The Deck of Destiny - A Caraval Oneshot Collection

Scars of Our Past

Setting: Post-Finale
Warning: Minor language/refrences to sexual content (nothing too mature)

Bursting rays of strawberry pink love swirled around Scarlett as her fingers traced shapes along Julian's bare back. She thought he was sleeping because of how even his breathing was, but when she removed her hand to give into sleep herself, he mumbled, "Don't stop. That feels nice."

Heat rose to her cheeks as she continued to touch his back, and she didn't even think when her finger rubbed over a scar.

"How did you get that one?" Scarlett asked quietly, testing the waters to see his reaction.

Julian hummed in thought, "I was quite literally stabbed in the back by Armando around fifteen years ago."

There was a smirk to his voice, but it only made Scarlett frown, "What happened?"

"Armando - being the dick he is - decided it a good idea to put on a show for some hotel occupants on the fourth night of Caraval. Long story short, we had a sword fight."

This time, Scarlett laughed, "A sword fight? Who won?"

"I did," Julian said proudly, "But he got a few hits in before he died."

"You killed him?"

"Well, one of us was going to have to die sooner or later."

Scarlett shook her head with a smirk as she pressed her lips gently on his scar. Julian made a low throaty sound before she traced over a different scar, "How about this one?"

"That one was actually from a guest in Caraval. I think he found me annoying because that was one of the years that Legend assigned me the role of singing only. So he threw a blade at me to get a clue."

"Hold on- he threw a blade at you? Just to get a clue."

"As I said before, Caraval tends to bring out the selfish side in people. Unless your name is Crimson, of course."

Scarlett rolled her eyes as Julian flipped on his side so he was now facing her. "Wanna know how I got this one?" He pointed to the scar on his face.

"I was there when you got it," Scarlett narrowed her eyes, but a smile crept onto her face nonetheless.

"You see, there was this smoking hot girl with a douche bag for a step-father. And her daddy got really mad at me, but she seduced me so I stayed by her side. Then she said my scar is the most beautiful thing she's ever seen so it made it all worth it."

"She seduced you?" Scarlett arched an eyebrow.

Julian nodded with not-so-innocent eyes, "She's the love of my life. Technically, she didn't seduce me until around three months later when we had mind-blowing s-"

"You're very descriptive with your words."

A wolfish grin spread across Julian's face. "It's my favorite story to tell."

Scarlett turned onto her other side and Julian's arms snaked around her middle so that they were spooning. They were about to settle into a calm sleep when Julian's eyes caught onto a scar on Scarlett's back.

"How did you get that?" Julian asked lowly, his lips brushing against the back her neck as he spoke.

"Tella was caught in a church with a boy, and the yearly ball at the girls' home was coming up, so he couldn't do anything to my face. It was rare Marcello left anything but blood and bruises but... he wasn't in a particularly good mood that day."

"She was in a church?"

"I mean it was smart, I'll give her that. The last place you would see Marcello Dragna would be in a church. If it wasn't for one of the guards catching her she would've never gotten caught."

Julian's lips brushed her scar as she had done to him earlier, and Scarlett felt lighter; at peace with the scar.

"Good night, Crimson," he mumbled into her neck.

"Good night, Julian," she whispered back, letting herself drift off into sleep encased in Julian's arms.