Title: Catch Me If I Fall

Pairings: Minor Blayden/Baldur

Words: 1,485

Prompt: 31. Catching the other before they fall

AN: Enjoy!

"Does the terrain feel a little off to you?"

Momentarily pausing in his surveillance of the first floor of the Lush Woodlands, Baldur turned to look at the blond-haired landsknecht who had asked the sudden question, only to realise that Blayden was looking at the ground beneath their feet with a slight furrow of his brow. With the other four members of their party elsewhere on the less-than-dangerous first floor of the labyrinth, having split momentarily into three groups to cover more ground, Baldur knew that that question was directly solely to him.

Shrugging slightly as he readjusted his knapsack that was carrying the monster codex on his back, Baldur also turned his attention to the soil. However, he couldn't see or feel anything abnormal. True, he was used to walking upon tiled and paved surfaces, but that shouldn't alter his perception on what was solid ground and what wasn't.

"The soil is most likely still retaining water from that rainstorm late yesterday," Baldur offered, remembering how they had to cut short their trip to Valley Spring to race back to Tharsis to ride out the storm in safety.

The blond also seemed to be remembering the storm, musing silently with a slight frown on his lips. "Yeah, you're probably right," he relented after a moment. Although, he still didn't look all that convinced or pleased with that explanation.

Blayden was probably just being overly cautious now that he was Baldur's 'guardian' and it was just the two of them at the moment.

"Actually, I've always wondered what happened in the labyrinth during a heavy drenching like that," Blayden suddenly piped up as he turned his attention to the foliage of the Lush Woodlands once again.

"What do you mean?" Baldur found himself asking.

Blayden continued to look around as he idly trailed his fingertips along the hilt of his sword. "I mean, does the rain accumulate on the top floor and filter down to the next two? Or does it rush down like a waterfall? Or even a river if you consider the stairs."

Those were some surprisingly interesting questions. And with the labyrinth so close to the river, does that in anyway affect the stability of the Lush Woodlands? What of the river itself when it flooded? Had it ever flooded in recorded history?

…And why the sudden interest in the labyrinth's geography?

Living with three researchers was starting to rub off on him, it seemed.

"Hey, Baldur, I think we should join up with the others," Blayden suddenly stated.

As Baldur pulled himself out of his thoughts to pay attention to the blond swordsman, he immediately noticed that Blayden did not look remotely comfortable with their surroundings. He was no longer eyeing off the foliage with suspicion. He was tense. Waiting for something.

Was it a monster? Or was he still unnerved by the soil beneath their feet?

Before Baldur could question the other about what was troubling him, his left foot unexpectedly sunk into the ground. Half way up his shin. He reacted immediately by looking down and shifting his weight to his other foot. However, before he could even attempt to pull back his foot; he heard a loud crack, like that of a tree branch snapping in half.

He then suddenly felt weightless. Like the ground was giving way beneath him while simultaneously swallowing him up.

"Baldur!"

A…a sinkhole?

No…he couldn't escape. He was falling.

Baldur was suddenly wrenched to a stop by something powerful and strong grabbing him by his right wrist. Surrounded by dirt and tree roots, all he could think to do was to look down. He couldn't see the bottom, though. Not a single pinhole of light. Nothing. It seemed…endless.

It was…almost like when he was…the Forgotten Capital and the Yggdrasil Titan.

"Got ya!"

Startled, Baldur snapped his head back to look up. He blinked at the harsh sunlight for a moment, but he soon realised what was happening. Blayden had somehow managed to lurch forward fast enough to snare him by his wrist to stop him from falling further into the sinkhole.

"Hold on," Blayden urged as he tightened his grip on Baldur's wrist and wrestled slightly in an attempt to get enough leverage to pull him up.

But…

"I-idiot," Baldur said in a slightly panicky way. "Let go. The ground in unstable. You'll fall, too."

"Then stop staring at me like a stunned fish and start climbing," Blayden retorted swiftly.

O-oh, right.

Cautiously, but hastily, Baldur twisted himself around slightly so that he could reach up with his left hand and grasp at Blayden's arm. Digging his feet into the walls of the sinkhole, using the roots and stones as leverage, he was able to steady himself enough for Blayden to get a solid purchase on his end, and with a surprisingly powerful tug, managed to pull him up half way out of his dirty entombment.

And with another sound tug, Blayden was able to feel him completely. He kept a firm hold on his hand as he pulled Baldur against his side and positioned them both away from the sinkhole.

With his heartrate spiking and his breathing surprisingly laboured, Baldur unconsciously kept a firm grip on Blayden's hand as he looked over his shoulder at the exposed pit sitting inauspicious in the green grass of the Lush Woodlands.

"Whew, that was close," Blayden muttered as he breathed a sigh of relief.

…That was…

Blayden then tightened his hand around Baldur's, tugging on their joined hands slightly in order to get Baldur's attention.

Startled, Baldur turned his attention to the blond, realising very quickly that he was looking at him in concern.

"Are you all right?"

Baldur felt surprisingly shaky as he nodded his head. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. T-thanks."

Blayden, however, only deepened his frown. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Baldur immediately stated as he shook his head and squared his shoulders. He was acting stupid. Honestly, that wasn't the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to him. It was a simple hole in the ground. It wouldn't have killed him. Probably barely even hurt him.

"No, it's something," Blayden insisted as he reached up with his other hand to grasp Baldur's shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Baldur insisted firmly again, keeping his gaze at their surroundings as he tried to tug his hand free. However, Blayden wasn't letting go. He only tightened his grip.

Finally, Baldur breathed a sigh and relented. He knew the blond would not leave him alone until he blurted it all out anyway. "It's…for a second there I thought I was back in that damn ravine at the Forgotten Capital," he confessed as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut in an attempt to ward off the memories. "With the Yggdrasil Titan and t-that curse. That's all."

The smell of dirt, the sight of tree roots spiralling around him. Suffocating him. The sky far above, barely visible. Lying there in the shadows, in pain, unable to move. Barely even able to breath.

He was suddenly transported back to that time, to the resurrection of the titan.

It only lasted for a second, but it was enough. Enough for him to fear that everything he had learnt and encountered up to this point had been nothing but a dream. That he was still lying at the bottom of the Forgotten Capital. Staring up at the sky through a painful haze. Waiting for death.

Baldur was abruptly pulled from his memories by something encircling him. Startled, he immediately tensed and snapped open his eyes. He, however, soon felt confused when he realised that Blayden had moved and was the one to wrap his arms around him tightly.

Blayden was…hugging him?

"Wha-?"

"You don't need to worry about that anymore," Blayden unexpectedly said, interrupting him as he tightened his arms around him in a rather protective manner. "I'll always be around to catch you before you fall."

All of a sudden, Baldur felt something sting in his eyes. Tears? No, couldn't be. His vision was blurry, though. H-he must have a bit of dirt in his eyes. "Why?"

"Because I am your guardian," Blayden quickly returned as he nuzzled his cheek rather affectionately against the side of Baldur's head. "And because I don't want you to be hurt again."

…Was that true?

It was, wasn't it?

"That's…so cheesy," Baldur murmured as he rested his cheek on Blayden's shoulder, slowly relaxing in his hold. He knew that, as a prince, he shouldn't succumb to such things like the concern and affection from another. But…

No one else was around, anyway. It was fine. No one else needed to know. Just this once.

"I knew you would think so," Blayden returned with a slight sense of mirth in his voice. But he kept his arms around him all the same.

God, what a simple-minded fool. But it was endearing, all the same.