Loca, Spider Monkey

23. white lines || felix.v

https://avyannadawn.tumblr.com/

Pairing: Felix Volturi x gender neutral reader

Warning: Fluff; low self-esteem; scars

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"As much as I love you, you can be a real nuisance, little one." You hummed as your mate hugged you to his chest, carrying you bridal style. The sky seemed to glow with deep midnight hues as he walked down the isolated streets of Volterra.

You've always been a night owl. Whether it was because of your insomnia or not, you've always had an attraction to the dark. The solace and peace you found in the late hours of the night always ebbed a feeling of tranquillity into you.

You wrapped your arms around your mate's neck, pulled yourself closer to him. Resting your head against his scarf, you played with the fabric of it. "I know you love going out at night, but the next time you sprain your ankle doing some stupid shit while im not looking, im going to ground you. Or better yet I'll tell Demetri- he'll just guard you like a mother hen."

You leant back, staring at his face in shock. "You did not just threaten to ground me with Dem. Wow- Felix, I thought you were better than that." He laughed, his cheat rumbling as he shifted you in his arms. "When it comes to your safety, I don't care."

You booped the tip of his nose, drawing out a sound of disgust from him. "You're my boy- no, sorry 'mate', not my father." You giggled at your mistake. God, the number of times you've called him your boyfriend to have him chuck a tantrum. Apparently, it's hurtful to be referred to as a 'boy' when one has scaled the hierarchy of being a Gladiator, and now is one of the most feared vampires. And also, to call him a 'friend' is insulting given that he's supposed to be all that and more. So to save his ego, you steer clear from that terminology.

"Yes, little one, I am your mate, and I'd never even wish to be your father. I would have thrown you out if I was."

"Hey! I'm a delight to have as a child!" He snorted, rolling his eyes with a small smile. Before you could say anything else, he swooped down, placing a delicate kiss on your lips. "Come on, it's nearly sunrise, I'll let you watch it from the roof of the castle if you promise to sleep afterwards."

-

The two of you sat up on the roof, facing the horizon as the sun slowly faded into existence. Felix's back was to the wall as yours pressed tightly against his chest, his left arm draped over your middle. He ran his hands up and down your thigh as you sat peacefully, the sky before you shifting from its dark midnight hues to soft violet ones, pink streaking through as the sun rose as the sun broke free from the tree-line. You chuckled as you lifted Felix's hand, the sun's rays shone upon his skin, illuminating it with hundreds of sparkles.

You looked up at him, his gaze already fixed on as he smiled. "Is your ankle feeling better?"

"It's okay," you hummed, feeling him kiss the side of your head.

"I have a question, though," you stated, spinning yourself around so you could face him, his hands rested on your sides. He nodded, his face softening as you looked at him.

You reach up, placing your hands on his scarf, rubbing the fabric between your fingers. "May I ask why you always wear this?"

He stiffened, his head drawing back slightly as he thought over your question. He nodded slowly, speaking in a hushed tone. "Do you remember when you witnessed that human's transformation? And how the burn scars on his face faded as the venom went through his body?"

You nodded, shuddering at the memory of the man screaming in agony, his body twisting in odd ways as the venom took over.

"Yeah," your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to think where this was going. He sighed softly, "well sometimes scars don't disappear with the venom, and since I was a gladiator in my human life, and I'm now an executioner in this life. I- I have so many."

Your eyes widened at his words. They seemed to have struck a chord within you because you never would have guessed that Felix, your mate, the one person who seemed invincible, was insecure.

You've been living with him in the castle for well over five months now. And every vampire you've come across has been drop-dead gorgeous, from their flawless features to their elegance and grace but you never would have thought that underneath all that unnatural beauty was uncertainty and insecurity.

You opened your mouth to say something, but he cut you off, "plus, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. You already seemed hesitant with my size when we first met, I thought that the fact that I'm riddled with scars would have pushed you away."

You were beyond awestruck and heavily annoyed. Not at him, but at how low he could think of himself. Your heart felt heavy in your chest as your eyes glazed over. Your hand still lay gently on the cloth wrapped around his neck and collarbone. "May I?"

He swiftly unwrapped it, the soft fabric falling into your hands. Your eyes landed on the top of his chest, your gaze raking over his exposed skin. You lift a hand your fingers trailing over his cold skin, the silver jagged lines decorating his flesh shone ever so slightly with the rising sun behind you. Some still held pinkish hues while others were perfect white lines, some jagged and raised. They covered the majority of the skin on his neck and collarbone, making his already perfect skin more amazing. "Why would you think that I would be pushed away from scars? Felix, they're beautiful."

He chuckled, a dark grimace painted over his face as he looked down at you. His expression shocked you, you've never seen such self-loathing swirling in his eyes before. "Little one, the majority of these scars come from my job, the lives I have taken, the people I have ripped away from their family. They are not beautiful."

You shook your head, tracing a few of his scars with your fingertips. "It's all about perspective. I remember a time when someone once told me that scars tell the details within someone's story that even the greatest of poets might have missed. That they describe things that seem overlooked and too insignificant to be added to the actual story but, they're some of the most important details because they display the strength that others tend to not see, the battles fought alone."

His skin seemed to shiver under your touch, his chest softly rising and falling rapidly under the pressure of your hand. It felt as if his chest was going to explode. God, he was so in awe of you. How could someone as amazing as you, be mated to him, he wouldn't know. But he wasn't going to let you slip through his fingers, not now, not ever. You were the greatest gift life has ever given him, and he wasn't going to let a day go by without you knowing how much you meant to him.

"Felix, love, why would you think that you should hide them? See? I have multiple myself, and they aren't to be ashamed of, okay?" You ran a hand over your own, the silver and pink torn flesh feeling odd under your fingers. Felix placed a hand on your own, covering your scars with his fingers. The cool sensation of his touch still left you breathless even after months of being together.

He leant down, placing a kiss on your scarred skin before moving to your lips. His hand cupped the side of your face while his other hand snaked around you, bringing you closer.

Pulling away from you gently, he rested his forehead against your own. You let out a small yawn, your shoulders relaxing as you leant into him. He chuckled as he pulled you up to him. "Come on, little one, I believe you promised me some rest."

You choked back a laugh, "is it me that's getting rest or you? Are you that sick of me?"

"Trust me when I say this, little one, ill never get sick of you. Now come on, you look half dead."