how do I learn my dreams to mold, to lay them bare in the morning cold?
Nikolaus has always been a solemn boy. There was something of his mother’s wildness buried in him, his father’s fierceness, but it had solidified in his chest into something sturdy—something strong. It left him more thoughtful than vicious, more prone to observing than attacking. Perhaps that why he was drawn to the poetry of Linnea; he had always loved the joy that shone in her eyes, that sweetness of her smile.
It is a relief to know that it still lives in her now, even after everything they’ve been through.
It is a relief to look in shadowed pink eyes and see the joy still shining back.
He clenches his jaw tight as she steps into his embrace again, as he braces himself against her, feeling the scrape of her bark and the sweet fragrance of blossom bloomed in her mane. He can feel her lean against him too and there is something reassuring in knowing that she needs him as much as he needs her in this moment; that he is not completely weak, she is not completely fragile, and they are more whole together.
It nearly hurts when she surprises the first laugh out of him as he feels Leliana’s magic begin to sink into him. “I’ve always been allergic to you,” he manages through his nervousness as the golden light roots through him a little further, and he nips out—teeth gentle as he bites onto a piece of bark and releases, unsure of how much would hurt her. But she is quick to return it, his flesh caught between her teeth, and her jerks the leg up in mock protest. “Hey,” his voice shakes, “you’re supposed to be helping me, not hurting me.” But there is enough laughter behind the words to soften any potential misinterpretation.
It is almost enough for him to ignore the first pangs of hurt that he rides through with just a heavy breath, his silvery eyes closing as he crests with it. Her presence is almost enough for him to ignore the way that his skin has gotten hot, the muscle within unroping. He looks up and sees sweat on Leliana’s brow, darkening the mahogany of her skin, and he knows that she’s trying to dull the pain, trying to help—
He screams.
He doesn’t see how Leliana’s hazel eyes grow round as Nikolaus falls away from Linnea and then falls to the floor. His own eyes roll back in his head and Leliana has to fight to hold onto her concentration so that she can finish this quickly. Nikolaus’ panting comes out quick and fast. Through the haze of his pain, he can feel his bone beginning to tie itself back together, can barely hear them around him, and then it is done. Leliana turns her efforts from healing to soothing, letting her healing magic sink back into him to take the edge off of the pain that erupts through him like a wildfire, roaring through his unbroken leg.
For a second, Nikolaus remains stretched out on the ground, eyes closed, but he eventually opens his eyes to look for Linnea, his mouth twisting into a wry smile. “Have I mentioned I love visiting your mom?”
nikolaus
if they’re still out there then the chasm grows
( for all you know, for all you’ve known )