Charles Smith x Reader

Forty-Two

The morning came and gone was the safety of Charles' love. The warmth of his strong embrace remained as you awoke in his arms, your head rested on his chest.

But there was this kind of weight that pulled at the strings of your heart. Almost like an avalanche of stones that were held back by a mere fisher-net.

His breathing was calm and steady. You almost missed that he was awake already.

"How did you sleep?", you asked with a soft smile and gently tugged a strand of his wild black mane behind his ear.

Once again his gaze was fixed onto the ceiling of the wagon. But his hand caressed your shoulder in a gentle, even pace.

You could feel a few rough patches on his fingers tips. Those were the hands of a man who had worked no matter how hard to make a living for himself.

Even if it wasn't much. Or honest. But he had worked. All his life.

A few moments of silence past in which you watched him, let your eyes roam his face. He had a nice profile, with a flat nose and a high forehead. The neutral expression on his face could have been seen as grim.

But you knew the truth. Because once you took a second glance he appeared so much softer than before. Like a bear that wanted no harm.

The only reform school close by is Mount Alm.", Charles' voice was still rough from the night before.

But the way he talked was softer now. He talked to someone he trusted, not just anyone anymore.

You breathed a kiss to his chest, pushed yourself up just enough to meet his gaze and smiled. His eyes found yours and for a brief second he smiled as well.

"How do you know?", you asked after stealing a kiss from his lips.

Obediently, he sat up as you patted his shoulder to be able to access the bloody bandages that wrapped around his shoulders and torso. A slight fleshy scent spread as you cut them loose.

You fetched a ceramic bowl and filled some of your drinking water into it. He flinched as the drenched towel touched his skin.

"I've been there before.", his gaze wandered outside.

"As a..?"

"No. I freed some friends of another tribe."

You wiped him clean as best as you could, grabbed new bandages and covered the patched wounds with larger pieces of cloth.

Again, his face twisted a little while you tended to his wounds. A sharp breath was sucked in. Then again, he let his head fall back so far that he was able to look at you from the corner of his vision.

"You know your way around?", you asked and kissed his forehead.

His eyes fell shut and a low sound of enjoyment made his throat vibrate. He leaned into your touch, the warmth that embraced his chest whenever you allowed him to seek comfort in your presence.

"It's long ago but I might be able to find the cells quick enough for us to run for the hills with everyone.", he glanced at you, brows raised.

You frowned.

"Cells in a school...", you muttered and brushed a strand behind his ear.

He grabbed your hand to breathe a kiss to the back of it. After last night he seemed a whole lot gentler, softer. And it seemed like he wanted to show his affection.

Not for everyone to see but for you to feel.

A soft smirk lit up your face as this thought crossed your mind. Your heart skipped a beat and you couldn't deny that you felt flattered.

"It's not a school. Not the way you'd imagine one.", Charles' expression darkened once more as he threw a glance back outside. "It's a prison. They just call them schools. But the only thing they learn is how to deny their heritage to survive."

You tied the last bandage around his chest. One last time he flinched, grabbed his shoulder and pushed the pain back as he rotated his joints to get a feeling of his body again.

You breathed a kiss to his cheek before getting up and jumped out the wagon. Soft grass pressed against the bottom of your feet, together with soil that was still cold from the night.

The air was crisp, smelled of crystal clear water and trees. It was a nice day but as heavy as one could be. The sky felt like it wanted to push down on your head until your feet sunk into the ground and the earth split open to swallow you whole.

Mooing drew your attention to the side. The bison raised its head as one of the cows bumped her head against his side.

Even though this was different than the safety of the fence, the animals adapted quickly. Perhaps they even enjoyed the change.

A sigh rolled off your lips as you greeted the cows with a pat to their noses. Mooing, they raised their chins to demand the obligatory morning scratches.

Clarence raised his head. Surprisingly enough, he had spent the night outside on his own. He hadn't even tried to get inside and instead had rested at the fire.

It was odd to think but perhaps he had noticed that you and Charles were in desperate need of some alone time. Goosebumps grew all over your body as you recalled what had happened, the way Charles had touched you.

Excitement lit up in the pit of your stomach as you thought that from now on you could get this every night.

Behind you the steps of the wagon screeched under Charles' weight as he climbed outside. He hadn't complained yet but it was clear that this wagons wasn't made for a man of his size.

With a soft expression he embraced you from behind, his hands grabbing you by your sides. He pulled you flush against his chest.

"It will be fine.", he whispered into your ear.

You stared into the distance.

"Hm. Bad news up on the horizon.", you said as you noticed Aponi's figure approach.