#queen lily

His wife had always been the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but this morning felt surreal. This morning felt like he was living in a dream. Because James, for all his bravado during their traveling and the time leading up to Lily telling him she loved him, was never actually positive that he'd end up in this situation. He was never confident that this was what Lily would choose, that she would really, truly want him.

But his eyes showed him that he had made it. The woman he'd been so taken with and then fallen in love with had not only returned his favor, but she loved him back.

"Stop staring at me," Lily murmured and buried her face into his chest.

"I can't, love," James kissed the top of her head before kissing down her face to capture her lips again. "You're captivating."

Her cheeks tinged red and James thought she might kill him with how adorable she looked.

"It's unfair how beautiful you are first thing in the morning."

"It's unfair that you looking like I've had my hands in your hair all night makes me want to repeat the scenario all the more." Lily kissed him and James moved them to hover above her.

"What a brilliant idea, Your Majesty," James grinned down at her.

"I'm full of them, Your Majesty," Lily let her hands tangle in his hair again, and James hummed as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Lily's fingers combing through his black mane.

"What do you want to do today?" Lily asked, her hands still working their magic.

"This," James sighed happily, "I want to do this forever."

"Forget our kingdom and just run away? Escape to an isle across the sea and spend our days growing food and fishing and our nights wrapped up like this?"

James blinked his eyes open, "That was mighty specific, love."

Lily blushed, "That may have been one of my fantasies when we were traveling together."

"You were fantasizing about running away with me when we were traveling?" James knew he was grinning like a cat in the cream. "I think I'd like to hear more about these fantasies."

Lily's blush deepened but she smiled as she bit her lip. "Most of them involved crossing the ocean and hiding someplace far away while we made a life for ourselves."

James moved to his side and pulled Lily flush against him.

"I always thought it'd be rather fun to be the captain of a ship and sail the seas."

"I've never been on a ship before," Lily traced her fingers along his chest. "Would you consider it bad luck to have a woman aboard?"

James laughed, "I honestly wonder if sailors understand the irony of calling the sea a woman and then turning around and claiming a real woman on board is bad luck."

Lily grinned, "So you'd let me be a part of your crew?"

"Of course, who else would keep me in line? I'd need a reliable first mate and you'd obviously be my first choice."

"Where would we sail?"

James smiled as Lily's beautiful emerald eyes gazed up at him with mischief sparkling back at him.

"Wherever the wind may take us?"

"Off to uncharted territory, then? Maybe we'd meet people who work all their magic with songs, or perhaps people who have never seen or heard of magic at all."

James combed his fingers through Lily's long auburn hair and smiled at her perfect face looking up at him.

"I love dreaming with you," Were the words that finally escaped his lips. "I love thinking about what could be. I love that when you decide something is important, you don't let anything stop you. I love that you choose to be with me. I love that you choose to help me. I love you, and I love that you love me."

Lily tilted forward and kissed his lips and James lost himself in the feel of her pressed against him.

"I have something I'm feeling rather determined about at the moment." Lily grinned against his lips.

"Which is?" James kissed her further, letting his hands caress her soft skin.

"I think I'd like to give Godric's Hollow an heir." Lily bit lightly on his lip and James felt his breath hitch.

"I'm always happy to oblige, my Queen," James growled before turning them over so Lily was above him.

Looking up at her seemed to put their whole reality into perspective. Everything had ended exactly as he hoped it would. James had lived the fairy tale story, and while it hadn't been all smiles and sunshine, what he and Lily had grown to be felt deeper, more secure. His dad had once told him that the years of struggling for an heir and the attitude of the court surrounding it had been the hardest experience for his parents and their partnership, but that those were years his dad wouldn't give up for anything.

James understood why now. Because in the adversity, in the chaos and uncertainty, James knew that Lily would be who he'd choose every time, and she'd choose him. They had held each other up when life tried to push them down. And laying with her, the sun's morning rays filtering in through the windows, James felt like the author he thought was so torturing him throughout the last year or so, perhaps knew what they were doing after all.