MCSM x Modern!Reader (Discontinued)

Grievance

There I was, perched atop a collapsed stone wall, feet dangling just above a pile of rubble, weeds, and other sorts of unpleasantries. I mindlessly teased the ground with the tips of my shoes, wondering what the hell to do with the information my companions had provided me with. 'He's a coward,' Axel's words reverberated in my mind, 'How could you defend him?' Every time I roused from the makeshift pillow my hands currently functioned as, I was met with the same unrepentant stare from the giant, and I absolutely loathed it. 'I panicked, okay?' Lukas had said, 'And I'm not a coward, I just...it was a moment of weakness.' The blonde, on the other hand, had genuine contrite etched onto his features, and I absolutely loathed that, too.

The question is, was there anything I could actually do? Besides broaching Axel on the prospect of reconciliation, I thought, or offering Lukas some sort of reassurance, nothing could change or alter the debacle I had had the misfortune of participating in. I couldn't consult Jesse or Oliva, mainly because they found the entire situation pointless and a waste of time. The only thing the latter cared about was informing me of what I had missed out on, particularly Petra, who had, in fact, not perished among the majority, despite Axel's words gesturing otherwise.

"There is no problem," I scoffed, "Axel's just being a jackass."

I dug my palms into the stone I sat upon, hoisting my bottom and landing unceremoniously on the ground. My sight was immediately set on Lukas, who was leaning comfortably against a broken pillar, leather-bound book in hand. Considering how Axel was still fuming, I decided I would avoid him until he'd calmed down.

"What are you doing?" I asked as I approached the blonde, peeking curiously over his forearm.

Apparently startled, Lukas receded from his position, thumping the back of his head in the process. The book he had previously been occupied with, too, slipped from his fingers and subsequently landed directly on his foot. 'I am so sorry!' He yelped, his face flushed in embarrassment. 'No! No,' I quickly said, 'I'm sorry for creeping up on you.' While he scrambled to regain his composure, I crouched down to grab his book, handing it to him once he had collected himself.

"I thought you'd heard me," I coughed, attempting to conceal the laughter that threatened to leave my throat.

"Yeah, no...I had not, uh, heard you," Lukas said, avoiding making eye contact with me, "Well, that's not entirely true. I just hadn't expected it to be you."

Brows furrowed and head slightly tilted, I looked at him in confusion. "Why not?" He opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it, instead opting for a shrug.

Throughout our small interchange, I'd failed to notice how the book hadn't entirely left my grasp. Rather, the blonde's hand enveloped both the spine and my wrist, his digits moving timorously against my skin. 'Are you okay?' I wanted to ask, but I withheld myself from doing so, mainly out of stupefaction.

"I'm...uh—um, I'm sorry," Lukas coughed, his hold on me wavering, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I had to go through that, too," I said, cracking a smile. He also smiled, but he remained nervous, so I decided to grow a pair and ask him if he was okay after all. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes and no?" Lukas said, his eyes darting between me and whatever stood past my shoulder.

"Is there—" I started, setting aside the book and (reluctantly) withdrawing my hand from his to look behind me. "No!" He whisper-shouted, swiveling my body towards him.

His arms fell awkwardly by his sides as I stared at him, but that didn't last long because mere seconds later, Lukas had seized my hands once again, his grip much firmer and more confident this time around. 'Oh my,' I gasped, our bodies suddenly flush against each other, 'What's happening?' Instead of responding, the blonde tightened the embrace, prompting me to return the gesture.

His chin sat atop my head, and his palm, slack against my neck, held me comfortably in place. I could feel Lukas's heart beat violently against his ribcage—a tell-tale sign of an impulsive gesture. Did I care, though? 'No,' I thought, obviously relishing in the moment. Not to mention that immediately upon contact, a pleasant scent had wafted into my nostrils, reminiscent of a mixture of soy candles and oak wood.

We stood like that for what felt like eons, and I wasn't complaining. After suddenly being whisked away from everything I knew, a hug was exactly what I needed; I just hadn't realized it until Lukas had engulfed me in his arms.

"I hadn't meant for it to last this long," I felt his jaw flex as he spoke, "But revenge is sweet...and, admittedly, so is this."

"How could this possibly be revenge?" I snorted.

"Axel called me a coward, remember?" Lukas continued, his arms leisurely unraveling themselves from my body, "But I did what he couldn't do."

'Oh, dear God,' I thought.

"We hardly know each other," I sighed, peeling my face away from his chest, "I mean—what the hell?"

"Obviously, but he surely thinks I'm, ahem, 'unworthy' of you," Lukas chuckled, "Whatever the hell that means."

"He told you that?" I asked, stealing a quick look behind my shoulder before redirecting my attention to the blonde, "Why would he—what does that even mean? It's been, what, a day or two? Jesus Christ, man."

Lukas snatched the book from the ground and repositioned himself against the broken pillar. "I don't know," he snorted, "But he has it bad for you, apparently."

"I can't believe you did all that, though," I said, wringing my hands together, "I mean, that show you put on seemed so...authentic."

"Ah, yeah, about that," Lukas rubbed the back of his neck, "That was real. I hadn't expected you to approach me after...everything, but I'm glad you're not upset with me."

"Oh, well," I said, "You didn't do anything wrong."

The blonde smiled, and it was so vast that dips formed in his cheeks. 'Dimples,' I thought as I beheld him, 'How hadn't I noticed?' I opened my mouth to point them out, but then Jesse shouted our names, pointing at the map of the Overworld in childlike glee. Of course, we joined him and observed two beams of light shoot out from the amulet and dart across the map. Apparently, they represented Magnus and Ellegaard, two of the five members of the Order of the Stone. Jesse quickly deduced that we ought to find the pair of heroes, whereas Lukas decided he would refrain from joining on the mission to fortify the temple in case Petra survived the Wither. I would have stayed behind with him if it weren't for Axel, who managed to convince the brunette that I join him to 'gain experience.' When the sky suddenly darkened, and thunder echoed throughout the structure, I flipped the giant off, knowing damn well that everyone else's attention was occupied by the disturbance before them.