Title: Wyvern Riders
Character/Pairing: Gerome, Cherche
A/N: Whoot, four children down.
Summary: He puts the first mask on. It's easier to hide his heart, to hide himself that way.
...
...
...
...
1. Abandoned
"So you're here too," Gerome said, reaching out to touch Minerva's head. The dragon lifted her head slowly, giving him a sad look before allowing him to pet her.
His mother had told him stories of how she had raised Minerva. They had never been apart, not since the dragon had been born.
And now she was gone and they were both left behind, abandoned.
2. Mask
Gerome fingered the mask, lifting it to his face before staring at his reflection. It hid most of his face, leaving his expression a mystery.
"I'm fine," he said, he lied.
It almost looked as though it were true.
3. Restraint
It took all of his willpower to stop Minerva from swooping down at Cherche. Minerva whined, wanting to be closer to her former master, wanting to see her again.
"We can't," Gerome said, calming his partner. "We can't."
He wasn't sure if he could hold back if they did.
4. Alone
He didn't cry at their funeral. It was only later, when he was alone with Minerva, that he allowed the tears to fall.
5. Photo
Sometimes he dreamed of his parents, of his mother smiling at him and his father carrying him on his back. Would they be proud of him, when they came back?
Would they ever come back at all?
Their photo, carefully hidden underneath his pillow, was all he had to remind him of what they looked like.
6. Training
Cherche laughed, soaring through the clouds as she flew. "Come, we can go even higher."
Gerome said nothing as he trailed slightly behind her. Behind and below. Just in case she fell.
7. Trust
"I will never leave you behind again," Cherche promised.
Gerome wished he could believe her.
8. Stitch
Cherche clucked, holding up his tattered clothes. "Honestly, it will take forever to mend these."
"It's fine," Gerome muttered, trying to wrangle them from her grasp. "I can take care of them."
"Judging by the other patches, I don't think I taught you a thing about stitching yet." She yanked the clothes from his hands, gave them a once over and shook her head. "Alright then, I'll teach you that later. But for now, we're going to get you new ones."
Before Gerome could retreat to a safe distance, she was already pulling him with the strength that tamed a wyvern.
9. Blood
He almost collapsed when he saw the blood on her armour.
"I'm fine," Cherche consoled, gripping his hand tightly as a proof. "It's just a scratch."
"I should have prot-"
"I can protect myself." Cherche smiled, pulling him into a hug. "I'm strong enough to protect us both. You can rely on me sometimes, ok?"
10. Match-making
They spend the night pouring over pictures Robin had brought them. It had been hard enough to find a mate when they had only one wyvern to contend with. With two, it was almost impossible.
"None of them are handsome enough for Minerva," Cherche sighed.
Gerome grunted, flipping over another picture. "And none of these are refined enough for Minervykins."
"Hmmm...what do you think of him?" Cherche picked on out of the pile, passing it on to her son. "For Minerva."
"...I suppose he passes." Gerome frowned, placing the picture in the accepted pile. "But we can do better."
Cherche chuckled. Her son was even pickier than she was.