#there is actually a little white horsey in her fists but you cant really see it 🐎♟️

[twnj]

'She didn’t know how long she might’ve been crying then. She only knew she had no hope of discerning it, stopping it. Her scalp ached and prickled as though her hair had been pulled once again, and as she felt her tears stream, hot and wet, she couldn’t find her will to defy them. [...]

Her fist, clasped tightly around her knight, found her lips in a fierce kiss. Jaw trembling, body quaking, she bit down on her knuckle.

“I can’t just find him under the bookshelf, Shikamaru,” she whimpered. “He’s really gone.”

A hand rested on top of hers. It didn’t force it away from her lips, only squeezed before trailing down to tug at her wrist gently.[...]

Her eyes creaked open — heavy, sticky and aching with tears — to find Shikamaru on his haunches in front of her. His eyes were heavy but bright, and once she met them for a moment, they fell to her bundled fists. [...]

Shikamaru looked up, and with a silent squeeze of her fists, she translated his silence.

I’m here.'

Grandmaster on ao3 by @notquitejiraiya