Kratos x Reader

Eight

With an angry expression on his face, Kratos jumped into the arena.

The gourd was shaking below his feet, as he rushes to the boy, grabbed him and pulled him behind his back to shield his son.

Threatening, Kratos raised his axe.

It made you wonder if it had been made for him.

It looked good in his hands. Any other person would have looked ridiculous with an axe of this size but he seemed like a perfect fit for the weapon.

The only issue was that he was about to kill you with it.

"Why do you lure my son into the night?", Kratos asked in a thundering voice.

It was so deep, it made you shiver to the core.

Unmoved, you got back on your feet.

Not that standing changed anything. He was a lot larger than you were and even standing, you had no chance to appear like his equal.

"I did not lure anybody anywhere, man of war.", you said, trying to sound as peaceful as possible. "Your son came on his own will. I listened to his request and I declined. You rage towards an innocent person."

"No god is ever innocent."

"I am not a god but a mere healer. You are a god yourself. Wouldn't you consider yourself innocent?"

Without hesitation, he declined.

"I am as innocent as Odin himself. But my sins do not matter. It is you we are talking about."

Tilting your head, you eyed him up and down. He was the perfect fit for your mission. Too bad that the anger issues he had were just as powerful as his muscles.

"I do not wish to argue, man of war. Take your son and leave if your mind has not changed, regarding my offer.", you frowned, a little angered by his rudeness.

Why was he yelling so much?

Did he had the ability to talk with normal volume or was he doomed to sound like a man with anger issues at all times?

"Your lies are no offer."

"They are no lies. And I always keep my word. I do not care if you think of me as a liar but I will not pretend that I am unable to pay you well for your help. I can bring your wife back, the boys mother. But if you don't want to believe me you shall leave. I don't want to waste my time with your rude words."

Glancing at you with anger shimmering in his eyes, Kratos frowned and began to walk backwards.

His hands were still holding onto the axe but his grip had loosened.

He did not see you as a threat.

The way you were presenting yourself made him suspicious but he did not think that you would pick a fight.

You didn't even carry a proper weapon.

But maybe you were capable of magic, he thought.

As he had brought a good distance between the two of you, Kratos turned around and wanted to help his boy to climb up the stones.

But the boy looked over his shoulder, your eyes locked with his.

A protesting scream escaped his little mouth as he dug, rolled under his fathers cover and ran towards you.
With tears in his eyes Atreus grabbed your hand, pulling you down to him.

"Please! Please, do the deal with me!", his voice was shaking as he started crying bitterly. "I just want to know! I want my mother back, even if it's just for a day!"

Falling to his knees, he cried even harder. It broke your heart to see him like this, hurt and without power.

The way he felt like, this kind of helplessness, was well known to you. You had felt like this only mere weeks ago, as Thor had stolen your powers.

"Hush, hush.", pulling him into a hug, you began to stroke through Atreus short hair. "I understand your pain, believe me. I once lost someone I loved dearly too. My heart was shattered into a thousand pieces. But it is not my place to decide what will happen. Your life is a little too precious to be entangled in my deal. I will not burden you with the price. I cannot hurt your father like this. When it is time to pay the price, the world will be a darker place. Trust me, you do not want to be the cause of this darkness. Not even if it is for your mother."

Sobbing, Atreus buried his face into the soft fur of your armour.

He was shaking as if the entire coldness of this world was nestling inside of his small body.

He did not let go as you wanted him to return to his father.

So, instead you got up, the boy in your arms and carried him across the arena.

Kratos had not said a single word.

He had just stood there, wrapped in silence, while his golden eyes had watched the boy suffer.

A darkness had spread in his eyes.

If you had not know it better your would have sworn that it was pain. Pain and regret.

As you offered him his son, he raised a hand and refused.

"You carry him home.", he said in a calm voice.

There was no anger in him, no mistrust.

Only calmness.

Surprised by his sudden change of heart, you nodded and pressed the boy closer to your chest. He was still crying a little but the tears had already shrunken.

Now, he was just grieving in silence.

"I assume your mind has not changed.", you said as the boy had fallen asleep.

With a facial expression that told you no emotion, Kratos looked at you. Snow had been caught in his beard, decorating it with little crystals and pearls of water.

"I've seen many gods promise many great things. There is always a price. But no one ever tells you how big this price really is.", he said, looking at you. "Your offer is big. So the price must be even bigger."

With a deep sigh, you nodded.

"You think that I am not telling you the price because you think I will betray you. Do not think of me this way, man of war, son of Sparta. I would tell you everything, if only my tongue wouldn't be cursed."

"Cursed?"

"Indeed. As soon as I tell you too much, the curse will kill you and me and everyone that has heard my words. We will all die if I tell you the price. And there will not be any world of death waiting for us. Never."