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haradasaya · 1 year

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"I'll take care of you." "It's dreadful work." "Not to me, not if it's you." -quote from Anne Carson, Euripides

Wow, Saya writing for a different fandom? What is happening to her? This comes from Good Boy Audios on YouTube, from his Bastard Warrior Series, which is literally so so so good. It is M4F, just keep that in mind, though not everything is. He has a very good series as well that is M4A, check that out too if you want!

Albus York x Faithful

cw: Faithful uses she/her pronouns, and her real name is Faith, mentioned once near the end.

Lots of fluff, Albus mentions briefly that he's got some trauma, but he doesn't go into it in detail. Let me know if there are more that I should note, pls and thx :)

Faithful stood on the deck of the ship, staring up at the dark sky above her. Albus had said she’d miss the stars, but it wasn’t until now, under the murky sky of the mantle, that she understood what he’d meant. The horizon of distant, glowing light stared back at her like it saw all her secrets, as if it could reach inside her chest and pull the words from the darkest parts of her heart. Maybe she could pretend there were stars in the sky—maybe that would help the swirling she felt inside. They’d barely caught respite since leaving the Wall of Dawn, having barely a moment of silence on the ship. Between Devlin being possessed and Albus recovering from firing himself out of that cannon, and then being drugged to the point of paralysis, she always had something to deal with, help take care of, or handle. And though she was more than happy to help her friends with their problems, it was the quiet moments like this that made her miss the quiet of the church.

Faithful didn’t miss the church, don’t misunderstand. Perhaps it was only in this moment that she craved that silence—now, when things were crazier than ever, and would only continue to get crazier the further towards the core they traveled.

Against the hull of the ship below, the waves below thrummed rhythmically – like a soft lullaby, rocking her softly in and out of her thoughts. What would their future hold? Would their mission fail, or would they beat the odds and succeed? Would she really be able to get off world once all this was done? Did she even want to anymore? What would she be leaving behind if she did? Her head swirled with thoughts that conflicted in every way she could imagine, spiraling her head and heart until it was one lump sum of scenarios that gave her a migraine.

Maybe that’s why she didn’t realize someone was beside her until he spoke up.

“Missing the stars, Faithful?” Albus said, eyes up at the sky.

Faithful turned to him instantly, taken back by his sudden presence, and even more so by the fact that he wasn’t looking at her. It was almost like he was imagining the stars too, then.

“You frightened me.” She said softly, hand over her heart. He still didn’t look at her, so she turned her attention back to the sky.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to.” Faithful snuck a glance over, but he remained focused on the sky. “You were just so caught up in looking up, figured I’d come see what it was all about.”

She turned back and faced the rail where they stood, shoulders almost touching, but not quite. It had been a few days since his intoxicated confession, though he didn’t remember what he’d said to her. The secret she now carried, of knowing both her shipmates thought about her in that way, was another swirling thought in the mass of her brain. Sometimes she wished she’d never heard him say what he said, (or what Kravitas had said either), but other times… when she was beside him like this, when they could sit in silence for a moment and just enjoy each other’s company. He was, well…

Likable.

“Not much to look at, I’m afraid. You were right when you told me there were no stars here.” She smiled softly, and then added, “Hadn’t wanted to believe you then. But, you know.”

Albus finally turned his gaze to the sister. “I wish I hadn’t been either. But yeah, I get what you mean.”

Faithful was too afraid to turn her face to meet his gaze. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to keep her face a normal color if she did look, and so she continued to keep her eyes towards the sky. The swirling in her mind didn’t stop; but it did slow a little, right here next to Albus, listening to the lull of the waves below, his warmth so close to her skin. She could almost fall asleep right there next to him, if she gave in to the feelings she had in her heart.

After a moment, Albus turned back to the distance, having not caught the sight of the sister. They stayed like that for a while, almost shoulder to shoulder, on the edge of the ship that carried them towards their fates.

“So what are you doing—”

“What are your plans for—”

The two finally made eye contact, before looking away quickly, as if ashamed to have talked over the other. Albus reached for his neck, while Faithful picked at the hem of her sleeve, waiting for the other to speak.

“Go ahead.” Albus finally said, reaching back towards the rail, glancing at her again, but returning his gaze towards the horizon where it had previously been.

Faithful smiled quickly again, trying not to let him see the blush on her cheeks. “I was just going to ask what you were doing out here. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

She meant that in more ways than one: he still needed rest from being attacked by Kravitas—and despite his complaining that “he could sleep when he was dead,” Faithful wanted him to get some restful sleep for once. It didn’t seem like he often had a secure place to sleep at night, and for once, she wanted him to have that, knowing he’d be watched over and safe through the night.

“Couldn’t sleep.” He answered simply, and Faithful huffed to herself. Well, so much for wanting a good night’s rest for him.

“You don’t have to guard the ship twenty four/seven you know. We can take turns.”

Albus chuckled then, a deep and hearty sound that quelled the swirling a bit more. “Yeah, well. After what happened to me last time I was asleep, I think I’m gonna need some time before I start trusting my surroundings again.”

Faithful understood that. Her journey had been one surprise after another. That was, after all, sort of the same thing keeping her up right now too. “Are you saying you don’t trust me?” She teased.

Albus turned, and caught her eyes, holding the look for longer now.

Albus huffed, this one more of a chuckle. “Oh please, you? Faithful, I couldn’t trust you as far as I could throw you. And that’s pretty far—Ow! Hey, stop that!”

Faithful punched him in the arm, getting him twice in the same spot for good measure.

“All right, all right, I concede.” He teased back, rubbing the spot on her shoulder where she’d hit him. “Jesus woman, you know how to throw a punch. Who taught you how to do that?”

She smiled, but shook her head at the same time. “Some bastard I hired to do a job for me.”

Albus didn’t know what to say to that, so he chuckled under his breath, straightening out his posture and rubbing away the pain in his arm. “Just some bastard, huh? Well damn, tell the guy how you really feel, eh?”

Faithful’s eyes widened at his joke, not that he saw it, before she turned a bright shade of pink. She turned her face back towards the sky, hoping he didn’t see just how red she was. It was pretty dark out here after all, maybe she’d get lucky. Thank the stars, it didn’t seem that he did, only turning back out to match her. It was funny how they could do that: go from teasing and getting along so well to absolute silence in a matter of seconds. It didn’t seem awkward—at least, not to her—though she didn’t know if Albus felt the same. She hoped he did. He was easy to get along with.

Well, when he wasn’t an unbearable walking innuendo.

“Anyway, I didn’t mean to disturb your show, I’ll leave you to it.”

He turned, like he was going to walk away, but Faithful spoke up before he could take another step. “Wait!”

Albus, curiosity piqued, turned to look at her over his shoulder. “Yes?”

She paused, surprised at herself for having spoken up when she did. “You never finished what you had started to say earlier. Were you going to ask something?”

Albus stayed quiet for a moment, not moving, not answering. Faithful was afraid she’d said something insensitive again, though they didn’t know what.

“First of all, Faithful, I always finish, don’t start thinking that I don’t.”

She exhaled, a light laugh behind it, and shook her head at what he was implying, tilting her head a bit in the hopes of seeing his expression in the dim light of the ship. She couldn’t make out much, but she noted a pinched brow, and a tight jaw. Was he upset at her?

“Albus, I—”

“I’m sorry that I shoved you.” He said suddenly.

She blinked. Okay… that’s not what she expected him to say.

“There’s a part of my past that… I don’t talk about much. To anyone.” He cleared his throat. He still hadn’t turned around, but he was saying most of this over his shoulder, like he wanted her to hear. It felt like sharing a secret, like she was finally seeing into the man she’d been around for so long. She silently urged him to go on, hoping to learn more about him, even if it was something he rather wouldn’t talk about. Knowing more about the hidden sides of Albus York felt like knowing hidden secrets of the world.

“I still can’t talk about a lot of it. Can’t even think about a lot of it, really, but… with you, I—”

He stopped there, as if he was going to say more but unknowing of how to say it. Faithful lifted her arm out, like she was going to touch him, but hesitated, afraid of spooking him away, or worse.

“When I’m with you, I feel like I can finally breathe. Like all that shit inside me has a way to get out, like you opened up a vent or something.”

Faithful dropped her hand, content to just listen to him.

“That doesn’t mean I can talk about it, still. That will take a lifetime to get out, maybe more, but… I don’t know…”

He shifted his foot, and turned to look at her. “It wasn’t personal, okay? The shove, the attitude, the distance. It wasn’t because I was upset at you. Please don’t think that it was.”

She wasn’t sure what to say—if anything should be said at all. Albus didn’t apologize for who he was, he never had, and he said he never would. But here he was, apologizing all the same. Was it possible that she had the same effect on him and he did on her? The uncanny ability to calm the swirling of her thoughts? Perhaps, for Albus, it was the quelling of his heart? The one he kept locked away and guarded always, the one no one actually got to see.

Maybe they were getting to see a bit of it now. It was captivating, despite the pain he was feeling. He’d likely pretend that none of this happened tomorrow: probably bring his guard back up, reinforce his walls, and act like he hadn’t bared his chest for her to see in this moment. But none of that mattered to her then. It was the intimacy of the moment that kept her there, rooted in place as Albus stared back at her, eyes burning into her soul, and hers into his.

“I’d started to ask you what your plans were after all this was over. After we’d saved the kid, and stopped your brother. But I’m not sure I’m ready for that answer yet, so… for now, I’ll stick with apologizing, and repairing that bridge with you that I almost completely destroyed.”

A sort of soft silence stretched between them, filling the space in a way only silence could. She was grateful for that, and for his words.

“Thank you.” She finally said, remembering to blink and to breathe again. “Thank you for apologizing, and thank you for opening up to me. I know how difficult that can be. So, thank you, Albus.”

The man before her turned to face her fully, now standing almost chest to chest, looking down at her. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she thought he might kiss her. Weirder still, she almost wanted him to.

But when he didn’t, moving to walk away, she pulled him into an embrace instead. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of him, while he stood there, arms wide around her, unsure what to do. The embrace had caught him off guard, first of all, and second, he didn’t really know why she was doing it. In his eyes, he hadn’t done anything to elicit a hug from her.

Eventually, his arms and hands wrapped around her body, and he hugged her back. Faithful smiled into his chest, grateful that he returned the gesture. She didn’t want to let him go, and it didn’t seem like he did either. They stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, letting the storm inside the both of them quell in the presence of the other, until the faintest bits of light began peeking over the horizon—the first signs of dawn.

“Well Faithful, it’s getting pretty early, we probably should try to get at least a bit of sleep before Vinny tries to force us into Forgemaster training 101.”

Faithful chuckled at that, finally releasing her grip on his body. He let her go too, but neither missed the way their fingers trailed along the skin of the other, as if begging not to separate, to not let go. Albus cleared his throat, and stepped away, and Faithful did the same, straightening out her gown, and heading in. He followed shortly after her, trailing her until they got to their respective rooms, standing at the doorway to each. Albus watched Faithful open the door to her room, and she watched him stand in the doorway of his, neither fully crossing the threshold, as if this spell they were under would be cut off if they did.

Faithful finally spoke up. “Thank you for accompanying me tonight. I feel much more at ease now, knowing I had someone to share the night with.”

Albus only nodded his head, agreeing with her. “Come on now, Faithful, don’t get too sappy on me. I might think you’re trying to get into my bed or something.”

Faithful shook her head, trying but ultimately failing to keep in her laughter. It was becoming more and more of a tempting offer. Albus took her head shake to be the end, moving further into his room. “Goodnight, Faith. Sleep well.”

She nodded. “Goodnight, Albus.” And just like that, the spell was broken.

But the magic remained. Something was there that hadn’t been before. And as both leaned against the door to their rooms, silently longing to be with the other again, they felt it in the air. That conversation was long from over, and their relationship was too. Faithful smiled, falling onto her bed, sliding slowly under the covers, and flicking off the light.

Albus was in love with her. And maybe, just maybe… she was in love with him too.

#Good Boy Audios #gba fanfic #gba albus #gba faithful #gba albus x faithful #gendered listener #fem listener/reader #i'm so bad at making tags someone help me

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