Fallen Embrace Chapter 2

Fallen Embrace Chapter 2

Warning: Hurt, Mentions of Death, Injury, Feeling of Despair

As Nevaeh falls, she braces herself for the impact and the inevitable doom. However, just before she is out the window, she feels a pair of powerful hands grab her and pull her back inside. She is lifted off her feet and slammed against a strong chest, whose heart is beating wildly. The hands holding her arms shake her firmly as a panicked voice demands, "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Nevaeh lifts her gaze, only to feel her heart sink at the frustration etched on Noel’s face. However, she can't help but notice the way his wings are drawn close to his body, the panic in his eyes, and the slight trembling in his hands. Did I…scare him, she wonders. In response to her silence, Noel gives her a gentle but firm shake, demanding, "Answer me, Nevaeh! Why were you trying to jump out the window?!"

The realization of what Noel must have thought hits Nevaeh like a cold wave. Oh my god, she thinks, feeling a sense of shame wash over her. Without hesitation, she wraps her arms around Noel and whispers fiercely into his chest, "I wasn't going to jump! I just wanted some fresh air!"

At her sudden proximity and words, Noel's face turns a bright shade of red. He shakes his head and clears his throat, gently pushing Nevaeh back so he can see her face. "You idiot," he says, trying to hide the relief in his voice. "Go downstairs and open the door if you want fresh air. Not a damn window!"

Nevaeh giggles, unaware that the sound causes Noel's eyes to soften. She gives him a closed-eye smile and he can't help but think that her laugh suits her. As she opens her eyes, he quickly tries to compose himself and adopt a stern expression, though his cheeks are still pink. "You're right, Noel," Nevaeh says, her voice laced with apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake DJ up."

At the mention of DJ, Noel can't help but roll his eyes. "That rabbit can sleep through anything," he says with a hint of amusement. He gestures to the bed and moves to one side, indicating that Nevaeh should go back to sleep. "Now come on, off to bed." However, as he starts to move away, he feels a sudden tug on his sleeve.

"Noel, wait," Nevaeh says, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Can you stay with me for a little bit? I... I don't want to be alone."

Noel hesitated for a moment before nodding. He couldn't deny Nevaeh's request, not when he saw the fear and vulnerability in her eyes. Walking her to the bed, he waits for her to get settled in before he sits on the edge of the bed. As he waits for Nevaeh to speak, he looks at her with concern, sensing that something is weighing on her mind. Nevaeh gives him a sad smile, her eyes disheartened. Noel winces internally, thinking that this expression doesn't suit her. Although he would never say it out loud, his wings give a slight flip, betraying his thoughts. He waits for Nevaeh to speak, ready to listen.

"I'm sorry, Noel..." Nevaeh said, fiddling with her fingers. "I know we've talked about how the infection feeds off my despair, and I know I need to stay strong and fight back... it's just that... I'm so tired. I'm so tired of fighting, of trying to hold on." Tears accumulate in Nevaeh's eyes as she looks away, not wanting Noel to see her cry. I need to stay strong, she thought. He can't see me cry.

"The truth is," Nevaeh said, her voice laced with bitterness, "I've always wondered how I died. At least if I die from this infection, I'll know the answer. It's stupid, I know." She shook her head, disappointed in herself. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," she said, covering her face with her hands.

After what feels like an eternity, Nevaeh feels the bed shift to her left as Noel sits down next to her. Ashamed of what she said, she doesn't look up. However, she is startled when she feels something flick her on the side of her head. Wincing, she removes her hand from her face and rubs the spot where Noel flicked her.

"Ow! Noel, seriously?" She exclaims, about to scold him for his sudden gesture. However, she pauses as she looks at his face, seeing a mixture of sorrow and anger carved onto his features.

"Don't you ever say that again," Noel says, gritting his teeth as he looks her in the eye. "Do you understand?"

Shocked by Noel's sincere yet stern tone, Nevaeh feels as though she can't breathe as she stares into his piercing eyes. "Noel..." she begins, but he shakes his head fiercely and scoots closer to her.

"No, you're done talking," he says firmly. "Now it's my turn." Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a handkerchief and begins to gently clean Nevaeh's face, scolding her softly as he does so. "Don't you dare give up on me," he says, his voice laced with conviction. "Don't you remember what I told you? Even in the darkest of hours, you have something to live for."

Nevaeh stares at Noel in awe as he tenderly cleans her face, as if she is made of porcelain. There is a look of concentration and conviction on his face that fills her with warmth.

Once Noel deemed Nevaeh's face clean, he put the handkerchief away and looked towards her infected arm. He carefully raised his hand and softly placed it over the infected area, caressing her gently. Nevaeh winced, expecting to feel pain, but was surprised to feel nothing but the feather light strokes from Noel's fingers.

Noel looked back at Nevaeh, unconsciously still caressing her arm, as he continued. "Remember, you still have the trials in five years. And if, for whatever reason, you decide that's not what you want, you have me--"

He trailed off, becoming embarrassed by what he said. His face turned red, and he started to stutter as he removed his hand from her arm and shook both hands in front of him. Nevaeh stared at him in awe, her eyes shining with adoration as Noel tried to collect himself.

Coughing into his hand, he coyly looked away from her. "W-what I meant to say was, you have DJ and myself. Yes, DJ and myself."

Nevaeh smiled softly at Noel, fiddling with her fingers as she tried to prevent herself from reaching out and grabbing his hands. "Thank you, Noel. I truly appreciate it."

Noel nodded, looking back at her with a serious expression engraved onto his pink face. "You're welcome. And if there are ever times when you're not feeling strong enough..." He trails off as he notices Nevaeh fiddling with her fingers. Displeased, he scoffs and reaches forward to place his hand over hers. "Just know, you can always lean on me, okay?"

Nevaeh looked down, shocked that Noel was holding her hand, before looking back up at him and smiling gratefully, tears threatening to spill over as she sniffled. Nodding her head rapidly, she said, "Okay!"

Noel smiled softly at her, pleased to see that she was starting to feel better. Giving her hand a squeeze, he said, "Good. Now, time for bed."

Nevaeh glanced up at Noel as she snuggled into the blankets, feeling a sense of peace wash over her. She hesitated before asking, "Are you coming to bed?" She knew that this wasn't the first time Noel had comforted her from her nightmares, recalling her first night with the infection. Noel scoffs as he laid down next to her, outstretching his wings. "Of course, I am. This is my room, remember?" Nevaeh gently laughs as Noel pointed out the obvious, and he places his wings over her, sheltering her. "Of course, how silly of me to forget," she said with a smile. Noel smirked at her, his expression showing amusement and a hint of sleepiness.

“Yes, very silly. Now, time to get some sleep. Remember that there is nowhere safer than beneath a– ”

“Power’s wings,” Nevaeh finished with a smile, snuggling deeper into the blankets, and closing her eyes. “even someone fallen like you.”

Noel's wings fluttered in response to Nevaeh's words as he let out a fond chuckle, rolling his eyes as he settles into bed. "Yes, that's right. Now get some rest, Nevaeh," he said soothingly. She smiled warmly at him as she snuggled into his feathers, whispering a quiet goodnight into his wings as she drifted off to sleep. As Nevaeh lay peacefully, Noel gazed at her with a soft smile before closing his own eyes, preparing to fall asleep. As he drifted off, he made a silent vow to himself.

Nevaeh, I promise to always keep you safe.

Always.

~ And it’s done! Oh my god! Here is Chapter 2 of Fallen Embrace! I hope everyone enjoyed! Again, Noel is from the amazing visual novel game Repurpose made by @residentialrabbit​ <3 ~​

🌟🌙

“Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream, make him the cutest that I’ve ever seen”

Snippet of What's to Come

~ Hello, everyone! I first want to say thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read more stories! I truly appreciate it ❤ Here's a preview of a story I am working from the game Blooming Panic featuring my character, Elena, with Nightowl, one of the love interests! Enjoy ~

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Elena's heart aches as she sees Nightowl's contrite expression on the video call. "...Hey," he says, his voice heavy with emotion. Elena's heart twists and turns as she remembers the hurtful words he said to her, and she takes a deep breath before saying, "Hi, Nightowl." In her tone of sorrow, Nightowl winces, knowing he has a lot to apologize for.

"I know you're upset with me. And you have every right to be." Nightowl says, fumbling with his sleeves as he looks at Elena with sincere regret. "I shouldn't have said those hurtful things to you. I'm really, really sorry." His voice trembles as he continues, "If you don't ever want to call me again, you don't have to. If you're uncomfortable with me in general, I'll even leave the server." He sighs and looks at Elena with remorse. "Just... I am so, so sorry."

Elena nods as she listens to Nightowl's apology, but her eyes sting with unshed tears as she looks up at him. She takes a deep breath to collect herself before sternly saying, "I appreciate your apology, but it's not good enough. You know that." In her pain, Nightowl laments with his heart sinking to his knees. "I know it's not. I get it." He looks at Elena with a glimmer of hope and asks, "Is there, ah, anything I can do? To make this better?"

Elena thinks to herself, "Is there anything he can do to fix this?" She reflects on the events of the previous day and past instances where Nightowl's behavior had been questionable. She decides to ask him directly, "You can start by explaining why you keep acting like this."

Elena waits patiently for Nightowl's response, her eyes fixed on him as she waited for an explanation for his behavior. "Like...lashing out?" he asks hesitantly, avoiding eye contact and looking off to the side with nerves. Elena's expression remains serious as she responds firmly, "Yes."

Despite the harshness in her tone, Elena's intentions are pure, and she only wants to help Nightowl. She cares deeply for him and doesn't mean to come off as callous. She hopes to help him resolve the issues that have caused him to lash out in the past and find a way for him to cope with his emotions healthily.

Elena's voice trembles as she speaks, her face showing her concern. "I don't want to seem insensitive, Nightowl. You have to know that I care about you and just want to help." She hesitates, searching for the right words. "It's just that, I can't pretend everything is fine when it clearly isn't." She stops herself as tears start to well up in her eyes. "What you said to me yesterday was really hurtful, and I was in shock that you could say those things to me, especially after we had such a nice conversation before."

Tears start to slide down her cheeks as she speaks, and she quickly rubs them away. Nightowl feels a deep sense of remorse as he watches Elena try to compose herself, knowing that he is the source of her pain. "I want to understand why you keep lashing out. Not only does it hurt me to see you like this, but your actions have hurt me too. I want to do everything I can to support you, but you have to understand how deeply your words have hurt me." Elena looks at Nightowl earnestly, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. "And I don't take that lightly."

And I regret nothing

Thank you to Kowanyanko on Instagram for this beautiful commission of Asra from The Arcana with my Apprentice, Amaryllis 🥰💖

The First Dance

After a delightful dinner in their warmly illuminated kitchen, NakedToaster and Elena found themselves amid the gentle task of tidying up. The soft glow of the setting sun streamed through the windows, painting the room with a tranquil, golden light. The last of the dishes clinked softly as they were nestled into their places, just as the soothing melody of a slow song whispered from the old radio on the counter, setting a new, intimate stage for the evening. Elena turned to Toasty, her eyes gleaming with a playful yet tender gleam.

"Will you dance with me?" she asked, her voice a soft, inviting whisper that floated across the room, her hand reaching out towards Toasty with a gentle smile that tugged at their heart.

Toasty's momentary pause, filled with a shy hesitation, was a testament to their unfamiliarity with dancing, especially considering the stark contrast in their heights—Toasty's towering 6'4" frame overshadowing Elena's petite 5'4" stature. Yet, the thought of embracing Elena, of moving together to the rhythm of the song, melted away any semblance of reluctance.

"Okay," they replied, a burgeoning smile breaking through the initial shyness. Elena's hand, warm and reassuring, intertwined with theirs, leading them towards the living room. There, the last rays of the sun bathed the space in a serene light, transforming it into a dance floor meant just for two.

As they began to move to the music, Toasty was vividly aware of their heart beating rapidly, a testament to the closeness and the beauty of the moment. Elena, with her natural grace, seemed to glide effortlessly, her body fitting against Toasty's as if they were two parts of a whole, moving in perfect sync with the melody. The rest of the world seemed to disappear, leaving them in their own secluded bubble, dancing in each other's arms, the very picture of harmony and connection.

Summoning a courage borne of the moment's enchantment, Toasty found the words they scarcely believed they could speak. "Can I kiss you?" they murmured, their eyes searching Elena's for an answer, laden with hope and a touch of vulnerability.

Elena's gaze met theirs, a deep well of affection and warmth reflected back. "Of course, you can," she whispered back, her voice a tender caress that seemed to draw them closer.

With a heart that felt like it might burst, Toasty leaned in, and their lips met Elena's in a kiss that was cautious at first but swiftly deepened with the intensity of long-held emotions finally given voice. Elena's arms encircled Toasty's neck, pulling them closer, deepening the kiss into something that felt like it could fuse their very beings into one.

When they finally parted, gasping slightly and awash with emotion, the world around them seemed irrevocably altered. In that moment, Toasty knew with unwavering certainty that they were stepping into a love story of epic proportions, a narrative just beginning to weave its threads around their hearts.

The melody continued to play, a soft backdrop to the profound realization that had blossomed between them. They remained close, sharing breaths, the air around them charged with the promise of all the tomorrows they would face together. In the quiet that followed, filled only by the fading notes of the song and the beating of their hearts, they understood that this dance was merely the first step in a journey they would navigate side by side, a journey defined by love, discovery, and the unbreakable bond they had forged in a dance that had transcended mere movement to become a declaration of their connection.