Halfblood [King|Alber × Reader]

Twenty-nine

You close the wooden door of the bedroom behind you and shake your head in denial, sitting on the ground, hugging your legs tightly.

You feel like everything collapses around you.

Your thoughts are wild and rushing, not letting a split second of rest.

You can't think straight.

You make your glimmering, blue flames vanish so complete darkness can fall over the room because the dim rays of the Moon are not enough to win against it as the sky is flooded with newborn clouds.

A storm of the long summer is coming, and you already hear the sound of thunder in the distance, upsetting the limitless sky.

Your breath is heavy as his last words echo in your mind, tearing up your nerves with each of their repeats.

It's a spiral without ease, trapping you in the labyrinth of your thoughts.

After a while, you manage to pull yourself together enough to stand up and walk to the mirror uneasily as if the ground shakes under your bare feet.

You call the fire on your hand and shiver when you see your reflection, your eyes so empty that they almost look opaque.

The ring of light disappeared from around your pupils as it does whenever the flames don't burn on your back, in the shelter of the pitch-black wings.

You want to run out of the world but can't think of any other place to go.

This is the home you built and the man you care about the most.

But you don't feel safe anymore.

You were all alone at Mariejois, yet that was different. That time, you never had anyone to lose.

Now when he feels so distant, it's a distinct kind of loneliness that you don't know how to handle.

"You are a Halfblood."

You step back and crouch down, running your hands into your hair as space and time close, beginning to suffocate you. The fire on your palm goes out.

It's like you are sitting in the middle of the ocean, with the pressure of the miles-deep water pushing the last bits of air out of your lungs.

But before you would drown, the sound of two silent knocks drags you back to reality.

You raise your head, look at the door and hug yourself quietly, even if you know he's aware of your presence.

It isn't locked, but Alber doesn't come inside.

His voice is powerless and rusty.

"Can we talk, Rain?"

You close your eyes and lay your forehead on your knees.

"You said enough for tonight," you answer, straining to keep some strength in your tone. "I don't plan to hide forever. But can you give me some time?"

"It might be worse," he says, and your wings try to shadow your figure from whatever he has for you. "Don't you trust me?"

You press your lips together when your tears begin to flow again.

You stand up and back up from the door as it opens, the end of your wings brushing the carpet.

Your mind is full of memories from being in this room, near the man.

Even this morning, you woke up here with his lips still by your neck as he fell asleep in your embrace, the fresh Rainflower already in your hair as he brought it to you at dawn.