Humans Have Always Been Endurance Hunters. We Can Endure Untold Physical, Psychological, And Emotional

Humans have always been endurance hunters. We can endure untold physical, psychological, and emotional trauma. Being so unexceptional, we are mocked by the intergalactic community until war shows how terrifying it is to simply… endure.

secrecy & scars

Genre/Tropes: Comparing hand sizes. Just hands.

Summary: You've always wondered what was under Rook's gloves.

Author's Comments: One of my irl friends has a headcanon that Rook has a bunch of scars on his hands and so I wrote this. It was finished in about an hour when I was supposed to be doing my homework but honestly I'm really excited for this because hey!!! Rook fluff!!! Happy Book Six part two release!! (Is it just me or are the minigames actually kinda hard???)

~~~~~

Whenever you saw Rook, he was always wearing his gloves. You’re pretty sure they’re completely attached to his hands, because in all your time at NRC he hasn’t taken them off in front of you once. Even when the weather is warm and the trees are rustling with the breeze of a coming summer, his gloves are still in their usual place. It’s an odd thing to fixate on, you’re aware of that, but you can’t stop the way your gaze falls on him whenever he’s near you. You’re just so curious, and it’s getting rather irritating.

Especially right now, because you’re supposed to be studying and yet you’re having this problem again.

Maybe it’s your fault for studying outside, but you usually come to this tree when you need to relax. Your current spot offers a lovely view of the Botanical Gardens, where you can see Rook talking with Trey. He’s wearing his labwear so he has gloves on again, much to your disappointment. But honestly, what do you expect? It was his club time, of course he would be wearing his gloves.

His eyes flicker in your direction and you snap your head back towards your book, a warmth climbing up your neck. Great Seven, you hope he didn’t catch you staring. That would be so embarrassing.

You look up to check if he’s gone, only to find him making his way towards you, a sneaky smile on his face.

And he’s staring right at you.

You yelp and shove your face in your book again, as if that would make him go away. A warm breeze flips the pages over your left thumb, and the grass tickles your ankles as the huntsman sits down beside you and leans against the tree you’re using as shelter from the sun.

“Mon coeur, what are you reading?” Rook hums, resting his head on your shoulder and looking down at your book.

“Um, I’m studying alchemy.” you answer, brain fumbling to come up with an excuse as to why you were staring at him in the first place for when he inevitably asks.

“I see. Was I distracting you?” he laughs, and you swallow thickly as he leans impossibly closer, “I’ve noticed your staring, did you think I wouldn't?”

Your breath catches in your throat, and if things couldn’t get any worse, a gloved hand pushes your chin up with a single, crooked index finger.

“There we are.” Rook smiles, eyes crinkling in the corners as he stares at you, “Your eyes are so beautiful, it would be a shame to hide them.”

You whip your neck around so quickly that you’re sure you almost broke it, and Rook’s laughter does nothing to stop the frantic pounding of your heart.

“Oh, mon coeur! I was only teasing, I swear!” he chuckles, “Though if a phantom were to ever see your lovely visage, they would perish, for your radiance will cure their tortured existence and they will know peace! I must say, to have someone like you gaze upon me as though you’re infatuated has my heart racing in my chest! Tell me, mon coeur, what is your reason for doing so?”

Did he have to speak so flowery? While it was endearing, it made him hard to understand at times (and it always, always embarrassed you.)

“I’ll answer that if…if you let me ask you something first.” you mumble, swallowing your nerves and meeting his gaze.

“Oh, mon coeur, anything.” he coos, lowering his voice on octave as he leans closer, “What is it?”

“Why do you wear gloves all the time?” you ask, eyes flickering down to his still covered hands, “I see you wearing them all the time. You were even wearing them when I slept over at Pomfiore that one time with Epel-”

“Curious, are you?” he sighs, the sound soft and amused, 

You’re about to say that yes, you’ve been curious since forever, and that you’ve always kinda wanted to hold his hands and admire them but they were always covered so you didn’t even have any daydream material damn it, but he’s peeling them off and folding them neatly on the grass beside him before you can vocalize any of that.

Your jaw hangs open with the shock of seeing his bare hands. Seeing him without his gloves is a rare sight, though right now they’re clenched in his lap as if he feels vulnerable without them.

“Can I see them?” you blurt before you can stop yourself.

Thankfully, Rook ignores the fact that you’re now up to two questions, and simply unravels his fingers and holds his hands out to you. You take both of them in yours, comparing your hand sizes. Once you’re satisfied, you take your left hand away from his left and bring it to his right. You flip his hand over and examine the long scar that runs from the base of his pinky finger to his thumb, and even though you know it doesn’t hurt anymore you still trace over it worryingly.

“That was a long time ago, mon coeur.” Rook whispers, his pretty voice drifting in the gentle breeze, “I’ve been on many hunts and have been hunted myself.”

You don’t pry. The way he talked about the scar sent a dagger of dread plunging into your stomach. Plus, you know Rook well enough to know that he doesn’t like people prying into his personal life. It’s a miracle he took his gloves off for you.

You flip his hand back over and run your thumb over the back of his hand. It’s a bit smoother than his palm, but you can tell his knuckles are calloused from hard work. You move onto his fingers, where you intertwine them with yours. There’s much smaller scars littered along his skin, but he doesn’t say anything about them so you don’t ask.

In a moment of bravery, you cradle his hand tenderly and bring it to your lips, pressing an affectionate kiss to the skin.

Rook sucks in a quiet breath, but you don’t look up. You're too embarrassed.

Moving onto his left hand, you treat this one with the same care. There’s no large scars on this hand, but there are once again many small ones littering the flesh. You feel your brow furrowing with more concern at all the injuries he sustained over the years. If this is what his hands look like, then how bad are his arms?

You have questions, but you do not pry.

“I promise they do not hurt.” Rook whispers, his right hand reaching around the back of your head in a gentle cradle. He begins scratching, a soothing sleepy feeling creeping into your brain as your furrowing brow slips away into a relaxed expression.

“I believe you.” you whisper back, as if what happened here today is a precious secret that you’ll never share with anyone else as long as you live.

Rook understands.

He slips his gloves back on all too soon, and your heart is pounding when you think he’s about to leave, but your excuse-making brain stalls when he doesn’t make a move to get up.

“Please.” he murmurs, picking up your forgotten book, “Allow me.”

He pats the spot of grass next to him and you scramble to answer his request, resting your back against the tree trunk as he gets comfortable next to you. Your knees are touching, and that's the only thing you can think about as he rests the book on the both of you, your thighs cushioning the cover that’s been warmed by the sun.

“Beautiful.” Rook whispers, and when you look up he’s staring right at you.

“Yeah.” you say, and you stare right back at him.

The book is once again forgotten.

Yuu: My crazy ass could never be a monarch. I'd just instantly go mad with power the second someone put a ring on it.

Malleus: What if I held you gently and we were happy together?

Yuu: ...

Yuu: Hmmm...

Leona: What if I supported your maniacal rise to power and we were evil together?

Yuu: HMMMM...

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