forum Traitors Never Win // Closed// O/O

Started October 08, 2020 by @gracehustle

tune

(Was gonna come up with a game of my own, but I’m too tired for that lol…time to mash two games together and see what I come up with)

“Most children’s games in Outhila involve moving a lot too, I only know of two that don’t,” She admitted, shaking her head.

It seemed like children from any country were more interested in playing with things than playing a calm game indoors. She didn’t mind that fact, it just meant it was difficult to think of things for them to do.

“The basis of the game is to try to guess which out of three stories is a fake story, something that didn’t happen to the other person,” Nym started to explain, hoping her words made sense, “The person that is guessing is trying to gain three “wins”, where they correctly guess the lie. If they succeed, they get to have the other answer one question they have about the other. If they don’t succeed, the other person gets to switch roles and try to get their three points.”

She paused as she finished rattling off what to do, looking over at him. “I hope that made sense…any questions?”

Nym was sure her light blush had returned when she felt him trace patterns on her hand, the feeling alone giving her butterflies. She liked physical contact, and if Rael was going to continue to do something as simple as trace patterns on her hand, then she was going to fall head over heels for him.

Rael sighed as he listened to her explaining the game. Nym's voice is so rhythmic, it is so relaxing to hear. He likes the way it sounds when she is explaining things. Well, he just likes it in general. It wouldn't be too hard for him to fall asleep while listening. Just thinking about it while hearing it is making him distracted.

He looked away before their eyes could meet again. Staring straight at the wall, he began to go over the instructions in his head. His finger traced some words while his lips moved a bit. He shook his head in response. The game does not sound complicated at all, it seems to be relatively easy to him. What was on his mind though, was who is going to win.

If he laid his head on her shoulder, then he wouldn't be able to see her pretty face. He wasn't sure if he could play well if he did. Although, he would be able to snuggle with her since he'd have to scooch a bit and she could rest her head against his. The thought of them cuddling made him feel slightly bashful.

"Don't worry, I understand perfectly," he answered, "Who's going to be who though? It doesn't matter who I am, I am going to win this, watch me."

Moving to close to small space between them, he still kept his eyes away. Instead, he looked down as he traced a heart. Slowly, Rael leaned his neck to the left, carefully resting his head on her shoulder. Instead of tracing, he tapped in code, "My bella" and let out a quick laugh.

Resting her head back against the headboard, she sat silently, willing her cheeks not to turn redder when he continued to run patterns over her hand. Gods above, she was acting like a lovestruck little girl. A tiny smile worked at her face at the idea that she actually liked someone again, but it was more a smile of amusement over anything.

"Hmmm, I'll try guessing first, if you're comfortable with the stories," She offered, opening her eyes again to see that he had moved to be slightly closer to her. That made her cheeks go red, but she tried to seem oblivious to it, hesitantly moving closer, just close enough that if either of them leaned over, their shoulders would brush.

Nym waited patiently after that, glancing over at him every so often, though she didn't try to rush him. He would start when he wanted, and she would wait until then.

Waiting for him to think up his stories left her with plenty of time to think over the past little while though. How had they gone from friends, or simply acquaintances in the car, to now both confessing that they liked the idea of being together. It was strange to think that it had happened so suddenly. Not that she didn't like that it had happened. Even if it would make things immensely more complicated later into their journey, she was ready to deal with that.

Rael sat still as he kept his eyes on Nym, he was practically frozen in place. His finger stopped tracing random shapes but remained on top of her hand. All he could do was slowly move his head up and down while making a short hum sound then blink. Her cheeks were a shade he has never seen before, he surely doesn't recall anyone blushing like that around him. Oh how he just wants to cup them so bad and kiss her forehead.

Biting the inside of his lip, he went back to figuring out what to say. Where to begin though? So much was going on in his head that it's unbelievable how he cannot think of what to use for stories. His first instinct was figuring out how to win without making it too obvious. It was like he received a message from command and now he was going into strategy mode so there'd be a plan of attack ready. He did not realize that he'd have to dig back into his memories, much farther than he would've wished for.

Internally, he wandered off into his thoughts. There were too many things he could use, but not any that were good enough to say. A good portion of stories are all simply about being in the military and the war. Barely any of them are fun to tell. Plus, he is not a good liar around people that make him feel flustered beyond recognition and incredibly warm. Feeling the bed sheets move, his attention snapped back. An idea hit him as he jumped, sitting up straight. His lips made an o shape before curving into a small smile.

"First story, I broke the record for Youngest Militant Officer with the Most Executive Medals, I won my first medal when I was nineteen and my last one this past May, I have seven in total. The previous record holder was my great-grandpa, but I first beat him by running over No Man's Land and stealing a lot of important information, something even he wasn't crazy enough to do. Second, I wanted to be a soldier ever since I could remember, I always got excited every time my father would take us to a military base. I'd force my older siblings to make pillow forts with me and play soldier till I passed out. I even wrote my own made-up attack strategies till my fingers hurt. Last but not least, I tried to mail my sister after she was born. My mom told me that there's a spirit guardian who delivers babies, so I thought I could return my sister because I wanted to be the baby of the family, but my brother found her by the mailbox then put a stamp on my forehead."

Letting out a yawn, he nodded to himself. That was good enough, but he shouldn't underestimate her. "Did I do it right? Which one do you think is the fake one?" He lifted his left hand up, giving her a small salute with a wink. Setting it on top of hers, he went back to tracing shapes. Most of them were hearts, others were just hearts with more squiggles. "I was actually going to say that I started having a crush on a beautiful girl who is very strong and somewhat stubborn, and I want to cuddle with her so bad, but that would've been too easy, wouldn't you agree?"

Nym waited patiently as she listened to his stories, smiling at them absentmindedly. Rael seemed to have a fun childhood, the childhood any kid wanted. He had siblings to play with, and fun stories from that. She was almost jealous, just from the three things she heard, though it was safe to say she couldn't yet make the assumption of a fun childhood.

"Hmmmm," She started, thinking hard enough that she almost didn't hear his next sentence. She did though, and it caused her face to flush an impressive shade of red. Nym looked away as he spoke, hiding a giddy smile as well. "That may have been too easy," She got out after a moment, her words a little quieter, "Clearly the third option would be fake if that was an option." Looking up at him with a playful look, even if her face was still red, "The third option you gave is the fake one anyway."

It was a complete guess to guess the third story. She had wanted to put much more thought into it, but his words made her mind nothing more than a pile of thoughts. Did he really mean what he said? She was far from beautiful, but she wouldn't deny that she was stubborn, and gods did cuddling sound quite good.

She didn't know if it was moving too fast to want to cuddle already, but it was physical contact, and with no other than Rael, who she wouldn't deny she had quite a crush on.

All he could think while staring at Nym was how red her face was. How it is simply cute and breathtaking. Rael imagined feeling the heat under his lips while placing kisses on her cheeks in an attempt to cool them down. He almost missed hearing what she said just by sighing over it.

"I'm afraid four year old me did try to mail my sister, and I even tried to a second time," He said with a soft smile. It made sense to pick the third one, no one really believed that to be true. Then again, he wouldn't have expect for the second story to be chosen either. "Did I hide it well? It's the second one, strange enough. I wanted to be a writer, but….I had to chose the uniform."

His fingers were covered in blisters from writing stories. He fell asleep in the pillow fort after reading and acting them out with all his siblings. The only time he ever got excited about going to a military base was when he got to share his stories with others. Surprisingly his father kept the one he wrote about a lonely soldier. Never did he expect that soldier to be himself.

Letting go of her hand, he looked over. His gaze stuck paying attention to her blushing once again. It only made him sigh, but he began to worry if she was really heating up. He moved to end of the bed and got off. Rael disappeared into the bathroom then came out with a small dampened towel. Sitting on Nym's side, he leaned over and started to press her forehead with it. "Do you feel okay? My bella, I should just call you 'my rose' instead, you look so red right now," he lightly laughed, "You should think of some stories to tell, I can't wait to hear them. I don't know if I'll be able to find the fake one though."

She sighed disappointedly when she was wrong, a faint smile on her face, "I suppose mailing your siblings is something that sounds plausible." Nym was curious to hear that it was the second option that was fake, that he wanted to be a writer instead of a soldier. She couldn't exactly imagine him as a writer, but then again, years and years of military service did that to someone.

Her thoughts kept her occupied enough that she almost didn't notice when Rael slipped away, almost. She frowned when he did, watching him move to the bathroom. When he came back out with a damp towel, she was even more confused. Why did he need that? He pressed the cloth to her forehead and instantly she knew why, though her embarrassment only made her reddened face stay red.

"I'm fine, Rael," She murmured, lightly laughing. All she could focus on was how close he was. How his touch was gentle and slow, the coolness of the rag was just an upside.

Nym was silent for a moment as she thought, closing her eyes before she started. "First, when I was a teenager, I had the brilliant idea to try to craft a makeshift glider with my friends and attempt to fly it off of one of the low cliffs above the ocean. We made it out of tarps and wood along with metal supports that someone had stolen from the city. Second story, I once adopted a baby goat that was going to be..disposed of…from medical problems. I nursed that stubborn little thing to adulthood and it became my pet, I named her Piella and she was my favorite animal on all of our farms, though she had an attitude. She became a sort of mascot around, and in trade for food, she would allow people to pet her or milk her. Third, I graduated second in training, beat only by my best friend at the time. He had gotten one more point to me in hand to hand combat, and I had placed behind him because of that and because he beat me in our survival tests. He never let me live that down."

Rael shrugged as he assured, "Believe me, no one expects it when I tell them. Yet, I am not sure if I'll be able to tell which one of yours is fake."

Keeping the rag on her forehead, he leaned in to make sure that there wasn't any droplets of water rolling down. Still, he used his other hand to caress her cheek. Being this close to Nym, he can't take it. All he could do was imagine bringing his face closer to hers and then…. His eyes kept looking down at her lips or cheek before he forced himself to pay attention to the rag.

Her laughter brought him back to his senses. Hearing it caused his cheeks to blush as he rubbed the back of his neck. Taking the rag away, he nodded. Her face is so warm from blushing that it's impossible for him to hold back a laugh. Is he really making her blush this much?

He wasn't sure which one was the fake story at first. All of them sound like they could be true, but that's not the case. It sounded like Nym had fun at home, having friends to have with her to make gliders and to be with her while training. And a baby goat too, he'd never expect to hear about her taking care of a goat.

"It's a complete shot in the dark, but the second one?" He asked. Really, he was so torn between the first two. It was easy for him to rule out the third one, so it left him in a confusing spot.

She sighed in fake disappointment and nodded, giving him a gentle smile, "You're sadly right. My sister nursed a baby goat to health, but it was true that it was the most stubborn animal ever." Nym smiled gently at her words, reminising in a quick memory. "The gliding story is true, as well as the training story."

It was a little disappointing to hear that he had gotten her story correct right out of the gate, but at the same time, she was now excited to hear what he had next to talk about. As she waited, she found herself studying Rael, realizing just how close they were. He had just had his cheek on her face, and that realization alone made her face grow a darker red once more. Wether she liked it or not, she was acting like a child, thinking every action held more meaning than it probably did.

Nym couldn't quite stop herself as she settled back against the headboard of the bed, hesitantly making sure she was still fairly close to him, close enough that she could rest her head on his shoulder if she really wanted to.

At least her focus on Rael kept further memories from creeping into her mind. Memories of the times in her life that were less pleasant, times that she wouldn't, or couldn't share with him. Stories of hard times and sadness weren't exactly the best to keep friends after all.

"Zero to one, your turn again, master guesser."

"Really?" he wondered. His eyes widened as his head titled to the side. He was not so sure of his guess at first, it was a bit surprising to him. Rael only thought about it for a few seconds before his attention was fixed on Nym once again. That soft smile is so breathtaking to him, looking at it gives him butterflies. "I knew the last one would be true, but to me, you're the number one spy. My bella is the best after all."

Slowly, he lowered his chin to look down at his lap. Now he already went through one round, it started to get easier for him to find stories that were more happier and do not involve the military. Although, he wants her to win.

"Yes ma'am," he said with a salute. "First, my senior year of high school, my friend and I made a bet to see who'd get a higher score on our midterms and whoever lost had to wear a girl's uniform the whole school day, let's just say I got a lot of interesting looks at school one day. Second, I broke my left wrist in a fist fight when I was seventeen. Third, I tried ice cream for the first time when I was twenty-two, one of my seniors forced me to when we got vacation passes."

The awareness of how close they were still lingered in his head. Should he say something about it? Should he not? He let out a small sigh as his shoulders relaxed. All his muscles were froze, he couldn't bring himself to move nor could he bring it up. He wondered if mentioning cuddling was moving too fast or not.

His hand shook a little as he tugged on his tank top sleeve trying to feel cooler. Rael glanced back over at Nym. "That headboard looks too stiff to rest your head against" he said then tapped on his shoulder, "Do you want to rest on this instead?"

Nym listened intently as he shared his next round of stories, an amused look worming onto her face. Just the image in her head of Rael in a girl's uniform seemed hilarious, and she almost wished she was there to see tall, not-feminine Rael in a girl's uniform. The second story seemed mostly true, but as for the third…"The third one has to be fake," She replied confidently, looking at him. There was no way it couldn't be true, no one could ever wait that long to try ice cream.

She looked over at him as he spoke again, feeling ever so nervous as he offered his shoulder as a place to rest her head. Some small part of her told her still to be careful around him, but she desperately wanted to lay her head on his shoulder. Forbidden relationship or not, she could let herself do something as simple as rest her head on his shoulder.

"As long as you don't let me fall asleep if I do so…not until the game is done," Nym decided, feeling head rush to her cheeks.

Her movements were slow and cautious as she scooted closer to him, hesitantly resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel her heart race, even with such a simple movement. It felt much comfier than the headboard, a plus even though it was good enough just to be so close to someone she was head over heels for.

"Correct! Strangely, it was my senior officer that never tried ice cream, and he was my age when I made him try it. On the other hand, the wearing a girl's uniform and breaking my wrist are both true," He said, followed with a slight chuckle.

Rael could not get over the expression on her face. From how it changed to being amused over his story to confident so quickly made him gaze at her fondly. He did not even take into account how she was getting closer to him, how she was resting her head on him. One after another, it all sent him into a frozen-like state.

It was like being in high school all over again or a stuck in some sort of dream. The rush of adrenaline soaring through his veins leaving him feeling jittery. He has goosebumps all over him despite feeling really warm still. His heart just kept beating faster and faster, all because Nym actually rested her head on his shoulder. And he does not regret asking her at all.

Clearing his throat, he managed to let himself relax a bit. His mind was still running around in circles, but he was able to sort out his thoughts, a bit. Every time he tried to come up with something to say, the effort became useless. Closing his lips, he took a quick glimpse over at her. They managed to mouth, "How pretty", before sighing.

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen," He assured, "We're tied as of now and I might be the one falling asleep. My heart is making me tired since it's been racing everytime I look at you."

She laughed lightly at his words, smiling even as she took it as a compliment, "Maybe I should let you get some sleep then…I don't want the driver to be tired behind the wheel."

Nym couldn't believe that she was so close to him. It was so easy to feel his chest and shoulders rise and fall with his breathing, a movement that was calming her ever racing heart. She was never going to forget this moment, that she knew for a fact. Having her head resting on his shoulder, looking up at him through her eyelashes, he was still somehow breathtaking.

"The game can wait if you're tired, I can remember the score..and I can watch out for anyone that's following us."

She sighed gently as she closed her own eyes for a moment, drumming her fingers on her arm as she debated reaching for his hand. Her mind was far from the game they had just been playing, even if she knew she had to tell stories next. All she could think about was reaching for his hand, falling asleep on his shoulder, anything other than telling more about herself in the little time they had to relax.

As much as his body was telling him to sleep, he didn't want to. Rael wanted to enjoy ever single second of this moment possible. Despite being chased down by people that could kill him, he oddly doesn't feel scared at all. Nothing about the outside world was troubling him right now. Nothing at all. He feels safe having Nym being as close as possible to him. Although, all the warmth and excitement he is getting is making him awfully sleepier than before.

"No worries, I won't drive tired," He assured. Suddenly, he turned his head to the right then let out a quiet yawn. "I guess I should sleep, so we can get further tomorrow." Momentarily, his eyes closed. Feeling the weight of her head on his shoulder was comforting. The sensation of it is something he wishes to always remember. His heart was still beating at a quick pace, yet it began to gradually slow down a little.

Gazing down at her, he smiled. Even hearing her sigh was enough to make him melt. "I want to stay awake though, I don't want to fall asleep just yet." His eyes kept observing every single little detail on her till he managed to glance away. "I wish I wasn't so sleepy, I want to spend all night doing nothing but looking at you, my bella. Are you going to sleep too?"

Nym smiled gently, pulling her head off his shoulder just enough to ask gently, "Do you want me to sleep somewhere else?" She wasn't sure what he would think of her falling asleep on his shoulder, especially if he needed his own sleep.

Her face flushed at his lighthearted compliment, but she nodded softly, "I'm getting tired." A yawn broke her words before she continued, "We should probably get some sleep…I have no clue when the next time we'll get to rest will be."

She found herself agreeing silently with his words, she would've easily spent more time studying his face, learning all the little details until she was able to memorize it all. At least then she would have something to remember if they ended up splitting at the border. She wouldn't readily admit that though, after all, they had to be careful still, and falling for each other so quickly most likely would lead to trouble, no matter how touch starved and lonely she was.

"No," He said in an instant. Rael wasn't sure what to say next. His eyelids were feeling do heavy that his attention was beginning to focus on falling asleep. And yet, he could still feel his cheeks being warm when he glanced over at Nym. "If you're very tired you should just stay here, sleeping on my shoulder beats using a pillow."

A part of him thought about what the next day would be like. Surely they'll be much more prepared for the next portion of the trip compared to today. Hopefully his head and ribs will feel much better or at least they won't hurt if he ever relaxes in the car seat. Who knows when they will be able to get some more rest though, he isn't sure only because he doesn't know what may lie ahead of them.

"It probably would be for the best. We should get some energy for whatever tomorrow throws at us." Without saying anything else, he took ahold of her hand then placed another kiss on the back of it. As he started to fall asleep, he held it softly. "Good night Nym," He whispered while resting his head against the headboard.

His instant response made her pause for a second but she nodded, a hidden smile pulling onto her face. "Your shoulder is quite comfy, probably nicer to lay on than one of the pillows," She agreed softly, looking up at him. He looked perfect, she decided. The glow from one of the lights illuminated his face, giving him a soft glow that made him seem so gentle, less like a purebred warrior.

Nym blinked as she pulled herself away from the moment, feeling her face flush as he pressed a kiss to her hand. "Goodnight Rael," She murmured, leaning against him as she looped her arm around his, essentially holding his arm like a stuffed animal while she laid on his shoulder. It wasn't long after before she fell asleep, her breathing evening out and her body relaxing as she let sleep sweep her away.

It didn't take long for her dreams to catch up to her as she slept, though most weren't the normal nightmares she had gotten used to. This time they were about her family, about life before she started training. It wasn't the most pleasant of dreams, but they were tolerable, things she could deal with. Until of course, she got too lost in her dream, and it morphed into a nightmare that was sure to wake her up.

The way Nym held his arm melted his heart in an instant. If he wasn't already falling for her at this point, how she wrapped her arm around his surely is making him fall deeply. Rael held her hand as he slowly rubbed his thumb against it.

He adjusted himself to relax his shoulder, but the bed made a small creak sound. It startled him a little, thinking that someone was there. Carefully, he leaned over to do a simple check before realizing that it was only just himself. A sigh of relief left him before he glanced over at Nym.

"I'll protect you if it's the last thing thing I do," He whispered, "My bella, promise me that you won't ever turn back if something happens, please."

For once his heartbeat was actually slowing down. His breathing became slower too. The urge to force himself awake was still present, but his need for sleep after such a long day was much stronger. Finally, he let himself fall asleep. It was not long till he was in a deep sleep. Unlike every other time he was sleeping, he didn't have a dream. No dream, no twisted nightmares, just pitch black.

Nym slept soundly for who knew how long, not a dream to disturb her. Until the peace was broken by a dream, though it was one she didn't mind.

A young woman sat on the edge of a tiny bed in an equally as tiny room, a scowl on her face as she stared at the ground. She didn't look up, hearing a sigh as someone walked into her room.

"Nym, you have to be more careful," A male voice said, disappointment and frustration lacing his words. He walked to the bed, crouching infront of the auburn haired woman with a frown. She had a clear black eye, and it was swollen to the point where she didn't seem to be able to see out of it. "Who did you fight this time?"

"Jennins. He deserved it though," She replied in a defensive grumble, "He was trying to get me to…you know…" Her scowl returned and she finally met the male's eyes, "I said no. He called me a bitch. I threw the first punch. I'll be fine Matthew."

Matthew sighed, shaking his head as he chuckled, a tiny, new smile on his face, "I should've guessed." He stood, sighing one more as he sat next to her on the tiny bed, pushing her shoulder, "Move over, killer, your little butt doesn't need the entire bed. Now, tell me what happened after that."

She scowled again, though it faded away as she scooted over, the smallest hint of a smile on her face, "Shut up you twat." The man faked a look of hurt and she chuckled, gently leaning her head on his shoulder. "If you want to know, he looked much worse. He's lucky the commander walked around the corner, otherwise he would've faced worse."

Matthew laughed and bumped her once more, a soft smile on his face, "He's lucky you got sent here for the night. Who knows what would happen to him if you were out of time out."

She shoved him again, earning another laugh as she started to tell him what happened, a soft smile on her face, balancing out the black eye as she relished in a rare moment of happiness in training.

"I told you, Han. The only thing distancing you from the rest of those bastards was that uniform of yours."

Confused, Rael looked around. Where is he? His breath hitched when gazing down at the prison uniform he had on. He tried to run towards the colonel, but only fell after feeling an intense sharp of pain in his left knee.

The silence broke with the click of a handgun. Sounds of the colonel's footsteps got closer to him, but he wasn't able to move away. He tried to yet till feeling the bleak gun against his forehead. His eyes slowly trailed up and met the other's.

Rael opened his eyes, then swiftly sat up. He could feel his heart racing as he gradually began to wake up. Something was pushing down on his chest causing him to pant. While he still could feel his limbs, he felt frozen for a couple of moments.

An odd feeling overcame as he took a glimpse around the room, taking in everything. The heat, the soft blankets under him, his watch, Nym holding his arm… He quietly scoffed to himself. Oh gods above, how foolish he is to think that he can sleep well for just one night.

The room was quiet. All he could hear were his heart beating and Nym's breathing. Slowly, he turned his wrist to check the time. Five-thirty. "I am not there, it won't ever happen," He mumbled to himself, in hopes of calming himself. "Everything is fine."

Gently, he rested his head against hers. Rael caressed Nym's cheek as he focused on his breathing for a couple of moments. Gradually he let his eyes close and then went back to sleeping.

(Ok, it's not my best work, but here's a timeskip :) )

TIMESKIP: Morning
Nym slept soundly all night, for the first time in a long time, and she didn't wake up until surprisingly late either. Or at least, surprisingly late for her.

Yawning softly, Nym shoved her face further against the pillow she was resting her head against, gently stirring awake. She was chasing sleep, desperate for even a few more minutes of blissful peace before she would have to face the day.

Slowly though, she came to terms with the fact that she was now awake, though she didn't open her eyes. Instead, she just laid there, warm and comfortable just where she was. Her mind sluggishly pieced together where she was, and who she was with, until she remembered last night, and how she had quite rudely, fallen asleep against Rael after sitting next to him for mere minutes.

Nym pried her eyes open as she woke up further, looking around and noticing that she was still sleeping next to Rael, holding his arm like a bear and holding his hand as well. Making the smallest of movements, she hesitantly curled up further against him, telling herself it was only so she could clearly see the time on the clock next to him. Seven-fifteen, almost an hour after she usually woke up.

On and off, he kept waking up then going back to sleep. It was like clockwork. His eyes would open just a tiny bit before he eventually would shut them again then repeat. Normally he'd be up around five-thirty or so.

Eventually he let himself wake up. He really should've been up since the last time he woke up, although he might have needed the extra sleep. Slowly, but surely, his eyes opened as the sleepiness feeling was wearing off. Looking over at Nym, he smiled.

Was it possible for them to get any closer? At this point they might as well be on top of each other. He bit down on the corners of his lips in order to keep himself from laughing. If it was strange enough say, he kind of likes what they're doing; it's cute. On another note, it has to be impossible for him to be so captivated so quickly.

Rael carefully rested his head against hers. Even though he probably shouldn't be doing anything like this, he cannot help it. His head hurts from keeping it against the headboard, that's all. No other particular reason.

"I can't remember the last time anyone has ever held my arm like that," He whispered, then turned to let out a yawn. "Did you sleep well?"