Work Text:
Fall Apart In My Arms
Rook let out a shaky exhale, trying desperately to even out her shallow breathing. She and her team had just witnessed the horror that was Ghilan'nain and her Archdemon dragon. The encounter had not gone as planned, and it left her team in disarray, and herself questioning her own capabilities as their unofficial leader. Their weaknesses had been exposed, and reality was sinking in with just how monumental of a challenge they had in front of them, and their unfinished business had gotten in the way of, quite possibly, their only shot at stopping one of the elven gods.
How much more chaos would be wrought, how many more lives would now be lost, simply due to their carelessness at not being at their best? It was their fault, her fault! Rook slammed her fist down on the wooden table in front of her, bottles shaking, and a cup falling over as she bit back tears.
No, she would not break. Weakness was what put her in this position in the first place. But this feeling in her chest, the tight ball that sat like a weight, was crushing, and she still felt she could not calm her breathing enough. She gripped the edge of the table, ears ringing as she tried desperately to keep the panic at bay. She was so focused on trying to keep from gasping breaths, that she did not hear the soft thud of Emmrich's bag hit the floor beside her, nor did she hear his footsteps as he entered the room.
Emmrich frowned, his heart pulling in his chest at the sight of his beloved before him. She was always so strong, so brave. It was admirable, but he worried greatly for her. He placed a hand on her back, Rook flinching at the sudden touch, but once she felt the familiar touch and coolness of Emmrich's rings on her, she relaxed a little. She bit her lip, still staring down at the table in front of her, trying to mask her tears that threatened to spill behind the curtain of her hair that hid her face. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Rook, darling, I need you to look at me."
She hesitated for a moment, but felt the ball of anxiety weighing in her chest like lead, and she turned to face him. She was barely holding it together. "I will be fine, I just need a moment to compose myself. I'm sorry, I--"
Emmrich hushed her, taking her hands in his. "Rook, my love, you don't have to keep it together just because the world looks your way." He reached up to run a tender hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. He cupped her cheek with his hand, his thumb chasing away a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek. "You know that, with me, I will never ask you to be fine. You don't have to be unbreakable."
Rook trembled, inhaling shakily as she looked at her beloved necromancer before her. This man never asked her to be anything other than herself, and he never judged her for being herself, even when she was weak. She sniffled and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. His warmth and familiar scent gave rise to more tears, and when his arms moved firmly around her to grasp her tightly, she let out a sob, feeling herself come undone.
Emmrich kissed the top of her head, running his hands along her back to comfort her. He felt her shaking, sobbing uncontrollably as they stood there, and he stood there, as if to shield her from all harm that could potentially come their way. "There, now, darling. Fall apart, I have you. I will stay right here, I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to be brave a second more."
Rook let herself stay there, listening to the soft murmurs of comfort Emmrich spoke to her, cradled in his embrace. Once her breathing started to even and slow, she looked up to him, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "I must look awful right now."
Emmrich leaned down to cup her chin, and he placed a gentle kiss to her lips. "My love, you look as resplendent as always." She leaned into his kiss and touch, resting her forehead against his as she took comfort in this moment. "I love you, Rook, always. You are so beautifully and wonderfully capable, and I will be by your side until the very end, my dearest."