A/N: Spoilers for Year 6! Your eyes darted from face to face, knowing they didn’t necessarily want to be there, but that they were there for you. They were there for Rowan. Knowing that...knowing that they could just as easily suffer the same fate...you felt dizzy. You wanted to leave. But no, you had to stay. You had to be strong. You were clearly having a difficult day - of course you were; you were basically signing your friends up for a death sentence with R. “Let’s go,” Merula drawled, snapping your attention back to the moment and effectively drawing the meeting to an abrupt close. “We have training to do,” Ben added coldly, his eyes hard as they stared over at you. “I’ll be along in a moment,” you murmured, scratching the back of your head as you watched your friends start filing out of the Hog’s Head Inn. Ben glanced at you as you responded, but you’d already turned your back to him. You needed to sit, to compose yourself. Your knees already felt weak. You were sure you couldn’t feel much worse in that moment, though admittedly, you’d been feeling pretty numb since that night. It just didn’t feel real. Nothing felt real, to be honest, but the Circle of Khanna made things feel too real. It felt like a never ending hole that you were tumbling down. After locating an empty table in the corner, you pulled out the chair with a shaky hand before collapsing into it. You just needed a few moments to compose yourself before joining your friends again. After all, you were always the pillar of strength in your group. It didn’t quite seem fair to put the burden on anyone else. Heaving a sigh, you dropped your head onto your crossed arms. This is too much for a sixth year to go through, you thought. For anyone to go through. As you continued inhaling deeply - that usually worked at calming you down - you heard footsteps approaching before coming to a halt beside your chair. You could practically feel their presence looming over you. Not another moment passed before you felt a hand coming to rest on your shoulder. “Not now, Ben. I need a minute,” you responded with a muffled voice to the wordless gesture. After a moment, you felt the hand drop from your shoulder. You listened closely for a moment, but not hearing departing steps caused frustration to bubble within you. You raised your head swiftly and turned in an attempt to snap at Ben, only for the words to die in your throat as your eyes fixed on - not Ben - Talbott. “O-oh, Talbott,” you murmured, suddenly feeling quite embarrassed for your reaction, and that someone - Talbott, of all people - was seeing you at your worst. “I thought—“ “I was Ben?” Talbott filled in for you, his voice deep and level. “Yeah,” you responded sheepishly, lowering your gaze slightly. “That meeting was...intense,” you added softly. “A lot to handle, all things considered.” “This your first time asking your friends to put themselves on the line for you, is it?” Talbott questioned with a raised eyebrow and a hint of humor to his tone. It worked as intended, though, and you found yourself cracking a weak smile in response. He shifted slightly closer, his eyes trained on you. “I think we all have some sort of idea about the gravity of the situation,” he spoke softly, lowering himself into the chair beside you. “We know what we’re signing up for,” he said, and you could practically feel his piercing gaze locked on you. “I’m so appreciative that you all came...that you all stayed,” you said, your gaze drifting from your lap to your crossed arms. You were sure that if you looked up at that moment, you’d lose all composure. You already felt the familiar knotting in your throat. “But...” “But?” Talbott questioned, his chair scrapping noisily against the worn floor as he once again moved the slightest bit closer. It sounded louder than normal given that the place was practically empty at this hour. “But what if we’re not strong enough? What if we can’t outsmart R?” You began to ramble, the words pouring out of you. “What if another one of you—“ you continued to ramble, your words catching in your throat as the flash of Rowan’s lifeless body coursed through your head like an electric current. “Hey...” Talbott cut in, not giving you time to compose yourself and finish your haunting thought. He gently placed his hand on your arm and you felt your chest constrict painfully. You finally mustered enough courage to raise your gaze to his, and - without fail - you felt the burning sensation in your eyes as they began to well up. “I can’t lose anyone else,” you spoke as you choked back a sob. “I don’t...I don’t know if we should do this,” you said. You could feel the hot tears streaking down your cheeks at that point. Before you could even attempt to wipe them away, Talbott was pulling you into his chest and his strong arms completely encompassed you. Your sobs grew harsher and you couldn’t even tell if you were trying to say anything else - the noises escaping you were muffled and incoherent. You gripped onto his sweater, your fingers curling tightly around the fabric like he was your lifeline. He practically was, in that moment. What felt like an eternity passed, but Talbott’s arms never loosened - not even once. You were thankful for the comfort, if not vaguely mortified for letting someone see you like that. At the moment, though, it didn’t seem to matter much. He maintained his hold on you, securely cradling your trembling form against his broad chest. “Everything will work out in the end,” Talbott’s voice broke the silence, not long after your sobs had faded into light sniffles. “The hole left behind never really heals,” he murmured softly - so quiet you had to strain to hear the words fully. “But...I think...continuing to live is the best way to honor them. Otherwise...what did they die for?” Talbott’s words swam around in your head and you managed a faint nod against his chest. You didn’t trust yourself to do much more than that, but it was a silent resolution and you knew he understood. He’d been through the same thing. His parents had been ripped away from him, just like Rowan had been. There was no better person you could have imagined being with in that moment. “So no more tears,” he continued, his arms finally retracting. You wanted to stop him from letting go, but before you could protest, you felt his warm hands cupping your cheeks and your gaze shifted back to meet his. “I have full confidence that you’ll do whatever you can to keep your friends safe,” he spoke gently as his thumbs began to wipe at your tear-streaked cheeks. His fingers were slightly scratchy against your face, but the feeling was more than welcome. “No matter how reckless,” he added with a grin, and you let out a weak chuckle. “And,” he continued after what looked like a moment of contemplation before his gaze drifted away shyly. “I’ll be there to keep you safe.” You gaped slightly in surprise at his sweet words, your wide eyes searching his. You could see his cheeks tinting pink under his tan skin, and you felt butterflies bubbling up in your stomach. A happy feeling, after what felt like ages. “Talbott,” you murmured, one of your own hands coming up to cup his flushed cheek. You didn’t have time to register what you were doing before you had leaned in and your lips ever so lightly brushed against his. “Thank you...really,” you murmured, your gaze locked with his. “O-of course,” he managed to respond, but you could tell he was a bit taken aback by the sudden kiss. His reaction was cute, and even without trying, he was making you feel loads better. He cleared his throat, clearly trying to regain his composure. You couldn’t help but smile a tiny smile as you watched him. “Let’s, uh...let’s get you back,” he said, standing up. He extended his hand to you and you were quick to take it. It reminded you of the dates you’d shared, and suddenly your whole body felt warm from the contact. You didn’t let go, even after he’d helped you up, though he didn’t seem to mind. You were pleasantly surprised when you felt his fingers intertwining with yours. “I suppose the others will be expecting me,” you agreed, rubbing at your eyes a final time for good measure. “That, and it’s a pretty shabby place to be hanging out in for too long,” he added, eliciting a small giggle from you as you headed out into the fresh air, hand in hand. “Talbott, really...” you said as you made your way towards the castle. “Thank you. I...don’t know what I’d do without you,” you said earnestly. Instead of a response, you felt his lips press to the crown of your head and the warmth continued to spread throughout. In just that action, you knew that he felt the same.
