Cupid's Chokehold (Golden Guard/Hunter x GN reader) BOOK ONE | RE-EDITED

~Put your loving hand out, darling~

Now playing: Beggin by Maneskin

"Ooh look at me! I'm the future golden guard and I won't shut up about it!" You mock Hunter as you sit beside him against a rock by a small creek. The moon's reflection was so clear against the water it almost scared you. 

"Shh!" Hunter covers your mouth with his hand. You stick your tongue out, and he instantly moves his hand back. "What the hell, siren?" You laugh at his reaction.

"Nobody can make me shut up." You say showily. "Unless-" You pause. Maybe you should stop flirting before he thinks it isn't a joke. 

"Unless..?" 

"Unless you wanted to kiss me or something." You laugh as his eyes widen, and even in the darkness of night you can see him blushing. Your mind drifts to the mind reading amulet you'd stolen a few days ago. What if..? No, you swore to never use it on anyone besides the Emperor. "Like in a homie way, you know?"

"What?" He narrows his eyes, looking at you in pure confusion.

"It's a joke, Hunter." You sigh, this boy is helpless. "You've heard of jokes, right?"

"Shut up." He grunts, sliding down the tree trunk so he's almost laying down. You do the same so you're exactly at eye level.

"Make me~" Milliseconds after you say that, your confident is wiped away. "Uh- goodnight Hunter." You turn away so you're not facing him and squeeze your eyes shut. At least, the more you flirt as friends the less likely he is to notice if it stops being a joke. 

Why would it stop being a joke?

Whatever.

=======================

Maybe it was the four days away from anybody besides the stupid coven bitch, but you were starting to wish the two of you had met under better circumstances. A world where you're two normal Hexside students, maybe. You wonder if you would've become friends if you weren't shoved in a wagon and hauled across the titan. Ever since you remembered having the mind reading amulet, you've wanted to find out what he's thinking. But it's best to save it for when you return to normal life. When he's the golden guard and you're in a fight, you can read his mind. Not now. Now would be wrong.

"YYYYYYYYY/NNNNNN." He groans, following you into a small city. "I don't wanna socialize." 

"Me neither, Blondie. But we have to pass through here." You shrug. "Besides, I don't want to socialize with you, but here we are." 

You notice his grip tighten on the sleeve of your shirt, and you try not to smile at him, he looks like a scared puppy following you cautiously through the city.

"Didn't think you got scared." You smirk, watching him immediately straighten his posture.

"I'm not scared." He protests, his voice cracks and he's still not letting go of your sleeve. "I just prefer not to be around other witches."

"Okie dokie tough guy." It takes the two of you awhile to get toward the end of the city. You had begged to stop at a small bakery for muffins, but Hunter was in a rush to get out of here. 

"See? Not so bad." You try shoving the social anxiety that was building inside of you away. 

"Pretty bad." He shrugs, rushing up a hill where from the top you can see a gorgeous meadow and trees on the other side. You can see the skull of the Titan from there, although it seems smaller than you're used to.

"It's so pretty.." 

"..yeah." 

You glance at Hunter and he quickly switches his gaze from you to the meadow ahead. After a second of silence he starts running down the hill. You smile and chase after him.