You started running out of the tavern. Of course, Guts was no longer in front of you, but you didn't try to guess where he had gone.

You just ran straight ahead, hoping his silhouette would appear in the darkness of the night.

«Why I'm doing this in the first place?!»

Still, you didn't stop running to find him. Until a sudden thought crossed your mind, what if he was heading towards the city gates?

You turned in the opposite direction. Sometimes, it happened to push someone to let you pass, but their contemptuous looks didn't stop you at all, on the contrary you sprinted faster than earlier; you were a few meters away from reaching your destination, but you just stopped when saw the doors fully open.

«No...»

You didn't dare go any further. You stood there, imagining a way to bring him back after the scene you had made...after everything you had been through together, you had kept to push him away and now this was the lesson you had to pay.

«...what the hell I did–»

«Do you still plan to stay there for a long time?»

You raised your head, as your eyes scanned that damned, black cloak fluttering against the stone walls. From nothing, Guts was sitting there, in the company of the moonlight that shone on his dark armor.

«I thought you had left...I realized I made a mistake and I'm sorry for that.» You justified yourself, but without looking in his direction; Guts stared at you intently and that's when he decided to pull the rope a little further to test you.

«Now that you're here, spit out whatever you need to tell me.»

You looked at him with perplexity, since you couldn't read his expression from that distance. But you just listened and took a long breath, before starting to speak.

«It's not unknown to you that I've always hated you. I didn't want to be with anyone, let alone rely on someone like you...»

You started to say in a calm tone, but with your fists dripping with sweat and you loosened the grip on them.

«But then, I saw what you did. You're not just the "Black Swordsman" everyone fears...you say you hate the weakest, but you insist on protecting them. You could have let me die, but you didn't and now you tell me that I'm your woman...why did you choose me?»

There was a suspended silence between you two, as if one were deciding on the next move to make. But the only move Guts did was let himself fall from the wall he was standing on, landing exactly a few feet away from you.

You instinctively backed away. But when you did, he held you back with his metal arm.

«Why, you say?» The warrior repeated softly, staring into your eyes as if he was searching for your soul «Because in your hatred, you were looking for me. A drawn sword desperately seeking its shield to be protected...that's what you are Y/n.»

You looked at him with a bewildered expression, if you were still the same as before, you wouldn't have accepted such treatment. You had never felt the need to be protected by anyone, but as soon as Guts let go of you, you didn't like the sudden cold and so, you grabbed his cloak with both hands.

«Don't blame this on me, like it's all my fault.» You raised the head as much as you could, forcing your body to throw itself against the man's armor «You're the one who went back without me asking...I never wanted you to come into my damn life–»

«And still, you came after me.» He interrupted you with his deep voice and that sick smile, but which you had gotten used to by now.

You wanted to be superior to him, after what he had done to that guy, but whose name you had already forgotten...only one was nailed in your mind and it belonged to the damn man in front of you.

«So, you won't go anymore?» You said turning your head, as if you didn't care much, but in the end you were relieved when he denied it.

«I'm in no hurry to leave.» Guts said truthfully. He wasn't the type to hang out in cities, especially one as important as Falconia was; but the fact is, someone was pushing him to stay there, so much so that she ran to get him back.

«Follow me, there's something I want to show you.» You raised an eyebrow when saw him walking right towards the gate, which was strangely devoid of guards. You followed him without saying anything, but without lowering your guard in a still unknown place...

And the idea of ​​being alone with him again.

• • •

The longer it went on, the more you didn't understand where the hell the swordsman was going. Apparently, the Lower City was the largest and richest part of the capital, but as soon as you passed the walls, you were back in the wilderness.

But something was different. The sky had suddenly become brighter and when you looked up, your eyes were enchanted by that immense sight...

Who would have thought that, above the city, there was such a tree?

«Dammit, this is big!» You exclaimed in amazement, you had never seen anything like it «How you found such a beautiful place?»

But, when you turned towards Guts, he wasn't looking the tree.

«...do I have something on my face?» You wondered why he was staring like that. Later, you saw his eye relax, on the contrary he was interested in something better.

«You are changed, Y/n.» Guts said in a light tone, which was new to you, maybe because you no longer looked menacing without your armor.

But you thought the same of him. His actions had left you speechless many times and the last time, he had done it on top of you, as he placed his hands on your never-touched body...your heart throbbed again, as you remembered that moment and Guts watched you pressing on your own shirt, at chest level.

«Don't get me wrong, you're talented when you fight...but without all that iron, you're just wonderful.»

This was all so confusing, you didn't understand what was happening that night, not even the reason why he had brought you there. But his words had given another shock to your chest, infusing unexpected warmth throughout your body.

After that, the warrior slowly approached to stop an inch from you. He wasn't touching you, but you could feel his strong energy envelop you as if he were.

You took a long breath to try to control your posture, so as not to be outdone.

«I think this place is playing with your brain, you're not thinking straight..don't say things you don't–»

«I've never been more clear-headed than now. Y/n...» Again, hearing his voice say your name destabilized you. Guts stepped back and to your surprise, he pulled out one of his knives from the robes.

«...I think this is the best thing to do.»

After that, he dropped his cloak to the ground and removed the armor, revealing his sculptural, war-scarred pectorals; without hesitation, he grabbed your wrist and placed the knife against his bare neck.

«Wait, what...»

«Do it Y/n, and all your doubts will vanish with me.»

Although you had thought about killing him many times for his cocky arrogance, you never thought it would turn out like this...no doubt, you would have preferred to fight him with swords, instead he stripped himself of his own weapons.

You glared at him as if you were looking at a madman, but Guts waited patiently for your decision; meanwhile, the astral light of the tree was illuminating his serious and proud profile, forcing you to do nothing but admire him in all his power.

Deep down, you knew this wasn't what you really wanted.

«Why are you doing this?!»

You threw the knife and in its place, your hands impulsively grabbed the sides of the man's neck.

«You are the worst man I've ever met on the face of this fucking universe.»

Guts didn't react and you lightly punched his chest. Then, his palms captured your face to direct it where hadn't been in a while, connecting his lips with yours.

You didn't resist. On the contrary, you instinctively opened your mouth to deepen the kiss.

«Don't do this, if that's not what you want.» The black-haired man grumbled in a low voice, he was about to lose control of his actions and that's why he warned you to leave. But the truth was, you were waiting for this to come and wrapped your arms around him, as much as you could.

You reaped what you sowed, right? In your case, you had wreaked havoc in this man's mind and heart.

«Then, show your woman what you're capable of, Black Swordsman.»

An unexpected excitement coursed through your veins, but you didn't give so much importance. The only thing that mattered was Guts, who stayed watching you in silence and with passion burning in his one eye.

He stopped last time, but he wasn't sure he would again, not when the woman he longed for was in his embrace.

He hadn't forgotten "her". But now, his mind was solely on you and swore it wouldn't end in the same way as in the past.

• • •

Guts laid down on top of the grass, pulling you with him onto his chest. It was pleasantly cool, perfect for fighting the rise in your body temperatures, but the swordsman made sure yours didn't drop in the slightest.

«Are you sure you want this? You're not drunk this time.» He asked with some care towards you, as you rested comfortably on his hard body.

«Mpf, look who's talking. Am I wrong or you were jealous of that guy earlier?» You countered, cocking your head teasingly. You couldn't help but be a little pleased by it.

«He wanted to play with something that isn't his, that's why I intervened.»

You rolled your eyes, it was strange to hear those words because you felt like you didn't belong to anyone, at least not yet.

«So, having sex with you will make me your property?» Suddenly, you stood up to look at the warrior with a serious and detached expression «I've seen that done many times when I was a mercenary. Have you ever wondered what a woman really wanted, looking at her like you're looking at me now?»

Guts didn't deny that he thought about Casca for a moment, the first woman he had ever felt love with...a love he had failed to protect.

«I did. But once I realized that, she was ripped away from me.»

From his words, you understood that there had been someone else in your place. Not that it was indifferent to you, but what happened explained why he was alone...he wanted to stop living thinking about losing or hurting someone dear to him.

The fact is, it wasn't your intention to open an old wound and to make up for it, you pressed your lips on his cheek to leave a long kiss.

«I didn't mean to make you feel bad.»

But Guts didn't blame you and to return the gesture, he did the same thing in your cleavage, between your collarbones...his nose smelled your scent for a long time, before sitting down and wrapping his metal arm around your waist.

He was no longer alone in that solitude and when he stared at you, it was as if he was seeking refuge in your crystal eyes.

«Tell me what you're thinking, Guts.»

The World Spiral Tree lit up your figures nestled beneath its roots, but nothing of its magic could distract the warrior from you. There was nothing he wanted more than to have you on his side, but he already knew that, telling you would cost you dearly.

«Although I want you, the evil I carry with me won't cease to exist...if I were to lose control of my will, I couldn't protect you.»

His words were telling you to drop everything, but his hands weren't stopping holding you tightly to him. You could see the mark on his nape, more vivid than last time and you swore that, if you could, you would have extinguished the pain it caused him forever.

«I'll take care of you, if that happens.» You said without a second thought and with your palms on his cheeks. You hesitated to give him another kiss, never in your life had you been so sentimental and now you were getting carried away.

«I won't let you lose yourself again.»

Maybe it was his emotions, but Guts allowed himself to believe in your words and stepped forward to steal your lips. If that would have happened, he would have fought to the death to save your dear life...