ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: the idea for this chapter was given to me by @XN00BYX and i hope it doesn't disappoint! 💗
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alaric took a deep breath, his decision had already been made, so why was he so nervous? it's nothing that he hasn't done before. he tugged his hood lower, making sure his face was hidden and slipped his hands into his hoodie's pockets. he stepped back onto the path, his movements careful and deliberate as the gravel crunching softly beneath his shoes despite his best efforts to keep as quiet as humanly possible.
he kept his distance, making sure not to alert y/n to his presence. his eyes never left her, not even for a moment.
the forest seemed to close in around him, the trees standing tall and silent, witnesses to his secret pursuit. alaric's heart pounded in his chest, a mix of excitement and fear coursing through him. who knew tracking y/n would prove to be more entertaining than any task the family bestowed upon him? he watched her carefully, every step she took pulling him deeper into the forest's embrace. he reveled in the thrill of it all—the secrecy, the danger, the forbidden allure of following someone so different from himself.
it was just so...beautiful.
then, alaric snapped out of his thoughts when he saw y/n stop in her tracks once she reached a wooden structure: the showers. his breath hitched as he frantically looked around, searching for a place to hide. he ducked behind the closest tree and clutched the fabric of his hoodie over his heart. shit. did she see him?! there was just no way...
beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. no matter what he did, he couldn't quite catch his breath. gulping, alaric threw caution to the wind and peeked out of his hiding spot. he saw y/n standing at the entrance to the open shower, seemingly unaware of his presence. she hesitated for a moment, looking around as if sensing something, but then shrugged it off and climbed into the shower, the wooden door closing behind her.
alaric let out a silent sigh of relief. she hadn't seen him. he leaned back against the tree, his body trembling with the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. he couldn't help but marvel at how close he had come to being discovered. the thrill of it was intoxicating, but he knew he needed to be more careful. after a few moments, alaric composed himself and risked another glance toward the shower. The door was still closed, and he could hear the faint sound of water running. he felt a strange mix of guilt and fascination.
he knew he shouldn't be here, shouldn't be watching her, but he couldn't tear himself away. there wasn't much to see—in truth, the only part of y/n that he could still see were her legs. he then watched as her clothes dropped to the ground. first, her pants, then her shirt, then her undergarments. each piece of clothing fluttered to the floor, a mundane act that seemed charged with an electric tension in this context.
alaric's face heated up as he watched her pick up her discarded clothes and toss them to hang over one of the shower's walls. his breath hitched, and he blinked rapidly, trying to clear his mind. this is wrong, he knew it was.
