm kind of guy."
Naofumi's smile seemed to strike something within you. The sight made you feel warm and.. giddy? There were multiple emotions flowing through your body at the moment. It was to the point you couldn't even look him in those vibrant green eyes of his. Your heart was doing leaps after it skipped a single beat.
"I-I understand," you stuttered before him for the first time. Nervously, you tucked a few strands of your (h/c) hair behind your ear before getting comfortable again. "G-Goodnight, Naofumi-sama." You cooed then fell into a deep slumber.
The shield hero grinned, "Sleep tight, (y/n)," he said, only to turn his attention towards the rain.
