pretty major story spoilers here, just a heads up! they are vague but still very much there

and he's breathing out his thank yous into empty space for her undying and misplaced faith in him; as if she'll reach out in a dream and catch them

i.

She talks about soulmates to him, all starry eyed and sounding completely delusional to his practical and becoming increasingly jaded self. But, she speaks with such sincerity that sometimes he almost finds himself wanting to believe in the concept, in her.

However, even in these rare moments, the idea of one person, in a world full of too many to count, being made simply for him is preposterous.

Besides, this world is far too ugly for such a pure and romanticized idea to have any shred of truth to it, honestly.

ii.

"Do you still believe in all that destiny crap?"

"Yes, I still believe in all that destiny crap," Frey's voice takes on a deeper, mocking tone in what Doug assumes to be a terrible imitation of his own voice. They're sitting on the steps just outside the town square and trying hard not to think too much about what the future might hold. Well, he is, anyway.

He isn't really even sure why she's here with him, or why she won't react like he's constantly worrying and expecting her to. Like, one day she's just going to explode and call him a traitorous bastard and start slicing at him with her semi-lethal duel blades.

Doug gives her a sidelong glance, warily. It could happen now. Like, this minute exactly. Except it doesn't and he knows it's stupid but he can't stop thinking about how abnormal her reaction to everything thus far has been. "Are you even real," he deadpans and she manages a carefree sort of laugh. It's not a bad sound.

But his words hold a different meaning than what he's sure that she assumes they mean.

Talk of soulmates aside, Frey's idealist views of this (potentially terrible) world and the (potentially terrible) people in it both worry him and give him hope all at once.

iii.

She fights for him, in more ways than one, and one really would have been enough but Frey predictably has no concept of actual limits and that's just that.

The princess shows up at his door one night, dead leaves poking out of her messy, frizzled hair and dirt and that better not be blood dried to her face near shallow scratches that'll probably heal by the morning but still. She looks like a complete mess. She looks like someone who has been diligently fighting off every rogue Sech soldier who is dumb enough to try and invade her precious town. It's then, not for the first time, she starts to look like someone he doesn't deserve to look in the eye.

"...Frey." Doug sighs.

"I look a lot worse than I feel. Promise," she smiles sweetly, and that doesn't lessen the ever building guilt in his gut whatsoever.

She's always telling him that it's over now and that there's nothing left for him to feel accountable for, but clearly, that's not true at all.

"You're hurt," he croaks, all hoarse and no he's not going to cry just because the girl he's probably in the stupid impossible soulmate kind of love with is fixing all of his past mistakes singlehandedly. He straightens up his slackened posture, as though that'll rid him of every slight bit of emotion. "Get inside, idiot. You can wash upstairs."

And he tends to her wounds, and no they aren't as bad as he had thought, but they're still there and that's plenty enough reason for him to be upset, alright? That stomach turning sense of responsibility does not cease, even as he runs his fingers softly through her hair, trying to pull out every last leaf.

It doesn't give, even when he brushes one of his grandmother's old combs through her tangled knots, attempting to be as thorough yet gentle as he can.

It only lessens when she finally plants a chaste kiss on his nose, and her hands on his shoulders, because it's as though she can tell he's about to be as not steady as they come and she's ready to be the balance that keeps him upright and tall.

( a/n ) petition to change doug's name to actual spoiler alert

also venti's next for sure, i know that request came first but i'm still trying to decide whether i want dragon!venti fluff or human!venti shenanigans hm (and thank you for your super kind review about the leon chapter it made me feel loads better & more comfortable about writing him!)