Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow eventually managed to drift off to sleep, though he couldn’t remember when it had happened. One moment, he was laying on the ground with Penelope in his arms, and the next, he felt warm sunlight on his face and someone’s hand on his shoulder to wake him up. He sat up and blinked against the light, disoriented from his fitful sleep. After a moment, he slowly realized that Penelope was the one standing over him. He yawned and looked up at her, about to greet her but then pausing as the events from the day before came back to him.

Everything is confusing now, he lowered his gaze. He wished William had never found and confronted them. It was all so much simpler when they were in their own world, ignoring all of the problems of the future. Now, with someone on the outside to bring up the barriers they were going to face, he felt like he was being constricted.

Forcing himself to meet Penelope’s eyes, he offered a tired smile and greeted her as he was already going to, “Morning.” He didn’t want Penelope to know how torn he was feeling. He didn’t want her to worry about him or think that he was having second thoughts about their relationship.

Would she really be wrong though? a disdainful voice whispered in the back of his mind. He swallowed. As much as he wished it wasn’t true, the problems that had come up the day before were tempting him to run from it all. It had always been his first instinct to leave whenever he encountered difficult situations.

But this is different, he tried to reassure himself. I love her. I can’t leave just because I don’t want to deal with the repercussions of being with her. Besides, going on without her would be so much worse than dealing with a few more knights. The thought gave him renewed confidence that he was making the right decision. He just needed to focus on how terrible it would be to go back to his old life without her by his side rather than the troubles that were going to come from being with her. He sighed. Even though his old life was lonely, it had been a lot simpler than what he was going through now. I’ve gotten myself into quite the mess, haven’t I?

Standing up from the ground, he stretched and gathered his things, heading over to join the knights as they prepared for the next leg of their journey. He naturally gravitated to Penelope’s side and reached to take her hand. “How did you sleep?” he asked quietly, keeping his voice down so William wouldn’t hear him. Judging by the fact that his night hadn’t been the greatest, he guessed that she probably hadn’t slept much better, and he wanted to see how she was feeling.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It'll be interesting to see how they overcome this one

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“That’s true,” Crow nodded when she said they wouldn’t have to hide anymore. They would probably still need to get away from William if they wanted to talk or be together in private, but he was glad that they didn’t have to pretend to just be acquaintances in front of the knight anymore. Maybe, with time, William would even get used to seeing them together and stop making bitter comments. He hoped so. The fight that had happened that night could have been much worse, and he didn’t know how much more prodding he could take.

He followed Penelope to the patch of grass as she said they should get some sleep. When they reached it, he laid down beside her and slipped his arm around her waist to hold her close to himself. Though he was relieved to have her beside him again, sleep didn’t come easily. His mind raced, filled with countless worries about the future. In Younis, they hadn’t needed to concern themselves with all of the barriers between them, but it wouldn’t be long before they reached Brerra and all of those barriers would come slamming down.

Now that William knew about them, any hope that they might have had to keep their relationship a secret from Penelope’s family and the other nobles was gone. The knight had made it perfectly clear that he intended to tell her father about them, and that was going to bring an entirely new wave of problems that the thief had never thought much about. He usually concerned himself with Penelope’s future, but now he was beginning to fear for himself as well.

If what William had said was true, he would need to be even more careful when he returned to the outer villages. He had only worried about his current enemies finding out about Penelope and trying to use his love for her against him. He hadn’t considered the possibility that John would hear about them and send knights from the inner kingdom to capture him. The wrath of an angry father was a beast he didn’t want to poke.

Unable to free himself from the thoughts that ravaged his head, Crow nestled closer to Penelope in the hopes that her presence beside him would help him find peace. Unfortunately, despite how exhausted he was from the events of the day, he still couldn’t sleep. Shifting restlessly, he let out his breath in a long sigh. Please, just let this night be over quickly…

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

William definitely drove a wedge between Crow and Penelope

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

As soon as William loosened his grip on him, Crow slipped out of his grasp and moved to stand at a distance where the knight couldn’t reach him. He rolled his shoulders, grimacing in discomfort as his right arm, the one William had pinned, smarted in response to the motion. He was glad that it hadn’t been dislocated, but he could tell that he was going to feel it in the morning.

While Penelope and William argued, he stood back to listen from a safe distance in case the older knight tried to go after him again. Fortunately, it seemed like William’s anger had cooled off enough that he was finished fighting with them for now. At his final threat, Crow rolled his eyes, “You’re wasting your time. For once in my life, I’m not lying.”

“You keep saying that,” the knight glared at him. “But you already slipped up once tonight, thief. It won’t be long before you do it again, and when that happens, I’ll be there.” With that, he turned to take up a watch on the far side of the camp, signaling that he was finished with their conversation.

Once the knight was out of ear shot, Crow sighed and turned to Penelope. He reached to put and arm around her shoulders to hold her close to his side. Her touch calmed him, and he needed to relax after getting so riled up. For a while, he said nothing as he focused on letting go of the tension that had built up inside of him.

He was partly frustrated with himself for letting William get to him. It was the second time now. Normally, he prided himself on staying above petty fights, but the man had a way of saying all the right things to make him lose his temper. It was infuriating, but even more so than that, he hated that the things he had said were true. If he stayed with Penelope, he was inevitably going to drag her down with him. What sort of life was that for her when another man could give her everything she could ever want? Was love by itself really a good enough reason for them to be together? His ever-present doubts began to pull more strongly at his heart.

Having calmed down from the fight, he looked down at Penelope and offered an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry about that, love. He just knows exactly what to say to get under my skin.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It didn't take long for William and Crow to get into a fight ^^;
I feel like this is going to happen a lot tbh

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Though Penelope said she was okay, Crow wasn’t sure if she was being completely honest with him. When he had seen her face a moment ago, she had looked pretty upset. He held her tightly and rubbed one hand down and up her back as she pressed against his chest, listening to her go on about what William had said to her. He knew she loved him, but her words sent a flutter of nervousness through his heart. It sounded like William had brought up some valid points, ones that he was concerned about as well.

While he knew he wasn’t trying to manipulate her, he was also aware that by being with her, he was causing her to risk everything she had. He wasn’t just a criminal; he was the most wanted thief in the Kingdom of Brerra. There would be no hiding that when they got back. If she stayed with him, it was only a matter of time before someone found out they were together and told her family. In fact, William probably intended to do so, himself, now that he had caught them. It may have already been too late to save her reputation.

He looked down at her, wanting to reassure her somehow, but not sure what to say. However, he didn’t need to say anything at all, because in the next moment, she leaned up and kissed him again. Closing his eyes, he met her lips with equal passion, letting go of his fears as they pressed into each other. When she pulled back again, he returned her smile, feeling a little better now. She said she wants to be with me no matter what, he reminded himself. I should stop feeling so guilty. This was both of our decision.

“I think that’s enough.”

Crow looked up to see that William had returned to the clearing, his face scrunched in anger at the sight of the two of them kissing again. Feeling a pang of annoyance, the thief returned his glare. He held his ground without moving, unwilling to give in to the knight. It was too late to go back now. William already knew they were together, so there was no point in pretending like they weren’t. If he didn’t like it, then that was his problem.

Suddenly, he felt Penelope move in his arms, taking a step back from him. He glanced down at her in surprise, wondering why she was giving the older knight what he wanted. It wasn’t like he could do anything to stop them, after all. She had no reason to comply.

“As for you,” William’s eyes hardened as he met Crow’s gaze. He moved towards him, and the thief stepped back, uncomfortable with the lack of distance between them. “You may have fooled her, but I will not be so easily tricked,” the knight went on in a threateningly quiet tone. “I don’t know what sort of game you’re playing, thief, but believe me, you’re not going to get away with it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Crow curled his lip. He averted his gaze and forced himself to take a calming breath. He knew that William was just trying to get a rise out of him by getting in his face, but it was hard not to let the man get under his skin.

“Please,” William spat, noticing that the thief was struggling to keep a handle on his temper. “You really expect me to believe a low life like you would pursue a knight without an ulterior motive?” He stepped even closer before going on. “So what is it? Do you think you’re going to make a mockery of knights somehow? Or is it something pettier, like trying to ruin her name?”

Crow flinched despite himself at the last accusation, and William smirked, seeming to think he had found a lead.

“I see,” the knight purred. “You know you’re never going anywhere in society, so you just want to drag her down with you. How pathetic.”

“Shut up,” Crow muttered, narrowing his eyes at him warningly. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, trembling slightly as he fought to hold back from swinging at the knight.

“You’re never going to get away with it,” William prodded. “As soon as her father catches wind of this little romance, he’s going to have you arrested so fast, you won’t even know what happened.”

“Shut up,” Crow repeated, a bit louder this time.

“And you won’t just go back to prison this time,” William smirked cruelly. “Oh no. I’m sure he’ll have you hanged for disgracing his daughter.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Crow threw a punch at the knight’s face. However, William was prepared for the attack. He caught hold of the thief’s wrist, pulling him sharply to the side and twisting his arm behind his back to restrain him. “I should break your arm for that,” he growled.

“I’d like to see you try,” Crow challenged. In an attempt to break free of William’s grip, he drove his heel into the knight’s foot. Instead of releasing him, however, William just grunted and twisted the thief’s arm further behind his back, causing him to bite his tongue to keep from crying out in pain.

“Miserable wretch,” William snarled. “Don’t forget your place.” He turned to Penelope. “Do you still say he’s a good man? You saw the look on his face when I accused him. He’s just using you for his own selfish ambitions, Penelope! I cannot allow you to throw everything away just to be manipulated by some heartless criminal.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I like those too~

I'll get a reply up tomorrow because I have an 8AM class, and I'm already up later than I should be ^^;
I have all day free after 11 if you're around lol

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Yaaas her voice is amazing and I love her cx

Ooh, that first song gives me feels.
I also really like that second one. I may have just added it to my driving playlist >>

Why did we not exchange music earlier? xD I think we have similar taste
I'm definitely going to look up these artists on Spotify now

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EDIT: Here's some from a band I'm obsessed with, Bad Suns
I think both of these songs fit Crow really well after he and Penelope meet up again in two years

Cardiac Arrest
This one is really poetic, so it's hard to follow, but it's basically about a guy who is in love with a girl who he can't have.


Maybe We're Meant to be Alone
This one totally fits how Crow will be feeling when he sees Penelope with another man


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EDIT 2: Oh, here's one more that I think fits their romance cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow reached over his shoulder to grab another arrow, but his fingers brushed only air. He had emptied his quiver. He lowered his bow, breathing heavily from the exertion of loosing so many arrows. His arm ached, but he welcomed the pain because it distracted him from thinking about Penelope. He glanced towards the side of the forest where she and William were still out talking somewhere, hoping they would come back soon so he could finally know what had happened.

Intent on focusing on something else, he turned to look at the tree he had been shooting at. The trunk was riddled with arrows at varying heights and depths. Setting down his weapon, he stepped forward and began collecting all of the arrows to return them to the quiver. He gripped the first one by the shaft and pulled hard until it came loose from the tree. These arrows had penetrated the target deeper than the other times he had practiced, though he wasn’t sure if it was because he was getting better with the bow or he was merely fueled by his frustration.

He continued gathering them until all of the arrows had been returned to the quiver. However, just as he was putting the last one away, he heard the sound of a twig snapping just outside of the clearing. Heart racing with nervous excitement, he looked up to see that Penelope had come back. And she was alone.

Without thinking, he dropped the quiver of arrows and hurried over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her lips. He pulled back to meet her gaze and noticed that she seemed upset. That’s not good, he frowned, brushing her hair out of her face. “Are you okay?” he asked her concernedly. “What did he say to you?”