Temporary (Tighnari X Reader)

5

"OI! THIS IS TRESPASSIN'! IMMA CALL THE COPS!"

As if the police weren't already keeping an eye on her... she knew this was a bad idea, but she found Tighnari anyway- unconscious and drenched in his own sweat.

After a crisp slap across his face, she couldn't wait any longer for him to wake up and instead hauled him on her back, nearly buckling under his weight. Her legs burned and her muscles felt as though they were cursing Tighnari, but the man was thumping down the porch stairs, waving something long and metallic and threatening.

The metallic gate was fast approaching, and so was the angry man. She would have admired how fast he ran despite his belly, but she was occupied with shaking him off and getting Tighnari and herself to safety.

Tighnari remained unconscious as she mustered every ounce of strength to chuck him beyond the gate, giving her a few feet to sprint as fast as she could. Her intrusive and spontaneous idea backfired as she miscalculated how far she could have thrown him, and she tripped over his unconscious body yet again.

Her messenger bag split open with her tumble and out spilled various items, including the water bottle from the police station earlier. In a panic and with a flick of her wrist, she dumped the remaining water on Tighnari's dirt-smeared face, the empty bottle bouncing off of his head when she threw it in frustration.

One moment she was on her butt, her mouth running dry as she saw a fire iron in the man's hand, only a few meters away from cracking her skull with the tool. The next moment was followed by a flurry of fur, and a sudden arrow lodged in the side of the neck of the man.

"Both of... you, trethpathers... erugh..." His legs wobbled with his words, and the man fainted face first into the grass, snores rumbling immediately after.

(Y/N) forcefully slowed her breath down. She was sure she was either going to be killed or sent to jail. She looked up at Tighnari, who was panting heavily with a large bow weighing in his hands.

"Did you kill him?" She slowly prodded the man with her foot, then quickly pulled back in case he would wake up with a battle cry.

Tighnari ran a hand down his exhausted face, clearing water drops from his eyelashes. "No... no, it's just a temporary effect- it's not lethal."

Her eyes scanned him up and down. "What happened to you?"

He winced and stumbled as he whipped his bow away in a whirl of sparks. "I... don't remember. I'm so hot, so tired. I need to rest."

The library was no longer an option. Tighnari needed a place to stay, and all the commotion had to have drawn the attention of others; they needed a hideout- and quick.

"You can stay in my basement. It's all for storage, and no one ever goes down there. We can talk there. You look like death."

She stood up and studied Tighnari for a moment before pulling her bucket hat over his head, him being too lazy to object or make any snarky remark, remaining hunched and sweating as she adjusted tufts of his hair to conceal the tips of his ears.

Next was his tail. She told him to tuck it between his legs, and she wrapped her jacket around his waist, then stood back with her hands on her hips to admire her work. It would have to do, just until they got to her house.

They looked suspicious- and completely odd, with Tighnari in his complex outfit and (Y/N) constantly fixing his fine hair that slipped out of any position she fixed it in. The green strands that framed his face in particular seemed to glow like a highlighter and drew attention to his whole head.

On their way there, they had to avoid a few pedestrians and crossed the road to avoid walking by others. Cars would often slow down with curious pairs of eyes poking out of the windows, but quickly sped off once (Y/N) pushed and hid Tighnari behind a parked car or tree.