The Wings of a Valkyrie: Male Reader x Pyrrha Nikos (Part II)

Chapter VII: Sun and Moon

By the time Pyrrha returned to Beacon, the sun had begun its descent behind the horizon. Her teammates would be out of class by now, probably wondering where she had been. She didn't feel like talking to them. She didn't feel like talking to anyone. Instead of returning to her room, she stepped off the flagstone path and made her way towards the edge of the nearby Emerald Forest.

With each step the grass became taller, creeping up her legs and tickling her shins, until it eventually stood even with her waist. Absentmindedly, she reached up and removed her ponytail, allowing her hair to flow freely in the cool breeze. She closed her eyes and turned her face towards the setting sun, feeling the heat of its rays against her face. Her lips were sealed tight in defiance, but they trembled as tears slowly fell from the corners of her eyes and rolled down her face, glistening in the sunlight.

By the time she opened her eyes again, the sun had fallen behind the horizon. She was standing in a small patch where the grass had been flattened. As the stars began to dot the night sky, she heard the familiar song of the fireflies and watched as their warm lights illuminated the empty field around her.

Pyrrha lowered herself onto the ground and lie on her back, her left leg bent, knee pointing towards the sky. The earth beneath her was cool and soft. It still held the imprint of her body. She sadly looked to her left at the empty space next to her, and imagined he was there.

They used to lie here. She would rest her head on his chest, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat as he held her close. He would tell her about the stars. Each one told someone's story. The brighter the star, the greater their accomplishments.

"Is my story written up there, somewhere?" She had asked.

He nodded. "I would think so, yes."

"Which star is my star?"

"Your star?" He took a moment to think about her question. "Your star is the sun. It may not be the brightest one, but... when I look at you, everything else just... it fades away."

She closed her eyes and nuzzled the side of her face into his chest.

"And what about you?"

He seemed surprised by her question. "Me?" He asked. "No, I'm not up there."

"Hmm? Why not?"

"Only good people become stars." He said. "Men like me don't deserve a place in the heavens."

She looked up at him with sad eyes.

"But," he continued, "maybe I'm like the moon. Scarred. Damaged. Cursed to wander, never finding peace. But... maybe sometimes I can shine." He gave his own words a few seconds thought and nodded. "Yeah, maybe sometimes. But..." he turned to look at her, "like the moon, I need the sun's help."

She looked up at the moon now and wondered if perhaps he was too. It was very cold now. She missed his warmth. Moving over, she curled up and lay in the small depression in the soft earth that held the imprint of his body. The ground seemed warmer here. She imagined he was there, that she was lying on top of his chest, and she felt closer to him. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

That night she dreamt about him. He looked handsome in his white dress shirt and grey vest, his hair neat and his face cleanly shaven. He smiled at her and took her hands in his. She turned her head upwards and saw the sun and moon high overhead, the sky painted a brilliant swirl of dark blues and indigo, like a Van Gough painting. When she looked back at him, he was naked, and she realized she was too.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she fell backwards, pulling him with her. They landed in an empty field of soft grass. Her red hair, free of its usual ponytail, spilled out across the ground. (F/N) was on top of her, between her legs. She closed her eyes and gasped in pleasure as he tenderly made love to her, their figures illuminated by the light of the fireflies.