Aftershocks
A/N: ah so... this is set in Sanctuary AU. It is a bit rougher than previously done, but I felt the need to have this piece out there.
Cannons thunder in the distance, the aftershocks shaking the ground beneath your feet as you scramble for cover. A hand clamps over your mouth to muffle your cries as you huddle closer, your hand moving to muffle your brother’s cries as well.
“Be strong,” your mother whispers as she pushes away from you, ignoring the tangle of hands chasing her as she puts as much distance between you and her as possible. Choking out her name, you sob. She pauses, pain and regret leaching into her normally self assured gaze.
“We need you,” your brother tries, but his hold on you doesn't waver, keeping you from leaping after her. When she shakes her head, his grip tightens as your body lurches, sobs shaking your shoulders.
“You have all you need,” she gasps, tears clouding her vision, looking at you both like trying to commit the image to memory. “Whatever happens, know we love you.”
Progress day, a day to celebrate every step towards the future. Mel had explained excitedly, hands resting on your arms lightly, trying her hardest to convince you to attend this year. The frown that etches on her ever ethereal face makes you wince, even now as you lie bundled under your piles of blankets, hands over your ears. Choking back another sob as yet another shot rings out before the static-y ripple echoes throughout all of Piltover, you curl in on yourself.
You have no doubt that the presentation is breathtaking- Viktor himself had helped create the fireworks.
I’m sorry, you gasp to yourself, staring through the distant glow of your lights through the layers over you, body shaking despite the warmth enveloping you, too afraid to close your eyes.
Silence washes over you both- a sickly feeling settling in the pit of your stomach making you dizzy. After waiting for a few minutes you haul yourself up, forcing Nyal up after you, chasing you down.
“It isn't safe,” he whispers harshly, grabbing at your arm. Yanking out of his hold you take off around the bend you watched your parents disappear around before coming to a complete stand still. Nyal nearly rams into your back as you stand there, having to wrap himself around you to keep you from falling as a scream wretches from your chest- the sound echoing harshly against the rock face looming overhead.
Bodies lie in piles, red running like rivers over the cliffs, being washed away by the tides. Automatically, your eyes fall on the pair you cared most about, broken and bloody. Yanking out of Nyal’s arms you sob, crawling over to them on your hands and knees, your legs having given way to your weight at your first step.
“Mama,” you cry, shaking her shoulder, watching as her head flops limply, large dark eyes open and staring back at you. “Papa,” you call brokenly, reaching for him automatically, his hand curled protectively around your mothers waist. Catching up to you quickly, Nyal hauls you up over his shoulder and running as he hears the clank of metal hitting the soil.
“Dove?” breaking from your memories, you all but lurch from your protective bundling when his hand rests on your form, scream dying on your lips as you stare at him as you press yourself harder against the wall, another cry shuddering through you.
“No,” you gasp, tears clouding your vision, his figure fading to that of a misshapen blob. “No, no, no- please.” he recoils immediately, moving to the other side of the room to give you some room, whispering to you.
“Sh,” he breathes, watching you, heartbroken. “It is only me,” he assures you, settling in the chair in the corner- the furthest he can be from you while being in the room. Taking a shuddering breath, you nearly claw the tears away, whimpering. After several minutes, looking blankly at him across from you, breath shuddering gasps, the fog lifts, his image starting to replace that of the blood-caked bodies.
“V…VIktor?” he nods, humming an affirmative, eyeing you gently.
“I am here, darling,” he assures you. Crawling from the corner of the bed, you settle on the edge, taking deep breaths, wiping the tears away as they fall.
“Why?” you hiccup, sniffling. He frowns.
“Why are you here?” silence settles between you as he stands slowly, watching you as he steps towards you. When you don't recoil, he takes another step, then another, pausing with each one to make sure he isn't pushing you away once more.
“Where else would I be?” His voice is soft, the click of his cane grounding you as he grows closer.
“Progress day,” you offer, voice airy, dizzy. He pauses before you, tapping his cane against your ankle gently.
“I prefer the quiet,” he states softly. “May I sit?” he is motioning to the floor before you, but you move over, allowing him to settle beside you- pliable as your gaze locks on his cane. Sinking into the mattress beside you, he waits, tapping the bed to get your attention after several moments of silence.
“Can I touch you?” silently, your fingers inch towards his, twitching to grab at his. Taking the silent invitation, he reaches for you, fingers curling around yours as a gasp breaks from your chest in time with another earth rattling boom echoes around you. Frowning, he brings his lips to your knuckles, the gesture grounding you slightly as your breath grows heavy again.
“What do you need?” your answer is immediate, gasped and weak.
“I need you closer,” without another word, you are wrapped up in his arms, head buried in his chest as the fireworks continue outside. He shushes you gently as he works to pull the blankets back again before settling them around you both, pulled tightly over your heads.
“Sh,” his voice barely above a whisper. “I have you, darling.” he promises, arms hugging your head to his chest, arms becoming more like ear muffs, muffling the noise that continues to rattle your body. Tangling his legs with yours, he curls around you, nose nuzzling into your hair, whispering to you in his mother tongue. He's been teaching you, but you only are able to focus on a few.
Leaning forward a bit to whisper in your ear directly, he whispers. “You are safe- I am not leaving you.” between the thump of his heart against one ear and his words in the other, you hear nothing else, sobbing in relief.
“Nothing can tear me from you.” he promises, hand moving to run up and down your back soothingly. “Nothing.”
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