Haunted Wood ⁠—so you can't crawl no more,

Last post from me! You can archive or post again <3 I love him so much and look forward to another thread

They lay, side by side. He didn't fight, and she suspected he wouldn't drugged or not.
Her lips curved into a smile, not of malice or artifice. It was of satisfaction and a soft tingle of joy.
Of course, when his lids weakened, she could not follow suit.
But she would stay for a while, shielding him from the cold.
From loneliness.
Or was he shielding her?

She held him, letting him drop into darkness.
She should leave. She had duties and this was dangerous.
If anyone saw her cuddling a captive, she would surely be called traitor and exiled.
Or eaten alive by Vengeance.
Who knows.

But she couldn't bring herself to lift herself away from him, to deny him of warmth. Her teeth gritted. When he awoke, he'd not be so heavily drugged. She could die.
She felt her own body slacken, wanting to join him in sleep.

No.
Her eyes widened, trying not to jolt herself awake. Slowly, though there was little chance of him waking. Soon, after careful easing and pausing, she was free, laying on her front to look at him one last time.
To then wrench her eyes from him and leap out of the pit in an almost-swift leap.
She looked back, before walking away.

Vanity had never looked back before.