for maekar he was surprised at first. he hasn’t expected you to be so… giggly? your smiling face and bright eyes often flooded his vision when you were near. it was confusing to him. he knew he was no jester, and he knew no one was bold enough to laugh at him, yet there you were, teary eyed and shaking at something he had said. a comment under his breath he meant as no joke, in fact. but to you it was hard not to smile in his presence. even if he had never found himself funny or enjoyable to be around, you did.

but soon enough he became very glad of that fact.

your laugh was now sacred to maekar. it was not often he heard heard one escape his own lips, and it was not as if other people were constantly laughing in his company, rather cowering their heads and darting their eyes, but after knowing you he became very familiar with the sound.

he was familiar with it, then infatuated. he enjoyed the way your hand clutched onto his shoulder to steady yourself when your legs started to give out. it made him feel relied on. that when you were laughing so hard, in such a vulnerable state, it was him you chose to clutch onto. the way your hand squeezed his broad frame when you were laughing at yet another comment he had grumbled, it warmed him. a man so cold had known no warmth as bright as your soft lips curled in delight and your gentle exhale once your laughing had eased.

if you had to hide your giggles when you were in the presence of others, he so very enjoyed the way you hid behind him. laughing like you did while having company wasn’t always considered polite. even your hand wasn’t enough to hide your delight, so more often than not you hid behind maekar. the two of you would migrate to some corner of the room and he would turn his back to whoever else was in there with you. and you hid, and laughed. his hands clasped behind his back and his broad shoulders covering your entire self with ease. if you weren’t laughing so hard you would notice the way he tilted his head and gazed down at you so fondly.

he might grumble about if you were done yet? but he took great pride in protecting you from the watchful eyes and comments of lords and ladies.

he enjoyed protecting you from them. and he would do everything in his power to make sure that smile you so commonly wore never vanished from your face.

aerion vers