Over the River and Through the Woods (Adventures!AU Book 2)

Ch 16 Part 2 Then They're Sweet

Part 2, told completely from Crosshair's pov! This was... hard. Very hard. We have little to nothing about how he thinks, and certainly nothing on a softer side. He may come across ooc here, but he's not my character. So I'm fine with that. I'm proud of what I did do!

He's a deeply insecure character i feel like, but is also extremely protective which can be a very bad combination

Also, I worked hard for these muscles so imma be proud of them :D

Content warning: Past emotional trauma, partial nudity (its just my shirt no worries and no it isnt smut)

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He watched her leave, his mind a tumultuous sea of doubt and uncertainty.

"There's only one person who can define who you are, Crosshair. You ."

Forever thankful that his helmet had hid his face during the exchange, shielding his expression, Crosshair hated how deep her words struck him.

How could she just... pick him apart piece by piece like that? In a matter of minutes, seconds even, she'd laid out his insecurities before him with minimal effort and challenged them. Challenged him . Was she a damn shrink or something?

"Even if people tell us it is. I know it's hard. I know how tirin' it can be. Workin' so hard to please others, to be accepted, only to give up after defeat after defeat after defeat because what's the damn point. "

She knew. She knew what it was like. Perhaps not to the exact degree as him, but... she knew what it was like to be the outcast and reject when you tried so hard to please others before giving up.

Since when was Shadow empathetic ?

Maker, he preferred it when she was calling him some weird yet creative insult.

This was too close.

Too personal.

Too intimate .

It made matters worse she nearly hit it spot on.

For all of his poking and prodding to discover her breaking point, he'd only found a weak spot by accident. But Shadow, with no warning or indication she was analyzing him for a gap in his armor, delivered a precise strike that hit home.

Straight to the heart.

How ?

Picking up a fast pace to catch up to her before she began to think she'd rattled him, Crosshair despised how unease sent bolts of electricity down his back as he got closer.

Her ear turned back to track him, and he hoped she was listening to his footsteps and not his heart.

Why did her words shake him this badly ?

Maybe because you don't like the thought of anyone seeing past that protective shield you always have up?

She hadn't gotten past his barriers. She hadn't .

A guess. That was all. She was just a really good guesser. That was all .

What are you afraid of?

He wasn't afraid , he was...

If he let his guard down, she'd take advantage of it. She'd hurt him. Hurt his brothers. He had to protect them. He had to keep them all safe.