Cross My Heart (Fatui Harbingers x Reader)

Chapter Two

You wake up in a bed, much to you surprise, especially considering the last thing you remembered was getting captured by the Fatui.

You raise your head off the pillow to see a sleeping Aleksei sitting on a chair on the far side of the room.

You carefully consider trying to escape while he's asleep, but eventually decide against it, especially since you don't know where you are. You could very well be in a Fatui base.

You sit up fully just as Aleksei's jade green eyes flutter open.

He looks up at you, eyes wide and dull, much to your surprise.

His cheeks are fire red, leaving you to wonder if he has a fever from watching over you all last night.

"Oh... you're....awake...fina...lly..." Aleksei slurs. He tries to stand up but ends up tripping over his own feet and falling face first on the bed you're on.

Fortunately you were sitting legs pressed to your chest, otherwise he'd have fallen right on your legs. And that would have hurt both of you.

Feeling your older-sibling instincts kick in, you cup his cheeks in your hands and check his temperature.

"You sir, have a really high fever." You tell Aleksei.

His dull green eyes glisten with tears as he sighs.

"I-It'll go away in a little bit...I've had this fever the past week, it doesn't hinder my....my work...please don't tell anyone...if the Fair Lady finds out, she'll be mad...I don't want to disappoint her.." Aleksei says, obviously not thinking that clearly.

"Look, Aleksei, was it? Wouldn't she be more disappointed if you'd died from your hidden fever than take a few days to get better?" You ask him.

Aleksei smiles.

"You... you're so nice. You should...become a harbinger....the Fatui need more people like you and... Lord Tartaglia....." He manages to get out before collapsing on your lap.

You quickly tuck him into the bed like a mother to her son.

It was deeply rooted in you to protect those younger than you, despite their origins or intentions.

Still...

Join the Fatui?

No way.

What's a boy like him doing with people like the Fatui? Was he forced into it? You wonder as you watch Aleksei sleep peacefully.

Can I convince him to run away with me?

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When Aleksei's eyes flutter open for the second time, his fever has gone down. In fact, it had disappeared completely.

He gives you a small thanking for your concerns about him before sitting down with you on your bed to talk.

"What's someone like you doing with people like the Fatui?" You ask Aleksei.

His eyes grow dull again, but this time not from fever.

"Believe me, I didn't want to join them. In fact, I don't believe in their goals and ambitions either." Aleksei sighs. "Most of the children in Snezhnaya are given to the Fatui at an early age to be trained into soldiers. That's the same with me. You see, I was born with a condition called Aritadius Disease. Basically, my immune system is really weak, so I catch basically every passing sickness. But it's different from any other immune system diseases, since I get fevers basically every other day. My parents gave me over to the Fatui in hopes that they'd make my body stronger so I wouldn't die at 20, but I mean, I've really seen no results."